Gas Acura RSX 2003 Owner's Manual

2003 RSX Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through\
this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.h\
elminc.com.
Contents
Owner's Identification Form

Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety ........................................................................\
......................................... ii
Your Car at a Glance ........................................................................\
................................................... 2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
...................................... 5
Proper use and care of your car's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint\
System.
Instruments and Controls ........................................................................\
......................................... 57
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use da shboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
...................... 101
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
.......................................................... 153
What gasoline to use, how to break -in your new car, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
...................................................................... 167
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance ........................................................................\
............................................................. 193
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your car to the\
dealer.
Appearance Care ........................................................................\
...................................................... 253
Tips on cl eaning and protecting your car. Things to look for if your car ever need\
s body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected ........................................................................\
.............................. 261
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, and\
how to handle them.
Technical Information ........................................................................\
............................................. 287
ID numbers, dim ensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada) ................................................................301
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only) ........................................................................\
.............................. 306
How to order manuals and other technical li terature.
Index........................................................................\
........................................................................\
...... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

Front airbags have been designed to
help protect adults in a moderate to
severe f rontal collision. To do this,
the passenger’s f ront airbag is quite
large, and it inf lates with tremendous
speed.If
the airbag inf lates, it can hit the back
of the child seat with enough force
to kill or very seriously injure an
inf ant.
According to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
saf er when they are restrained in the
back seat, not the f ront seat. The
National Highway Traf f ic Saf ety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
ages 12 and under be properly
restrained in the back seat.
In the back seat, children are less
likely to be injured by striking hard
interior parts during a collision or
hard braking. Also, children cannot
be injured by an inf lating airbag
when they ride in the back.
If you are not wearing a
seat belt in a crash, you could be
thrown f orward into the
dashboard and crush the child.
If youarewearingaseatbelt,the
child can be torn f rom your arms
during a crash. For example, if
your car crashes into a parked
vehicleat30mph(48km/h),a
20-lb (9 kg) inf ant will become a
600-lb (275 kg) f orce, and you will
not be able to hold on.
During a
crash, the belt could press deep
into the child and cause very
serious injuries.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children
The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Poses Serious Risks to Children
Children Should Sit in the Back
Seat
Inf ant s
Never put a rear-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag.
A ddit ional Precaut ions t o Parent s
Neverholdaninfantorchildonyour lap.
Never put a seat belt over yourselfand an inf ant or child.
22

Push the button.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage.
Your car’s exhaust contains carbon
monoxide gas. You should have no
problem with carbon monoxide
entering the car in normal driving if
you maintain your car properly.
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:
The car is raised f or an oil change.
You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust.
Thecarwasinanaccidentthat
may have damaged the underside. If you must sit in your parked car,
even in an unconf ined area, with the
engine running, adjust the heating
and cooling system as f ollows: With the hatch open, air flow can
pull exhaust gas into your car’s
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
hatch open, open all the windows
and set the heating and cooling
system as shown below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Driver and Passenger Saf ety54
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.

Each door has a master door and
hatch lock switch. Either switch
locks and unlocks both doors and the
hatch. Push the switch down to lock
both doors and the hatch. Push up to
unlock them.To close the hatch, press down on
the back edge.See page f or cargo loading and
weight limit inf ormation. Keep the
hatch closed at all times while
driving to avoid damaging the hatch
and to prevent exhaust gas from
getting into the interior. See
on page .
To open the hatch, pull the handle,
then lif t up the hatch.
The hatch will not lock or unlock
when the battery is disconnected. 164
54
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Power Door/Hatch L ocks Hatch
Carbon
Monoxide Hazard
80
MASTER DOOR AND HATCH
LOCK SWITCH
Pull

Bef ore you begin driving your Acura,
youshouldknowwhatgasolineto
use, and how to check the levels of
important f luids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggage
or packages. The inf ormation in this
section will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your car,
please read the inf ormation in this
section f irst......................
General Precautions .154
.............................
Break-in Period .155
.........................................
Gasoline .155
.........
Service Station Procedures . 156
................
Filling the Fuel Tank . 156
....................
Opening the Hood .157
...............................
Oil Check .159
.........
Engine Coolant Check . 160
...............................
Fuel Economy .161
.....................
Vehicle Condition .161
...........................
Driving Habits .161
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 162
.............................
Carrying Cargo .164
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving153

During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbraking.Newbrakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use f or the f irst 200 miles (300
km). In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emissions control system
perf ormance may deteriorate and
the Malf unction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on.
If this happens, contact your
authorized Acura dealer f or service. We recommend gasolines containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits. Your Acura is designed to operate on
unleaded gasoline.
Help assure your car’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your car’s emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
Do not change the oil until the
recommended time or mileage
intervalshowninthemaintenance
schedule.
Youshouldfollowthesesamere-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are relined. Use of a lower octane gasoline can
cause occasional metallic knocking
noises in the engine and will result in
decreased engine perf ormance. Use a premium unleaded gasoline
with a pump octane number of 91 or
higher. Use an unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane number of 86 or higher.
Use of a lower octane gasoline can
cause a persistent, heavy metallic
rapping noise in the engine that can
lead to mechanical damage.
(Type-S)
(All models except Type-S)
Break-in Period
Gasoline
Break-in Period, Gasoline
Bef ore Driving155

Open the f uel f ill door by pulling
onthehandletotheleftof the
driver’s seat. Because the f uel f ill cap is on the
driver’s side of the car, park with
that side closest to the service
station pumps.Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Put the attachment on the fuel fill
cap into the slit on the f uel f ill door.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top of f ’’ the tank, leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.
Your car has an on-board refueling
vapor recovery system to help keep
f uel vapors f rom going into the
atmosphere. If the f uel nozzle keeps
clicking of f even though the tank is
not f ull, there may be a problem with
this system. Consult your dealer.
1.
2. 3.
4.
Filling the Fuel Tank
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving156
FUEL FILL CAP
Pull
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.
Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.

Distribute cargo evenly on the
f loor of the cargo area, placing the
heaviest items on the bottom and
as far forward as possible.If you carry large items that
prevent you f rom closing the
hatch, exhaust gas can enter the
passenger area. To avoid the
possibility of carbon monoxide
poisoning, f ollow the instructions
on page .
If you can carry any items on a
roof rack,besurethetotalweight
of the rack and the items does not
exceed the maximum allowable
weight. Please contact your Acura
dealer f or f urther inf ormation.
If youfolddownthebackseat,tie
down items that could be thrown
about the car during a crash or
sudden stop.
Do not place items on the cargo
area cover, or stack objects higher
than the top of the back seat. They
could block your view and be
thrown about the car during a
crash or sudden stop. 49
Carrying Cargo in the Cargo A rea
or on a Roof Rack
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving166

Be sure
there is adequate ventilation
whenever you operate the engine.
Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
bef ore touching any parts.
Do
not run the engine unless in-
structed to do so. Read the instructions before you
begin, and make sure you have the
tools and skills required.
To reduce the possibility of f ire or
explosion, be caref ul when working
around gasoline or batteries. Use a
commercially available degreaser or
parts cleaner, not gasoline, to clean
parts. Keep cigarettes, sparks, and
flames away from the battery and all
f uel-related parts.
Bef ore you begin any maintenance,
make sure your car is parked on
level ground and that the parking
brake is set. Also, be sure the engine
is of f . This will help to eliminate
several potential hazards:
You should wear eye protection and
protective clothing when working
near the battery or when using
compressed air.
Maintenance Saf ety
Maint enance
Important Saf ety Precautions
Carbon monoxide poisoning
f rom engine exhaust.
Burns f rom hot parts.
Injury f rom moving parts.
195

µ
The Maintenance Schedule specif ies
how of ten you should have your car
serviced and what things need
attention. It is essential that you have
your car serviced as scheduled to
retain its high level of saf ety,
dependability, and emissions control
perf ormance.
Avoidexceedingyourcar’sload
limit.Thisputsexcessstresson
the engine, brakes, and many
other parts of your car. The load
limit is shown on the label on the
driver’s doorjamb.
Operate your car on reasonable
roads within the legal speed limit.
Drive your car regularly over a
distance of several miles
(kilometers).
Always use unleaded gasoline with
theproperoctanerating(seepage).
The services and time or distance
intervals shown in the maintenance
schedule assume you will use your
car as normal transportation f or
passengers and their possessions.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations:
Service your car according to the
time and mileage periods on one of
the Maintenance Schedules on the
f ollowing pages.
Follow the
Maintenance Schedule f or Severe
Conditions if you drive your car
MAINLY under one or more of the
f ollowing conditions.
Driving less than 5 miles (8 km)
per trip or, in f reezing
temperatures, driving less than 10
miles (16 km) per trip.
Driving in extremely hot [over
90°F (32°C)] conditions.
Extensive idling or long periods of
stop-and-go driving.
155
Maintenance Schedule
Maint enance
U.S. Owners Which Schedule to Follow:
196