Page 121 of 279

Audi
o Syste m
Carin g fo r th e Cassett e Playe r
The cassette player picks up dirt and oxides from the tape. This contami-
nation builds up over time and
causes the sound quality to degrade.
To prevent this, you should clean the player after every 30 hours of use.
Your dealer has a cleaning kit
available.
If you do not clean the cassette
player regularly, it may eventually
become impossible to remove the contamination with a normal
cleaning kit.
The player automatically ejects cassettes that do not play properly. If
it ejects a cassette before it begins to
play, it is probably defective and should not be inserted again. You
may have a cassette suddenly stop
playing, reverse directions once or
twice and then eject. This is normally an indication the tape is wound
unevenly. It should play after the tape is manually rewound.
Use 100-minute or shorter cassettes.
Cassettes longer than that use
thinner tape that may break or jam the drive.
Look at the cassette before you
insert it. If the tape is loose, tighten
it by turning a hub with a pencil or
your finger.
If the label is peeling off, remove it
from the cassette or it could cause
the cassette to jam in the player. Never try to insert a warped or
damaged cassette in the player.
When they are not in use, store cassettes in their cases to protect
them from dust and moisture. Never
place cassettes where they will be
exposed to direct sunlight, high heat,or high humidity. If a cassette is
exposed to extreme heat or cold, let
it reach a moderate temperature before inserting it in the player. Never try to insert foreign objects
into the cassette player.
Comfor t an d Convenienc e Feature s
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Audi
o Syste m
Thef t Protectio n
Your car's audio system will disable itself if it is disconnected from
electrical power for any reason. Tomake it work again, the user must
enter a specific five-digit code in the
Preset buttons. Because there are
hundreds of number combinations
possible from five digits, making the system work without knowing the
exact code is nearly impossible.
You should have received a card that lists your audio system's codenumber and serial number. It is best
to store this card in a safe place at
home. In addition, you should write
the audio system's serial number in
this Owner's Manual. If you should
happen to lose the card, you must obtain the code number from your
Acura dealer. To do this, you will need the system's serial number. If your car's battery is disconnected
or goes dead, or the radio fuse is
removed, the audio system will disable itself. If this happens, you
will see "Code" in the frequency display the next time you turn on the
system. Use the Preset buttons to
enter the five-digit code. If it is
entered correctly, the radio will start
playing.
If you make a mistake entering the
code, do not start over or try to
correct your mistake. Complete the
five-digit sequence, then enter the correct code. You have three tries to
enter the correct code. If you are
unsuccessful in three attempts, you must then leave the system on for
one hour before trying again. You will have to store your favorite
stations in the Preset buttons after
the system begins working. Your original settings were lost when
power was disconnected.
Comfor t an d Convenienc e Feature s
Page 123 of 279
Page 124 of 279
Befor
e Drivin g
Before you begin driving your Acura,
you should know what gasoline to use, and how to check the levels of
important fluids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggageor packages. The information in thissection will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your car,
please read the information in this section first. General Precautions...................... 122
Break-in Period.............................. 123
Gasoline.......................................... 123
Service Station Procedures.......... 124 Filling the Fuel Tank................. 124Opening the Hood..................... 125
Oil Check................................ 127
Engine Coolant Check.......... 128
Fuel Economy................................ 129
Vehicle Condition...................... 129Driving Habits............................ 129
Accessories and Modifications.... 130 Carrying Cargo.............................. 132
Before Drivin g
Page 125 of 279
Genera
l Precaution s
Type-R model
Your Acura is designed to give you optimum handling and performanceon well-maintained roads. As part of
this design, your car has a minimum of ground clearance.
Use caution if you should drive
your car on very rough or rutted roads. You could damage thesuspension and underbody by
bottoming out. Going too fast over
parking lot "speed bumps" can also cause damage. Curbs and steep inclines could
damage the front and rear
bumpers. Low curbs that do not affect the average car may be high
enough to hit the bumper on your
Acura. The front or rear bumper may scrape when trying to driveonto an incline, such as a steep
driveway or trailer ramps.
Befor e Drivin g
Page 126 of 279

Break-i
n Period , Gasolin e
Break-i n Perio d
Help assure your car's future
reliability and performance by paying extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:
Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoid hard braking. New brakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use for the first 200 miles (300
km).
You should follow these same re- commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are relined.
Gasolin
e
Your Acura is designed to operate on unleaded gasoline.
We recommend gasolines containing detergent additives that help prevent
fuel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead willdamage your car's emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
In Canada, some gasolines contain an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emissions control system performance may deteriorate and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on. If this happens, contact your
authorized Acura dealer for service.
(SE, LS and GS models)
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.
(GS-R and Type-R models)
Use a premium unleaded gasoline
with a pump octane number of 91 or
higher.
If you are unable to find premium
unleaded gasoline, you may substi-
tute an unleaded regular gasoline.
The engine will compensate for the lower octane, but you may notice aslight decrease in power as a result.
Before Drivin g
Page 127 of 279

Servic
e Statio n Procedure s
Fillin g th e Fue l Tan k
1. Because the fuel fill cap is on thedriver's side of the car, park with that side closest to the service
station pumps.
2. Open the fuel fill door by pulling
on the handle to the left of the
driver's seat.
FUE L FIL L CA P 3. Remove the fuel fill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.Place the cap in the holder on thefuel fill door.
4. Stop filling the tank after the fuel
nozzle automatically clicks off. Do
not try to "top off" the tank, leave
some room for the fuel to expand
with temperature changes.
Your car has an on-board refueling
vapor recovery system to help keep
fuel vapors from going into the atmosphere. If the fuel pump keeps
clicking off even though the tank is
not full, there may be a problem with
this system. Consult your dealer.
Befor e Drivin g
Pul
l
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.
Page 128 of 279
Servic
e Statio n Procedure s
5. Screw the fuel fill cap back on,
tighten it until it clicks at least
three times. If you do not properly
tighten the cap, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp may come on (see
page 237).
6. Push the fuel fill door closed until
it latches.
Openin g th e Hoo d
1. Shift to Park or Neutral and set
the parking brake. Pull the hood release handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
2. Standing in front of the car, put
your fingers under the front edge of the hood to the left of center.
Slide your hand to the right until
you feel the hood latch handle. Push this handle to the right until
it releases the hood. Lift the hood.
CONTINUED
Befor e Drivin g
LATC
H
HOO D RELEAS E HANDL E