Acura Integra 2000 Sedan Owner's Manual

Jum
p Startin g
3. Connect one jumper cable to the positive ( + ) terminal on the
booster battery. Connect the otherend to the positive ( + ) terminal
on your Acura's battery. 4. Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( — ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect theother end to the grounding strap
as shown. Do not connect this jumper cable to any other part of
the engine.
5. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, have an assistant startthat vehicle and run it at a fast idle. 6. Start your car. If the starter motor
still operates slowly, check thejumper cable connections to make
sure they have good metal-to- metal contact.
7. Once your car is running, discon- nect the negative cable from your
car, then from the booster battery.Disconnect the positive cable from
your car, then the booster battery.

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BOOSTE
R BATTER Y

I
f You r Engin e Overheat s
The pointer of your car's tempera- ture gauge should stay in the mid-
range under most conditions. It may
go higher if you are driving up a longsteep hill on a very hot day. If it
climbs to the red mark, you should
determine the reason.

Driving with the temperature gauge

pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to your engine.
Your car can overheat for several
reasons, such as lack of coolant or amechanical problem. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or spray coming from under the hood.
In either case, you should take immediate action.
1. Safely pull to the side of the road. Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake. Turn off the heating and cooling
system and all other accessories. Turn on the hazard warning
indicators. 2. If you see steam and/or spray
coming from under the hood, turn
off the engine.
3. If you do not see steam or spray, leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading(climbing a long, steep hill on a
hot day with the A/C running, for
example), the engine should start
to cool down almost immediately. If it does, wait until the tempera-
ture gauge comes down to the mid-
point then continue driving.
4. If the temperature gauge stays at the red mark, turn off the engine.
5. Wait until you see no more signs of steam or spray, then open the

hood.

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Steam and spray from an

overheated engine can

seriously scald you.

Do not open the hood if steam

is coming out.

NOTIC
E

I
f You r Engin e Overheat s
6. Look for any obvious coolant leaks,
such a
s a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you find a leak, it must be repaired before you
continue driving (see Emergenc y
Towin g on page 241).
7. If you don't find an obvious leak, check the coolant level in theradiator reserve tank (see page 123). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway between the MIN and MAX marks.
8. If there was no coolant in the reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, before check-
ing the radiator.
9. Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap

counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the first stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes off.
10. Start, the engine and set the
temperature control lever tomaximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the filler
neck. If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water. Remember to have the cooling
system drained and refilled with
the proper mixture as soon as you

can.

11.Put the radiator cap back on tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engineneeds repair. (See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 241.)
12.If the temperature stays normal, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the MAX mark. Put the cap back on

tightly.
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Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.

Always let the engine and radiator cool down before

removing the radiator cap.

Lo
w Oi l Pressur e Indicato r
This indicator should light when the ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
after the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is
running. If it starts flashing, it
indicates that the oil pressuredropped very low for a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action.
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical damage almost immediately. Turn offthe engine as soon as you can safely get
the car stopped.

1. Safely pull off the road and shut off the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
2. Let the car sit for a minute. Open the hood and check the oil level(see page 122 ). Although oil level
and oil pressure are not directly
connected, an engine that is very
low on oil can lose pressure during cornering and other driving

maneuvers.

3. If necessary, add oil to bring the level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page 167).

4. Start the engine and watch the oil pressure indicator. If the light
does not go out within ten seconds,
turn off the engine. There is a mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired before you can
continue driving. (See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 241.)

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NOTIC
E
LO W OI L PRESSUR E INDICATO R

Chargin
g Syste m Indicato r
This indicator should come on when the ignition switch is ON (II), and goout after the engine starts. If it
comes on brightly when the engine
is running, it indicates that the charging system has stopped
charging the battery. Immediately turn off all electrical
accessories: radio, heater, A/C, rear
defogger, cruise control, etc. Try not
to use other electrically-operated controls such as the power windows.
Keep the engine running and take
extra care not to stall it. Starting the
engine will discharge the battery
rapidly. By eliminating as much of the
electrical load as possible, you can
drive several miles (kilometers)
before the battery is too discharged
to keep the engine running. Drive to
a service station or garage where
you can get technical assistance.

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CHARGIN
G SYSTE M INDICATO R

Malfunctio
n Indicato r Lam p

This indicator comes on for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch ON (II). If it comes on at any
other time, it indicates one of the

engine's emissions control systems

may have a problem. Even though

you may feel no difference in your
car's performance, it can reduce

your fuel economy and cause your
car to put out excessive emissions.

Continued operation may cause

serious damage.
If you have recently refueled your
car, the cause of this indicator
coming on could be a loose or
missing fuel fill cap. Check the cap
and tighten it until it clicks several
times. Replace the fuel fill cap if it is
missing. Tightening the cap will not make the indicator turn off
immediately; it takes three driving

trips.

If the indicator remains on past three driving trips, or the fuel cap was not
loose or missing, have the car
checked by the dealer as soon as possible. Drive moderately until thedealer has inspected the problem.
Avoid full-throttle acceleration and driving at high speed.
You should also have the dealer inspect your car if this indicator
comes on repeatedly, even though it
may turn off as you continue driving. If you keep driving with the
malfunction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your car's emissions controls
and engine. Those repairs may not be covered by your car's warranties.
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NOTIC
E

MALFUNCTIO N INDICATO R LAM P

Brak
e Syste m Indicato r

The Brake System indicator light should normally come on only when
the parking brake is not fully

released.

If it comes on at any other time, it
indicates a problem with the car's
brake system. In most cases, the problem is a low fluid level in the
brake fluid reservoir. Press lightly on the brake pedal to see if it feelsnormal. If it does, check the brake
fluid level the next time you stop at a service station (see page 179). If the
fluid level is low, take the car to your dealer and have the brake system
inspected for leaks or worn brake

pads.

However, if the brake pedal does not
feel normal, you should take immediate action. Because of the
brake system's dual-circuit design, a
problem in one part of the system
will still give you braking at two
wheels. You will feel the brake pedal go down much farther before the car
begins to slow down, and you will have to press harder on the pedal.
The distance needed to stop will be much longer. Slow down by shifting to a lower
gear, and pull to the side of the road
when it is safe. Because of the longer distance needed to stop, it is
hazardous to drive the car. You should have it towed, and repaired as
soon as possible. (See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 241.)
If you must drive the car a short
distance in this condition, drive slowly and cautiously.

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BRAK
E SYSTE M INDICATO R

BRAK E

Closin
g th e Moonroo f

If the electric motor will not close
the moonroof, do the following:
1. Check the fuse for the moonroof motor (see page 237). If the fuse
is blown, replace it with one of thesame or lower rating.
2. Try closing the moonroof. If the new fuse blows immediately or the
moonroof motor still does notoperate, you can close the
moonroof manually.
3. Get the sunroof wrench out of the tool kit in the trunk. 4. Remove the plug in the spotlight

assembly.
5. Insert the moonroof wrench into
the socket behind this plug. Turnthe wrench until the moonroof is

fully closed.

6. Remove the wrench. Replace the
plug.

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SOCKE
T
PLU
G

Fuse
s
All the electrical circuits in your car have fuses to protect them from ashort circuit or overload. These
fuses are located in three fuse boxes.
INTERIO
R

The interior fuse box is underneath the dashboard on the driver's side.
Remove the fuse box lid by swinging
the lid down and pulling it straight out of its hinges. The under-hood fuse box is located
in the engine compartment next to
the battery. To open it, push the tab
as shown.

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UNDER-HOO
D
TA
B

Fuse
s
Cars equipped with ABS have a third
fuse box for the ABS. It is in the
front of the engine compartment on the passenger's side. Checkin
g an d Replacin g Fuse s
If something electrical in your car
stops working, the first thing you should check for is a blown fuse.
Determine from the chart on pages 239 and 240, or the diagram on the
fuse box lid, which fuse or fuses control that component. Check those
fuses first, but check all the fuses
before deciding that a blown fuse is
not the cause. Replace any blown
fuses and check the component's
operation.

1. Turn the ignition switch to LOCK (0). Make sure the headlights and
all other accessories are off.
2. Remove the cover from the fuse box. 3. Check each of the large fuses in
the under-hood fuse box bylooking through the top at the wire
inside. Removing these fuses requires a Phillips-head screw-

driver.

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BLOW
N
AB
S FUS E BO X