2003 Acura CL light

When you have washed and rinsed
the whole exterior, dry it with a
chamois or sof t towel. Letting it
air-dry will cause dulling and water
spots.
Fill a bucket with cool water. Mix
in a mild detergent, such as
dishwashing liquid or a product
made especially f or car washing.
Only use the solvents and cleaners
recommendedinthisOwner’s
Manual. Wash your car in a shady area, not in
direct sunlight. If the car is parked in
the sun, move it into the shade and
let the exterior cool down bef ore you
start. Wash the car using the water and
detergent solution and a sof t-
bristle brush, sponge, or sof t cloth.
Start at the top and work your way
down. Rinse f requently.
Frequent washing helps preserve
your car’s beauty. Dirt and grit can
scratch the paint, while tree sap and
bird droppings can permanently ruin
the f inish.
Rinse the car thoroughly with cool
water to remove loose dirt.
As you dry the car, inspect it f or
chips and scratches that could allow
corrosion to start. Repair them with
touch-up paint (see page ).
Check the body f or road tar, tree
sap, etc. Remove these stains with
tar remover or turpentine. Rinse it
of f immediately so it does not
harm the f inish. Remember to re-
wax these areas, even if the rest of
the car does not need waxing. 287
Exterior Care
Appearance Care
Washing
286
Chemical solvents and strong cleaners
can damage the paint, metal, and
plastic on your car.

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You should use a quality liquid or
paste wax. Apply it according to the
instructions on the container. In
general, there are two types of
products:
Waxes A wax coats the finish and
protects it f rom damage by exposure
to sunlight, air pollution, etc. You
should use a wax on your Acura
when it is new.
Polishes Polishes and cleaner/
waxes can restore the shine to paint
that has oxidized and lost some of its
shine. They normally contain mild
abrasives and solvents that remove
the top layer of the f inish. You should use a polish on your Acura if
the f inish does not have its original
shine af ter using a wax.
Clean your Acura’s aluminum alloy
wheels as you do the rest of the
exterior.Washthemwiththesame
solution, and rinse them thoroughly.
The wheels have a protective clear-
coat that keeps the aluminum from
corroding and tarnishing. Using
harsh chemicals, including some
commercial wheel cleaners, or stif f
brushes can damage this clear-coat.
Only use a mild detergent and sof t
brush or sponge to clean the wheels.
Always wash and dry the whole car
bef ore waxing it. You should wax
your car, including the metal trim,
whenever water sits on the surf ace
in large patches. It should f orm into
beads or droplets af ter waxing.
Cleaning tar, insects, etc. with
removers also takes off the wax.
Remember to re-wax those areas,
even if the rest of the car does not
need waxing.
Inspect your car f requently f or chips
or scratches in the paint. Repair
them right away to prevent corrosion
of the metal underneath. Use the
touch-up paint only on small chips
and scratches. More extensive paint
damage should be repaired by a
prof essional. Your dealer has touch-up paint to
match your car’s color. The color
code is printed on a sticker on the
driver’s doorjamb. Take this code to
your dealer so you are sure to get
the correct color.
Exterior Care
Appearance Care
Waxing
A luminum WheelsPaint T ouch-up
287

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.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.The tools are in the tool box on
the right side of the trunk. Take
the tools out of the tool box.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.
Park the car on f irm, level and
non-slippery ground away f rom
traf f ic. Put the transmission in
Park (automatic) or Reverse
(manual). Apply the parking brake. Open the trunk. Raise the trunk
f loor by pulling up on the handle.
To keep the f loor out of the way,
hook the handle over the edge of
the trunk opening.5. 4.
3. 2.
1.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed295
T T R
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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.

When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
orNeutralorthestarterwillnot
operate.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See on page . Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereisproba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. (See
on page .)If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the car from
a booster battery (see page ).
303 320
259
303
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting Emergency T owing
301

In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page . Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See
on page .
79
193 314
320
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed302

If your car’s battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine
by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
you should take several precautions.Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: climate control, stereo
system, lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
Remove the battery cover (see
page ).
You cannot start an Acura with an
automatic transmission by pushing
or pulling it.
Open the hood and check the
physical condition of the battery
(see page ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy
or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
To jump start your car, f ollow these
directions closely:
1. 2.
3.
259
259
CONT INUED
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed303
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery. If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

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.
181 239 320
Emergency
Towing
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed308
L LO OW W O
OIILL P
PR
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SS SUUR REE I
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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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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. 252
320
On Type-S with A/T
Emergency
Towing
Brake System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed312
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