question (yes, I have not looked in the manual):
Both of my fog lights were wiped out by rocks, but I neve got a message that a light was not working. Do you get a message for other lights?

 

I assume you were expecting a warning on the MID? The RL does not advise you if any lights / bulbs blow out.

 

yes, I was assuming a warning on the MID.
So, we have tire pressure sensors, but no light sensors?

 

Correct.

However, TPMS was mandated by the Feds (rooted in the Firestone / Explorer roll over) , malfunctioning light warnings are not mandated by the Feds.

It is an election year. You might get it on the candidates' agendas.

 

we have warnings for almost everything - I have even gotten one on the articulating lights. Seems like the least they can do is tell me my tail light is out

 

Yes there is a warning light for the AFS System. It advises if the AFS system malfunctions. I do not believe it will advise the driver if a headlight itself is out, but instead that the active 'steering'of the lights has malfunctioned.

Sensors for every light on the car (even just exterior lights) would be a heck of a lot of sensors. The tail light LEDs (and third brake light) alone have over a dozen LED bulbs..and that is just one function.

 

Acuras and Hondas typically had a brake lamp out warning in the dash, all the way back from the 1976 Honda Accord. My guess is that because the RL has LEDs which have insanely long life, there is no need for that warning any longer.

Pages 404 to 411 of the 07 OM detail light bulb changing, but because they are LED, there are no instructions for the brake lamps or CHMSL, only the back up lamp and the turn signal lamp, and I did not see anywhere in the manual where the brake lamp out is warning.

And FWIW, I have had to change two out of 4 brake lamps in my 95 Legend in the 14 years since it was manufactured. Two are still the originals from the factory 12/94 manufacture date! Brake lamps are arguably the most important lamps that you cannot easily monitor, and it is easy to build the circuit to detect when a filament goes out, but technology marches on with 100,000 hour MTBF LEDs.

 

does the 05 have LEDs?

 

All 2nd gen (05-08) RLs have LED tail/brake lamps as does I believe the current gen TL.

 

Implementation of LEDs in Acura's started with 2004 TL