2007 Acura TL Owner's Manual

Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position: 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
faster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. When
you turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, you do not
hear the normal noise of the engine
trying to start. You may hear a
clicking sound, a series of clicks, or
nothing at all. Turn
the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the fuses. If the fuses
are OK, there is probably
something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified 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 connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
from a booster battery (see page
).
Turn
the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Turn on the
headlights, and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or do not come on at all,
the battery is discharged. See
on page .
Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, the shif t
lever must be in Park or neutral.
Check these things:
320 331
308
320
If theEngineWon’tStart
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Emergency T owing
Jump Starting
318
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In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position, but the engine does not run.
Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the instrument panel
to blink rapidly (see page ).
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer to
on page . There
may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses
(see page ). Ifyoufindnothingwrong,youwill
need
a qualified technician to find
the problem. See
on page .
Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the warning indicator may
not be working.
63
247 327
331
If theEngineWon’tStart
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
319
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Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
You cannot start a vehicle with an
automatic transmission by pushing
or pulling it.
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 like ice, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.
The numbers in the illustration
show you the order to connect the
jumper cables.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
battery. Connect the other end to
the positive ( ) terminal on the
booster battery.
Turn of f all the electrical
accessories: heater, A/C, audio
system, lights, etc. Put the
transmission in neutral (M/T) or
Park (A/T), and set the parking
brake.
1.
2.
3.
Jump Starting
To Jump Start Your Vehicle:
320
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.
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µOnce the vehicle is running,
disconnect the negative cable f rom
the engine hanger on your vehicle,
then from the booster battery.
Disconnect the positive cable f rom
your vehicle, then f rom the
booster battery.
Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the vehicle until everything is
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short. Start the vehicle. If the starter
motor still operates slowly, check
that the jumper cables have good
metal-to-metal contact.
Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the grounding strap
as shown. Do not connect this
jumper cable to any other part of
the engine.
If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle. 7. 6.
5. 4.
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
321
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If you do not see steam or spray,
leave the engine running, and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading,
the engine should start to cool
down almost immediately. If it
does, wait until the temperatu re
gauge comes down to the midpoint,
then continue driving.
The
pointer of the vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange. If it climbs to the red
mark, you should determine the
reason (hot day, driving up a steep
hill, etc.).
If the vehicle overheats, you should
take immediate action. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming from under the hood. If
the temperatu re gauge stays at
the red mark, turn off the engine.
Look for any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (see on page ).
If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine. Wait until you see
no more signs of steam or spray,
then open the hood. Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in neutral
(M/T) or Park (A/T), and set the
parking brake. Turn of f all
accessories, and turn on the
hazard warning indicators.
1.
2. 3.
4.
5.
331
If theEngineOverheats
Emergency
Towing
322
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to the engine.
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Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine, and check
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair (see
on page ).
If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
Using
gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the first stop. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap, and turn it until it comes
off.
If
you don’t find an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Add coolant
if the level is below the MIN mark
(see on
page ).
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may need to add
coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, bef ore check-
ing the radiator. Start the engine, and set the
interior temperature to maximum.
Add coolant to the radiator up to
the base of the f iller neck. If you
do not have the proper coolant
mixture available, you can add
plain water. Remember to have
the cooling system drained and
ref illed with the proper mixture as
soon as you can.
8. 9.
7.
11. 10.
6.
286
331
If theEngineOverheats
Emergency
Towing
A dding Engine CoolantT aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
323
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.
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Safely pull off the road, and shut
off the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ).
Start the engine, and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If it does not go
out within 10 seconds, turn off the
engine. There is a mechanical
problem that needs to be repaired
befo re you can continue driving
(see on page
).
Let
the vehicle sit for a minute.
Op en the hood, and check the oil
level (see page ). An engine
very low on oil can lose pressure
during cornering and other driving
maneuvers. Immediately turn of f all electrical
accessories. Try not to use other
electrically operated controls such as
the power windows. Keep the engine
running; starting the engine will
discharge the battery rapidly.
Go to a service station or garage
where you can get technical
assistance.
This indicator should never
come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing or stays
on, the oil pressure has dropped very
low or lost pressure. Serious engine
damage is possible, and you should
take immediate action. If the charging system
indicator comes on brightly
when the engine is running, the
battery is not being charged.
1.
2.
3.
4. 238
283
331
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator, Charging System Indicator
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
Emergency T owingCharging System Indicator
324
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn of f
the engine as soon as you can saf ely get
the vehicle stopped.
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If the indicator comes on repeatedly,
even though it may go off as you
continue driving, have the vehicle
checked by your dealer as soon as
possible.
If
this indicator comes on
while driving, it means one
of the engine’s emissions control
systems may have a problem. Even
though you may feel no difference in
your vehicle’s performance, it can
reduce your fuel economy and cause
increased emissions. Continued
operation may cause serious damage.
Your vehicle has certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that are part of the on-board
diagnostics for the emissions
systems. In some states, part of the
emissions testing is to make sure
these codes are set. If they are not
set, the test cannot be completed. To
check if they are set, turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position, without starting the engine.
The malfunction indicator lamp will
come on for 20 seconds. If it then
goes off, the readiness codes are set.
If it blinks five times, the readiness
codes are not set. If possible, do not
take your vehicle for a state
emissions test until the readiness
codes are set. Refer to
for more
info rmation (see page ).
If
you have recently refueled your
vehicle, the indicator coming on
could be due to a loose or missing
fu el fill cap. You will also see a
‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL CAP’’ message on
the multi-information display.
Tighten the cap until it clicks at least
once (see page ). Tightening the
cap will not turn the indicator of f
immediately; it can take several days
of normal driving. If your vehicle’s battery has been
disconnected or gone dead, these
codes are erased. It can take several
days of driving under various
conditions to set the codes again.
348
236
Malf unction Indicator L amp
Readiness Code
State
Emissions T estingT aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
325
If you keep driving with the
malf unction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your vehicle’s emissions
controls and engine. Those repairs may
not be covered by your vehicle’s
warranties.
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