Acura RL 1998 User Manual

1998 RL Online Reference Owner's Manual

Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference.

For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com.

Contents

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... i

A Few Words About Safety.................................................................................................................ii

Driver and Passenger Safety ..............................................................................................................3

Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.

Instruments and Controls.................................................................................................................47

Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.

Comfort and Convenience Features ............................................................................................. 107

How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.

Before Driving..................................................................................................................................137

What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.

Driving ..............................................................................................................................................149

The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.

Maintenance.....................................................................................................................................171

The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.

Appearance Care..............................................................................................................................231

Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your vehicle ever needs body repairs.

Taking Care of the Unexpected......................................................................................................239

This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, and how to handle them.

Technical Information.....................................................................................................................263

ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.

Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................277

A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact us.

Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)......................................................................................................283

How to order manuals and other technical literature.

Index...................................................................................................................................................... I

Service Information Summary

A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

Accord Value Package Audio System

Owner's Identification Form

Navigation System

Table of Contents

Reroute.............................................. 38

Personal Addresses..................... 8, 42

Place Name....................................... 21

Places.......................................... 7, 45

7, 45

Previous Destination..................

Main Menu......................................... 7

Map Imput.......................................... 8

MAP/GUIDE button......................... 4

MENU button..................................... 4

Modifying the Route ....................... 33

ENTER Button...............................

4

Entering a PIN ................................ 42

Entering Personal Addresses......... 43

A City..................................................

27

Address................................... 7, 38, 45

Brightness Control........................... 4

CANCEL button................................. 4

Current Location............................. 26

Customer Assistance....................... 53

Display............................................... 37

Important Safety Information .......... 3

Information....................................... 41

Intersection......................................... 7

Introduction........................................ 2

JOYSTICK.......................................... 5

Hard Disk Removal........................ 53

Table of Contents

Save Current Location .................... 40

Screen.................................................. 4

Selecting a Personal Address

As a Destination........................... 48

Selecting By Address........................ 8

Selecting By Intersection................ 13

Selecting By Map Input................... 26

Selecting By Phone No. (POI)....... 21

Selecting By Places.......................... 19

Selecting By Previous

Destination................................... 25

Selecting By Today's

Destinations.................................. 39

Selecting the City...................... 9, 14

Selecting the Street Address.......... 11

SETUP button.............................. 4, 60

Sort by Distance to Travel.............. 22

System Controls................................. 4

System Limitations.......................... 51

System Security............................... 50

System Setup.................................... 41

System Start-up..................................

6

Traveling To Your Destination...... 29

Updating a Personal Address......... 47

User Agreement................................. i

Volume.............................................. 37

ZOOM buttons................................... 4

Introduction

Your Acura Navigation System is a

highly-sophisticated location system

that uses satellites and a map

database to show you where you are

and to help guide you to a desired

destination.

The Navigation System receives

signals from the Global Positioning

System, a network of 24 satellites in

orbit around the earth. By receiving

signals from several of these

satellites, the Navigation System can

determine the latitude and longitude

of your vehicle.

In addition, a gyroscopic sensor and

a speed sensor in your vehicle keep

track of the direction and speed of

travel at all times.

The Navigation System applies this

location, direction, and speed

information to the maps and calcu-

lates a route to the destination you

enter. As you drive to that

destination, the System provides

guidance.

The Navigation System is easy to use.

The locations of many places of

business and entertainment are

already entered in the system. You

can select any of them as a desti-

nation by pressing only one or two of

the controls.

If a desired destination is not in the

system's database, you can enter its

address and the system will direct

you to it. This destination can be

saved for reuse at a later date.

As you drive, the Navigation System

provides visual and audio driving

instructions so you do not have to

take your eyes off the road. These

instructions are provided in advance

of the actual driving maneuver so

you have time to slow down and

change lanes if necessary.

Read this manual thoroughly so you

are familiar with all the Navigation

System's features. Afterwards, keep

this manual in the glove box of your

vehicle so you can refer to at any

time.

Navigation System

Introduction

Important Safety Information

The Navigation System can distract

your attention from the road if you

focus on the screen or operate the

system's controls while driving.

You should always enter information

into the system before you begin

driving. Then, as you drive, you can

listen to the audio instructions or

glance at the screen.

The Navigation System is designed

to provide route information to help

you reach your destination. However,

this route guidance may sometimes

conflict with road conditions such as

street closures, road construction,

and detours.

Additionally, the system itself has

certain limitations (see page 51).

Therefore, you must verify the audio

and visual route information

provided by the system by carefully

observing the roadway, signs and

signals, etc. If you are unsure,

proceed with caution. Always use

your own good judgment, and obey

traffic laws while driving.

Navigation System

Operating the Navigation

System controls while you are

driving can take your attention

away from the road, causing a

crash in which you could be

seriously injured or killed.

Enter information into the

system only when your vehicle

is stopped.

System Controls

Screen

All selections and instructions are

displayed on the screen. In addition,

the display is a "touch screen" — you

can enter information into the

system by touching images on the

screen with your finger. For example,

when you need to enter a street

name, a keyboard will be displayed.

You can "type in" the street name by

touching the individual characters on

the screen.

Clean the screen with a soft, damp

cloth. You may use a mild cleaner

intended for eyeglasses or computer

screens. Harsher chemicals may

damage the screen.

ZOOM buttons

When you are displaying a map,

these buttons allow you to change

the scale. ZOOM IN reduces the

scale, showing less area with greater

detail. ZOOM OUT increases the

scale, showing more area with less

detail. Refer to page 35 .

SET UP button

Pressing this button displays a menu

of system options. See page 37 .

MAP/GUIDE button

Pressing this button switches the

display between a map and the

current route information. See page

35 .

MENU button

Pressing this button changes the

display from the current instructions

to a menu.

CANCEL button

Pressing this button cancels the

current display and returns to the

previous screen display.

ENTER button

Press this button to get the system

to accept a selection.

BRIGHTNESS control

Slide this knob back and forth to

change the brightness of the screen

display. The brightness can also be

adjusted in the "Set-up" menu, and

will change when your turn the

headlights on and off. See page 37 .

Navigation System

System Controls

JOYSTICK

The joystick moves left, right, up,

and down. Use the joystick to move

the highlighting around the display,

to scroll through a list, or to look

around a displayed map. After

making a selection in a menu or list,

push in on the joystick to enter the

selection into the system.

In almost all cases, you can enter a

selection into the system by pressing

the ENTER button, by pushing on

the joystick, or by touching the

appropriate image on the screen.

Navigation System

System Start-up

When you turn the ignition switch to

ON (II), it takes several seconds

before the Navigation System turns

on the display.

The first display is the Acura

Navigation System Logo. This

remains for several seconds, then

changes to display the disclaimer

shown on the right. Read this

disclaimer carefully so you under-

stand it.

To use the system, either press the

Enter button, push in on the Joystick,

or touch the "OK" box on the screen.

The Main Menu will come on the

display.

If you do not press either of those

buttons or touch "OK", the screen

will go dark after 30 seconds. If you

are not planning to use the Navi-

gation System at this time, touch the

SHUT DOWN box on the display. To

return to the disclaimer, press any

button.

If you leave the ignition switch in

Accessory (I) or ON (II) without

starting the engine, and do not

perform any operations on the

system, it will automatically turn off

after five minutes.

If you are entering information into

the system, it will not turn off in five

minutes. This allows you to enter in a

destination before starting the

engine and driving away.

Navigation System

Main Menu

The Main Menu gives you five

different ways to enter a desired

destination.

Address

This option requires you to enter the

city, and the address in that city that

you want to go to. See page 9 for

detailed instructions.

Intersection

This option allows you to enter the

names of two streets in a city. The

system will guide you to the inter-

section of those two streets. This is

useful if you know the general

location of your destination, but not

the exact address. See page 13 .

Places

The system has been programmed

with the locations of many busi-

nesses, parks, hospitals, etc. This

option lets you scan these, by

category, and select the one you

want as your destination. See page

19 for complete information.

Previous Destination

When you enter a destination with

any of the other options, it is saved

by the system. Use this option to

select it again. See page 25 .

Navigation System

Main Menu, Selecting By Address

Map Input

This option allows you to point to a

destination on a displayed map. The

system will then guide you to that

point. See page 26 .

To select one of the five options, do

either of the following.

Use the joystick to move the

highlighting to the desired option,

then push in on the joystick or

press the Enter button.

Touch the desired option on the

screen.

Selecting By Address

To select the "Address" option in the

Main Menu, do either of the

following.

Push the joystick up or down to

move the highlighting to the

Address box. Then push on the

joystick or press the Enter button.

Touch the Address box on the

screen with your finger.

After you select the option, the

display changes to:

If you select the "City" option first,

you can enter the name of the city

that is your destination. If you select

the "Street" option first, the system

will list all cities that contain the

street name that you enter. This may

be helpful if the street runs through

several cities, and you are not sure of

the exact one your destination is in.

Select either the "City" or "Street"

option by touching the box on the

screen, or by using the joystick to

move the highlighting to the desired

option, then pushing in on the

joystick or pressing the Enter button.

Navigation System

Selecting By Address

Selecting the City

When you select the City option, the

display changes to:

The name of your current location is

displayed. If your desired destination

is in the same location, select "Find".

If not, use the displayed letters to

enter the name of the destination

city. Enter each letter by doing one

of the following.

Move the highlighting to each

desired letter with the joystick,

then push on the joystick to enter

that letter.

Touch each desired letter on the

screen.

Each entered letter will appear on

the top of the display. Use the

"Space" box to enter a space

between words. Use the "Delete"

box to erase a letter entered

incorrectly.

As you enter the city name, the

system searches its database for a

name that matches the letters you

are entering. When it finds only one

city that matches, it completes the

entry of the name for you. Select

"Find" to select that city.

CONTINUED

Navigation System

Selecting By Address

If the system does not find an exact

match, continue entering the name

of the city. Select "Find" when you

are finished.

Cities in Major metropolitan areas

are listed in the database. If the

system cannot find the city or town

you are trying to enter, it may be in

an "outlying area". See "Selecting By

Places" on page 19.

The display changes to:

The city selected by the system, or

the city you entered, is at the top of

the list. To scroll through this list

city by city, push the joystick up or

down. To scroll up or down a screen

at a time, use the Zoom In or Zoom

Out buttons, or touch one of the

triangles in the upper right corner of

the screen. When you find the

desired city, do either of the follow-

ing.

Highlight it with the joystick, then

push the Enter button or joystick.

Touch the name on the screen.

You can also select a city by entering

only the first one or two letters in its

name. Then select "Find".

For example, if you enter only "L",

the system will display a list of all

cities with names that start with the

letter "L".

Use the joystick, the Zoom In/Out

buttons or the triangles on the

screen to scroll through the list.

When you find the desired city,

select it as explained above.

If you do not find the city, or have

made a mistake, you can return to

the previous display by pressing the

CANCEL button. Pressing the Menu

button will return you to the Main

Menu.

Navigation System

Selecting By Address

Selecting the Street Address

After you have selected the city, or

directly if you select the "Street"

option in the beginning screen, the

display changes to:

Enter the street name in the same

way that you entered the name of

the city. If the street name includes

numbers (228th Place, for example)

select the Number box on the screen.

The display will change to:

Enter the numbers, then select the

Letter box on the screen to return to

the alphabet display. Complete the

street name, then select "Find".

To enter the name of a major

highway, you must use the full name,

including a hyphen. For interstates,

use an "I" (I-80). For U.S. highways,

use "US" (US-18). For state

highways, use the two-character

state designation (CA-101). For

county roads, use the appropriate

designation (G-2, for example).

The system will display a list of

street names, with the name you

entered, or the closest match to that

name, at the top of the list.

CONTINUED

Navigation System

Selecting By Address

Use the joystick, the Zoom In/Out

buttons, or the triangles in the upper

right corner of the screen to scroll

through the list. When you find the

desired street, do either of the

following.

Highlight it with the joystick, then

push the Enter button or joystick.

Touch the name on the screen.

As with the city name, you do not

have to enter the full street name.

You can enter just one or two of the

beginning characters, then select

"Find". The system will display a list

of street names beginning with that

character or group of characters.

Use the joystick, the Zoom In/Out

buttons, or the triangles on the

screen to scroll through the list.

When you find the desired street,

select it with the joystick, the Enter

button, or by touching the screen.

After you have completed the street

name, the display changes to:

Enter the address number of your

destination. When you have finished,

select "Done".

The system displays the acceptable

address range. If you try to enter a

number outside that range, you will

be given an error message.

If you did not select a city in the

beginning, and the street name you

selected appears in more than one

city, you will see:

Select the desired destination city

from the list.

After you have entered the city and

street address, the system will ask

for the type of route that you desire,

calculate the route, and give you

your first route instruction. See

"Traveling To Your Destination" on

page 29.

Navigation System

Selecting By Intersection

To select the "Intersection" option in

the Main Menu, do either of the

following.

Push the joystick up or down to

move the highlighting to the

Intersection box. Then push on

the joystick or press the Enter

button.

Touch the Intersection box on the

screen with your finger.

After you select the option, the

display changes to:

If you select the "City" option first,

you can enter the name of the city

that is your destination. If you select

the "Street" option first, the system

has you enter the names of the two

intersecting streets. It will then list

all cities that contain that inter-

section. This may be helpful in an

urban area that has many cities next

to each other, and you are not sure

of the exact one your destination is

in.

Touch the box on the screen, or use

the joystick to move the highlighting

to the desired option, then push on

the joystick or press the Enter

button.

Navigation System

Selecting By Intersection

Selecting the City

When you select the City option, the

display changes to:

The name of your current location is

displayed. If your desired destination

is in the same location, select "Find".

If not, use the displayed letters to

enter the name of the destination

city. Enter each letter by doing

either of the following.

Move the highlighting to each

letter with the joystick, then push

on the joystick to enter that letter.

Touch each desired letter on the

screen.

The letters you enter are displayed

in the box at the top. Use the Space

box to create a space between words.

Use the Delete box to erase any

spelling errors. When you have

entered the city name, select "Find".

As you enter the city name, the

system searches its database for a

name that matches the letters you

are entering. When it finds only one

city that matches, it completes the

entry of the name for you. Select

"Find" to select that city.

If the system does not find an exact

match, continue entering the name

of the city. Select "Find" when you

are finished.

Navigation System

Selecting By Intersection

Cities in major metropolitan areas

are listed in the database. If the

system cannot find the city or town

you are trying to enter, it may be in

an "outlying area". See "Selecting By

Places" on page 24 .

The display changes to:

The closest match to the entered city

is at the top of the list. To scroll

through this list city by city, push the

joystick up or down. To scroll up or

down a screen at a time, use the

Zoom In/Out buttons, or touch the

triangles in the upper right corner of

the screen.

When you find the desired city, do

either of the following.

Highlight it with the joystick, then

push the Enter button or joystick.

Touch the name on the screen.

You may also select a city by

entering only the first character or

first few characters of the name. The

system will display a list of city

names beginning with that character

or characters. Scroll through the list,

find the desired city, and select it as

described.

If you change your mind or have

made an error, press the CANCEL

button to return to the previous

screen. Pressing the MENU button

returns you to the Main Menu.

Navigation System

Selecting By Intersection

Selecting the Intersection

After you have selected the city, or

directly if you select the "Street"

option in the beginning screen, the

display changes to:

Enter the street name with the

joystick, or by touching the charac-

ters on the screen. If the street name

includes numbers (228th Place, for

example) select the Number box on

the screen. The display will change

to:

Enter the numbers, then select the

Letter box on the screen to return to

the alphabet display. Complete the

street name, then select "Find".

To enter the name of a major

highway, you must use the full name,

including a hyphen. For interstates,

use an "I" (I-80). For U.S. highways,

use "US" (US-180). For state high-

ways, use the two-character state

designation (CA-101). For county

roads, use the appropriate

designation (G-2, for example).

Navigation System

Selecting By Intersection

If the system finds more than one

street with that same or similar

name, it will display a list of street

names.

Use the joystick, the Zoom In/Out

buttons, or the triangles in the upper

right corner of the screen to scroll

through the list. When you find the

desired street, select it with the

joystick, the Enter button, or by

touching the name on the screen.

After you have selected the first

street, the display changes to:

Enter the name of the intersecting

street in the same way that you

entered the first street.

You may also enter just the first one

or two characters of the street name.

The system will give you a list of

intersecting streets, starting with

streets that begin with the letter or

letters you entered. Scroll through

that list, find the desired street, then

select it.

CONTINUED

Navigation System

Selecting By Intersection

If you did not select a city in the

beginning, and the intersection you

entered appears in more than one

city, you will see:

Select the desired destination city

from the list.

There is a possibility, although small,

that the two streets you entered

intersect more than once in the

selected city. If this is the case, you

will see:

Select the desired intersection with

the joystick, the Enter button, or by

touching the screen.

After you have entered all the

information, the system will ask for

the type of route that you desire,

calculate the route, and give you

your first route instruction. See

"Traveling To Your Destination" on

page 29.

Navigation System

Selecting By Places

To select the "Places" option in the

Main Menu, do either of the follow-

ing.

Push the joystick up or down to

move the highlighting to the

Places box. Then push on the

joystick or press the Enter button.

Touch the Places box on the

screen with your finger.

After you select the option, the

display changes to:

This menu shows you the categories

of places that are stored in the

system. Each category has a

sub-category.

Auto Service

The sub-categories are: Acura

Roadside Assistance; Acura Dealer;

Gas station.

Banking

The sub-categories are: Banks; ATM.

Community

The sub-categories are: City hall;

School; Civic center; Convention

center; Court house; Library.

Emergency

The sub-categories are: Hospitals;

Police agencies; Acura Roadside

Assistance.

Hotel/Motel

Directs you to hotels and motels in

the area you designate.

Leisure

The sub-categories are: Amusement

parks; Golf courses; Entertainment;

Marinas; Museums; Parks; Per-

forming arts; Recreation; Stadiums;

Tourist attractions.

Restaurant

This category is broken down into

types of food; American, French,

Japanese, etc., giving you a selection

of restaurants by each type.

Shopping

The sub-categories are: Shopping

malls; Supermarkets.

Navigation System

Selecting By Places

Travel

The sub-categories are: Airports;

Automobile club offices; Bus

stations; Inter-city train stations;

Local transit; Parking; Travel

Information; Ferry terminal;

Outlying areas.

Note: The "Outlying Areas"

sub-category will help you find cities

and towns that are not in major

metropolitan areas. See page 24 .

Select the desired category by doing

either of the following.

Highlight it with the joystick, then

push the Enter button or joystick.

Touch the name on the screen.

The system will then display the

sub-category screen (except for

Hotel/Motel, which does not have a

sub-category). For example, if you

select "Leisure", you will see this

sub-category screen:

Use the joystick to scroll through the

list and find the specific sub-category

you desire. Select that sub-category

by pushing the joystick or the Enter

button, or by touching the screen.

The display then changes to:

Navigation System

Selecting By Places

Place Name

Requires you to enter the name of

your destination — for example,

entering "Mark Taper Forum" after

selecting the "Performing Arts"

sub-category.

Sort by Distance to Travel

The system lists all the places in the

sub-category you have selected,

starting with the closest to your

current location.

Within a City

After you select a city, the system

lists all the places in that city that fit

the sub-category.

Highlight the desired selection, then

push the Enter button or the joystick,

or touch the desired selection on the

screen.

Place Name

When you select this option, you will

see the following screen.

Use the displayed letters to enter the

name of the place you want to go by

doing either of the following.

Move the highlighting to each

letter with the joystick, then push

on the joystick to enter that letter.

Touch each desired letter on the

screen.

The letters you enter are displayed

in the box at the top. Use the Space

box to create a space between words.

Use the Delete box to erase any

spelling errors. When you have

entered the name, select "Find".

CONTINUED

Navigation System

Selecting By Places

The system then displays a list of

places in the selected sub-category,

starting with those that come closest

to matching what you entered. Use

the joystick, the Zoom In/Out

buttons, or the triangles in the upper

right corner of the screen to scroll

through the list. Select the desired

destination by pushing the joystick

or Enter button, or by touching the

screen.

Sort by Distance to Travel

When you select this option, the

system gives you a list of all the

places in the sub-category. This list

is arranged by distance from your

current location, with the closest at

the top of the list.

The distance and direction to each

destination are shown in the upper

right corner of the screen. The

distance shown is straight-line

distance ("as the crow flies"), not

driving distance. The actual distance

on a calculated route will be longer.

Use the joystick, the Zoom In/Out

buttons, or the triangles in the upper

right corner of the screen to scroll

thought the list. Select the desired

destination by doing either of the

following.

Push the joystick up or down to

move the highlighting to the

desired destination. Then push on

the joystick or press the Enter

button.

Touch the desired destination box

on the screen with your finger.

Navigation System

Selecting By Places

Within a City

When you select this option, you will

see the following display.

Use the displayed letters to enter the

name of the desired city.

Move the highlighting to each

letter with the joystick, then push

on the joystick to enter that letter.

Touch each letter on the screen.

Each entered letter will appear on

the top of the display. Use the

"Space" box to enter a space be-

tween words. Use the "Delete" box

to erase a letter entered incorrectly.

As you enter the city name the

system searches its database for a

name that matches the letters you

are entering. When it finds only one

city that matches, it completes the

entry of the name for you. Select

"Find" to select that city.

If the system does not find an exact

match, continue entering the name

of the city. Select "Find" when you

are finished.

The system then displays a list of

cities, with the name that most

closely matches what you entered at

the top. Use the joystick, the Zoom

In/Out buttons, or the triangles in

the upper right corner of the screen

to scroll through the list. When you

find the desired city, do either of the

following.

Highlight it with the joystick, then

push the Enter button or joystick.

Touch the name on the screen.

You may also select a city by

entering only the first character or

first few characters of the name. The

system will display a list of city

names beginning with that character

or characters. Scroll through the list,

find the desired city, and select it as

described.

CONTINUED

Navigation System

Selecting By Places

Once you have selected the city, the

system will display a list of places in

that city that fit the desired category.

Scroll through that list, find the

desired destination, then use the

joystick, Enter button, or screen

touch to select it.

Once you have selected a destination,

the system will ask for the type of

route that you desire, calculate the

route, and give you your first route

instruction, See "Traveling To Your

Destination" on page 29 .

Outlying Areas

Cities in major metropolitan areas

are listed in the database, and can be

directly selected by entering the city

name. Cities and towns outside these

areas are sub-categorized under the

"Places" option of the Main Menu.

If the system does not recognize the

name of a city that you enter when

using one of the Main Menu options,

select the "Travel" category in the

Main Menu's "Places" option. Then

select the "Outlying Areas" sub-

category.

Using the instructions given on the

previous pages for "Place Name",

"Sort by Distance to Travel", or

"Within a City", select the city or

town you are interested in. The

system will then calculate a route to

that destination. It will guide you to

the center of that city or town; you

may then have to ask someone for

directions to your specific desti-

nation.

In outlying areas, only major federal,

state, and country roads are included

in the database. Because of this, the

calculated route may not be the

shortest possible. You may be aware

of secondary roads that shorten the

travel distance and time.

Navigation System

Selecting A Previous Destination

Every time you use one of the Main

Menu options to enter a destination,

that destination is saved by the

system. It saves the last 20

destinations entered. Use the

"Previous Destination" option to

select one of those destinations.

To select the Previous Destination

option in the Main Menu, do either

of the following.

Push the joystick up or down to

move the highlighting to the

Previous Destination box. Then

push on the joystick or press the

Enter button.

Touch the Previous Destination

box on the screen with your finger.

After you select the option, the

display changes to:

The system lists the last 20 desti-

nations entered, with the most

recent appearing first. Scroll through

this list by pushing the joystick up

and down, using the Zoom In/Out

buttons, or by touching the triangles

in the upper right corner of the

screen.

When you find the desired desti-

nation, touch the name on the screen,

or highlight it, then push the joystick

or the Enter button.

Once you have selected the desti-

nation, the system will ask for the

type of route that you desire,

calculate the route, and give you

your first route instruction. See

"Traveling To Your Destination" on

page 29.

Navigation System

Selecting By Map Input

To select the "Map Input" option in

the Main Menu, do either of the

following.

Push the joystick up or down to

move the highlighting to the Map

Input box. Then push on the

joystick or press the Enter button.

Touch the Map Input box on the

screen with your finger.

After you select the option, the

display changes to:

Current Location

The Current Location option as-

sumes that you are looking for a

destination in the immediate area.

Select this option by touching the

screen, or by highlighting the box

and pushing the joystick or the Enter

button. The display changes to:

Navigation System

Selecting By Map Input

If the map is hard to read, use the

Zoom buttons to change the scale.

Press Zoom In to get greater detail,

and Zoom Out to get less detail.

After changing the scale, give the

system several seconds to redraw

the map on the screen.

The red arrow is your current

position. Find your desired desti-

nation by pushing the joystick left,

right, up, or down. The map will

move in the same direction.

Use the joystick to position the

crosshairs on your desired desti-

nation. Then push in on the joystick

or press the Enter button. The

address of the location you have

selected will appear at the top of the

screen.

If this is the desired destination,

push the joystick or the Enter button

again. The system will then calculate

the route to that destination. See

"Traveling To Your Destination" on

page 29.

A City

Select this option by touching the

screen, or by pushing the joystick or

the Enter button. The display

changes to:

Use the displayed letters to enter the

name of the destination city.

CONTINUED

Navigation System

Selecting By Map Input

Move the highlighting to each

desired letter with the joystick,

then push in on the joystick to

enter that letter.

Touch each desired letter on the

screen.

Each entered letter will appear on

the top of the display. Use the

"Space" box to enter a space be-

tween words. Use the "Delete" box

to erase a letter entered incorrectly.

The system searches the database

for a name that matches the letters

you are entering. When it finds only

one city that matches, it completes

the entry for you. Select "Find" to

select that city. If the system does

not complete the entry, select "Find"

after you have entered all or part of

the name. The system then displays

a list of city names, starting with

those that most closely match the

name you entered.

Push the joystick up or down to

scroll through the list city by city. To

scroll up or down a screen at a time,

use the Zoom/In Out buttons, or

touch one of the triangles in the

upper right corner of the screen.

When you find the desired city, do

either of the following.

Highlight it with the joystick, then

push the Enter button or joystick.

Touch the name on the screen.

After you have entered the desired

city, the display changes to a map.

The starting location will be the Civic

Center/City Hall of the selected city.

Refer to "Current Location" on the

previous page for instructions on

finding and entering your desired

destination.

Navigation System

Traveling To Your Destination

After you have selected your desti-

nation, the display changes to:

This display is asking you to confirm

the route you would like. You have

four options.

Direct Route

Calculate a route that is the most

direct and will take the least time.

Easy Route

Calculate a route that minimizes the

number of turns needed.

Minimize Freeways

Calculate a route that avoids freeway

travel. If that is not possible, keep

the amount of freeway travel to a

minimum.

Minimize Toll Roads

Calculate a route that avoids, or

minimizes travel on toll roads.

If the route option displayed is the

one you want, select "OK". If it is not,

select "Change Method".

If you select Change Method, the

display changes to:

CONTINUED

Navigation System

Traveling To Your Destination

Select the type of route that you

desire by touching the screen, or by

pushing the joystick or Enter button.

The display changes back to:

Confirm your choice by selecting

"OK".

The system will then take several

seconds to calculate your route.

After calculating the route, the

system displays a map of your

current location. The calculated

route will be highlighted as a blue

line. An audio instruction will tell you

to proceed to the highlighted route.

Navigation System

Traveling To Your Destination

Once you are driving on the route,

the display changes to the Guidance

Screen shown.

Navigation System

Touch to hear

voice instruction

Guidance Screen

Current Location

CONTINUED

Direction of Next

Driving Maneuver

Location of Next

Driving Maneuver

Distance to Next

Driving Maneuver

Distance to

Destination

Direction to

Destination

Traveling To Your Destination

The Guidance Screen shows you the

next driving maneuver you have to

perform. As you get near this

maneuver, you will hear a tone,

followed by a voice reminder. If you

are driving on a city or country road.

This reminder is given one-half mile

before you have to make the maneu-

ver. If you are driving on a freeway

or toll road, this reminder occurs at

one mile.

If the distance between the next two

driving maneuvers is very small,

both maneuvers are displayed on the

screen and the voice will remind you

of both of them at the same time.

You may hear the voice at any time

by touching the Voice box on the

screen. The voice will inform you of

the next maneuver, and how far you

have to travel to reach it.

When you have almost reached the

location of the driving maneuver, the

left side of the display changes to:

This graph and the distance re-

maining count down as you get

closer to the maneuver. The voice

will again remind you.

Navigation System

Traveling To Your Destination

Going Off the Route

If you leave the calculated route,

"Off-route" is displayed on the top of

the screen.

The system will recalculate the route

from your current location and

direction to the desired destination;

then give you a new route instruction.

This recalculation is done automati-

cally unless you set it to manual in

the Set-up Menu. See "System Set-

up" on page 37.

If this option is set to "Automatic",

you will see a "Recalculation in

Progress" message for several

seconds, followed by a new guidance

screen.

If this option is set to "Manual", you

will hear a tone when the "Off-route"

message is displayed. You must

press the Enter button before the

system will recalculate your route.

Modifying the Route

Several functions in the system allow

you to view the route the system has

calculated. You can then have the

system recalculate portions of the

route. This is helpful if you are

aware of road conditions along the

calculated route that you wish to

avoid.

With the guidance screen displayed,

you can push the joystick left or

right at any time to display the

Direction List. This shows you all the

route instructions between your

current location and your destination.

Instructions that have already been

executed cannot be displayed.

CONTINUED

Navigation System

Traveling To Your Destination

To return to the guidance screen,

press the Map/Guide button. The

system automatically returns to the

guidance screen in about 10 seconds

if you do nothing.

From the guidance screen, push the

joystick down to see the upcoming

route instructions one at a time.

Each push displays the next instruc-

tion in the sequence. Push the

joystick up to move backward

through the sequence to the current

instruction. The display returns to

the current route instruction in about

10 seconds if you stop pushing on

the joystick.

Pressing the Menu button with the

guidance screen displayed changes

the display to:

This menu lets you cancel or modify

the current calculated route.

Plan New Trip

Selecting this option cancels the

current route and destination. The

display returns to the Main Menu.

Auto Detour

Select this option if you encounter as

unexpected obstacle, such as a

closed road or extremely heavy

traffic congestion. The system will

calculate a route from your current

location that detours you off the

original route, and then back onto it

after a certain distance.

Avoid a Street

This option lets you delete a street or

streets from the current calculated

route. This is helpful if you know of

road construction or other snags on

the prescribed route.

Navigation System

Traveling To Your Destination

Back to Current Route

Selecting this option returns you to

the original guidance screen.

The Map Screen

You can switch between the

guidance screen and the map screen

by pressing the Map/Guide button.

The calculated route is shown by the

blue line. As with the guidance

screen, the voice will advise you of

approaching maneuvers. You can

touch the Voice box on the screen at

any time to be reminded of the next

maneuver.

Use the Zoom In/Out buttons to

change the scale of the map.

Zooming in increases the detail,

while zooming out gives you a view

of a wide area. After changing the

scale, give the system several

seconds to update the display.

In the three closest map scales (1/20,

1/8, and 1/2 mile per half inch) the

map is oriented so your direction of

travel is always up the screen. You

can change this by touching the

North pointer in the upper right

corner of the screen. The map will

reorient so North is always up and

your direction of travel moves

around the screen.

In the smaller map scales (above 1/2

mile per half inch). The map is

always oriented with North going up.

You cannot change the orientation.

To view other areas on the map,

move the joystick left, right, up, or

down. The map will shift in that

direction. To return the map to your

current location, press either the

Map/Guide button or the Cancel

button.

The display automatically changes to

the map screen when you reach your

destination. Press the Menu button

to return to the Main Menu.

CONTINUED

Navigation System

Traveling To Your Destination

Navigation System

GPS Signal Strength

Green — Strong

Yellow — Weak

Red — No signal

Distance to

Destination

Direction to

Destination

North Pointer

(In 1/20, 1/8, and 1/2 mile

map scales, touch to

change map orientation)

Blue line — Calculated route

White — Hospital

Yellow — Shopping Mall

Orange — University

Dark Green — Park

Medium Green — Golf Course

Gray — Airport/Stadium/Business

Light Blue — Body of Water

Map Scale Adjustment

(Appears only when you

press Zoom In/Out buttons)

Map Scale

(Miles per half inch)

Current Road

Current Location

Map Screen

System Set-up

The Set-up screen allows you to

change and update information in

the system. To display the Set-up

screen, press the Set-up button.

To make selections on this screen,

do either of the following.

Use the joystick to highlight the

desired choice. Then push the

joystick.

Touch the desired choice with

your finger.

Volume

Adjust the volume of the tone and

voice. If you turn the voice off, you

will no longer hear reminders when

you approach the next driving

maneuver. You can still hear re-

minders by touching the Voice box

on the Guidance or Map screen.

Display

Adjust the brightness of the display.

In all settings, except Off, the screen

will dim when you turn on the

headlights. The brightness of the

screen with the headlights on and off

is higher in the Day setting than in

the Night setting. The Auto setting

gives the widest range of brightness

— using the Day brightness when

the headlights are off, and the Night

brightness when the headlights are

on. Use the brightness control on the

front of the system to fine-tune the

brightness to your liking.

When the headlights are on, you can

brighten the display by pushing the

Enter button and holding it for two

seconds. Push and hold the button

again to return the display to its

original brightness.

Use Off to turn off the screen if you

are not using the system to find a

destination. Push any button to turn

the screen back on.

Navigation System

System Set-up

ReRoute

This option allows you to select

either manual or automatic

recalculation when you go off-route.

See page 33.

Address

This option allows you to add, modify,

and delete information in the

Personal Address list, and to delete

information from the Previous

Address list.

To use this Address option with the

Personal Address list, see "Personal

Addresses" on page 42 .

When you select the Previous

Address option, the display changes

to:

Use the joystick, the Zoom In/Out

buttons, or the triangles in the upper

right corner of the screen to scroll

through the list. Find the address

you want to delete, highlight it, then

push the joystick or the Enter button.

The highlighted address will be

deleted, and the addresses below it

will shift up.

Navigation System

System Set-up

Position Correction

Use this option if the position of the

vehicle in a map display does not

match your actual position.

The system relies on satellites for

positioning information. Buildings,

tunnels and other objects can block

receipt of these signals, requiring

the system to use "dead reckoning"

to determine your location and

direction. This can sometimes lead

to small errors in positioning.

If you find that the map position is

not correct (for example, you are

sitting at a intersection, but the

display shows you have already gone

through the intersection), stop the

car. The car must be at a full stop

before you can correct the position.

Push the Set-up button to display the

Set-up screen, then select the

Position Correction option. This will

return you to the map display. Use

the joystick to move the location

arrow to the correct location. Touch

the arrows in the lower left corner of

the screen to rotate the arrow so it is

pointing in the correct direction.

When you have finished, press the

Enter button. If you do not press

Enter, the new position will automati-

cally be entered when the vehicle

starts to move.

Navigation System

System Set-up

Save Current Location

This option tells the system to store

the current location for later use. It

does not change or cancel the route

instructions you are using at the time

to reach a destination.

For example, you are following the

system's directions to get to a

destination. You are sitting at a stop

light and notice a curio shop on the

corner. You do not have time to visit

it right now, but you would like to in

the future. This option saves the

location of the intersection so you

can select it as a destination at a later

date.

To save the location (while the

vehicle is stopped), press the Set-up

button. When the Set-up screen

appears, select Save Current Loca-

tion. While the system is saving the

location, the option bar says "Saving

Current Location...". After the

location is saved, select Return to

change back to the Guidance/Map

Screen.

The current location is saved in the

previous destination list. Use the

Previous Destination option in the

Main Menu to select it. It will appear

in that list as "Save" followed by the

location.

PIN

This option allows you to change

your Personal identification Number.

See "Personal Addresses" on page

42.

Clock

This option lets you set the clock

that appears in the lower right

corner of most screens. When you

select this option, the display

changes to:

Navigation System

System Set-up

If the time zone is incorrect, select

the correct time zone by highlighting

it, then pushing the joystick or Enter

button, or by touching the proper

time zone box with your finger.

Change the hour or minutes setting

by selecting the proper box. For

example, to change 10:41 to 10:44,

select the "Minute +" box three

times.

When you have finished, select the

Return box.

Info

Selecting this option displays

information about the Navigation

System's software.

When you have finished reviewing

this information, select Return to go

back to the Set-up screen.

Return

This option returns you to the screen

that was displayed before you

pressed the Set-up button.

Navigation System

Personal Addresses

The Personal Addresses function

allows two different users to store up

to 50 destinations each. To access

and use these destinations requires a

Personal Identification Number

(PIN). This number can be up to

four digits long.

Entering a PIN

To set up or change your own PIN,

first display the Set-up screen by

pressing the Set-up button. Then

select the PIN option. The display

changes to:

Note which user this screen is for. If

you are User 2 and the display says

"You are User 1", select the User 2

box. The display will change to "You

are User 2".

Use the keypad to enter your PIN

(touch the numbers on the screen,

or use the joystick and Enter button).

The numbers will not be displayed,

only asterisks are shown. When you

have entered your PIN, select Done.

NOTE:

There are no PINs in the system

when it is new. If this is the first time

a PIN is being set up, select Done

without entering any numbers.

If you have entered the PIN cor-

rectly, the display changes to:

Enter your new PIN (up to four

digits). Then select Done.

Navigation System

Personal Addresses

The display then changes slightly,

asking you to re-enter the new PIN.

This is to validate the number you

have selected. Enter the same

number, then select Done. If you

have entered the same number both

times, the display returns to the Set-

up screen. If not, the system repeats

the "Enter New PIN-Re-enter New

PIN" cycle until you do.

Entering Personal Addresses

Each user can store up to 50

addresses in the system. To begin

entering a personal address, select

the Set-up screen. On that screen,

select "Address-Personal". The

display then changes to:

Verify that the right user is displayed,

enter your PIN, then select Done.

The display changes to:

CONTINUED

Navigation System

Personal Addresses

Select "New Address" at the top of

the list. The display changes to:

The Name box is highlighted. You

can use this box to give the entry a

name or title that you will recognize

later, such as "Doctor Smith" or

"Rialto Theatre". If you do not give

the address a name, the system will

assign one: "Address 1", "Address 2",

etc.

Select the Name box by pressing the

Enter button or by touching the box

with your finger. The display

changes to:

Use the displayed letters to enter the

desired name by doing either of the

following.

Move the highlighting to each

desired letter with the joystick,

then push on the joystick to enter

that letter.

Touch each desired letter on the

screen.

Each entered letter will appear on

the top of the display. Use the

"Space" box to enter a space be-

tween words. Use the "Delete" box

to erase a letter entered incorrectly.

Navigation System

Personal Addresses

Once you have entered the name,

select "Done". The display returns

to:

Select the address box by high-

lighting it with the joystick, then

pushing the joystick or the Enter

button, or by touching the Address

box with your finger. The display

changes to:

This menu gives you three ways to

enter the desired address.

Address

This option requires you to enter the

city and address you wish to store.

The operation is the same as

selecting the "Address" option in the

Main Menu. Refer to "Selecting By

Address" on page 8 for detailed

instructions.

Places

This option allows you to select one

of the locations already stored in the

system as one of your personal

addresses. See "Selecting By Places"

on page 19 for instructions.

Previous Destination

This option allows you to store one

of the locations in the Previous

Destinations list in your Personal

Address list. See "Selecting A

Previous Destination" on page 25 for

instructions.

CONTINUED

Navigation System

Personal Addresses

After you have used one of these

three options to enter the address,

the display changes back to:

If desired, you can enter the tele-

phone number of this location. Select

the Phone box with the joystick or by

touching the box on the screen. The

display changes to:

Enter the telephone number,

including the area code, by touching

each digit on the screen, or by using

the joystick to highlight each digit,

then pushing the joystick or the

Enter button. When you have

entered the complete phone number,

select Done.

The system will then display every-

thing that you have entered.

Navigation System

Personal Addresses

Verify the information you have

entered. If something is incorrect,

select the box with the incorrect

information either by highlighting

the box with the joystick, then

pushing the joystick or Enter button,

or by touching the box on the screen.

Repeat the process of entering the

information in that box.

If all the information is correct,

select Done. This will return you to

your personal address list.

If you want to enter another personal

address, select New Address. If not,

select Return.

Updating a Personal Address

To change information in a

previously-stored personal address,

press the Set-up key to select the

Set-up menu. As before, select

Address — Personal in that menu,

verify the user, then enter your PIN.

Your personal address list will be

displayed.

Use the joystick, the Zoom In/Out

buttons, or touch the triangles in the

upper right corner of the screen to

scroll through the list. Select the

location you wish to update by doing

one of the following.

Use the joystick to highlight the

location, then push on the joystick

or the Enter button.

Touch the location box on the

screen with your finger.

The display changes to:

CONTINUED

Navigation System

Personal Addresses

To remove that location from your

personal address list, select "To

Delete". The system will remove all

the information about that location

from the list, then return the display

to the personal address list.

To change information in that listing,

select "To Update". The information

about that location will be displayed.

Select the appropriate box, "Name",

"Address", or "Phone Number", that

needs updating. Follow the

instructions under "Entering

Personal Addresses" to change the

information in that box.

After you have completed the

changes, and verified them on the

screen, select Done to return to your

personal address list.

Repeat this process to update or

delete another location in your

personal address list. If you are

finished, select Return.

Selecting a Personal Address as a

Destination

Selecting a personal address entry

for use by the Navigation System is

done from the Main Menu.

Navigation System

Personal Addresses

Select the "Previous Destination"

option. The display changes to:

The first entry in this list is

"Personal Addresses". Select this

entry with the joystick or by

touching the screen.

The system then asks for your PIN.

Verify that the correct user is

selected, then enter your PIN.

Your Personal Address list will then

be displayed.

Use the joystick, the Zoom In/Out

buttons, or touch the triangles in the

upper right corner of the screen to

scroll through the list. When you

find the desired location, highlight

and select it by pushing on the

joystick or Enter button, or select it

by touching the location box on the

screen.

The system takes that as your

desired destination and begins to

calculate the route. See "Traveling

To Your Destination" on page 29 .

Navigation System

System Security

If the battery goes dead or is

disconnected for any reason, you will

have to enter a security code into the

Navigation System before you can

use it again.

You should have received a card that

contains the Navigation System's

four-digit security code and serial

number. Keep this card in a safe

place. In addition, you should write

the system's serial number in this

Owner's Manual. If you lose the card,

you must obtain the security code

from your Acura dealer. To do this,

you will need the system's serial

number.

After the battery is reconnected, and

you turn the ignition switch on, you

will see:

Enter the four-digit code, then select

Done. If you have entered it cor-

rectly, the display will change to the

Disclaimer screen.

You have three chances to enter the

correct code. If all three are incor-

rect, the system must remain on for

one hour before you can enter the

code again.

Because the power was disconnected,

the system needs time to reinitialize

parts of the database. It may be

several minutes before you see the

Disclaimer screen.

Navigation System

System Limitations

Although your Acura Navigation

System is one of the most highly-

sophisticated pieces of equipment

you will find in a modern automobile,

you may find during its use that it

has certain limitations.

The system uses signals from the

Global Positioning System (GPS) to

aid in determining its current

location. The GPS is operated by the

U.S. Department of Defense. For

security reasons, there are certain

inaccuracies built into the GPS that

the Navigation System must

constantly compensate for. This can

cause occasional positioning errors

of up to several hundred feet.

For example, in urban areas where

streets are close together, this could

cause the system to show that you

are traveling on a street that parallels

the street you are actually on. The

system will, under most

circumstances, correct itself after

several seconds.

Although the system will direct you

to your desired destination, it may

not always do it by what you consid-

er to be the most direct route.

CONTINUED

Navigation System

System Limitations

You will find that the points of

interest listings in the "Places"

option are not as complete in

outlying areas as they are in metro-

politan areas. For example, only

limited numbers of gas stations,

restaurants, supermarkets, banks,

etc. in outlying areas are included.

This means you may not find places

listed that you know exist. This is

also true for police agencies and

hospitals. In outlying areas, facilities

listed may not be the closest. Always

check with local information sources

if you need law enforcement or

hospital services.

Acura has made every effort to

verify that the system's database was

accurate at the time it was created.

However, businesses do fail or move

to new locations, and new businesses

start in the old locations. For this

reason, you may occasionally find

"inaccurate" information when you

select and drive to a point of interest

(for example, a restaurant is now a

jewelry store). The number of these

inaccuracies will increase as time

goes on.

You may find that the system

occasionally "reboots". This is

indicated by the display returning to

the logo screen. A reboot can be

caused by a number of things, such

as entering data too quickly, or by

excessive heat or shock. It does not

necessarily indicate a problem that

requires service. After the system

completes the reboot, it should allow

you to complete whatever functions

you were performing before the

reboot.

Navigation System

Customer Assistance

If you find errors in the database,

you can report them to Acura

Customer Relations.

Telephone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

E-mail:

[e-mail]

Mail:

Acura Navi

American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

MS 500-2S-1A

1919 Torrance Blvd.

Torrance, CA 90501-2746

Acura is continually expanding the

scope of the Navigation System.

Upgraded software will be made

available to Navigation System

owners periodically, usually in the

fall of each year.

For the first two years after you

purchased or leased your 3.5 RL, you

can obtain these upgrades free of

charge. Installation of a different

database if you travel or relocate to a

different coverage area is also free

of charge.

Beginning in the third year, you may

obtain these upgrades and coverage

area changes after paying an annual

royalty fee. This fee covers a one

year period from anniversary date to

anniversary date of your car's

original delivery to the first owner.

Your Acura dealer will also charge

you an installation fee for each

upgrade or coverage area change.

You are not required to pay the

annual royalty fee. If you are

satisfied with the current database

coverage of your car's Navigation

System, you can continue using it at

no cost. If you decide at some point

in the future that you would like an

upgraded database or different

coverage area, you may pay the

royalty fee and installation charge to

your Acura dealer at that time.

For further information, contact your

Acura dealer or Acura Customer

Relations.

Hard Disk Removal

The system's database is stored on a

removable hard disk.

To remove the hard disk:

1. Remove the key from the ignition

switch. You can damage the hard

disk if you remove it with the

ignition ON (II).

2. Locate the control unit. It is in the

trunk underneath the package

shelf.

CONTINUED

Navigation System

Customer Assistance

3. Slide the door up.

4. Push the Eject button. The hard

disk cartridge will pop out of the

slot.

5. Pull the cartridge straight out.

To install the hard disk cartridge,

make sure the label is facing up.

Slide the cartridge into the slot until

it clicks and the cartridge is locked in

place.

Map Coverage

The cities and metropolitan areas

listed below are fully mapped. Only

major streets, roads, and highways

are mapped outside these areas. See

"Outlying Areas" on page 24 .

If you desire more detailed

information on map coverage,

contact any Acura dealer. You may

also contact Acura Customer

Relations by telephone, mail, fax, or

e-mail at the addresses and numbers

shown on page 53 .

Coverage Area 1

California

Los Angeles/San Diego

Metropolitan area

Sacramento Metropolitan area

San Francisco Bay area

(approximately Monterey to

Sonoma)

Nevada

Las Vegas Metropolitan area

Coverage Area 4

Arkansas

None

Louisiana

New Oreleans Metropolitan

area

Mississippi

None

Oklahoma

None

Tennessee

None

Texas

Austin Metropolitan area

Dallas/Fort Worth Metropolitan

area

Houston Metropolitan area

San Antonio Metropolitan area

Navigation System

Customer Assistance

Coverage Area 5

Illinois

Chicago Metropolitan area (to

Wisconsin border)

Indiana

Gary/Hammond Metropolitan

area

Indianapolis Metropolitan area

Kokomo Metropolitan area

Michigan

Boyne City

Charlevoix

Detroit Metropolitan area

(including Ann Arboc, Pontiac,

and Flint)

Elk Rapids

Grand Rapids Metropolitan area

Harbor Springs

Lansing Metropolitan area

Petosky

Traverse City Metropolitan area

Ohio

None

Wisconsin

None

Coverage Area 6

Indiana (Southern half)

None

Kentucky

None

Maryland

None

New York (Eastern half)

None

Ohio

None

Pennsylvania (Eastern half)

Pittsburgh Metropolitan area

Tennessee

Knoxville/Farragot

Metropolitan area

West Virginia

None

Coverage Area 7

Connecticut

Bridgeport

Danbury

Hartford Metropolitan area

New Haven Metropolitan area

Norwalk

Stanford

Maine

None

Massachusetts

Boston Metropolitan area

Springfield Metropolitan area

New Hampshire

Manchester

Nashua

New Jersey (Northern half)

Newark Metropolitan area

Navigation System

CONTINUED

Customer Assistance

New York (Western half)

Cooperstown

New York City Metropolitan

area

Rhode Island

Providence Metropolitan area

Vermont

None

Coverage Area 8

Delaware

Wilmington Metropolitan area

Maryland

Baltimore/Washington D.C.

Metropolitan area

New Jersey (Southern half)

Camden Metropolitan area

Trenton Metropolitan area

North Carolina

None

Pennsylvania (Eastern half)

Philadelphia Metropolitan area

Virginia

Alexandria

Arlington

Fairfax

Falls Church

Manassas

Manassas Park

Richmond Metropolitan area

Coverage Area 9

Alabama

None

Florida

Fort Myers Metropolitan area

Jacksonville Metropolitan area

Miami/Fort Lauderdale/

West Palm

Beach Metropolitan area

Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg

Metropolitan area

Georgia

Atlanta Metropolitan area

North Carolina

None

South Carolina

None

Navigation System

NOTE:

The digitized map database reflects conditions as they existed at various points in time before production. Accordingly,

your copy may contain inaccurate or incomplete data or information due to the passage of time, road construction,

changing conditions, or other causes.

In addition, this database does not include, analyze, process, consider, or reflect any of the following categories of

information:

Navigation System

Neighborhood quality or safety

Population density

Availability or proximity of law

enforcement

Emergency, rescue, medical, or

other assistance

Construction work, zones, or

hazards

Road and lane closures

Legal restrictions (such as vehicular

type, weight, load, height, and speed

restrictions)

Road slope or grade

Bridge height, width, weight or other

limits

Road, traffic or traffic facilities safety

or conditions

Weather conditions

Pavement characteristics or

conditions

Special events

Traffic congestion

Travel time

We assume no liability for any incident that may result from an error in the program, or from changed conditions not

noted above.

Table of Contents

Introduction........................................ 2

System Controls................................. 4

System Start-up.................................. 6

Main Menu......................................... 7

Selecting By Address........................ 8

Selecting By Intersection................ 13

Selecting By Places.......................... 19

Outlying Areas............................. 24

Selecting A Previous Destination.. 25

Selecting By Map Input................... 26

Traveling To Your Destination...... 29

Going Off the Route.................... 33

Modifying the Route ................... 33

The Map Screen .......................... 35

System Set-up................................... 37

Personal Addresses......................... 42

Entering a PIN ............................. 42

Entering Personal Addresses..... 43

Updating a Personal Address..... 47

Selecting a Personal Address as

a Destination............................ 48

System Security............................... 50

System Limitations.......................... 51

Custome

Alpha Index

r Assistance....................... 53

Navigation System

Refer to 1998 RL Owner's Manual for more information.

Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference.

For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com.

User Agreement

In using this DVD "Satellite Linked

Navigation System" (the "Disk"),

which includes HONDA MOTOR

CO., LTD. software, ALPINE

ELECTRONICS, INC. software,

NAVIGATION TECHONLOGIES

CORPORATION database contents

and INFO USA CORPORATION

database contents (hereinafter

referred to as "Licensors"), you are

bound by the terms and conditions

set forth below. By using your copy

of the Disk, you have expressed your

agreement to the terms and

conditions of this Agreement. You

should, therefore, make sure that

you read and understand the

following provisions.

If for any reason you do not wish to

be bound by the terms of this

agreement, please return the disk to

your Acura dealer.

The Disk may not be copied,

duplicated, or otherwise modified,

in whole or in part, without the

express written permission of the

Licensors.

The Disk may not be transferred

or sublicensed to any third party

for profit, rent or loan, or licensed

for reuse in any manner.

The Disk may not be decompiled,

reverse engineered or otherwise

disassembled, in whole or in part.

The Disk may not be used in a

network or by any other manner

of simultaneous use in multiple

systems.

The Disk in intended solely for

personal use (or internal use

where the end-user is a business)

by the consumer. The Disk is not

to be used for commercial

purposes.

The Licensors do not guarantee to

the customer that the functions

included in the Disk meet the

specific objectives of the user.

Licensor shall not be responsible

for any damages caused by the

use of the Disk to the actual user

or to any third party.

The warranty on the Disk shall not

extend to an exchange or refund

due to misspelling, omission of

letters, or any other cosmetic

discrepancy in the layout of the

Disk.

CONTINUED

User Agreement

The right to use the disk shall

expire either when the user

destroys the Disk or software, or

when any of the terms of this

Agreement are violated and the

Licensors exercise the option to

revoke the license to use the Disk

or software.

The terms and conditions hereof

apply to all subsequent users and

owners as well as to the original

purchaser.

The use of oil company logos in

the display are for your

information and convenience, and

in no way implies any sponsorship,

approval or endorsement of these

companies, or their products. The

logos are trademarks of their

respective owners.

The user shall indemnify and save

harmless the Licensors, and their

officers, employees and agents, from

and against any claim, demand or

action, irrespective of the nature of

the cause of the claim, demand or

action, alleging loss, costs, expense,

damages or injuries (including

injuries resulting in death) arising

out of the use or possession of the

Disk, data, or the Navigation

Technologies Corporation database.

Use, duplication, or disclosure of this

Disk by or on behalf of the United

States government is subject to

"Restricted Rights" as set forth at

FAR 52.227-14, -19 or DFARS

252.227-7013, as applicable.

Manufacturers are the Licensors,

including HONDA MOTOR CO.,

LTD., 2-1-1 Minami Aoyama Minato-

Ku Tokyo 107-8556 JAPAN., Alpine

Electronics, Inc., 20-1 Yoshima

Kogyodanchi, Iwaki, Fukushima 970-

1192 JAPAN., Navigation

Technologies, 10400 W. Higgins Rd.

Rosemont, IL 60018 and INFO USA

CORPORATION, 5711 South 86th

Circle, Omaha, NE 68127.

Important Safety Precautions

You'll find many safety

recommendations throughout this

section, and throughout this manual.

Following are a few

recommendations we consider most

important.

Always Wear Your Seat Belt

A seat belt is your best protection in

all types of collisions. Airbags

supplement seat belts, but airbags

are designed to inflate only in a

severe frontal collision. So even with

airbags, make sure you and your

passengers always wear your seat

belts, and wear them properly. (See

page 12.)

Restrain All Children

Children are safest when they are

properly restrained in the back seat,

not the front seat. A child who is too

small for a seat belt must be properly

restrained in a child safety seat. (See

page 17.)

Be Aware of Airbag Hazards

While airbags save lives, they can

cause serious or fatal injuries to

occupants who sit too close to them,

or are not properly restrained.

Infants, young children, and short

adults are at the greatest risk. Be

sure to follow all instructions and

warnings in this manual. (See page 5.)

Don't Drink and Drive

Alcohol and driving don't mix. Even

one drink can reduce your ability to

respond to changing conditions.

Reaction time gets worse with every

additional drink. So don't drink and

drive, and don't let your friends drink

and drive, either.

Control Your Speed

Excessive speed is a major factor in

crash injuries and deaths. Generally,

the higher the speed the greater the

risk, but serious accidents can also

occur at lower speeds. Never drive

faster than is safe for current

conditions, regardless of the

maximum speed posted.

Keep Your Vehicle in Safe

Condition

Having a tire blowout or a

mechanical failure can be extremely

hazardous. To reduce the possibility

of such problems, check your tire

pressures and condition frequently,

and perform all regularly scheduled

maintenance. (See page 176 .)

Driver and Passenger Safety

Your Car's Safety Features

(1) Safety Cage

(2) Crush Zones

(3) Seats & Seat-Backs

(4) Head Restraints

(5) Collapsible Steering Column

(6) Seat Belts

(7) Airbags

(8) Seat Belt Tenisioners

(9) Door Locks

Your vehicle is equipped with many

features that work together to

protect you and your passengers

during a crash.

Some safety features do not require

any action on your part. These

include a strong steel framework

that forms a safety cage around the

passenger compartment; front and

rear crush zones that are designed to

crumple and absorb energy during a

crash; and a collapsible steering

column.

These safety features are designed

to reduce the severity of injuries in a

crash. However, you and your

passengers can't take full advantage

of these safety features unless you

remain sitting in a proper position

and

always wear your seat belts

properly

. In fact, some safety

features can contribute to injuries if

they are not used properly.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Your Car's Safety Features

Seat Belts

For your safety, and the safety of

your passengers, your vehicle is

equipped with seat belts in all seating

positions.

Your seat belt system also

includes a light on the

instrument panel to remind you and

your passengers to fasten your seat

belts.

Why Wear Seat Belts

Seat belts are the single most

effective safety device for adults and

larger children. (Infants and smaller

children must be properly restrained

in child seats.)

Not wearing a seat belt properly

increases the chance of serious

injury or death in a crash, even

though your vehicle has airbags.

In addition, most states and all

Canadian provinces require you to

wear seat belts.

When properly worn, seat belts:

Keep you connected to the vehicle

so you can take advantage of the

vehicle's built-in safety features.

Help protect you in almost every

type of crash, including side and

rear impacts and rollovers. (Your

airbags can only be helpful in

severe frontal collisions.)

Help keep you from being thrown

against the inside of the car and

against other occupants.

Keep you from being thrown

outside of the car.

Help keep you in a good position

should the airbags ever deploy. A

good position reduces the risk of

injury from an inflating airbag, and

allows you to get the best

advantage from the airbags.

Of course, seat belts cannot

completely protect you in every

crash. But in most cases, seat belts

can reduce your risk of serious

injury.

What you should

do:

Always wear

your seat belt, and make sure you

wear it properly.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Not wearing a seat belt properly

increases the chance of serious

injury or death in a crash, even

if you have airbags.

Be sure you and your

passengers always wear seat

belts and wear them properly.

Your Car's Safety Features

Airbags

Your vehicle has a Supplemental

Restraint System (SRS) with frontal

airbags to help protect the driver and

a front seat passenger.

This system also includes

an indicator light on the

instrument panel to alert you to a

possible problem with the system.

Following are the most important

things you need to know about your

airbags:

Airbags do not replace seat belts.

They supplement seat belts by

providing extra protection for the

heads and chests of front seat

occupants.

Airbags offer no protection in side

impacts, rear impacts, rollovers,

or minor or moderate collisions.

Airbags are designed to deploy

only during a severe frontal

collision (such as a 25 mph [40

km/h] crash into a parked car of

similar size and weight).

Airbags can pose serious hazards.

To do their job, airbags must

inflate with tremendous force and

speed. So while airbags save lives,

they can cause serious injuries to

adults and larger children who are

not wearing seat belts, are not

wearing them properly, are sitting

too close to the airbag, or are not

sitting in a proper position. Infants

and small children are at an even

greater risk of injury or death.

What you should do: Always wear

your seat belt properly and sit

upright and as far back as possible

from the steering wheel or

dashboard.

Driver and Passenger Safety

SRS

Your Car's Safety Features

Seats & Seat-Backs

Your vehicle's seats are designed to

keep you in a comfortable, upright

position so you can take full

advantage of the protection offered

by seat belts and the seats' energy

absorbing materials.

How you adjust your seats and seat-

backs can also affect your safety. For

example, sitting too close to the

steering wheel or dashboard

increases your risk of being injured

by striking the inside of the vehicle

or being injured by an inflating

airbag.

Reclining a seat-back too far makes

your seat belt less effective and

increases your chance of sliding

under the seat belt and being

seriously injured in a crash.

What you should do: Move the front

seats as far back as possible, and

keep adjustable seat-backs in an

upright position whenever the

vehicle is moving.

Head Restraints

Head restraints can help protect you

from whiplash and other injuries. For

maximum protection, the back of

your head should rest against the

center of the head restraint.

Door Locks

Keeping your doors locked reduces

the chance of being thrown out of

the vehicle during a crash. It also

helps prevent occupants from

accidentally opening a door and

falling out, and outsiders from

unexpectedly opening your doors.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Your Car's Safety Features

Pre-Drive Safety Checklist

To make sure you and your

passengers get the maximum

protection from your vehicle's safety

features, check the following each

time before you drive away:

All adults, and children who have

outgrown child safety seats, are

wearing their seat belts and

wearing them properly (see page

12).

Any infant or small child is

properly restrained in a child seat

in the back seat (see page 17 ).

Front seat occupants are sitting as

far back as possible from the

steering wheel and dashboard

(see page 10).

Seat-backs are upright (see page

11).

Head restraints are properly

adjusted (see page 12).

All doors are closed and locked

(see page 10).

All cargo is properly stored or

secured (see page 146 ).

The rest of this section gives more

detailed information about how you

can maximize your safety.

Remember, however, that no safety

system can prevent all injuries or

deaths that can occur in severe

crashes, even when seat belts are

properly worn and the airbags deploy.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Adults

Introduction

The following pages provide

instructions on how to properly

protect the driver and other adult

occupants.

These instructions also apply to

children who have outgrown child

seats and are large enough to wear

lap/shoulder belts. (See page 32 for

important additional guidelines on

how to properly protect larger

children.)

1.Close and Lock the Doors

After everyone has entered the

vehicle, be sure the doors are closed

and locked.

Your vehicle has a door monitor light

on the instrument panel to indicate

when a specific door is not tightly

closed.

For safety, locking the doors reduces

the chance of a passenger, especially

a child, opening a door while the

vehicle is moving and accidentally

falling out. It also reduces the

chance of someone being thrown out

of the vehicle during a crash.

For security, locked doors can

prevent an outsider from

unexpectedly opening a door when

you come to a stop.

See page 76 for how to lock the

doors.

2.Adjust the Front Seats

Any driver who sits too close to the

steering wheel is at risk of being

seriously injured or killed by striking

the steering wheel or being struck

by an inflating airbag during a crash.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Adults

To reduce the chance of injury, wear

your seat belt properly, sit upright

with your back against the seat, and

move the seat as far back as possible

from the steering wheel while still

maintaining full control of the

vehicle. Also make sure your front

seat passenger moves their seat as

far to the rear as possible.

Most shorter drivers can get far

enough away from the steering

wheel and still reach the pedals.

However, if you are concerned about

sitting too close, we recommend that

you investigate whether some type

of adaptive equipment may help.

Once your seat is adjusted correctly,

rock it forward and back to make

sure the seat is locked in position.

See page 83 for how to adjust the

front seats.

3.Adjust the Seat-Backs

Adjust the driver's seat-back to a

comfortable, upright position,

leaving ample space between your

chest and the airbag cover in the

center of the steering wheel. If you

sit too close to the steering wheel,

you could be injured if the airbag

inflates.

A front passenger should also adjust

the seat-back to an upright position,

as far from the dashboard as

possible. If the passenger sits too

close to the dashboard, they could be

injured if the airbag inflates.

CONTINUED

Driver and Passenger Safety

Sitting too close to an airbag

can result in serious injury or

death if the airbags inflate.

Always sit as far back from the

airbags as possible.

Protecting Adults

Reclining a seat-back so that the

shoulder part of the belt no longer

rests against an occupant's chest

reduces the protective capability of

the belt. It also increases the chance

of sliding under the belt and being

seriously injured in a crash. The

farther a seat-back is reclined, the

greater the risk of injury.

See page 84 for how to adjust seat-

backs.

4.Adjust the Head Restraints

Before driving, make sure everyone

with an adjustable head restraint has

properly positioned the head

restraint. The restraint should be

positioned so the back of the

occupant's head rests against the

center of the restraint. A taller

person should adjust the restraint as

high as possible.

Properly adjusted head restraints

will help protect you from whiplash

and other crash injuries.

See page 86 for how to adjust the

head restraints.

5.Fasten and Position the Seat

Belts

Insert the latch plate into the buckle,

then tug on the belt to make sure the

belt is securely latched. Also check

that the belt is not twisted, because a

twisted belt can cause serious

injuries in a crash.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Improperly positioning head

restraints reduces their

effectiveness and you can be

seriously injured in a crash.

Make sure head restraints are

in place and positioned properly

before driving.

Reclining the seat-back too far

can result in serious injury or

death in a crash.

Adjust the seat-back to an

upright position and sit well

back in the seat.

Protecting Adults

Position the lap part of the belt as

low as possible across your hips,

then pull up on the shoulder part of

the belt so the lap part fits snugly.

This lets your strong pelvic bones

take the force of a crash and reduces

the chance of internal injuries.

If necessary, pull up on the belt again

to remove any slack from the

shoulder part, then check that the

belt rests across the center of your

chest and over your shoulder. This

spreads the forces of a crash over

the strongest bones in your upper

body.

If the seat belt touches or crosses

your neck, or if it crosses your arm

instead of your shoulder, you need to

adjust the seat belt anchor height.

An improperly positioned seat belt

can cause severe neck injuries if the

belt is positioned too high, or serious

chest or internal injuries if the belt is

positioned too low.

To adjust the height of a front seat

belt anchor, press the release button

and slide the anchor up or down as

needed (it has four positions).

Never place the shoulder portion of a

lap/shoulder belt under your arm or

behind your back. This could cause

very serious injuries in a crash.

CONTINUED

Driver and Passenger Safety

Improperly positioning the seat

belts can cause serious injury

or death in a crash.

Make sure all seat belts are

properly positioned before you

drive.

Protecting Adults

If a Seat Belt Doesn't Work Properly

If your seat belt does not seem to

work as it should, it may not protect

you in a crash. Anyone using an

inoperative seat belt can be seriously

injured or killed. No one should sit in

a seat with an inoperative seat belt.

Have your Acura dealer check the

belt as soon as possible.

See page 38 for additional

information about your seat belt

system and how to take care of your

belts.

6.Adjust the Steering Wheel

Adjust the steering wheel, if needed,

so that the wheel points toward your

chest, not toward your face.

Pointing the steering wheel toward

your face decreases the protective

capability of the driver's airbag.

See page 67 for how to adjust the

steering wheel.

7.Maintain a Proper Sitting

Position

After all occupants have adjusted

their seats and put on seat belts, it is

very important that they continue to

sit upright, with their bodies well

back in their seats and both feet on

the floor, until the car is parked and

the engine is off.

Sitting improperly can increase the

chance of injury during a crash. For

example, if an occupant slouches,

lies down, turns sideways, sits

forward, leans forward, or puts one

or both feet up, their chance of

injury during a crash is greatly

increased.

In addition, if an occupant is out of

position in the front seat, they can be

seriously or fatally injured by

striking interior parts of the vehicle,

or by being struck by an inflating

airbag.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Adults

Remember, to get the best

protection from your vehicle's

airbags and other safety features,

you must sit properly and wear your

seat belt properly.

Advice for Pregnant Women

Because protecting the mother is the

best way to protect her unborn child,

a pregnant woman should always

wear a seat belt whenever she drives

or rides in a car.

Remember to keep the lap portion of

the belt as low as possible across

your hips.

Pregnant women should also sit as

far back as possible from the

steering wheel or dashboard. This

will reduce the risk of injuries to

both the mother and her unborn

child that can be caused by a crash

or an inflating airbag.

Each time you have a check-up, ask

your doctor if it's okay for you to

drive.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Sitting improperly or out of

position can result in serious

injury or death in a crash.

Always sit upright, well back in

the seat, with your feet on the

floor.

Protecting Adults

Additional Safety Precautions

Two people should never use the

same seat belt. If they do, they

could be very seriously injured in a

crash.

Do not put any accessories on seat

belts. Devices intended to improve

occupant comfort, or reposition

the shoulder part of a seat belt,

can severely compromise the

protective capability of seat belts

and increase the chance of serious

injury in a crash.

Do not place hard or sharp objects

between yourself and an airbag.

Carrying hard or sharp objects on

your lap, or driving with a pipe or

other sharp object in your mouth,

can result in injuries if your

airbags inflate.

Keep your hands and arms away

from the airbag covers. If your

hands or arms are close to the SRS

covers in the center of the

steering wheel and on top of the

dashboard, they could be injured if

the airbags inflate.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

Children depend on adults to protect

them. However, despite their best

intentions, many parents and other

adults do not know how to properly

protect young passengers.

So if you have children, or if you ever

need to drive with a grandchild or

other children in your vehicle, be

sure to read this section.

All Children Must Be Restrained

Each year, many children are injured

or killed in vehicle crashes because

they are either unrestrained or not

properly restrained. In fact, vehicle

accidents are the number one cause

of death of children ages 12 and

under.

To reduce the number of child

deaths and injuries, every state and

Canadian province requires that

infants and children be restrained

whenever they ride in a vehicle.

Any child who is too small to wear a

seat belt should be properly

restrained in a child seat. (See page

21.)

Larger children should always be

restrained with seat belts. (See page

32.)

Driver and Passenger Safety

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.

Larger children should be

properly restrained with seat

belts.

Protecting Children

Children Should Sit in the Back

Seat

According to accident statistics,

children of all ages and sizes are

safer when they are restrained in the

back seat, not the front seat. The

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration and Transport

Canada recommend that all children

ages 12 and under ride in the back

seat, properly restrained.

In the back seat, children are less

likely to be injured by striking hard

interior vehicle parts during a

collision or hard braking. Also,

children cannot be injured by an

inflating airbag when they ride in the

back.

The Passenger's Airbag Poses

Serious Risks to Children

Airbags have been designed to help

protect adults in a severe frontal

collision. To do this, the passenger's

airbag is quite large, and it inflates

with tremendous speed.

Infants

Never put a rear-facing child seat in

the front seat of a vehicle equipped

with a passenger's airbag. If the

airbag inflates, it can hit the back of

the child seat with enough force to

kill or very seriously injure an infant.

Small Children

Placing a forward-facing child seat in

the front seat of a vehicle equipped

with a passenger's airbag can be

hazardous. If the vehicle seat is too

far forward, or the child's head is

thrown forward during a collision, an

inflating airbag can strike the child

with enough force to kill or very

seriously injure a small child.

Larger Children

Children who have outgrown child

seats are also at risk of being injured

or killed by an inflating passenger

airbag. Whenever possible, larger

children should sit in the back seat,

properly restrained with a seat belt.

(See
page 32 for important

information about protecting larger

children.)

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

U.S. Models

To remind you of the passenger's

airbag hazards, and that children

must be properly restrained in the

back seat, your vehicle has warning

labels on the dashboard and on the

driver's and front passenger's visors.

Please read and follow the

instructions on these labels.

If You Must Drive with Several

Children

Your vehicle has three seating

positions in the back seat where

children can be properly restrained.

If you ever have to carry more than

three children in your vehicle:

Place the largest child in the front

seat, provided the child is large

enough to wear a seat belt

properly (see page 32 ).

Move the vehicle seat as far to the

rear as possible (see page 10 ).

Have the child sit upright and well

back in the seat (see page 14 ).

Make sure the seat belt is properly

positioned and secured (see page

12).

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

If a Child Requires Close

Attention

Many parents say they prefer to put

an infant or small child in the front

passenger seat so they can watch the

child, or because the child requires

attention.

Placing a child in the front seat

exposes them to hazards from the

airbag, and paying close attention to

a child distracts the driver from the

important tasks of driving, creating

serious safety risks.

If a child requires physical attention

or frequent visual contact, we

strongly recommend that another

adult ride with the child in the back

seat. The back seat is far safer for a

child than the front.

Additional Safety Precautions

Use childproof door locks to

prevent children from opening the

doors. Using this feature will

prevent children from opening the

doors and accidentally falling out

(see page 80 ).

Use the main power window

switch to prevent children from

opening the rear windows. Using

this feature will prevent children

from playing with the windows,

which could expose them to

hazards or distract the driver (see

page 95 ).

Do not leave children alone in your

vehicle. Leaving children without

adult supervision is illegal in most

states and can be very hazardous.

For example, infants and small

children left in a vehicle on a hot

day can die from heatstroke. And

children left alone with the key in

the ignition can accidentally set

the vehicle in motion, possibly

injuring themselves or others.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

General Guidelines for Using

Child Seats

The following pages give general

guidelines for selecting and installing

child seats for infants and small

children.

Selecting a Child Seat

To provide proper protection, a child

seat should meet three

requirements:

1. The child seat should meet safety

standards. The child seat should

meet Federal Motor Vehicle

Safety Standard 213 (FMVSS 213)

or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety

Standards. Look for the

manufacturer's statement of

compliance on the box and seat.

2. The child seat should be of the

proper type and size to fit the child.

Infants: Children up to about one

year old should be restrained in a

rear-facing, reclining child seat. Only

rear-facing seats provide the support

an infant needs to protect their head,

neck, and back. See page 25 for

additional information on protecting

infants.

Small Children: A child who is too

large for a rear-facing child seat, and

who can sit. up without support,

should be restrained in a forward-

facing child seat. See page 29 for

additional information on protecting

small children.

CONTINUED

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

3. The child seat should fit the

vehicle seating position (or

positions) where it will be used.

Due to variations in the design of

child seats, vehicle seats, and seat

belts, all child seats will not fit all

vehicle seating positions.

However, Acura is confident that one

or more child seat models can fit and

be properly installed in all

recommended seating positions in

your vehicle.

Whenever possible, we recommend

that parents test a child seat in the

specific vehicle seating position (or

positions) where they intend to use

the seat before making a purchase. If

a previously purchased child seat

does not fit, you may need to buy a

different one that will fit.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

Placing a Child Seat

This page briefly summarizes Acura's

recommendations on where to place

rear-facing and forward-facing child

seats in your vehicle.

Front Passenger's Seat

Infants: Never in the front seat, due

to the passenger airbag hazard.

Small children: Not recommended,

due to the passenger's airbag

hazard. If a small child must ride

in front, move the vehicle seat to

the rear-most position and secure

a front-facing child seat with the

seat belt (see page 30).

Back Seats

Infants: Recommended positions.

Secure a rear-facing child seat

with the seat belt (see page 26).

Small children: Recommended

positions. Secure a front-facing

child seat with the seat belt (see

page 30).

Driver and Passenger Safety

CONTINUED

Airbags Pose Serious

Risks to Children

The passenger's airbag inflates

with enough force to kill or

seriously injure an infant in a

rear-facing child seat.

A small child in a forward-facing

child seat is also at risk. If the

vehicle seat is too far forward,

or the child's head is thrown

forward during a collision, an

inflating airbag can kill or

seriously injure the child.

If a small child must ride in the

front, follow the instructions

provided.

Protecting Children

Installing a Child Seat

After selecting a proper child

restraint system, and a good position

to install the restraint system, there

are three main steps in installing the

restraint system:

1. Secure the child seat to the car

with a seat belt. All child seats

must be secured to the car with

the lap part of a lap/shoulder belt.

A child whose seat is not properly

secured to the car can be

endangered in a crash. See pages

26 and 30 for instructions on how

to secure child seats in this car.

2. Make sure the child seat is firmly

secured.

After installing a child

seat, push and pull the seat

forward and from side to side to

verify that it is secure.

To provide security during normal

driving maneuvers, as well as during

a collision, we recommend that

parents secure a child seat as firmly

as possible.

However, a child seat does not need

to be "rock solid." In some vehicles

or seating positions, it may be

difficult to install a child seat so that

it does not move at all. Some side-to-

side or forward-and-back movement

can be expected and should not

reduce the child seat's effectiveness.

If the child seat is not secure, try

installing it in a different seating

position, or use a different style of

child seat that can be firmly secured

in the desired seating position.

3. Secure the child in the child seat.

Make sure the child is properly

strapped in the child seat

according to the child seat maker's

instructions. A child who is not

properly secured in a child seat

can be thrown out of the seat and

be seriously injured in a crash.

Storing a Child Seat

When you are not using a child seat,

either remove it and store it in a safe

place, or make sure it is properly

secured. An unsecured child seat can

be thrown around the vehicle during

a crash or sudden stop and injure

someone.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

Protecting Infants

Child Seat Type

To provide proper support for a

baby's head, neck and back, infants

up to about one year of age must be

restrained in a rear-facing child seat.

Two types of seats may be used: a

seat designed exclusively for infants,

or a convertible seat used in the rear-

facing, reclining mode.

We recommend that an infant stay in

a rear-facing child seat as long as

possible, until they reach the seat

maker's weight or height limit and

are able to sit up without support.

Infant Seat Placement

In this vehicle, a rear-facing child

seat can be placed in any seating

position in the back seat, but not in

the front seat.

Never put a rear-facing child seat in

the front seat. If the passenger's

airbag inflates, it can hit the back of

the child seat with enough force to

kill or seriously injure an infant. If an

infant must be closely watched, we

recommend that another adult sit in

the back seat with the baby.

Do not put a rear-facing child seat in

a forward-facing position. If an

infant faces forward, they could be

very seriously injured during a

frontal collision.

CONTINUED

Driver and Passenger Safety

Placing a rear-facing child seat

in the front seat can result in

serious injury or death if the

airbags inflate.

Always place a rear-facing child

seat in the back seat, not the

front.

Protecting Children

Infant Seat Installation

The lap/shoulder belts in the back

seats have a locking mechanism that

must be activated to secure a child

seat.

The following pages provide

instructions and tips on how to

secure a rear-facing child seat with

this type of seat belt.

1. With the child seat in the desired

back seating position, route the

belt through the child seat

according to the seat maker's

instructions, then insert the latch

plate into the buckle.

2. To activate the lockable retractor,

slowly pull the shoulder part of the

belt all the way out until it stops,

then let the belt feed back into the

retractor (you might hear a

clicking noise as the belt retracts).

3. After the belt has retracted, tug on

it. If the belt is locked, you will not

be able to pull it out. If you can pull

the belt out, it is not locked and

you will need to repeat these steps.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

4. After confirming that the belt is

locked, grab the shoulder part of

the belt near the buckle and pull

up to remove any slack from the

lap part of the belt. Remember, if

the lap part of the belt is not tight,

the child seat will not be secure.

To remove slack, it may help to

put weight on the child seat, or

push on the back of the seat while

pulling up on the belt.

5. Push and pull the child seat

forward and from side to side to

verify that it is secure enough to

stay upright during normal driving

maneuvers. If the child seat is not

secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to

retract fully, then repeat these

steps.

To deactivate the locking

mechanism in order to remove a

child seat, unlatch the buckle,

unroute the seat belt, and let the belt

fully retract.

Infant Seat Installation Tips

For proper protection, an infant must

ride in a reclined, or semi-reclined

position. To determine the proper

reclining angle, check with the baby's

doctor or follow the seat maker's

recommendations.

To achieve the desired reclining

angle, it may help to put a rolled up

towel under the toe of the child seat,

as shown above.

Driver and Passenger Safety

CONTINUED

Protecting Children

When properly installed, a rear-

facing child seat may prevent the

driver or a front-seat passenger from

moving their seat as far back as

recommended (see page 10). Or it

may prevent the seat-back from

locking in the desired position (see

page 11).

In either case, we recommend that

you place the child seat directly

behind the front passenger seat,

move the front seat as far forward as

needed, and leave it unoccupied. You

may also wish to get a smaller child

seat that allows you to safely carry a

front passenger.

Additional Precautions for Infants

Never hold a baby on your lap. If

you are not wearing a seat belt in a

crash, you could be thrown

forward into the dashboard and

crush the child.

If you are wearing a seat belt, the

baby can be torn from your arms.

For example, if the car crashes

into a parked car at 30 mph (48

km/h), a 20 Ib (9 kg) baby will

become a 600 Ib (275 kg) force,

and you will not be able to hold it.

Never put a seat belt over yourself

and a baby. During a crash, the

belt could press deep into the child

and cause very serious injuries.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

Protecting Small Children

Child Seat Type

A child who can sit up without

support, and who fits within the child

seat maker's weight and height

limits, should be restrained in a

forward-facing, upright child seat.

Of the different seats available, we

recommend those that have a five-

point harness system as shown.

We also recommend that a small

child stay in the child seat as long as

possible, until they reach the weight

or height limit for the seat.

Child Seat Placement

In this vehicle, the best place to

install a forward-facing child seat is

in one of the seating positions in the

back seat.

Placing

a forward-facing child seat in

the
front seat of a vehicle equipped

with
a passenger airbag can be

hazardous.

If the vehicle seat is too

far forward, or the child's head is

thrown forward during a collision, an

inflating passenger's airbag can

strike the child with enough force to

cause very serious or fatal injuries. If

a small child must be closely

watched, we recommend that

another adult sit in the back seat

with the child.

If it is necessary to put a forward-

facing child seat in the front, move

the vehicle seat as far to the rear as

possible, be sure the child seat is

firmly secured to the car, and that

the child is properly strapped in the

seat.

CONTINUED

Driver and Passenger Safety

Improperly placing a forward-

facing child seat in the front

seat can result in serious injury

or death if the airbags inflate.

If you must place a forward-

facing child seat in front, move

the vehicle seat as far back as

possible and properly restrain

the child.

Protecting Children

Child Seat Installation

The lap/shoulder belts in the back

and front passenger seating positions

have a locking mechanism that must

be activated to secure a child seat.

The following pages provide

instructions and tips on how to

secure a forward-facing child seat

with this type of seat belt.

1. With the child seat in the desired

seating position, route the belt

through the child seat according

to the seat maker's instructions,

then insert the latch plate into the

buckle.

2. To activate the lockable retractor,

slowly pull the shoulder part of the

belt all the way out until it stops,

then let the belt feed back into the

retractor (you might hear a

clicking noise as the belt retracts).

3. After the belt has retracted, tug on

it. If the belt is locked, you will not

be able to pull it out. If you can pull

the belt out, it is not locked and

you will need to repeat these steps.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

4. After confirming that the belt is

locked, grab the shoulder part of

the belt near the buckle and pull

up to remove any slack from the

lap part of the belt. Remember, if

the lap part of the belt is not tight,

the child seat will not be secure. It

may help to put weight on the

child seat, or push on the back of

the seat while pulling up on the

belt.

5. Push and pull the child seat

forward and from side to side to

verify that it is secure enough to

stay upright during normal driving

maneuvers. If the child seat is not

secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to

retract fully, then repeat these

steps.

To deactivate the locking

mechanism in order to remove a

child seat, unlatch the buckle,

unroute the seat belt, and let the belt

fully retract.

Additional Precautions for Small

Children

Never hold a small child on your

lap. If you arc not wearing a seat

belt in a crash, you could be

thrown forward into the

dashboard and crush the child.

If you are wearing a seat belt, the

child can be torn from your arms

during a crash. For example, if the

vehicle crashes into a parked

vehicle at 30 mph (48 km/h), a

30 Ibs (14 kg) child will become a

900 Ibs (410 kg) force, and you will

not be able to hold it.

Never put a seat belt over yourself

and a child. During a crash, the

belt could press deep into the child

and cause very serious injuries.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

Protecting Larger Children

When a child reaches the

recommended weight or height limit

for a forward-facing child seat, the

child should sit in the back seat and

wear a lap/shoulder belt.

If a child is too short for the shoulder

part of the belt to properly fit, we

recommend that the child use a

booster seat until they are tall

enough to use the seat belt without a

booster.

The following pages give

instructions on how to check proper

seat belt fit, what kind of booster

seat to use if one is needed, and

important precautions for children

who must sit in the front seat.

Checking Seat Belt Fit

To determine whether a lap/

shoulder belt properly fits a child,

first have the child put on the seat

belt, following the instructions on

page 13. Then check how the belt

fits.

If the shoulder part of the belt rests

over the child's collarbone and

against the center of the chest, as

shown above, the child is large

enough to wear the seat belt.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Allowing a larger child to sit

improperly in the front seat can

result in injury or death if the

airbags inflate.

If a larger child must sit in front,

they should move the seat as

far back as possible and wear

their seat belt properly.

Protecting Children

However, if the belt touches or

crosses the child's neck, the child

needs to use a booster seat.

Do not let a child wear a seat belt

across their neck. This could result

in serious neck injuries during a

crash.

Do not let a child put the shoulder

part of a seat belt behind their back

or under their arm. This could cause

very serious injuries during a crash.

It also increases the chance of a

child sliding under the belt and being

injured in a crash.

Do not put any accessories on a seat

belt. Devices intended to improve

occupant comfort, or reposition the

shoulder part of a seat belt, severely

compromise the protective capability

of seat belts and increase the chance

of serious injury in a crash.

Two children should never use the

same seat belt. If they do, they could

be very seriously injured in a crash.

Using a Booster Seat

If a child needs a booster seat, we

recommend choosing a style that

allows the child to use the lap/

shoulder belt directly, without a

shield, as shown above.

Whichever style you select, follow

the booster seat maker's instructions.

CONTINUED

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

A child may continue using a booster

seat until the tops of their ears are

even with the top of the seat-back.

When a child reaches this height,

they should be tall enough to use the

lap/shoulder belt without a booster.

When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front

The National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration and Transport

Canada recommend that all children

ages 12 and under ride in the back

seat, properly restrained.

The back seat is the safest place for

a child of any age or size.

In addition, the passenger's airbag

poses serious risks to children. If the

seat is too far forward, or the child's

head is thrown forward during a

collision, or the child is unrestrained

or out of position, an inflating airbag

can kill or seriously injure the child.

Of course, children vary widely. And

while age may be one indicator of

when a child can safely ride in the

front, there are other important

factors you should consider.

Physical Size

Physically, a child must be large

enough for the lap/shoulder belt to

properly fit over their hips, chest,

and shoulder (see pages 13 and 32 ).

If the seat belt does not fit properly,

the child should not sit in the front.

Maturity

To safely ride in front, a child must

be able to follow the rules, including

sitting properly and wearing their

seat belt properly throughout a ride.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

If you decide that a child can safely

ride up front, be sure to:

Carefully read the owner's manual,

and make sure you understand all

seat belt instructions and all safety

information.

Move the vehicle seat to the rear-

most position.

Have the child sit up straight with

their back against the seat and

their feet on, or near, the floor.

Check that the child's seat belt is

properly positioned and secured.

Closely supervise the child. Even

mature children sometimes need

to be reminded to fasten their seat

belt or sit properly.

Using Child Seats with Tethers

Your car has three attachment points

on the rear shelf for securing a

tether-style child seat to the car.

Since a tether can provide additional

security, we recommend using a

tether whenever one is required or

available. (Tethers are required in

Canada. U.S. owners may check with

the child seat maker to determine

whether a tether is available for a

particular child seat.)

CONTINUED

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

U.S. Models

Locate the attachment points by

looking in the trunk at the underside

of the rear shelf. Select the

attachment point you want to use.

Take a thin, pointed object, such as

an awl or ice pick, insert it into that

attachment point, and poke a marker

hole in the rear shelf fabric.

You can also use the dimensions in

the illustration to locate the

attachment point you want to use.

The inside of the attachment point

has a slit you can feel with your

finger. Then cut a 7/8 inch (22 mm)

diameter hole in the rear shelf.

To attach the tether to the car, you

need to purchase the anchor plate

and mounting hardware from your

Honda dealer (Part Number 82410-

SE3-C01).

To attach the tether to the child seat,

follow the child seat maker's

instructions.

Driver and Passenger Safety

12.8
in

(325
mm)

7.9
in

(200
mm)

14.2
in

(360
mm)

12.8
in

(325
mm)

Protecting Children

Canadian Models

Select the attachment point you want

to use and remove the plug with a

small flat-tipped screwdriver or metal

fingernail file.

Install the tether hardware that came

with the child seat.

When installing tether hardware,

make sure the toothed washer is on

the bottom of the bolt. Tighten the

bolt to:

16 lbf

.

ft (22 N

.

m , 2.2 kgf

.

m)

If a torque wrench was not used, see

your Acura dealer as soon as

possible to verify proper installation.

To attach the tether to the child seat,

follow the child seat maker's

instructions.

If you are not sure how to install the

tether, or you need mounting

hardware, contact your Acura dealer.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Additional Information About Your Seat Belts

Seat Belt System Components

Your seat belt system includes lap/

shoulder belts in all five seating

positions.

The system also includes a

light on the instrument

panel to remind you and your

passengers to fasten your belts. If

the driver's seat belt is not fastened

before the ignition is turned ON (II),

the light will come on and a beeper

will also sound. The beeper will stop

after a few seconds, but the light will

stay on until the driver's seat belt is

fastened.

Lap/Shoulder Belt

This seat belt has a single belt that

goes over your shoulder, across your

chest and across your hips.

To fasten the belt, insert the latch

plate into the buckle, then tug on the

belt to make sure the buckle is

latched.

To unlock the belt, push the red

PRESS button on the buckle.

Guide the belt across your body to

the door pillar. After exiting the

vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the

way and will not get closed in the

door.

All seat belts have an emergency

locking retractor. In normal driving,

the retractor lets you move freely in

your seat while it keeps some

tension on the belt. During a collision

or sudden stop, the retractor

automatically locks the belt to help

restrain your body.

The seat belts in all seating positions

except the driver's have an additional

locking mechanism that must be

activated to secure a child seat. (See

pages 26 and 30 for instructions on

how to secure child seats with this

type of seat belt.)

If the shoulder part of the belt is

pulled all the way out, the locking

mechanism will activate. The belt

will retract, but it will not allow a

passenger to move freely.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Additional Information About Your Seat Belts

To deactivate the locking

mechanism, unlatch the buckle and

let the seat belt fully retract. To

refasten the belt, pull it out only as

far as needed.

See page 12 for instructions on how

to wear the lap/shoulder belt

properly.

Seat Belt Maintenance

For safety, you should check the

condition of your seat belts regularly.

Pull each belt out fully and look for

frays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check

that the latches work smoothly and

that the lap/shoulder belts retract

easily. Any belt not in good condition

or not working properly will not

provide good protection and should

be replaced as soon as possible.

Acura provides a lifetime warranty

on seat belts. Acura will repair or

replace any seat belt component that

fails to function properly during

normal use.

Please see your Acura Warranty

Information booklet for details.

If a seat belt is worn during a crash,

you should have your dealer inspect

the belt, and replace it if necessary.

A belt that has been worn during a

crash may not provide the same level

of protection in a subsequent crash.

The dealer should also inspect the

anchors for damage and replace

them if needed.

For information on how to clean your

seat belts, see page 234 .

Driver and Passenger Safety

Not checking or maintaining

seat belts can result in serious

injury or death if the seat belts

do not work properly when

needed.

Check your seat belts regularly

and have any problem

corrected as soon as possible.

Additional Information About Your SRS

SRS Components

Your Supplemental Restraint System

(SRS) includes:

Two frontal airbags. The driver's

airbag is stored in the center of

the steering wheel; the front

passenger's airbag is stored in the

dashboard. Both are marked "SRS."

Automatic seat belt tensioners

that tighten the front seat belts

during a severe frontal collision.

Sensors that can detect a severe

frontal collision.

A sophisticated electronic system

that continually monitors the

sensors, control unit, the airbag

activators, and all related wiring

when the ignition is ON (II).

An indicator light on the

instrument panel to alert you to a

possible problem with the system

(see page 42 ).

Emergency backup power in case

your vehicle's electrical system is

disconnected in a crash.

How Your Airbags Work

If you ever have a severe frontal

collision, the sensors will detect

rapid deceleration and signal the

control unit to instantly inflate the

airbags and activate the automatic

seat belt tensioners.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Additional Information About Your SRS

During a crash, your seat belts will

help to restrain your lower body and

torso, while the tensioners tighten

and lock the seat belts to help keep

you in place. The airbags will provide

a cushion to absorb crash energy

and help keep the head and chest of

the driver and front passenger from

striking the interior of the car.

Since both airbags use the same

sensors, both airbags normally

inflate at the same time. However, it

is possible for only one airbag to

inflate.

This can occur when 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

sufficient protection, and the

supplemental protection offered by

the airbag would be minimal.

After inflating, the airbags

immediately deflate, so they won't

interfere with the driver's visibility,

or the ability to steer or operate

other controls.

The total time for inflation and

deflation is approximately one-tenth

of a second, so fast that most

occupants are not aware that the

airbags deployed until they see them

lying in their laps.

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 car as soon as it is safe to do so.

U.S. Owners

For additional information on how

your airbags work, see the booklet

titled SRS: What You Need to Know

About Airbags that came with your

owner's manual.

Driver and Passenger Safety