2003 Acura CL engine

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 f low-
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.
237 Driving Habits
Owner Maintenance
Checks Car Condition
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving184

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your car, the braking system,
the Traction Control System, the
Vehicle Stability Assist System, and
f acts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive .192
.......................
Starting the Engine .193
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude .193
....
6-speed Manual Transmission . 194
.....
Recommended Shif t Points . 195
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 195
.......................
Reverse Lockout .196
..............
Automatic Transmission . 197
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 197
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 198
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 203
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 204
...........................................
Parking .205
.....................
The Braking System .206
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 206
...............
Brake System Design . 207
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes .207
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders .208
........................
ABS Indicator .208
..............
Traction Control System . 209
...
Vehicle Stability Assist System . 212
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 215
...........................
Towing a Trailer .217
Driving
Driving191

Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Check that the hood and trunk are
f ully closed.Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the adjustment of the
steering wheel (see page ).
Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
Start the engine (see page ).
Check the gauges and indicator
lights in the instrument panel (see
page ).
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Check that any items you may be
carrying with you inside are stored
properly or f astened down
securely.
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments every day bef ore
you drive your car.
Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page ).
1.
2.
3.
4. 5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
1510.
11.
12.
91
98 76 193
57
Preparing to Drive
Driving192

Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Push the clutch pedal down all the
way. START (III) does not
f unction unless the clutch pedal is
depressed.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the engine
does not start right away, do not
hold the key in START (III) f or
more than 15 seconds at a time.
Pause f or at least 10 seconds
bef ore trying again.
If the engine does not start within15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed half-way
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
If the engine still does not start,
press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while
starting in order to clear f looding.
As bef ore, keep the ignition key in
the START (III) position f or no
more than 15 seconds. Return to
step 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lif t your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal so the engine
does not race.
An engine is harder to start in cold
weather. The thinner air f ound at
high altitude above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to the problem. Use the f ollowing procedure:
Turn of f all electrical accessories
to reduce the drain on the battery.
Push the accelerator pedal half-
way to the f loor and hold it there
while starting the engine. Do not
hold the ignition key in START
(III) f or more than 15 seconds.
When the engine starts, release
the accelerator pedal gradually as
the engine speeds up and smooths
out.
If the engine fails to start in step 2,
push the accelerator pedal to the
f loor and hold it there while you
try to start the engine for no more
than 15 seconds. If the engine
does not start, return to step 2.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
1.
2.
3.
Manual Transmission:
Automatic Transmission:
Driving
Starting the Engine
Starting in Cold Weather at High
A ltitude (A bove 8,000 f eet/
2,400 meters)
193

The manual transmission is synchro-
nizedinallforwardgearsforsmooth
operation. It has a lockout so you
cannot shift directly from Fifth to
Reverse instead of sixth (see page). When shif ting up or down,
make sure you push the clutch pedal
down all the way, shift to the next
gear, and let the pedal up gradually.
When you are not shif ting, do not
rest your f oot on the clutch pedal.
This can cause your clutch to wear
out f aster. Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t into
Reverse with the car moving. Push
down the clutch pedal, and pause f or
a f ew seconds bef ore shif ting into
Reverse, or shif t into one of the
f orward gears f or a moment. This
stops the gears so they won’t ‘‘grind.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking f rom the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure engine speed will not go
into the tachometer’s red zone in the
lower gear.
196
Driving
6-speed Manual T ransmission
194
Rapid slowing or speeding-up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.

Drive in the highest gear that lets
the engine run and accelerate
smoothly. This will give you the best
f uel economy and ef f ective emis-
sions control. The f ollowing shif t
points are recommended: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.
Shif t up
1st to 2nd
2nd to 3rd 3rd to 4th4th to 5th
5th to 6th Normal acceleration
15 mph (24 km/h)
25 mph (40 km/h)
40 mph (64 km/h)
47 mph (75 km/h)
52 mph (83 km/h) Bef ore downshif ting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer’s red zone.
Driving
6-speed Manual T ransmission
Recommended Shif t Points Engine Speed L imiter
195

With the clutch pedal depressed,
move the shift lever to the First/
Second gear side of the Neutral
gate, then shif t to Reverse.If you are still unable to shif t to
Reverse, apply the parking brake
and turn the ignition key to
ACCESSORY (I) or LOCK (0).
Depress the clutch pedal and shif t
to Reverse.
With the clutch pedal still de-
pressed, start the engine.
If you need to use this procedure to
shif t to Reverse, your car may be
developing a problem. Have the car
checked by your Acura dealer.
The 6-speed manual transmission
has an electric lockout so you cannot
accidentally shif t f rom Fif th to
Reverse instead of Sixth while the
car is moving. If you cannot shif t to
Reverse when the car is stopped:
1.2.
3.
4.
Driving
6-speed Manual T ransmission
Reverse Lockout
196

The shif t lever has nine positions. It
must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped in
D,D,D,2,1,N,R,orthe
Sequential SportShif t mode, press
f irmly on the brake pedal and keep
your f oot of f the accelerator pedal.To select the Sequential SportShif t
mode, slide the shif t lever toward the
lef t f rom the ‘‘D ’’ position.
In this mode the shif t lever allows
youtoshiftupanddownmanually.
YoucannotshiftoutofParkwiththe
brake pedal depressed when the
ignition switch is in LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I). Whenever you move the shif t lever,
slide it along the guide on the
console.
543 5
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoN
NtoD
DtoD
DtoD Dto22to1
1to2
2toD
DtoD
DtoD DtoN NtoRRtoP Do this:
Press the brake pedal, then
move the shift lever.
Move the lever.
5
54
43 3
3
34
45 5
Shif t L ever Positions
Automatic Transmission
Driving198
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IFFT T L
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QU UEEN
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SH H I
IFFT T
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