Page 1 of 335

2002 CL 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.helminc.com.
Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction........................................................................\
............................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety ........................................................................\
.................................................. ii
Your Car at a Glance ........................................................................\
.............................................................. 2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
............................................... 5
Proper use and care of your car's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Controls ........................................................................\
................................................... 51
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
............................... 113
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... 161
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new car, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
................................................................................... 175
The proper way to start the engine, shift the tr ansmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance ........................................................................\
......................................................................... 205
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your car to the dealer.
Appearance Care ........................................................................\
................................................................. 265
Tips on cleaning and protecting your car. Things to look for if your car ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected ........................................................................\
....................................... 273
This section covers several problems motorists someti mes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information ........................................................................\
....................................................... 303
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)......................................................................317
A summary of the warranties covering yo ur new Acura, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only) ........................................................................\
....................................... 321
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need wh en you pull up to the fuel pump.
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T his Owner’s Manual should be considered a
permanent part of the car, and should remain
with the car when it is sold.
T his Owner’s Manual covers all models of
the Acura 3.2 CL. You may f ind descriptions
of equipment and f eatures that are not on
your particular model.
T he inf ormation and specif ications included
in this publication were in ef f ect at the time
of approval f or printing. Honda Motor Co.,
Ltd. reserves the right, however, to
discontinue or change specif ications or
design at any time without notice and without
incurring any obligation whatsoever.
Owner’s Identif ication
POUR CLIENTS CANADIEN
A VIS IMPORT A NT : Si vous avez
besoin d’un Manuel du Conduct eur en
f rançais, veuillez demander à votre
concessionnaire de commander le
numéro de pièce 33S3MC10 .
OWNER
ADDRESS
V. I. N.
DELIVERY DATE
DEALER NAMEDEALER NO.
ADDRESS
OWNER’S SIGNATURE
DEALER’S SIGNATURE
STREET
CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP CODE/
POSTAL CODE
(Date sold to original retail purchaser)
STREET
CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP CODE/
POSTAL CODE
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As you read this manual, you will
f ind inf ormation that is preceded by
asymbol. This
inf ormation is intended to help you
avoid damage to your Acura, other
property, or the environment.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Acura is to read
this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Af terwards, keep this owner’s manual in your car so you
can ref er to it at any time.
Several warranties protect your new Acura. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.
Maintaining your car according to the schedules given in this manual helps
to keep your driving trouble-f ree while it preserves your investment. When
your car needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Acura dealer’s staf f is
specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to your Acura. Your
Acura dealer is dedicated to your satisf action and will be pleased to answer
any questions and concerns. Congratulations ! Your selection of a 2002 Acura 3.2 CL was a wise
investment. It will give you years of driving pleasure.
Calif ornia Proposition 65 Warning
This product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of
Calif ornia to cause cancer and birth def ects or other reproductive harm.
Introduction
WARNING:
i
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To help you make inf ormed
decisions about saf ety, we have
provided operating procedures and
other inf ormation on labels and in
this manual. This inf ormation alerts
you to potential hazards that could
hurt you or others.
You will f ind this important saf ety inf ormation in a variety of f orms,
including:
Your safety, and the safety of others,
is very important. And operating this
car saf ely is an important
responsibility.
Of course, it is not practical or
possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or
maintaining your car. You must use
your own good judgement.
This entire book is f illed with important saf ety inf ormation please read it
caref ully.how to use this car correctly and saf ely.
such as Driver and Passenger Safety.
These signal words mean:
on the car.
preceded by a saf ety alert symbol and one of
three signal words: , , or .
such as Important Saf ety Reminders or Important
Safety Precautions.
AFewWordsAboutSafety
Instructions Saf ety Section Saf ety L abels
Saf ety Messages
Saf ety Headings DANGER WARNING CAUTION
ii
You CAN be HURT if you don’t follow
instructions. You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don’t follow instructions. You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don’t follow instructions.
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Your Car at a Glance
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Your Car at a Glance
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Page 7 of 335
Page 8 of 335

This section gives you important
inf ormation 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 inf ants
andchildreninyourcar..........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.............
Your Car’s Saf ety Features . 7
.......................................
Seat Belts .8
...........................................
Airbags .9
.....................
Seats & Seat-Backs .10
..........................
Head Restraints .10
..................................
Door Locks .10
........
Pre-Drive Saf ety Checklist . 11
............................
Protecting Adults .12
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 12 ...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 13
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 14
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 15
5. Fasten and Position the Seat .....................................
Belts .15
....
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel . 17
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .17
.....
Advice f or 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 Risks ...........................
to Children .21
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .23
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .23
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 23
General Guidelines f or Using ...............................
Child Seats .24
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .28 .........
Protecting Small Children . 32
.......
Protecting Larger Children . 35
Using Child Seats with .....................................
Tethers .39
Additional Inf ormation About Your .................................
Seat Belts .40
..
Seat Belt System Components . 40
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .40
Automatic Seat Belt ...............................
Tensioners .41
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 42
Additional Inf ormation 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 Cutof f ...........
Indicator Light Works . 47
.............................
Airbag Service .48
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 48
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 49
...................................
Saf ety Labels .50
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
5