2003 Acura CL Owner's Manual

If the indicator remains on past three
driving trips, or the f uel cap was not
loose or missing, have the car
checked by the dealer as soon as
possible. Drive moderately until the
dealer has inspected the problem.
Avoid full-throttle acceleration and
driving at high speed.
Youshouldalsohavethedealer
inspect your car if this indicator
comes on repeatedly, even though it
may turn of f as you continue driving.
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch ON (II) and
goes of f af ter the engine starts. If it
comes on at any other time, it
indicates one of the engine’s
emissions control systems may have
a problem. Even though you may
f eel no dif f erence in your car’s per-
f ormance, it can reduce your f uel
economy and cause your car to put
out excessive emissions. Continued
operation may cause serious damage. If you have recently ref ueled your
car, the cause of this indicator
coming on could be a loose or
missing f uel f ill cap. Check the cap
and tighten it until it clicks several
times. Replace the f uel f ill cap if it is
missing. Tightening the cap will not
make the indicator turn of f
immediately; it takes at least three
driving trips.
This indicator may also come on
along with the ‘‘D ’’ indicator.
5
Malf unction Indicator L amp
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If you keep driving with the
malf unction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your car’s emissions controls
and engine. Those repairs may not be
covered by your car’s warranties.

Your car has certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that are part of the on-board
diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. In some states, part of the
emissions testing is to make sure
these codes are set. If they are not
set, the test cannot be completed.
If your car’s battery has been
disconnected or gone dead, these
codes are erased. It takes several
days of driving under various
conditions to set the codes again.If possible, do not take your car f or a
state emissions test until the
readiness codes are set. To check if
they are set, turn the ignition ON (II),
but do not start the engine. The
Malf unction Indicator Lamp will
come on f or 20 seconds. If it then
goes of f , the readiness codes are set.
If it blinks 5 times, the readiness
codes are not set. See State
Emissions Testing on page .
335
Readiness Codes
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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
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If the electric motor will not close
the moonroof , do the f ollowing:Check the f use f or the moonroof
motor (see page ). If the f use
is blown, replace it with one of the
same or lower rating.
Try closing the moonroof . If the
new f use blows immediately or the
moonroof motor still does not
operate, you can close the
moonroof manually. Insert the moonroof wrench into
the socket behind this plug. Turn
the wrench until the moonroof is
f ully closed.
Get the moonroof wrench out of
the tool kit in the trunk.
Remove the wrench. Reinstall the
round plug.
To remove the round plug in the
center of the headliner, turn the
plug by using a screwdriver or
coin, then pry it out. Make sure to
align the tabs on the round plug to
the notches on the ceilling as
shown in the illustration.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
318
Closing t he Moonroof
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All the electrical circuits in your car
have fuses to protect them from a
short circuit or overload. These
f uses are located in three f use boxes.
Theinteriorfuseboxesarelocated
on each side of the dashboard. To
open an interior f use box, open the
car door. Pull the bottom of the
cover open, then take it out of its
side hinges by pulling it toward you.The VSA f use box is located under
the interior f use box on the
passenger’s side of the dashboard.
To open it, push the tab and pull up
theleftsideof thecoverasshown.
The under-hood f use box is located
in the back of the engine compart-
ment on the passenger’s side. To
open it, push the tabs as shown.
On Type-S with A/T
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed314
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µCheck each of the large f uses in
the under-hood f use box by
looking through the top at the wire
inside. Removing these f uses
requires a Phillips-head screw-
driver.
Remove the cover f rom the f use
box. Turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(0). Make sure the headlights and
all other accessories are off.
If something electrical in your car
stops working, the f irst thing you
should check f or is a blown f use.
Determine f rom the chart on pages
, or the diagram on the
fuse box lid, which fuse or fuses
control that component. Check those
f uses f irst, but check all the f uses
bef ore deciding that a blown f use is
not the cause. Replace any blown
f uses and check the component’s
operation. Check the smaller f uses in the
under-hood f use box and all the
fuses in the interior fuse boxes by
pulling out each f use with the f use
puller provided in the under-hood
fuse box.
3.
1.
2. 4.
317 319
CONT INUED
Checking and Replacing Fuses
Fuses
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Look f or a burned wire inside the
f use. If it is burned, replace it with
oneof thesparefusesof thesame
rating or lower.If the replacement fuse of the
same rating blows in a short time,
there is probably a serious
electrical problem in your car.
Leave the blown fuse in that
circuit and have your car checked
by a qualif ied mechanic.
If the radio f use is removed, the
audio system will disable itself . The
nexttimeyouturnontheradioyou
will see ‘‘ ’’ in the f requency
display. Use the Preset buttons to
enter the f ive-digit code (see page ).
If you cannot drive the car without
f ixing the problem, and you do not
have a spare fuse, take a fuse of the
same rating or a lower rating f rom
one of the other circuits. Make sure
youcandowithoutthatcircuit
temporarily (such as the accessory
power socket or radio).
If you replace the blown f use with a
spare f use that has a lower rating, it
might blow out again. This does not
indicate anything wrong. Replace the
f use with one of the correct rating as
soon as you can.
5. 6.
157
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed316
B BL LOOW WN N
Replacing a f use with one that has a
higher rating greatly increases the
chances of damaging the electrical
system. If you do not have a replace-
ment f use with the proper rating f or the
circuit, install one with a lower rating.

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CONT INUED
Amps. Circuits Protected
No.
No. Amps. Circuits Protected
20 A
30 A
120 A 30 A
20 A
15 A
30 A
15 A
20 A
20 A
20 A
20 A Cooling Fan
Cooling Fan
Battery
Spare Fuse
Spare Fuse
Hazard
ABS Motor
ACG S
Stop
ABS F/S Relay
Right Headlight
Not Used
Lef t Headlight
13
1314
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
6
6 7
8
9
10
11
12 20 A
30 A
7.5 A 60 A
40 A
40 A
20 A
40 A
40 A
40 A
40 A
15 A
10 A
7.5 A Condenser Fan
Condenser Fan
MG Clutch
IG1 Main
Rear Window Defogger
Heater Motor
TCS
VSA
Not Used
Power Seat
Power Window Motor
Back Up, ACC
Spare Fuse
Spare Fuse
Spare Fuse
1:
2:
3: Premium model
Type-S with A/T
Type-S with M/T1, 3
2
1
2
1
2
3
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed317
UNDER-HOOD FUSE BOX