Page 179 of 333
Carrying Cargo
Your car has several convenient
storage areas so you can stow cargo
safely.
The glove box, and the pockets in the front doors and seat-back, aredesigned 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
CONSOLE COMPARTMENT
FRONT DOOR POCKET
TRUNK
SEAT-BACK POCKET
GLOVE BOX
Page 180 of 333
Carrying CargoLoad 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 number
above.
Subtract the total from 850 Ibs
(395
kg).
The final number is the total weight
of cargo you can carry.
Carrying Items in the Passenger
Compartment Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurt
someone during a crash.
Do not put any items on top of the
rear shelf. They can block your
view and be thrown around the car during 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 properoperation 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
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.
Page 181 of 333
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 and as far forward as possible.
If you carry large items that
prevent you from closing the trunk
lid, exhaust gas can enter the
passenger area. To avoid the
possibility of carbon monoxide
poisoning, 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.
Before Driving
Page 199 of 333
Towing a Trailer
Your Acura has been designedprimarily to carry passengers and
their cargo. You can use it to tow a
trailer if you carefully observe the
load limits, use the proper equipment, and follow the guidelines in this
section.
Load Limits
Total Trailer Weight: The totalweight of the trailer andeverything loaded in it must not
exceed 2,000 Ibs (900 kg). Towing
a load that is too heavy canseriously affect your car's
handling and performance. It can also damage the engine and
drivetrain. Tongue Load: The weight that
the tongue of a fully-loaded trailer
puts on the hitch should beapproximately 10 percent of the
trailer weight. Too little tongue
load can make the trailer unstable and cause it to sway. Too much
tongue load reduces front-tire
traction and steering control.
Driving
Page 200 of 333
Towing a Trailer
To achieve a proper tongue load, start by loading 60 percent of the
load toward the front of the trailer and 40 percent toward the rear, then
re-adjust the load as needed.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR):
The total weight of the vehicle, all occupants, all cargo, and the
tongue load must not exceed:
4,830 Ibs (2,190 kg)
Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR):
The total weight of the vehicle, all occupants, all cargo, and the
tongue load must not exceed:
2,570 Ibs (1,165 kg)
on the front axle
2,260 Ibs (1,025 kg)
on the rear axle Checking Loads
The best way to confirm that vehicle and trailer weights are within limits
is to have them checked at a public
scale.
Using a suitable scale or a special
tongue load gauge, check the tongue
load the first time you set up a
towing combination (a fully-loaded
vehicle and trailer), then recheck the tongue load whenever the conditions
change.
Driving
Exceeding load limits or
improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously injured or killed.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully before starting to drive.
Page 201 of 333
Towing a Trailer
Towing Equipment and
AccessoriesTowing can require a variety of equipment, depending on the size of
your trailer, how it will be used, and
how much load you are towing.
Discuss your needs with your trailer
sales or rental agency, and follow the
guidelines in the rest of this section.
Also make sure that all equipment is properly installed and that it meets
federal, state, province, and local regulations. Hitches
Any hitch used on your vehicle must be properly bolted to the underbody.
Safety Chains
Always use safety chains. Make sure they are secured to both the trailerand hitch, and that they cross under
the tongue so they can catch the
trailer if it becomes unhitched. Leave enough slack to allow the
trailer to turn corners easily, but do not let the chains drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Acura recommends that any trailer having a total weight of 1,000 Ibs (450 kg) or more be equipped with
its own electric or surge-type brakes.
If you choose electric brakes, besure they are electronically actuated.
Do not attempt to tap into your
vehicle's hydraulic system. No matter how successful it may seem,
any attempt to attach trailer brakes
to your vehicle's hydraulic system
will lower braking effectiveness and create a potential hazard.
Driving
Page 203 of 333
Towing a Trailer
Additional Trailer Equipment
Many states and Canadian provinces
require special outside mirrors when
towing a trailer. Even if they don't,
you should install special mirrors if
you cannot clearly see behind you, or if the trailer creates a blind spot.
Ask your trailer sales or rental agency if any other items are
recommended or required for your
towing situation.
Pre-Tow Checklist
When preparing to tow, and before driving away, be sure to check the
following:
The vehicle has been properlyserviced, and the tires, brakes,
suspension, and cooling system
are in good operating condition.
All weights and loads are within limits (see pages 196 and 197 ). The hitch, safety chains, and any
other attachments are secure. All items on and in the trailer are
properly secured and cannot shift
while you drive. The lights and brakes on your
vehicle and the trailer are workingproperly. Your vehicle tires and spare are
properly inflated (see page 244 ),and the trailer tires and spare are
inflated as recommended by thetrailer maker.
Driving
Page 204 of 333
Towing a Trailer
Driving Safely With a Trailer
The added weight, length, and height of a trailer will affect your
vehicle's handling and performance, so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.
For your safety and the safety ofothers, take time to practice driving
maneuvers before heading for the open road, and follow the guidelines
discussed below.
Towing Speeds and Gears
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits for vehicles with trailers.
Use the D4 position when towing a
trailer on level roads. D3 is the
proper shift lever position to use
when towing a trailer in hilly terrain. (See "Driving on Hills" in the next
column for additional gear information.) Making Turns and Braking
Make turns more slowly and wider
than normal. The trailer tracks a smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
can hit or run over something the
vehicle misses. Allow more time and distance for braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the trailer to jackknife or turn over.
Driving on Hills
When climbing hills, closely watch your temperature gauge. If it nearsthe red (Hot) mark, turn the air conditioning off, reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
If the automatic transmission shifts
frequently between 3rd and 4th
gears while going up a hill, shift to
D3.
If you must stop when facing uphill,
use the foot brake or parking brake. Do not try to hold the vehicle in
place by pressing on the accelerator, as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shift down to 2nd gear. Do not "ride" the brakes, andremember it will take longer to slowdown and stop when towing a trailer.
CONTINUED
Driving
