2001 Acura RL 3.5 Owner's Manual

Tires

Maintenance

In addition to proper inflation,
correct wheel alignment helps todecrease 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 theyare 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'soriginal tires were dynamic or "spin"
balanced at the factory. For best
results, have the installer perform a dynamic balance.

Improper wheel weights can damageyour vehicle 's aluminum wheels. Use
only Genuine Acura wheel weights for
balancing.
Tire Rotation
To help increase tire life and distribute wear more evenly, youshould 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.

Maintenance
Front

NOTICE
(For Non-directional

Tires and Wheels)
(For Directional

Tires and Wheels)
Front

Tires

When shopping for replacement tires, you may find that some tiresare "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 of
handling, 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. 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 canseriously affect your car's handling.
CONTINUED

Maintenance

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.

Tires

The ABS and VSA system work 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 Tires

Wheels:
16x7JJ

Tires:

P215/60R16 94V
See page 304 for information about
DOT Tire Quality Grading.
Winter Driving

Tires 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 snowy
or icy conditions, you should installsnow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under certain conditions.

Maintenance

Tires

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 shoulddrive cautiously even when the roads
are clear. Check with the tire dealer
for maximum speed recommen-

dations.
Tire Chains

Because your Acura has limited tire
clearance, mount only SAE Class "S"
cable-type traction devices on the
front tires. Use traction devices only
when required by driving conditions or local laws. Make sure they are the
correct size for your tires.
Metal link-type "chains" should not
be used. No matter how tight they seem to be installed, they can come
into contact with the body and suspension, causing serious damage. When installing cables, follow the
manufacturer's instructions 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 andinvestigate. Make sure the cables areinstalled tightly, and that they are
not contacting the brake lines or
suspension.

Remove them as soon as you begin driving on cleared roads.

Traction devices 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 ofthe 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 yourcar's visibility and the ability to
signal your intentions to other

drivers.

Maintenance
HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHT


LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT
FRONT FOG LIGHT
TURN SIGNAL/
PARKING LIGHT
SIDE MARKER LIGHT

Lights

Check the following: Headlights (low and high beam)
Fog lights
Parking lights
Taillights
Brake lights
Turn signals Back-up lights
Hazard light function License plate light
Side marker lights
High-mount brake light
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 303 to

determine what type of replacement

bulb is needed.

Maintenance
HIGH-MOUNT BRAKE LIGHT
TURN SIGNAL LIGHT

LICENSE PLATE

LIGHTS

STOP/TAIL LIGHTS

BACK-UP LIGHT

Lights

Replacing a High Beam 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 bulbs get very hot when lit. Oil,

perspiration, or a scratch on the glass
can cause the bulb to overheat and
shatter.
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the electrical connector
from the bulb by pulling the connector straight back.

3. Remove the rubber weather seal

by pulling on the tab.

Maintenance
NOTICE

Lights

4. Unclip the end of the hold-down
wire from its slot. Pivot it out of
the way and remove the bulb.

5. Insert the new bulb into the hole,

making sure the bulb is right side
up and the nubs on the bulb base
fit in the indentations in the headlight assembly. Pivot the hold-
down wire back in place and clip
the end into the slot.

6. Install the rubber seal over the

back of the headlight assembly.
Make sure it is right side up; it is
marked

7. Push the electrical connector onto

the new bulb.
Turn on the headlights to test the new bulb.

Replacing a Fog Light Bulb
Your car uses halogen fog light bulbs. See page 252 for informationon replacing a halogen bulb.

CONTINUED

Maintenance

WEATHER SEAL
BULB
CONNECTOR

HOLD-DOWN WIRE