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 a
reminder to you and your passengers
to protect yourselves by fastening the seat belts. A beeper also sounds
if you have not fastened your seat
belt.
If you do not fasten your seat belt,
the beeper will stop after a few seconds 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. Chargin
g Syste m
Indicato r
If this light comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged. For complete
information, see page 232 .
Low Oi l Pressur e
Indicato r
The engine can be severely damaged
if this light flashes or stays on when the engine is running. For complete

information, see page 231.
Parkin
g Brak e an d
Brak e Syste m Indicato r
This light has two functions:
1. It lights as a reminder that you have not released the parking
brake. Driving with the parking
brake applied can damage thebrakes and tires, and cause the
Anti-lock brake system to turn off (see page 142).
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 234.
Instrument s an d Control s
BRAK
E

Steerin
g Whee l Control s

3. Press and release the SET/decel
button on the steering wheel. The
CRUISE 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 and hold the

RESUME/accel button until the
CRUISE CONTROL light on the

instrument panel comes on. When

climbing a steep hill, the automatic
transmission may downshift to
hold the set speed.

Changing the Set Speed

You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways: Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. The car will acceler-
ate. When you reach the desired
cruising speed, release the button. Push on the accelerator pedal. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel

button.
You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways: Press and hold the SET/decel
button. The car will decelerate. Release the button when you
reach the desired speed.
Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your foot. The CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out.
When the car slows to the desired
speed, press the SET/decel button.
The car will then maintain the
desired speed.

CONTINUED

Instrument s an d Control s

RESUME
/

acce l

SET/dece l

Mirrors
, Parkin g Brak e
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 up slightly, 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
ADJUSTMEN
T
SWITC H

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 will
damage your car's emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
(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 model)

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 a slight decrease in power as a result.
Befor e 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 adverselyaffect 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.

Befor e 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......................... 132
Starting the Engine........................ 133
Starting in Cold Weather at High Altitude ..................... 133
5-speed Manual Transmission..... 134 Recommended Shift Points...... 135
Engine Speed Limiter............... 135
Automatic Transmission............... 136
Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 136
Shift Lever Positions................. 136
Engine Speed Limiter............... 138
Shift Lock Release..................... 139
Parking............................................ 140
The Braking System...................... 141 Brake Wear Indicators.............. 141
Brake System Design................ 142
Anti-lock Brakes........................ 142 Important SafetyReminders.......................... 143
ABS Indicator......................... 144
Driving in Bad Weather................ 145
Towing a Trailer............................ 147
Driving

5-spee
d Manua l Transmissio n

The manual transmission is syn-
chronized in all forward gears for smooth 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. Push down 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 by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe speed and prevent your brakes fromoverheating 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 on
the 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 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 trunk 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