check engine Acura Integra 2000 Sedan Owner's Guide

Ai
r Conditionin g Syste m
Your car's air conditioning is a sealed system. Any major maintenance,
such as recharging, should be done
by a qualified mechanic. You can do a couple of things to make sure theair conditioning works efficiently. Periodically check the engine's
radiator and air conditioning
condenser for leaves, insects, and
dirt stuck to the front surface. These
block the air flow and reduce cooling efficiency. Use a light spray from a
hose or a soft brush to remove them.

The condenser and radiator fins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure, spray
or soft-bristle brush to clean them.

Run the air conditioning at least once a week during the cold weather
months. Run it for at least ten
minutes while you are driving at a steady speed with the engine at
normal operating temperature. This
circulates the lubricating oil con-
tained in the refrigerant. If the air conditioning does not get as
cold as before, have your dealer
check the system. Recharge the
system with Refrigerant HFC-134a (R-134a). (See Specifications on page 246.)

Whenever you have the air conditioning

system serviced, make sure the service

facility uses a refrigerant recycling
system. This system captures the
refrigerant for reuse. Releasing
refrigerant into the atmosphere can

damage the environment.

Maintenanc e

AI
R CONDITIONIN G
CONDENSE R

NOTICE NOTIC
E

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g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
This section covers the more- common problems that motoristsexperience with their vehicles. It
gives you information about how to safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again. If not, you will also find instructionson getting your car towed. Compact Spare Tire....................... 220
Changing a Flat Tire..................... 221
If Your Engine Won't Start........... 226
Nothing Happens or theStarter Motor OperatesVery Slowly......................... 226
The Starter Operates Normally................................. 227
Jump Starting................................. 227
If Your Engine Overheats............. 229Low Oil Pressure Indicator.......... 231
Charging System Indicator........... 232
Malfunction Indicator Lamp........ 233
Brake System Indicator................ 234
Closing the Moonroof................... 235
Fuses............................................... 236 Checking and Replacing........... 237
Emergency Towing...................... 241

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I
f You r Engin e Won' t Star t
Diagnosing why your engine won't start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III): You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine's starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly. You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning faster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
Nothin g Happen s o r th e Starte r
Moto r Operate s Ver y Slowl y
When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things: Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page 69 ).
A key that is not properly coded will cause the immobilizer system indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly. Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed all the way to the floor or thestarter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be in Park or Neutral. Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlightsare very dun or don't light at all,
the battery is discharged. See
Jum p Startin g on page 227. Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim, check the condition of the fuses. If
the fuses are OK, there is proba-
bly something wrong with the electrical circuit for the ignitionswitch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to determine the problem. (See
Emergenc y Towin g on page 241 .)
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page 186 ). You can
then try jump starting the car from a booster battery (see page 227 ).

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I
f You r Engin e Won' t Start , Jum p Startin g

Th e Starte r Operate s Normall y
In this case, the starter motor's speed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when you turn the ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run. Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer to Startin g th e
Engin e on page 133 . Do you have fuel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the fuel gauge.
The low fuel level warning light may not be working, so you were
not reminded to fill the tank. There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses (see page 237).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 241. Jum
p Startin g
If your car's battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine
by using a booster battery. Although this seems like a simple procedure,
you should take several precautions.
You cannot start an Acura with an automatic transmission by pushing
or pulling it. To jump start your car, follow these
directions closely:
1. Open the hood and check the physical condition of the battery
(see page 187). In very cold weather, check the condition of the electrolyte. If it seems slushyor like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.

If a battery sits in extreme cold, the

electrolyte inside can freeze.
Attempting to jump start with a frozen

battery can cause it to rupture.

2. Turn off all the electrical acces- sories: heater, A/C, stereo system,
lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.

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A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.

Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
NOTIC
E

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
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

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

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

Inde
x

Accessories and Modifications.... 125 Accessories................................. 125
Additional Safety Precaution.... 126 Modifications............................. 126
ACCESSORY (Ignition Key Position)........................................ 71
Adding Automatic Transmission
Fluid........................................ 178

Brake Fluid................................. 179 Clutch Fluid................................ 181

Engine Coolant........................... 172

Engine Oil................................... 167

Manual Transmission Fluid..... 179
Power Steering Fluid................. 181
Windshield Washer Fluid......... 177
Additional Information About Your Seat Belts........................ 42
Lap Belt......................................... 43
Lap/Shoulder Belt....................... 42 Seat Belt Maintenance................ 44
Seat Belt System Components... 42
Additional Information About

Your SRS................................... 45

Additional Safety Precautions.... 48
How the SRS Indicator Light
Works........................................ 47

How Your Airbags Work............ 45

SRS Components......................... 45

Additives, Engine Oil..................... 169
Adjustments
Headlights.................................. 200

Head Restraints........................... 76

Mirrors.......................................... 81

Seats.............................................. 76
Steering Wheel............................ 65

Airbag (SRS)...................................... 9
Air Cleaner Element...................... 182
Air Conditioning............................... 90 Maintenance............................... 190
Usage............................................. 90
Air Outlets (Vents).......................... 92
Air Pressure, Tires........................ 192
Alcohol in Gasoline........................ 250
Aluminum Wheels, Cleaning........ 213 Antifreeze....................................... 172
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) Indicator Light.................... 55, 144 Operation.................................... 142

Anti-theft Steering Column
Lock............................................... 71

Appearance Care........................... 211
Ashtrays............................................ 86
Audio System................................... 98
Automatic Speed Control................ 66 Automatic Transmission............... 136

Capacity, Fluid........................... 247

Checking Fluid Level................ 178
Shifting........................................ 136
Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 136
Shift Lever Positions................. 136
Shift Lock Release..................... 139
Battery Charging System Indicator........................... 54, 232

Jump Starting............................. 227
Maintenance............................... 186

Specifications............................. 247

Before Driving............................... 117

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