ESP Acura Integra 2000 Hatchback Owner's Manual

Introductio
n

Congratulations ! Your selection of a 2000 Acura Integra was a wise
investment. It will give you years of driving pleasure.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Acura is to read
this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and convenience items. Afterwards, keep this owner's manual in your car so you
can refer to it at any time.
Several warranties protect your new Acura. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights and responsibilities.
Maintaining your car according to the schedules given in this manual helps
to keep your driving trouble-free while it preserves your investment. When
your car needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Acura dealer's staff is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to your Acura. Your
Acura dealer is dedicated to your satisfaction and will be pleased to answer any questions and concerns. As you read this manual, you will
find information that is preceded by
symbol. This
information is intended to help you avoid damage to your Acura, other
property, or the environment. NOTIC
E
a

A
Fe w Word s Abou t Safet y

Your safety, and the safety of others, is very important. And operating this
car safely is an important
responsibility.
To help you make informed decisions about safety, we have
provided operating procedures and
other information on labels and in
this manual. This information alerts
you to potential hazards that could hurt you or others.
Of course, it is not practical or
possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or maintaining your car. You must use
your own good judgement. You will find this important safety information in a variety of forms,
including:

Safet y Label s — on the car.
Safet
y Message s — preceded by a safety alert symbol and one of
three signal words: DANGER , WARNING , or CAUTION .
These signal words mean:

You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don't follow instructions.

You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don't follow instructions.
You CAN be HURT if you don't follow instructions.
Safet y Heading s — such as Important Safety Reminders or Important
Safety Precautions.
Safet y Sectio n — such as Driver and Passenger Safety. Instruction
s — how to use this car correctly and safely.
This entire book is filled with important safety information — please read it carefully.

Importan
t Safet y Precaution s
You'll find many safety recommendations throughout thissection, and throughout this manual.
The recommendations on this page are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
Alway s Wea r You r Sea t Bel t
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

moderate to severe frontal collision.

So even though your car is equipped

with airbags, make sure you and

your passengers always wear your
seat belts, and wear them properly.
(See page 16.)
Restrai n All Childre n
Children are safest when they are
properly restrained in the back seat, not the front seat. A child who is toosmall for a seat belt must be properly
restrained in a child safety seat. (See
page 21.) B
e Awar e o f Airba g Hazard s
While airbags can save lives, they can cause serious or fatal injuries tooccupants 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 9 .)

Don' t Drin k an d Driv e

Alcohol and driving don't mix. Even one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with every additional drink. So don't drink
and drive, and don't let your friendsdrink and drive, either. Contro
l You r Spee d
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.
Kee p You r Ca r i n Saf e Conditio n
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 162.)

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Protectin
g Adult s

Introductio n
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 childseats and are large enough to wear
lap/shoulder belts. (See page 37 for
important additional guidelines on
how to properly protect larger children.) 1
. Clos e an d Loc k th e Door s
After everyone has entered the car, be sure the doors and the hatch areclosed and locked.
Your car has a doormonitor light on the
instrument panel to indicate when a specific door is not tightly closed. For safety, locking the doors reduces
the chance that a passenger, especially a child, will open a door
while the car is moving and accidentally fall out. It also reduces
the chance of someone being thrown out of the car during a crash.
For security, locked doors can
prevent an outsider from
unexpectedly opening a door when
you come to a stop.
See page 75 for how to lock thedoors.

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Protectin
g Childre n

Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best intentions, many parents and other
adults may 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 car, be sure to
read this section. All
Childre n Mus t B e Restraine d
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
25.)
A larger child should always be
restrained with a seat belt. (See page
37.)
Driver an d Passenge r Safet y

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 properlyrestrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt.

Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r SR S
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 whetheror not the airbags will deploy. In
such cases, the seat belt will providesufficient protection, and the
supplemental protection offered by
the airbag would be minimal.
After inflating, the airbagsimmediately 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 problemsmay experience some temporarydiscomfort. 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.

Canadian Owners
For additional information on how
your airbags work, ask your dealer for a copy of the booklet titled SRS:
What You Need to Know About Airbags.

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Key
s an d Lock s

Do not attempt to alter this system
or add other devices to it. Electrical
problems could result that may make
your car undriveable.
If you have lost your key and you
cannot start the engine, contact your
Acura dealer.
As required by the FCC:
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired

operation.

Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user's
authority to operate the equipment.
This device complies with Industry

Canada Standard RSS-210.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not causeinterference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference that may cause
undesired operation of the device.
Ignition
Switch
The ignition switch is on the right side of the steering column. It has
four positions:
LOCK (0) ACCESSORY (I)
ON (II)
START (III)

CONTINUED

Instrument s an d Control s

Audi
o Syste m

Radio signals, especially on the FM
band, are deflected by large objects such as buildings and hills. Your
radio then receives both the direct signal from the station's transmitter,
and the deflected signal. This causes
the sound to distort or flutter. This is a main cause of poor radio reception
in city driving. Radio reception can be affected by
atmospheric conditions such as
thunderstorms, high humidity, and even sunspots. You may be able to
receive a distant radio station oneday and not receive it the next day
because of a change in conditions. Electrical interference from passing
vehicles and stationary sources can
cause temporary reception problems.

As required by the FCC: Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's
authority to operate the equipment.
Comfor t an d Convenienc e Feature s

Drivin
g in Ba d Weathe r

Rain, fog, and snow conditions re-
quire a different driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your car well- maintained and exercise greatercaution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control should not be used in these condi-

tions.
Drivin
g Techniqu e — Always drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your car longer to react, even in conditions that may seem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss of
control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious for the first few miles (kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in snow. A person can forget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills.
Exercise extra caution when driving
in rain after a long dry spell. After
months of dry weather, the first
rains bring oil to the surface of the
roadway, making it slippery. Visibilit
y — Being able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important in all weather conditions. This is
more difficult in bad weather. To be
seen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers frequently. Keep the wind- shield washer reservoir full of the
proper fluid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the defrosters and air
conditioning to keep the windows
from fogging up on the inside (see
page 100).
CONTINUED
Drivin g

Towin
g a Traile r

Additional Trailer Equipment Many states and provinces requirespecial outside mirrors when towing
a trailer. Even if they don't, you
should install special mirrors if you
cannot clearly see behind you, or if
the trailer creates a blind spot.
Ask your trailer sales or rental agency if any other items are
recommended or required for your
towing situation. Pre-To
w Checklis t
When preparing to tow, and before driving away, be sure to check the
following: The vehicle has been properly
serviced, and the tires, brakes,
suspension, and cooling system
are in good operating condition.
All weights and loads are within limits (see pages 151 and 152). The hitch, safety chain, and any
other attachments are sucure. All items on and in the trailer are
properly secured and cannot shift
while you drive. The lights and brakes on your
vehicle and the trailer are workingproperly. Your vehicle tires and spare are
properly inflated (see page 251),and the trailer tires and spare are
inflated as recommended by the
trailer maker.
Drivin g