Page 202 of 279

Tire
s
Tir e Rotatio n
To help increase tire life and distribute wear more evenly, you
should have the tires rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km). Move the
tires to the positions shown in the
chart each time they are rotated. When shopping for replacement
tires, you may find that some tiresare "directional." This means they
are designed to rotate only in one
direction. If you use directional tires,
they should be rotated only front-to-
back.
Tir
e Wea r
Type-R model only
The tires on your Type-R were
designed and constructed to provide
superior grip during acceleration,
braking, and cornering. They will
wear more rapidly than normal passenger vehicle tires. Tire life may
be less than 15,000 miles (24,000
km), depending on how you drive.
You should carefully inspect your vehicle's tires for wear, damage, and
proper inflation every 2,000 miles (3,200 km), see page 197.
These tires are not suitable for winter driving. Refer to Winte r
Driving , page 201.
Maintenance
Fron
t Front
(Fo r Non-directiona l
Tires an d Wheels )
(Fo r Directiona l
Tires an d Wheels )
Page 226 of 279

Takin
g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
This section covers the more- common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you information 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 find instructionson getting your car towed. Compact Spare Tire....................... 224
Changing a Flat Tire..................... 225
If Your Engine Won't Start........... 230 Nothing Happens or theStarter Motor OperatesVery Slowly............................. 230
The Starter Operates Normally................................. 231
Jump Starting................................. 231 If Your Engine Overheats............. 233
Low Oil Pressure Indicator.......... 235Charging System Indicator........... 236
Malfunction Indicator Lamp........ 237
Brake System Indicator................ 238 Closing the Moonroof................... 239
Fuses............................................... 240 Checking and Replacing........... 241
Emergency Towing....................... 245
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
Page 227 of 279

Compac
t Spar e Tir e
Your car has a compact spare tire that takes up less space. Use thisspare tire as a temporary replace-
ment only. Get your regular tirerepaired or replaced and put back on
your car as soon as you can.
Check the inflation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inflated to:
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.20 kgf/cm2)
Follow these precautions whenever
you are using the compact spare tire:
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
under any circumstances.
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
faces than the regular tire. Use greater caution while driving on
this tire. Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare.
The wheel of the compact spare tire is designed especially to fit
your car. Do not use your spare tire on another vehicle unless it is
the same make and model.
Type-R model only
Do not drive with the compactspare tire mounted on the front
wheels for a long period; it will damage the Limited Slip Differential. The compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular tire. Replace
it when you can see the tread wear
indicator bars. The replacement
should be the same size and design
tire, mounted on the same wheel.
The compact spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the compact wheel is not
designed for mounting a regular tire.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d INDICATO
R LOCATIO N MAR K
TREA D WEA R INDICATO R BA R
Page 228 of 279

Changin
g a Fla t Tir e
If you have a flat tire while driving, stop in a safe place to change it.
Stopping in traffic or on the shoulderof a busy road is dangerous. Drive
slowly along the shoulder until you
get to an exit or an area to stop that is far away from the traffic lanes.
1. Park the car on firm, level and
non-slippery ground away from
traffic. Put the transmission in Park (automatic) or Reverse (manual). Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn on the hazard warning lights
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the car while
you change the tire.
3. Open the hatch. Pull up the floor
mat and remove the spare tire
cover.
4. Take the tool kit out of the spare
tire well.
5. Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.
CONTINUED
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
The car can easily roll off the
jack, seriously injuring anyone
underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and never get under the car when it
is supported only by the jack. JAC
K
SPAR E TIR E
TOOL KI T
Page 230 of 279
Changin
g a Fla t Tir e
9. Use the extension and wheelwrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the flat tire is off the
ground.
10.Remove the wheel nuts and flat
tire. Temporarily place the flat tire on the ground with the outside
surface of the wheel facing up.
You could scratch the wheel if you put it face down.
11.Before mounting the spare tire,
wipe any dirt off the mountingsurface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully, it may be hot from driving.
CONTINUED
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
EXTENSIO
N
WHEE L WRENC H BRAK
E HU B
Page 232 of 279

Changin
g a Fla t Tire , I f You r Engin e Won' t Star t
15.Remove the wheel cover or center
cap.
Place the flat tire face down in the
spare tire well.
16.Remove the spacer cone from the
wing bolt, turn it over, and put it back on the bolt.
17.Secure the flat tire by screwing
the wing bolt back into its hole.
18.Store the jack in its holder with
the end bracket facing to the right.
Turn the jack's end bracket to lock i t in place. Store the tool kit.
19.Store the wheel cover or center
cap in the cargo area. Make sure it
will not get scratched or damaged. I
f You r Engin e Won' t Star t
Diagnosing why your engine won't
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):
You hear nothing, or almostnothing. The engine's starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
faster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
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.
WIN
G BOL T
SPACER
CON E
Page 248 of 279

Emergenc
y Towin g
If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a professional towing service or,
if you belong to one, an organization
that provides roadside assistance. Never tow your vehicle behind
another vehicle with just a rope or
chain. It is very dangerous.
There are three popular types of professional towing equipment:
Flat-bed Equipment — The operator
loads your vehicle on the back of a
truck. Thi s i s th e best way o f trans -
portin g you r Acura .
Wheel-Lift Equipment — The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (front or rear) and lift
them off the ground. The other two
tires remain on the ground. Thi s is
a n acceptabl e wa y t o to w you r
Acura .
Sling-type Equipment — The tow
truck uses metal cables with hooks on the ends. These hooks go around
parts of the frame or suspension and
the cables lift that end of the vehicle off the ground. Your vehicle's sus-
pension and body can be seriously damaged. Thi s metho d o f towin g
i s unacceptable .
If your Acura cannot be transported
by flat-bed, it should be towed by
wheel-lift equipment with the front
wheels off the ground. If, due to damage, your car must be towed
with the front wheels on the ground, do the following.
5-speed Manual Transmission
Release the parking brake.
Shift the transmission to Neutral.
Automatic Transmission:
Release the parking brake.
Start the engine.
Shift to D4, then to N.
Turn off the engine.
Improper towing preparation will
damage the transmission. Follow the
above procedure exactly. If you cannot
shift the transmission or start the engine, your vehicle must be trans-
ported with the front wheels off the
ground.
With the front wheels on the ground, it is best to tow the vehicle no farther
than 50 miles (80 km), and keep the speed below 35 mph (55 km/h).
CONTINUED
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
NOTIC
E
Page 256 of 279

DO
T Tir e Qualit y Gradin g (U.S . Cars )
Temperatur e
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 specified 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 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 Informatio n