2004 Acura TL maintenance

2004 TL Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com.
Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
............................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety ........................................................................\
.................................................. ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance ........................................................................\
....................................................... 2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
............................................... 5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
...................................................49
Instrument panel indica tor and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
............................... 109
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
....................................................... ..............163
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
...................................................................................175
The proper way to start the engine, shift the tr ansmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
....................................................... ..................193
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................229
This section covers several problems motorists someti mes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
....................................................... 253
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)...................................................................... 265
A summary of the warranties covering your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
.......................................269
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index ........................................................................\
......................................................................................... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to
the fuel pump.

Congratulations! Your selection of a 2004 Acura TL was a wise investment. It
will give you years of driving pleasure.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Acura is to read
this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Af terwards, keep this owner’s manual in your vehicle so
youcanrefertoitatanytime.
Several warranties protect your new Acura. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.
Maintaining your vehicle according to the schedules given in this manual
helps to keep your driving trouble-f ree while it preserves your investment.
When your vehicle needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Acura dealer’s
staf f is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to your Acura.
Your Acura dealer is dedicated to your satisf action and will be pleased to
answer any questions and concerns.
Calif ornia Proposition 65 WarningThis product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of
Calif ornia to cause cancer and birth def ects or other reproductive harm. As you read this manual, you will
f ind inf ormation that is preceded by
a
symbol. This
inf ormation is intended to help you
avoid damage to your Acura, other
property, or the environment.
Introduction
WARNING:
i

µ
This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains how your
airbags work. And it tells you how to
properly restrain infants and
children in your vehicle.
.........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features . 7
.......................................
Seat Belts .8
...........................................
Airbags .9
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens . 11
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 11
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 11
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 12
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 13
5. Fasten and Position the ...
Lap/Shoulder Seat Belts . 14
....
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel . 16
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .16 .....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 17
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 18
Additional Inf ormation About Your .................................
Seat Belts .19
..
Seat Belt System Components . 19
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .19
Automatic Seat Belt ...............................
Tensioners .20
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 21
Additional Inf ormation About Your .....................................
Airbags .22
......
Airbag System Components . 22
How Your Front Airbags .........................................
Work .23
...
How Your Side Airbags Work . 25
How Your Side Curtain Airbags .........................................
Work .26
..
How the SRS Indicator Works . 26
How The Side Airbag Cutof f ......................
Indicator Works .27
.............................
Airbag Service .28
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 28
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .29
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .29 All Children Should Sit in the
.................................
Back Seat .30
The Passenger’s Front Airbag ................
Poses Serious Risks . 30
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .32
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .32
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 33
...........................
Protecting Inf ants .34
.............
Protecting Small Children . 35
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .36
....................
Installing a Child Seat .37
Installing a Child Seat Using .....................................
LATCH .38
Installing a Child Seat with a ..................
Lap/Shoulder Belt . 40
Installing a Child Seat with a ......................................
Tether .41
...........
Protecting Larger Children . 42
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit . 43
..................
Using a Booster Seat . 43
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 45
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 46
...................................
Saf ety Labels .47
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety5

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.
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 vehicle is
equipped with airbags, make sure
you and your passengers always
wear your seat belts, and wear them
properly (see page ).
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat. Infants and small children
should be restrained in a child seat.
Larger children should use a booster
and a lap/shoulder belt until theycanusethebeltproperlywithouta
booster (see page ).
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.
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.
Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
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 ).
14 43
194
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Restrain All ChildrenBe Aware of Airbag Hazards
Don’t Drink and Drive
Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Driver and Passenger Saf ety6

For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Acura provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts f or U.S. models. See
your
booklet f or details.If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by the dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed. If the automatic seat
belt tensioners activate during a
crash, they must be replaced.
For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page .
Pull each belt out f ully, and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
the belts retract easily. Any belt that
is not in good condition or not
working properly will not provide
good protection and should be
replaced as soon as possible.
218
Acura Warranty Inf ormation
Seat Belt Maintenance
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety21
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly when
needed.
Check your seat belts regularly,
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.

Your airbag systems are virtually
maintenance-f ree, and there are no
parts you can saf ely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:Any airbag
that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. If a
f ront airbag inf lates, the seat belt
tensioners must also be replaced.
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by an Acura dealer or a
knowledgeable body shop.
Take your vehicle to an
authorized Acura dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly. Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
If water or another liquid
soaks into a seat-back, it can
prevent the side airbag cutof f
system f rom working properly. Improperly
replacing or covering f ront seat-
back covers can prevent your side
airbags f rom inf lating during a
side impact.
Airbag Service
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
An airbag ever inf lates.
T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o aproblem. Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason.
Do not expose t he f ront seat -backsto liquid. Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ing anAcura dealer.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety28

The multi-inf ormation display in the
instrument panel displays various
inf ormation and messages. Some of
the messages help you operate your
vehiclemorecomfortably.
Others help to keep you aware of the
periodic maintenance your vehicle
needs f or continued trouble-f ree
driving.
Here is a list of the messages you
can see. The f ollowing pages give
you more inf ormation on these
messages.Driver 1 or 2 Detected
Door and Trunk Open
Fasten Seat Belt
Release Parking Brake
Check Fuel Cap
Odometer
Trip Meter
Outside Temperature
Engine Oil Lif e Maintenance Messages
Trip Computer
Keyless Memory Settings
HandsFree Link
Language Selection (Canada only)
With the multi-information display
and the two buttons next to it, you
can also customize these vehicle
control settings to your liking. Auto door lock conditions
Auto door unlock conditions
Whenever unlocking (driver’s
door, or all doors)
Keyless lock acknowledgment
conditions
Security relock timer
Headlight auto of f timer
Interior light dimming time
To customize these control settings,
see page .
Low Windshield Washer Fluid
Level (Canada only) 66
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Inst rument s and Cont rols58
SELECT/
RESET
BUTTON
INFO
BUTTON
TM
TM

This shows the remaining lif e of the
engine oil. It shows 100% af ter the
engine oil is replaced and the display
is reset. The engine oil lif e is
calculated based on engine operating
conditions and accumulated engine
revolutions.When the engine oil lif e reaches 15
percent, the display shows
‘‘SERVICE DUE SOON’’ and the
code f or the maintenance items to be
perf ormed.
When the engine oil lif e reaches 5
percent, the display shows
‘‘SERVICE DUE NOW’’ along with
the same maintenance items.Have your dealer do the indicated
maintenance as soon as you see this
message, and have them reset the
display af ter completing the service.
If you do not perf orm the indicated
maintenance or do not reset the
display, the message changes to
‘‘SERVICE PAST DUE’’ when the
engine oil lif e becomes 0 percent.
These messages appear on the multi-
inf ormation display each time you
turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
For details on engine oil lif e and
maintenance messages, ref er to page
.
Also ref er to page f or important
maintenance saf ety precautions. 195
194
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Engine Oil L if e Maintenance Messages
64