2005 Acura RL service

2005 RL 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.h\
elminc.com.
Contents


Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safet y........................................................................\
.........................................ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
............................................ .4
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
..................................... .7
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
........................................ .57
Instrume nt panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Features ........................................................................\
................................................................... .161
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................247
What gasoline to use, how to break -in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
......................................................................261
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................289
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take you r vehicle to the dealer.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
..............................335
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, an d how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
............................................ .363
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................377
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................381
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.

µ
This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts. It
explains how your airbags work. And
it tells you how to properly restrain
inf ants and children in your vehicle.
.........
Important Safety Precautions . 8
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features . 9
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens . 13
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 13
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 14
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 15
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 16
5. Fasten and Position the Seat .....................................
Belts .17
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .18
.........
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 19
.......
Additional Safety Precautions . 20Additional Inf ormation About
.......................
Your Seat Belts .21
..
Seat Belt System Components . 21
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .21
Automatic Seat Belt ...............................
Tensioners .22
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 23
Additional Inf ormation About ...........................
Your Airbags .24
......
Airbag System Components . 24
How Your Front Airbags .........................................
Work .27
...
How Your Side Airbags Work . 30
How Your Side Curtain ..........................
Airbags Work .32
..
How the SRS Indicator Works . 32
How the Side Airbag Of f ......................
Indicator Works .33
How the Passenger Airbag ...............
Of f Indicator Works . 33
.............................
Airbag Service .34
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 35
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .36
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .36 All Children Should Sit in a
.................................
Back Seat .37
The Passenger’s Front Airbag .........
Can Pose Serious Risks . 37
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .39
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .39
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 40
Protecting Inf ants and Small ...................................
Children .41
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .41
.........
Protecting Small Children . 42
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .43
....................
Installing a Child Seat .44
...............................
With LATCH .45
..........................
With a Seat Belt .47
..............................
With a Tether .49
...........
Protecting Larger Children . 50
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit . 50
..................
Using a Booster Seat . 51
When Can a Larger Child Sit in .........................................
Front .52
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 53
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 54
...................................
Saf ety Labels .55
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
7

Even if your
airbags do not inflate, your dealer
should inspect the driver’s seat
position sensor and the f ront
passenger’s weight sensors to
make sure they are operating
properly.
If no one is riding in the f ront seat,
the airbag will be automatically shut
of f . However, the indicator will not
come on.
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 your dealer or a
knowledgeable body shop. Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly.
If the indicator comes on with no
passenger in the f ront, or with an
adult in the seat, there may be a
problem with the advanced airbag
system. Have the vehicle checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
The Passenger Airbag Of f indicator
may also come on and of f repeatedly
if total weight on the seat is near the
airbag cutof f threshold.
If this happens, have the passenger
ride properly restrained in a back
seat. If the passenger must ride in
front, move the seat as far to the
rear as possible, have the passenger
sit upright and wear the seat belt
properly.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
If your vehicle has a moderat e t o
severe impact .
An airbag ever inf lates. T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o a
problem.
Airbag Service
34

Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
This could make the
driver’s seat position sensor or the
f ront passenger’s weight sensors
inef f ective. If it is necessary to
remove or modif y a f ront seat to
accommodate a person with
disabilities, f irst contact Acura
Client Services at 800-382-2238. Improperly replacing
or covering f ront seat-back covers
can prevent your side airbags f rom
inf lating during a side impact.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason.
Do not remove or modif y a f rontseat wit hout consult ing yourdealer. Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ingyour dealer.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
35

If this happens, pull to the side of the
road when it is saf e, check which tire
has lost the pressure on the multi-
inf ormation display, and determine
the cause. If it is because of a flat tire,
replace the flat tire with the compact
spare (see page ), and have the
f lat tire repaired as soon as possible.
If two or more tires are underinf lated,
call a prof essional towing service.
For more inf ormation, see page .
Pull to the side of the road when it is
saf e, shif t to Park, and let the engine
idle until the indicator goes out.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II).
If it comes on while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are extremely low on
pressure.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II). If this
indicator comes on at any other time,
there is a problem in the SH-AWD
system. You will also see a ‘‘CHECK
SH-AWD SYSTEM’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page
). Take your vehicle to a dealer to
have it checked. For more
inf ormation, see page .
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
If it comes on while driving, it
indicates the dif f erential
temperature is too high.
You will also see a ‘‘SH-AWD DIFF
TEMP. HIGH’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page
).
If the indicator blinks while driving,
pull to the side of the road when it is
saf e, shif t to Park, and let the engine
idle until the indicator goes out. 336
360
76
272
77
76 SH-A WD Indicator
Low Tire Pressure
Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
Inst rument s and Cont rols
65
Continuing to drive with the SH-AWD
indicator blinking may cause serious
damage to the system.

You can receive or make phone calls
f rom your cell phone through your
Acura’s HandsFreeLink (HFL)
system without touching your cell
phone.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.
To use the system, your cell phone
and the HFL system must be linked.
Not all cell phones are compatible
with this system. Ref er to page
for instructions on how to link
your cell phone to the HFL and how
to receive or make phone calls. 291
290
230
HandsFreeL ink
Maintenance Messages
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Inst rument s and Cont rols
75
TM

The engine may not run, and some
malf unctions may occur, if the
remote is:The engine may not start if the
remote is subjected to strong radio
waves.
Also, the engine may not start if the
remote is too close to the windows.
Outside the vehicle.
On the dashboard.
On the rear interior panel.
In the glove box.
In the door pockets.
In the trunk, etc.
K eyless A ccess System
Ignition Switch Operating Range
136
Make sure you know where the remote
is when you are inside the vehicle.
Remember that you can start the engine
without using the built-in key when the
remote is inside the vehicle.
Make sure you always carry the remote
with you.
If you lose your remote, call Acura
Client Services at (800) 382-2238 (U.S.
models).

The indicator stays on while you
are driving.
The indicator comes on with the
ignition switch in the ON (II)
position.
The indicator comes on f or several
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch to ON (II). Have your vehicle
checked by your dealer if : If you lose or drop your remote, and
the beeper sounds, contact Acura
Client Services at (800) 382-2238
(U.S. models)
The multi-inf ormation display
shows ‘‘CHECK KEYLESS
ACCESS SYSTEM.’’
In this case, use the built-in key to
lock/unlock the doors and start the
engine.
K eyless A ccess System
Check K eyless A ccess Syst em
140
KEYLESS ACCESS SYSTEM
INDICATOR