2002 Acura RL stop start

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See page f or important saf etyinf ormation about how to properlyposition the steering wheel. 17
Your Acura’s steering wheel is
electrically-adjustable f or angle and
distance. The adjustment switch is
on the lef t side of the steering
column. Always adjust the steering
wheel bef ore you begin driving.
Make sure the rear window is clear
and you have good visibility bef ore
starting to drive.
The def ogger and antenna wires on
the inside of the rear window can be
accidentally damaged. When
cleaning the glass, always wipe side
to side.
The rear window def ogger will clear
fog, frost, and thin ice from the
window. Push the def ogger button to
turn it on and of f . The light in the
button lights to show the def ogger is
on. If you do not turn it of f , the
def ogger will shut itself of f af ter
about25minutes.Italsoshutsoff
when you turn of f the ignition. You
have to turn it on again when you
restart the car.
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Steering Wheel A djustments
Rear Window Def ogger
71
C Ca arrss w
wi itth h n
na
avviigg a
attiioo n
n s
syys stteem m
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
car and be seriously injured in a
crash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the car is stopped.
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Your Acura’s transmission has f our
f orward speeds, and is electronically
controlled f or smoother shif ting. It
also has a ‘‘lock-up’’ torque converter
forbetterfueleconomy.Youmay
f eel what seems like another shif t
when the converter locks.
This indicator between the f uel
gauge and temperature gauge shows
which position the shif t lever is in.The shift lever has seven positions.
It must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped in
D,D,2,1,NorR,pressfirmlyon
the brake pedal, and keep your f oot
of f the accelerator pedal.
The ‘‘D ’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II). If it f lashes
while driving (in any shif t position),
it indicates a possible problem in the
transmission. Avoid rapid acceler-
ation and have the transmission
checkedbyanauthorizedAcura
dealer as soon as possible.
43
4
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Shif t L ever Position Indicator Shif t L ever Positions
192
S SH
H I
IFFT T L
LEE V
V E
ER
R
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Whenever you move the shif t lever,
slide it along the guide on the
console. This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Move the shif t
lever to the right to shif t out of the Park position.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shif t Lock Release on page
.
To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop bef ore shif ting
into Park. The shif t lever must be in
Park bef ore you can remove the key
from the ignition switch. To shif t to Reverse
f rom Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shif t to Reverse f rom
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Push down on the shift
lever bef ore shif ting into Reverse
from Neutral.
Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the car for
any reason. Press on the brake pedal
when you are moving the shif t lever
f rom Neutral to another gear.
195
To shift from:
PtoR
NtoR 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoD DtoN
DtoD Dto2
NtoD RtoNRtoP Do this:
Press the brake pedal.
Push down on the shif t lever.
Move the lever.
3
34 4
43 3 4
Driving
Automatic Transmission
Park (P) Reverse (R)
Neutral (N)
193
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Use this position f or
your normal driving. The transmis-
sion automatically selects a suitable
gear f or your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission
shif ting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps the
engine warm up f aster.
This position is similar
to D , except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D when
towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to
provide engine braking when going
down a steep hill. D can also keep
the transmission f rom cycling
between third and f ourth gears in
stop-and-go driving.
ForfasteraccelerationwheninD or
D , you can get the transmission to
automatically downshif t by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shif t down one
or two gears, depending on your
speed. This position locks
the transmission in second gear. It
does not downshif t to f irst gear
when you come to a stop. Second
gives you more power when climbing,
and increased engine braking when
going down steep hills. Use second
gear when starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow. It will help
reduce wheelspin.
To shif t f rom Second to
First, push down on the shif t lever.
With the lever in this position, the
transmission locks in First gear. By
upshif ting and downshif ting through
1, 2, D and D , you can operate this
transmission much like a manual
transmission without a clutch pedal. If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
4
3
3
3
4 34
Driving
Automatic Transmission
Drive (D )
Drive (D )Second (2)
First (1)Engine Speed L imiter4
3
194
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such as trying to take a
corner too f ast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed f or the road and
weather conditions.
Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe
or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your car to veer into
oncoming traffic or off the road. it
only helps with steering control
during braking. You should always
maintain a saf e f ollowing distance
f rom other vehicles. on loose or
uneven surf aces, such as gravel or
snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater
distance between vehicles under
those conditions.
The ABS is self -checking. If anything
goes wrong, the ABS indicator on
the instrument panel comes on (see
page ). This means the anti-lock f unction of the braking system has
shut down. The brakes still work like
a conventional system without anti-
lock, providing normal stopping
ability. You should have the dealer
inspect your car as soon as possible
if this light stays on af ter you start
the engine, or comes on while
driving.
56
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The Braking System
Driving
Import ant Saf et y Reminders A BS Indicat or
A BS will not prevent a skid that
results f rom changing direction
abruptly,
A BS cannot prevent a loss of
stability. A BS does not reduce the time or
distance it takes to stop the car;A vehicle with A BS may require a
longer distance to stop
199
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shh o
ow
wn n
A
A
B
BSS I
INND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R
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Install the radiator cap, and
tighten it fully.
If necessary, f ill the reserve tank
to the MAX mark. Install the
reserve tank cap.
Remove the radiator cap. Pour
coolant into the radiator up to the
base of the f iller neck and into the
reserve tank up to the MAX mark.
Start the engine and hold it at
1,500 rpm until the cooling f an
comes on. Turn of f the engine.
Check the coolant level in the
radiator and add coolant if needed. Install the engine cover. First
tighten the two bolts on the front
of the engine cover, then tighten
the three nuts on the engine cover.
Tightening torque:
Install the radiator cap, and
tighten it to the first stop.
Start the engine and let it run until
the radiator cooling f an comes on
at least twice. Then stop the
engine.
Fill the reserve tank to the MAX
mark. Install the reserve tank cap.
Check the level in the radiator,
add coolant if needed.
12. 11. 13.
14.
15.
16.
17. 18.
19.
Cooling Syst em
Maint enance236
R RE ES
SE ER
RV V E
E T
TA
A N
NK K
F
Fi
illll u
u p
p t
too h
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erree F
FIILLL LEE R
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NEEC
CK K
7 lbf·ft (9.8 N·m , 1.0 kgf·m)
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If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.
Wait until you see no more signs
of steam or spray, then open the
hood.
If you don’t f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
between the MIN and MAX marks. Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (see on page ).
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, bef ore check-
ing the radiator.
Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the f irst stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes
off.
Start the engine and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum (climate control to
FULL AUTO at 90°F/32°C). Add
coolant to the radiator up to the
base of the f iller neck. If you do
not have the proper coolant
mixture available, you can add
plain water. Remember to have
the cooling system drained and
ref illed with the proper mixture as
soon as you can.
If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly. Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair. (See
on page .)
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.10.
12.
11.
306
182 306
Emergency
Towing
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed294
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.
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Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the light
does not go out within ten seconds,
turn of f the engine. There is a
mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired bef ore you can
continue driving. (Seeon page .)
Saf ely pull of f the road and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
This indicator should light when the
ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
af ter the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing, it
indicates that the oil pressure
dropped very low f or a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure
and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action. If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ). Letthecarsitforaminute.Open
the hood and check the oil level
(see page ). Although oil level
and oil pressure are not directly
connected, an engine that is very
low on oil can lose pressure during
cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
1.
2.
3. 4.
181 227 306
Emergency
Towing
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed295
L LO OW W O
OIILL P
PR
RE ES
SS SUUR REE I
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ICCA A T
TO
OR R
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn of f
the engine as soon as you can saf ely get
the car stopped.
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