2012 Acura TL spare tire

Your tires have wear indicators
molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down, you will see a 1/2
inch (12.7 mm) wide band across the
tread. This shows there is less than
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread lef t on
the tire.
A tire this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see three
or more tread wear indicators.The service lif e of your tires is
dependent on many f actors,
including, but not limited to, driving
habits, road conditions, vehicle
loading, inf lation pressure,
maintenance history, speed, and
environmental conditions (even
when the tires are not in use).
In addition to your regular
inspections and inf lation pressure
maintenance, it is recommended that
you have annual inspections
perf ormed once the tires reach f ive
years old. It is also recommended
that all tires, including the spare, be
removed from service after 10 years
from the date of manufacture,
regardless of their condition or state
of wear.
The last f our digits of the TIN (tire
identif ication number) are f ound on
the sidewall of the tire and indicate
the date of manufacture (See
on page ).619
Tires
T ire Maintenance
Tire
Labeling
572
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR
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Maint enance
2012 TL

This section covers the more
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your vehicle towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire .582
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .583
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start . 588
................................
Jump Starting .591
..............
If the Engine Overheats . 593
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 595
..........
Charging System Indicator . 596
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 597
...............
Brake System Indicator . 598
Opening the Fuel Fill Door ....................................
Manually .599
..............................................
Fuses .600
..............................
Fuse Locations .604
......................
Emergency Towing .607
..........
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck . 609
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
581
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2012 TL

Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced,
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Check the air pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement tire should be the same
sizeanddesign,mountedonthe
same wheel. The spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Follow these precautions:
Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road
surf aces. Use greater caution
while driving. Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare tire.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
After the flat tire is replaced with
the spare tire, the low tire
pressure/TPMS indicator stays on.
Af ter several miles (kilometers)
driving with the spare, this
indicator begins to f lash, then
stays on again. You will also see a
‘‘CHECK TPMS SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display (see page ).
517
Compact Spare Tire
582
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
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T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
2012 TL

Loosen each wheel nut 1/2 turn
with the wheel nut wrench.
Take the tool case out of the spare
tire.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.
Take the jack out of the tool kit
case. Placethejackunderthejacking
point nearest the tire you need to
change. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch.
Place blocks in front and back of
the wheel diagonally opposite the
tire you are changing.
7. 8.
6. 4.
5. 9.
Changing a Flat Tire
584
WHEEL NUT WRENCH
EXTENSION JACK WHEEL NUT
WRENCH
JACKING POINTS
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T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
2012 TL

CONT INUED
Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipe any dirt of f the mounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.
Remove the wheel nuts, then
remove the f lat tire. Handle the
wheel nuts caref ully; they may be
hot from driving. Place the flat tire
on the ground with the outside
surface facing up.
Use the extension and the wheel
nut wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.
10.
11. 12.
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
585
BRAKE HUB
WHEEL NUT WRENCH EXTENSION
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2012 TL

Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
Remove the center cap before
storing the f lat tire in the trunk
well.
Lower the vehicle to the ground,
and remove the jack.
Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten the
wheel nuts f ully.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Changing a Flat Tire
586
94 lbf·ft (127 N·m , 13 kgf·m)
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T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
2012 TL

Store the center cap in the trunk.
Make sure it does not get
scratched or damaged. Store the jack and tools in the tool
kit case. Place the tool kit case in
the f lat tire.
To remove the spacer cone,
squeeze the tabs on the wing bolt
to disengage it f rom the center of
the spacer cone, then pull the bolt
downward.
To install the wing bolt to the
spacer cone, reverse this
procedure.
Securetheflattirebyscrewing
the wing bolt back into its hole.
Place the flat tire face down in the
spare tire well.
Remove the spacer cone f rom the
wing bolt, turn it over, and put it
back on the bolt.
Lower the trunk f loor, then close
the trunk lid.
Your vehicle’s original tire has a
tire pressure monitoring system
sensor. To replace a tire, ref er to
(see
page ).
17.
18.
19.20.
21.
22.
518
Changing a Flat Tire
Changing a T ire with T PMS
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
587
SPACER CONE
TAB
SPACER CONE For compact
spare tireFor normal
tire
WING BOLT
Loose items can fly around the
interiorinacrashandcould
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.
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2012 TL

To use the towing hook:Remove the cover f rom the f ront
bumper using your f ingers, or pry
it of f using a cloth and a f lat-tip
screwdriver to prevent scratches.
If your vehicle gets stuck in sand,
mud, or snow, call a towing service
to pull it out (see page ).
When you need to release the
steering lock while your vehicle’s
battery is dead, do this:
Follow the proper jump starting
procedures, Step 1 through Step 5,
to apply the power to your vehicle
(see pages and ).
Follow the jump starting
procedures, Step 8 and Step 9, and
the instructions to disconnect the
jumpercable(seepage ).The
steering will remain unlocked even
if the battery is dead.
Failure to comply means the steering
lockmaybedamaged. Press the ENGINE START/STOP
button to set the power mode to
ACCESSORY (see page ) and
verif y the steering lock is released.
Remove the towing hook and
wheel nut wrench f rom the tool
case in the spare tire (see).
For very short distances, such as
f reeing the vehicle, you can use the
detachable towing hook that mounts
on the anchor in the f ront bumper. If you slip the clutch f or a long time
while trying to get unstuck, you may
overheat and damage the
transmission. Use a tow service to
prevent transmission damage.
1.
2.
1.
2.
3.
591 592
184
592 607
CONT INUED
On models with keyless access systemIf Your Vehicle Gets Stuck
Emergency Towing, If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
609
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page
584
2012 TL