air condition Acura Integra 2000 Hatchback Owner's Manual

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

Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r Sea t Belt s
All seat belts have an emergency locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move freely in
your seat while it keeps some tension on the belt. During a collisionor sudden stop, the retractor
automatically locks the belt to help
restrain your body.
The seat belts in all seating positions except the driver's have an additional
locking mechanism that must be activated to secure a child seat. (See
pages 30 and 34 for instructions on
how to secure child seats with this
type of seat belt.)
If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the locking mechanism will activate. The belt
will retract, but it will not allow the passenger to move freely. To deactivate the locking
mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt fully retract. To refasten the belt, pull it out only as
far as needed.
See page 16 for instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly. Sea
t Belt Maintenanc e
For safety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out fully and look for
frays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retracteasily. Any belt not in good condition
or not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.U.S. Models
Acura provides a lifetime warranty on seat belts. Acura will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
fails to function properly during normal use.

Please see your Acura WarrantyInformation booklet for details.

CONTINUED
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Carbo
n Monoxid e Hazar d

Your car's exhaust contains carbon monoxide gas. You should have no
problem with carbon monoxide entering the car in normal driving if
you maintain your car properly. Have the exhaust system inspected
for leaks whenever: The car is raised for an oil change.
You notice a change in the sound of the exhaust.
The car was in an accident that may have damaged the underside. High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage. With the hatch open, air flow can
pull exhaust gas into your car's
interior and create a hazardouscondition. If you must drive with the
hatch open, open all the windows and set the heating and cooling
system as shown below.
If you must sit in your parked car, even in an unconfined area, with the
engine running, adjust the heating
and cooling system as follows:
1. Select the Fresh Air mode.
2. Select the mode.
3. Turn the fan on high speed.
4. Set the temperature control to a

comfortable setting.

Drive
r an d Passenge r Safet y

Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill

you.

Avoid any enclosed areas or activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.

Comfor
t an d Convenienc e Feature s

The heating and air conditioning* systems in your Acura provide a com-
fortable driving environment in all
weather conditions.
The standard audio system has
many features. This section de-
scribes those features and how to
use them. (If you selected an optional audio system, refer to the
operating instructions that came
with it.)
Your Acura has an anti-theft audio system that requires a code number
to enable it.
* Air conditioning is optional on the

Type-R model.
Heating and Cooling........................ 94What Each Control Does............ 94
How to Use the System............... 96
To Turn Everything Off........... 101
Audio System................................. 102
Operating the Radio..................
103
Adjusting the Sound.................. 106
Radio Frequencies..................... 107
Radio Reception......................... 107Operating the CD Player..........
109
Operating the CD Changer...... 111
Protecting Compact Discs........ 112
CD Player Error Indications..... 113
CD Changer Error Indications.............................. 114
Operating the Cassette
Player...................................... 115

Tape Search Functions............. 116
Caring for the Cassette

Player...................................... 118

Theft Protection........................ 119
Comfor t an d Convenienc e Feature s

Heatin
g an d Coolin g

Proper use of the Heating and Cooling system can make the
interior dry and comfortable, and
keep the windows clear for best
visibility.
(Type-R model only)
If your car does not have air
conditioning, it can be installed at
any time. Your dealer will install a Genuine Acura air conditioning
system that meets Acura's high
quality standards and is designed to
exactly fit your car. Please contact
your dealer for more information.
Wha t Eac h Contro l Doe s
Fan Contro l Leve r
Sliding this lever to the right
increases the fan's speed, which
increases air flow. Temperatur
e Contro l Leve r

Sliding this lever to the right
increases the temperature of the air

flow.

Ai r Conditionin g (A/C ) Butto n
This button turns the air condi- tioning ON and OFF. The indicatorin the button lights when the A/C is
on.
Recirculatio
n Butto n

This button controls the source of the air going into the system. Whenthe indicator in this button is lit, air
from the car's interior is sent through the system again (Recircula-
tion mode). When the indicator is off, air is brought in from outside the car (Fresh Air mode).
Comfor t an d Convenienc e Feature s
AI
R CONDITIONIN G

BUTTO N
RECIRCULATIO
N

BUTTO N
MOD
E BUTTON S

FAN CONTRO L

LEVE R

TEMPERATUR
E
CONTRO L LEVE R

Heatin
g an d Coolin g

Ven t Control s

You can adjust the direction of the air coming from the dashboard vents
by moving the tab in the center of each vent up-and-down and side-to-
side.
The vents in the corners of the
dashboard can be opened and closed
with the dials underneath them. Ho
w to Us e th e Syste m
This section covers how to set up the system controls for ventilation,
heating, cooling, dehumidifying, and defrosting.
The engine must be running for the heater and air conditioning to
generate hot and cold air. The heateruses engine coolant to warm the air.
If the engine is cold, it will be several
minutes before you feel warm air coming from the system.
The air conditioning does not rely on engine temperature.

Comfor t an d Convenienc e Feature sSID
E VEN T
CENTE R VEN T

Heatin
g an d Coolin g
It is best to leave the system in Fresh
Air mode under almost all conditions. Keeping the system in Recirculation
mode, particularly with the A/C off, can cause the windows to fog up.
Switch to Recirculation mode when
you are driving through smoky or dusty conditions, then switch back to
Fresh Air mode when the condition

clears.

The outside air intakes for the heating and cooling system are atthe base of the windshield. Keep
these clear of leaves and other
debris.
Ventilation

The flow-through ventilation system draws in outside air, circulates it
through the interior, then exhausts it
through vents near the hatch.1. Slide the temperature contro l lever
all the way to the left.
Make sure the A/C is off.
2. Select
and Fresh Air mode.
3. Set the fan to the desired speed.

CONTINUED

Comfor t an d Convenienc e Feature s

FA
N CONTRO L
LEVE R
TEMPERATUR
E
CONTRO L LEVE R

MOD
E BUTTON SRECIRCULATIO
N
BUTTO N
AI
R CONDITIONIN G

BUTTO N

Heatin
g an d Coolin g

To Cool with A/C

1. Turn on the A/C by pressing thebutton. The light in the button should come on when a fan speed
is selected.
2. Make sure the temperature
control lever is set to maximum

cool.
3. Select
4. If the outside air is humid, select
Recirculation mode. If the outside
air is dry, select Fresh Air mode.
5. Set the fan to the desired speed.
Comfor t an d Convenienc e Feature s MOD
E BUTTON SRECIRCULATIO N
BUTTO N AI
R CONDITIONIN G
BUTTO N

FA N CONTRO L
LEVE R

TEMPERATUR
E
CONTRO L LEVE R

Heatin
g an d Coolin g
If the interior is very warm from
being parked in the sun, you can cool it down more rapidly by setting up
the controls this way:1. Start the engine.
2. Turn on the A/C by pressing the button. Make sure the tempera-
ture control lever is all the way to
the left.
3. Set the fan to maximum speed.
4. Open the windows partially. Select and Fresh Air mode.
When the interior has cooled down to a more comfortable temperature,close the windows and set the
controls as described for normal
cooling.
Air conditioning places an extra load
on the engine. Watch the engine
coolant temperature gauge (see page 59) when driving in stop-and-go
traffic or climbing a long, steep hill. If it moves near the red zone, turnoff the A/C until the gauge reads
normally.

To Heat
To warm the interior:
1. Start the engine. 2. Select and Fresh Air mode.
3.
Set the fan to the desired speed.
4. Adjust the warmth of the air with
the temperature control lever.

To Heat and Dehumidify with Air Conditioning

Air conditioning, as it cools, removes moisture from the air. When used in
combination with the heater, it
makes the interior warm and dry.
1. Switch the fan on.
2. Turn on the air conditioning.
3. Select
and Fresh Air mode.
4. Adjust the temperature control
lever so the mixture of heated and cooled air feels comfortable.
This setting is suitable for all driving
conditions whenever the outside
temperature is above 32° F (0°C).

CONTINUED

Comfor t an d Convenienc e Feature s

Heatin
g an d Coolin g

To Defog and Defrost
To remove fog from the inside of the windows:
1. Switch the fan on.

2. Turn on the air conditioning. 3. Select Fresh Air mode and
4. Adjust the temperature control

lever so the air flow from the

defroster vents feels warm.
5. Turn on the rear window defogger

to help clear the rear window.

Comfor t an d Convenienc e Feature s FA
N CONTRO L

LEVE R
AI
R CONDITIONIN G
BUTTO N
RECIRCULATIO
N
BUTTO N
MOD
E BUTTON S
TEMPERATUR E
CONTRO L LEVE R