ABS Acura Integra 2000 Hatchback Owner's Manual

You
r Car' s Safet y Feature s
Your car 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 tocrumple and absorb energy during a
crash; and a collapsible steering

column.

These safety features are designed to reduce the severity of injuries in acrash. 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 an d Passenge r Safet y
(1
) Safet y Cag e
(2 ) Crus h Zone s
(3 ) Seat s & Seat-Back s
(4 ) Hea d Restraint s
(5 ) Collapsibl e Steerin g Colum n
(6 ) Sea t Belt s
(7 ) Airbag s
(8 ) Doo r Lock s

You
r Car' s Safet y Feature s
Seat s & Seat-Back s
Your car's seats are designed to keep you in a comfortable, uprightposition so you can take fulladvantage of the protection offered
by seat belts and the energy absorbing materials in the seats.
How you adjust your seats and seat-
backs can also affect your safety. For example, sitting too close to thesteering wheel or dashboard
increases the risk of you or your
passenger being injured by striking
the inside of the car, or by an inflating airbag.
Reclining a seat-back too far reduces
the seat belt's effectiveness and
increases the chance that the seat's occupant will slide under the seat
belt in a crash and be seriously

injured.
What you should do: Move the front

seats as far back as possible, and
keep adjustable seat-backs in an upright position whenever the car is

moving.

Hea d Restraint s
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. Doo
r Lock s
Keeping your doors locked reduces
the chance of being thrown out of
the car during a crash. It also helps
prevent occupants from accidentally opening a door and falling out, and
outsiders from unexpectedly opening
your doors.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Indicato
r Light s
Supplementa l Restrain t
Syste m Indicato r
This indicator lights when you turn the ignition switch ON (II). If itcomes on at any other time, it
indicates a problem in the supplemental restraint system. For
complete information, see page 47. Chargin
g Syste m
Indicato r
If this light comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged. For complete
information, see page 236.
Low Oi l Pressur e
Indicato r
The engine can be severely damaged if this light flashes or stays on when
the engine is running. For complete
information, see page 235.
Anti-loc
k Brak e
Syste m (ABS )
Indicato r

Only on models equipped with ABS (see
page 146)
This light normally comes on for a few seconds when you turn theignition switch ON (II), and when
the ignition switch is turned to START (III).
If this light comes on at any other
time, there is a problem in the ABS. If this happens, take the car to your
dealer to have it checked. With the
light on, your car still has normal
braking ability but no anti-lock. For complete information, see page 146.

Instrument s an d Control s

S

R
S


U.S
.

Canad a

A
B S

Drivin
g
This section gives you tips on starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the 5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes
important information on parking
your car, the braking system, and
facts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer. Preparing to Drive......................... 136
Starting the Engine........................ 137
Starting in Cold Weatherat High Altitude..................... 137
5-speed Manual Transmission..... 138
Recommended Shift Points...... 139
Engine Speed Limiter............... 139
Automatic Transmission............... 140 Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 140
Shift Lever Positions................. 140
Engine Speed Limiter............... 142
Shift Lock Release..................... 143
Parking............................................ 144
The Braking System...................... 145 Brake Wear Indicators.............. 145
Brake System Design................ 146
Anti-lock Brakes........................ 146 Important SafetyReminders.......................... 147
ABS Indicator......................... 148
Limited Slip Differential............... 148
Driving in Bad Weather................ 149
Towing a Trailer............................ 151

Driving

Th
e Brakin g Syste m

Brak e Syste m Desig n
The hydraulic system that operates the brakes has two separate circuits.Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (the left-front brake is connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking at two wheels.
Fron
t
Anti-loc
k Brake s
The Integra LS, GS, GS-R and Type-R models have an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) as standard
equipment.
ABS helps to prevent the wheels from locking up and skidding duringhard braking, allowing you to retainsteering control.
When the front tires skid, you lose steering control; the car continues
straight ahead even though you turn
the steering wheel. The ABS helps to
prevent lock-up and helps you retainsteering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly; much faster than a
person can do it.
Drivin g

Th
e Brakin g Syste m

Yo u shoul d neve r pum p th e
brak e pedal , this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work for you by always keeping firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes referred to as
"stomp and steer."

You will feel a pulsation in the brake pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is normal, it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on
the brake pedal very hard before you activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
Important Safety Reminders

AB S doe s no t reduc e th e tim e o r
distanc e i t take s t o sto p th e car , it
only helps with steering control
during braking. You should always
maintain a safe following distance
from other vehicles.
AB S wil l no t preven t a ski d tha t
result s fro m changin g directio n
abruptly , such as trying to take a
corner too fast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed for the road and
weather conditions.
AB S canno t preven t a los s o f
stability . Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your car to veer into
oncoming traffic or off the road. A
vehicl e wit h AB S ma y requir e a
longe r distanc e t o sto p on loose or
uneven surfaces, such as gravel or snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater distance between vehicles under
those conditions.
CONTINUED

Drivin g

Th
e Brakin g System , Limite d Sli p Differentia l

ABS Indicator

The ABS is self-checking. If anything goes wrong, the ABS indicator on
the instrument panel comes on (see
page 55). This means the anti-lock
function of the braking system hasshut down. The brakes still work like
a conventional system without anti-
lock, providing normal stopping ability. You should have the dealer
inspect your car as soon as possible. If anything goes wrong, the ABS
indicator on the instrument panel comes on (see page 55). This means
the anti-lock function of the braking system has shut down. The brakes
still work like a conventional system
without anti-lock, providing normal stopping ability. You should have the
dealer inspect your car as soon as

possible.
Limite
d Sli p Differentia l

Type-R model only

Your Acura is equipped with a Limited Slip Differential (LSD). If
one front wheel slips, the LSD helps
traction by automatically
transmitting driving force to the other front wheel. You may feel the
transfer through the steering wheel.
Drivin gAB
S INDICATOR *
* U.S . indicato r show n

Wipe
r Blade s
3. Remove the blade from its holder by grasping the tabbed end of the
blade. Pull firmly until the tabs
come out of the holder. 4. Examine the new wiper blades. If
they have no plastic or metal rein-
forcement along the back edge,
remove the metal reinforcement
strips from the old wiper blade and
install them in the slots along the edge of the new blade.

5. Slide the new wiper blade into the

holder until the tabs lock.

6. Slide the wiper blade assembly

onto the wiper arm. Make sure it
locks in place.

7. Lower the wiper arm down against

the windshield.

Maintenanc e

BLAD
E BLADE
REINFORCEMEN T

Tire
s

Replacin g Tire s an d Wheel s
The tires that came with your car were selected to match the perform- ance capabilities of the car while
providing the best combination of
handling, ride comfort, and long life.
You should replace them with radial tires of the same size, load range, speed rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire's sidewall). Mixing radial and
bias-ply tires on your car can reduce its braking ability, traction, andsteering accuracy. It is best to replace all four tires at
the same time. If that is not possible or necessary, then replace the two
front tires or the two rear tires as a
pair. Replacing just one tire can seriously affect your car's handling. The ABS works by comparing the
speed of the wheels. When replacing
tires, use the same size originally supplied with the car. Tire size and
construction can affect wheel speed
and may cause the system to work in-
consistently.
If you ever need to replace a wheel,
make sure the wheel's specifications
match those of the original wheel
that came on your car. Replacement
wheels are available at your Acura
dealer.

Maintenanc e
Installing improper tires on your
car can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.

Always use the size and type of

tires recommended in this
owner's manual.

Light
s

Replacin g a Headligh t Bul b
Your car has two bulbs on each side, four in total. Make sure you arereplacing the bulb that is burned out.
Your car uses halogen headlight bulbs. When replacing a bulb, handle
it by its plastic case and protect the
glass from contact with your skin or
hard objects. If you touch the glass,clean it with denatured alcohol and a
clean cloth.

Halogen headlight bulbs get very hot when lit. Oil, perspiration, or a scratch
on the glass can cause the bulb to
overheat and shatter.
1. Open the hood.
If you need to change the high
beam headlight bulb on the
passenger's side, remove the
radiator reserve tank by pulling it straight up.

2. To disconnect the bulb from the

electrical harness, push on the end
of the lock tab to release the
connector then push the connec-
tor straight down.

3. Turn the bulb about one-eighth

turn counterclockwise to unlock it
from the headlight assembly.

4. Remove the bulb by pulling it

straight out of its recess.

5. Align the tabs on the new bulb
with the slots in the headlightassembly and push it into place.
6. Turn the bulb clockwise to lock it

in place. Do not force it. Check the seating of the bulb's tabs in the
slots if the bulb will not return to
its original position.

7. Reinstall the harness connector on

the bulb connector. Make sure it
locks in place.
Turn on the headlights to test the new bulb.

8. (Passenger's side)

Reinstall the radiator reserve tank.

Maintenanc e

NOTIC
E