1990 HONDA PRELUDE heating

Shifting the 5 Speed
The fully synchronized manual
transmission is very easy to shift up or down. When you slow

down for traffic, steep hills, or
corners, shift to a lower gearbefore the engine starts to labor.
When descending steep grades, select a lower gear to help
maintain a safe speed and to
prevent the brakes from over-

heating.

When shifting, depress the clutch pedal fully, shift gears and then release the clutch gradually. Do not speed-shift; allow time for the
gears to synchronize.
To prevent grinding the gears when shifting into reverse, hold the clutch pedal depressed briefly before shifting, or shift the lever intoone of the forward gears before selecting reverse.
A safety lockout prevents accidental shifting straight from 5th to

Reverse.

Avoid rapid acceleration or sudden deceleration when either or both driving wheels are on a slippery surface. Decreased traction
could cause loss of directional control.

CAUTION:
Do not drive with your foot on the clutch pedal as this will causepremature wear of clutch components.
Do not shift into reverse while the car is moving.

(cont'd)ProCarManuals.comMain Menu t s

CAUTION:
Before starting out, check the operation of the lights and all car/
trailer connections. After driving a short distance, stop and
recheck the lights and connections.
Reversing is difficult and requires practice. While backing-up,
the trailer may pivot off-course. To correct for this, grip the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand to the left to
move the trailer to the left, or to the right to move the trailer to
the right. Turn the steering wheel a little at a time, and keep the
speed very low. Have someon e guide you when backing.

To help
prevent overheating of the brakes, shift into a lower
gear to make use of engine braking before descending steep or
long grades. Do not make sudden downshifts. Pay strict attention to the coolant temperature gauge when
going up hills. Because of the added load of the trailer, your car's
engine may overheat on hot days. Turning off the air conditioner
will reduce the load on the cooling system.
On cars equipped with automatic transmission. —Do not hold the car stationary on an incline by using the accelerator pedal; this can cause the transmission fluid tooverheat. Instead, use the handbrake or footbrake.
—When towing trailers, avoid high transmission fluid temperatures (caused by the transmission frequently shiftingbetween 3rd and 4th gears) by driving in S3.

NOTE:

Be sure to check state and local laws concerning maximum speed or

other driving restrictions for cars towing trailers. If you are driving
across several states, check each state's requirements before

leaving home, because restrictions may vary.

Parking with a Trailer

Whenever parking your car on an incline with a trailer attached, first
place and seat chocks at each wheel of the car and trailer. This is in

addition to the normal parking preparations of firmly applying the parking brake and placing the transmission in first or reverse
(manual transmission) or P (automatic transmission).

CAUTION:
Parking on an incline is not recommended and should be done only
if it cannot be avoided. Follow all precautions mentioned above
and turn the wheels to point towards a curb if facing downhill,
away from a curb if facing uphill. When leaving an inclined parking place, move the car slightly to unseat the chocks. Then while
keeping the foot brakes firmly applied, have an assistant remove
the chocks.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu t s

Brakes

Brake System Design
The diagonally-separated dual service brake systemis designed so half the
system will still provide
braking action if the other
half fails.However, stopping the car with only half the system will require
more pedal pressure and pedal travel than normal. Also, the distance
required to stop will be longer using only half the brake system. If
the brakes fail suddenly, downshift to a lower gear for increased engine braking, and pull off the road as soon as possible.
It is dangerous to drive your car with a problem in either the
brake electrical or hydraulic system; have your dealer check
both systems if you suspect brake trouble. Do not ride the brakes, In other words, don't put your foot on
the brake pedal unless you intend to brake. This causes excessive brake wear and can damage, or lead to loss of braking
effectiveness through overheating. Your brake lights may also
confuse drivers behind you.Driving through deep water may affect the brakes.
Check their effectiveness by pressing the brake pedal gently.If the car does not slow down at the normal rate, continue
gently applying the brakes, while maintaining a safe speed, until
they dry out and normal performance returns.
Brake Wear
Both front and rear brakes should be inspected for wear at the
intervals shown in the maintenance schedule on page 78
When the brakes require maintenance, use only genuine Honda replacement parts or their equivalent.
Brake Wear Indicators
Your car is equipped with audible brake wear indicators. When the
brake pads need to be replaced, the wear indicators will make a "screeching" sound or a high pitch chirp.

NOTE:

Due to some driving habits or climates, brakes may "squeal" when
you first apply them or when you have them partially applied; this is normal, and does not indicate excessive wear. The wear indicator
makes a "screeching" sound while the brakes are applied.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu t s

Index (cont'd)

Emission Controls.........................130

Engine
Coolant.......................................88
Coolant Temperature
Gauge....................................20
Identification Number .............127
Oil and Filter...............................83
Oil Pressure
Warning

Light .......................................22

Specification ...........................125

Exhaust Controls....................131
Engine Exhaust Ga
s Warning

....................................................64

Evaporative Emission Control
System ....................................131
Exhaust Gas Recirculation...........132
Exterior Care.................................110
Filters

Air...........................................94
Engine Oil ...................................84

Fuel.............................................96

Fluid .....................................See "Oil"

Foreign Countries, Operation in ...............................56
Four Wheel Steering.......................59 Front Seat
Adjustment..................................5

Fuel

Filter Door and Cap...................56
Fuel Reserve
Warning

Light .......................................22

Gauge.........................................20

Gasohol......................................55

Gasoline ......................................55

Requirement..............................55

Filter...........................................96
Fuse

Checking and Replacing .........101

Specification...........................126 Gasoline............................See"Fuel"
Gas Station Information
...........................................back cover

Gauges............................................20
Glove Box ........................................39
Hazard Warning

Indicator Light ...........................21
Hazard Warning System................33

Headlights

Flasher.......................................31
Headlight Motor
Switch ...........32

High Beam Indicator..................21
High Beam/Low

Beam

Switch...................................31
If the

Retractable Headlights
do not operate ...................123

Reminder Chime

.......................30

Retractable Headlight Motor Warning Light .......................25

Switch.......................................30
Headlight High
Beam Indicator

Light ...........................................21

Head Restraints.................................8

Heating.............................................45

High Bea
m

Switch .......................................31
Indicator Light ...........................21

Hood Latch.....................................39
Identification Numbers.................127
Ignition
Keys.............................................3

Switch........................................58

Indicator Lights ...............................20
Inflation Pressures, Tire..............105
Instrument Panel....................19
Instrument Panel
Brightness

Control.......................................33

Interior light .....................................33
Interior Trim Care .........................110 Jack .............................................116
Jump Starting ...............................119ProCarManuals.comMain Menu t s