2000 Acura RL maintenance

Maintenanc
e

This section explains why it is important to keep your car well
maintained and to follow basic
maintenance safety precautions.
This section also includes Maintenance Schedules for normal
driving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions for simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of
yourself.
If you have the skills and tools to per-
form more complex maintenance tasks on your Acura, you may want
to purchase the Service Manual. See
page 315 for information on how to obtain a copy, or see your Acura

dealer.
Maintenance Safety....................... 202
Important Safety Precautions.. 203
Maintenance Schedule.................. 204
Required Maintenance Record.... 211
Owner Maintenance Checks........ 213
Fluid Locations............................... 214

Engine Oil....................................... 215 Adding Oil................................... 215
Recommended Oil..................... 215
Synthetic Oil............................... 216

Additives..................................... 216 Changing the Oil and Filter...... 217
Cooling System.............................. 219 Adding Engine Coolant............. 219Replacing Engine Coolant........ 221
Windshield Washers..................... 225
Automatic Transmission Fluid..... 226

Differential Oil............................... 227
Brake Fluid..................................... 227
Brake System............................. 228
Power Steering............................... 228
Hood Latch..................................... 229
Air Cleaner Element...................... 229 Spark Plugs..................................... 231 Replacement............................... 231
Specifications............................. 234 Battery............................................ 234
Wiper Blades.................................. 237
Air Conditioning System............... 239
Air Conditioning Filter.................. 240
Drive Belts...................................... 240
Timing Belt..................................... 241 Tires................................................ 241 Inflation....................................... 241
Inspection................................... 243
Maintenance............................... 244
Tire Rotation.............................. 244
Replacing Tires and Wheels.... 245
Wheels and Tires....................... 246
Winter Driving........................... 246
Snow Tires.............................. 247
Tire Chains............................. 247
Lights.............................................. 248 Replacing Bulbs......................... 250
Storing Your Car............................ 259

Maintenance

Maintenanc
e Safet y
Regularly maintaining your car is the
best way to protect your investment. Proper maintenance is essential to
your safety and the safety of your passengers. It will also reward you
with more economical, trouble-free driving and help reduce air pollution. This section includes instructions for
simple maintenance tasks, such as
checking and adding oil. Any service
items not detailed in this section should be performed by an Acura
technician or other qualified
mechanic. Some of the most important safety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every conceivable hazard that can arise in
performing maintenance. Only you can decide whether or not youshould perform a given task.

Maintenanc e

Improperly maintaining this car
or failing to correct a problem before driving can cause a
crash in which you can be
seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection
and maintenance recommendations and
schedules in this owner's manual. Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures and precautions in this owner'smanual.

Maintenanc
e Safet y

Importan t Safet y Precaution s
Before you begin any maintenance,
make sure your car is parked on
level ground and that the parking
brake is set. Also, be sure the engine
is off. This will help to eliminate several potential hazards:
Carbo
n monoxid e poisonin g

fro m engin e exhaust . Be sure

there is adequate ventilation

whenever you operate the engine. Burn
s fro m ho t parts . Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
before touching any parts. Injur
y fro m movin g parts . Do
not run the engine unless in-
structed to do so. Read the instructions before you
begin, and make sure you have the
tools and skills required.
To reduce the possibility of fire or explosion, be careful when working
around gasoline or batteries. Use a
commercially available degreaser or
parts cleaner, not gasoline, to clean
parts. Keep cigarettes, sparks, and
flames away from the battery and all
fuel-related parts.
You should wear eye protection and protective clothing when workingnear the battery or when usingcompressed air.
Maintenance

Maintenanc
e Schedul e

The Maintenance Schedule specifies how often you should have your carserviced and what things need
attention. It is essential that you have
your car serviced as scheduled to retain its high level of safety,dependability, and emissions control
performance.
The services and time or distance
intervals shown in the maintenanceschedule assume you will use your
car as normal transportation for
passengers and their possessions.
You should also follow these
recommendations:

Avoid exceeding your car's loadlimit. This puts excess stress on
the engine, brakes, and manyother parts of your car. The load
limit is shown on the label on the driver's doorjamb.
Operate your car on reasonable
roads within the legal speed limit.
Drive your car regularly over a
distance of several miles
(kilometers).
Always use unleaded gasoline with
the proper octane rating (see page
166). Whic
h Schedul e t o Follow :
Service your car according to the
time and mileage periods on one of the Maintenance Schedules on the
following pages. Select the schedule
for "Severe Conditions" if most of
your driving is done under one or more of the conditions listed on that
page. Otherwise, follow the schedule
for "Normal Conditions."

Maintenanc e

Maintenanc
e Schedul e

Your authorized Acura dealer knows your car best and can providecompetent, efficient service.
However, service at a dealer is not
mandatory to keep your warranties
in effect. Maintenance may be done
by any qualified service facility or
person who is skilled in this type of
automotive service. Keep all the
receipts as proof of completion, and
have the person who does the work
fill out the Maintenance Record. Check your warranty booklet for
more information. We recommend the use of Genuine
Honda parts and fluids whenever you
have maintenance done. These are
manufactured to the same high-
quality standards as the original
components, so you can be confident
of their performance and durability.
U.S. Vehicles:

Maintenance , replacemen t o r

repai r o f emission s contro l
device s an d system s ma y b e don e
b y an y automotiv e repai r

establishmen t o r individua l usin g

part s tha t ar e "certified " t o EP A
standards . According to state and federal
regulations, failure to perform
maintenance on the items marked
with # will not void your emissions
warranties. However, Acura recommends that all maintenanceservices be performed at the
recommended time or mileage
period to ensure long-term reliability.

Maintenance

U.S
. Owner s
Follow the Normal Conditions Maintenance Schedule if the
severe driving conditions
specified in the Severe
Conditions Maintenance
Schedule do not apply.
NOTE: If you only OCCASIONALLY drive under a
"severe" condition, you should
follow the Normal Conditions Maintenance Schedule.
Canadia n Owner s
Follow the Maintenance
Schedule for Severe Conditions.
# : See information on maintenance and emissions warranty, last column, page 205. Maintenanc e

Service at the indicated distance or time, whichever comes first. Do the items in A
, B , C as required for each distance/time interval. Follow this
schedule if the severe driving conditions described in the Severe Conditions Schedule on the next page do not apply.
Canadia n owners : Follow the schedule for Severe Conditions.

Maintenance
# : See information on maintenance and emissions warranty, last
column, page 205.

NOTE:
Check engine oil and coolant at each fuel stop.
page 244

U.S. Owner s

Follow the Severe Conditions Maintenance Schedule if you

drive your car MAINLY under

one or more of the following

conditions:
Driving less than 5 miles (8
km) per trip or, in freezing
temperatures, driving less
than 10 miles (16 km) per trip. Driving in extremely hot
[over 90° F (32° C) ] conditions. Extensive idling or long
periods of stop-and-go driving.
Trailer towing, driving with a roof rack, or driving in
mountainous conditions. Driving on muddy, dusty, or
de-iced roads.

Canadia n Owner s
Follow the Maintenance
Schedule for Severe Conditions.
# : See information on maintenance and emissions warranty, last column, page 205.
* 1 : Refer to page 241 for replacement information under special driving conditions.
* 2 : Refer to page 240 for replacement information under special driving conditions.

Maintenanc e