2004 Acura RL open hood

If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine.
If you do not see steam or spray,
leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading
(climbing a long, steep hill on a
hot day with the A/C running, for
example), the engine should start
to cool down almost immediately.
If it does, wait until the tempera-
ture gauge comes down to the mid-
point, then continue driving. Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.
Turn of f the climate control and all
otheraccessories.Turnonthe
hazard warning indicators.
The pointer of your car’s tempera-
ture gauge should stay in the mid-
range under most conditions. It may
go higher if you are driving up a long
steep hill on a very hot day. If it
climbs to the red mark, you should
determine the reason. Your car can overheat f or several
reasons, such as lack of coolant or a
mechanical problem. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming f rom under the hood.
In either case, you should take
immediate action.1.
2.
3.
CONT INUED
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed319
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to your engine.

If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.
Wait until you see no more signs
of steam or spray, then open the
hood.
If you don’t f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
between the MIN and MAX marks. Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (see on page ).
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, bef ore check-
ing the radiator.
Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the f irst stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes
off.
Start the engine and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum (climate control to
FULL AUTO at 90°F/32°C). Add
coolant to the radiator up to the
base of the f iller neck. If you do
not have the proper coolant
mixture available, you can add
plain water. Remember to have
the cooling system drained and
ref illed with the proper mixture as
soon as you can.
If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly. Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair. (See
on page .)
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.10.
12.
11.
332
208 332
Emergency
Towing
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed320
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.

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 ). Let the vehicle sit f or a minute.
Open the hood and check the oil
level (see page ). Although oil
levelandoilpressurearenot
directly connected, an engine that
is very low on oil can lose pressure
during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
1.
2.
3. 4.
207 253 332
Emergency
Towing
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed321
LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR
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 vehicle stopped.

The under-hood f use box is located
in the engine compartment next to
the battery. To open it, push the tab
as shown.
The interior f use box is underneath
the dashboard on the driver’s side.
To open it, turn the knob as shown.
All the electrical circuits in your car
have fuses to protect them from a
short circuit or overload. These
f uses are located in two f use boxes.
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed327
INTERIOR
KNOBUNDER-HOOD
TAB

CONT INUED
..................................................
Keys .79
HomeLink Universal
...............................
Transmitter .186
....................................
Hood Latch .267
.......................
Hood, Opening the .206
..................................................
Horn .67
.................................
Hydroplaning .231 .................
Jacking up the Vehicle . 310
.......................................
Jack, Tire .310
................................
Jump Starting .316
.......................
Label, Certif ication .336
.................
Lane Change, Signaling . 71
..........................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .44
...................................
Learning Key .80
.........................
Leather, Cleaning .303
........................
Lights On Indicator .59
.........................
Lighter, Cigarette .114
Lights ....................
Bulb Replacement .288
........................................
Ceiling .116
.....................................
Courtesy .117 .......................................
Indicator .57
.........................................
Parking .68
..................................
Turn Signal .71
.....................................
Load Limit .213
......
LOCK (Ignition Key Position) . 82
Locks .......
Anti-thef t Steering Column . 82
..........................
Childproof Door .87
............................
Fuel Fill Door .205
....................................
Glove Box .90
.................................
Power Door .83
...........................................
Trunk .88
........
Trunk Pass-through Cover . 95
........................
Low Coolant Level .208
.........................
Low Fuel Indicator .62
...
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 58,321
...
Lubricant Specif ications Chart . 338
.........................................
Luggage .212
...
Identif ication Number, Vehicle . 336
Ignition ..............................................
Keys .79
...........................................
Switch .82
............
Timing Control System . 346
........................
Immobilizer System .80
.........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.........
Indicators, Instrument Panel . 57
...............................
Inf ant Restraint .28
......................................
Inf ant Seats .28
..........
Tether Anchorage Points . 39
.............................
Using LATCH .40
...................
Inf lation, Proper Tire . 279
...................................
Inside Mirror .96
.............................
Inspection, Tire .281
............................
Instrument Panel .57
........
Instrument Panel Brightness . 71...........................
Interior Cleaning .302
........................................
Introduction .i
Index
I J
K
L
V