2008 Acura TL engine overheat

2008 TL 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) ....................................................\
................................................ 3
Driver and Passenger Safety (seat belts, SRS, and child protection) ......................\
.............................. 5
Instruments and Controls
(indicators, gauges, multi-information display, dashboard and steering column)
.......... 55
Features (
climate control,audio,steering wheel,security,cruise control,HomeLink ®
,and other convenience items
) ........... 125
Before Driving (fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading) ...........................................\
........................... 235
Driving (engine and transmission operation) .........................................\
....................................................... 251
Maintenance (minder, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)........................................... 277
Taking Care of the Unexpected (flat tire, dead battery, overheating, fuses) .................................... 317
Technical Information (vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls) ....................................... 341
Warranty and Customer Relations (U. S. and Canada only) (warranty and contact information) ... 357
Authorized Manuals (U. S. only) (how to order) ..............................................\
........................................... 361
Index ......................................................................\
......................................................... ........................................ I

Service Information Summary ( fluid capacities and tire pressures)
\
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1 00X31-TK4-6001

When slowing down, you can get
extra braking from the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure the engine speed will not
go into the tachometer’s red zone in
the lower gear.
The manual transmission is
synchronized in all f orward gears f or
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot accidentally shif t f rom
f if th to reverse instead of sixth (see
page ). When shif ting up or
down,makesureyoupushtheclutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shif ting,
do not rest your f oot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster. Come to a full stop before you shift
into reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t into
reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause f or a f ew seconds bef ore
shif ting into reverse, or shif t into one
of the f orward gears f or a moment.
This stops the gears so they won’t
‘‘grind.’’
257The engine can be damaged if
you inadvertently downshif t into the wrong gear (f or example, going f romthird gear at high rpms to second gearinstead of upshif ting to f ourth gear; theengine speed limiter will not work in thissituation).
Manual T ransmission
256
Note:
Rapid slowing or speeding up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.
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Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that turns on every time you start the
engine and monitors the pressure in
your tires while driving.
Each tire has its own pressure
sensor. If the air pressure of a tire
becomes signif icantly low, the
sensor in that tire immediately sends
a signal that causes the low tire
pressure/TPMS indicator in the
instrumental panel and the
appropriate tire position indicator on
thetirepressuremonitoronthe
multi-inf ormation display (see page)tocomeon. When the low tire pressure/TPMS
indicator is on, one or more of your
tires is signif icantly underinf lated.
The multi-inf ormation display also
shows a ‘‘CHECK TIRE PRESSURE’’
message (see page ). You should
stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure as indicated on the
vehicle’s tire inf ormation placard.
Driving on a signif icantly under-
inf lated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inf lation also reduces f uel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
af f ect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.
Becausetirepressurevariesby
temperature and other conditions,
the low tire pressure/TPMS
indicator may come on unexpectedly. For example, if you check and f ill
your tires in a warm area, then drive
in extremely cold weather, the tire
pressure will be lower than
measured and could be underinflated
and cause the low tire pressure/
TPMS indicator to come on. Or, if
youcheckandadjustyourtire
pressure in cooler conditions, and
drive into extremely hot conditions,
the tire may become overinf lated.
However, the low tire pressure/
TPMS indicator will not come on if
the tires are overinflated.
Refer to page for tire inflation
guidelines.
If there is a problem with the TPMS,
this indicator begins to f lash. It stops
flashing after approximately 1
minute, then stays on. You will also
see a ‘‘CHECK TPMS SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-information
display (see page ).
273 274
306
275
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator
272
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CONT INUED
Remove the left or right side
engine compartment cover f rom
thesideyouareworkingonby
caref ully pulling the cover out.If youarereplacingthebulbon
the driver’s side, remove the air
intake cover by removing the two
f astener pins and pulling the cover
out. Then remove the upper part
of the air intake duct by pulling it
straight up.
Theheadlightswereproperlyaimed
when your vehicle was new. If you
regularly carry heavy items in the
trunk, readjustment may be required.
Adjustmentsshouldbedonebyyour
dealer or other qualif ied technician.
The headlight bulbs are a type of
high voltage discharge tube. High
voltage can remain in the circuit
even with the light switch off and the
key removed. Because of this, you
shouldnotattempttoexamineor
change a headlight bulb yourself . If a
headlight bulb f ails, take your
vehicle to a dealer to have it replaced.
1.
Headlight A iming Replacing a Daytime Running
Light Bulb
Headlights
Lights
Maint enance
297
Halogen bulbs get very hot when lit. Oil,
perspiration, or a scratch on the glass
can cause the bulb to overheat and
shatter.
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This section covers the more
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your vehicle towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire .318
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .319
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start .324
................................
Jump Starting .326
..............
If the Engine Overheats .328
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator .330
..........
Charging System Indicator .330
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp .331
...............
Brake System Indicator .332
..............................................
Fuses .333
..............................
Fuse Locations .335
......................
Emergency Towing .337
..........
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck .338
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
317
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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 temperature
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 f rom under the hood.
If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.
Look f or 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
(manual) or Park (automatic), and
set the parking brake. Turn of f all
accessories, and turn on the
hazard warning indicators.
1.
2. 3.
4.
5.
337
If theEngineOverheats
Emergency
Towing
328
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 (seeon 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 f irst stop. Af ter the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap, and turn it until it comes
off.
If you don’t f ind 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
heat. 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.
290
337
If theEngineOverheats
Emergency
Towing
A dding Engine CoolantT aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
329
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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CONT INUED
...................................
Fan, Interior .128
Features, Comfort and
..............................
Convenience .125
....................
Filling the Fuel Tank .237
........................................
Filter, Oil .288
.............
Flashers, Hazard Warning .90
...................
Flat Tire, Changing a .319
.....................................
Floor Mats .304
Fluids
..........
Automatic Transmission .292
..........................................
Brake .295
.........................................
Clutch .296
..............
Manual Transmission .294 ..........................
Power Steering .296
................
Windshield Washers .291
FM Stereo Radio ...................................
Reception .180
........................................
Fog Lights .89
..........................
Four-way Flashers .90
..............................
Front Airbags .9,24
....................................
Front Seats .103
....................................
Adjusting .103
.......................................
Heaters .111
.....................................
Airbags .9,24
.................................................
Fuel .236
......................
Fill Door and Cap .237
...........................................
Gauge .65
................
Octane Requirement .236
........................
Reserve Indicator .63
........................
Tank, Filling the .237
.....................
Fuses, Checking the .333
...............
Gas Mileage, Improving .243
............
Emergencies on the Road .317
.............
Battery, Jump Starting .326
...........
Brake System Indicator .332
................
Changing a Flat Tire .319
.....
Charging System Indicator .330
..................
Checking the Fuses .333
.........
Hazard Warning Flashers .90
......
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck .338
............................
Jump Starting .326
.....
Low Oil Pressure Indicator .330
...
Malf unction Indicator Lamp .331
..................
Overheated Engine .328
.......................................
Towing .337
.........................
Emergency Brake .117
......................
Emergency Flashers .90
......................
Emergency Towing .337
............
Emergency Trunk Opener .98
.......................
Emissions Controls .352
.............
Emissions Testing, State .355
Engine
....
Coolant Temperature Gauge .65
Malf unction Indicator
................................
Lamp .59,331
.................................
Oil Lif e .72,279
........
Oil Pressure Indicator .59,330
..............
Oil, What Kind to Use .287 ...............................
Overheating .328
............................
Specif ications .345
....................
Speed Limiter .257,264
..............................
Starting .253,254
.................
Engine, if it won’t start .324
......................
Ethanol in Gasoline .237
.
Evaporative Emissions Controls .352
...............................
Exhaust Fumes .52
Expectant Mothers, Use of Seat
........................................
Belts by .16
Index
F
G
INDEX
III
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