traction control Acura Integra 2000 Sedan Owner's Manual

Th
e Brakin g Syste m

You will feel a pulsation in the brake pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is normal, it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of
traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on the brake pedal very hard before you
activate the ABS. However, you may feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
Important Safety Reminders

AB S doe s no t reduc e th e tim e o r
distanc e i t take s t o sto p th e car , it
only helps with steering control during braking. You should always
maintain a safe following distance
from other vehicles.
AB S wil l no t preven t a ski d tha t
result s fro m changin g directio n
abruptly , such as trying to take a
corner too fast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed for the road and
weather conditions.
AB S canno t preven t a los s o f
stability . Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your car to veer into
oncoming traffic or off the road. A
vehicl e wit h AB S ma y requir e a
longe r distanc e t o sto p on loose or
uneven surfaces, such as gravel or snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater distance between vehicles under
those conditions.

CONTINUED

Drivin g

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 beseen 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 96 ).

CONTINUED
Drivin g

Drivin
g in Ba d Weathe r
Tractio n — Check your tires
frequently for wear and proper
pressure. Both are important in
preventing "hydroplaning" (loss of
traction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all four
wheels for the best handling.
Watch road conditions carefully, they can change from moment to
moment. Wet leaves can be as slip- pery as ice. "Clear" roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditions can be very hazardous when theoutside temperature is near freezing.
The road surface can become covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be careful when downshifting. If
traction is low, you can lock up thedrive wheels for a moment and cause

a skid.
Be very cautious when passing, or
being passed by other vehicles. The
spray from large vehicles reduces your visibility, and the wind buffeting
can cause you to lose control.

Drivin g

Towin
g a Traile r

Your Acura has been designed primarily to carry passengers and
their cargo. You can use it to tow a
trailer if you carefully observe the load limits, use the proper equipment,
and follow the guidelines in this
section.

Loa d Limit s
Tota l Traile r Weight : The total
weight of the trailer and everything loaded in it must notexceed 1,000 lbs (450 kg). Towing
a load that is too heavy can
seriously affect your vehicle's handling and performance. It can
also damage the engine and

drivetrain.
Tongu
e Load : The weight that
the tongue of a fully-loaded trailer
puts on the hitch should be approximately 10 percent of the
trailer weight. Too little tongue
load can make the trailer unstable and cause it to sway. Too much
tongue load reduces front-tire
traction and steering control.
To achieve a proper tongue load, start by loading 60 percent of the
load toward the front of the trailer and 40 percent toward the rear, then
readjust the load as needed.
Gros
s Vehicl e Weigh t Ratin g

(GVWR) :

The total weight of the vehicle, all occupants, all cargo, and the
tongue load must not exceed: 3,680 lbs (1,670 kg)
Gros
s Axl e Weigh t Ratin g

(GAWR) :

The total weight of the vehicle, all occupants, all cargo, and the
tongue load must not exceed:
1,985 lbs (900 kg)on the front axle
1,740 lbs (790 kg) on the rear axle

Driving
CONTINUED

Technica
l Informatio n
The diagrams in this section give you the dimensions and capacities ofyour Acura, and the locations of theidentification numbers. The explana-
tions of several electronic and mechanical systems on your Acuraare for the more technically-oriented

owner.
Identification Numbers................. 244
Specifications................................. 246
DOT Tire Quality Grading
(U.S. Cars).............................. 248

Treadwear.................................. 248
Traction....................................... 248
Temperature.............................. 249
Oxygenated Fuels.......................... 250
Driving in Foreign Countries....... 251 Emissions Controls........................ 252
The Clean Air Act...................... 252Crankcase Emissions Control
System..................................... 252

Evaporative Emissions Control
System..................................... 252

Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery................................. 252
Exhaust Emissions Controls.... 253 PGM-FI System..................... 253
Ignition Timing Control
System................................. 253

Three Way Catalytic Converter............................ 253
Replacement Parts..................... 253
Three Way Catalytic Converter... 254

Technical Informatio n

DO
T Tir e Qualit y Gradin g (U.S . Cars )
The tires on your car meet all U.S. Federal Safety Requirements. All
tires are also graded for treadwear, traction, and temperature perform-ance according to Department of
Transportation (DOT) standards.
The following explains these
gradings.
Unifor m Tir e Qualit y Gradin g
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall between the tread shoulder and the
maximum section width. For
example:

Treadwea r 20 0
Tractio n A A
Temperatur e A
Treadwea
r

The treadwear grade is a compara- tive rating based on the wear rate ofthe tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one
half (1-1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices, and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Tractio
n

The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.

Technica l Informatio n