2000 Acura TL brake

Starting the Engine
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. In cold weather, turn off all electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
3. Make sure the shift lever is in Park. Press on the brake pedal.
4. Without touching the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the enginedoes not start right away, do not
hold the key in START (III) for
more than 15 seconds at a time.
Pause for at least 10 seconds
before trying again.
5. If the engine does not start within 15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the accelerator pedal pressed half-way
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal so the engine does not race. 6. If the engine still does not start,
press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while starting in order to clear flooding.
As before, keep the ignition key in the START (III) position for nomore than 15 seconds. Return tostep 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lift your foot off the accelerator pedal so the engine
does not race.
Starting in Cold Weather at High
Altitude (Above 8,000 feet/ 2,400 meters)
An engine is harder to start in cold weather. The thinner air found athigh altitude above 8,000 feet (2,400meters) adds to the problem.
Use the following procedure:
1. Turn off all electrical accessories to reduce the drain on the battery. 2. Push the accelerator pedal half-
way to the floor and hold it there
while starting the engine. Do nothold the ignition key in START (III) for more than 15 seconds.
When the engine starts, release the accelerator pedal gradually as
the engine speeds up and smoothsout.
3. If the engine fails to start in step 2, push the accelerator pedal to the
floor and hold it there while you try to start the engine for no more
than 15 seconds. If the enginedoes not start, return to step 2.
Driving

Automatic Transmission
Shift Lever Positions
SHIFT LEVER
SEQUENTIAL
SPORTSHIFT MODE
POSITION
The shift lever has nine positions. It must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped inD
5, D4, D3, 2, 1,N,R,or the
Sequential SportShift mode, press
firmly on the brake pedal and keep
your foot off the accelerator pedal. To select the Sequential SportShift
mode, slide the shift lever toward the
left from the "D
5" position.
In this mode the shift lever allows
you to shift up and down manually.
To shift from:
P toR
R to N
N to Ds
D
5 to D4
D4 to D3D3 to2
2 to l
1to2
2 to D
3D3 to D4D4 to D5
N to R R to P Do this:
Press the brake pedal, then
move the shift lever.
Move the lever.
Whenever you move the shift lever, slide it along the guide on the
console.
You cannot shift out of Park with the brake pedal depressed when theignition switch is in LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I).
CONTINUED
Driving

Automatic Transmission
Park (P) - This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use Park whenever you are turning off or
starting the engine. To shift out ofPark, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your foot off the
accelerator pedal. Move the shift lever to the right to shift out of thePark position.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on page 169. To avoid transmission damage, cometo a complete stop before shiftinginto Park. The shift lever must be in
Park before you can remove the key
from the ignition switch. Reverse (R) - To shift to Reverse
from Park, see the explanation under Park. To shift to Reverse from
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift.
Your car has a reverse lockout so
you cannot accidentally shift to Reverse from Neutral or any other
driving position when the vehicle
speed exceeds 7 — 9 mph (12 — 14
km/h).
If you cannot shift to Reverse when
the car is stopped, press the brake
pedal and slowly shift to Neutral
then to Reverse.
If there is a problem in the reverse
lockout system, or your vehicle's
battery is disconnected or goes dead,
you cannot shift to Reverse. (Refer
to Shift Lock Release on page 169).
Driving

Automatic Transmission
Neutral (N) - Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or ifit is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the car for
any reason. Press on the brake pedal
when you are moving the shift lever from Neutral to another gear.
Drive (D
5) — Use this position for
your normal driving. The transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear for your speed and
acceleration. You may notice the
transmission shifting up at higher speeds when the engine is cold. This
helps the engine warm up faster. Sequential SportShift Mode - With
the shift lever in "D
5" position, you
can select the Sequential SportShift mode to shift gears; much like a
manual transmission, but without a
clutch pedal.
When the Sequential SportShift Mode is selected, the transmission
will automatically upshift and downshift between first and second
gear.
To enter the Sequential SportShift mode, slide the shift lever further to
the left. To return to "D
5", slide the
shift lever to the right.
When you move the shift lever from "D
5" to the Sequential SportShift
mode, the display shows the selected
gear.
Downshift
In the Sequential SportShift mode,
each time you push forward on the
shift lever, the transmission shifts to
a higher gear. Pull back on the lever
to downshift. The number of the
gear selected is displayed next to the "D
5" indicator (see page 162).
CONTINUED
Driving

Automatic Transmission
First (1) - With the lever in this
position, the transmission locks in
First gear.
If you shift into First position when
the vehicle speed is above 31 mph(50 km/h), the transmission shifts
into Second gear first to avoid sudden engine braking. Engine Speed Limiter
If you exceed the maximum speed
for the gear you are in, the engine speed will enter into the tachometer's
red zone. If this occurs, you may feel
the engine cut in and out. This is caused by a limiter in the engine's
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone. Shift Lock Release
This allows you to move the shift lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal does not work. This procedure
also releases the Reverse Lockout.
1. Set the Parking brake.
2. Make sure the key is in the ignition switch OFF (0) position.
To release the Reverse Lockout, make sure the key is in the
ACCESSORY (I) position.
CONTINUED
Driving

Automatic Transmission
COVER
3. Put a cloth on the edge of the ShiftLock Release slot cover next to
the shift lever.
Use a small flat-tipped screwdriver
or small metal plate (neither are
included in the tool kit) to remove
the cover. Carefully pry off the
edge of the cover.
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
4. Insert a screwdriver in the shift lock release slot
5. Push down on the screwdriver and move the shift lever out of Park to
Neutral.
To release the Reverse Lockout, move the shift lever from Neutral
to Reverse, then Park. 6. Remove the screwdriver from the
shift lock release slot, then install
a new cover.
Depress the brake pedal and
restart the engine.
If you need to use the Shift Lock
Release, it means your car is
developing a problem. Have the car
checked by your Acura dealer.
Driving

Parking
Always use the parking brake whenyou park your car. The indicator onthe instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not fully released; it does not indicate that the parking
brake is firmly set. Make sure the
parking brake is set firmly or your car may roll if it is parked on an
incline.
Set the parking brake before you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the car from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism in the transmission — making it
easier to move the shift lever out of
Park when you want to drive away. If the car is facing uphill, turn the
front wheels away from the curb.
If the car is facing downhill, turn the
front wheels toward the curb.
Make sure the parking brake is fully
released before driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes. Parking Tips
• Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
• Turn off the lights.
• Place any packages, valuables, etc., in the trunk or take them with you.
• Check the indicator on the driver'sdoor to verify that the security
system is set.
• Never park over dry leaves, tallgrass, or other flammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire.
Driving

The Braking System
Your Acura is equipped with discbrakes at all four wheels. A powerassist helps reduce the effort needed
on the brake pedal. The ABS helps
you retain steering control when braking very hard.
Put your foot on the brake pedal only
when you intend to brake. Resting
your foot on the pedal keeps the brakes applied lightly, causing themto build up heat. Heat build-up can
reduce how well your brakes work. Italso keeps your brake lights on all
the time, confusing drivers behind
you. Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds up heat and reduces their effective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by downshifting to a lower
gear and taking your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Check your brakes after driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they feel normal. If not, apply them gently and
frequently until they do. Since a longer distance is needed to stop
with wet brakes, be extra cautious and alert in your driving. Brake Wear Indicators
All four brakes have audible brake wear indicators.
When the brake pads need replacing,
you will hear a distinctive metallic "screeching" sound when you apply
the brakes. If you do not have the
brake pads replaced, they will begin screeching all the time.
Your brakes may sometimes squeal or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not confuse this with the
brake wear indicators. They make a
very audible "screeching."
Driving