2004 Acura RSX Owner's Manual

Pressing the Cruise Control Master
Switch turns the system completely
of f and erases the previous cruising
speed.
When you push the CANCEL button,
or tap the brake or clutch pedal, the
system remembers the previously-
set cruising speed. To return to that
speed, accelerate to above 25 mph
(40 km/h) and then press and
release the RESUME/accel button.
The CRUISE CONTROL indicator
comes on. The vehicle will accelerate
to the same cruising speed as before.
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Resuming the Set Speed
118

Bef ore you begin driving your Acura,
youshouldknowwhatgasolineto
use, and how to check the levels of
important f luids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggage
or packages. The inf ormation in this
section will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your vehicle,
please read the inf ormation in this
section f irst......................
General Precautions .120
.............................
Break-in Period .121
.................
Fuel Recommendation . 121
.........
Service Station Procedures . 122
...............................
Fuel Economy .126
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 127
.............................
Carrying Cargo .129
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
119

Your Acura is designed to give you
optimum handling and perf ormance
on well-maintained roads. As part of
this design, your vehicle has a
minimum of ground clearance.Usecautionif youshoulddrive
your vehicle on very rough or
rutted roads. You could damage
the suspension and underbody by
bottoming out. Going too f ast over
parking lot ‘‘speed bumps’’ can
also cause damage.Curbs and steep inclines could
damage the f ront and rear
bumpers. Low curbs that do not
affect the average vehicle may be
high enough to hit the bumper on
your Acura. The f ront or rear
bumper may scrape when trying to
drive onto an incline, such as a
steep driveway or trailer ramps.
Type-S model
General Precautions
Bef ore Driving120

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
Do not tow a trailer. Your Acura is designed to operate on
unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher.
Your Acura is designed to operate on
premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane number of 91 or higher.
You should also f ollow these re-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are replaced. Useof aloweroctanegasolinecan
cause a persistent, heavy, metallic
rapping noise in the engine that can
lead to mechanical f ailure.
We recommend gasoline containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits. In
addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT. Use ofgasoline with these additives may
adversely affect performance, and
cause the Malf unction Indicator
Lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your authorized Acura dealer f or
service. For f urther important f uel-
related information, please refer to
your Quick Start Guide.
Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 percent ethanol
by volume and up to 15 percent
MTBE by volume. Do not use
gasoline containing methanol.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.(All models except Type-S)
(Type-S)
Break-in Period Fuel Recommendation
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
121

Park with the driver’s side closest
to the gas pump.
Open the f uel f ill door by pushing
onthehandletotheleftof the
driver’s seat.Removethefuelfillcapslowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Put the attachment on the fuel fill
cap into the slit on the f uel f ill door.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top off’’ the tank. Leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.
even
though the tank is not full, there may
be a problem with your vehicle’s f uel
vapor recovery system. The system
helps keep f uel vapors f rom going
into the atmosphere. Consult your
dealer.
1.
2. 3.
4.
If the f uel nozzle keeps clicking of f
Fueling
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving122
FUEL FILL CAP
Pull
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.
Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flames
away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.

Screw the fuel fill cap back on
until it clicks at least three times.
If you do not properly tighten the
cap, the Malf unction Indicator
Lampmaycomeon(seepage).
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.
Park the vehicle, 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.To f ind the hood latch handle, put
your f ingers under the f ront edge
of the hood just to lef t of center.
Lif t up the hood latch handle until
it releases the hood. Lif t up the
hood.
1.
2.
5.
6.
206
CONT INUED
Opening the Hood
Bef ore Driving
Service Station Procedures
123
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE LATCH

Pull the support rod out of its clip,
and insert the end into the hole on
theleftsideof thehood.Lif t it up slightly to remove the
support rod f rom the hole. Put the
support rod back into its holding clip.
Lower the hood to about a f oot (30
cm) above the f ender, then let it
drop. Make sure it is securely
latched.
If the hood latch handle moves stif f ly,
or if you can open the hood without
lif ting the handle, the mechanism
should be cleaned and lubricated
(see page ).
3.
173
T o Close the Hood
Bef ore Driving
Service Station Procedures
124
SUPPORT ROD

Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.Remove the dipstick (orange
handle).
Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel. Remove the dipstick again and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page . Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
on page f or
informationonaddingtheproper
coolant.
Insert the dipstick all the way back
in its tube. 4.
1.
2.
3. 164
167
CONT INUED
Bef ore Driving
Oil Check
Engine Coolant Check
A dding Oil A dding
Engine Coolant
Service Station Procedures
125
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK RESERVE TANK
MAX
MIN