2002 Acura RL 3.5 Owner's Manual

Dirt build-up in the loops of the seat
belt anchors can cause the belts to
retract slowly. Wipe the insides of
the loops with a clean cloth
dampened in mild soap and warm
water or isopropyl alcohol.Clean the windows, inside and out,
with a commercially-available glass
cleaner. You can also use a mixture
of one part white vinegar to ten parts
water. This will remove the haze that
builds up on the inside of the
windows. Use a sof t cloth or paper
towels to clean all glass and clear
plastic surf aces. If you use a liquid air f reshener,
make sure you f asten it securely so it
does not spill as you drive.
Clean the wood trim with a soft cloth
dipped in clear water and wipe it dry
with another sof t cloth. Soap may
leave a f ilm that dulls the f inish. If you want to use an air f reshener/
deodorizer in the interior of your car,
it is best to use a solid type. Some
liquid air f resheners contain chemi-
cals that may cause parts of the
interior trim and f abric to crack or
discolor.
Windows A ir Fresheners
Wood T rim
Interior Care
Appearance Care278
The rear window def ogger and
antenna wires are bonded to the inside
of the glass. Wiping vigorously up-and-
down can dislodge and break these
wires. When cleaning the rear window,
use gentle pressure and wipe side-to-
side.
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Moisture trapped in body cavities.
Dirtandroadsaltthatcollectsin
hollows on the underside of the
vehicle stays damp, promoting
corrosion in that area.Repair chips and scratches in the
paint as soon as you discover them.
Inspect and clean out the drain
holes in the bottom of the doors
and body.
Check the floor coverings for
dampness. Carpeting and f loor
mats may remain damp f or a long
time, especially in winter. This
dampness can eventually cause
the f loor panels to corrode.
Two f actors normally contribute to
causing corrosion in your car:
Many corrosion-preventive measures
are built into your Acura. You can
help keep your car f rom corroding
by perf orming some simple periodic
maintenance: Use a high-pressure spray to clean
the underside of your car. This is
especially important in areas that
useroadsaltinwinter.Itisalsoa
good idea in humid climates and
areas subject to salt air. Be careful
of the ABS wheel sensors and
wiring at each wheel.
Have the corrosion-preventive
coatings on the underside of your
car inspected and repaired
periodically.
Removal of paint and protective
coatings f rom the exterior and
underside of the car.
1.
2.
Corrosion Prot ect ion
Appearance Care279
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Make sure the repair f acility uses
genuine Acura replacement body
parts. Some companies make sheet
metal pieces that seem to duplicate
the original Acura body parts, but
are actually inf erior in f it, f inish, and
corrosion resistance. Once installed,
they do not give the same high-
quality appearance.Takeyourcartoyourauthorized
Acura dealer f or inspection af ter the
repairs are completed. Your dealer
can make sure that quality materials
were used, and that corrosion-
preventive coatings were applied to
all repaired and replaced parts. When reporting your collision to the
insurance company, tell them you
want genuine Acura parts used in the
repair. Although most insurers
recognize the quality of original
parts, some may try to specif y that
the repairs be done with other
available parts. You should investi-
gate this before any repairs have
begun.
Body repairs can af f ect your car’s
resistance to corrosion. If your car
needs repairs af ter a collision, pay
close attention to the parts used in
the repair and the quality of the
work.
Body Repairs
Appearance Care280
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This section covers the more-
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your car towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire .282
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .283
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start .288
Nothing Happens or theStarter Motor Operates ........................
Very Slowly .288
The Starter Operates ................................
Normally .289
................................
Jump Starting .290
............
If Your Engine Overheats .293
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator .295
..........
Charging System Indicator .296
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp .297
...............
Brake System Indicator .299
..................
Closing the Moonroof .300
..............................................
Fuses .301
..........
Checking and Replacing .302
......................
Emergency Towing .306
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed281
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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
I IN
ND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R L
LOOC CAA T
TI
IOON N M
MA
AR
RKK
T
T R
RE EA
A D
D W
WE EA
A R
R I
INND DI
ICCA A T
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OR R B
BAA R
R
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
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If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Stopping in traf f ic or on the shoulder
of a busy road is dangerous. Drive
slowly along the shoulder until you
gettoanexitoranareatostopthat
is far away from the traffic lanes.Open the trunk. Raise the trunk
f loor by lif ting up on the back edge.
To keep the trunk f loor out of the
way, attach the hook into the slot
in the trunk lid.
Take the tool kit out of the trunk.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.
Turn on the hazard warning lights
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the car while
you change the tire. Park the car on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground away f rom
traf f ic. Put the transmission in
Park. Apply the parking brake. 5. 4. 3.
2. 1.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed283
T T R
RU UN NKK F
FLLOOO ORR
S
SP PA
A R
REE T
TI
IRRE E
J
JA A C
CKK T
TO
OO OLL K
KIITT
H
H
O
OO OKK
The car can easily roll off the
jack, seriously injuring anyone
underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the car when it
is supported only by the jack.
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Ú
Turn the jack’s end bracket
counterclockwise to loosen it, then
remove the jack by lif ting it
straight up. Loosen the f ive wheel nuts 1/2
turn with the wheel wrench.
Locate the jacking point nearest
the tire you need to change. It is
pointed to by a mark molded
into the underside of the body.
Place the jack under the jacking
point. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch.
6. 7. 8.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Changing a Flat T ire
284
J JA
A C
CKK
W
WHHE
EE
EL
L W
WR REEN
NC CHH J
JA
A C
CKKIINNG G
P
P O
OI INNT T
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CONT INUED
Use the extension and wheel
wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.Remove the wheel nuts and f lat
tire. Temporarily place the f lat tire
on the ground with the outside
surf ace of the wheel f acing up.
You could scratch the wheel if you
putitfacedown.Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipeanydirtoff themounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully,itmaybehotfrom
driving.
9. 10.
11.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed285
B BRRAA K
KEE H
HU
UB B
W
WH
HE
EE
EL
L
W
WR REEN
NC CHH
E
E
X
X T
TE
EN
NS SIIOON N
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