2001 Acura RL service

2001 RL Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through\
this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.h\
elminc.com.
Contents
Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safet y........................................................................\
.........................................ii
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
..................................... .5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
Instruments and Control s........................................................................\
........................................ .51
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
..................... 121
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................167
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... .179
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................203
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Car e........................................................................\
..................................................... .263
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your\
vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpecte d........................................................................\
..............................271
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, a nd how to handle them.
Technical Informatio n........................................................................\
.............................................299
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................313
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manu als (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................319
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index........................................................................\
........................................................................\
...... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

Accord Value Package Audio System Owner's Identification Form

Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
............................................ 2

Driver and Passenger Safety

This section gives you important information about how to protect

yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts

properly. It explains your Supple-
mental Restraint System. And it tells

you how to properly restrain infants and children in your car.

Important Safety Precautions .......... 6
Your Car's Safety Features .............. 7

Seat Belts........................................ 8

Airbags............................................ 9
Seats & Seat-Backs...................... 10
Head Restraints........................... 10
Door Locks................................... 10
Pre-Drive Safety Checklist......... 11

Protecting Adults............................. 12
1. Close and Lock the Doors...... 12
2. Adjust the Front Seats............ 12

3. Adjust the Seat-Backs............. 13

4. Adjust the Head Restraints.... 14

5. Fasten and Position the Seat

Belts...................................... 15

6. Adjust the Steering Wheel..... 17
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position................................. 17

Advice for Pregnant Women...... 18

Additional Safety Precautions.... 19

Protecting Children......................... 20
All Children Must Be
Restrained................................ 20
Children Should Sit in the Back
Seat............................................21

The Passenger's Front Airbag Poses Serious Risksto Children............................ 21
If You Must Drive with Several Children.................................... 23
If a Child Requires Close
Attention...................................23

Additional Safety Precautions.... 23 General Guidelines for Using Child Seats................................24
Protecting Infants........................ 28 Protecting Small Children.......... 32
Protecting Larger Children........ 35
Using Child Seats with

Tethers......................................39

Additional Information About Your
Seat Belts.................................. 40

Seat Belt System Components... 40
Lap/Shoulder Belt....................... 40
Automatic Seat BeltTensioners................................ 41
Seat Belt Maintenance................ 42
Additional Information About Your
Airbags......................................43

SRS Components......................... 43

How Your Front Airbags
Work..........................................43

How Your Side Airbags Work.... 45 How the SRS Indicator Light
Works........................................46

How The Side Airbag Indicator Light Works............................. 47

Airbag Service.............................. 48

Additional Safety Precautions.... 48
Carbon Monoxide Hazard.............. 49
Safety Labels.................................... 50
Driver and Passenger Safety

Additional Information About Your Airbags
Airbag Service
Your front and side airbag systemsare virtually maintenance-free, and
there are no parts you can safely service. However, you must have
your car serviced if:
Your airbags ever inflate. Any

airbag that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. Do
not try to remove or replace any
airbag by yourself. This must be done by an Acura dealer or a
knowledgeable body shop. The SRS indicator light alerts you
to a problem. Take your car to an
authorized Acura dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inflate when you need them. Additional Safety Precautions Do not attempt to deactivate your

airbags. Together, airbags and

seat belts provide the best
protection. Do not tamper with airbag
components or wiring for any
reason. Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
Do not expose the front seat-backs
to water. If rain or spilled water

soaks into a seat-back, it can

prevent the side airbag system

from working properly.
Do not cover or replace front seat-

back covers without consulting an
Acura dealer. Improperly replacing or covering front seat-
back covers can prevent your sideairbags from inflating during a
collision.
See page 175 for further information and precautions relating to your
airbags.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Before Driving

Before you begin driving your Acura,
you should know what gasoline to use, and how to check the levels of
important fluids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggageor packages. The information in this
section will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your car,
please read the information in this section first. Break-in Period.............................. 168
Gasoline.......................................... 168
Service Station Procedures .......... 169 Filling the Fuel Tank................. 169Opening the Hood..................... 170 Oil Check................................171
Engine Coolant Check.......... 172
Fuel Economy................................ 173 Car Condition............................. 173
Driving Habits............................ 173
Accessories and Modifications.... 174 Carriying Cargo.............................. 176

Before Driving

Break-in Period, Gasoline

Break-in Period

Help assure your car's future
reliability and performance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period: Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid

acceleration.
Avoid hard braking. New brakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use for the first 200 miles (300

km).
Do not change the oil until the
recommended time or mileage
interval shown in the maintenance
schedule.

You should follow these same re- commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are relined.
Gasoline

Your Acura is designed to operate on premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane number of 91 or higher.
If you are unable to find premium unleaded gasoline, you may substi-
tute an unleaded regular gasoline.
The engine will compensate for the lower octane, but you may notice aslight decrease in power as a result.
We recommend gasolines containing detergent additives that help prevent
fuel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your car's emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution. In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emissions control system performance may deteriorate and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on. If this happens, contact your
authorized Acura dealer for service.

Before Driving

Service Station Procedures

Filling the Fuel Tank

1. Because the fuel fill cap is on the
driver's side of the car, park with that side closest to the service station pumps.

2. Open the fuel fill door by pulling

on the handle to the left of the
driver's seat.

3. Remove the fuel fill cap slowly.

You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.

4. Stop filling the tank after the fuel

nozzle automatically clicks off. Do
not try to "top off" the tank, leave
some room for the fuel to expand
with temperature changes.

Your car has an on-board refueling
vapor recovery system to help
keep fuel vapors from going into
the atmosphere. If the fuel pump
keeps clicking off even though the
tank is not full, there may be a
problem with this system. Consult
your dealer.

CONTINUED

Before Driving
FUEL FILL CAP

Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.

Stop the engine and keep

heat, sparks, and flame away.Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.

Pull

Service Station Procedures

5. Screw the fuel fill cap back on,
tighten it until it clicks several
times. If you do not properly tighten the cap, the MalfunctionIndicator Lamp may come on (see
page 287).

6. Push the fuel fill door closed until

it latches.

Opening the Hood
1. Shift to Park or Neutral and set

the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.

2. Standing in front of the car, reach

in between the hood and the front
bumper with your finger. Slide the
latch handle.

Before Driving
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE

LATCH HANDLE

Service Station Procedures

If you can open the hood without
sliding the hood latch handle, or the
hood latch handle moves stiffly or does not spring back as before, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated (see page 231).
3. Lift the hood up most of the way.
The hydraulic supports will lift it up the rest of the way and hold it
up.

To close the hood, lower it to about a
foot (30 cm) above the fender, then
press down firmly with your hands.
After closing the hood, make sure it is securely latched. Oil Check
Check the engine oil level every time
you fill the vehicle with fuel. Wait a
few minutes after turning the engine off before you check the oil.
1. Remove the dipstick (orange

handle).

2. Wipe the dipstick with a clean cloth or paper towel.

CONTINUED

Before Driving

DIPSTICK