2001 Acura RL lock

Preparing to Drive

You should do the following checks and adjustments every day before
you drive your car.
1. Make sure all windows, mirrors, and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost, snow,or ice.
2. Check that the hood and trunk are
fully closed.

3. Visually check the tires. If a tire

looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.

4. Check that any items you may be

carrying with you inside are stored
properly or fastened down
securely.

5. Check the adjustment of the seat (see page 94 ).
6. Check the adjustment of the

inside and outside mirrors (see
page 99 ).

7. Check the adjustment of the

steering wheel (see page 7 1 ).

8. Make sure the doors are securely

closed and locked.

9. Fasten your seat belt. Check that

your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page 15 ).

10.Turn the ignition switch ON (II).

Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.

11.Start the engine (see page 181).
12.Check the gauges and indicator

lights in the instrument panel (see
page 53).

Driving

Automatic Transmission

Your Acura's transmission has four
forward speeds, and is electronicallycontrolled for smoother shifting. It
also has a "lock-up" torque converter
for better fuel economy. You may
feel what seems like another shift
when the converter locks.
Shift Lever Position Indicator
This indicator between the fuel gauge and temperature gauge shows
which position the shift lever is in.
The "D4" indicator comes on for afew seconds when you turn theignition switch ON (II). If it flashes
while driving (in any shift position), it indicates a possible problem in the
transmission. Avoid rapid acceler- ation and have the transmission
checked by an authorized Acura
dealer as soon as possible. Shift Lever Positions
The shift lever has seven positions. It must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped in
D4, D3, 2,1, N or R, press firmly on
the brake pedal, and keep your footoff the accelerator pedal.

Driving
SHIFT LEVER

Automatic Transmission

Whenever you move the shift lever, slide it along the guide on the

console.

Park (P) — This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning off or
starting the engine. To shift out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your foot off the
accelerator pedal. Move the shift
lever to the right to shift out of the Park position.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on page
185.

To avoid transmission damage, come to a complete stop before shifting
into Park. The shift lever must be inPark before you can remove the key
from the ignition switch. Reverse (R) — To shift to Reverse
from Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shift to Reverse from
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Push down on the shift
lever before shifting into Reverse
from Neutral.
Neutral (N) — Use Neutral if you need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the car for any reason. Press on the brake pedal
when you are moving the shift lever from Neutral to another gear.

CONTINUED

Driving

Automatic Transmission

Drive (D4) — Use this position for
your normal driving. The transmis- sion automatically selects a suitable
gear for your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission shifting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps the engine warm up faster.
Drive (D3) —This position is similar
to D4, except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D3 when
towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to
provide engine braking when going down a steep hill. D3 can also keep
the transmission from cycling
between third and fourth gears in stop-and-go driving.
For faster acceleration when in D3 or
D4, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshift by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shift down one or two gears, depending on your
speed.
Second (2) — This position locks
the transmission in second gear. It
does not downshift to first gear
when you come to a stop. Second gives you more power when climbing,and increased engine braking when
going down steep hills. Use second
gear when starting out on a slippery surface or in deep snow. It will help
reduce wheelspin.
First (1) — To shift from Second to
First, push down on the shift lever.
With the lever in this position, the transmission locks in First gear. By
upshifting and downshifting through 1, 2, D3 and D4, you can operate this
transmission much like a manual
transmission without a clutch pedal. Engine Speed Limiter
If you exceed the maximum speed
for the gear you are in, the engine speed will enter into the tachometer's
red zone. If this occurs, you may feel
the engine cut in and out. This iscaused by a limiter in the engine's
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the RPM below the red zone.

Driving

Automatic Transmission

Shift Lock Release
This allows you to move the shift lever out of Park if the normalmethod of pushing on the brake
pedal does not work.
1. Set the Parking brake.
2. Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
3. Put a cloth on the edge of the Shift

Lock Release slot cover next to

the shift lever.

Use a small flat-tipped screwdriver
or small metal plate (neither are
included in the tool kit) to remove

the cover. Carefully pry off the

edge of the cover. 4. Insert the key in the Shift Lock

Release slot.

5. Push down on the key and move

the shift lever out of Park to
Neutral.

SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
6. Remove the key from the Shift

Lock Release slot, then reinstall
the cover. Make sure the notch on
the cover is on the right side. Depress the brake pedal and
restart the engine.

If you need to use the Shift Lock
Release, it means your car is
developing a problem. Have the car
checked by your Acura dealer.

Driving

Parking

Always use the parking brake when
you park your car. The indicator on the instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not fully released; itdoes not indicate that the parking
brake is firmly set. Make sure the
parking brake is set firmly or your car may roll if it is parked on an

incline.

Set the parking brake before you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the car from moving and putting pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission — making it
easier to move the shift lever out of
Park when you want to drive away. If the car is facing uphill, turn the
front wheels away from the curb.
If the car is facing downhill, turn the
front wheels toward the curb.
Make sure the parking brake is fully
released before driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage the rear brakes. Parking Tips Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Turn off the lights.Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you.
Lock the doors with the key or the
remote transmitter. Check the
indicator on the driver's door to
verify that the security system is set.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other flammable
materials. The three way catalytic converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on

fire.

Driving

The Braking System

Brake System Design
The hydraulic system that operates the brakes has two separate circuits.Each circuit works diagonally across
the car (the left-front brake is connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking
at two wheels.

Front
Anti-lock Brakes

Your car has an Anti-lock BrakeSystem (ABS) as standard
equipment. ABS helps to prevent the
wheels from locking up and skidding during hard braking, allowing you to
retain steering control.
When the front tires skid, you lose steering control; the car continues
straight ahead even though you turn
the steering wheel. The ABS helps to
prevent lock-up and helps you retain steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly; much faster than a person can do it.
The ABS also balances the front-to rear braking distribution according
to vehicle loading. You should never pump the
brake pedal, this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work for you by always keeping firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes referred to as
"stomp and steer."

You will feel a pulsation in the brake pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is normal, it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on
the brake pedal very hard before you activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.

Driving

The Braking System

Important Safety Reminders

ABS does not reduce the time or distance it takes to stop the car, it
only helps with steering controlduring braking. You should always
maintain a safe following distance
from other vehicles.
ABS will not prevent a skid that results from changing direction
abruptly, such as trying to take a corner too fast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed for the road and
weather conditions.
ABS cannot prevent a loss of stability. Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your car to veer into
oncoming traffic or off the road. A vehicle with ABS may require a
longer distance to stop on loose or
uneven surfaces, such as gravel or snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater distance between vehicles under
those conditions.

ABS Indicator

U.S. indicator shown

The ABS is self-checking. If anything goes wrong, the ABS indicator on
the instrument panel comes on (see page 56 ). This means the anti-lock function of the braking system has
shut down. The brakes still work like
a conventional system without anti-
lock, providing normal stopping ability. You should have the dealer
inspect your car as soon as possible
if this light stays on after you start
the engine, or comes on whiledriving.
DrivingCONTINUED

ABS INDICATOR*