2002 Acura CL service

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If you must drive the car a short
distance in this condition, drive
slowly and cautiously.
If it comes on at any other time, it
indicates a problem with the car’s
brake system. In most cases, the
problem is a low f luid level in the
brake f luid reservoir. Press lightly on
the brake pedal to see if it f eels
normal. If it does, check the brake
f luid level the next time you stop at a
service station (see page ). If the
fluid level is low, take the car to your
dealer and have the brake system
inspected f or leaks or worn brake
pads. Slow down by shif ting to a lower
gear, and pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e. Because of the
longer distance needed to stop, it is
hazardous to drive the car. You
should have it towed, and repaired as
soon as possible. (See
on page .)
However, if the brake pedal does not
f eel normal, you should take
immediate action. Because of the
brake system’s dual-circuit design, a
problem in one part of the system
will still give you braking at two
wheels. You will f eel the brake pedal
go down much f arther bef ore the car
begins to slow down, and you will
have to press harder on the pedal.
The distance needed to stop will be
much longer. If the ABS indicator and the VSA
system indicator come on with this
indicator, have the car inspected by
your dealer immediately.
The Brake System Indicator
normallycomesonwhenyouturn
the ignition switch ON (II). It is a
reminder to check the parking brake.
It comes on and stays lit if you do not
f ully release the parking brake. 300
231
On Type-S
Emergency
Towing
Brake System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed292
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There are three popular types of
prof essional towing equipment. If your car needs to be towed, call a
prof essional towing service or, if you
belong to one, an organization that
provides roadside assistance. Never
tow your car behind another vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous. The operator
loads your car on the back of a truck.
The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (f ront or rear) and lif t
them of f the ground. The other two
tires remain on the ground. The tow
truck uses metal cables with hooks
on the ends. These hooks go around
parts of the f rame or suspension and
the cables lif t that end of the car of f
the ground. Your car’s suspension
and body can be seriously damaged.
If your Acura cannot be transported
by f lat-bed, it should be towed by
wheel-lif t equipment with the f ront
wheels of f the ground. If , due to
damage, your car must be towed
with the f ront wheels on the ground,
do the f ollowing. With the f ront wheels on the ground,
it is best to tow the car no farther
than 50 miles (80 km), and keep the
speedbelow35mph(55km/h).
Release the parking brake.
Start the engine.
ShifttoD ,thentoN.
Turn of f the engine.
5
Flat -bed Equipment Wheel-lif t Equipment Sling-t ype Equipment
This is the best way to transport
your A cura.
T his is
an acceptable way to tow your
Acura. T his method of towing is
unacceptable.
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed300
Improper towing preparation will
damage the transmission. Follow the
above procedure exactly. If you cannot
shif t the transmission or start the
engine, your car must be transported
with the f ront wheels of f the ground.

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The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-
half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100. The relative perf ormance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart signif icantly f rom the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and dif f erences in
road characteristics and climate.
The tires on your car meet all U.S.
Federal Saf ety Requirements. All
tires are also graded for treadwear,
traction, and temperature perform-
ance according to Department of
Transportation (DOT) standards.
The f ollowing explains these
gradings.
Quality grades can be f ound where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and the
maximum section width. For
example:
The traction grades, f rom highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specif ied government test surf aces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
perf ormance.
Warning: The traction grade
assignedtothistireisbasedon
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
All passenger car tires must conf orm
to Federal Saf ety Requirements in
addition to these grades. T readwear
Unif orm T ire Quality Grading T readwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A Traction AA, A, B, C
DOT T ire Quality Grading (U.S. Cars)
T echnical Inf ormation308

Some conventional gasolines are
being blended with alcohol or an
ether compound. These gasolines
are collectively ref erred to as
oxygenated f uels. To meet clean air
standards, some areas of the United
States and Canada use oxygenated
f uels to help reduce emissions.
If you use an oxygenated f uel, be
sure it is unleaded and meets the
minimum octane rating requirement.
Bef ore using an oxygenated f uel, try
to conf irm the f uel’s contents. Some
states/provinces require this
informationtobepostedonthe
pump.(Methyl Tertiary Butyl
Ether)
You may use gasoline containing up
to 15 percent MTBE by volume. (ethyl or grain alcohol)
You may use gasoline containing up
to 10 percent ethanol by volume.
Gasoline containing ethanol may be
marketed under the name ‘‘Gasohol.’’ The f ollowing are the U.S. EPA and
Canadian CGSB approved
percentages of oxygenates: If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
Fuel system damage or perf ormance
problems resulting f rom the use of
an oxygenated f uel containing more
than the percentages of oxygenates
given above are not covered under
warranty.
(methyl or wood
alcohol)
Your vehicle was not designed to use
fuel that contains methanol.
Methanol can corrode metal parts in
the fuel system, and also damage
plastic and rubber components. This
damage would not be covered by
your warranties. MT BE ET HA NOL
MET HA NOL
Oxygenated Fuels
T echnical Inf ormation310

When you call or write, please give
us this inf ormation:
Acura dealership personnel are
trained prof essionals. They should
be able to answer all your questions.
If you encounter a problem that your
dealership does not solve to your
satisf action, please discuss it with
the dealership’s management. The
Service Manager or General
Manager can help. Almost all
problems are solved in this way.
If you are dissatisf ied with the
decision made by the dealership’s
management, contact the Acura
Customer Relations Of f ice.
U.S. Owners:
Acura Automobile Division
Client Services Of f ice
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
1919 Torrance Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90501-2746
Tel: (800) 382-2238 Vehicle Identif ication Number
(see page )
Name and address of the dealer
who services your vehicle
Date of purchase
Mileage on your vehicle
Your name, address, and tele-
phone number
A detailed description of the
problem
Name of the dealer who sold the
vehicle to you
Canadian Owners: In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands:
Vortex Motor Corp.
Bella International
P.O. Box 190816
San Juan, PR 00919-0816
Tel:(787) 250-4327 304
Cust omer Relat ions Inf ormat ion
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions318
CUSTOMER RELATIONS
RELATIONS AVEC LA CLIENTÈLE
Honda Canada Inc.
715 Milner Avenue
Toronto, ON
M1B 2K8
Tel:1-888-9-ACURA-9
Fax:Toll-free 1-877-939-0909
Toronto (416) 287-4776

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*
The f ollowing publications covering the operation and
servicing of your vehicle can be obtained f rom Helm
Incorporated, either by f illing out the attached f orm or,
f or credit card holders, calling the toll-f ree phone number
on the f orm. For manuals prior to the year shown below,
contact Helm Incorporated, P.O. Box 07280, Detroit,
Michigan 48207, or call 1-800-782-4356.
Valid only f or sales within the U.S. Canadian owners should contact their authorized Acura dealer.
Authorized Manuals
Purchasing Factory Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only)
321
ORDER TOLL FREE: 1-800-782-4356
OR
(NOTE: For Credit Card Holder Orders Only)
MINIMUM CREDIT CARD PURCHASE $10.00
Publication
Form Number 61S3M01
61S3M01EL 61S3M30
31S3M610
31S3M710 ACU-R Form Description
2001 2002 Acura 3.2 CL Service Manual
2001 2002 Acura 3.2 CL
Electrical Troubleshooting Manual 2001 2002 Acura 3.2 CLBody Repair Manual2002 Acura 3.2 CLOwner’s Manual
2002 Acura 3.2 CL
Navigation Manual
Order Form for Previous Years-
Indicate Year and Model Desired Price
Each
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Price
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Add 6% Sales Tax TOTAL MATERIAL
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obligation. Monday-Friday 8:00 A.M. 6:00 P.M. EST
By completing this form you can order the materials desired. You can
pay by check or money order, or charge to your credit card. Mail to
Helm Incorporated at the address shown on the back of the order form.
Prices are subject to change without
notice and without incurring obligation.
Orders are mailed within 10 days. Please
allow adequate time for delivery.

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#
) This manual complements the Service Manual by
providing in-depth troubleshooting inf ormation f or each
electrical circuit in your vehicle.
This manual describes the procedures involved in the
replacement of damaged body parts. This manual covers maintenance and recommended
procedures f or repair to engine and chassis components.
It is written f or the Journeyman mechanic, but is simple
enough f or most mechanically-inclined owners to under-
stand.
Authorized Manuals
Service Manual:
Electrical T roubleshooting Manual:
Body Repair Manual:
322
NOTE: Dealers and Companies please provide dealer or company name,
and also the name of the person to whose attention the shipment should
be sent. For purchases outside U.S.A. please write to the address shown
below for a quotation.
P.O. BOX 07280·DETROIT, MICHIGAN 48207·1-800-782-4356
Customer Name Attention
Apartment Number
State & Zip Code
City
Daytime Telephone Number
Check or money order enclosed payable to Helm Inc U.S. funds only.
Do not send cash
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Card VISA
Check here if your billing address is different
from the shipping address shown above.
Account Number Expiration: Mo. Yr.
CUSTOMER SIGNATURE DATE
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()
These Publications cannot be returned for credit without receiving advance authorization within 14
days of delivery. On returns, a restocking fee may be applied against the original order.

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Road Lamps .65
................................
Rotation, Tire .248
........................................
Saf ety Belts .8
.........
Safety Defects, Reporting . 320
.................................
Saf ety Features .7
...........................................
Airbags .9
..................................
Door Locks .10
..........................
Head Restraints .10
.......................................
Seat Belts .8
.....................
Seats & Seat-Backs .10
.............
Saf ety Labels, Location of . 50
...............................
Saf ety Messages . ii
.....................................
Seat Belts .8, 40
...............
Additional Information . 40
Automatic Seat Belt ...............................
Tensioners .41
.............
Child Seat Anchor Plate . 39
.....................................
Cleaning .269
................
Lap/Shoulder Belt . 15,40
................................
Maintenance .42
Reminder Light and ................................
Beeper .40, 55
...................
System Components . 40...............
Use During Pregnancy . 18
....................................
Seat Heaters .98
....................
Seat Position Memory .95
........................
Seats, Adjusting the .86
............................
Security System .150
........
Sequential SportShif t Mode . 181
...............................
Serial Number .304
...........................
Service Intervals .210
...........................
Service Manual .321
.........
Service Station Procedures . 163
..........................
Setting the Clock .102
.....
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 178
........................
Shif t Lock Release .185
....................................
Side Airbags .45
.........
Side Airbag Cutof f Indicator . 47
Side Marker Lights, Bulb ..............................
Replacement .257
...............................
Signaling Turns .67
.....................................
Snow Tires .251
...................
Solvent-type Cleaners . 266
................................
Sound System .127
Spare Tire ......................................
Inf lating .274
............................
Specif ications .307
................
Spark Plugs, Replacing . 235
....................
Specif ications Charts . 306................................
Speed Control .151
...................................
Speedometer .60
.......................................
Spotlights .110
..........
SRS, Additional Inf ormation . 43
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 48
..
How the SRS Indicator Works . 46
.....
How Your Airbags Work . 43,45
........................
SRS Components .43
..................................
SRS Service .48
.............................
SRS Indicator .46 ,56
....
START (Ignition Key Position) . 76
.......................
Starting the Engine .177
In Cold Weather at High ..................................
Altitude .177
................
With a Dead Battery . 283
..............
State Emissions Testing . 315
........
Steam Coming f rom Engine . 286
Steering Wheel ..................................
Adjustment .71
.............
Anti-theft Column Lock . 76
...................
Stereo Sound System . 127
...........................
Storing Your Car .263
..................................
Storage Tray .107
........................................
Sun Visor .108
CONT INUED
Index
S
VII