The cassette player picks up dirt and
oxides f rom the tape. This contami-
nation builds up over time and
causes the sound quality to degrade.
To prevent this, you should clean the
player af ter every 30 hours of use.
Your dealer has a cleaning kit
available.
If you do not clean the cassette
player regularly, it may eventually
become impossible to remove the
contamination with a normal
cleaning kit.
Use 100-minute or shorter cassettes.
Cassettes longer than that use
thinner tape that may break or jam
the drive.Look at the cassette before you
insert it. If the tape is loose, tighten
it by turning a hub with a pencil or
your f inger.
If the label is peeling of f , remove it
from the cassette or it could cause
the cassette to jam in the player.
Never try to insert a warped or
damaged cassette in the player.
When they are not in use, store
cassettes in their cases to protect
them f rom dust and moisture. Never
place cassettes where they will be
exposed to direct sunlight, high heat,
or high humidity. If a cassette is
exposed to extreme heat or cold, let
it reach a moderate temperature
bef ore inserting it in the player.
Never try to insert f oreign objects
into the cassette player.If you see the error indication
‘‘ ’’ (3.5 RL with navigation
system)/‘‘ ’’ (3.5 RL without
navigation system) on the display,
press the EJECT button to remove
the cassette from the unit. Make
sure the tape is not damaged. If the
cassette will not eject or the error
indication stays on after the cassette
ejects, take the car to your Acura
dealer.
Caring f or the Cassette Player
Audio System
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures148
01/09/28 19:48:48 31SZ3660_151
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This feature,
when activated, plays the tracks on a
CD in random order, rather than in
the order they are recorded on the
CD. To activate Random Play, press
the A. SELECT button. You will see
A. SELECT in the display. The sys-
tem will then select and play tracks
randomly on the current disc. When
all tracks on that disc have been
played, the next disc is loaded and played randomly. This continues un-
til you deactivate Random Play by
pressing A. SELECT again.
To take the system out of CD mode,
press the AM/FM button or insert a
cassette in the player. If a tape is
already in the cassette player, press
the CD/TAPE button. When you
return to CD mode, play will contin-
ue at the same point that it left off.
If you turn the system of f while a CD
is playing, either with the PWR/VOL
knob or the ignition switch, play will
continue at the same point when you
turn it back on.
To select a dif f erent disc, press the
appropriate preset button (1 6). If
you select an empty slot in the
magazine, the changer will, af ter
f inding that slot empty, try to load
the CD in the next slot. This
continues until it f inds a CD to load
and play.
You can use the SEEK bar to select
tracks within a disc. If you push and
release either side of the SEEK bar
( or ), the system will move to
the beginning of a track. Push the
button to move to the beginning of
the next track, and push the but-
ton to move to the beginning of the
current track.
When you activate the
Repeat feature by pressing the
REPEAT button, the system
continuously replays the current
track. You will see REPEAT in the
display as a reminder. Press the
REPEAT button again to turn it off.
For inf ormation on how to handle
and protect compact discs, see page.
If you push and hold the SEEK bar
( or ), you will hear a beep and
the system will continue to move
across tracks. Release the button
when you think it has reached the
desired place on the disc.
153
RANDOM PLAY REPEAT
Protecting Compact Discs
Audio System
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures150
01/09/28 19:49:08 31SZ3660_153
The OnStarsystem in your vehicle
gives you immediate access to a wide
range of services and inf ormation
with the touch of a button. An
OnStar advisor is available 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week.
The basic Saf ety & Security Plan
provides: Press this button to contact an
OnStar advisor. You will hear a
chime, f ollowed by the
announcement, ‘‘Connecting to
OnStar.’’ The connection should take
20 to 30 seconds. The advisor will
assist you with any of the services
included in your plan.
Depending on what service you
request, you may need to give your
Personal Identification Number
(PIN) to the advisor. Your PIN is a
number you make up and provide
when you establish your OnStar
service.
If cellular telephone service is not
available in the area you are driving
in, you will hear a f ast busy signal.
The system will retry the connection
several times bef ore returning to the
ready mode.
Roadside Assistance.
Emergency Services.
Automatic Notif ication of Airbag
Deployment.
Accident Assist.
Remote Door Locking/Unlocking.
Stolen Vehicle Tracking.
Misplaced Vehicle Assistance.
The Premium Service Plan provides
these additional f eatures: Route Support.
Ride Assist.
Inf ormation and Convenience
Services.
Concierge Services. The OnStar control buttons and
indicator are located in the base of
the rear view mirror.
CONT INUED
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
OnStar System
OnStar Services Button
OnStar Control Panel
167
O On nS
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During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration. If you are unable to f ind premium
unleaded gasoline, you may substi-
tute an unleaded regular gasoline.
The engine will compensate f or the
lower octane, but you may notice a
slight decrease in power as a result.
We recommend gasolines containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits.
Avoidhardbraking.Newbrakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use f or the f irst 200 miles (300
km). Your Acura is designed to operate on
premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane number of 91 or higher.
In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emissions control system
perf ormance may deteriorate and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on.
If this happens, contact your
authorized Acura dealer f or service.
Help assure your car’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your car’s emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
Do not change the oil until the
recommended time or mileage
intervalshowninthemaintenance
schedule.
Youshouldfollowthesesamere-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are relined.
Break-in Period, Gasoline
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period Gasoline
178
01/09/28 19:54:38 31SZ3660_181
A cold engine uses more f uel than a
warm engine. It is not necessary to
‘‘warm-up’’ a cold engine by letting it
idle f or a long time. You can drive
away in about a minute, no matter
how cold it is outside. The engine
will warm up f aster, and you get
better f uel economy. To cut down on
the number of ‘‘cold starts,’’ try to
combine several short trips into one.
You can improve f uel economy by
driving moderately. Rapid acceler-
ation, abrupt cornering, and hard
braking use more f uel.
Always drive in the highest gear that
allows the engine to run and acceler-
ate smoothly.
An important part of that mainte-
nance is the (see page ). For
example, an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses f uel. It also wears out
f aster, so check the tire pressure at
least monthly. The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Turnoff theA/Cor
set the climate control to a higher
temperature to cut down on air
conditioning use. Use the flow-
through ventilation when the outside
air temperature is moderate.
The condition of your car and your
driving habits are the two most
important things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Always maintain your car according
to the maintenance schedule. This
will keep it in top operating condition.
In winter, the build-up of snow on
your car’s underside adds weight and
rolling resistance. Frequent cleaning
helps your f uel mileage and reduces
thechanceof corrosion.
Depending on traf f ic conditions, try
to maintain a constant speed. Every
time you slow down and speed up,
your car uses extra f uel. Use the
cruise control, when appropriate, to
increase f uel economy.
225 Driving Habits
Owner Maintenance
Checks Car Condition
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving183
01/09/28 19:55:34 31SZ3660_186
Follow these precautions whenever
you are using the compact spare tire:Thecompactsparetirehasashorter
tread lif e than a regular tire. Replace
it when you can see the tread wear
indicator bars. The replacement
shouldbethesamesizeanddesign
tire, mounted on the same wheel.
Thecompactsparetireisnot
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the compact wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
under any circumstances.
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces than the regular tire. Use
greater caution while driving on
this tire.
Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare.
Your car has a compact spare tire
that takes up less space. Use this
sparetireasatemporaryreplace-
ment only. Get your regular tire
repaired or replaced and put it back
on your car as soon as you can.
The wheel of the compact spare
tire is designed especially to f it
your car. Do not use your spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Turn of f the VSA system (see
page ).
Driving with the compact spare
tiremayactivatetheVSAsystem.202
Compact Spare Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed282
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60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
01/09/28 20:11:25 31SZ3660_285
This indicator comes on f or a f ew
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch ON (II). If it comes on at any
other time, it indicates one of the
engine’s emissions control systems
may have a problem. Even though
you may f eel no dif f erence in your
car’s perf ormance, it can reduce
your f uel economy and cause your
car to put out excessive emissions.
Continued operation may cause
serious damage.If the indicator remains on past three
driving trips, or the f uel cap was not
loose or missing, have the car
checked by the dealer as soon as
possible. Drive moderately until the
dealer has inspected the problem.
Avoid full-throttle acceleration and
driving at high speed.
Youshouldalsohavethedealer
inspect your car if this indicator
comes on repeatedly, even though it
may turn of f as you continue driving. If you have recently ref ueled your
car, the cause of this indicator
coming on could be a loose or
missing f uel f ill cap. Check the cap
and tighten it until it clicks several
times. Replace the fuel fill cap if it is
missing. Tightening the cap will not
make the indicator turn of f
immediately; it takes at least three
driving trips.
Malf unction Indicator L amp
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed297
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If you keep driving with the
malf unction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your car’s emissions controls
and engine. Those repairs may not be
covered by your car’s warranties.
01/09/28 20:13:47 31SZ3660_300