2011 ACURA RL service

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Calif ornia Proposition 65 Warning
This product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth
def ects or other reproductive harm.
Event Data Recorders
This data belongs to the vehicle owner and may not be accessed by anyone else
except as legally required or with the permission of the vehicle owner.
Service Diagnostic Recorders
This vehicle is equipped with service-related devices that record inf ormation about powertrain perf ormance. The data
can be used to verif y emissions law requirements and/or help technicians diagnose and solve service problems. It may
also be combined with data f rom other sources f or research purposes, but it remains conf idential.
Calif ornia Perchlorate Contamination Prevention Act
The airbags, seat belt tensioners, and CR type batteries in this vehicle may contain perchlorate materials special
handling may apply. See
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate/
Introduction
WARNING:
This vehicle is equipped with one or more devices commonly ref erred to as event data recorders. These
devices record f ront seat belt use, f ront passenger seat occupancy, airbag deployment data, and the f ailure
of any airbag system component.
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(f luid capacities and tire pressures)
(main controls)
(seat belts, SRS, and child protection)
(indicators, gauges, multi-inf ormation display, dashboard, and steering column)
( )
(fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading)
(engine and transmission operation) (minders, f luid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)
(vehicle specif ications, tires, and emissions controls) (warranty and contact inf ormation)
(how to order)
(f lat tire, jump starting, overheating, and f uses)
climate control, audio, steering wheel, security, cruise control, HomeLink, and other convenience items
Contents
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Index .I
..................................................
Service Inf ormation Summary . last page
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Your Vehicle at a Glance .4
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety .7
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Instruments and Controls .59
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Features . 203
.......................................................................
Bef ore Driving . 381
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Driving . 399
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Maintenance . 443
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T echnical Inf ormation . 523
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Warranty and Client Relations (U.S. and Canada only) . 539
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A uthorized Manuals (U.S. only) . 543
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T aking Care of the Unexpected . 495INDEX
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A convenient ref erence to the
sections in this manual.
A quick ref erence to the main
controls in your vehicle.What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
The proper way to start the engine,
shif t the transmission, and park; plus
what you need to know if you’re
planning to tow a trailer.ID numbers, dimensions, capacities,
and technical information.
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.
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and gauge,
the multi-information display, and
how to use the controls on the
dashboard and steering column.
How to operate the climate control
system, the audio system, and other
convenience f eatures.
Overview of Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Instruments and Controls Bef ore Driving
Driving
Maintenance
T echnical Inf ormation
Contents
T aking Care of the UnexpectedWarranty and Client Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only)
Index
Service Inf ormation Summary
Features
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This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts. It
explains how your airbags work. And
it tells you how to properly restrain
inf ants and children in your vehicle.
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Important Safety Precautions . 8
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Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features . 9
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Protecting Adults and Teens . 13
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1. Close and Lock the Doors . 13
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2. Adjust the Front Seats . 15
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3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 16
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4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 16
5. Fasten and Position the Seat
.....................................
Belts . 17
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position . 19
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Advice f or Pregnant Women . 19
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Additional Safety Precautions . 20
Additional Inf ormation About .......................
Your Seat Belts . 21
..
Seat Belt System Components . 21 ......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt . 22
Automatic Seat Belt
...............................
Tensioners . 23
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Seat Belt e-pretensioners . 24
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Seat Belt Maintenance . 25
Additional Inf ormation About ...........................
Your Airbags . 26
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Airbag System Components . 26
How Your Front Airbags
.........................................
Work . 28
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How Your Side Airbags Work . 32
How Your Side Curtain
..........................
Airbags Work . 33
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How the SRS Indicator Works . 34
How the Side Airbag Of f
......................
Indicator Works . 35
How the Passenger Airbag ...............
Of f Indicator Works . 35
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Airbag Service . 36
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Additional Safety Precautions . 37
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines . 38
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained . 38
All Children Should Sit in a .................................
Back Seat . 39 The Passenger’s Front Airbag
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Can Pose Serious Risks . 39
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children . 41
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention . 41
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Additional Safety Precautions . 41
Protecting Inf ants and Small ...................................
Children . 43
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Protecting Inf ants . 43
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Protecting Small Children . 44
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Selecting a Child Seat . 45
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Installing a Child Seat . 46
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With LATCH . 47
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With a Lap/Shoulder Belt . 49
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With a Tether . 51
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Protecting Larger Children . 52
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Checking Seat Belt Fit . 52
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Using a Booster Seat . 53
When Can a Larger Child Sit in
.........................................
Front . 54
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Additional Safety Precautions . 55
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Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 56
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Saf ety Labels . 57
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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If the indicator comes on with no
f ront seat passenger and no objects
on the seat, or with an adult riding
there, something may be interf ering
with the weight sensors. Look f or
and remove:Any items under the f ront
passenger’s seat.
Any object hanging on the seat or
in the seat-back pocket.
Any object(s) touching the rear of
the seat-back.
If no obstructions are f ound, have
your vehicle checked by a dealer as
soon as possible. Your airbag systems are virtually
maintenance f ree, and there are no
parts you can saf ely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:
Any airbag
that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. Any
seat belt tensioner that activates
must also be replaced.
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by an authorized dealer or
a knowledgeable body shop. Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly.
Even if your
airbags do not inflate, your dealer
should inspect the driver’s seat
position sensor, the f ront
passenger’s weight sensors, the
f ront seat belt tensioners, and all
seat belts and their anchors worn
during a crash to make sure they
are operating properly.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Airbag Service
An airbag ever inf lates. T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o a
problem.
If your vehicle has a moderat e t osevere impact .
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Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
If water or
another liquid soaks into the seat-
back, it can prevent the side airbag
cutof f system f rom working
properly. This could make the
driver’s seat position sensor or the
f ront passenger’s weight sensors
inef f ective. If it is necessary to
remove or modif y a f ront seat to
accommodate a person with
disabilities, f irst contact Acura
Client Services. In the US, call 800-
382-2238, and in Canada, call 888-9-
ACURA-9.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason.
Do not expose the f ront passenger’sseat-back to liquid. Do not remove or modif y a f ront
seat without consulting yourdealer.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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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 ora 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.
Check the tire pressure monitor on
the multi-inf ormation display and
determinethecause(seepage ). You will also see a ‘‘CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
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 .
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.
431 431 433 521
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.
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When the engine oil lif e reaches 15%,
the display shows ‘‘SERVICE DUE
SOON’’ and the code f or the
maintenance items to be perf ormed.Have your dealer do the indicated
maintenance as soon as you see this
message, and have them reset the
display af ter completing the service.
If you do not perf orm the indicated
maintenance or do not reset the
display, the message changes to
‘‘SERVICE PAST DUE’’ when the
engine oil lif e becomes 0%.
These messages appear on the multi-
inf ormation display each time you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position.
For details on engine oil lif e and
maintenance messages, ref er to page
.
Also ref er to page f or important
maintenance saf ety precautions.
When the engine oil lif e reaches 5%,
the display shows ‘‘SERVICE DUE
NOW’’ along with the same
maintenance items.
To use the system, your cell phone
and the HFL system must be linked.
Not all cell phones are compatible
with this system. Ref er to page
for instructions on how to link
your cell phone to HFL and how to
receive or make phone calls, or visit
the acura.com/handsf reelink
website. In Canada, visit , or call 1-888-9-ACURA-9.
354
445444
www.acura.
ca
Maintenance Messages
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Inst rument s and Cont rols
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