2001 Acura Integra ABS

You
r Car' s Safet y Feature s
(1 ) Safet y Cag e
(2 ) Crus h Zone s
(3 ) Seat s & Seat-Back s
(4 ) Hea d Restraint s
(5 ) Collapsibl e Steerin g Colum n
(6 ) Sea t Belt s
(7 ) Airbag s
(8 ) Doo r Lock s Your car is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passengersduring a crash.
Some safety features do not require
any action on your part. These
include a strong steel framework
that forms a safety cage around the passenger compartment; front and
rear crush zones that are designed to
crumple and absorb energy during a
crash; and a collapsible steering

column.

These safety features are designed to reduce the severity of injuries in acrash. However, you and your
passengers can't take full advantage of these safety features unless you
remain sitting in a proper position
and always wear your seat belts
properly. In fact, some safety
features can contribute to injuries if
they are not used properly.
Driver an d Passenge r Safet y

You
r Car' s Safet y Feature s
Seat s & Seat-Back s
Your car's seats are designed to keep you in a comfortable, uprightposition so you can take fulladvantage of the protection offered
by seat belts and the energy absorbing materials in the seats.
How you adjust your seats and seat-
backs can also affect your safety. For example, sitting too close to thesteering wheel or dashboard
increases the risk of you or your
passenger being injured by striking
the inside of the car, or by an inflating airbag.
Reclining a seat-back too far reduces
the seat belt's effectiveness and
increases the chance that the seat'soccupant will slide under the seat
belt in a crash and be seriously
injured.
What you should do: Move the front

seats as far back as possible, and
keep adjustable seat-backs in an
upright position whenever the car is

moving.

Hea d Restraint s
Head restraints can help protect you
from whiplash and other injuries. For maximum protection, the back of
your head should rest against the center of the head restraint. Doo
r Lock s
Keeping your doors locked reduces
the chance of being thrown out of
the car during a crash. It also helps
prevent occupants from accidentally opening a door and falling out, and
outsiders from unexpectedly opening
your doors.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Indicato
r Light s
Supplementa l Restrain t
Syste m Indicato r
This indicator lights when you turn the ignition switch ON (II). If itcomes on at any other time, it
indicates a problem in the supplemental restraint system. For
complete information, see page 47.
Chargin
g Syste m

Indicato r
If this light conies on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged. For complete information, see page 239.
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 238.
Malfunctio n Indicato r
Lam p

See page 240.
Anti-loc
k Brak e
Syste m (ABS )
Indicato r

Only on models equipped with ABS (see

page 146)

This light normally comes on for a few seconds when you turn theignition switch ON (II), and when
the ignition switch is turned to START (III).
If this light comes on at any other
time, there is a problem in the ABS.
If this happens, take the car to your dealer to have it checked. With the
light on, your car still has normal
braking ability but no anti-lock. For complete information, see page 148.
Instrument s an d Control s

S

R
S
U.S
.
Canad
a

A
B S

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 Weather at 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

Th
e Brakin g Syste m
Your Acura is equipped with disc brakes at all four wheels. A power assist helps reduce the effort needed
on the brake pedal. The ABS helps
you retain steering control when braking very hard.
Put your foot on the brake pedal only
when you intend to brake. Resting
your foot on the pedal keeps the brakes applied lightly, causing themto build up heat. Heat build-up can
reduce how well your brakes work. It
also keeps your brake lights on all
the time, confusing drivers behind

you.
Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds up heat and reduces their effective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by downshifting to a lower gear and taking your foot off theaccelerator pedal.
Check your brakes after driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they feel normal. If not, apply them gently and
frequently until they do. Since a
longer distance is needed to stop
with wet brakes, be extra cautious and alert in your driving. Brak
e Wea r Indicator s
All four brakes have audible brake wear indicators.
When the brake pads need replacing, you will hear a distinctive metallic "screeching" sound when you apply
the brakes. If you do not have the
brake pads replaced, they will begin screeching all the time.
Your brakes may sometimes squeal or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not confuse this with the
brake wear indicators. They make a
very audible "screeching."

Driving

Th
e Brakin g Syste m

Brak e Syste m Desig n
The hydraulic system that operates the brakes has two separate circuits.Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (the left-front brake is connected with the right-rear brake,etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking at two wheels.
Anti-loc
k Brake s

The Integra LS, GS, GS-R and
Type-R models have an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) as standard
equipment.
ABS helps to prevent the wheels from locking up and skidding during
hard braking, allowing you to retain steering control.
When the front tires skid, you lose steering control; the car continues
straight ahead even though you turn
the steering wheel. The ABS helps to
prevent lock-up and helps you retain steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly; much faster than a
person can do it.
Drivin g Fron
t

Th
e Brakin g Syste m

Yo u shoul d neve r pum p th e
brak e pedal , this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work for you by always keeping firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes referred to as
"stomp and steer."

You will feel a pulsation in the brake pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is normal, it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of traction your tires have. On drypavement, you will need to press on
the brake pedal very hard before you activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
Important Safety Reminders

AB S doe s no t reduc e th e tim e o r
distanc e i t take s t o sto p th e car , it
only helps with steering control
during braking. You should always
maintain a safe following distance
from other vehicles.
AB S wil l no t preven t a ski d tha t
result s fro m changin g directio n
abruptly , such as trying to take a
corner too fast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed for the road and
weather conditions.
AB S canno t preven t a los s o f
stability . Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your car to veer into
oncoming traffic or off the road. A
vehicl e wit h AB S ma y requir e a
longe r distanc e t o sto p on loose or
uneven surfaces, such as gravel or snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater distance between vehicles under
those conditions.

CONTINUED
Drivin g

Th
e Brakin g System , Limite d Sli p Differentia l

ABS Indicator

* U.S . indicato r show n

The ABS is self-checking. If anything goes wrong, the ABS indicator on
the instrument panel comes on (see
page 55). This means the anti-lock
function of the braking system hasshut down. The brakes still work like
a conventional system without anti-
lock, providing normal stopping ability. You should have the dealer
inspect your car as soon as possible.
Limite
d Sli p Differentia l

Type-R model only

Your Acura is equipped with a Limited Slip Differential (LSD). Ifone front wheel slips, the LSD helps
traction by automatically
transmitting driving force to the other front wheel. You may feel the
transfer through the steering wheel.

Drivin g

AB
S INDICATOR *