wheel Acura Integra 2001 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.............................................. 58

Speedometer................................ 58

Tachometer.................................. 58

Odometer...................................... 58

Trip Meter.................................... 58
Fuel Gauge................................... 59

Temperature Gauge.................... 59 Maintenance Required
Indicator.................................... 60

Controls Near the Steering Wheel........................................ 61

Headlights....................................
62

Daytime Runnin
g Lights............. 62
Instrument Panel Brightness..... 63
Turn Signals................................. 63
Windshield Wipers...................... 64

Windshield Washers................... 64

Rear Window Wiper and
Washer...................................... 65

Hazard Warning........................... 65
Rear Window Defogger..............

65

Steering Whee
l Adjustment....... 66

Steering Wheel Controls................

67

Cruise Control.............................
.

67

Keys
an
d Locks................................

71

Keys...............................................
7
1Immobilizer System..................... 72

Ignition Switch............................. 73

Door Locks................................... 75
Power Door/Hatch Locks.......... 75

Hatch............................................. 76

Glove Box..................................... 78

Seat Adjustments............................. 79
Front Seat Adjustments.............. 79
Driver's Seat Height
Adjustment............................... 80

Driver's Lumbar Support............ 80
Rear Seat Access......................... 81

Head Restraints........................... 82

Folding Rear Seat............................ 83
Cargo Area Cover............................ 83

Power Windows............................... 84

Moonroof.......................................... 85

Mirrors.............................................. 86
Adjusting the Power Mirrors..... 86

Parking Brake..................................

87

Digital Clock....................................
. 88

Beverage Holder.............................. 89

Console Compartment.................... 90

Cigarette Lighter............................. 90

Ashtrays............................................ 91

Interior Lights.................................. 92

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 the
steering column.

The tilt adjustment lever on the underside of the steering columnallows you to tilt the steering wheel.

Instruments an d Control s

CRUIS
E

CONTRO L
INSTRUMEN
T PANE L
BRIGHTNES S HAZAR
D WARNIN G
LIGHT S REA
R WINDO W

DEFOGGE R

MOONROO F
HEADLIGHTS /
TUR N SIGNAL S HOR
N
BUTTON S

TIL T ADJUSTMEN T
WINDSHIEL
D

WIPERS/WASHER S

Control
s Nea r th e Steerin g Whee l

Make sure the rear window is clear and you have good visibility before
starting to drive.
The defogger wires on the inside of the rear window can be accidentallydamaged. When cleaning the glass,
always wipe side to side.
Steerin
g Whee l Adjustmen t

See page 17 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.

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.

Control
s Nea r th e Steerin g Wheel , Steerin g Whee l Control s

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. Cruis
e Contro l

LS, GS and GS-R models

Cruise control allows you to maintain
a set speed above 25 mph (40 km/h)
without keeping your foot on the accelerator pedal. It should be used
for cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended for conditions such as city driving,
winding roads, slippery roads, heavy rain, or bad weather. You should
have full control of the car under
those conditions.
The cruise control, as it operates,
moves the accelerator pedal. You can
damage your car's accelerator
mechanism by resting your foot under the pedal and blocking the movement.

CONTINUED

Instrument s an d Control s

NOTIC
E

Improper use of the cruise

control can lead to a crash.

Use the cruise control only

when traveling on open
highways in good weather.

Steerin
g Whee l Control s
Using the Cruise Control
1. Push in the Cruise Control Master Switch to the left of the steering
column. The indicator in theswitch will light.
2. Accelerate to the desired cruising speed above 25 mph (40 km/h). 3. Press and release the SET/decel
button on the steering wheel. TheCRUISE 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 the RESUME/accel button. TheCRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on.
When climbing a steep hill, the automatic transmission may
downshift to hold the set speed.

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 inslightly 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, theanti-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 whe n 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 72).

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 theride height of your car, or install
wheels and tires with a different overall diameter.
Such modifications can adversely
affect 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 thesystem 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.

Before 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 hatch 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 79 ).
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and outside mirrors (see
page 86 ).
7. Check the adjustment of the steering wheel (see page 66 ).
8. Make sure the doors and hatch
are securely closed and locked.

9. Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page 16 ). 10. Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
11. Start the engine (see page 137).
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 goingdown 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 toautomatically 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 slippery
surface 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 onthe instrument panel shows that theparking brake is not fully released; itdoes 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 cargo area 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