2000 Acura Integra hood open

Befor
e Drivin g

Before you begin driving your Acura,
you should know what gasoline to use, and how to check the levels of
important fluids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggage or packages. The information in this
section will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your car,
please read the information in this section first. Break-in Period.............................. 118
Gasoline.......................................... 118
Service Station Procedures.......... 119
Filling the Fuel Tank................. 119
Opening the Hood..................... 120 Oil Check................................ 122
Engine Coolant Check.......... 123
Fuel Economy................................ 124
Vehicle Condition...................... 124
Driving Habits............................ 124
Accessories and Modifications.... 125
Carrying Cargo.............................. 127

Before Drivin g

Servic
e Statio n Procedure s

5. Screw the fuel fill cap back on, tighten it until it clicks several
times. If you do not properly
tighten the cap, the Malfunction
Indicator Lamp may come on (see
page 233 ).
6. Push the fuel fill door closed until it latches. Openin
g th e Hoo d
1. Shift to Park or Neutral and set the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly. 2. Standing in front of the car, put
your fingers under the front edgeof the hood to the left of center.
Slide your hand to the right until
you feel the hood latch handle. Push this handle to the right untilit releases the hood. Lift the hood.

Befor e Drivin g
HOO
D RELEAS E HANDL E LATC
H

Servic
e Statio n Procedure s

If you can open the hood without
lifting the hood latch handle, or the hood latch handle moves stiffly ordoes not spring back as before, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated (see page 183 ).
3. Pull the support rod out of its clipand insert the end into the hole on
the left side of the hood. To close the hood, lift it up slightly to
remove the support rod from the
hole. Put the support rod back into
its holding clip. Lower the hood toabout a foot (30 cm) above the
fender, then let it drop.
After closing the hood, make sure it is securely latched.

CONTINUED

Befor e Drivin g

SUPPOR
T RO D

Engin
e Oi l
Changin g th e Oi l an d Filte r
Always change the oil and filter according to the time and distance
(miles/kilometers) recommenda- tions in the maintenance schedule.
The oil and filter collect contami- nants that can damage your engine if
they are not removed regularly.
Changing the oil and filter requires
special tools and access from
underneath the car. The car should
be raised on a service station-type
hydraulic lift for this service. Unless you have the knowledge and proper
equipment, you should have this
maintenance done by a skilled

mechanic.
1. Run the engine until it reaches
normal operating temperature,
then shut it off.
2. Open the hood and remove the engine oil fill cap. Remove the oil
drain bolt and washer from the
bottom of the engine. Drain the oil
into an appropriate container.
3. Remove the oil filter and let the
remaining oil drain. A special
wrench (available from your Acura dealer) is required to remove the

filter.

4. Install a new oil filter according to instructions that come with it.

Maintenanc e
OI
L FILTE R
OI L DRAI N BOL T WASHE R

Coolin
g Syste m
Do not add any rust inhibitors or other additives to your car's coolingsystem. They may not be compatible
with the coolant or engine compo-
nents.

Replacin g Engin e Coolan t
The cooling system should be completely drained and refilled with
new coolant according to the time
and distance recommendations in
the maintenance schedule. Only use Genuine Honda Antifreeze/Coolant.
Draining the coolant requires access to the underside of the car. Unless
you have the tools and knowledge,
you should have this maintenance done by a skilled mechanic. 1. Turn the ignition ON (II). Slide
the heater temperature controllever to maximum heat. Turn theignition off.
2. Open the hood. Make sure the engine and radiator are cool to the
touch.
3. Remove the radiator cap. 4. Loosen the drain plug on the
bottom of the radiator. Thecoolant will drain through thesplash guard. Remove the drain
bolt and washer from the engine
block.
Maintenanc e DRAI
N
BOL T
DRAIN PLU G

Light
s
Headligh t Aimin g
The headlights were properly aimed when your car was new. You should check their aim if you regularly carry
heavy items in the trunk or pull a
trailer. Each headlight assembly has
horizontal and vertical adjustment indicators. These are set to their "0"
positions after the headlights are
aimed at the factory. To check these settings:
1. Make sure the fuel tank is full. Park the vehicle on level ground.
2. The driver or someone who weighs the same should be sittingin the driver's seat for all checksand adjustments.
Load the trunk with the items you
normally carry.
HORIZONTA
L ANGL E GAUG E

If you usually pull a trailer, load it as
you would normally and attach it to the car. Push down on the front and
rear bumpers several times to makesure the car is sitting normally.
3. Open the hood.
4. Check the horizontal angle gauge. The line on the adjustment screwindicator should line up with the"0" mark on the gauge.
Maintenanc e
Righ
t headligh t

Lef t headligh t

Light
s
Replacin g a Headligh t Bul b
Your car has two bulbs on each side, four in total. Make sure you arereplacing the bulb that is burned out.
Your car uses halogen headlight bulbs. When replacing a bulb, handleit by its plastic case and protect the
glass from contact "with your skin or hard objects. If you touch the glass,clean it with denatured alcohol and a
clean cloth.

Halogen headlight bulbs get very hot
when lit. Oil, perspiration, or a scratch
on the glass can cause the bulb to
overheat and shatter.
1. Open the hood.
If you need to change the high
beam headlight bulb on the
passenger's side, remove the
radiator reserve tank by pulling itstraight up.
2. To disconnect the bulb from the electrical harness, push on the end
of the lock tab to release the
connector then push the connec-
tor straight down. 3. Turn the bulb about one-eighth
turn counterclockwise to unlock it
from the headlight assembly.
4. Remove the bulb by pulling it straight out of its recess.
5. Align the tabs on the new bulb with the slots in the headlightassembly and push it into place.
6. Turn the bulb clockwise to lock it in place. Do not force it. Check theseating of the bulb's tabs in the
slots if the bulb will not return to
its original position.
7. Reinstall the harness connector on the bulb connector. Make sure it
locks in place.
Turn on the headlights to test the new bulb.
8. (Passenger's side) Reinstall the radiator reserve tank.

Maintenanc e

NOTIC
E

I
f You r Engin e Won' t Start , Jum p Startin g

Th e Starte r Operate s Normall y
In this case, the starter motor's speed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when you turn the ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run. Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer to Startin g th e
Engin e on page 133 . Do you have fuel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the fuel gauge.
The low fuel level warning light may not be working, so you were
not reminded to fill the tank. There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses (see page 237).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 241. Jum
p Startin g
If your car's battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine
by using a booster battery. Although this seems like a simple procedure,
you should take several precautions.
You cannot start an Acura with an automatic transmission by pushing
or pulling it. To jump start your car, follow these
directions closely:
1. Open the hood and check the physical condition of the battery
(see page 187). In very cold weather, check the condition of the electrolyte. If it seems slushyor like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.

If a battery sits in extreme cold, the

electrolyte inside can freeze.
Attempting to jump start with a frozen

battery can cause it to rupture.

2. Turn off all the electrical acces- sories: heater, A/C, stereo system,
lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.

CONTINUED

Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d

A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.

Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
NOTIC
E