2000 Acura TL 3.2 Owner's Manual

Service Station Procedures
Oil Check
DIPSTICK
Check the engine oil level every time
you fill the car with fuel. Wait a few minutes after turning the engine off
before you check the oil.
1. Remove the dipstick (orange handle). 2. Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel. 3. Insert it all the way back in its tube.
Before Driving

Service Station Procedures
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
4. Remove the dipstick again andcheck the level. It should be
between the upper and lowermarks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see Adding Oil on page 201. Engine Coolant Check
RESERVE TANK
Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If it is below the MIN line, see Adding
Engine Coolant on page 206 for
information on adding the proper coolant. Refer to Owner Maintenance
Checks on page 199 for information
on checking other items in your
Acura.
Before Driving
MAX

Fuel Economy
The condition of your car and yourdriving habits are the two most
important things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Vehicle Condition 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 Owner MaintenanceChecks (see page 199). 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. Driving Habits
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 to combine 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 tocut down on air conditioning use.Use the flow-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is moderate.
Before Driving

Accessories and Modifications
Modifying your car, or installing
some non-Acura accessories, can
make your car unsafe. Before you
make any modifications or add anyaccessories, be sure to read the
following information.
Accessories Your dealer has Genuine Acura accessories that allow you to
personalize your car. These accessories have been designed andapproved for your car, and are
covered by warranty.
Non-Acura accessories are usually
designed for universal applications.
Although aftermarket accessories may fit on your car, they may not
meet factory specifications, and
could adversely affect your car's
handling and stability. (See "Modifications" on the page 154 for
additional information.) Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
car's handling, stability and performance, and cause a
crash in which you can be hurt
or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner's manual regarding
accessories and modifications.
When properly installed, cellular phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems should not interfere with your car's
computer-controlled systems, such
as the SRS and anti-lock brakesystem.
However, if electronic accessories are improperly installed, or exceed
your car's electrical system capacity, they can interfere with the operation of your car, or even cause the
airbags to deploy.
Before installing any accessory:
• Make sure the accessory does not obscure any lights, or interfere
with proper car operation or performance.
• Be sure electronic accessories do not overload electrical circuits(see page 275).
• Have the installer contact your Acura dealer for assistance beforeinstalling any electronic accessory.
If possible, have your dealer inspect
the final installation.
Before Driving

Accessories and Modifications
Modifications
Do not remove any originalequipment or modify your car in any
way that would alter its design or operation. This could make your car
unsafe and illegal to drive.
For example, do not make any
modifications that would change the
ride height of your car, or install
wheels and tires with a different overall diameter.
Such modifications can adversely
affect handling, and interfere with
the operation of the car's anti-lock
brakes and other systems. In addition, any modifications that
decrease ground clearance increase
the chance of undercarriage parts striking a curb, speed bump, or other
raised object, which could cause
your airbags to deploy.
Do not modify your steering wheelor any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.
Modifications could make the system ineffective.
Additional Safety Precautions
• Do not attach or place objects on the airbag covers. Any object
attached to or placed on the covers
marked "SRS AIRBAG," in the center of the steering wheel and
on top of the dashboard, could
interfere with the proper operation
of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inflate, the objects could be
propelled inside the car and hurt someone.
• Do not attach hard objects on or near a front door. If a side airbag
inflates, a cup holder or other hard object attached on or near the
door could be propelled inside the
car and hurt someone.
• Do not place any objects over the outside edge of a front seat-back.
Covering the outside edge of a
front seat-back, with a non-Acura seat cover for example, could
prevent the airbag from inflating
properly.
Before Driving

Carrying Cargo
CONSOLE COMPARTMENT FRONT DOOR POCKETTRUNK SEAT-BACK POCKET GLOVE BOXYour car has several convenientstorage areas so you can stow cargo
safely.
The glove box, and the pockets in the front doors and seat-back, are
designed for small, lightweight items.
The trunk is intended for larger, heavier items.
However, carrying too much cargo,or improperly storing it, can affect
your car's handling, stability and operation and make it unsafe. Before
carrying any type of cargo, be sure to read the following pages.
Before Driving

Carrying Cargo
Load Limit
The maximum load for your car is 850 lbs (395 kg).
This figure includes the total weight of all occupants, cargo, accessories,
and the tongue weight if you are
towing a trailer.
To figure out how much cargo you can carry:
• Add up the weight of all occupants.
• If you are towing a trailer, add the tongue weight to the numberabove.
• Subtract the total from 850 lbs (395 kg).
The final number is the total weight of cargo you can carry. Overloading or improper
loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in
which you can be hurt or killed.
Follow all load limits and other
loading guidelines in this
manual. Carrying Items in the Passenger
Compartment
• Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurtsomeone during a crash.
• Do not put any items on top of the rear shelf. They can block your
view and be thrown around the carduring a crash.
• Be sure items placed on the floor behind the front seats cannot roll
under the seats and interfere with
the driver's ability to operate the
pedals, or with the proper operation of the seats.
• Keep the glove box closed while driving. If the lid is open, a
passenger could injure their knees during a crash or sudden stop.
Before Driving

Carrying Cargo
Carrying Cargo in the Trunk or on
a Roof Rack
• Distribute cargo evenly on the floor of the trunk, placing the
heaviest items on the bottom andas far forward as possible.
• If you carry large items that prevent you from closing the
hatch, exhaust gas can enter the
passenger area. To avoid the
possibility of carbon monoxidepoisoning, follow the instructions
on page 49 . • If you can carry any items on a
roof rack, be sure the total weight
of the rack and the items does not
exceed the maximum allowable
weight.Please contact your Acura dealer for further information. Cargo Net
CARGO NET
TRUNK NET HOOK
The cargo net can be used to helphold down items stored in the trunk.
To use the cargo net, hook it to buttons on the floor and sides of the
trunk. You can use the cargo net inseveral configurations by hooking it
to different buttons.
When you are not using the cargo net, store it in the pocket in the leftside of the trunk.
Before Driving