Oil Reset Procedure: Acura CL 1997-2003

Acura CL Oil Reset Procedure for Acura CL 1997 to 2003

Easy to follow procedure for Acura CL oil reset for the year, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003

For 1997-2003

1. Insert key into slot in instrument panel. Lamp will reset.
2. With ignition off, press and hold “SELECT” and “RESET” buttons on dash and turn ignition to the “ON” position.
3. Continue to hold until lamp resets.

For 1999-2003

1. Turn the key to off position.
2. Press and hold the SELECT and RESET buttons on the instrument panel and turn the ignition to position (II) do not start the engine. Hold the SELECT and RESET buttons until the indicator resets.
3. Turn the ignition off and then start the engine to verify the indicator has been reset.

For 2002

1. Turn the key to off position.
2. Press and hold the SELECT and RESET buttons on the instrument panel and turn the ignition to position (II) – do not start the engine.
3. Hold the SELECT and RESET buttons until the indicator resets.
4. Turn the ignition off and then start the engine to verify the indicator has been reset.

How to turn off the oil service indicator on an Acura CL from the first generation, manufactured in 1997 and 1998.

1. Reset the coloured indicator by inserting the key in the slot below the indicator.

About ACURA CL

The Acura CL is a midsize grand tourer produced by Honda’s Acura brand between 1996 and 1999, and again between 2000 and 2003. The CL is frequently mistaken for a replacement for the Acura Legend coupe. It was also unrelated to the first-generation TL, a Japanese-built model that replaced the Vigor and featured a longitudinal engine layout. The transverse engined CL became more precisely a TL coupe with the introduction of the second generation TL in 1999.

All Acura CLs were built at Honda’s plant in East Liberty, Ohio, which also produces the Honda Civic. The second generation TL and Honda Accord, on which the Acura CLs are based, are manufactured at Honda’s plant in Marysville, Ohio, just a few miles from East Liberty. The CL was Acura’s first vehicle built in the United States.

Following the end of the 1995 model year, the Acura Legend coupe was dropped from Acura’s lineup when the sedan version was renamed the Acura RL; the CL was not a direct replacement for the Legend coupe because it no longer shared the same chassis as its sedan counterpart and, unlike the RL, was not manufactured in Japan. Because Acura didn’t have a suitable replacement for the Legend coupe, they created this vehicle. Acura began using alphanumeric and/or two-letter names for all of its vehicles with the introduction of the TL and 3.5RL in 1996. (with the exception of the Integra which kept its name until the 2001 model year). Although the CL was thought to be a good vehicle, it never gained the traction or popularity that the other Acura coupes did.

The Acura CL’s sibling, the TL, was redesigned for the 1999 model year. The CL, on the other hand, was never produced as a 2000 model, instead being released in March 2000 as a 2001 model with a 3.2 L SOHC VTEC J-series V6. Along with the Type-S model, which denoted Acura’s ‘Sport’ edition, a navigation system was also available. The regular CL had a 225 hp (168 kW) V6, whereas the Type-S had a 260 hp (194 kW) V6, 17-inch wheels, a firmer suspension, slightly larger brakes, and firmer seats. The Type-S was the most powerful front-wheel drive vehicle Honda had ever produced at the time.

The CL Type-S was introduced in 2002 as a 2003 model, with a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission and a helical limited-slip differential. The 6-speed CL dropped some minor interior features from the automatic, including a center console light. Furthermore, the heated seats only had one heat setting (vs. high and low in the auto). The 6-speed car also lacked VSA and TCS, so a 3-channel ABS unit was used instead.