Instrument
s an d Control s
This section gives information about the controls and displays thatcontribute to the daily operation of
your Acura. All the essential controls
are within easy reach.
Control Locations............................ 52
Indicator Lights................................ 53
Gauges.............................................. 58
Speedometer................................ 58
Tachometer.................................. 58
Odometer...................................... 58
Trip Meter.................................... 58
Fuel Gauge................................... 59
Temperature Gauge.................... 59 Maintenance Required
Indicator.................................... 60
Controls Near the Steering Wheel....................................... 61
Headlights.................................... 62
Daytime Running Lights............. 62 Instrument Panel Brightness..... 63
Turn Signals................................. 63
Windshield Wipers...................... 64
Windshield Washers................... 64
Rear Window Wiper and
Washer...................................... 65
Hazard Warning .......................... 65
Rear Window Defogger
.............. 65
Steering Wheel Adjustment ...... 66
Steering Wheel Controls................ 67
Cruise Control.............................. 67
Keys and Locks................................
71
Keys...............................................
71
Immobilizer System....................
. 72
Ignition Switch............................. 73
Door Locks................................... 75
Power Door/Hatch Locks.......... 75
Hatch............................................. 76
Glove Box..................................... 78
Seat Adjustments............................ 79
Front Seat Adjustments.............. 79
Driver's Seat Height
Adjustment
.............................. 80
Driver's Lumbar Support............ 80
Rear Seat Access........................ 81
Head Restraints...........................
82
Folding Rear Seat .......................... 83 Cargo Area Cover............................ 83
Power Windows............................... 84
Moonroof.......................................... 85
Mirrors.............................................. 86
Adjusting the Power Mirrors .....
86
Parking Brake..................................
87
Digital Clock .................................... 88
Beverage Holder.............................. 89
Console Compartment.................... 90
Cigarette Lighter............................. 90
Ashtrays............................................ 91 Interior Lights.................................. 92
Instrument s an d Control s
Indicato
r Light s
Turn Signa l an d
Hazar d Warnin g
Indicator s
The left or right turn signal light blinks when you signal a lane changeor turn. If the light does not blink or
blinks rapidly, it usually means one of the turn signal bulbs is burned out (see page 208). Replace the bulb as
soon as possible, since other drivers
cannot see that you are signalling.
When you turn on the Hazard
Warning switch, both turn signal lights blink. All turn signals on theoutside of the car should flash.
Cruis e Contro l Indicato r
Only on models equipped with Cruise
Control System
This lights when you set the cruise control. See page 67 for information
on operating the cruise control. Hatch-ope
n Indicato r
This light comes on if the hatch is not closed tightly.
Door-ope n Indicato r
This light comes on if either door is not closed tightly.
Instrument s an d Control s
CRUIS
E
CONTRO L
Control
s Nea r th e Steerin g Whee l
The two levers on the steering column contain controls for driving
features you use most often. The left lever controls the turn signals,
headlights, and high beams. The
right lever controls the windshield
washers and wipers.
The controls on the dashboard to the right of the steering column are for
the instrument panel brightness,
hazard warning lights and rear
window defogger.
The moonroof switch and cruise control switch are to the left of the
steering column.
The tilt adjustment lever on the underside of the steering columnallows you to tilt the steering wheel.
Instruments an d Control s
WINDSHIEL
D
WIPERS/WASHER S
HOR
N
BUTTON S
TIL T ADJUSTMEN T
HEADLIGHTS /
TUR N SIGNAL S
MOONROO
F
HAZAR
D WARNIN G
LIGHT S REA
R WINDO W
DEFOGGE R
INSTRUMEN
T PANE L
BRIGHTNES S
CRUIS
E
CONTRO L
Control
s Nea r th e Steerin g Wheel , Steerin g Whee l Control s
2. Move the steering wheel to the desired position, making sure the
wheel points toward your chest, not toward your face. Make sure
you can see the instrument panel gauges and the indicator lights.
3. Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position.
4. Make sure you have securely locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up and down. Cruis
e Contro l
LS, GS and GS-R models
Cruise control allows you to maintain
a set speed above 25 mph (40 km/h)
without keeping your foot on the accelerator pedal. It should be used
for cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended for conditions such as city driving,
winding roads, slippery roads, heavy rain, or bad weather. You should
have full control of the car under
those conditions.
The cruise control, as it operates,
moves the accelerator pedal. You can damage your car's accelerator
mechanism by resting your foot under the pedal and blocking the movement.
CONTINUED
Instrument s an d Control s
Improper use of the cruise
control can lead to a crash.
Use the cruise control only
when traveling on open highways in good weather.
NOTIC
E
Steerin
g Whee l Control s
Using the Cruise Control
1. Push in the Cruise Control Master
Switch to the left of the steering
column. The indicator in the switch will light.
2. Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed above 25 mph (40 km/h). 3. Press and release the SET/decel
button on the steering wheel. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the instrument panel comes on toshow the system is now activated.
The cruise control may not hold the
set speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to slow down to the desired speed. This
will cancel the cruise control. To resume the set speed, press theRESUME/accel button. TheCRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on.
When climbing a steep hill, the automatic transmission may
downshift to hold the set speed.
Instrument s an d Control s
RESUME
/
acce l
SET/dece l
Steerin
g Whee l Control s
Changing the Set Speed
You can increase the set cruising speed in either of two ways:Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. The car will acceler-
ate. When you reach the desired
cruising speed, release the button.
Push on the accelerator pedal. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruisingspeed and press the SET/decel
button.
You can decrease the set cruising
speed in either of two ways:
Press and hold the SET/decel
button. The car will decelerate. Release the button when you
reach the desired speed. Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your foot. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out.
When the car slows to the desired speed, press the SET/decel button.
The car will then maintain the desired speed. Even with the cruise control turned
on, you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up for passing. After completing the pass, take your foot
off the accelerator pedal. The car
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your foot on the brake or
clutch pedal will cause the cruise
control to cancel.
CONTINUED
Instrument s an d Control s
Steerin
g Whee l Control s
Cancelling the Cruise Control
You can cancel the cruise control in any of these ways: Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
Press the SET/decel and RE-
SUME/accel buttons at the same
time. Press the Cruise Control Master
Switch.
When you tap the brake or clutch pedal, or press the SET and RE-SUME buttons at the same time, theCRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out and the
car will begin to slow down. You can
use the accelerator pedal in the
normal way.
If you use the brake or clutch pedal
to cancel cruise control, the system remembers the previously-set
cruising speed. To return to thatspeed, accelerate to above 25 mph (40 km/h) and press the RESUME/
accel button until the CRUISE CON-
TROL light comes on. The car will accelerate to the same cruisingspeed as before.
If you cancel cruise control by
pressing the SET and RESUME
buttons at the same time, the
previously-set cruising speed is erased. To use the cruise control,
accelerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel
button.
Pressing the Cruise Control Master
Switch turns the system completely off and erases the previous cruising
speed from memory. To use the
system again, refer to Using the
Cruise Control.
Instrument s an d Control s
Fue
l Econom y
The condition of your car and your driving habits are the two most
important things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Vehicl e Conditio n
Always maintain your car according to the maintenance schedule. This
will keep it in top operating condition.
An important part of that mainte- nance is the Owne r Maintenanc e
Check s (see page 169). For
example, an underinflated tire causes more "rolling resistance,"
which uses fuel. It also wears out faster, so check the tire pressure at
least monthly.
In winter, the build-up of snow on
your car's underside adds weight and rolling resistance. Frequent cleaning
helps your fuel mileage and reduces
the chance of corrosion. Drivin
g Habit s
You can improve fuel economy by driving moderately. Rapid acceler-
ation, abrupt cornering, and hard
braking use more fuel.
Always drive in the highest gear that allows the engine to run and acceler-
ate smoothly.
Depending on traffic conditions, try
to maintain a constant speed. Every
time you slow down and speed up,
your car uses extra fuel. Use the cruise control, when appropriate, to
increase fuel economy. A cold engine uses more fuel than a
warm engine. It is not necessary to "warm-up" a cold engine by letting it
idle for a long time. You can drive away in about a minute, no matter
how cold it is outside. The engine
will warm up faster, and you get
better fuel economy. To cut down on the number of "cold starts," try tocombine several short trips into one.
The air conditioning puts an extra load on the engine which makes it
use more fuel. Turn off the A/C to
cut down on air conditioning use.
Use the flow-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is
moderate.
Before Drivin g