2008 Acura RL ECU

2008 RL Online Reference Owner's Manual

Contents

Owner's Identification Form

Introduction .............................................................................................................................\
............................. i

A Few Words About Safety ......................................................................\
........................................................ iii
Your Vehicle at a Glance (main controls) ....................................................\
................................................ 4
Driver and Passenger Safety (seat belts, SRS, and child protection) ......................\
.............................. 7
Instruments and Controls
(indicators, gauges, multi-information display, dashboard and steering column)
.......... 59
Features (
climate control,audio,steering wheel,security,cruise control,HomeLink,an\
d other convenience items
) ............ 197
Before Driving (fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading) ...........................................\
........................... 327
Driving (engine and transmission operation) .........................................\
....................................................... 345
Maintenance (minders, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)......................................... 385
Taking Care of the Unexpected (flat tire, dead battery, overheating, fuses) ..................................... 431
Technical Information (vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls) ....................................... 461
Warranty and Customer Relations (U. S. and Canada only) (warranty and contact information) ... 477
Authorized Manuals (U. S. only) (how to order) ..............................................\
........................................... 481
Index ......................................................................\
......................................................... ........................................ I

Service Information Summary ( fluid capacities and tire pressures)
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1 31SJA630

If the seat belt touches or crosses
your neck, or if it crosses your arm
instead of your shoulder, you need to
adjust the seat belt anchor height.
Insert the latch plate into the buckle,
then tug on the belt to make sure the
belt is securely latched. Check that
the belt is not twisted, because a
twisted belt can cause serious
injuries in a crash.
This spreads the f orces of a crash
over the strongest bones in your
upper body.
Position the lap part of the belt as
low as possible across your hips,
then pull up on the shoulder part of
the belt so the lap part f its snugly.
This lets your strong pelvic bones
take the force of a crash and reduces
the chance of internal injuries.
If necessary, pull up on the belt again
to remove any slack, then check that
the belt rests across the center of
your chest and over your shoulder.
CONT INUED
Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts
5.
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
17
Improperly positioning the seat
belts can cause serious injury
or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are
properly positioned before
driving.
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For added protection, the f ront seat
belts are equipped with automatic
seat belt tensioners. When activated,
the tensioners immediately tighten
the belts to help hold the driver and
a f ront passenger in position.
The seat belts in all positions except
the driver’s have a lockable retractor
that must be activated to secure a
child seat (see page ).
If a side airbag or side curtain airbag
deploys during a side impact, the
tensioner on that side of the vehicle
will also deploy.
The tensioners can also be activated
during a collision in which the f ront
airbags . In this case, the
airbags would not be needed, but the
additional restraint could be helpf ul.
When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled.
If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the lockable
retractor will activate. The belt will
retract, but it will not allow the
passenger to move f reely.
To deactivate the lockable retractor,
unlatch the buckle and let the seat
belt fully retract. To refasten the
seat belt, pull it out only as f ar as
needed. The tensioners are designed to
activate in any collision severe
enough to cause the f ront airbags to
deploy.
49
do not deploy
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
23
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µ
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If you have children, or ever need to
drive with a child in your vehicle, be
sure to read this section. It begins
with important general guidelines,
then presents special inf ormation f or
infants, small children, and larger
children. Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In f act, vehicle
accidents are the number one cause
of the death of children ages 12 and
under.
To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian province requires that
inf ants and children be properly
restrained when they ride in a
vehicle.
(see pages ). (see pages ).
Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many adults do not know
how to protect child
passengers.
55
52
51
43
properly
Protecting Children General Guidelines
All Children Must Be Restrained
Inf ant s and small children must be
rest rained in an approved child seatt hat is properly secured t o t hevehicle Larger children must be restrained
wit h a lap/shoulder belt and ride ona boost er seat unt il t he seat belt f it st hem properly
38
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in a
crash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt and
use a booster seat if necessary.
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Many parents say they pref er to put
an inf ant or a small child in the f ront
passenger seat so they can watch the
child, or because the child requires
attention.
Placing a child in the f ront seat
exposes the child to hazards in a
f rontal collision, and paying close
attention to a child distracts the
driver from the important tasks of
driving, placing both of you at risk.
Your vehicle has a back seat where
children can be properly restrained.
If you ever have to carry a group of
children, and a child must ride in
front:
Move the vehicle seat as far to the
rear as possible (see page ).
Have the child sit upright and well
backintheseat(seepage).
Make sure the seat belt is properly
positioned and secured (see page ). If a child requires close physical
attention or f requent visual contact,
we strongly recommend that another
adult ride with the child in a back
seat. The back seat is far safer for a
child than the front.
Place the largest child in the f ront
seat, provided the child is large
enough to wear the lap/shoulder
belt properly (see page ).
During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child
and cause serious or fatal injuries.
If they do, they
couldbeveryseriouslyinjuredina
crash. If you are not wearing a
seat belt in a crash, you could be
thrown forward and crush the
child against the dashboard or a
seat-back. If you are wearing a
seat belt, the child can be torn
from your arms and be seriously
hurt or killed.
17 52
155
18
Protecting Children General Guidelines
If You Must Drive with Several
Children If a Child Requires Close
AttentionAdditional Saf ety Precautions
Never put a seat belt over yourself
and a child.
Never let two children use thesame seat belt .
Neverholdaninfantorchildon
your lap.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
41
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Conventional child seats must be
secured to a vehicle with a seat belt,
whereas LATCH-compatible seats
are secured by attaching the seat to
hardware built into the two outer
seating positions in the back seat.
Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt.
If it is necessary to put a f orward-
f acing child seat in the f ront, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, and be sure the child seat is
f irmly secured to the vehicle and the
child is properly strapped in the seat. Whatever type of seat you choose, to
provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:
Look f or FMVSS
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.
Rear-facing for infants, forward-
f acing f or small children.
When buying a child seat, you need
to choose either a conventional child
seat, or one designed f or use with
the lower anchors and tethers for
children (LATCH) system.
CONT INUED
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children, Selecting a Child Seat
Selecting a Child Seat
T he child seat should meet U.S. or
Canadian Mot or Vehicle Saf et ySt andard 213.
T he child seat should be of theproper type and size to f it the child.
1.
2.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
45
Placing a forward-facing child
seat in the front seat can result
in serious injury or death if the
front airbag inflates.
Ifyoumustplaceaforward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible, and properly restrain
the child.
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Af ter selecting a proper child seat
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:All child seats must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of a lap/shoulder belt or with
the LATCH (lower anchors and
tethers for children) system. A
child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash.
Af ter installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure.
A child seat secured with a seat belt
should be installed as f irmly as
possible. However, it does not need
to be ‘‘rock solid.’’ Some side-to-side movement can be expected and
should not reduce the child seat’s
ef f ectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a dif f erent seating
position, or use a dif f erent style of
child seat that can be f irmly secured.
Bef ore purchasing a conventional
child seat, or using a previously
purchased one, we recommend that
you test the seat in the specif ic
vehicle seating position or positions
where the seat will be used.
Make sure the child is properly
strappedinthechildseat
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
canbeseriouslyinjuredinacrash.
The f ollowing pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A f orward-f acing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same f or rear-
f acing child seats.
Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat
Properly secure t he child seat t o the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured.
T he child seat should f it the
vehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used.
Secure the child in the child seat.
3.
1.
2. 3.
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CONT INUED
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat:Move the seat belt buckle or
tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (lower anchors and tethers
for children) at the outer rear seats.
Make sure there are no objects
near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors.Push the rear head restraint tilt
button on the ceiling console to
pivot the head restraints down.
The lower anchors are located
between the seat-back and seat
bottom, and are to be used only with
a child seat designed f or use with
LATCH.
The location of each lower anchor is
indicated by a small button above the
anchor point.
1.
2.3.
Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
47
LOWER
ANCHORS
REAR HEAD RESTRAINT TILT BUTTON
BUTTON
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