2000 Acura TL 3.2 Owner's Manual

Tires
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS
Your car's tires have wear indicators molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down to that point, you
will see a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide
band running across the tread. This shows there is less than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread left on the tire. A
tire that is this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should replace the tire if you can see the
tread wear indicator in three or more
places around the tire. Maintenance
In addition to proper inflation,
correct wheel alignment helps to decrease tire wear. If you find a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
The tires were properly balanced by the factory. They may need to be
rebalanced at some time before they
are worn out. Have your dealer
check the tires if you feel a consis-
tent vibration while driving. A tire
should always be rebalanced if it is
removed from the wheel for repair. Make sure the installer balances the
wheels when you have new tires
installed. This increases riding
comfort and tire life. Your car's
original tires were dynamic or "spin"
balanced at the factory. For best
results, have the installer perform a dynamic balance.
Improper wheel weights can damage
your car's aluminum wheels. Use only Genuine Acura wheel weights for
balancing.
Maintenance
NOTICE

Tires
Tire Rotation
Front
(For Non-directional (For Directional Tires and Wheels) Tires and Wheels)
To help increase tire life and
distribute wear more evenly, you
should have the tires rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km). Move the
tires to the positions shown in the
chart each time they are rotated. When shopping for replacement
tires, you may find that some tires
are "directional." This means they
are designed to rotate only in one
direction. If you use directional tires,
they should be rotated only front-to-back. Replacing Tires and Wheels
The tires that came with your car were selected to match the perform-
ance capabilities of the car while
providing the best combination ofhandling, ride comfort, and long life.
You should replace them with radial tires of the same size, load range,speed rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire's sidewall). Mixing radial and
bias-ply tires on your car can reduce its braking ability, traction, and
steering accuracy.
CONTINUED
Maintenance
Front

Tires
Installing improper tires on your
car can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this owner's manual.
It is best to replace all four tires at
the same time. If that is not possible or necessary, then replace the two
front tires or the two rear tires as a
pair. Replacing just one tire can seriously affect your car's handling. The ABS works by comparing the
speed of the wheels. When replacing
tires, use the same size originally supplied with the car. Tire size and
construction can affect wheel speed
and may cause the system to work inconsistently.
If you ever need to replace a wheel,
make sure you use an identical style
aluminum alloy wheel that originally
came on your Acura. Replacement
wheels are available at your Acura dealer. Wheels and TiresWheel:
16x61/2JJ
Tire: P205/60R16 91V
See page 284 for information about
DOT Tire Quality Grading.
Maintenance

Tires
Winter DrivingTires that are marked "M+S" or "All Season" on the sidewall have an
all-weather tread design. They
should be suitable for most winter
driving conditions. Tires without
these markings are designed for optimum traction in dry conditions.
They may not provide adequate performance in winter driving.
For the best performance in snowyor icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under certain conditions.
Snow Tires
If you mount snow tires on your
Acura, make sure they are radial tires of the same size and load rangeas the original tires. Mount snow
tires on all four wheels to balance
your car's handling in all weather conditions. Keep in mind the traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
may not be as high as your car's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads
are clear. Check with the tire dealer
for maximum speed recommen- dations.
Traction Devices
Mount traction devices only when
required by driving conditions or
local laws. Make sure they are the correct size for your tires. Install
them only on the front tires.
Because your Acura has limited tire
clearance, mount only SAE class "S"
cable-type traction devices.Link-type "chains" should not be
used. No matter how tight they seem
to be installed, they can come into contact with the body andsuspension, causing serious damage. When installing traction devices,
follow the manufacturer'sinstructions and mount them as
tightly as you can. Drive slowly with
them installed. If you hear them coming in contact with the body or
chassis, stop and investigate. Make
sure the traction devices are
installed tightly, and that they are
not contacting the brakes or suspension.
Remove them as soon as you start driving on cleared roads.
Cables that are the wrong size or
improperly installed can damage your
car's brake lines, suspension, body, and
wheels. Stop driving if they are hitting
any part of the car.
Maintenance
NOTICE

Lights
Check the operation of your car's
exterior lights at least once a month.
A burned out bulb can create an unsafe condition by reducing your
car's visibility and the ability to signal your intentions to other
drivers. HEADLIGHT HIGH BEAM TURN SIGNAL/SIDE MARKER LIGHT
HEADLIGHT LOW BEAM
Maintenance

Lights
BACK-UP LIGHT HIGH-MOUNT BRAKE LIGHTTURN SIGNALLIGHT
LICENSE PLATE LIGHT STOP/TAILLIGHT PARKING LIGHTCheck the following: • Headlights (low and high beam)
• Parking lights
• Taillights
• Brake lights
• High-mount brake light
• Turn signals
• Back-up lights
• Hazard light function
• License plate light
• Side marker lights • Daytime running lights (Canadian models)
If you find any bulbs are burned out,
replace them as soon as possible. Refer to the chart on page 283 to
determine what type of replacement
bulb is needed.
Maintenance

Lights
Replacing a Headlight Bulb
The low beam headlight bulbs are a type of high voltage discharge tube.High voltage can remain in the
circuit even with the light switch off
and the key removed. Because of this, you should not attempt to
examine or change a low beam headlight bulb yourself. If a low
beam headlight bulb fails, take the
car to your dealer to have it replaced.
Halogen bulbs are used for the high
beam headlight bulbs. When replacing a high beam headlight bulb,
handle it by its base and protect the
glass from contact with your skin or hard objects. If you touch the glass,
clean it with denatured alcohol and a clean cloth.
Halogen headlight bulbs get very hot
when lit. Oil, perspiration, or a scratch
on the glass can cause the bulb to
overheat and shatter. BULB
TAB
1. Open the hood. If you need to change a bulb on
the driver's side, remove the
radiator reserve tank.
2. Remove the electrical connector from the bulb by squeezing the
connector to unlock the tab, thenslide the connector off the bulb.
Maintenance
NOTICE

Lights
3. Remove the bulb by turning itapproximately one-quarter turn
counterclockwise.
4. Insert the new bulb into the hole and turn it one-quarter turn clock-
wise to lock it in place.
5. Push the electrical connector back onto the bulb. Make sure it is onall the way.
6. Turn on the headlights to test the new bulb.
7. Reinstall the radiator reserve tank. Replacing Front Turn Signal and
Side Marker Light Bulbs
1. If you are changing the bulb on the driver's side, start the engine,
turn the steering wheel all the way
to the right, and turn off the
engine. If you are changing the
bulb on the passenger's side, turn the steering wheel to the left.
HOLDING CLIP
2. Use a flat-tipped screwdriver to remove the holding clip from the
inner fender.
3. Pull the inner fender away from the fender and bumper.
CONTINUED
Maintenance