2003 Acura CL Owner's Manual

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Check the condition of the wiper
blades at least every six months.
Look f or signs of cracking in the
rubber, or areas that are getting
hard. Replace the blades if you f ind
these signs, or if they leave streaks
and unwiped areas when used.
Disconnect the blade assembly
fromthewiperarmbypushingin
the lock tab. Hold it in while you
push the blade assembly toward
thebaseof thearm.
To replace the blade: Turn the ignition ON (II), switch
the wipers to INT or (low
position), then turn the ignition
OFF when the wiper arm is
approximately midway in its travel. Raise the wiper arm of f the
windshield.
1. 2.
3.
Wiper Blades
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W WIIPP E
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R A
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RMM S
S L
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A B
B

Remove the blade f rom its holder
by grasping the tabbed end of the
blade. Pull f irmly until the tabs
come out of the holder.Examine the new wiper blades. If
they have no plastic or metal rein-
f orcement along the back edge,
remove the metal reinf orcement
strips f rom the old wiper blade and
install them in the slots along the
edge of the new blade.Slide the new wiper blade into the
holder until the tabs lock.
Slide the wiper blade assembly
onto the wiper arm. Make sure it
locks in place.
Turn the ignition switch ON (II)
andreturnthewindshieldwipers
to their park position. Lower the wiper arm down against
the windshield.
4. 5. 6.
7.
8.
9.
WiperBlades,AirConditioningSystem
Maint enance263
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Run the air conditioning at least once
a week during the cold weather
months. Run it f or at least ten
minutes while you are driving at a
steady speed with the engine at
normal operating temperature. This
circulates the lubricating oil con-
tained in the ref rigerant.If the air conditioning does not get as
cold as before, have your dealer
check the system. Recharge the
system with Ref rigerant HFC-134a
(R-134a). (See Specif ications on page
.)
Periodically check the engine’s
radiator and air conditioning
condenser f or leaves, insects, and
dirt stuck to the f ront surf ace. These
block the air f low and reduce cooling
ef f iciency. Use a light spray f rom a
hose or a sof t brush to remove them. Your car’s air conditioning is a sealed
system. Any major maintenance,
such as recharging, should be done
by a qualif ied mechanic. You can do
a couple of things to make sure the
air conditioning works ef f iciently. 326
A ir Condit ioning Syst em
Maint enance264
A AI
IRR C
COON NDDI
ITT I
IOON NIINNG G C
COON NDDE
EN
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Whenever you have the air conditioning
system serviced, make sure the service
f acility uses a ref rigerant recycling
system. This system captures the
ref rigerant f or reuse. Releasing
ref rigerant into the atmosphere can
damage the environment.
The condenser and radiator f ins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure spray
or sof t-bristle brush to clean them.

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This f ilter should be replaced every
30,000 miles (48,000 km) under nor-
mal conditions. It should be replaced
every 15,000 miles (24,000 km) if you
drive primarily in urban areas that
have high concentrations of soot in
the air f rom industry and diesel-pow-
ered vehicles. Replace it more of ten
if air f low f rom the climate control
system becomes less than usual.
Have dust and pollen f ilter replaced
by your Acura dealer. The dust and pollen f ilter removes
pollen and dust that is brought in
f rom the outside through the climate
control system.
Check the condition of the two drive
belts (power steering belt and
alternator belt). Examine the edges
of each belt f or cracks or f raying.
Check the tension of the power
steering belt by pushing on it with
your thumb midway between the
pulleys.Thebeltshouldhavethefollowing
‘‘play’’ or def lection.
Power steering belt:
If you see signs of wear or looseness,
have your dealer adjust or replace
the belts.
Drive Belts
Dust and Pollen Filter
Dust and Pollen Filter, Drive Belts
Maint enance265
A A L
LT
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TO
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0.51 0.65 in (13.0 16.5 mm)

µµWe recommend that you visually
check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.
To saf ely operate your car, your tires
must be the proper type and size, in
good condition with adequate tread,
and correctly inf lated. The f ollowing
pages give more detailed inf ormation
on how and when to check air
pressure, how to inspect your tires
for damage and wear, and what to do
when your tires need to be replaced.
Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort. Underinf lated tires wear
unevenly, adversely affect handling
and f uel economy, and are more
likely to f ail f rom being overheated.
Overinf lated tires can make your car
ride more harshly, are more prone to
damage f rom road hazards, and wear
unevenly.
The timing belt should normally be
replaced at the intervals shown in
the maintenance schedule.
Replace this belt at 60,000 miles (U.S.)
or 100,000 km (Canada) if you
regularly drive your car in one or
more of these conditions:
In very high temperatures
(over 110°F, 43°C).
In very low temperatures
(under 20°F, 29°C). Inf lation
Tires
Timing Belt
Timing Belt, Tires
Maint enance266
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.

Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month. Even
tires that are in good condition may
lose one to two psi (10 to 20 kPa, 0.1
to 0.2 kgf /cm ) per month.
Remember to check the spare tire at
thesametimeyoucheckallthe
other tires.The following chart shows the
recommended cold tire pressures f or
most normal driving conditions and
speeds. Tire pressures f or high
speed driving are the same as f or
normal driving.
If you check the pressure when the
tires are hot (the car has been driven
several miles), you will see readings
4 to 6 psi (30 to 40 kPa, 0.3 to 0.4
kgf /cm ) higher than the cold
reading. This is normal. Do not let
air out to match the specified cold
pressure. The tire will be
underinf lated.
Youshouldgetyourowntire
pressure gauge and use it whenever
you check your tire pressures. This
will make it easier f or you to tell if a
pressure loss is due to a tire problem
and not due to a variation between
gauges.
Check the pressure in the tires when
they are cold. This means the car
has been parked f or at least three
hours. If you have to drive the car
bef ore checking the tire pressure,
the tires can still be considered
‘‘cold’’ if you drive less than 1 mile
(1.6 km).
Tire Size
Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving
Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving
CONT INUED
Premium model
Type-S
Recommended T ire Pressures f or
Normal Driving
Tires
Maint enance267
P205/60R16 91V
P215/50R17 93V 32 psi (220 kPa ,
2.2 kgf/cm
)
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
)

Every time you check inf lation, you
should also examine the tires f or
damage, f oreign objects, and wear.
Youshouldlookfor:Bumps or bulges in the tread or
side of the tire. Replace the tire if
youfindeitherof theseconditions.
Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side
of the tire. Replace the tire if you
can see f abric or cord.
Excessive tread wear. Your car’s tires have wear indicators
molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down to that point, you
will see a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide
band running across the tread. This
shows there is less than 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) of tread lef t on the tire. A
tire that is this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see the
tread wear indicator in three or more
places around the tire.
Tubeless tires have some ability to
self -seal if they are punctured.
However, because leakage is of ten
very slow, you should look closely
for punctures if a tire starts losing
pressure. Thecompactsparetirepressureis:
These pressures are also given on
thetireinformationlabelonthe
driver’s doorjamb.
Inspection
Tires
Maint enance268
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OR RSS60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)

In addition to proper inf lation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you f ind a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
The tires were properly balanced by
the factory. They may need to be
rebalanced at some time bef ore they
are worn out. Have your dealer
check the tires if you f eel a consis-
tent vibration while driving. A tire
should always be rebalanced if it is
removed f rom the wheel f or repair.To help increase tire lif e and
distribute wear more evenly, you
should have the tires rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km). Move the
tires to the positions shown in the
chart each time they are rotated.
Make sure the installer balances the
wheels when you have new tires
installed. This increases riding
comf ort and tire lif e. Your car’s
original tires were dynamic or ‘‘spin’’
balanced at the f actory. For best
results, have the installer perf orm a
dynamic balance.
CONT INUED
Maintenance
T ire Rotation
Tires
Maint enance269
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tImproper wheel weights can damage
your car’s aluminum wheels. Use only
genuine Acura wheel weights f or
balancing.