2009 Acura RL ESP

One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new vehicle is to
read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Af terwards, keep this owner’s manual in your vehicle so
youcanrefertoitatanytime.
Several warranties protect your new vehicle. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.As you read this manual, you will
f ind inf ormation that is preceded by
a symbol. This
inf ormation is intended to help you
avoid damage to your vehicle, other
property, or the environment.
Maintaining your vehicle according to the maintenance minder shown in the
instrument panel helps to keep your driving trouble-f ree while it preserves
your investment. When your vehicle needs maintenance, keep in mind that
your dealer’s staf f is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique
to your vehicle. Your dealer is dedicated to your satisf action and will be
pleased to answer any questions and concerns.
Congratulations on your selection of the 2009 Acura RL. We are certain you
will be pleased with your purchase of one of the f inest luxury vehicles in the
world.
Introduction
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2009 RL

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Your safety, and the safety of others,
is very important. And operating this
vehicle safely is an important
responsibility.
To help you make inf ormed
decisions about saf ety, we have
provided operating procedures and
other inf ormation on labels and in
this manual. This inf ormation alerts
you to potential hazards that could
hurt you or others.
Of course, it is not practical or
possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or
maintaining your vehicle. You must
use your own good judgement.
You will f ind this important saf ety inf ormation in a variety of f orms,
including:
on the vehicle.preceded by a saf ety alert symbol and one of
three signal words: , , or .
such as Important Saf ety Reminders or Important
Safety Precautions. such as Driver and Passenger Safety.
how to use this vehicle correctly and safely.
This entire book is f illed with important saf ety inf ormation please read it
caref ully. These signal words mean:
Saf ety L abels
Saf ety Messages
Saf ety Headings
Saf ety Section
Instructions
AFewWordsAboutSafety
DANGER WARNING CAUTION
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You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don’t follow instructions.
You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don’t follow instructions.
You CAN be HURT if you don’t follow
instructions.
2009 RL

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You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important. Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with airbags,
make sure you and your passengers
always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly (see page ).
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat, not the front seat. Infants and
smallchildrenshouldberestrained
in a child seat. Larger children
should use a booster seat and a lap/
shoulder belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat (see pages ).
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
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Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Restrain All Children Don’t Drink and Drive
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
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Locking the doors reduces the
chance of someone being thrown out
of the vehicle during a crash, and it
helps prevent passengers f rom
accidentally opening a door and
f alling out.
Locking the doors also helps prevent
an outsider f rom unexpectedly
opening a door when you come to a
stop.
See page f or how to lock the
doors.
When the trunk is not tightly closed,
the ‘‘TRUNK OPEN’’ indicator will
come on. When one or more doors and the
trunk lid are not tightly closed, the
corresponding indicator f or each
condition and the ‘‘DOOR & TRUNK
OPEN’’ indicator will come on. 153
Protecting A dults and Teens
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Your f ront airbags are also dual-
threshold airbags. Airbags with this
f eature have two deployment
thresholds that depend on whether
sensors detect the occupant is
wearing a seat belt or not.
If the occupant’s belt is ,
the airbag will deploy at a slightly
lower threshold, because the
occupant would need extra
protection.
Your f ront airbags are dual-stage
airbags. This means they have two
inf lation stages that can be ignited
sequentially or simultaneously,
depending on crash severity.
In a crash, both stages
will ignite simultaneously to provide
the quickest and greatest protection.
In a crash, one stage will
ignite first, then the second stage
will ignite a split second later. This
provides longer airbag inf lation time
with a little less force.
After a crash, you may see what
looks like smoke. This is actually
powder f rom the airbag’s surf ace.
Although the powder is not harmf ul,
people with respiratory problems
mayexperiencesometemporary
discomf ort. If this occurs, get out of
the vehicle as soon as it is saf e to do
so.
If the occupant’s belt is , the
airbag will inf late at a slightly higher
threshold, when the airbag would be
needed to supplement the protection
provided by the seat belt.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Dual-T hreshold A irbags
not lat ched
Dual-Stage A irbags
more severeless severe latched
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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 death of children age 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.
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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
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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.
2009 RL

As required by the FCC:This device complies with Part 15 of theFCC rules. Operation is subject to thef ollowing two conditions: (1) This devicemay not cause harmf ul interf erence, and(2) this device must accept anyinterf erence received, includinginterf erence that may cause undesiredoperation.
Changes or modif ications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible f orcompliance could void the user’sauthority to operate the equipment.
This device complies with IndustryCanada Standard RSS-210.Operation is subject to the f ollowing twoconditions: (1) this device may not causeinterf erence, and (2) this device mustaccept any interf erence that may causeundesired operation of the device.
When you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, the immobilizer
system indicator should come on f or
a f ew seconds, then go out. If the
indicator starts to blink, it means the
system does not recognize the
coding of the Honda smart key or
built-in key. Turn the ignition switch
to the LOCK (0) position, release the
ignition switch and push it, or
remove the built-in key, and reinsert
it.ThenturntheswitchtotheON
(II) position again. The system may not recognize your
key’s coding if another immobilizer
key or other metal object (i.e. key
f ob) is near the ignition switch when
you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position.
If the system repeatedly does not
recognize the coding of your remote
or built-in key, contact your dealer.
Do not attempt to alter this system
or add other devices to it. Electrical
problems could result that may make
your vehicle inoperable.
If you have lost your remote or
built-in key and cannot start the
engine, contact your dealer.
The immobilizer system protects
your vehicle f rom thef t. If an
improperly-coded key (or other
device) is used, the engine will not
start.
Immobilizer System
Inst rument s and Cont rols
151
Always take the keyless access remote
and built-in key with you whenever you
leave the vehicle alone.
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CONT INUED
Store a driving position only when
the vehicle is parked.Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. You cannot add a
new driving position to the
memory unless the ignition switch
is in the ON (II) position. You can
recall a memorized position with
the ignition switch in any position.
Adjust the seat to a comfortable
position (see page ).
Adjust the steering wheel to a
comf ortable position (see page ).
Adjust the outside mirrors f or best
visibility (see page ).
Your vehicle has a memory feature
f or the steering wheel, driver’s seat,
and outside mirror positions.
Two seat, steering wheel, and
outside mirror positions can be
stored in separate memories. You
select a memorized position by
pushing the appropriate button.
If you do not turn the heaters off,
they will shut themselves of f af ter 5
to 40 minutes (depending on the
ambient temperature). It also shuts
of f when you turn of f the ignition
switch.
You can also select the memorized
positions by unlocking the doors
with the remote. Each remote has a
driver’s ID (see page ). The
driver’s ID (Driver 1) corresponds to
the memorised positions stored with
the memory button (1). The driver’s
ID (Driver 2) corresponds to the
memorized positions stored with the
memory button (2).1.
2.
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Storing a Driving Position in
Memory
Driving Position Memory System
Mirrors, Driving Position Memory System
Inst rument s and Cont rols
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