2001 Acura Integra service

2001 Integra Hatchback Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through\
this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.h\
elminc.com.
Contents

Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safet y........................................................................\
.........................................ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
............................................ .2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
......................................5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
........................................ .51
Instrume nt panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
..................... . 93
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................121
What gasoline to use, how to break -in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... .135
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................159
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take you r vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
..................................................... .217
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your\
vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
..............................225
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, an d how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
............................................ .251
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................265
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................271
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index........................................................................\
........................................................................\
...... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

Drive
r an d Passenge r Safet y
This section gives you important information about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains your Supple-
mental Restraint System. And it tells
you how to properly restrain infants and children in your car.
Important Safety Precautions.......... 6
Your Car's Safety Features.............. 7
Seat Belts........................................ 8
Airbags............................................ 9

Seats & Seat-Backs...................... 10
Head Restraints........................... 10
Door Locks................................... 10Pre-Drive Safety Checklist......... 11

Protecting Adults.............................
12
1. Clos
e and Lock the Doors...... 12
2. Adjust the Front Seats............ 13
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs............. 14
4. Adjust the Head Restraints.... 15 5. Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts...................................... 16

6. Adjust the Steering Wheel..... 17

7. Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position................................. 18

Advice for Pregnant Women...... 19

Additional Safety Precautions.... 19

Protecting Children......................... 21
All Children Must Be

Restrained................................ 21

Children Should Sit in the Back
Seat............................................ 22

The Passenger's Airbag Poses Serious Risks to Children....... 22
If You Must Drive with Several
Children.................................... 25
If a Child Requires Close
Attention................................... 25
Additional Safety Precautions.... 25 General Guidelines for Using

Child Seats................................ 26

Protecting Infants........................ 30

Protecting Small Children.......... 34
Protecting Larger Children........ 38
Using Child Seats with Tethers...................................... 41
Additional Information About Your

Seat Belts.................................. 42

Seat Belt System Components... 42
Lap/Shoulder Belt....................... 42
Seat Belt Maintenance................ 43
Additional Information About Your

SRS............................................ 45

SRS Components......................... 45

How Your Airbags Work............ 45

How the SRS Indicator Light

Works........................................ 47

SRS Service................................... 47

Additional Safety Precautions.... 48

Carbon Monoxide Hazard.............. 49

Safety Labels.................................... 50

Driver an d Passenge r Safet y

Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r SR S

Ho w th e SR S Indicato r Ligh t
Work s
The purpose of the SRSlight is to alert you to a
potential problem with your Supplemental Restraint System.
When you turn the ignition ON (II), this indicator will light briefly then
go out. This tells you that the systemis working properly.
If the light comes on at any other
time, or does not come on at all, you should have the system checked by
your dealer. For example:
If the SRS indicator light does not
come on after you turn the ignitionON (II). If the light stays on after the
engine starts. If the light comes on or flashes on
and off while you drive.
If you see any of these indications,
your airbags may not deploy when
you need them. See your Acura dealer as soon as possible. SR
S Servic e
Your Supplemental Restraint System is virtually maintenance-free, and
there are no parts you can safelyservice. However, you must have
your car serviced if:

Your airbags ever inflate. The

airbags and the control unit must
be replaced. Do not try to remove or replace the airbags yourself.
This must be done by an Acura dealer or a knowledgeable body

shop.
The SRS indicator light alerts you

to a problem. Take your car to an
authorized Acura dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inflate when you need them.

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

S

R
S

Ignoring the SRS indicator light
can result in serious injury or

death if the airbags do not
inflate when needed.

Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS light alerts you to a
potential problem.

Befor
e Drivin g
Before you begin driving your Acura,
you should know what gasoline to use, and how to check the levels ofimportant fluids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggage or packages. The information in thissection will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your car,
please read the information in this section first. General Precautions...................... 122
Break-in Period.............................. 123
Gasoline.......................................... 123
Service Station Procedures.......... 124 Filling the Fuel Tank................. 124
Opening the Hood..................... 125 Oil Check................................ 127
Engine Coolant Check.......... 128
Fuel Economy................................ 129 Vehicle Condition...................... 129
Driving Habits............................ 129
Accessories and Modifications.... 130
Carrying Cargo.............................. 132

Before Drivin g

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).
Do not change the oil until the
recommended time or mileage
interval shown in the maintenance

schedule.

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.

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 yourauthorized 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

Servic
e Statio n Procedure s
Fillin g th e Fue l Tan k

Pull

1. Because the fuel fill cap is on the driver's side of the car, park with
that side closest to the service
station pumps.

2. Open the fuel fill door by pulling on the handle to the left of the

driver's seat.

FUEL FIL L CA P 3. Remove the fuel fill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound aspressure inside the tank escapes.Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.
4. Stop filling the tank after the fuel nozzle automatically clicks off. Do
not tr
y to "top off" the tank, leave
some room for the fuel to expand
with temperature changes.
Your car has an on-board refueling
vapor recovery system to help keep fuel vapors from going into theatmosphere. If the fuel pump keeps
clicking off even though the tank is
not full, there may be a problem with
this system. Consult your dealer.

Befor e Drivin g
Gasoline is highly flammable

and explosive. You can be

burned or seriously injured

when handling fuel.

Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.

Handle fuel only outdoors.

Wipe up spills immediately.

Towin
g a Traile r

Additional Trailer Equipment
Many states and Canadian provinces
require special outside mirrors when
towing a trailer. Even if they don't,
you should install special mirrors if
you cannot clearly see behind you, or if the trailer creates a blind spot.
Ask your trailer sales or rental agency if any other items are
recommended or required for your

towing situation.
Pre-To
w Checklis t
When preparing to tow, and before driving away, be sure to check the
following: The vehicle has been properly
serviced, and the tires, brakes,
suspension, and cooling system
are in good operating condition. All weights and loads are within
limits (see pages 151 and 152). The hitch, safety chains, and any
other attachments are secure. All items on and in the trailer are
properly secured and cannot shift
while you drive. The lights and brakes on your
vehicle and the trailer are workingproperly. Your vehicle tires and spare are
properly inflated (see page 255),and the trailer tires and spare are
inflated as recommended by the
trailer maker.

Driving

Maintenanc
e

This section explains why it is important to keep your car well
maintained and to follow basic
maintenance safety precautions.
This section also includes Maintenance Schedules for normaldriving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions for simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of
yourself.
If you have the skills and tools to per-
form more complex maintenance
tasks on your Acura, you may want
to purchase the Service Manual. Seepage 271 for information on how toobtain a copy, or see your Acura

dealer.
Maintenance Safety....................... 160
Important Safety Precautions.. 161
Maintenance Schedule.................. 162
Maintenance Record..................... 169
Owner Maintenance Checks........ 171
Fluid Locations............................... 172

Engine Oil....................................... 173 Adding Oil................................... 173
Recommended Oil..................... 173
Synthetic Oil............................... 175

Additives..................................... 175
Changing the Oil and Filter...... 175
Cooling System.............................. 178
Adding Engine Coolant............. 178Replacing Engine Coolant........ 180
Windshield Washers..................... 182
Transmission Fluid........................ 183 AutomaticTransmission.......................... 183
5-speed Manual Transmission.......................... 185
Brake and Clutch Fluid................. 185 Brake System............................. 186Clutch System............................ 186
Power Steering............................... 187
Air Cleaner Element...................... 188
Hood Latch..................................... 189

Spark Plugs..................................... 189

Replacement............................... 189

Specifications............................. 191

Battery............................................ 191

Wiper Blades.................................. 194
Air Conditioning System............... 196
Drive Belts...................................... 197

Timing Belt..................................... 197

Tires................................................ 198
Inflation....................................... 198
Inspection................................... 199 Maintenance............................... 200
Tire Rotation.............................. 201

Tire Wear.................................... 201
Replacing Tires and Wheels.... 202

Wheels and Tires....................... 203
Winter Driving........................... 203
Snow Tires.............................. 204

Tire Chains............................. 204
Lights.............................................. 205 Headlight Aiming...................... 207
Replacing Bulbs......................... 209

Storing Your Car............................ 216

Maintenance