2012 Acura TL ESP

Several warranties protect your new vehicle. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.As you read this manual, you will
f ind inf ormation that is preceded by
a
symbol. This
inf ormation is intended to help you
avoid damage to your vehicle, other
property, or the environment.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new vehicle is to
read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Af terwards, keep this owner’s manual in your vehicle so
youcanrefertoitatanytime.
Maintaining your vehicle according to the Maintenance Minder shown in
the instrument panel helps to keep your driving trouble-f ree while it
preserves your investment. When your vehicle needs maintenance, keep in
mind that your dealer’s staff is specially trained in servicing the many
systems unique to your vehicle. Your dealer is dedicated to your satisf action
and will be pleased to answer any questions and concerns. Congratulations! Your selection of a
2012 Acura TLwas a wise investment. It
will give you years of driving pleasure.
Introduction
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Index
Bo ok Ta ble of Contents
Chapter Ta ble of Contents
Navigation Key
Your Vehicle at a Glance
2012 TL

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Your safety, and the safety of others,
is very important. And operating this
vehicle safely is an important
responsibility.
Of course, it is not practical or
possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or
maintaining your vehicle. You must
use your own good judgement.
You will f ind this important saf ety inf ormation in a variety of f orms,
including:
on the vehicle.
preceded by a saf ety alert symbol and one of
three signal words: , , or .
These signal words mean:
such as Important Saf ety Reminders or Important
Safety Precautions.
such as Driver and Passenger Safety.
how to use this vehicle correctly and safely.
This entire book is f illed with important saf ety inf ormation please read it
caref ully.
To help you make inf ormed
decisions about saf ety, we have
provided operating procedures and
other inf ormation on labels and in
this manual. This inf ormation alerts
you to potential hazards that could
hurt you or others.
Saf ety L abels
Saf ety Messages
Saf ety Headings
Saf ety Section
Instructions
AFewWordsAboutSafety
DANGER WARNING CAUTION
iv
You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don’t follow instructions.
You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don’t follow instructions.
You CAN be HURT if you don’t follow
instructions.
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2012 TL

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You’ll find many safety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
The recommendations on this page
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with airbags,
make sure you and your passengers
always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly (see page ).
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat, not the front seat. Infants and
smallchildrenshouldberestrained
in a child seat. Larger children
should use a booster seat and a lap/
shoulder belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat
(see pages ). While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
Engaging in mobile phone
conversation or other activities that
keep you f rom paying close attentionto the road, other vehicles and
pedestrians could lead to a crash.
Remember, situations can change
quickly, and only you can decide
when it is saf e to divert attention
away f rom driving.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ). Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
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37 56 531
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Restrain All ChildrenBe Aware of Airbag Hazards
Don’t Drink and Drive
Pay Appropriate Attention to the
Task of Driving Saf ely
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition Control Your Speed
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety
2012 TL

When one or more doors or the
trunk lid are not tightly closed, the
corresponding indicator f or each
condition will come on.
Theaboveexampleshowsthefront
right and rear lef t doors, and the
trunk open.
When the trunk is not tightly closed,
the ‘‘TRUNK OPEN’’ indicator will
come on.
If any door or the trunk is not closed
tightly, the multi-information display
reminds you to close the open
door(s) or the trunk bef ore you start
driving.
The above illustration shows that all
doors and the trunk are open.
Protecting A dults and Teens
12
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety
2012 TL

CONT INUED
After a crash, you may see what
looks like smoke. This is actually
powder from the airbag’s surface.
Although the powder is not
harmful, people with respiratory
problems may experience some
temporary discomfort. If
this occurs, get out of the vehicle
as soon as it is safe to do so. The total time for inflation and
def lation is one-tenth of a second, so
f ast that most occupants are not
aware that the airbags deployed until
they see them lying in their laps.
Af ter inf lating, the f ront airbags
immediately def late, so they won’t
interf ere with the driver’s visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
During a f rontal crash, your seat belt
restrains your lower body and torso,
and the f ront airbag helps protect
your head and chest.
Although both airbags normally
inf late within a split second of each
other, it is possible f or only one
airbag to deploy.
This can happen if the severity of a
collision is at the margin, or
threshold, that determines whether
or not the airbags will deploy. In
such cases, the seat belt will provide
suf f icient protection, and the
supplemental protection of f ered by
the airbag would be minimal.
Only the driver’s airbag can deploy if
there is no passenger in the f ront
seat, or if the advanced airbag
system has turned the passenger’s
airbag off (see page ).
34
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many adults do not know
how to protect child
passengers.
If you have children, or ever need
to drive with a child in your vehicle,
be sure to read this section. It
begins with important general
guidelines, then presents special
information for infants, small
children, and larger children.Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In f act, traf f ic
collisions are the number one
To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state,
Canadian province and territory
requires that inf ants and children be
properlyrestrainedwhentheyridein
a vehicle.
(see pages ). (see pages ).
42 52 53 56
properly
All Children Must Be Restrained
Inf ant s and small children must be
rest rained in an approved child seatt hat is properly secured t o t hevehicle Larger children must be restrained
wit h a lap/shoulder belt and ride ona boost er seat unt il t he seat belt f it st hem properly
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
37
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in a
crash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt and
use a booster seat if necessary.
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cause of death of children age 12
and under.
2012 TL

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This indicator comes on with the
high beam headlights. For more
inf ormation, see page .
This indicator also comes on with
reduced brightness when the
daytime running lights (DRL) are on
(see page ).
This indicator comes on when you
turn on the f og lights. For more
inf ormation, see page .
This indicator reminds you that the
exterior lights are on. It comes on
when the light switch is in either the
or position. This indicator
will also come on when the light
switch is in AUTO and the lights
turn on automatically. If you turn the
ignition switch to the ACCESSORY
(I) or the LOCK (0) position, without
turning of f the light switch, this
indicator will remain on. Reminder
beeps will also sound when you open
the driver’s door. This indicator comes on red if
You will also see a corresponding
indicator(s) on the multi-information
display to indicate which door and/
or the trunk is not closed tightly (see
page ).
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140
142
143
Instrument Panel Indicators
High Beam Indicator
Fog L ight Indicator
Lights On Indicator
Door/Trunk Open
Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
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andy door or the trunk lid is not
closed tightly.
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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) and ACCESSORY Mode is the
equivalent of ACCESSORY (I). For more
information, see pages 184 and 187.
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2012 TL

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If there is a problem with your
vehicle, f or example the engine oil
level is low or a door is not f ully
closed, the multi-inf ormation display
will show you the problem. It does
this by interrupting the current
display with one or more messages. The system message(s) triggers the
appropriate indicator(s) on the
instrument panel, including the
system message indicator, to come
on. The system message indicator
does not go of f until the problem(s)
is corrected.
You will also hear a beep when the
system message comes on f or the
first time.
Most of the messages are displayed
f or about 5 seconds, and then the
normal display returns. If there are
several system messages to be
shown, the display switches these
messages every 5 seconds.
To switch the message(s) bef ore 5
seconds have elapsed, press the
INFO( / )buttononthesteering
wheel.
Even if you press the INFO ( / )
button, some messages stay on or
come on again at regular intervals
until the problem is corrected.
If the system message indicator
remains lit on the instrument panel,
you can see the corresponding
message(s) again by pressing the
INFO ( / ) button repeatedly.
On the
nextpage is a list of all
messages:
CONT INUED
System Messages
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Inst rument s and Cont rols
89
A/T model is shown. SYSTEM MESSAGE INDICATOR
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2012 TL