2000 Acura Integra Hatchback Owner's Manual

Oxygenate
d Fuel s
Some conventional gasolines are
being blended with alcohol or an ether compound. These gasolines
are collectively referred 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, besure 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:
ETHANOL (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.
METHANOL (methyl or wood

alcohol)

You may use gasoline containing up to 5 percent methanol by volume as
long as it also contains cosolventsand corrosion inhibitors to protect
the fuel system. Gasoline containingmore than 5 percent methanol by
volume may cause starting and/orperformance problems. It may also
damage metal, rubber and plastic
parts of your fuel system. 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 damage
its 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 tosmog 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
162.

* 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 emissions
control 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 and
evaporative 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) uses various sensors to determine
how much air is going into theengine. It then controls how much
fuel to inject under all operating 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. Throughchemical reactions, it converts HC,
CO, and NOx in the engine's exhaust
to carbon dioxide (CO 2), dinitrogen
(N 2), 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 actson 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 CATALYTIC CONVERTE R

Warrant
y an d Custome r Relation s

Customer Relations Information................................. 260
Canada Zone Office Map.............. 261
Warranty Coverages..................... 262 Reporting Safety Defects
(U.S. Vehicles)........................... 263
Authorized Manuals...................... 265
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 General
Manager 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 248) 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

Canad
a Zon e Offic e Ma p
CUSTOME R RELATION S
RELATION S AVE C L A CLIENTEL E
Honda Canada Inc.

715 Milner Avenue

Toronto, ON
M1B 2K8
Tel: 1-888-9-ACURA-9 Fax: Toll-free 1-877-939-0909 Toronto (416) 287-4776
Warrant y an d Custome r Relation s