wheel Acura Integra 2000 Sedan User Guide

Instrument
s an d Control s
This section gives information about the controls and displays that
contribute to the daily operation of

your Acura. All the essential controls
are within easy reach.
Control Locations............................ 52

Indicator Lights................................ 53

Gauges.............................................. 57

Speedometer................................ 57

Tachometer.................................. 57
Odometer...................................... 57

Trip Meter.................................... 57

Fuel Gauge................................... 58

Temperature Gauge....................
58

Maintenance Require
d

Indicator.................................... 59

Controls Near the Steering
Wheel........................................ 60

Headlights.................................... 61
Instrument Panel Brightness.....

62

Turn S
ignals.................................

62

Windshield Wipers.

..................... 63

Windshield Washers..................
. 63

Hazard Warning...........................
64

Rear Windo
w Defogger.............. 64

Steering Wheel Adjustment....... 65

Steering Wheel Controls................ 66
Cruise Control.............................. 66
Keys and Locks................................ 69
Keys............................................... 69

Immobilizer System..................... 69
Ignition Switch............................. 70

Power Door Locks....................... 72
Childproof Door Locks............... 73

Trunk............................................ 73

Glove Box..................................... 75

Seat Adjustments............................. 75
Driver's Seat Height
Adjustment............................... 76

Driver's Lumbar Support............ 76

Head Restraints........................... 77

Folding Rear Seat............................ 77

Power Windows............................... 79

Moonroof.......................................... 80

Mirrors.............................................. 81
Adjusting the Power Mirrors..... 81

Parking Brake.................................. 82

Digital Clock..................................... 83

Beverage Holder.............................. 84 Console Compartment.................... 85
Cigarette Lighter............................. 85
Ashtrays............................................ 86
Interior Lights.................................. 87
Instrument s an d Control s

Control
s Nea r th e Steerin g Whee l
The two levers on the steering
column contain controls for driving
features you use most often. The left
lever controls the turn signals,
headlights, and high beams. The right lever controls the windshield
washers and wipers.
The controls on the dashboard to the right of the steering column are for
the instrument panel brightness,
hazard warning lights and rear
window defogger.
The moonroof switch and cruise
control switch are to the left of thesteering column.
The tilt adjustment lever on the
underside of the steering column allows you to tilt the steering wheel.
Instrument s an d Control s
WINDSHIEL
D

WIPERS/WASHER S

HOR
N
BUTTON S

TIL T ADJUSTMEN T

HEADLIGHTS /
TUR N SIGNAL S

MOONROO
F
HAZAR
D WARNIN G

REA
R WINDO W

DEFOGGE R

INSTRUMEN
T PANE L

BRIGHTNES S

CRUIS
E
CONTRO L

Control
s Nea r th e Steerin g Whee l

Steerin g Whee l Adjustmen t

See page 18 for important safety
information about how to properly

position the steering wheel.
Make any steering wheel adjustment
before you start driving.
To adjust the steering wheel upwardor downward:
1. Push the lever under the steering column all the way down.
2. Move the steering wheel to the desired position, making sure the
wheel points toward your chest,
not toward your face. Make sure
you can see the instrument panel
gauges and the indicator lights. 3. Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position.
4. Make sure you have securely locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up and down.
Instrument s an d Control s

Adjusting the steering wheel

position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
car and be seriously injured in a

crash.

Adjust the steering wheel only

when the car is stopped.

Steerin
g Whee l Control s

3. Press and release the SET/decel
button on the steering wheel. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on to
show the system is now activated.

The cruise control may not hold

the set speed when you are going
up and down hills. If your speed

increases going down a hill, use

the brakes to slow down to the

desired speed. This will cancel the
cruise control. To resume the set

speed, press and hold the

RESUME/accel button until the
CRUISE CONTROL light on the

instrument panel comes on. When

climbing a steep hill, the automatic
transmission may downshift to
hold the set speed.

Changing the Set Speed

You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways: Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. The car will acceler-
ate. When you reach the desired
cruising speed, release the button. Push on the accelerator pedal. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel

button.
You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways: Press and hold the SET/decel
button. The car will decelerate. Release the button when you
reach the desired speed.
Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your foot. The CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out.
When the car slows to the desired
speed, press the SET/decel button.
The car will then maintain the
desired speed.

CONTINUED

Instrument s an d Control s

RESUME
/

acce l

SET/dece l

Key
s an d Lock s

LOC K (0 ) — You can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
To switch from ACCESSORY to LOCK, you must push the key in
slightly as you turn it. If your car has
an automatic transmission, the shift
lever must also be in Park. The anti-
theft lock will lock the steering
column when you remove the key. If the front wheels are turned, the
anti-theft lock may sometimes make
it difficult to turn the key from
LOCK to ACCESSORY. Firmly turn
the steering wheel to the left or to
the right as you turn the key. ACCESSOR
Y (I ) — In this position,
you can operate the audio system and the cigarette lighter.
O N (II ) — This is the normal key
position when driving. All features
and accessories on the car are usable. Several of the lights on the instru-
ment panel come on as a test when
you turn the ignition switch from ACCESSORY to ON. STAR
T (III ) — Use this position
only to start the engine. The switch
returns to ON (II) when you let go of
the key.
The engine will not start if the Immobilizer System does not
recognize the key's coding (see page 69).
You will hear a reminder beeper if
you leave the key in the ignition switch in the LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I) position and open
the driver's door. Remove the key to
turn off the beeper.

Instrument s an d Control s

Removing the key from the

ignition switch while driving

locks the steering. This can cause you to lose control.
Remove the key from the

ignition switch only when

parked.

Accessorie
s an d Modification s

Modification s
Do not remove any original
equipment or modify your car in any
way that would alter its design or operation. This could make your car
unsafe and illegal to drive.
For example, do not make any
modifications that would change the
ride height of your car, or install
wheels and tires with a different overall diameter.
Such modifications can adverselyaffect handling, and interfere with
the operation of the car's anti-lock
brakes and other systems. In addition, any modifications that
decrease ground clearance increase
the chance of undercarriage parts striking a curb, speed bump, or other
raised object, which could cause your airbags to deploy.
Do not modify your steering wheel or any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System. Modifications could make the
system ineffective. Additiona
l Safet y Precautio n
Do not attach or place objects on the
airbag covers. Any object attached to
or placed on the covers marked "SRS
AIRBAG," in the center of the steering wheel and on top of the
dashboard, could interfere with the
proper operation of the airbags. Or, if the airbags inflate, the objects
could be propelled inside the car and
hurt someone.

Befor e Drivin g

Preparin
g to Driv e
You should do the following checks and adjustments every day before
you drive your car.
1. Make sure all windows, mirrors, and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost, snow,
or ice.
2. Check that the hood and trunk are fully closed.
3. Visually check the tires. If a tire looks low, use a gauge to check its

pressure.

4. Check that any items you may be carrying with you inside are stored
properly or fastened down
securely.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page 75 ).
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and outside mirrors (see
page 81 ).
7. Check the adjustment of the steering wheel (see page 65 ).
8. Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.

9. Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have fastened

their seat belts (see page 15 ). 10.Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
11.Start the engine (see page 133 ).
12.Check the gauges and indicator lights in the instrument panel (see
page 53 ).
Drivin g

Automati
c Transmissio n

Driv e (D 3) — This position is similar
to D4, except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D3 when
towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to
provide engine braking when going down a steep hill. D3 can also keep
the transmission from cycling
between third and fourth gears in stop-and-go driving.
For faster acceleration when in D3 or D4, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshift by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shift down one
or two gears, depending on your

speed.

Secon d (2 ) — To shift to Second,
press the release button on the side of the shift lever. This position locks
the transmission in second gear. It does not downshift to first gear
when you come to a stop. Second
gives you more power when climbing, and increased engine braking when going down steep hills. Use second
gear when starting out on a slipperysurface or in deep snow. It will help
reduce wheelspin.
Firs t (1 ) — To shift from Second to
First, press the release button on the
side of the shift lever. With the lever
in this position, the transmission
locks in First gear. By upshifting and downshifting through 1,2, D3 and D4,
you can operate this transmission much like a manual transmission
without a clutch pedal. Engin
e Spee d Limite r
If you exceed the maximum speed
for the gear you are in, the engine speed will enter into the tachometer's
red zone. If this occurs, you may feel
the engine cut in and out. This is caused by a limiter in the engine's
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.

Drivin g

Parkin
g

Always use the parking brake when
you park your car. The indicator on
the instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not fully released; it does not indicate that the parking brake is firmly set. Make sure the
parking brake is set firmly or your
car may roll if it is parked on an

incline.

If your car has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
before you put the transmission in
Park. This keeps the car from
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the transmission — making it easier to
move the shift lever out of Park
when you want to drive away. If the car is facing uphill, turn the
front wheels away from the curb. If
you have a manual transmission, put it in first gear.
If the car is facing downhill, turn the
front wheels toward the curb. If you
have a manual transmission, put it in
reverse gear.
Make sure the parking brake is fully released before driving away.Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage the rear brakes. Parkin
g Tip s
Make sure the moonroof and the windows are closed. Turn off the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you.
Lock the doors. Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other flammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could cause these materials to catch on

fire.

Drivin g

Th
e Brakin g Syste m
Your Acura is equipped with disc brakes at all four wheels. A power
assist helps reduce the effort needed
on the brake pedal.
Put your foot on the brake pedal only
when you intend to brake. Resting
your foot on the pedal keeps the
brakes applied lightly, causing them
to build up heat. Heat build-up can reduce how well your brakes work. Italso keeps your brake lights on all
the time, confusing drivers behind

you.
Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds
up heat and reduces their effective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by downshifting to a lower
gear and taking your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
Check your brakes after driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they feel
normal. If not, apply them gently and
frequently until they do. Since a
longer distance is needed to stop with wet brakes, be extra cautious
and alert in your driving. Brak
e Wea r Indicator s
All four brakes have audible brake
wear indicators.
When the brake pads need replacing, you will hear a distinctive metallic"screeching" sound when you apply
the brakes. If you do not have the
brake pads replaced, they will begin screeching all the time.
Your brakes may sometimes squeal or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not confuse this with the
brake wear indicators. They make a
very audible "screeching."

Driving