2009 Acura TL transmission

A convenient ref erence to the
sections in this manual.
A quick ref erence to the main
controls in your vehicle.
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and gauge,
and how to use the controls on the
dashboard and steering column.What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities,
and technical information.
The proper way to start the engine,
shif t the transmission, and park.
The maintenance minder shows you
when you need to take your vehicle
to the dealer for maintenance service.
There is also a list of things to check
and instructions on how to check
them.
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience,
and details how to handle them.
Important inf ormation about the
proper use and care of your vehicle’s
seat belts, an overview of the
supplemental restraint system, and
valuable inf ormation on how to
protect children with child restraints.
A summary of the warranties
covering your new vehicle, and how
to contact us for any reason. Refer to
your warranty manual f or detailed
inf ormation.
How to order manuals and other
technical literature.
A summary of the inf ormation you
need when you pull up to the f uel
pump.
How to operate the climate control
system, the audio system, and other
convenience f eatures.
Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Instruments and Controls
Features Bef ore Driving
Driving
T echnical Inf ormation
Maintenance
T aking Care of the Unexpected Warranty and Client Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only)
Index
Service Inf ormation Summary
Overview of Contents
2
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2009 TL

Î
Î
: If equipped
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Your Vehicle at a Glance
3
COMPASS
AUXILIARY INPUT
JACK
DRIVER’S FRONT AIRBAG
MIRROR CONTROLS
DRIVING POSITION
MEMORY SYSTEM
BUTTONS
POWER DOOR LOCK
MASTER SWITCH
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES
TRUNK RELEASE
BUTTON
FUEL FILL DOOR
RELEASE BUTTON
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE ACCESSORY POWER
SOCKETAUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSIONPASSENGER’S FRONT
AIRBAG
HAZARD WARNING
BUTTON
AUDIO
CLOCK
CLIMATE CONTROL
SYSTEM
ACCESSORY POWER
SOCKET
INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS
GAUGES
MULTI-INFORMATION DISPLAY
MOONROOF SWITCH
(P.63)
(P.75) (P.77)
(P.9,26)
(P.162)
(P.164)
(P.146) (P.195)
(P.148)
(P.487)
(P.489) USB ADAPTER CABLE
(P.256,266,347,358) (P.375)
(P.204)
HOMELINK
BUTTONS
(P.389) (P.199)
(P.9,26)
(P.139)(P.223)(P.377) (P.382)
(P.204) (P.507)
(P.214)
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2009 TL

Î
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: If equipped
Control L ocations
62
CLOCK
COMPASS
GAUGES
MULTI-INFORMATION DISPLAY
MIRROR CONTROLS
DRIVING POSITION
MEMORY SYSTEM
BUTTONS
POWER DOOR LOCK
MASTER SWITCH
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES
TRUNK RELEASE
BUTTON
FUEL FILL DOOR RELEASE
BUTTON
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS
HOMELINK
BUTTONSMOONROOF SWITCH
HAZARD WARNING
BUTTON
(P.63)
(P.75)
(P.77)
(P.162)
(P.164)
(P.146) (P.195)
(P.148)
(P.487)
(P.489) (P.507)
(P.204) (P.377)
(P.223)
(P.139)
(P.199)
(P.389)
AUDIO(P.382)
CLIMATE CONTROL
SYSTEM
(P.214)
ACCESSORY POWER
SOCKET
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
SEAT HEATER SWITCHES
(P.193)
USB ADAPTER CABLE
(P.256,266,347,358) ACCESSORY POWER
SOCKET
(P.204) AUXILIARY INPUT JACK
(P.375)
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CONT INUED
If you try to enter the customizing
mode while the vehicle is moving,
you will see a ‘‘MUST STOP AND
SHIFTTOPARKTOCHANGE
SETTINGS’’ message and you
cannot change the settings.
You can customize some vehicle
control settings f or ‘‘DRIVER 1’’ and
‘‘DRIVER 2’’ separately.
To have the driver’s ID detected,
make sure the driver’s door is
unlocked with a corresponding
remote transmitter/keyless access
remote.
You can customize some vehicle
control settings. To change the
settings, the ignition switch must be
in the ON (II) position, and the
vehicle must be stopped with the
transmission in Park.
If you turn the ignition switch to the
ACCESSORY (I) or the LOCK (0)
position, or move the shif t lever out
of Park, the display will change to
the normal screen.
Models equipped with the
keyless access system have an
engine start/stop button instead
of an ignition switch. VEHICLE
OFF (LOCK) Mode is the
equivalent of LOCK (0),
ACCESSORY Mode is the
equivalent of ACCESSORY (I),
and ON Mode is the equivalent
of ON (II). For more
information, see pages and. If you use the key to unlock the
driver’s door, the system cannot
recognize either ‘‘DRIVER 1’’ or
‘‘DRIVER 2.’’
:
180 178On models without keyless access
system
Multi-Inf ormation Display
K eyless Memory Settings
Inst rument s and Cont rols
91
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2009 TL

To turn the vehicle off when the
vehicle is completely stopped, shif t
to Park (P), then press the engine
start/stop button. The engine stops
and the power mode switches f rom
ON to VEHICLE OFF (LOCK).You can only place the vehicle in the
VEHICLE OFF (LOCK) mode if the
transmission is in Park. You will see
the ‘‘SHIFT TO PARK’’ message on
the multi-information display with
the power mode in ACCESSORY if
you open the driver’s door with the
shif t lever in a position other than P
(Park).AftershiftingintoPark,youwillsee
the ‘‘TO TURN VEHICLE OFF:’’
message on the multi-information
display. Press the engine start/stop
button twice with your foot off the
brake pedal to change the power
mode f rom ACCESSORY to
VEHICLE OFF (LOCK).
CONT INUED
K eyless A ccess System
Stopping the EngineOperat ion Guidance
Inst rument s and Cont rols
183
SHIFT TO PARK
TO TURN VEHICLE OFF
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Cruise control allows you to maintain
asetspeedabove25mph(40km/h)
without keeping your f oot on the
accelerator pedal. It should be used
f or cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended f or
city driving, winding roads, slippery
roads, heavy rain, or bad weather.When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshifttoholdthesetspeed.
Push in the CRUISE button on the
steering wheel. The CRUISE
MAIN indicator on the instrument
panel will come on. Press and release the SET/
DECELbuttononthesteering
wheel. The CRUISE CONTROL
indicator on the instrument panel
comes on to show the system is
now activated.
Cruise control may not hold the set
speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your vehicle speed
increases going down a hill, use the
brakes to slow down. This will cancel
thecruisecontrol.Toresumetheset
speed, press the RES/ACCEL button.
The CRUISE CONTROL indicator
on the instrument panel will come
back on.
Thecruisecontrolsystemcanbe
lefton,evenwhenitisnotinuse.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speedabove25mph(40km/h).
1.
2. 3.
Using the Cruise Control
Cruise Control
386
RES/ACCEL
BUTTON
SET/DECEL
BUTTON
CRUISE BUTTON
CANCEL BUTTON
Improper use of the cruise
control can lead to a crash.
Use the cruise control only
when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
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Aggressive driving (hard
acceleration and braking)
Excessive idling, accelerating and
braking in stop-and-go traf f ic
Cold engine operation (engines
aremoreefficientwhenwarmed
up)
Driving with a heavy load or the
air conditioner running
Improperly inf lated tires
The f ollowing f actors can lower your
vehicle’s f uel economy:
A properly maintained vehicle
maximizes f uel economy. Poor
maintenance can signif icantly reduce
f uel economy. Always maintain your
vehicle according to the maintenance
messages displayed on the
inf ormation display (see
on page ).
For example: Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking increase fuel
consumption.
Aerodynamic drag has a big ef f ect
on f uel economy at speeds above
45 mph (75 km/h). Reduce your
speed and you reduce the drag.
Trailers, car top carriers, roof
racks and bike racks are also big
contributors to increased drag.
If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, you can
boost your f uel economy by up
shif ting as early as possible.
Idling
results in 0 miles per gallon (0 kms
per liter).
It puts a heavier
load on the engine, increasing f uel
consumption.
In
particular, a build-up of snow or
mud on your vehicle’s underside
adds weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
economy. An underinf lated tire increases
‘‘rolling resistance,’’ which reduces
f uel economy.
543
CONT INUED
Fuel Economy Factors Use the recommended viscosity
motor oil, displaying the A PI
Certif ication Seal (see page ).
Improving Fuel Economy Owner’s
Maintenance Checks Drive moderately
Observe the speed limit
Always drive in the highest gear
possible
Avoid excessive idling
A void carrying excess weight in
your vehicle
K eep your vehicle clean
Maintain proper tire inf lation
547
Vehicle Maint enance Drive Ef f icient ly
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
493
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2009 TL

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the Super Handling-All
Wheel Drive (SH-AWD
)system,
vehicle stability assist (VSA
), aka
electronic stability control (ESC),
system and the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS). ........................
Preparing to Drive .502
Starting the Engine (Models without Keyless .....................
Access System) .503
Starting the Engine (Models with Keyless .....................
Access System) .505
..............
Automatic Transmission .507
Driving with the Paddle
.......................................
Shif ters .512
Super Handling-All Wheel ...
Drive (SH-AWD
) System .517
...........................................
Parking .519
.............................
Braking System .520
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .521
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
),
aka Electronic Stability ........
Control (ESC), System .523
Tire Pressure Monitoring ........................
System (TPMS) .526
...........................
Towing a Trailer .531
...................
Towing Your Vehicle .531
Driving
Driving
501
TM
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2009 TL