Acura TL 2000 3.2 Owner's Manual

Emergency Towing
If you decide to tow your car with all
four wheels on the ground, make sure you use a properly-designed and
attached tow bar. Prepare the car for
towing as described above, and leave
the ignition switch in Accessory (I) so the steering wheel does not lock.
Make sure the radio and any items
plugged into the accessory power socket are turned off so they do not
run down the battery.
The steering system can be damaged if
the steering wheel is locked. Leave the ignition switch in Accessory (I), and
make sure the steering wheel turns
freely before you begin towing. Trying to lift or tow your car by the
bumpers will cause serious damage. The bumpers are not designed to
support the car's weight.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
NOTICE
NOTICE

Technical Information
The diagrams in this section giveyou the dimensions and capacities of
your Acura, and the locations of the identification numbers. The explana-
tions of several electronic and mechanical systems on your Acuraare for the more technically-orientedowner. Identification Numbers
.............. 280
Specifications ................................ 282
DOT Tire Quality Grading ............ 284
Treadwear................................ 284
Traction................................... 284
Temperature................................ 285 Oxygenated Fuels
...................... 286
Driving in Foreign Countries ................ 287
Emissions Controls...................... 288 The Clean Air Act ...................... 288
Crankcase Emissions Control System................................ 288
Evaporative Emissions Control System................................ 288
Onboard Refueling Vapor
Recovery.............................. 288
Exhaust Emissions Controls.... 289 PGM-FI System...................... 289
Ignition Timing Control System................................ 289
Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) System.................... 289
Three Way Catalytic Converter.............................. 289
Replacement Parts .................... 289
Three Way Catalytic Converter... 290
Technical Information

Identification Numbers
Your car has several identifyingnumbers located in various places.
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is the 17-digit number your
Acura dealer uses to register your car for warranty purposes. It is alsonecessary for licensing and insuring
your car. The easiest place to find the VIN is on a plate fastened to the
top of the dashboard. You can see it
by looking through the windshieldon the driver's side. It is also on theCertification label attached to the
driver's doorjamb, and is stamped on
the engine compartment bulkhead.
The VIN is also provided in bar code on the Certification label.VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
CERTIFICATION LABEL
Technical Information

Identification Numbers
The Engine Number is stamped intothe engine block. It is on the front.
The Transmission Number is on a label on top of the transmission.
ENGINE NUMBER
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NUMBER Technical Information

Specifications
DimensionsLength
Width Height
Wheelbase
Track Front Rear 192.9 in (4,900 mm)
70.3 in (1,785 mm)
55.7 in (1,415 mm)
108.1 in (2,745 mm)
61.2 in (1,555 mm)
60.4 in (1,535 mm) Capacities
Weights
Gross vehicle weight rating See the certification label attached to the driver's doorjamb.
Air Conditioning
Refrigerant type
Charge quantity Lubricant type HFC-134a(R-134a)
25-27 oz (700-750 g) ND-OIL8
Engine
coolant
Engine oil
Automatic
transmission
fluid
Windshield washer
reservoir Change*1Total
Change Including
filter
Without
filter
Total
Change
Total
U.S. Cars
Canada Cars 1.48 US gal (5.6 l ,1.23 Imp gal)
1.98 US gal (7.5 l ,1.65 Imp qal)
4.6 US qt (4.4 l ,3.9 Imp qt)
4.2 US qt (4.0 l , 3.5 Imp qt) 5.3 US qt (5.0 l , 4.4 Imp qt)
3.1 US qt (2.9 l , 2.6 Imp qt)
7.6 US qt (7.2 l , 6.3 Imp qt)
2.6 US qt (2.5 l , 2.2 Imp qt)
4.8 US qt (4.5 l ,4.0 Imp qt)
Capacities
Fuel tank Approx. 17.17 US gal (65.0 l ,14.30 Imp gal)
* 1 : Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in the
engine.
Reserve tank capacity: 0.16 US gal (0.6 l , 0.13 Imp gal)
* 2 : Excluding the oil remaining in the engine.
Technical Information

Specifications
Lights
TypeBore x Stroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs
Alignment
Toe-in Camber
Caster
Tires Size
Pressure Front
Rear
Front
Rear
Front
Front/Rear
Spare Front/Rear
Spare Water cooled 4-stroke
SOHC VTEC 6-cylinder (V6), gasoline engine
3.50 x 3.39 in (89.0 x 86.0 mm) 195.8 cu-in (3,210 cm
3)
9.8: 1
See spark plug maintenance
section page 219.
0.00 in (0.0 mm)
0.08 in (2.0 mm)0°
-0°30' 3°00'
P205/60R16 91V T135/80R16
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
2)
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm2)
Technical Information
Headlights* Front turn signal/Side marker
lights
Rear turn signal lights
Stop/Taillights
High-mount brake light
Back-up lights
License plate lights
Ceiling light
Trunk lights
Door courtesy lights
Vanity mirror light
Map light 12 V - 60 W(HB3) (High beam)
12 V - 24/2.2 CP
12V - 21 W
12 V - 21/5 W
12V - 21 W
12V - 21 W
12 V - 3CP
12V - 7W
12V - 5W
12 V - 2CP
12V - 1.1 W
12 V - 4CP
* Low beam headlight bulbs are a type of high voltage discharge tube.
Battery
Fuses
Interior
Under-hood See page 276 or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box door on each side of the
dashboard.
See page 275 or the fuse box
cover.
Capacity12 V - 65 AH/20 HR
Engine

DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Cars)
The tires on your car meet all U.S.Federal Safety Requirements. All
tires are also graded for treadwear,
traction, and temperature perform-ance according to Department of
Transportation (DOT) standards.
The following explains these gradings.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and the maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlledconditions on a specified government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one
half (1-1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices, and differences in
road characteristics and climate. Traction
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire's ability tostop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based onstraight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
Technical Information

DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Cars)
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (thehighest), B, and C, representing the
tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlledconditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the materialof the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law. Warning: The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a tire thatis properly inflated and not over-
loaded. Excessive speed, underinfla-
tion, or excessive loading either separately or in combination, can
cause heat build-up and possible tire
failure.
Technical Information

Oxygenated Fuels
Some conventional gasolines are
being blended with alcohol or an ether compound. These gasolines
are collectively referred to as
oxygenated fuels. To meet clean air
standards, some areas of the United
States and Canada use oxygenated
fuels to help reduce emissions.
If you use an oxygenated fuel, be
sure it is unleaded and meets the
minimum octane rating requirement.
Before using an oxygenated fuel, try
to confirm the fuel's contents. Some states/provinces require this
information to be posted on the pump. The following are the U.S. EPA and
Canadian CGSB approved
percentages of oxygenates:
ETHANOL (ethyl or grain alcohol)
You may use gasoline containing up to 10 percent ethanol by volume. Gasoline containing ethanol may be
marketed under the name "Gasohol."
MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl
Ether)
You may use gasoline containing up to 15 percent MTBE by volume.
METHANOL (methyl or wood alcohol)
Your vehicle was not designed to use fuel that contains methanol.Methanol can corrode metal parts in
the fuel system, and also damage
plastic and rubber components. This damage would not be covered by
your warranties. If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
Fuel system damage or performance
problems resulting from the use of an oxygenated fuel containing more
than the percentages of oxygenates
given above are not covered under
warranty.
Technical Information

Driving in Foreign Countries
Technical Information
If you are planning to take your
Acura outside the U.S. or Canada, contact the tourist bureaus in theareas you will be traveling in to find
out about the availability of unleaded
gasoline with the proper octane
rating.
If unleaded gasoline is not available,
be aware that using leaded gasoline
in your Acura will affect perfor- mance and fuel mileage, and damage
its emissions controls. It will no
longer comply with U.S. and Canadian emissions regulations, and
will be illegal to operate in North
America. To bring your car back into compliance will require the replace-
ment of several components, such as
the oxygen sensors and the three
way catalytic converter. These re- placements are not covered under
warranty.