
Storin
g You r Ca r
If you need to park your car for an
extended period (more than one
month), there are several things you should do to prepare it for storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your car back on the road. If
possible, store your car indoors. Fill the fuel tank.
Change the engine oil and filter
(see page 175). Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Clean the interior. Make sure the
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Reverse
(5-speed manual) or Park
(automatic).
Block the rear wheels.
If the car is to be stored for a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are off the ground. Leave one window open slightly (if
the car is being stored indoors). Disconnect the battery.
Support the front and rear wiper
blade arms with a folded towel or
rag so they do not touch the
windshield.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and hatch seals. Also, apply a body
wax to the painted surfaces that mate with the door and hatch seals. Cover the car with a "breathable"
cover, one made from a porous
material such as cotton. Nonporous materials, such as
plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint. If possible, run the engine for a
while periodically (preferably once a month).
If you store your car for 12 months or longer, have your Acura dealer
perform the inspections called for in
the 24 months/30,000 miles (48,000
km) maintenance schedule (Normal Conditions) as soon as you take it
out of storage (see page 164). The
replacements called for in the
maintenance schedule are not
needed unless the car has actually
reached that time or mileage.
Maintenanc e

I
f You r Engin e Won' t Start , Jum p Startin g
Th e Starte r Operate s Normall y
In this case, the starter motor's speed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run. Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer to Startin g th e
Engin e on page 137. Do you have fuel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the fuel gauge.
The low fuel level warning light may not be working, so you were
not reminded to fill the tank. There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses (see page 243).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 248. Jum
p Startin g
If your car's battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
you should take several precautions.
You cannot start an Acura with anautomatic transmission by pushingor pulling it.
CONTINUED
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.

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 causeserious 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 threedriving 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
MALFUNCTIO
N INDICATO R LAM P
NOTICE

Technica
l Informatio n
The diagrams in this section give you the dimensions and capacities of
your Acura, and the locations of the identification numbers. It alsoincludes information you should
know about your vehicle's tires and emissions control systems. Identification Numbers................. 252
Specifications................................. 254
DOT Tire Quality Grading
(U.S. Cars)..............................256
Treadwear.................................. 256
Traction — AA, A, B, C............ 256
Temperature — A, B, C..........
257
Oxygenated Fuels.........................
. 258
Driving in Foreign Countries....... 259 Emissions Controls........................ 260
The Clean Air Act...................... 260
Crankcase Emissions Control System..................................... 260
Evaporative Emissions Control System..................................... 260
Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery................................. 261
Exhaust Emissions Controls.... 261 PGM-FI System..................... 261
Ignition Timing ControlSystem................................. 261
Three Way Catalytic Converter............................ 261
Replacement Parts..................... 261
Three Way Catalytic Converter... 262 State Emissions Testing............... 263
Technical Informatio n

Oxygenate
d Fuel s
Some conventional gasolines are
being blended with alcohol or an
ether compound. These gasolines
are collectively re 101ferred to as
oxygenated fuels. To meet clean air
standards, some areas of the United
States and Canada use oxygenated
fuels to help reduce emissions.
If you use an oxygenated fuel, be
sure it is unleaded and meets the
minimum octane rating requirement.
Before using an oxygenated fuel, try
to confirm the fuel's contents. Some
states/provinces require this
information to be posted on the
pump.
The following are the U.S. EPA and
Canadian CGSB approved
percentages of oxygenates:
ETHANO L (ethyl or grain alcohol)
You may use gasoline containing up to 10 percent ethanol by volume.Gasoline containing ethanol may be
marketed under the name "Gasohol."
MTB E (Methyl Tertiary Butyl
Ether)
You may use gasoline containing up to 15 percent MTBE by volume.
METHANO L (methyl or wood
alcohol)
Your vehicle was not designed to use fuel that contains methanol.Methanol can corrode metal parts in
the fuel system, and also damage
plastic and rubber components. This damage would not be covered by
your warranties. If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
Fuel system damage or performance
problems resulting from the use of
an oxygenated fuel containing more
than the percentages of oxygenates
given above are not covered under
warranty.
Technica l Informatio n

Drivin
g in Foreig n Countrie s
Technica l Informatio n
If you are planning to take your
Acura outside the U.S. or Canada, contact the tourist bureaus in the
areas you will be traveling in to find
out about the availability of unleaded
gasoline with the proper octane
rating.
If unleaded gasoline is not available,
be aware that using leaded gasoline in your Acura will affect perfor-
mance and fuel mileage, and damageits emissions controls. It will no
longer comply with U.S. and Canadian emissions regulations, and
will be illegal to operate in North
America. To bring your car back into compliance will require the replace-
ment of several components, such as
the oxygen sensors and the three
way catalytic converter. These re- placements are not covered under
warranty.

Emission
s Control s
The burning of gasoline in your car's engine produces several byproducts.
Some of these are carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and
hydrocarbons (HC). Gasoline evaporating from the tank also
produces hydrocarbons. Controlling
the production of NOx, CO, and HC
is important to the environment. Under certain conditions of sunlight
and climate, NOx and HC react to
form photochemical "smog." Carbon monoxide does not contribute to
smog creation, but it is a poisonous
gas.
Th
e Clea n Ai r Ac t
The United States Clean Air Act* sets standards for automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
work and what to do to maintain them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.Scheduled maintenance is on page
164.
* In Canada, Acura vehicles comply
with the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) for
Emissions valid at the time they are
manufactured. Crankcas
e Emission s Contro l
Syste m
Your car has a Positive Crankcase
Ventilation System. This keeps gasses that build up in the engine'scrankcase from going into the
atmosphere. The Positive Crankcase
Ventilation valve routes them from the crankcase back to the intake
manifold. They are then drawn into
the engine and burned.
Evaporativ e Emission s Contro l
Syste m
As gasoline evaporates in the fuel tank, an evaporative emissionscontrol canister filled with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is off. After
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine and burned during driving.
Technica l Informatio n

Emission
s Control s
Onboar d Refuelin g Vapo r
Recover y
The Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery (ORVR) system captures
the fuel vapors during refueling. The
vapors are adsorbed in a canister filled with activated carbon. While driving, the fuel vapors are drawn
into the engine and burned off.
Exhaus t Emission s Control s
The exhaust emissions controls include three systems: PGM-FI,
Ignition Timing Control and Three
Way Catalytic Converter. These three systems work together tocontrol the engine's combustion and
minimize the amount of HC, CO, and
NOx that comes out the tailpipe. The
exhaust emissions control systems
are separate from the crankcase andevaporative emissions control
systems.
PGM-FI System
The PGM-FI System uses sequential multiport fuel injection.
It has three subsystems: Air Intake,
Engine Control, and Fuel Control.
The Engine Control Module (ECM) or the Powertrain Control Module(PCM) uses various sensors to
determine how much air is going
into the engine. It then controls how
much fuel to inject under all operat- ing conditions.
Ignition Timing Control System
This system constantly adjusts the ignition timing, reducing the amountof HC, CO and NOx produced.
Three Way Catalytic Converter
The three way catalytic converter is in the exhaust system. Through
chemical reactions, it converts HC,CO, and NOx in the engine's exhaust
to carbon dioxide (C02), dinitrogen (N2), and water vapor. Replacemen
t Part s
The emissions control systems are designed and certified to work to-
gether in reducing emissions to
levels that comply with the Clean Air
Act. To make sure the emissions remain low, you should use only newGenuine Acura replacement parts or
their equivalent for repairs. Using
lower quality parts may increase the emissions from your car.
The emissions control systems are covered by warranties separate from
the rest of your car. Read your
warranty manual for more informa- tion.
Technical Informatio n