2000 Acura Integra brakes

Indicato
r Light s
Sea t Bel t Reminde r Ligh t
This indicator lights when you turn the ignition switch ON (II). It is areminder to you and your passengers
to protect yourselves by fastening
the seat belts. A beeper also soundsif you have not fastened your seat
belt.
If you do not fasten your seat belt,
the beeper will stop after a fewseconds but the light stays on until
you do. Both the light and the beeper stay off if you fasten your seat belt
before turning on the ignition. Lo
w Fue l Indicato r
This light comes on as a reminder that you must refuel soon. Parkin
g Brak e
an d Brak e

Syste m

Indicato r
This light has two functions:
1. It lights as a reminder that youhave not released the parking
brake. Driving with the parking
brake applied can damage the
brakes and tires.
2. If it remains lit after you release
the parking brake while the engine is running, or comes on while
driving, it can indicate a problem
in the brake system. For complete
information, see page 238.
Instrument s an d Control s Malfunction
Indicator
Lam p

See page 237.
Canad
a

U.S .

BRAK E

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 the switch 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. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the instrument panel comes on toshow 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 theRESUME/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

Mirrors
, Parking Brake

ADJUSTMEN T
SWITC H

3. Push the appropriate edge of the adjustment switch to move the
mirror right, left, up or down.
4. When you finish, move the selector switch to the center (off)
position. This turns off the adjustment switch so you can't
move a mirror out of position by
accidentally bumping the switch. Parkin
g Brak e
To apply the parking brake, pull the lever up fully. To release it, pull upslightly, push the button, and lower
the lever. The parking brake light on
the instrument panel should go out
when the parking brake is fully released (see page 54).
Driving the car with the parking brake

applied can damage the rear brakes

and axles.

Instrument s an d Control s

NOTIC
E
PARKIN G BRAK E LEVE R

Break-i
n Period , Gasolin e
Break-i n Perio d

Help assure your car's future
reliability and performance by paying extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).

During this period:
Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid

acceleration.
Avoid hard braking. New brakes

need to be broken-in by moderate
use for the first 200 miles (300

km).

You should follow these same re- commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the

brakes are relined.
Gasolin
e
Your Acura is designed to operate on unleaded gasoline.
We recommend gasolines containing detergent additives that help prevent
fuel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead willdamage your car's emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
In Canada, some gasolines contain an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emissions control system performance may deteriorate and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on. If this happens, contact your
authorized Acura dealer for service.
(SE, LS and GS models)

Use an unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane number of 86 or higher. Use of a lower octane gasoline can
cause a persistent, heavy metallic
rapping noise in the engine that can
lead to mechanical damage.

(GS-R and Type-R models)

Use a premium unleaded gasoline
with a pump octane number of 91 or
higher.
If you are unable to find premium
unleaded gasoline, you may substi-
tute an unleaded regular gasoline.
The engine will compensate for the lower octane, but you may notice aslight decrease in power as a result.

Before Drivin g

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 the
ride 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 the
system 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

Drivin
g
This section gives you tips on starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the 5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes
important information on parking
your car, the braking system, and
facts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer. Preparing to Drive......................... 136
Starting the Engine........................ 137
Starting in Cold Weatherat High Altitude..................... 137
5-speed Manual Transmission..... 138
Recommended Shift Points...... 139
Engine Speed Limiter............... 139
Automatic Transmission............... 140 Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 140
Shift Lever Positions................. 140
Engine Speed Limiter............... 142
Shift Lock Release..................... 143
Parking............................................ 144
The Braking System...................... 145 Brake Wear Indicators.............. 145
Brake System Design................ 146
Anti-lock Brakes........................ 146 Important SafetyReminders.......................... 147
ABS Indicator......................... 148
Limited Slip Differential............... 148
Driving in Bad Weather................ 149
Towing a Trailer............................ 151

Driving

5-spee
d Manua l Transmissio n

The manual transmission is syn- chronized in all forward gears forsmooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth to Reverse. When shifting up or down, make sure you push the clutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shifting, do not rest your foot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster. Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shift into Reverse with the car moving. Pushdown the clutch pedal, and pause for
a few seconds before shifting into
Reverse, or shift into one of the
forward gears for a moment. This stops the gears so they won't "grind."
When slowing down, you can get extra braking from the engine byshifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe speed and prevent your brakes from
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Before downshifting,
make sure engine speed will not go
into the tachometer's red zone in the
lower gear.

Drivin g
Rapid slowing or speeding-up

can cause loss of control on

slippery surfaces. If you crash,

you can be injured.

Use extra care when driving on

slippery surfaces.

Parkin
g
Always use the parking brake when you park your car. The indicator onthe instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not fully released; it does 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 inPark. This keeps the car frommoving 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 damagethe 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