The 1996 Acura RL is a 3.5L V6 sedan offered in two trims, and this factory service and repair manual is matched to that exact year, engine and trim so the specifications and sequences are the OEM ones for your car.
Engines
- 3.5L V6 — 3475cc (212 cu in), SOHC, naturally aspirated, gas
Trims
- Premium Sedan 4-Door
- Base Sedan 4-Door
Known issues on the 1996 RL. Three recalls are on federal record for this model year. The first covers exterior lighting: replacement combination headlights and clear corner, bumper and side marker lamps sold without amber reflectors, which leave the vehicle poorly illuminated. The second is an automatic transmission case bolt that can loosen and fall out, allowing the transmission to disengage from the differential, so the vehicle can lose power to the drive wheels without warning. The third is a front lower control arm lower ball joint that can prematurely wear out and separate, causing vehicle deceleration, a sudden loss of power and loss of steering control. Owners have filed 26 complaints and Acura has issued 66 technical service bulletins for the year, and this manual carries the factory diagnostic and repair procedures behind each of those systems.
From a routine service interval to a lower ball joint replacement or a transmission case repair, it keeps you on the OEM procedure and the correct specification for your specific 1996 RL.
CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A TRANSMISSION CASE BOLT CAN LOOSEN AND FALL OUT ALLOWING THE TRANSMISSION TO DISENGAGE FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL.
THE VEHICLE COULD LOSE POWER TO THE DRIVE WHEELS WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION INTO THE PARK POSITION WOULD NOT LOCK THE WHEELS, AND A PARKED VEHICLE COULD MOVE UNEXPECTEDLY IF THE PARKING BRAKE IS NOT SET.
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REDESIGNED BOLT.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH BALL JOINTS THAT CAN PREMATURELY WEAR OUT AND, IN THE WORSE CASE, THE BALL JOINT WOULD SEPARATE CAUSING THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE.
THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN VEHICLE DECELERATION AND A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. ALSO STEERING CONTROLLABILITY WOULD BE REDUCED.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS.
Special Tool Loan Program: Under TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR LOAN, the list has been updated.
Sending vehicle data to tech line.
This SKU is a Front Upper Ball Joint. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for the outer diameter of the ball joint housing being too small. The outer diameter being too small would prevent the part fro
SERVICE BULLETIN - NAVIGATION SYSTEM INFORMATION.
"SERVICE BULLETIN - THIS BULLETIN UPDATES THE TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES FOR DTC P1456 (EVAP CONTROL SYSTEM LEAKAGE [FUEL TANK SYSTEM]) AND DTC P1457 (EVAP CONTROL SYSTEM LEAKAGE[EVAP CANISTER SYSTEM]). DEPENDING ON THE MODEL, THERE ARE TWO
ACURA: THERE ARE GUIDELINES FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS AND PROCEDURES INCLUDING: TIRE PRESSURE VALVE STEM INSTALLATION, TRAILER STABILITY MALFUNCTION LIGHT IS ON, ENGINE OIL APPLICATION GUIDE, NEW SOFTWARE, NEW TRANSMISSION FLUID, NOTCHY STEERI
SPEEDOMETER SHOPS CAN TRANSFER ODOMETER MILEAGE. ACURA. SERVICENEWS. *TT
CRANKS WON'T START, IMMOBILIZER LIGHT FLASHES. *TT
Showing the 8 most recent of 69 technical service bulletins on file with NHTSA.
WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO STRIKE A POST. DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER DID NOT AGREE.*AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION OF 40 MPH IN WHICH BOTH AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPOY. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 ACURA 3.5RL. ON OCTOBER 22, 2007, THE CONTACT ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND SMELLED SMOKE. SHE THEN HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. THE ODOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATED. SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE CIRCUIT BOARD BURNED OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PURCHASE DATE AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 125,500.
TL* CONTACT OWNS A 1996 ACURA RL. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, A STRONG BURNING ODOR WAS NOTICED COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS DIMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 179,000.
NAR 1/15/2003. THE LEFT REAR AND RIGHT REAR WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED. THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAD USED THE WINDOW NO MORE THAN 60 TO 75 TIMES SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE AND A WINDOW REGULATOR SHOULD NOT FAIL IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THE DEALER DID REPLACE THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW REGULATOR UNDER WARRANTY, WHICH HAD SINCE EXPIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY, EVEN THOUGH THEY ADMITTED THE REGULATORS WERE PRONE TO FAILURE. *JB
WINDOW REGULATOR FAILURE 5/2000 AND 11/2002. FEEL THIS IS MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. DT
THE CONSUMER HAS A RECALL LETTER FOR THE TRANSMISSION/RANSFER CASE. UPON CONTACTING THE DREALER CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO REPLACEMENT PARTS, AND COULD NOT BE ADVISED ON WHEN THERE WOULD BE. MFR RECALL #K68. *AK
ENGINE BLEW UP AS CONSUMER WAS DRIVING VEHICLE. WILL SEND IN MORE INFORMATION. *AK
SPEEDOMETER DEFECTIVE. *TR
THE WINDOW REGULATORS ON MY 1996 ACURA 3.5 RL ARE BROKEN ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT REAR WINDOWS. BEFORE THE REGULATORS BROKE, THE WINDOW WOULD COME UP SLOWLY AND STOP ALMOST TO THE TOP. AFTER A LITTLE WHILE, I HAD TO PULL THE WINDOW UP THE REST OF THE WAY. *JB
FAILED LEFT FRONT, LEFT BACK, RIGHT BACK WINDOW REGULATORS WITH IN 3 MONTHS I STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT , BUT ACURA IS NOT ADMITTING
FAILED LEFT FRONT, LEFT BACK, RIGHT BACK WINDOW REGULATORS WITH IN 3 MONTHS I STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT , BUT ACURA IS NOT ADMITTING
ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM ; LOCKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONING. FREQUENT ALARMS.
2 WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THIS PREVIOUSLY-OWNED RL, I HEARD A SQUEALING NOISE THAT I THOUGHT WAS COMING FROM THE A/C AND REPORTED IT TO MY DEALER WHO COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM. THE NEXT TIME I HEARD THIS NOISE MY WINDOWS WERE DOWN AND THE NOISE WAS SO LOUD, IT ECHOED OFF SURROUNDING BUILDINGS. I HIT MY BRAKES TO PULL OVER AND INVESTIGATE AND THE NOISE STOPPED. REPORTED TO DEALER BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM. THIS NOISE STILL POPS UP FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT GOES AWAY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLI
WHEN I FIRST START VEHICLE I HEAR A NOISE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT NEAR THE FIREWALL. THE NOISE SOUNDED FOR A 20 TO 30 SECONDS, THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ABS SYSTEMS WENT OUT. WHEN THE NOISE WAS SHORT THE ABS SYSTEM WENT OUT AFTER A MILE OR TWO DRIVE. DURING THE MILE OR TWO DRIVE. I HEARD THE SAME NOISE OFF AND ON UNTIL THE ABS SYSTEM EVENTUALLY WENT OUT. THIS FIRST OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2006. *AK
Showing the 15 most serious of 24 complaints filed with NHTSA.
