1992 HONDA PRELUDE light

Supplemental Restraint System

The Honda
Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS) is standard on all
Preludes sold in the U.S. and the
SR, SR 4WS sold in Canada.
The SRS includes the steering
wheel airbag assembly, sensors in the dashboard, and a control unit
with sensors behind the center

console.

(On Si 4WS model)
The system also has a dashboard-
mounted airbag assembly for the

passenger.

The sensors are decelerometers,
set to trigger in a frontal impact that generates more force than a 10
mile per hour barrier crash. For the
SRS to activate, at least two sen-
sors must trigger. This duplication
is to prevent accidental activation. When the control unit receives
trigger signals from at least two
sensors, it sends voltage to the
airbag. The control unit stores this
charge in capacitors to insure
reliability even if a severe impact damages the car's battery or
electrical connections.
The electrical charge sent to the
airbag assembly ignites its propel-
lant, which burns instantaneously.
The gas produced by the burning propellant inflates the airbag in
about 40 milliseconds (1/25 of a

second).

The airbag is vented so it stays inflated for only an instant and
does not block the driver's vision.
Smoke from the burned propellant
comes out of the airbag and into
the car's interior. This is normal
and does not mean there is a fire.
The airbag collapses onto the driver's lap. The airbag unit can inflate only one
time. After use, your Honda dealer
must check the complete Supple-
mental Restraint System and re-
place the airbag assembly.
To ensure long-term reliability, the
SRS uses gold-plated electrical
connections throughout. Exposed
components are sealed with epoxy.
The control unit monitors the SRS circuitry whenever the ignition is
ON (II). If the control unit senses
any faults, it turns on the SRS
indicator light on the instrument
panel. Take the car to your Honda
dealer to diagnose and repair the system as soon as possible.
The SRS needs no regular mainte-
nance other than an inspection by
your Honda dealer ten years after

manufacture.

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Four Wheel Steering

The Si 4WS model in the U. S and
the SR 4WS model in Canada are
equipped with an electronic Four
Wheel Steering system.
As inputs, the 4WS system uses a
vehicle speed sensor and a sensor to measure how far the front
wheels are turned.
The electronic control unit for 4WS system uses these inputs to deter-
mine which direction to steer the
rear wheels, and at what angle. Depending on vehicle speed and the
angle of the front wheels, the rear
wheels will be "countersteered"
(steered in the opposite direction of
the front wheels) or "same-steered"
(steered in the same direction as
the front wheels). The 4WS electronic control unit
drives an electric motor built into
the rear steering box. Sensors for
rear wheel angle and speed provide
feedback. The electronic control
unit uses this feedback to compare
the actual rear wheel angle to the
desired angle.
When the driver turns the front
wheels with the car traveling less
than 18 mph (30 km/h), the rear
wheels are countersteered. The angle of countersteer increases as
the angle of the front wheels in-
creases, to a maximum counter-
steer angle of six degrees. This
improves response when parallel
parking or making sharp turns.
Above 18 mph (30 km/h), the rear
wheels are same-steered as the driver begins to turn the steering
wheel. The rear wheel angle for
any given steering wheel angle is
not fixed; it increases as vehicle speed increases. This improves
response in lane-changing maneu-
vers.
As the driver continues to turn the
steering wheel, the rear wheels are
steered back to the straight-ahead
position and then to countersteer
mode. As with same steer, the
angle of countersteer varies with
vehicle speed; increasing and then decreasing as the speed rises. This
gives improved handling in low, medium, and high speed curves.
The 4WS system's electronic
control unit monitors the sensors
whenever the ignition is ON. If it detects a problem anywhere in the
system, it lights the 4WS indicator
on the instrument panel and turns
the system off. With the system off,
the rear wheels remain pointed
straight ahead. Your car will then
drive like a conventional car
without 4WS.

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Emission Controls

The burning of gasoline in your
car's engine produces several by-
products. Some of these are carbon
monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen
(NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC).
Gasoline evaporating from the tank
also produces hydrocarbons. Con-
trolling the production of NOx, CO,
and HC is important to the environ-
ment. Under certain conditions of
sunlight and climate, NOx and HC
react to form photochemical "smog."
Carbon monoxide does not contri-
bute to smog creation, but it is a
poisonous gas.
The Clean Air Act

The United States Clean Air Act*
sets standards for automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain
to owners how their emission
controls work and what to do to
maintain them. This section
summarizes how the emission con-
trols work. Scheduled maintenance

is on page 129 .

* In Canada, Honda vehicles

comply with the Canadian Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS)
for Emissions valid at the time they

are manufactured.
Crankcase Emission Control

System

Your car has a Positive Crankcase
Ventilation (PCV) System. This
keeps gasses that build up in the engine's Crankcase from going into
the atmosphere. The PCV valve
routes them from the crankcase
back to the intake manifold. They
are then drawn into the engine and

burned.

Evaporative Emission
Control SystemAs gasoline evaporates in the fuel
tank, a canister filled with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in
this canister while the engine is off.
After the engine is started and
warmed up, the vapor is drawn into the engine and burned during

driving.

Technical Informatio n
ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Index

Accessories
Installation................................. 105

ACCESSORY
(Ignition Key Position).............. 48

Adding
Automatic Transmission
Fluid........................................ 144

Brake Fluid............................... 146 Clutch Fluid.............................. 147

Engine Oil...:.............................. 135

Manual Transmission Fluid... 145

Power Steering Fluid.............. 148

Radiator Coolant...................... 139

Windshield Washer fluid ........ 143

Additional Safety Information .... 16
Door Locks.................................. 16

Driving with Pets....................... 17

Seat-back Position..................... 16

Storing Cargo Safely................. 17

Additives, Engine Oil................... 136

Adjustments
Mirrors....................................... .
59

Seats............................................. 51
Steering Wheel..........................

43

Airbag (SRS).................................. 1
0

Air Conditioning............................. 68

Maintenance..............................
157

Usage............................................ 6 8

Ai
r Filter........................................
149
Air Outlet
s
(Vents)......................... 68

Air Pressure, Tires ......................
159

Alcohol an d
Drugs.......................... 24

Alcohol in Gasoline........................ 98

Antifreeze......................................
139

Anti-lock Brake s
(ABS)

Description................................
208

Indicator Light.................. .
34,
118

Operation................................... 117

Anti-theft Steerin
g
Column

Lock.............................................. 48

Appearance Care..........................
175

Ashtray............................................. 65

Audio System................................. .
75

Automatic Speed Control............. 44
Automatic Transmission............ 112

Capacity, Fluid........................
.

206

Checking Fluid Level.............. 144

Shifting
...................................... 113

Shift Leve r
Positions...............
112
Shift Lock Release................... 115
Battery
Charging System Light............. 33

Jump Starting............................ 191

Maintenance.............................. 152

Specifications............................ 207

Before Driving
................................ 97

Belts, Seat ......................................... 4
Body Repair
...................................
181

Brakes

Anti-lock Syste
m (ABS)..........
117
Break-in, Ne
w
Linings.............. 98
Fluid............................................
146
Light, Burned-out................... .

169
Parking......................................... 61

System Light.............................. .
33

Wear Indicators.....................
116
Brakes, AB S

Description...............................
.
208

Operation................................... 117

System Indicator...............
.
34,
118

Braking System...........................
.

116

Break-in, Ne
w
Car ......................... 98

CONTINUEDProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Index

Brightness Control, Instruments................................. 41
Brights, Headlights........................ 40
Bulb Replacement Back-up Lights......................... 169
Brake Lights.............................

169
Front Parking

Lights ..............
165
Front Side

Marker Lights......
166
Headlights................................. 164
High-mount Brake

Light........
168
License Plate

Lights................
171
Rear Sid
e
Marker Lights........
170

Specifications............................ 207

Turn Signa
l
Lights ..................
167
Bulbs, Halogen.............................
.

164

Cables, Jum
p
Starting With........
191

Capacities Chart...........................
206

Carbo
n Monoxide Hazard ............ 25

Cargo, Loading.............................
106

Cassette Playe r

Care..............................................
. 94

Operation.............................. 81,
91

Catalytic Converter.................... .

213

CAUTION, Explanatio
n
of............ ii
Center Console Compartment..... 64
Certification Label....................... 204

Chains............................................. 163

Change Oil
How to........................................ 137

When to...................................... 129

Changing a Flat Tire................... 185

Changing Engine Coolant........... 140

Charging System Light........ 33, 196
Check Engine Light............. 34, 197

Checking
Automatic Transmission
Fluid........................................
144

Battery Condition.................... .

152

Brake Flui
d
...............................
146

Clutch Fluid.............................
.

147

Engine Belts.............................
.

158

Engine Oil.................................
.

135

Fuses........................................... 199

Manual Transmissio
n
Fluid...
145
Power Steerin
g
Fluid..............
148
Radiator Coolant.....................
.

139
Checklist, Befor
e
Driving...........
108
Child Safety....................................
.
18
Cigarette Lighter........................... 65
Cleaner, Air...................................
149

Cleaning

Exterior......................................
176

Interior....................................... 179

Seat Belts...................................

179

Vinyl........................................... 179
CLEAN Light................................
.
94

Clock, Setting the.......................... 63

Clutch Fluid..................................
147

CO i n
the Exhaust........................
211
Cold Weather
,
Starting in...........
110

Compact Spare.............................
.

184

Consumer Information................
217

Controls, Instruments
and............ 29

Coolant
Adding........................................ 139

Checking.................................... 139

Proper Solution......................... 139

Temperature Gauge.................. 38

Corrosion Protection................... 180

Crankcase Emission Control
System........................................ 211

Cruise Control Operation ............. 44

Customer Relations Office......... 217ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Index

DANGER, Explanation of.............. ii

Dashboard........................................ 30

Daytime Running Lights.............. 40
Dead Battery, What to Do........... 191
Defects, Reporting Safety ............ 26
Defogger, Rear Window ............... 56
Defrosting the Windows............... 74
DEXRON ®
II Automatic
Transmission Fluid.................. 144

Dimensions.................................... 206

Dimming the Headlight
s .............. 40
Dipstick Automatic Transmission........
144

Engine Oil................................. .

135

Directional Signals........................
.
41
Disabled, Towing Your Car If ... 202
Disc Brake Wear Indicators.......
116
Disposal o f
Used Oil.....................
138

Doors

Locking an
d Unlocking ............ 48
Power Door Locks ..................... 48
DOT Tire Quality Grading......... 161
Downshifting,

5-speed Transmission.............. 111

Driving .......................................... .
107

Economy.................................... 104
In Bad Weather......................... 119
In Foreign Countries................. 99
Economy, Fuel.............................. 104
Emergencies on the Road........... 183 Battery, Jump Starting............ 191
Changing a Flat Tire............... 185
Charging System Light........... 196
Check Engine Light................. 197
Checking the Fuses.................
200
Low Oi l
Pressure Light........... 195
Manually Closing Sunroof...... 198
Overheated Engine.................. 193

Emergency Brake ......................... 61

Emergency Flashers...................... 56
Emission Controls......................... 211
Engine Check Light....................... 34, 197
Coolant Temperature Gauge... 38
Oil Pressure Light............. 33, 195
Oil, What Kind to Use .............
135
Overheating............................... 193

Specifications........................... 206

Ethano l
in Gasoline........................ 98
Evaporative Emission Controls......................................
211
Exhaust Fumes.............................. .
25
Expectant Mothers, Use of Seat Belts by.................................. 8
Exterior, Cleaning the.................
176

Fabric, Cleaning........................... 179

Fan, Interior.................................... 68

Fan, Radiator.................................. 27

Features, Comfort
and Convenience........................ 67

Filling the Gas Tank.................... 100

Filters

Air
............................................... 149

Fuel............................................. 150

Oil ............................................... 137

First Gear, Shifting...................... 111

5-Speed Transmissio n
Checkin
g Fluid Level..............
145

CONTINUED
ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Index

5-Speed Transmission,
Shifting the ............................... 111

Flashers, Hazard
Warning ........... 56
Flat Tire, Changing a..................
185
Fluids Automatic Transmission.......
. 144
Brake.......................................... 146
Clutch......................................... 147
Manual Transmission.............. 145
Power Steering......................... 148
Windshield Washer..................
155
FM Stereo
Radio

Reception.............................. 75, 84

Folding Rear Seat.......................... 55
Foreign Countries, Driving in...... 99
Four-way Flashers......................... 56
Four Wheel Steering (4WS)
Description................................ 210

Indicator Light........................... 35

Operation...................................
118

Front End ,
Towing by Emergency

Wrecker..................................... 202

Fuel................................................... 9
8

Fille
r Door and Cap..................
100

Filter........................................... 150

Gauge............................................ 3
8
Octan
e Requirement................. 98

Oxygenated................................. 98

Tank, Filling the ...................... 100

Fuses, Checking the .................... 200

Gas Mileage, Improving.............. 104

Gasohol............................................ 98

Gasoline............................................ 98
Filter...........................................
150

Gauge............................................ 3 8

Octan
e Requirement................. 98
Tank, Filling the ......................
100
Gas Statio n
Procedures...............
100

Gauges

Engine Coolan
t Temperature.. 38

Fuel............................................... 38

Gearshift Lever Positions Automatic Transmission........
112

5-speed Transmission............. .

111

Glass Cleaning.............................
.

180

Glove Box........................................
.
62
Halogen Headlight Bulbs............ 164

Hazard Warning Flashers ............ 56

Headlights
Daytime Running Lights.......... 40

High Beam Indicator................. 35

High Beams, Turning on.......... 40
Low Beams, Turning on........... 40

Reminder Chime........................ 40

Replacing Halogen Bulbs ....... 164

Turning on.................................. 40

Heating and Cooling...................... 68

High Altitude, Starting at...........
110

High-Low Bea m
Switch ............... 40
Hood, Opening the........................
101

Horn.................................................. 4 7

Ho
t Coolant, Warning about......
139

Hydraulic Clutch.........................
.

147

Hydroplaning................................. 119

Identification Number
,

Vehicle......................................
.
204

If You
r
Car Has to be Towed ....
202
ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Index

Ignition
Keys.............................................. 47

Switch.......................................... 47

Timing Control System........... 212
Indicator Lights,
Instrument

Panel............................................. 31

Infant Restraint.............................. 19
Inflation, Proper Tire..................
158
Inside Mirror...................................
59
Inspection, Tire.............................
159
Instrument Panel............................
30
Instrument Panel Brightness....... 41
Interior Cleaning..........................
179
Interior Lights................................
66
Introduction........................................ i
Jacking up the Car.......................
185

Jack, Tire...................................... .

185

Jump Starting...............................
.

191

Keys.................................................. 4
7

Label, Certification...................... 204
Lane Change, Signaling................ 41
Lap/Shoulder Belts......................... .
6
Leaking of Exhaust into Car........ 25

Lighter, Cigarette.......................... 65

Lights
Bulb Replacement.................... 164

Indicator....................................... 3 1

Parking........................................
. 40

Turn Signal.................................. 41

Loading Cargo..............................
106

LOCK (Ignitio n
Key Position).....

47

Locks
Anti-theft Steerin
g Column..... 47
Fuel Filler Door........................
100
Glove Box................................... .
62
Power Door.................................. 48

Trunk...........................................

50

Low Coolan t
Level.......................
139

Lower Gear
,
Downshifting to a . 112

Low Oil Pressure Light........ 33, 195

Lubricant Specifications Chart.
206

Luggage.........................................
106

Maintenance.................................. 127

Periodi
c Items........................... 133

Record................................. 131-

132

Schedule ............................ .
128-129

Manual Transmission..................
111

Manual Transmissio n
Fluid.......
145
Maximum Shif
t
Speeds....... 112, 115
Meters, Gauges............................... 37
Methanol in Gasoline..................... 98
Mirrors, Adjusting......................... 59
Neutral Gear Position..................
114
New Vehicl e
Break-in................... 98
Normal Shift Speeds....................
111
NOTICE, Explanatio n
of................ ii

Numbers, Identification..............
204

Occupant Protectio n
System ......... 4

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