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If your engine won't start – Acura 2000 Integra Sedan - Owner's Manual User Manual

Page 229

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If Your Engine Won't Start

Diagnosing why your engine won't
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):

You hear nothing, or almost

nothing. The engine's starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.

You can hear the starter motor

operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning

faster than normal, but the engine

does not start up and run.

Nothing Happens or the Starter

Motor Operates Very Slowly

When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:

Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page

69

).

A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system

indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.

Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the floor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or Neutral.

Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check

their brightness. If the headlights
are very dun or don't light at all,
the battery is discharged. See

Jump Starting on page

227

.

Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,

check the condition of the fuses. If
the fuses are OK, there is proba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to
determine the problem. (See

Emergency Towing on page

241

.)

If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page

186

). You can

then try jump starting the car from
a booster battery (see page

227

).

Taking Care of the Unexpected

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