2012 Acura TL oil

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:
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced.Do not change the oil until the
multi-inf ormation display indicates
it is needed. Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km). Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
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. You may hear a knocking noise from
the engine if you drive the vehicle at
low engine speed (below about 1,000
rpm) in a higher gear. To stop this,
raise the engine speed by shif ting to
a lower gear.
On vehicles with manual transmissionBreak-in Period
Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
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Bef ore Driving
2012 TL

Park the vehicle on a level surf ace.
Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.Remove the dipstick (orange loop).
Wipe of f the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert the dipstick all the way back
into its hole.Remove the dipstick again, and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page .
1.
3. 2.
4.
543
Service Station Procedures
Oil Check
A dding Engine Oil
474
DIPSTICKUPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
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Bef ore Driving
2012 TL

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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:
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.
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 multi-
inf ormation display (see on page ).For example:
539
CONT INUED
Fuel Economy Factors Use the recommended viscosity
motor oil, displaying the A PI
Certif ication Seal (see page ).
Improving Fuel Economy 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
Owner’s
Maintenance Checks 543
Vehicle Maint enance
Drive Ef f icient ly
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
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2012 TL

This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.
This section also includes
instructions on how to read the
Maintenance Minder messages on
the multi-information display, and
instructions f or simple maintenance
tasks you may want to take care of
yourself .
If you have the skills and tools to
perf orm more complex maintenance
tasks on your vehicle, you may want
to purchase the service manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your dealer.U.S. Vehicles:
......................
Maintenance Saf ety .530
.................
Maintenance Minder . 531
..............................
Fluid Locations .541
......
Engine Compartment Covers . 542
........................
Adding Engine Oil .543
Changing the Engine Oil and ...........................................
Filter .544
..............................
Engine Coolant .546
....................
Windshield Washers .548
.......................
Transmission Fluid .549
..........
Automatic Transmission . 549
..............
Manual Transmission . 551
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid . 553
....................................
Timing Belt .554
.............................................
Lights .555
................
Cleaning the Seat Belts . 564
.....................................
Floor Mats .565
..................
Dust and Pollen Filter . 566
.................................
Exterior Care .566
.................................
Wiper Blades .566
...............................................
Tires .568
...................
Checking the Battery . 577
.............................
Vehicle Storage .578
..................................
Interior Care .579
633
Maintenance
Maintenance, replacement, or
repair of emissions control
devices and systems may be done
by any automotive repair
establishment or individual using
parts that are ‘‘certif ied’’ to EPA
standards.
Maint enance
529
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2012 TL

Î
CONT INUED
Your vehicle displays engine oil lif e
and maintenance service items on
the multi-information display to show
youwhenyoushouldhaveyour
dealer perf orm engine oil
replacement and indicated
maintenance service.To see the current engine oil lif e
displayed on the multi-inf ormation
display, turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, and press the
SEL/RESET button on the steering
wheel repeatedly until the engine oil
lif e is displayed.
Based on the engine operating
conditions, the onboard computer in
your vehicle calculates the remaining
engine oil lif e and displays it as a
percentage.
Maintenance Minder
Engine Oil L if e Display
Maint enance
531
REMAINING ENGINE OIL LIFE
U.S. model is shown.
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Î Models equipped with the keyless access
system have an engine start/stop button
instead of an ignition switch. ON Mode
is the equivalent of ON (II). For more
information, see
page s 184 and 187.
:
2012 TL

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Pressing either INFO button ( / )
switches the display f rom the
message to another display. Once
you switch the display, this message
will go of f .
Along with the message, the system
message indicator comes on (see
page ).
When the remaining engine oil lif e is
15 to 6 percent, the multi-inf ormation
display shows a ‘‘SERVICE DUE
SOON’’ message along with the
maintenance item code(s) indicating
themainandsubitemsrequiredat
thetimeof theoilchange.Referto
page f or a complete list of the
maintenance main items and sub
items.
The remaining engine oil lif e is
shown on the multi-inf ormation
display according to this table:
The message appears on the multi-
inf ormation display each time you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position.72
540
Calculated Engine Oil Lif e (%)
100% 91% 90% 81%
80% 71%
70% 61%
60% 51%
50% 41%
40% 31%
30% 21%
20% 16%
15% 11%10% 6% 5% 1% 0% Displayed
Engine Oil Lif e (%) 100%90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
15%
10%5%
0%
Maintenance Minder
532
MAINTENANCE MAIN ITEM CODE
MAINTENANCE SUB ITEM CODE(S)
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Maint enance
Î
Models equipped with the keyless access
system have an engine start/stop button
instead of an ignition switch. ON Mode
is the equivalent of ON (II). For more
information, see
page s 184 and 187.
:
2012 TL

CONT INUED
When the remaining oil lif e is 5 to 1
percent, the multi-information
display shows a ‘‘SERVICE DUE
NOW’’ message with the same
maintenance items ‘‘SERVICE DUE
SOON’’ was displayed with. When
you see this message, have the
indicated maintenance perf ormed as
soon as possible.
Press the SEL/RESET button on the
steering wheel repeatedly to select
the engine oil lif e inf ormation. Along
with the ‘‘OIL LIFE’’ message, you
will see the percentage of the
remaining engine oil lif e and the
maintenance item codes on the
multi-inf ormation display.
This message reminds you that your
vehicle will soon be due f or
scheduled maintenance.
Maintenance Minder
Maint enance
533
REMAINING ENGINE OIL LIFE
MAINTENANCE
MAIN ITEM CODE
MAIN ITEM(S) SUB ITEM(S) MAINTENANCE
SUB ITEM CODE(S)
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2012 TL

ÛÝ
Pressing either INFO button ( / )
switches the display f rom the
message to another display. Once
you switch the display, this message
will go of f .
Press the SEL/RESET button on the
steering wheel repeatedly to select
the engine oil lif e. The message
‘‘SERVICE,’’ along with ‘‘5%,’’ and the
maintenance item code are displayed
on the multi-information display
when the calculated engine oil lif e is
1to5percent(seepage ).If the indicated maintenance service
is not done and the remaining engine
oil lif e reaches 0%, the multi-
inf ormation display will show the
message ‘‘SERVICE PAST DUE’’
and the maintenance item code(s).
This message is displayed when the
total distance traveled is less than 10
miles (f or U.S. models) or 10 km (f or
Canadian models) af ter the engine
oillifebecame0%.
532
Maintenance Minder
534
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Maint enance
2012 TL