2005 Acura RL Owner's Manual

Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced,
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
Follow these precautions:Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces. Use greater caution while
driving. Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare tire.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Turn of f the VSA system (see
page ). Driving with the
compact spare tire may activate
the VSA system.
Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement should be the same size
and design tire, mounted on the
same wheel. The spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
282
Compact Spare Tire
336
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)

CONT INUED
If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Drive slowly along the shoulder until
you get to an exit or an area to stop
that is far away from the traffic lanes.Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park. Apply the
parking brake.Take the tool case out of the spare
tire.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all passengers get
out of the vehicle while you
change the tire. Open the trunk, and f old the trunk
floor forward.
Unscrew the wing bolt, and
remove the spacer cone. Then
take the spare tire out of its well.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
337
SPARE TIRE
TRUNK FLOOR
TOOL CASE JACK
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.

ÚUse the extension and the wheel
nut wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.
Remove the wheel nuts, then
remove the f lat tire. Temporarily
place the f lat tire on the ground
with the outside surface of the
wheel f acing up. You could scratch
the wheel if you put it f ace down.
Loosen each wheel nut 1/2 turn
with the wheel nut wrench.
Place the jack under the jacking
point nearest the tire you need to
change. It is pointed to by a
mark molded into the underside of
the body. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch.
6.
7.8.
9.
Changing a Flat T ire
338
WHEEL NUT WRENCH WHEEL NUT WRENCH
EXTENSION

Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipeanydirtoff themounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten
them f ully.Lower the vehicle to the ground,
and remove the jack.
10.
11.12.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
339
BRAKE HUB

Store the jack and tools in the tool
case. Place the tool case in the f lat
tire.
Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to: Place the flat tire face down in the
spare tire well.
Wrap the spacer cone and spare
tire wing bolt with cloth or paper,
and store them in the spare tire
well.
14.
13.
15.16.
Changing a Flat T ire
340
SPACER CONE
WING BOLT
94 lbf·ft (127 N·m , 13 kgf·m) Loose items can fly around the
interiorinacrashandcould
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.

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.
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereis
probably something wrong with
the electrical circuit f or the
ignition switch or starter motor.
You will need a qualif ied
technician to determine the
problem (see
on page ).
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is
discharged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal
connections (see page ). You
canthentryjumpstartingthe
vehicle from a booster battery
(see page ).
Check these things:
Make sure the remote is with you,
inside the vehicle.
Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III):
Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
or neutral or the starter will not
operate.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights, and check
their brightness. If the headlights
areverydimordonotcomeonat
all, the battery is discharged. Seeon page .343 343
360
331
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Emergency T owing
Jump Starting
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
341

In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page . There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page .
Are you using a properly coded
built-in key or remote? An
improperly coded built-in key or
remote will cause the immobilizer
system indicator in the instrument
panel to blink rapidly (see page ).
Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the low f uel indicator may
not be working. 114 263
352
360
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing
If theEngineWon’tStart
342

´
Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
Open the hood, and check the
physical condition of the battery.
In very cold weather, check the
condition of the electrolyte. If it
seems slushy or f rozen, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.
Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, climate
control, stereo system, lights, etc.
You cannot start your vehicle by
pushing or pulling it. Remove the battery cover (see
page ), then remove the
secondary under-hood f use box
cover f rom the positive ( )
terminal on the battery.
Put the transmission in Park, and
set the parking brake.
1.
2.
3.
332
To Jump Start Your Vehicle:
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
343
COVER
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery. If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.