2003 Acura CL light

µ
µ µ
µ
µ µ
µ
The OnStar system uses the Global
Positioning System (GPS) to locate
your vehicle whenever you place a
call. This allows the advisor to
quickly contact the nearest services
without requiring you to provide
detailed directions.
Contact
the OnStar advisor if you need
assistance with a problem (f lat tire,
out of f uel, etc.) while traveling. The
advisor will contact an appropriate
agency to come and assist you.
Contact an
OnStar advisor if you have an
emergency situation. The advisor
will contact the nearest emergency
services provider (ambulance, f ire
department, etc.) and advise them of
your situation. If you are ever in an
accident that causes the airbags to
deploy, the OnStar system
automatically places a call (provided
the OnStar system and your vehicle’s
electrical system are still intact). The
advisor will attempt to speak to you
to evaluate the situation, and contact
the nearest emergency services
provider.
The OnStar
advisor can help you if you are ever
in a minor accident by asking you f or
inf ormation about the accident.
Complete, detailed inf ormation will
make it easier to complete accident
reports and insurance claims.
By sending a signal to your
vehicle, the advisor can lock or
unlock your vehicle’s doors. This is
helpfulif youareawayfromyour
vehicle and realize you f orgot to lock the doors, or if you have locked the
keys in your vehicle. To get OnStar’s
assistance, call (888) 4-ONSTAR
(466-7827).
Using
GPS, OnStar can locate your vehicle
almost anywhere. If your vehicle is
ever stolen, contact OnStar at (888)
4-ONSTAR. The advisor will put you
in contact with the proper authorities,
and assist them with locating your
vehicle.
If you are unable to locate your
vehicleinalargeparkinglotor
parking structure, contact OnStar at
(888) 4-ONSTAR. The advisor will
remotely activate the exterior lights
and the horn, allowing you to locate
your vehicle.
Roadside Assistance
Emergency Services A utomatic Notif ication of A irbag
Deployment
A ccident A ssist
Remote Door L ocking/Unlocking
Stolen Vehicle T racking
Misplaced Vehicle Assistance
Saf e & Sound Plan Features
OnSt ar
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures170

Shift to Park or Neutral and set
the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
Screw the f uel f ill cap back on,
tighten it until it clicks several
times. If you do not properly
tighten the cap, the Malfunction
Indicator Lamp may come on (see
page ).
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.
Standing in f ront of the car, reach
in between the hood and the f ront
bumper with your f inger. The
hood latch handle is under the ‘‘A’’
logo. Slide the latch handle to the
right.
1.
2.
5.
6.
310
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
Opening the Hood
180
H H
O
OO ODD R
REEL
LEE A
A S
SEE H
HA
AN
ND DL
LEE
L
LAA T
TC
CH H H
HA
AN
ND DL
LEE

Modif ying your car, or installing
some non-Acura accessories, can
make your car unsaf e. Bef ore you
make any modif ications or add any
accessories,besuretoreadthe
f ollowing inf ormation.
Your dealer has Acura accessories
that allow you to personalize your car.
These accessories have been
designed and approved f or your car,
and are covered by warranty.
Non-Acura accessories are usually
designed f or universal applications.
Although aftermarket accessories
may f it on your car, they may not
meet f actory specif ications, and
could adversely af f ect your car’s
handling and stability. (See
‘‘Modif ications’’ on page f or
additional information.)When properly installed, cellular
phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems should
not interf ere with your car’s
computer-controlled systems, such
as the SRS and anti-lock brake
system.
If possible, have your dealer inspect
the f inal installation.Have the installer contact your
Acura dealer f or assistance bef ore
installing any electronic accessory. Be sure electronic accessories do
not overload electrical circuits
(see page ). Make sure the accessory does not
obscure any lights, or interf ere
with proper car operation or
perf ormance.
Bef ore installing any accessory: However, if electronic accessories
are improperly installed, or exceed
your car’s electrical system capacity,
they can interfere with the operation
of your car, or even cause the
airbags to deploy.
186 314
A ccessories
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving185
Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
car’s handling, stability and
performance, and cause a
crash in which you can be hurt
or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding
accessories and modifications.

Î
Î
Î
ÎYour car has several convenient
storage areas so you can stow cargo
saf ely.
The glove box, and the pockets in
the doors and seat-backs, are
designed f or small, lightweight items.
The trunk is intended f or larger,
heavier items.
In addition, the trunk pass-through
allows you to carry longer items.
However, carrying too much cargo,
or improperly storing it, can af f ect
your car’s handling, stability, and
operation and make it unsafe. Before
carrying any type of cargo, be sure to
read the f ollowing pages.
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving187
T TR
RU UN NKK
:
: 3
3 .
.22 C
CLL w
wi itth h o
ou
ut
t N
Na avvi
igg a
attiioo n
n S
Syyssttee m
m S
SE
EA
A T
T-
-B
BA A C
CKK P
PO
OC CKKEET
TS
S
G
GL LO
OV VE
E B
BOOX X
S
ST
TO
OR RAA G
GE E T
TR
RA A Y
Y
D
D O
OO ORR P
PO
OC CKKEET
T
C
CO ON NSSOOL LEE C
COOM M P
PA
A R
RTTM
M E
EN
NT T
R
RE EA
A R
R C
COON NSSOOL LEE
C
CO OM M P
PA
A R
RTTM
M E
EN
NT T
C
COON NSSOOL LE
E P
PO
OC CKKEET
T

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

µMake sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you. Turn of f the lights.
Lockthedoorswiththekeyorthe
remote transmitter. Check the
indicator on the driver’s door to
verify that the security system is
set.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire.
Always use the parking brake when
you park your car. The indicator on
the instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not f ully released; it
does not indicate that the parking
brakeisfirmlyset.Makesurethe
parking brake is set f irmly or your
car may roll if it is parked on an
incline.
If your car has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park.Thiskeepsthecarfrom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission making it easier to
move the shift lever out of Park
when you want to drive away.
If the car is f acing uphill, turn the
f ront wheels away f rom the curb. If
you have a manual transmission, put
it in f irst gear.
If the car is f acing downhill, turn the
f ront wheels toward the curb. If you
have a manual transmission, put it in
reverse gear.
Make sure the parking brake is f ully
released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes.
Parking T ips
Parking
Driving205

Your Acura is equipped with disc
brakes at all f our wheels. A power
assist helps reduce the ef f ort needed
on the brake pedal. The ABS helps
you retain steering control when
braking very hard.
Put your f oot on the brake pedal only
when you intend to brake. Resting
your f oot on the pedal keeps the
brakes applied lightly, causing them
to build up heat. Heat build-up can
reduce how well your brakes work. It
also keeps your brake lights on all
the time, conf using drivers behind
you.Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds
up heat and reduces their ef f ective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by downshif ting to a lower
gear and taking your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal.
Check your brakes af ter driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they f eel
normal. If not, apply them gently and
f requently until they do. Since a
longer distance is needed to stop
with wet brakes, be extra cautious
and alert in your driving.
All f our brakes have audible brake
wear indicators.
When the brake pads need replacing,
you will hear a distinctive metallic
‘‘screeching’’ sound when you apply
the brakes. If you do not have the
brake pads replaced, they will begin
screeching all the time.
Your brakes may sometimes squeal
or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not conf use this with the
brakewearindicators.Theymakea
very audible ‘‘screeching.’’ Brake Wear Indicators
The Braking System
Driving206

Your Acura is equipped with a
Traction Control System (TCS) to
assist you in maintaining traction
while driving slowly on loose or
slippery surf aces. The TCS assists
only in low-speed, low-traction
conditions; up to approximately 18
mph (30 km/h).
TCS monitors the speed of all f our
wheels. When it senses a f ront wheel
losing traction, it applies braking to
that wheel. The TCS indicator
f lashes when this occurs.Driving with TCS requires no special
skills or technique. The TCS does
not control your car’s whole braking
system and cannot prevent skidding
if you enter a corner too f ast. It is
still your responsibility to drive at
reasonable speeds and to leave a
suf f icient margin of saf ety.When starting out or driving at low
speeds on a loose or slippery road
surface, you may notice that the
vehicle does not respond to the
accelerator in the same way it does
at other times. This is a sign TCS is
activating. You will see the TCS
indicator light f lash.
You should still install winter tires on
your car during the winter. Make
sure to use the same size originally
supplied with vehicle. Exercise the
samecautioninwinterdrivingasyou
would if your car was not equipped
with TCS.
Driving with the compact spare tire
installed (see page ) may
activate the TCS. You should turn of f
the system.
294
CONT INUED
On Premium model
Driving
Traction Control System
209
T T
R
RA A C
CTTI
IOON N C
COON NTTR
RO OL L S
SYYSSTTE
EM
M
I
IN ND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R