Page 59 of 650

A child may continue using a booster
seat until the tops of their ears are
even with the top of the vehicle’s or
booster’s seat-back. A child of this
height should be tall enough to use
the lap/shoulder belt without a
booster seat.The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
age 12 and under be properly
restrained in the back seat.
If the passenger’s front airbag
inf lates in a moderate to severe
f rontal collision, the airbag can cause
serious injuries to a child who is
unrestrained, improperly restrained,
sitting too close to the airbag, or out
of position.
A side airbag also poses risks. If
any part of a larger child’s body
is in the path of a deploying side
airbag, the child could receive
possibly serious injuries.Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in f ront,
there are other important f actors you
should consider.
Physically, a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
with or without the child sitting on a
booster seat, the child should not sit
in f ront.
To saf ely ride in f ront, a child must
be able to f ollow the rules, including
sitting properly, and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout the ride.
16 53
CONT INUED
When Can a L arger Child Sit in
Front
Physical Size
Maturity
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
55
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2012 TL
Page 67 of 650

ÎÎ
Î
Î
The U.S. instrument panel is shown. Dif f erences f or the Canadian models are noted in the text.
Instrument Panel
Inst rument s and Cont rols
63
CRUISE MAIN INDICATOR CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR
PARKING BRAKE AND
BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATOR
HIGH BEAM INDICATOR
LOW FUEL INDICATOR IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM
INDICATOR
SIDE AIRBAG OFF INDICATOR
SH-AWD INDICATOR
LIGHTS ON INDICATOR LOW TIRE PRESSURE/TPMS INDICATOR
I f e q u i p p e d
:
SECURITY SYSTEM INDICATOR
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM INDICATOR
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) INDICATOR
ELECTRIC POWER STEERING
(EPS) INDICATOR
FOG LIGHT INDICATOR (P.
73)
(P. 68)
(P.69) (P.
72)
(P.
72)
(P.
67)(P.
73)
(P.
65)
(P.
70)
(P.
71)
(P.
67) (P.
66)
SYSTEM MESSAGE INDICATOR (P.
72)
MULTI-INFORMATION DISPLAY
SEAT BELT REMINDER INDICATOR (P. 64)
CHARGING SYSTEM INDICATOR
LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (P.
72)
(P. 71)
A/T model is shown. (P.
71)
VEHICLE STABILITY
ASSIST (VSA) OFF
INDICATOR
VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST (VSA)
SYSTEM INDICATOR BLIND SPOT INFORMATION SYSTEM
(BSI) INDICATOR
DOOR/TRUNK OPEN INDICATOR
(P.68)
(P.
71)
KEYLESS ACCESS SYSTEM
INDICATOR (P.74)
(P.75)
(P.
65, 596)
(P. 64, 595)
(P. 64, 597)
(P.65, 598)
(P.
78)
11/01/14 18:04:48 31TK4630_068
2012 TL
Page 71 of 650

Î
ÎThis indicator comes on brief ly when
you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position. If it comes on at
any other time, it indicates that the
passenger’s side airbag has
automatically shut off. For more
inf ormation, see page .
You will also see a ‘‘PASSENGER
SIDE AIRBAG OFF’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display.
This indicator comes on brief ly when
you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position. If it comes on at
any other time, it indicates a
potential problem with your f ront
airbags. This indicator will also alert
you to a potential problem with your
airbag system components. You will
also see a ‘‘CHECK AIRBAG
SYSTEM’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display. For more
inf ormation, see page .
33
32
Supplemental Restraint
System Indicator
Side A irbag Of f
Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
Inst rument s and Cont rols
67
U.S. Canada
11/01/14 18:05:34 31TK4630_072
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
Page 206 of 650

Î
Push the right side of the switch, HI,
to rapidly heat up the seat. Af ter the
seat reaches a comfortable
temperature, select LO by pushing
the lef t side of the switch. This will
keep the seat warm.
The ignition switch must be in the
ON (II) position to use the heaters. Both f ront seats are equipped with
seat heaters. Because of the sensors
f or the side airbag cutof f system,
there is no heater in the passenger’s
seat-back.TL and TL with Technology Package models
SH-AWD and SH-AWD with TechnologyPackage models
Seat Heaters
202
SEAT HEATER SWITCHES
HEATERS
Passenger’s Seat
Driver’s Seat
11/01/14 18:29:20 31TK4630_207
Inst rument s and Cont rols
ÎModels 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.
:
In the HI setting, the heater turns off
when the seat gets warm, and turns
back on after the seat’s temperature
drops.
In the LO setting, the heater runs
continuously. It does not cycle with
temperature changes.
2012 TL
Page 208 of 650

µµ
µ µ
You must select the ON mode by
operating the engine start/stop
button (see page ) to use the
heaters and the air ventilation
system. To use the heaters, press the seat
heater button. The indicator (red)
above the button will come on. There
are four settings in the heaters:
HI Three indicators on.
MID Two indicators on.
LO One indicator on.
OFF All indicators of f .
When you press the seat heater
button once, the heater is set to HI.
After the seat reaches a comfortable
temperature, select MID or LOW by
pressing the seat heater button. This
will keep the seat warm. To shut
down the heater, press the seat
heater button until the indicators
Both f ront seats are equipped with
seat heaters and an air ventilation
system. The passenger seat only has
heaters in the seat bottom because
of thesideairbagsystem. 185
TL with Advance Package and Canadian
Elite Package models
SH-AWD with Advance Package andCanadian SH-AWD Elite Packagemodels
Seat Heaters and Ventilations
204
INDICATORS
Driver’s
seat
HEATERS
Passenger’s
seat
SEAT VENTILATION
BUTTON
SEAT HEATER BUTTON
11/01/14 18:29:38 31TK4630_209
go off.
Inst rument s and Cont rols
2012 TL
Page 483 of 650

Your dealer has Acura accessories
that allow you to personalize your
vehicle. These accessories have
been designed and approved f or your
vehicle, and are covered by warranty.Bef ore installing any accessory:
Make sure the accessory does not
obscure any lights, or interf ere
with proper vehicle operation or
perf ormance.
Although non-Acura accessories may
f it on your vehicle, they may not
meet f actory specif ications, and
could adversely af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability. Bef ore installing any electronic
accessory, have the installer
contact your dealer for assistance.
If possible, have your dealer
inspect the f inal installation.
Do not install accessories on the
side pillars or across the rear
windows. Accessories installed in
theseareasmayinterferewith
proper operation of the side
curtain airbags. Be sure electronic accessories do
not overload electrical circuits
(see page ) or interf ere with
proper operation of your vehicle.
When properly installed, cellular
phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems should
not interf ere with your vehicle’s
computer controlled systems, such
as your airbags, anti-lock brakes, and
tire pressure monitoring system.
Modif ying your vehicle, or installing
non-Acura accessories, may make
your vehicle unsaf e. Bef ore you
make any modif ications or add any
accessories,besuretoreadthe
f ollowing inf ormation.
600
A ccessories
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving
479
Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
vehicle’s handling, stability, and
performance, and cause a
crash in which you can be hurt
or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding
accessories and modifications.
11/01/14 19:18:19 31TK4630_484
2012 TL
Page 484 of 650

Some examples are: Removing parts f rom your vehicle,
or replacing components with non-
Acura components could seriously
af f ect your vehicle’s handling,
stability, and reliability.Raising your vehicle with a non-
Acura suspension kit can af f ect
the handling, stability, and
reliability. Lowering the vehicle with a non-
Acura suspension kit that
signif icantly reduces ground
clearance can allow the
undercarriage to hit speed bumps
or other raised objects, which
could cause the airbags to deploy. Non-Acura wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components and will not be
compatible with the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS).
Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interf ere with the operation of
your vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and
other systems.
Modif ying your steering wheel or
any other part of your vehicle’s
safety features can make the
systems inef f ective.
If you plan to modif y your vehicle,
consult your dealer.
Modif ying Your Vehicle
A ccessories and Modif ications
480
11/01/14 19:18:29 31TK4630_485
Bef ore Driving
2012 TL
Page 488 of 650

Be sure items placed on the
floor behind the front seats cannot roll
underneath and interfere with the
proper operation of the seats, the
sensors under the seats, or the
driver’s ability to operate thepedals.
Keep all cargo below the bottom
of the windows. If it is higher, it
could interf ere with the proper
operation of the side curtain
airbags.
Keep the glove box closed while
driving. If it is open, a passenger
could injure their knees during a
crash or sudden stop. Cargo hook buttons in the trunk
can be used to install a net for
securing items.
The cargo net can be used to help
hold down items stored in the trunk.
Distribute cargo evenly on the
f loor of the trunk, placing the
heaviest items on the bottom and
as far forward as possible.
If you carry large items that
prevent you f rom closing the trunk
lid, exhaust gas can enter the
passenger area. To avoid the
possibility of
, f ollow the instructions
on page . 57
If equipped
Cargo Nets
Carrying Cargo in the Trunk Cargo Hook Buttons
carbon monoxide
poisoning
Carrying Cargo
484
CARGO HOOK BUTTON
11/01/14 19:19:23 31TK4630_489
Bef ore Driving
2012 TL