Takin
g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
This section covers the more- common problems that motoristsexperience with their vehicles. It
gives you information about how to safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again. If not, you will also find instructionson getting your car towed. Compact Spare Tire....................... 226
Changing a Flat Tire..................... 227
If Your Engine Won't Start........... 231 Nothing Happens or theStarter Motor OperatesVery Slowly............................. 232
The Starter Operates Normally................................. 233
Jump Starting................................. 233 If Your Engine Overheats............. 236
Low Oil Pressure Indicator.......... 238Charging System Indicator........... 239
Malfunction Indicator Lamp........ 240
Brake System Indicator................ 241 Closing the Moonroof................... 242
Fuses............................................... 243 Checking and Replacing........... 244
Emergency Towing....................... 248
Takin g Care o f th e Unexpecte d
I
f You r Engin e Won' t Star t
Nothin g Happen s o r th e Starte r
Moto r Operate s Ver y Slowl y
When you turn the ignition switch to START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying tostart. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things: Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page 72 ).
A key that is not properly coded will cause the immobilizer systemindicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly. Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed all the way to the floor or thestarter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or Neutral. Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlightsare very dim or don't light at all,
the battery is discharged. See
Jum p Startin g on page 233. Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the fuses. If
the fuses are OK, there is proba-
bly something wrong with the electrical circuit for the ignitionswitch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to determine the problem. (See
Emergenc y Towin g on page 248.)
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page 189 ). You can
then try jump starting the car from
a booster battery (see page 233 ).
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
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.
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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.
Fuse
s
All the electrical circuits in your car have fuses to protect them from ashort circuit or overload. These
fuses are located in two or three fuse
boxes.
The interior fuse box is underneath the dashboard on the driver's side.Remove the fuse box lid by swinging
the lid down and pulling it straight out of its hinges.
UNDER-HOO
D
TAB
The under-hood fuse box is located in the engine compartment next to
the battery. To open it, push the tab
as shown.
AB
S FUS E BO X
Cars equipped with ABS have a third
fuse box for the ABS. It is in the
front of the engine compartment on the passenger's side.
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Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
INTERIO
R
Fuse
s
Checkin g an d Replacin g Fuse s
If something electrical in your car stops working, the first thing you
should check for is a blown fuse.
Determine from the chart on pages 246 and 247, or the diagram on the
fuse box lid, which fuse or fuses control that component. Check those
fuses first, but check all the fuses
before deciding that a blown fuse is not the cause. Replace any blown
fuses and check the component's
operation.
1. Turn the ignition switch to LOCK (0). Make sure the headlights and
all other accessories are off.
2. Remove the cover from the fuse
box.
FUS
E
3. Check each of the large fuses in the under-hood fuse box by
looking through the top at the wireinside. Removing these fuses
requires a Phillips-head screw-driver. 4. Check the smaller fuses in the
under-hood fuse box and all the
fuses in the interior fuse box by pulling out each fuse with the fuse
puller provided in the interior fuse
box.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
BLOW
N
FUS
E PULLE R
Fuse
s
5. Look for a burned wire inside the fuse. If it is burned, replace it withone of the spare fuses of the same
rating or lower.
If you cannot drive the car without
fixing the problem, and you do not
have a spare fuse, take a fuse of the same rating or a lower rating from
one of the other circuits. Make sure
you can do without that circuit
temporarily (such as the cigarette lighter or radio). If you replace the blown fuse with a
spare fuse that has a lower rating, it
might blow out again. This does not
indicate anything wrong. Replace the
fuse with one of the correct rating as
soon as you can.
Replacing a fuse with one that has a higher rating greatly increases thechances of damaging the electrical
system. If you do not have a replace- ment fuse with the proper rating for thecircuit, install one with a lower rating.
6. If the replacement fuse of the same rating blows in a short time,
there is probably a serious electrical problem in your car.
Leave the blown fuse in that
circuit and have your car checked
by a qualified mechanic. If the radio fuse is removed, the
audio system will disable itself. The
next time you turn on the radio you
will see "Code" in the frequency display. Use the Preset buttons to
enter the five-digit code (see page
119).
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Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
BLOW
N
NOTICE
Inde
x
Downshifting, 5-speed Manual Transmission.............................. 138
Drive Belts...................................... 197
Driver and Passenger Safety............ 5
Driving............................................ 135 Economy..................................... 129
In Bad Weather.......................... 149
In Foreign Countries................. 259
Economy, Fuel............................... 129
Emergencies on the Road............. 225 Battery, Jump Starting.............. 233
Brake System Indicator............ 241
Changing a Flat Tire................. 227
Charging System Indicator...... 239
Checking the Fuses................... 244
Low Oil Pressure Indicator...... 238
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.... 240
Manually Closing Moonroof.... 242 Overheated Engine................... 236
Emergency Brake............................ 87
Emergency Flashers....................... 65
Emergency Towing....................... 248
Emissions Controls........................ 260 Emissions Testing, State.............. 263
Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge..... 59
Drive Belts.................................. 197
Malfunction Indicator Lamp................................. 55, 240
Oil Pressure Indicator......... 55, 238
Oil, What Kind to Use............... 173
Overheating................................ 236
Specifications............................. 254
Starting........................................ 137
Ethanol in Gasoline....................... 258
Evaporative Emissions Controls.. 260
Exhaust Fumes................................
49
Expectant Mothers
, Use of Seat
Belts by......................................... 19
Exterior, Cleaning the................... 218
Fabric, Cleaning............................. 221
Fan, Interior...................................... 94
Features, Comfort and
Convenience................................. 93
Filling the Fuel Tank..................... 124
Filters
Air Cleaner................................. 188
Oil................................................ 175
5-speed Manual Transmission
Checking Fluid Level................ 185
Shifting the................................. 138
Flashers, Hazard Warning.............. 65
Flat Tire, Changing a.................... 227
Fluids Automatic Transmission........... 183Brake........................................... 185
Clutch.......................................... 185
Manual Transmission............... 185
Power Steering........................... 187
Windshield Washer................... 182
FM Stereo Radio Reception.................................... 103
Folding Rear Seat............................ 83
Foreign Countries, Driving in...... 259
Four-way Flashers........................... 65
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Inde
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Fuel.................................................. 123
Fill Door and Cap....................... 124
Gauge............................................ 59
Octane Requirement................. 123
Oxygenated................................ 258
Reserve Indicator......................... 54
Tank, Filling the......................... 124
Fuses, Checking the...................... 243
Gas Mileage, Improving................ 129
Gasohol........................................... 258
Gasoline.......................................... 123
Fuel Reserve Indicator................ 54
Gauge............................................ 59
Octane Requirement................. 123
Tank, Filling the......................... 124
Gas Station Procedures................. 124
Gauges
Engine Coolant Temperature.... 59
Fuel................................................ 59
Speedometer................................ 58
Tachometer.................................. 58
Gearshift Lever Positions
Automatic Transmission........... 140
5-speed Manual
Transmission.......................... 138
Glass Cleaning............................... 222
Glove Box......................................... 78
Halogen Headlight Bulbs.............. 209
Hatch................................................. 76
Opening the.................................. 76
Open Monitor Light.................... 56
Hazard Warning Flashers............... 65
Headlights
Aiming......................................... 207
Daytime Running Lights............. 62High Beam Indicator................... 57
Reminder Chime.......................... 62
Replacing Halogen Bulbs......... 209
Turning on....................................
62
Head Restraints..............................
. 82
Heating and Cooling........................ 94
High Altitude, Starting at.............. 137
High-Low Beam Switch.................. 62
High-mount Brake Light............... 211
Hood Latch..................................... 189
Hood, Opening the........................ 125
Horn................................................... 61
Hydraulic Clutch............................ 186
Hydroplaning.................................. 150
Identification Number, Vehicle.... 252
Ignition Keys............................................... 71
Switch............................................ 73
Timing Control System............. 261
Immobilizer System......................... 72
Important Safety Precautions.......... 6
Indicators, Instrument
Panel.............................................. 53
Infant Restraint................................ 21
Infant Seats....................................... 30
Tether Anchorage Points........... 41
Inflation, Proper Tire.................... 198
Inside Mirror.................................... 86
Inspection, Tire.............................. 199 Instrument Panel......................... 2, 52
Instrument Panel Brightness......... 63
Interior Cleaning............................ 220
Interior Lights.................................. 92
Introduction......................................... i