2001 Acura TL battery

Block the rear wheels.
Fill the f uel tank.
Change the engine oil and f ilter
(see page ).
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry.
If you need to park your car f or an
extended period (more than one
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your car back on the road. If
possible, store your car indoors.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Park. If the car is to be stored for a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Coverthecarwitha‘‘breathable’’
cover, one made f rom a porous
material such as cotton.
Nonporous materials, such as
plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
If possible, run the engine f or a
while periodically (pref erably once
amonth).
Leave one window open slightly (if
the car is being stored indoors).
Disconnect the battery.
Support the f ront wiper blade
arms with a f olded towel or rag so
they do not touch the windshield.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and trunk seals. Also, apply a
vehiclebodywaxtothepainted
surfaces that mate with the door
and trunk seals. If you store your car f or 12 months
or longer, have your Acura dealer
perf orm the inspections called f or in
the 24 months/30,000 miles (48,000
km) maintenance schedule (Normal
Conditions) as soon as you take it
out of storage (see page ). The
replacements called f or in the
maintenance schedule are not
needed unless the car has actually
reached that time or mileage.
207
196
St oring Your Car
Maint enance247

Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereisproba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit f or the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. (Seeon page .)
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 ). You can
then try jump starting the car from
a booster battery (see page ).
When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:
Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
orNeutralorthestarterwillnot
operate.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See on page .
Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):
You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
266282
224 266
Emergency T owing
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed265

In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.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 your Acura by
pushing or pulling it.
Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page .
Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to
on page . 77
165 277
282
T he Starter Operates Normally
Jump Starting
Emergency
Towing
Starting the
Engine
If Your Engine Won’t Start, Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed266
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.

µ
´ ´
CONT INUED
Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the grounding strap
as shown. Do not connect this
jumper cable to any other part of
the engine.
Remove the battery cover.
To jump start your car, f ollow these
directions closely:
Open the hood and check the
physical condition of the battery
(see page ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy
or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: climate control, stereo
system, lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake. Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
Acura’s battery. Connect the other
end to the positive ( ) terminal
on the booster battery.
4.
5.
3.
1.
2. 224
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed267
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

Once your car is running, discon-
nectthenegativecablefromyour
car, then from the booster battery.
Disconnect the positive cable f rom
your car, then the booster battery.
If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle.
The numbers in the illustration show
you the order to connect the jumper
cables. Make sure to disconnect the
cables in the reverse order.Start your car. If the starter motor
still operates slowly, check the
jumper cable connections to make
sure they have good metal-to-
metal contact. Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the vehicle until all are
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short.
7. 8.
6.
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed268
B BO OO OSSTTE
ER
R
B
BA A T
TT
TE
ER
RY Y

By eliminating as much of the
electrical load as possible, you can
drive several miles (kilometers)
before the battery is too discharged
to keep the engine running. Drive to
a service station or garage where
you can get technical assistance.
This indicator should come on when
the ignition switch is ON (II), and go
out af ter the engine starts. If it
comes on brightly when the engine
is running, it indicates that the
charging system has stopped
charging the battery. Immediately turn of f all electrical
accessories: radio, climate control,
rear def ogger, cruise control, etc.
Try not to use other electrically-
operated controls such as the power
windows. Keep the engine running
and take extra care not to stall it.
Starting the engine will discharge
the battery rapidly.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Charging System Indicator
272
C CH
H A
AR
RGGI INNG G S
SYYSSTTE
EM
M I
INND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R

Your car has certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that are part of the on-board
diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. In some states, part of the
emissions testing is to make sure
these codes are set. If they are not
set, the test cannot be completed.
If your car’s battery has been
disconnected or gone dead, these
codes are erased. It takes several
days of driving under various
conditions to set the codes again.If possible, do not take your car f or a
state emissions test until the
readiness codes are set. See State
Emissions Testing on page .
297
Malf unction Indicator L amp
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Readiness Codes
274

µ
µµ
No. Amps. Circuits Protected No.
Circuits Protected
Amps.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11 20 A
20 A
20 A
20 A
15 A
30 A
15 A
120 A 20 A Lef t Headlight
Not Used
Right Headlight
ABS F/S
Stop
ACG
Spare Fuse
ABS Motor
Hazard
Battery
Cooling Fan 12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Back Up, ACC
Power Window Motor
Spare Fuse
Power Seat
TCS
Heater Motor
Rear Defroster
IG1 Main
Small Light
Condenser Fan
30 A
40 A
40 A
20 A
40 A
40 A
50 A
15 A
20 A
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed280
UNDER-HOOD FUSE BOX