Acura TSX 2006 Owner's Manual

Specif ications
340
TiresP215/50R17 93V
T135/80D16 101M
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
)
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm
)
Size
Pressure
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm)
Front/Rear
Spare
Front
Rear
Spare
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Quality grades can be f ound where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and the
maximum section width. For
example: The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied 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 perf ormance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart signif icantly f rom the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices, and dif f erences in
road characteristics and climate.The traction grades, f rom highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specif ied government test surf aces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
perf ormance.
Warning: The traction grade
assignedtothistireisbasedon
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
The tires on your vehicle meet all
U.S. Federal Saf ety Requirements.
All tires are also graded f or
treadwear, traction, and temperature
perf ormance according to
Department of Transportation
(DOT) standards. The f ollowing
explains these gradings.
All passenger car tires must conf orm
to Federal Saf ety Requirements in
addition to these grades. Unif orm T ire Quality Grading
T readwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A Treadwear
Traction AA, A, B, C
DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
Technical Inf ormation
341
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µWarning: The temperature grade f or
this tire is established f or a tire that
is properly inf lated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinf lation, or excessive loading,
either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible
tire f ailure.
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat, and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire f ailure. Grade
C corresponds to a level of
perf ormance that all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Saf ety Standard No.
109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of perf ormance on the
laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law. Temperature A,B,C
DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
342
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Rim diameter in inches.
Load index (a numerical code
associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry).
Speed symbol (an
alphabetical code indicating
the maximum speed rating).
The tire identif ication number (TIN)
is a group of numbers and letters
that look like the f ollowing example
TIN. This indicates that the tire
meets all requirements of
the U.S. Department of
Transportation.Manuf acturer’s
identification mark.
Tire type code. Date of manufacture.
The maximum air
pressurethetirecan
hold.
The maximum load the
tire can carry at
maximum air pressure.
The tires that came on your vehicle
have a number of markings. Those
you should be aware of are described
below.
Whenever tires are replaced, they
should be replaced with tires of the
same size. Following is an example
of tire size with an explanation of
what each component means.
Vehicletype(Pindicates
passenger vehicle).
Tire width in millimeters.
Aspect ratio (the tire’s section
height as a percentage of its
width).
Tire construction code (R
indicates radial).
P
R V 16
DOT
B97R
FW6X2202
Max Press
Max Load
94
225
55
Tire Labeling
T ire Ident if icat ion Number Maximum T ire Pressure
Maximum T ire L oad
Tire Size
Technical Inf ormation
343
DOT B97R FW6X 2202
P215/50R17 93V
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Î
ÎThe burning of gasoline in your
vehicle’s engine produces several by-
products. Some of these are carbon
monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen
(NOx), and hydrocarbons (HC).
Gasoline evaporating f rom the tank
also produces hydrocarbons. Con-
trolling the production of NOx, CO,
and HC is important to the environ-
ment. Under certain conditions of
sunlight and climate, NOx and HC
react to f orm photochemical ‘‘smog.’’
Carbon monoxide does not contri-
bute to smog creation, but it is a
poisonous gas. The United States Clean Air Act
sets standards f or automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
workandwhattodotomaintain
them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.
Your vehicle has a positive
crankcase ventilation system. This
keeps gasses that build up in the
engine’s crankcase f rom going into
the atmosphere. The positive
crankcase ventilation valve routes
them from the crankcase back to theintake manif old. They are then
drawn into the engine and burned.
As gasoline evaporates in the f uel
tank, an evaporative emissions
control canister f illed with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is of f . Af ter
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine
and burned during driving.
The onboard ref ueling vapor
recovery (ORVR) system captures
the f uel vapors during ref ueling. The
vapors are adsorbed in a canister
f illed with activated carbon. While
driving, the f uel vapors are drawn
into the engine and burned of f .
In Canada, Acura vehicles comply
with the Canadian emission
requirements, as specif ied in an
agreement with Environment
Canada, at the time they are
manuf actured.
Emissions Cont rols
The Clean Air Act
Crankcase Emissions Control
System Evaporative Emissions Control
System
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
Recovery
344
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The emissions control systems are
covered by warranties separate from
the rest of your vehicle. Read your
warranty manual for more informa-
tion. The emissions control systems are
designed and certif ied to work
together in reducing emissions to
levels that comply with the Clean Air
Act. To make sure the emissions
remain low, you should use only new
Acura replacement parts or their
equivalent f or repairs. Using lower
quality parts may increase the
emissions f rom your vehicle.
The exhaust emissions controls
include three systems: PGM-FI,
ignition timing control, and three
way catalytic converter. These three
systems work together to control the
engine’s combustion and minimize
the amount of HC, CO, and NOx that
comes out the tailpipe. The exhaust
emissions control systems are
separate f rom the crankcase and
evaporative emissions control
systems.
The PGM-FI system uses sequential
multiport f uel injection. It has three
subsystems: air intake, engine
control, and f uel control. The
powertrain control module (PCM) in
automatic transmission vehicles or
the engine control module (ECM) in
manual transmission vehicles uses
various sensors to determine how
much air is going into the engine. It
then controls how much f uel to inject under all operating conditions.
This system constantly adjusts the
ignition timing, reducing the amount
of HC, CO, and NOx produced.
The three way catalytic converter is
in the exhaust system. Through
chemical reactions, it converts HC,
CO, and NOx in the engine’s exhaust
to carbon dioxide (CO ), nitrogen
(N ), and water vapor.2
2
Emissions Cont rols
Exhaust Emissions Controls Replacement Parts
PGM-FI SystemIgnit ion T iming Cont rol Syst em
Three Way Catalytic Converter
Technical Inf ormation
345
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Always use unleaded gasoline.
Even a small amount of leaded
gasoline can contaminate the
catalyst metals, making the three
way catalytic converter inef f ective.
The three way catalytic converter
must operate at a high temperature
for the chemical reactions to take
place. It can set on f ire any
combustible materials that come
near it. Park your vehicle away from
high grass, dry leaves, or other
f lammables.
A defective three way catalytic
converter contributes to air pollution,
and can impair your engine’s per-
f ormance. Follow these guidelines to
protect your vehicle’s three way
catalytic converter.
The three way catalytic converter
contains precious metals that serve
as catalysts, promoting chemical
reactions to convert the exhaust
gasses without af f ecting the metals.
The catalytic converter is ref erred to
as a three-way catalyst, since it acts
on HC, CO, and NOx. A replacement
unit must be an original Acura part
or its equivalent.
Keep the engine tuned-up.
Have your vehicle diagnosed and
repaired if it is misf iring, back-
f iring, stalling, or otherwise not
running properly.
Three Way Catalytic Converter
346
THREE WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTER
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Make sure the gas tank is nearly,
but not completely, f ull (around
3/4).Without touching the accelerator
pedal, start the engine, and let it
idle f or 20 seconds.
If you take your vehicle f or a state
emissions test shortly af ter the
battery has been disconnected or
gone dead, it may not pass the test.
This is because of certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that must be set in the on-
board diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. These codes are erased
when the battery is disconnected,
and set again only after several days
of driving under a variety of
conditions. If the testing f acility determines that
the readiness codes are not set, you
will be requested to return at a later
date to complete the test. If you must
get the vehicle retested within the
next two or three days, you can
condition the vehicle f or retesting by
doing the f ollowing.
Keep the vehicle in Park
(automatic transmission) or
Neutral (manual transmission).
Increase the engine speed to 2,000
rpm,andholditthereuntilthe
temperature gauge rises to at least
1/4of thescale(about3minutes).
Make sure the vehicle has been
parked with the engine of f f or 6
hours or more.
Make sure the ambient
temperature is between 40° and
95°F.
CONT INUED
State Emissions T esting
T esting of Readiness Codes
Technical Inf ormation
347
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Then drive in city/suburban
traffic for at least 10 minutes.
When traf f ic conditions allow, let
the vehicle coast f or several
seconds without using the
accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal.
Select a nearby lightly traveled
major highway where you can
maintain a speed of 50 to 60 mph
(80to97km/h)foratleast20
minutes. Drive on the highway in
D (A/T) or 6th (M/T). Do not use
thecruisecontrol.Whentraffic
allows, drive f or 90 seconds
without moving the accelerator
pedal. (Vehicle speed may vary
slightly; this is okay.) If you cannot
do this f or a continuous 90
seconds because of traf f ic
conditions, drive f or at least 30
seconds, then repeat it two more
times (for a total of 90 seconds).
If the testing f acility determines the
readiness codes are still not set, see
your dealer.Stop the vehicle, turn of f the
ignition switch, and leave it of f f or
30 minutes.
State Emissions T esting
348
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....
Customer Service Inf ormation .350
....................
Warranty Coverages .351
Reporting Saf ety Def ects ............................
(U.S. Vehicle) .352
.....................
Authorized Manuals .353
Warranty and Customer Relations
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions
349
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