Acura Integra 2001 Owner's Manual

Oxygenate
d Fuel s
Some conventional gasolines are
being blended with alcohol or an
ether compound. These gasolines
are collectively re 101ferred to as

oxygenated fuels. To meet clean air
standards, some areas of the United

States and Canada use oxygenated

fuels to help reduce emissions.

If you use an oxygenated fuel, be
sure it is unleaded and meets the

minimum octane rating requirement.

Before using an oxygenated fuel, try

to confirm the fuel's contents. Some
states/provinces require this
information to be posted on the

pump.
The following are the U.S. EPA and
Canadian CGSB approved
percentages of oxygenates:
ETHANO L (ethyl or grain alcohol)
You may use gasoline containing up to 10 percent ethanol by volume.Gasoline containing ethanol may be
marketed under the name "Gasohol."
MTB E (Methyl Tertiary Butyl
Ether)
You may use gasoline containing up to 15 percent MTBE by volume.
METHANO L (methyl or wood

alcohol)

Your vehicle was not designed to use fuel that contains methanol.Methanol can corrode metal parts in
the fuel system, and also damage
plastic and rubber components. This damage would not be covered by
your warranties. If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
Fuel system damage or performance
problems resulting from the use of
an oxygenated fuel containing more
than the percentages of oxygenates
given above are not covered under
warranty.

Technica l Informatio n

Drivin
g in Foreig n Countrie s

Technica l Informatio n

If you are planning to take your
Acura outside the U.S. or Canada, contact the tourist bureaus in the
areas you will be traveling in to find
out about the availability of unleaded
gasoline with the proper octane
rating.

If unleaded gasoline is not available,
be aware that using leaded gasoline in your Acura will affect perfor-
mance and fuel mileage, and damageits emissions controls. It will no
longer comply with U.S. and Canadian emissions regulations, and
will be illegal to operate in North
America. To bring your car back into compliance will require the replace-
ment of several components, such as
the oxygen sensors and the three
way catalytic converter. These re- placements are not covered under
warranty.

Emission
s Control s
The burning of gasoline in your car's engine produces several byproducts.
Some of these are carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and
hydrocarbons (HC). Gasoline evaporating from the tank also
produces hydrocarbons. Controlling
the production of NOx, CO, and HC
is important to the environment. Under certain conditions of sunlight
and climate, NOx and HC react to
form photochemical "smog." Carbon monoxide does not contribute to
smog creation, but it is a poisonous

gas.
Th
e Clea n Ai r Ac t

The United States Clean Air Act* sets standards for automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
work and what to do to maintain them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.Scheduled maintenance is on page
164.

* In Canada, Acura vehicles comply
with the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) for
Emissions valid at the time they are
manufactured. Crankcas
e Emission s Contro l
Syste m
Your car has a Positive Crankcase
Ventilation System. This keeps gasses that build up in the engine'scrankcase from going into the
atmosphere. The Positive Crankcase
Ventilation valve routes them from the crankcase back to the intake
manifold. They are then drawn into
the engine and burned.
Evaporativ e Emission s Contro l
Syste m
As gasoline evaporates in the fuel tank, an evaporative emissionscontrol canister filled with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is off. After
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine and burned during driving.

Technica l Informatio n

Emission
s Control s
Onboar d Refuelin g Vapo r
Recover y
The Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery (ORVR) system captures
the fuel vapors during refueling. The
vapors are adsorbed in a canister filled with activated carbon. While driving, the fuel vapors are drawn
into the engine and burned off.
Exhaus t Emission s Control s
The exhaust emissions controls include three systems: PGM-FI,
Ignition Timing Control and Three
Way Catalytic Converter. These three systems work together tocontrol the engine's combustion and
minimize the amount of HC, CO, and
NOx that comes out the tailpipe. The
exhaust emissions control systems
are separate from the crankcase andevaporative emissions control

systems.
PGM-FI System

The PGM-FI System uses sequential multiport fuel injection.
It has three subsystems: Air Intake,
Engine Control, and Fuel Control.
The Engine Control Module (ECM) or the Powertrain Control Module(PCM) uses various sensors to
determine how much air is going
into the engine. It then controls how
much fuel to inject under all operat- ing conditions.
Ignition Timing Control System
This system constantly adjusts the ignition timing, reducing the amountof HC, CO and NOx produced.
Three Way Catalytic Converter
The three way catalytic converter is in the exhaust system. Through
chemical reactions, it converts HC,CO, and NOx in the engine's exhaust
to carbon dioxide (C02), dinitrogen (N2), and water vapor. Replacemen
t Part s
The emissions control systems are designed and certified to work to-
gether in reducing emissions to
levels that comply with the Clean Air
Act. To make sure the emissions remain low, you should use only newGenuine Acura replacement parts or
their equivalent for repairs. Using
lower quality parts may increase the emissions from your car.
The emissions control systems are covered by warranties separate from
the rest of your car. Read your
warranty manual for more informa- tion.
Technical Informatio n

Thre
e Wa y Catalyti c Converte r
The three way catalytic converter contains precious metals that serveas catalysts, promoting chemical
reactions to convert the exhaust
gasses without affecting the metals.
The catalytic converter is referred to as a three-way catalyst, since it acts
on HC, CO, and NOx. A replacement
unit must be an original Acura part or its equivalent.
The three way catalytic converter must operate at a high temperature
for the chemical reactions to take place. It can set on fire any com-
bustible materials that come near it. Park your car away from high grass,dry leaves, or other flammables. A defective three way catalytic
converter contributes to air pollution,
and can impair your engine's per-
formance. Follow these guidelines to
protect your car's three way catalytic converter. Always use unleaded gasoline.
Even a small amount of leaded
gasoline can contaminate the catalyst metals, making the three
way catalytic converter ineffective. Keep the engine tuned-up.
Have your car diagnosed and
repaired if it is misfiring, back-
firing, stalling, or otherwise not running properly.

Technica l Informatio n
THRE
E WA Y CATALYTI C CONVERTE R

Stat
e Emission s Testin g

Testin g o f Readines s Code s
If you take your vehicle for a state emissions test shortly after the
battery has been disconnected or
gone dead, it may not pass the test.
This is because of certain "readiness codes" that must be set in the on-
board diagnostics for the emissions systems. These codes are erased
when the battery is disconnected, and set again only after several daysof driving under a variety of
conditions.
If the testing facility determines that
the readiness codes are not set, you
will be requested to return at a later date to complete the test. If you must
get the vehicle re-tested within the
next two or three days, you can condition the vehicle for re-testing
by doing the following. Make sure the gas tank is nearly,
but not completely, full (around 3/4). Make sure the vehicle has been
parked with the engine off for 8
hours or more. Make sure the ambient

temperature is between 20° and 95°
F.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, start the engine and let it
idle for 20 seconds. Keep the vehicle in Park
(automatic transmission) or
Neutral (manual transmission).
Increase the engine speed to 2,000
rpm and hold it there until the
temperature gauge rises to at least 1/4 of the scale (approximately 3
minutes).

CONTINUED

Technica l Informatio n

Stat
e Emission s Testin g
Select a nearby lightly traveled
major highway where you can
maintain a speed of 50 to 60 mph
(80 to 90 km/h) for at least 20
minutes. Drive on the highway in
D4 (A/T) or 5th (M/T). Do not
use the cruise control. When
traffic allows, drive for 90 seconds
without moving the accelerator pedal. (Vehicle speed may vary slightly; this is okay.) If you cannot
do this for a continuous 90
seconds because of traffic
conditions, drive for at least 30 seconds, then repeat it two more
times (for a total of 90 seconds). Then drive in city/suburban
traffic for at least 10 minutes.
When traffic conditions allow, let the vehicle coast for severalseconds without using the
accelerator pedal or the brake

pedal.
If the testing facility determines the
readiness codes are still not set, see
your Acura dealer.
Technica l Informatio n

Warrant
y an d Custome r Relation s
Customer Relations Information................................. 266
Canada Zone Office Map.............. 267
Warranty Coverages..................... 268 Reporting Safety Defects
(U.S. Vehicles)........................... 269
Authorized Manuals...................... 271
Warrant y an d Custome r Relation s

Custome
r Relation s Informatio n
Acura dealership personnel are trained professionals. They should
be able to answer all your questions.If you encounter a problem that yourdealership does not solve to your
satisfaction, please discuss it with
the dealership's management. The Service Manager or GeneralManager can help. Almost all
problems are solved in this way. If you are dissatisfied with the
decision made by the dealership's
management, contact the Acura Customer Relations Office.
U.S. Owners: Acura Automobile DivisionClient Services Office
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. 1919 Torrance Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90501-2746
or telephone: (800) 382-2238
In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin

Islands:
Vortex Motor Corp.Bella International P.O. Box 190816

San Juan, PR 00919-0816
(787) 250-4327
Canadian Owners:
Refer to the Canadian Zone Office
Map on the next page. When you call or write, please give
us this information: Vehicle Identification Number
(see page 252) Name and address of the dealer
who services your car Date of purchase
Mileage on your car
Your name, address, and tele-
phone number A detailed description of the
problem Name of the dealer who sold the
car to you
Warrant y an d Custome r Relation s

267