2009 Acura RL maintenance schedule

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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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2009 RL

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Select this option to delete
the current message.
Select this option to hear a
voice read the entire message. This
gives you more inf ormation than the
screen can display at one time. When
you select the Voice option, it
changes to a Stop Reading option.
Select the option again to stop the
voice.
Select this option to call a
phone number embedded in the
message. When you select , the
Bluetooth
HandsFreeLink(HFL)
dials the number f or you.
To make a call, your Bluetooth
compatible phone must be paired to
the vehicle’s HandsFreeLink system,
powered on, and located within the
vehicle(seepage). Select this
option to get more inf ormation about
the current diagnostic message. To
use this option, your cellphone must
be paired with the HFL. In addition,
the paired phone must have a
compatible data service and be set
up with the AcuraLink system to
make a data connection. Access the
handsf reelink.com website to f ind
out which data services are currently
compatible with AcuraLink.
To set your AcuraLink pref erences
(thetypesof messagesyouwantto
receive, if any), visit the My Acura
website at , and
choose what you would like to
receive. If you do not have internet
access, call Acura Client Services at
(800) 382-2238; they can set your
message pref erences f or you.
Select this
option to f ind the nearest Acura
dealer using the navigation system.
Select this
option to call the Acura dealer you
purchased your vehicle f rom.
AcuraLink also directs you to this
dealer so you can schedule a
maintenance appointment or receive
inf ormation about a message. If your
assigned servicing dealer changes,
AcuraLink will reset to call that
dealer.
347
www.owners.acura.com
Delete
Voice
Call Call Diagnostic Inf o
Message Pref erences
Find Nearest Dealer
Call Your Dealer
A curaL ink (U.S. models only)
Features
341
2009 RL

These messages, based on updated
vehicle inf ormation and comments
f rom other RL owners, supplement
your Owner’s Manual and Quick
Start Guide. They provide you with
relevant information for a safe and
enjoyable ownership experience. For
additional inf ormation, call Acura
Client Services directly through the
HFL.
There are six message categories in
AcuraLink: Quick Tips, Feature
Guide, Maintenance Minder,
Recalls/Campaigns, Diagnostic Inf o,
and Scheduled Dealer Appointment.
The system can store up to 255
messages.
Message categories can be added,
revised, or deleted through
broadcast messages f rom Acura.
During the f irst 90 days of
ownership, one of up to 28 dif f erent
messages appears each day. These
messages help you to use and
understand the f eatures of your
vehicle.
Message Categories Quick T ips Feature Guide
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Features
343
2009 RL

These messages provide detailed
inf ormation about the service
needed f or your vehicle. When a
maintenance message appears on
the multi-information display, a list of
needed maintenance items is
provided through an AcuraLink
message. These messages tell you
the exact maintenance needed,
helping you to avoid unnecessary
maintenance costs.You can use the f ollowing message
options:
Make an appointment f rom the
schedule at the dealer.
Reschedule the appointment with
the dealer.
Call your dealer f or an
appointment.
Find the nearest dealer. You can make an appointment with
your dealer through the AcuraLink
when you receive a maintenance
minder message.
To use the automated appointment
f unction, you should visit the My
Acura website at
, register some
required settings, and complete the
Phone-Data Connection set-up (see
page ). Your Bluetooth
compatible phone should also be
paired and linked to your vehicle’s
Bluetooth
HFL (see page ). 355
353
www.owners.acura.com
Maintenance MinderA ut omat ed A ppoint ment
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2009 RL

CONT INUED
When you see the maintenance
minder message on the multi-
inf ormation display, you will also
receive a message in the navigation
screen. Select ‘‘AcuraLink/
Messages’’ on the Setup screen, then
press ENTER.Select the received message, then
press ENTER. You will see the
message as shown. To make an
appointment, select ‘‘Schedule
Dealer Appt.’’ then press ENTER.
The system will automatically
connect to the Acura server, then
show you an appropriate
appointment date and time on the
navigation screen. If you accept this
appointment, select ‘‘Conf irm
Appointment,’’ then press ENTER.
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Features
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2009 RL

Using automated appointment, your
registered dealer through My Acura
is automatically selected. If you want
to select another dealer, such as in
case of an emergency, f ind the
nearest dealer and call the dealer
directly with the HFL.
When a maintenance appointment is
due soon, you will also receive an
appointment reminder message.
If you select the cancel appointment,
you cannot try to reschedule the
appointment. If you want to change
or reschedule the appointment date,
call your dealer directly with the
HFL.
If your vehicle is af f ected by a recall
or other important saf ety
inf ormation, a letter will be mailed to
you about the issue and how to f ix it.
If you don’t get your vehicle f ixed,
you will also receive a reminder
message through AcuraLink. You
canthenusethemessageoptionsto
call your dealer f or an appointment
or to f ind the nearest dealer.
A curaL ink (U.S. models only)
Recall/Campaigns
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2009 RL

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Do not tow a trailer. We recommend quality gasolines
containing detergent additives that
help prevent f uel system and engine
deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your authorized dealer f or service.
Your vehicle is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane of 91 or higher. If this
octane grade is unavailable, regular
unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane of 87 or higher may be used
temporarily. The use of regular
unleaded gasoline can cause metallic
knocking noises in the engine and
will result in decreased engine
perf ormance. The long-term use of
regular-grade gasoline can lead to
engine damage.
Break-in Period Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
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2009 RL

To eliminate potential hazards, read
the instructions bef ore you begin,
and make sure you have the tools
and skills required.To clean parts, use a commercially
available degreaser or parts
cleaner, not gasoline. Be sure there is
adequate ventilation whenever you
operate the engine.
Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
down bef ore touching any parts. Do
not run the engine unless
instructed to do so.
Some of the most important saf ety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every
conceivable hazard that can arise in
perf orming maintenance. Only you
can decide whether or not you
should perf orm a given task.
Make sure your vehicle is parked
on level ground, the parking brake
is set, and the engine is of f .
To reduce the possibility of f ire or
explosion, keep cigarettes, sparks,
and flames away from the battery
and all f uel-related parts.
Wear eye protection and
protective clothing when working
with the battery or compressed air.
All service items not detailed in this
section should be perf ormed by a
certif ied technician or other qualif ied
mechanic.
Maintenance Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Potential Vehicle HazardsCarbon Monoxide poison f rom
engine exhaust.
Burns f rom hot parts. Injury f rom moving parts.
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Improperly maintaining this
vehicle, or failing to correct a
problem before driving can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection
and maintenance
recommendations and
schedules in this owner’s
manual.
Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures
and precautions in this owner’s
manual.
2009 RL