2009 Acura RL Owner's Manual

The instrument panel has many
indicators to give you important
inf ormation about your vehicle.You will also see a ‘‘CHECK
EMISSION SYSTEM’’ message on
the multi-information display. For
more information, see page .
The engine can be severely damaged
if this indicator f lashes or stays on
when the engine is running, or if a
‘‘CHECK ENGINE OIL LEVEL’’
message is on the multi-information
display. For more inf ormation, see
page .
If this indicator comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged, and you will also see
a ‘‘CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display. For more inf ormation, see
page .
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. It reminds you and your
passenger to f asten your seat belts.
A beeper also sounds if you have not
f astened your seat belt.
If you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position bef ore f astening
your belt, the beeper sounds and the
indicator f lashes. If you do not f asten
your seat belt bef ore the beeper
stops, the indicator stops f lashing
but remains on. If your f ront passenger does not
f asten their seat belt, the indicator
comes on about 6 seconds af ter the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
(II) position.
If either of you do not f asten your
seat belt while driving, the beeper
will sound and the indicator will f lash
again at regular intervals. For more
inf ormation, see page .
You will also see a ‘‘FASTEN SEAT
BELT’’ or ‘‘FASTEN PASSENGER
SEAT BELT’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
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507
Instrument Panel Indicators
L ow Oil Pressure
Indicator
Charging System
Indicator
Malf unction Indicator
Lamp
Seat Belt Reminder
Indicator
62
2009 RL

This indicator comes on brief ly when
you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position. If it comes on at
any other time, it indicates a
potential problem with your f ront
airbags. This indicator will also alert
you to a potential problem with your
side airbags, passenger’s side airbag
automatic cutoff system, side curtain
airbags, automatic seat belt
tensioners driver’s seat position
sensor, the f ront passenger’s weight
sensors, or, on models with ACC,
seat belt e-pretensioners. You will
also see a ‘‘CHECK AIRBAG
SYSTEM’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
For more inf ormation, see page .
This indicator has two f unctions:
Itcomesonwhenyouturnthe
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. It is a reminder to check
the parking brake. Driving with
the parking brake not f ully
released can damage the rear
brakes, axles, and tires.
If you drive without releasing the
parking brake, a beeper will sound,
and you will also see a ‘‘RELEASE
PARKING BRAKE’’ message on
the multi-information display (see
page ).
If it stays on after you have fully
released the parking brake while
the engine is running, or if it
comes on while driving, it can
indicate a problem in the brake system. You will also see a
‘‘BRAKE FLUID LOW’’ or
‘‘CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display. For more inf ormation, see
page .
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. If it comes on at any
other time, it indicates that the
passenger’s side airbag has
automatically shut of f . You will also
see a ‘‘PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG
OFF’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
For more inf ormation, see page .
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3579
508
Instrument Panel Indicators
Supplemental Restraint
System Indicator
Parking Brake and Brake System
Indicator
Side Airbag Of f Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
63
U.S. Canada
U.S. Canada
2009 RL

This indicator reminds you that the
exterior lights are on. It comes on
when the light switch is in either theor position. This indicator
will also come on when the light
switch is in AUTO and the lights
turn on automatically. If you turn the
ignition switch to the ACCESSORY
(I) or the LOCK (0) position without
turning of f the light switch, this
indicator will remain on. A reminder
chime will also sound when you open
the driver’s door.
This indicator comes on f or a f ew
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position. It will
then go of f if you have a properly-
coded remote. If it is not a properly-
coded remote, the indicator will blink
and the engine will not start (see
page ). If you use the remote, this indicator
blinks several times when you turn
the ignition switch from
ACCESSORY (I) to the LOCK (0)
position.
If you use the built-in key, this
indicator blinks several times when
you turn the ignition switch f rom ON
(II) to the ACCESSORY (I) position.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position, and when the ignition
switch is turned to the START (III)
position. If this indicator comes on at
any other time, there is a problem in
theABS.If thishappens,takethe
vehicle to your dealer to have it
checked. With this indicator on, your
vehicle still has normal braking
ability but no anti-lock f unction. You
will also see a ‘‘CHECK ABSSYSTEM’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
For more inf ormation, see page .
The lef t or right turn signal indicator
blinks when you signal a lane change
or turn. If the indicator does not
blink or blinks rapidly, it usually
means one of the turn signal bulbs is
burned out (see page ). Replace
the bulb as soon as possible, since
other drivers cannot see that you are
signaling.
When you press the hazard warning
button, both turn signals blink. All
turn signals on the outside of the
vehicle should f lash.
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470
Instrument Panel Indicators
Lights On Indicator
Immobilizer System
Indicator Anti-lock Brake System
(A BS) Indicator Turn Signal and
Hazard Warning
Indicators
64
2009 RL

This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.This indicator has three f unctions:
Itcomesonasareminderthatyou
have turned off the vehicle
stability assist (VSA) system.
It flashes when VSA is active (see
page ).
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. For more inf ormation, see
page . It comes on along with the VSA
system indicator if there is a
problem with the VSA system.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK VSA
SYSTEM’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
If itcomesonandstaysonatany
other time, or it does not come on
when you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, there is a
problem with the VSA system. You
will also see a ‘‘CHECK VSA
SYSTEM’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
Take your vehicle to a dealer to have
it checked. Without VSA, your
vehicle still has normal driving ability,
but will not have VSA traction and
stability enhancement. For more
inf ormation, see page . This indicator comes on when you
turn on the fog lights. For more
inf ormation, see page .
This indicator comes on with the
high beam headlights. For more
inf ormation, see page .
This indicator also comes on with
reduced brightness when the
daytime running lights (DRL) are on
(see page ).
This indicator comes on when you
turn on the cruise control system by
pressing the CRUISE button on the
steering wheel (see page ).
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435 435
435
On models without adaptive cruise control (ACC)
Instrument Panel Indicators
Vehicle Stability Assist
(VSA ) System Indicator VSA A ctivation Indicator Fog L ight Indicator
High Beam Indicator
Cruise Main Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
65
2009 RL

This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
When you push the ACC button on
the steering wheel, this indicator
comes on green. You will also see
‘‘ACC’’ on the multi-inf ormation
display.
If the indicator comes on orange,
there is a problem with the ACC
system. You will also see a ‘‘CHECK
ACC SYSTEM’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page). Take your vehicle to your
dealer to have it checked. For more
inf ormation, see page . This indicator is in the f uel gauge. It
comesonasareminderthatyou
must ref uel soon. You will also see a
‘‘FUEL LOW’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
When the indicator comes on, there
is about 2.69 U.S. gal (10.2
)of fuel
remaining in the tank bef ore the
needle reaches E. There is a small
reserve of f uel remaining in the tank
when the needle does reach E. 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.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. 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(seepage ).Takeyour
vehicle to a dealer to have it checked.
For more inf ormation, 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
).
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On models with adaptive cruise control
(ACC)
Instrument Panel Indicators
A daptive Cruise Control
(A CC) Indicator L ow Fuel Indicator Super Handling-A ll
Wheel Drive (SH-AWD)
Indicator
66
LOW FUEL INDICATOR
2009 RL

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.You will also see a ‘‘CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
Check the tire pressure monitor on
the multi-inf ormation display and
determinethecause(seepage ).
If this happens, pull to the side of the
road when it is saf e, check which tire
has lost pressure on the multi-
inf ormation display, and determine
the cause. If it is because of a flat tire,
have the flat 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 .
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
This indicator has two f unctions:
If it comes on while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are signif icantly low
on pressure. If this indicator begins to f lash,
there is a problem with the tire
pressure monitoring system
(TPMS). You will also see a
‘‘CHECK TPMS SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display. The indicator continues to
f lash f or a while (approximately 1
minute), then stays on. If this
happens, have your dealer check
the system as soon as possible.
For more inf ormation, see page
.
1. 2.
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Instrument Panel Indicators
Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
67
Continuing to drive with the SH-AWD
indicator blinking may cause serious
damage to the system.
2009 RL

This indicator normally comes on
when you turn the ignition to the ON
(II) position and goes of f af ter the
engine starts. If it comes on at any
other time, there is a problem with
the power steering system. You will
also see a ‘‘CHECK POWER
STEERING SYSTEM’’ message on
the multi-information display (see
page ). If this happens, stop the
vehicle in a safe place, and turn off
the engine. Reset the system by
restarting the engine, and watch this
indicator. If it does not go of f or
comes back on again while driving,
take the vehicle to your dealer to
have it checked. With the indicator
on, the ECPS is turned of f , which
could make the vehicle harder to
steer.This indicator comes on when there
is a system message on the multi-
inf ormation display. Press the INFO
button on the steering wheel (see
page ) to see the message (see
page ).
Most of the time, this indicator
comes on along with other indicators
in the instrument panel such as the
seat belt reminder indicator, SRS
indicator, VSA system indicator, etc.
The indicator comes on when you
run the engine while the vehicle is
not moving. To turn the indicator of f ,
restart the engine.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it comes on at any other
time, it indicates that there is a
problem with the system. You will
also see a ‘‘CHECK KEYLESS
ACCESS SYSTEM’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page
). For more inf ormation, see page.
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Instrument Panel Indicators
Message Indicator
Electronically Controlled
Power Steering System
(ECPS) Indicator
K eyless Access System
Indicator
68
2009 RL

This indicator comes on when the
security system is set. For more
inf ormation, see page .
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
Itcomesonasareminderthatyou
have turned off the adaptive front
lighting system (AFS).
This indicator blinks when there is a
problem with the AFS system; you
will also see a ‘‘CHECK ADAPTIVE
FRONT LIGHTING SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display (see page ). If this
happens, stop the vehicle in a saf e
place, turn the ignition switch to the
ACCESSORY (I) or the LOCK (0)
position, and restart the engine. If
the indicator does not go of f or
blinks again, take your vehicle to a
dealer to have it checked. For more
inf ormation, see page .
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. It also comes on as areminder that you have turned of f
the collision mitigation brake system
(CMBS).
The CMBS indicator also comes on
if dirt or other debris blocks the
radar sensor in the f ront grille. You
will also see a ‘‘CHECK CMBS
RADAR SENSOR’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display. When you
clean the radar sensor, the indicator
should go of f the next time you turn
the ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
If the indicator comes on at any
other time, there is a problem with
the CMBS. You will also see a
‘‘CHECK CMBS SYSTEM’’ message
on the multi-information display. If
this happens, take your vehicle to a
dealer, and have it checked. For
more information, see page .
When this indicator is on, the CMBS
is not working.
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423
If equipped
If equipped
A daptive Front L ighting
System (A FS) IndicatorSecurity System Indicator
Collision Mitigation
Brake System (CMBS)
Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
Inst rument s and Cont rols
69
SECURITY SYSTEM INDICATOR
2009 RL