2004 Acura RL tire type

You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the
risk, but serious accidents can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe f rontal collision.
So even though your car is equipped
with airbags, make sure you and
your passengers always wear your
seat belts, and wear them properly.
(See page .)
Children are saf est when they are
properly restrained in the back seat,
notthefrontseat.Achildwhoistoo
smallforaseatbeltmustbeproperly
restrained in a child saf ety seat. (See
page .) Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page .)
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either. While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page
.)
9
15
20 242
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards Control Your Speed
K eep Your Car in Saf e Condition
Restrain All Children Don’t Drink and Drive
6

Your car has several convenient
storage areas so you can stow cargo
saf ely.
The glove box, and the pockets in
the f ront 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,
stopping distance, and tires, and
make it unsaf e. Bef ore carrying any
type of cargo, be sure to read the
f ollowing pages.
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving212
CONSOLE COMPARTMENT FRONT DOOR POCKETTRUNK GLOVE BOX
SEAT-BACK POCKETS

Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the VSA to
malf unction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are of the same size
and type as your original tires (see
page ).
Deactivate the VSA system if you
need to drive with the compact spare
tire installed (see page ).
If you install winter tires, make sure
they are the same size as those that
were originally supplied with your
car. Exercise the same caution
during winter driving as you would if
your car was not equipped with VSA.
VSA is turned on every time you
start the engine, even if you turned it
off the last time you drove the
vehicle.
283
308
Driving
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
VSA and Tire Sizes
229

µµWe recommend that you visually
check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.
The timing belt and balancer belt
should normally be replaced at the
intervals shown in the maintenance
schedule.
In very high temperatures
(over 110°F, 43°C).
In very low temperatures
(under 20°F, 29°C). To saf ely operate your car, your tires
must be the proper type and size, in
good condition with adequate tread,
and correctly inf lated. The f ollowing
pages give more detailed inf ormation
on how and when to check air
pressure, how to inspect your tires
for damage and wear, and what to do
when your tires need to be replaced.
Replace these belts at 60,000 miles
(U.S.) or 100,000 km (Canada) if you
regularly drive your car in one or
more of these conditions: Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort. Underinf lated tires wear
unevenly, adversely affect handling
and f uel economy, and are more
likely to f ail f rom being overheated.
Overinf lated tires can make your car
ride more harshly, are more prone to
damage f rom road hazards, and wear
unevenly.
CONT INUED
Inf lation
Tires
Timing Belt
Timing Belt, Tires
Maint enance279
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.

When shopping f or replacement
tires, you may find that some tires
are ‘‘directional.’’ This means they
are designed to rotate only in one
direction. If you use directional tires,
they should be rotated only front-to-
back.It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, then replace the two
f ront tires or the two rear tires as a
pair. Replacing just one tire can
seriously af f ect your car’s handling.
The tires that came with your car
were selected to match the perform-
ance capabilities of the vehicle while
providing the best combination of
handling, ride comf ort, and long lif e.
Youshouldreplacethemwithradial
tires of the same size, load range,
speed rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire’s sidewall). Mixing radial and
bias-ply tires on your car can reduce
its braking ability, traction, and
steering accuracy.
CONT INUED
Replacing T ires and Wheels
Tires
Maint enance283
Installing improper tires on your
car can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner’s manual.

If you mount snow tires on your
Acura, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as the original tires. Mount snow
tiresonallfourwheelstobalance
your car’s handling in all weather
conditions. Keep in mind the traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
may not be as high as your car’s
original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads
areclear.Checkwiththetiredealer
f or maximum speed recommen-
dations.Because your Acura has limited tire
clearance, mount only SAE Class ‘‘S’’
cable-type traction devices on the
front tires. Use traction devices only
when required by driving conditions
or local laws. Make sure they are the
correct size f or your tires.
Metal link-type ‘‘chains’’ should not
be used. No matter how tight they
seem to be installed, they can come
into contact with the body and
suspension, causing serious damage.When installing cables, f ollow the
manufacturer’s instructions and
mount them as tightly as you can.
Drive slowly with them installed. If
youhearthemcomingincontact
with the body or chassis, stop and
investigate. Make sure the cables are
installed tightly, and that they are
not contacting the brake lines or
suspension. Remove them as soon as
you begin driving on cleared roads.
Snow T ires
T ire Chains
Tires
Maint enance285
Traction devices that are the wrong
size or improperly installed can
damage your car’s brake lines,
suspension, body, and wheels. Stop
driving if they are hitting any part of
the vehicle.

µµ µ
There are three popular types of
prof essional towing equipment. If your car needs to be towed, call a
prof essional towing service or, if you
belong to one, an organization that
provides roadside assistance. Never
tow your car behind another vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous. The operator
loads your car on the back of a truck.
The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (f ront or rear) and lif t
them of f the ground. The other two
tires remain on the ground. If your Acura cannot be transported
by f lat-bed, it should be towed by
wheel-lif t equipment with the f ront
wheels of f the ground. If , due to
damage, your car must be towed
with the f ront wheels on the ground,
do the f ollowing.
Release the parking brake.
Shif t the transmission to Neutral. With the f ront wheels on the ground,
it is best to tow the vehicle no farther
than 50 miles (80 km), and keep the
speedbelow35mph(55km/h).
The tow
truck uses metal cables with hooks
on the ends. These hooks go around
parts of the f rame or suspension and
the cables lif t that end of the vehicle
of f the ground. Your car’s sus-
pension and body can be seriously
damaged.Flat -bed Equipment
Wheel-lif t Equipment Sling-t ype Equipment
This is the best way to transport
your A cura.
T his is
an acceptable way to tow your
Acura. T his method of towing
is unacceptable.
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed332
Improper towing preparation will
damage the transmission. Follow the
above procedure exactly. If you cannot
shif t the transmission or start the
engine, your car must be transported
with the f ront wheels of f the ground.

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T echnical Inf ormation
Specif ications
339
Engine
Alignment
Tires
Battery
Fuses Lights 12 V
12 V55 W (H1) (High beam)
27/8 W
3.54x3.58in(90x91mm)212 cu-in (3,474 cm
)
9.6 : 1
0.00 in (0.0 mm)
0.08 in (2.0 mm) 0°
0°30’
2°50’
P225/55R16 94V
T135/80D16 101M
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm
)
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
21 W
21/5 W
55 W (H1)
21 W
3CP
21 W
3CP
5W
5W
3.4 W
3.4 W
2W Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs
Water cooled 4-stroke
SOHC V-6 gasoline engine
Toe
Camber
Caster
Size
Pressure
Capacity 12 V 55 AH/5 HR
Interior
Under-hood 65 AH/20 HR
12 V
See page 331or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box door under the dashboard.
See page 330or the fuse box
cover. See spark plug maintenance
section page
272.
Headlights
Front turn signal/parking lights
Rear turn signal lights
Brake/Taillights
Front fog lights
High-mount brake light
Front side marker lights
Back-up lights
License plate lights
Ceiling lights
Trunk light
Door courtesy lights
Vanity mirror light
Front
Rear
Front
Rear
Front
Front/Rear
Spare
Front/Rear
Sparein
Front
Rear
Low beam headlight bulbs are a type of high voltage discharge
tube (D2R).
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