ACURA RL 2011 Owners Manual

This section covers the more
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your vehicle towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire . 496
....................
Changing a Flat Tire . 497
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start . 501
................................
Jump Starting . 502
..............
If the Engine Overheats . 505
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 508
..........
Charging System Indicator . 508
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 509
...............
Brake System Indicator . 510
Opening the Fuel Fill Door
....................................
Manually . 511
..............................................
Fuses . 512
..............................
Fuse Locations . 518
......................
Emergency Towing . 521
..........
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck . 521
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
495
10/08/04 20:08:26 31SJA660_500
ProCarManuals.com

Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced,
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Check the air pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement tire should be the same
size and design, mounted on the
samewheel.Thesparetireisnot
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare tire.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Follow these precautions:
Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road
surf aces. Use greater caution
while driving.
After the flat tire is replaced with
the spare tire, the low tire
pressure/TPMS indicator stays on.
Af ter several miles (kilometers)
driving with the spare, this
indicator begins to f lash, then
stays on again. You will also see a
‘‘CHECK TPMS SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display (see page ). 433
Compact Spare Tire
496
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
10/08/04 20:08:37 31SJA660_501
ProCarManuals.com

Take the tool case out of the spare
tire. Open the trunk, and fold the trunk
floor forward.
Unscrew the wing bolt, and
remove the spacer cone. Then
take the spare tire out of its well.
Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park. Apply the
parking brake.
If you are towing a trailer, unhitch
it.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position. Have all
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire.
If you have a f lat tire while driving,
pull over saf ely. Drive slowly along
the shoulder until you get to an area
far away from traffic lanes.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
497
TRUNK FLOOR
TOOL CASE JACK
SPARE TIRE
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.
10/08/04 20:08:47 31SJA660_502
ProCarManuals.com

ÚUse the extension and the wheel
nut wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.
Loosen each wheel nut 1/2 turn
with the wheel nut wrench.
Place the jack under the jacking
point nearest the tire you need to
change. It is pointed to by a
mark molded into the underside of
the body. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch.Remove the wheel nuts, then
remove the f lat tire. Handle the
wheel nuts caref ully; they may be
hot f rom driving. Place the f lat tire
on the ground with the outside
surface facing up.
6. 7. 8.
9.
Changing a Flat Tire
498
WHEEL NUT WRENCH EXTENSION
WHEEL NUT WRENCH
10/08/04 20:08:57 31SJA660_503
ProCarManuals.com

Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipeanydirtoff themounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten the
wheel nuts f ully.Lower the vehicle to the ground,
and remove the jack.
10. 11. 12.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
499
BRAKE HUB
10/08/04 20:09:05 31SJA660_504
ProCarManuals.com

Store the jack and tools in the tool
case. Place the tool case in the f lat
tire.
Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to: Place the flat tire face down in the
spare tire well.
Wrap the spacer cone and spare
tire wing bolt with cloth or paper,
and store them in the spare tire
well.Lower the trunk f loor, then close
the trunk lid.
Your vehicle’s original tire has a
tire pressure monitoring system
sensor. To replace a tire, ref er to
(see
page ).
14.
13.
15.16.
17.
18. 430
Changing a Flat Tire
Changing a T ire with T PMS
500
WING BOLT SPACER CONE
94 lbf·ft (127 N·m , 13 kgf·m)
Loose items can fly around the
interior in a crash and could
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.
10/08/04 20:09:16 31SJA660_505
ProCarManuals.com

When you turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, you do not
hear the normal noise of the engine
trying to start. You may hear a
clicking sound, a series of clicks, or
nothing at all.Turn the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the f uses. If the f uses
areOK,thereisprobably
something wrong with the
electrical circuit f or the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. See
on page .
Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position:
Check these things:
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Turn on the
headlights, and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or do not come on at all,
the battery is discharged. See on page .
Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
or neutral or the starter will not
operate. Make sure the remote is with you,
inside the vehicle.
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is
discharged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of the
battery and terminal connections
(see page ). You can then try
jump starting the vehicle from a
booster battery (see page ).
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
502521
490 502
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Emergency T owing
Jump Starting
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
501
10/08/04 20:09:28 31SJA660_506
ProCarManuals.com

In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position, but the engine does not run.Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page . There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page .
Are you using a properly coded
built-in key or remote? An
improperly coded built-in key or
remote will cause the immobilizer
system indicator in the instrument
panel to blink rapidly (see page ).
Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the low f uel indicator may
not be working. Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
You cannot start your vehicle by
pushing or pulling it.
401
521
512
150
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing Jump Starting
If the Engine Won’t Start, Jump Starting
502
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
10/08/04 20:09:40 31SJA660_507
ProCarManuals.com

´´´
Open the hood, and check the
physical condition of the battery.
In very cold weather, check the
condition of the electrolyte. If it
seems slushy or f rozen, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.
Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, climate
control, stereo system, lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Park, and
set the parking brake.
Remove the battery cover (see
page ), then remove the
secondary under-hood f use box
cover f rom the positive ( )
terminal on the battery.
The numbers in the illustration show
you the order to connect the jumper
cables.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
vehicle’s battery. Connect the
other end to the positive ( )
terminal on the booster battery.
1.
2.
3.
4.
492
CONT INUED
To Jump Start Your Vehicle:
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
503
COVER
BOOSTER BATTERY
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.
10/09/08 21:20:44 31SJA660_508
ProCarManuals.com

´
µ Start your vehicle. If the starter
motor still operates slowly, check
that the jumper cables have good
metal-to-metal contact.
Once your vehicle is running,
disconnect the negative cable f rom
your vehicle, then f rom the
booster battery. Disconnect the
positive cable f rom your vehicle,
then from the booster battery.
Reinstall the secondary under-
hood f use box cover over the
positive ( ) terminal of the
battery, then reinstall the battery
cover.
If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle. Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the vehicle until everything is
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short.
Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the engine hanger as
shown. Do not connect this jumper
cable to any other part of the
engine. 7.
5.
6. 8.
9.
Jump Starting
504
Connecting the jumper cable to the
secondary under-hood f use box causes
the f uses to blow.
10/08/04 20:10:03 31SJA660_509
ProCarManuals.com