Page 231 of 273
Jum
p Startin g
3. Connect one jumper cable to the positive ( + ) terminal on the
booster battery. Connect the otherend to the positive ( + ) terminal
on your Acura's battery. 4. Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( — ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect theother end to the grounding strap
as shown. Do not connect this jumper cable to any other part of
the engine.
5. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, have an assistant startthat vehicle and run it at a fast idle. 6. Start your car. If the starter motor
still operates slowly, check thejumper cable connections to make
sure they have good metal-to- metal contact.
7. Once your car is running, discon- nect the negative cable from your
car, then from the booster battery.Disconnect the positive cable from
your car, then the booster battery.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
BOOSTE
R BATTER Y
Page 232 of 273

I
f You r Engin e Overheat s
The pointer of your car's tempera- ture gauge should stay in the mid-
range under most conditions. It may
go higher if you are driving up a longsteep hill on a very hot day. If it
climbs to the red mark, you should
determine the reason.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to your engine.
Your car can overheat for several
reasons, such as lack of coolant or amechanical problem. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or spray coming from under the hood.
In either case, you should take immediate action.
1. Safely pull to the side of the road. Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake. Turn off the heating and cooling
system and all other accessories. Turn on the hazard warning
indicators. 2. If you see steam and/or spray
coming from under the hood, turn
off the engine.
3. If you do not see steam or spray, leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading(climbing a long, steep hill on a
hot day with the A/C running, for
example), the engine should start
to cool down almost immediately. If it does, wait until the tempera-
ture gauge comes down to the mid-
point then continue driving.
4. If the temperature gauge stays at the red mark, turn off the engine.
5. Wait until you see no more signs of steam or spray, then open the
hood.
CONTINUED
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
NOTIC
E
Page 233 of 273

I
f You r Engin e Overheat s
6. Look for any obvious coolant leaks,
such a
s a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you find a leak, it must be repaired before you
continue driving (see Emergenc y
Towin g on page 241).
7. If you don't find an obvious leak, check the coolant level in theradiator reserve tank (see page 123). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway between the MIN and MAX marks.
8. If there was no coolant in the reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, before check-
ing the radiator.
9. Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the first stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes off.
10. Start, the engine and set the
temperature control lever tomaximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the filler
neck. If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water. Remember to have the cooling
system drained and refilled with
the proper mixture as soon as you
can.
11.Put the radiator cap back on tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engineneeds repair. (See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 241.)
12.If the temperature stays normal, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.
Page 234 of 273

Lo
w Oi l Pressur e Indicato r
This indicator should light when the ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
after the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is
running. If it starts flashing, it
indicates that the oil pressuredropped very low for a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action.
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical damage almost immediately. Turn offthe engine as soon as you can safely get
the car stopped.
1. Safely pull off the road and shut off the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
2. Let the car sit for a minute. Open the hood and check the oil level(see page 122 ). Although oil level
and oil pressure are not directly
connected, an engine that is very
low on oil can lose pressure during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
3. If necessary, add oil to bring the level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page 167).
4. Start the engine and watch the oil pressure indicator. If the light
does not go out within ten seconds,
turn off the engine. There is a mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired before you can
continue driving. (See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 241.)
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
NOTIC
E
LO W OI L PRESSUR E INDICATO R
Page 235 of 273
Chargin
g Syste m Indicato r
This indicator should come on when the ignition switch is ON (II), and goout after the engine starts. If it
comes on brightly when the engine
is running, it indicates that the charging system has stopped
charging the battery. Immediately turn off all electrical
accessories: radio, heater, A/C, rear
defogger, cruise control, etc. Try not
to use other electrically-operated controls such as the power windows.
Keep the engine running and take
extra care not to stall it. Starting the
engine will discharge the battery
rapidly. By eliminating as much of the
electrical load as possible, you can
drive several miles (kilometers)
before the battery is too discharged
to keep the engine running. Drive to
a service station or garage where
you can get technical assistance.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
CHARGIN
G SYSTE M INDICATO R
Page 236 of 273

Malfunctio
n Indicato r Lam p
This indicator comes on for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch ON (II). If it comes on at any
other time, it indicates one of the
engine's emissions control systems
may have a problem. Even though
you may feel no difference in your
car's performance, it can reduce
your fuel economy and cause your
car to put out excessive emissions.
Continued operation may cause
serious damage.
If you have recently refueled your
car, the cause of this indicator
coming on could be a loose or
missing fuel fill cap. Check the cap
and tighten it until it clicks several
times. Replace the fuel fill cap if it is
missing. Tightening the cap will not make the indicator turn off
immediately; it takes three driving
trips.
If the indicator remains on past three driving trips, or the fuel cap was not
loose or missing, have the car
checked by the dealer as soon as possible. Drive moderately until thedealer has inspected the problem.
Avoid full-throttle acceleration and driving at high speed.
You should also have the dealer inspect your car if this indicator
comes on repeatedly, even though it
may turn off as you continue driving. If you keep driving with the
malfunction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your car's emissions controls
and engine. Those repairs may not be covered by your car's warranties.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
NOTIC
E
MALFUNCTIO N INDICATO R LAM P
Page 239 of 273
Fuse
s
All the electrical circuits in your car have fuses to protect them from ashort circuit or overload. These
fuses are located in three fuse boxes.
INTERIO
R
The interior fuse box is underneath the dashboard on the driver's side.
Remove the fuse box lid by swinging
the lid down and pulling it straight out of its hinges. The under-hood fuse box is located
in the engine compartment next to
the battery. To open it, push the tab
as shown.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
UNDER-HOO
D
TA
B
Page 240 of 273
Fuse
s
Cars equipped with ABS have a third
fuse box for the ABS. It is in the
front of the engine compartment on the passenger's side. Checkin
g an d Replacin g Fuse s
If something electrical in your car
stops working, the first thing you should check for is a blown fuse.
Determine from the chart on pages 239 and 240, or the diagram on the
fuse box lid, which fuse or fuses control that component. Check those
fuses first, but check all the fuses
before deciding that a blown fuse is
not the cause. Replace any blown
fuses and check the component's
operation.
1. Turn the ignition switch to LOCK (0). Make sure the headlights and
all other accessories are off.
2. Remove the cover from the fuse box. 3. Check each of the large fuses in
the under-hood fuse box bylooking through the top at the wire
inside. Removing these fuses requires a Phillips-head screw-
driver.
CONTINUED
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
BLOW
N
AB
S FUS E BO X