2004 Acura RL key

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.
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.
Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
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 within
15 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.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
1.2.
3.
Starting in Cold Weather at High
A ltitude (A bove 8,000 f eet/
2,400 meters)
Driving
Starting the Engine
217

µµ
µ
CONT INUED
Whenever you move the shif t lever,
slide it along the guide on the
console. This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Move the shif t
lever to the right to shif t out of the Park position.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shif t Lock Release on page
.
To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop bef ore shif ting
into Park. The shif t lever must be in
Park bef ore you can remove the key
from the ignition switch. To shif t to Reverse
f rom Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shif t to Reverse f rom
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Push down on the shift
lever bef ore shif ting into Reverse
from Neutral.
Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the vehicle
f or any reason. Press on the brake pe-
dal when you are moving the shif t
lever from Neutral to another gear.
221
To shift from:
PtoR
NtoR 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoD DtoN
DtoD Dto2
NtoD RtoNRtoP Do this:
Press the brake pedal.
Push down on the shif t lever.
Move the lever.
3
34 4
43 3 4
Driving
Automatic Transmission
Park (P) Reverse (R)
Neutral (N)
219

This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal does not work.Set the Parking brake.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
Put a cloth on the edge of the Shif t
Lock Release slot cover next to
theshiftlever.Useasmallflat-
tipped screwdriver or small metal
plate (neither are included in the
tool kit) to remove the cover.
Caref ully pry on the edge of the
cover. Push down on the key and move
the shift lever out of Park to
Neutral. Insert the key in the Shift Lock
Release slot.
Remove the key from the Shift
Lock Release slot, then reinstall
thecover.Makesurethenotchon
the cover is on the right side.
Depress the brake pedal and
restart the engine.
If you need to use the Shif t Lock
Release, it means your car is
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by your Acura
dealer.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.6.
Driving
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ock Release
221
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT

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.
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.
Set the parking brake bef ore you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the vehicle from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission making it
easier to move the shif t lever out of
Park when you want to drive away. If the vehicle is f acing downhill, turn
the f ront wheels toward the curb. If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the f ront wheels away f rom the curb.
Parking T ips
Driving
Parking
222

Halogen bulbs are used f or the high
beam headlight bulbs. When
replacing a high beam headlight bulb,
handle it by its base and protect the
glass from contact with your skin or
hard objects. If you touch the glass,
clean it with denatured alcohol and a
clean cloth.Open the hood.
Remove the electrical connector
f rom the bulb by pulling the
connector straight back.
Remove the rubber weather seal
by pulling on the tab.
Theheadlightswereproperlyaimed
when your car was new. If you
regularly carry heavy items in the
trunk or pull a trailer, readjustment
may be required. Adjustment of the
headlights should be perf ormed by
an Acura technician or other
qualif ied mechanic.
The low beam headlight bulbs are a
type of high voltage discharge tube.
High voltage can remain in the
circuit even with the light switch of f
and the key removed. Because of
this, you should not attempt to
examine or change a low beam
headlight bulb yourself . If a low
beam headlight bulb fails, take the
vehicle to your dealer to have it
replaced. 1.
2.
3.
Lights
Maint enance
Headlight A iming
Replacing a High Beam Headlight
Bulb
288
Halogen bulbs get very hot when lit. Oil,
perspiration, or a scratch on the glass
can cause the bulb to overheat and
shatter.

Make sure the repair f acility uses
Acura replacement body parts. Some
companies make sheet metal pieces
that seem to duplicate the original
Acura body parts, but are actually
inferior in fit, finish, and corrosion
resistance. Once installed, they do
not give the same high-quality
appearance.When reporting your collision to the
insurance company, tell them you
want Acura parts used in the repair.
Although most insurers recognize
the quality of original parts, some
maytrytospecifythattherepairsbe
done with other available parts. You
should investigate this bef ore any
repairs have begun.
Body repairs can af f ect your car’s
resistance to corrosion. If your car
needs repairs af ter a collision, pay
close attention to the parts used in
the repair and the quality of the
work.
Takeyourcartoyourauthorized
Acura dealer f or inspection af ter the
repairs are completed. Your dealer
can make sure that quality materials
were used, and that corrosion-
preventive coatings were applied to
all repaired and replaced parts.
Body Repairs
Appearance Care306

Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:
Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
orNeutralorthestarterwillnot
operate.
Sliptheholeatthetopof thejack
over the bracket in the trunk well.
Turn the jack’s end bracket to lock
it in place. Store the tool kit back
in its place.
Close the trunk lid. Store the center cap and spacer
basket in the trunk. Make sure the
center cap will not get scratched
or damaged. Unclip the hook f rom the trunk lid
and lower the trunk f loor.
Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
19.
20.
21.
22. 80
Changing a Flat Tire, If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
If Your Engine Won’t Start Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
314
Loose items can fly around the
interior in a crash and could
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.

CONT INUED
BatteryCharging System ...........................
Indicator .58, 322
............................
Jump Starting .316
..............................
Maintenance .272
............................
Specif ications .339
..............................
Bef ore Driving .203
....................................
Belts,Seat .8,44
...........................
Beverage Holder .110
...................................
Body Repair .306
Brakes ...........
Anti-lock System (ABS) . 224
.............
Break-in, New Linings . 204
....................
Bulb Replacement .292
...........................................
Fluid .266
.......................................
Parking .107
.................
System Indicator . 58,325
........................
Wear Indicators .223
.............................
Braking System .223
.................
Break-in, New Vehicle . 204
..
Brightness Control, Instruments . 71
........................
Brights, Headlights .68
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 210
................................
Accessories .210
.
Additional Safety Precautions . 211
............................
Modif ications .211
ACCESSORY (Ignition Key .......................................
Position) .82
.............
Accessory Power Socket . 113
....................
Additives, Engine Oil . 254
.........................
Airbag (SRS) .9, 47, 49
.....................
Air Cleaner Element .267
..............
Air Conditioning System . 120
..............................
Maintenance .277
.................................
Usage .122, 127
.......................
Air Outlets (Vents) .120
.......................
Air Pressure, Tires .279
...........................
Alarm, Anti-theft .181
.......................
Alcohol in Gasoline .343
.......
Aluminum Wheels, Cleaning . 301
......................................
Antif reeze .256
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) ...............................
Indicator .60, 225
...................................
Operation .224
..............
Anti-thef t, Audio System . 180Anti-thef t Steering Column
..............................................
Lock .82
..........................
Anti-thef t System .181
..........................
Appearance Care .299
.........................................
Ashtrays .115
...............
Audio Controls, Remote . 178
........................
Audio System .134, 151
Automatic Climate Control ........................................
System .120
.........................
Automatic Lighting .69
...
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners . 45
.............
Automatic Speed Control . 182
..............
Automatic Transmission . 218
..........................
Capacity, Fluid .338
...............
Checking Fluid Level . 264
.......................................
Shif ting .218
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 218
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 218
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 221
Index
A B
I