1992 HONDA PRELUDE Owners Manual

Break-in Period, Gasoline

Break-in Period

Help assure your car's future
reliability and performance by
paying extra attention to how you
drive during the first 1,000 km (600

miles).

During thi
s period:
Avoid full-throttle starts and
rapid acceleration.
If you need to add oil, use the
engine oil recommended in this
owner's manual.
Avoid hard braking. New brakes need to be broken-in by moderate
use for the first 300 km (200

miles).

You should follow these same re-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are relined. Gasoline
Your Honda is designed to operate
most effectively on unleaded

gasoline.

Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your car's emission
controls. Thi s
contributes to air
pollution and can void certain parts
of your warranty.

(S model)

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 that can lead to
engine damage.

(All other models)

Use a
premium unleaded gasoline
with a pump octane number of
91
or higher .
I
f you are unable to find premium
unleaded, you may substitute an
unleaded regular gasoline. The engine will compensate for the
lower octane, but you may notice a
slight decrease in power as a result.

Oxygenated Fuels

Some conventional gasolines are

being blended with alcohol or an
ether compound to increase the

gasoline's octane. These gasolines
are collectively referred to as

oxygenated fuels. Some areas of

the United States and Canada use
oxygenated fuels to help meet clean
air standards.

If you use an oxygenated fuel, be

sure it meets the minimum octane

rating requirement as recom-

mended.

Before DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Gasoline

ETHANOL (ethyl or grain alcohol) — Gasoline containing more than
10% ethanol by volume may cause
starting and/or performance
problems. Gasoline containing
ethanol may be marketed under the name "Gasohol."
METHANOL (methyl or woodalcohol) — Gasoline containing
methanol must contain cosolvents
and corrosion inhibitors to protect
the fuel system. Gasoline contain-
ing more than 5% methanol by
volume may cause starting and/orperformance problems and may
damage metal, rubber and plastic
parts o f
your fuel system.
MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl
Ether) — You may use gasoline containing up to 15% MTBE by

volume.
Before using an oxygenated fuel,
try to confirm the fuel's contents.
Some states and provinces require
this information to be posted on the
pump. If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, switch to a
conventional unleaded gasoline.
Fuel system damage or perform-
ance problems resulting from the
use of an oxygenated fuel are not
the responsibility of Honda and are not covered under warranty.
Oxygenated fuels can damage paint and plastic. Be careful not to spill
fuel when filling your fuel tank.
Damage caused by spilled fuel is
not covered under warranty. Driving in Foreign Countries
Using any type of leaded gasoline
in your Honda will affect perform-
ance and damage its emission con-
trols. Unleaded gasoline may not be
available i
n
other countries. If you
are planning to take your car out-
side the U.S. or Canada, write to
Honda at the address shown for
information about any modifica-
tions your car may need. Be sure to include the year and model of your
car.

U.S. Owners:

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Consumer Affairs
1919 Torrance Blvd.

Torrance, CA 90501-2746

Canadian Owners:

Honda Canada Inc.
715 Milner Ave.
Scarborough, Ontario M1B 2K8

Before Driving

NOTICEProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Service Station Procedures

Filling the Gas Tank

1. The fuel filler is on the driver's
side of the car. Park with that
side closest to the service station
pumps.

2. Open the fuel filler door by

pulling on the handle to the left
of the driver's seat.

3. Remove
the gas cap slowly. You
may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Place the gas cap on the inside of
the door as shown.
4. Stop
filling the tank after the gas

pump automatically clicks off.
Do not try to "top off" the tank,
leave some room for the fuel to expand with temperature
changes.

5. Screw
the gas cap back on,

tighten it until it clicks.

6. Push the fuel filler door until it

latches.

Before Drivin
g
Handlin
g gasoline improperly
can cause it to ignite or ex- plode, causing you to be seri-
ously or fatally injured.
Always put out cigarettes and
other smoking materials, and
keep all sparks and open
flames away when you are
around gasoline.
GAS CAP

PullProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Service Station Procedures

Opening the Hood
1. Shift to Park or Neutral and set
the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle, located under the
left lower corner of
the dash-
board. The hood will pop up slightly.

2. Standing
in front of the car, put

your fingers under the front edge
of the hood to the right of center.
Slide your hand to the left until
you feel the hood latch handle.
Push this handle to the left until
it releases the hood. Lift the hood.

3. Pul l
the support rod out of its clip
and insert the end into the hole
on the left side of the hood.
To close the hood, lift it up slightly
to remove the support rod from the hole. Put the support rod back into
its holding clip. Lower the hood to
about a foot above the fender, then
let it drop.

Before Driving

HOOD RELEASE HANDLE

LATCH

CONTINUED

CLIP

SUPPORT RODProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Service Station Procedures

Oil Check
Check the engine oil level every
time you fill the car with gas. Wait
at least two minutes after turningthe engine off before you check the

oil.

1.
Remove the dipstick (orange

handle).
2. Wipe
the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel. 3. Insert it all the way back in its
tube.

Before Drivin
g
DIPSTIC
KProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Service Station Procedures
4. Remove it again and check the level. It should be between the
upper and lower marks.
If it is near or below the lower
mark, see page 135 for information
on the proper oil and how to add it. Coolant Check
Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it
is between the MAX and MIN lines. If it is below the MIN line, see
Adding Coolant on page 139 for
informatio
n o n
adding the proper
coolant.
Refer to Periodic Checks on

page 133 for information on check-
ing other items in your Honda.

Before Driving

UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
RESERVE TANK MAX
MINProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Fuel Economy

The condition of your car and your
driving habits are the two most
important things that affect the
fuel mileage you get.

Vehicle Condition

Always maintain your car accord-
ing to the maintenance schedule.
This will keep it in top operating
condition.
An important part of that mainte-
nance is the Periodic Checks
(see page
133). For example an
underinflated tire causes more "rolling resistance," which uses
fuel. It also wears out faster, so check the tire pressure at least

monthly. In winter, the build-up of

snow on your car's underside adds

weight and rolling resistance.

Frequent cleaning helps your fuel

mileage and reduces the chance of

corrosion.
Driving
Habit
s

You can improve fuel economy by
driving moderately. Rapid acceler-
ation, abrupt cornering, and hard
braking use more fuel. Always
drive in the highest gear that al-
lows the engine to run and acceler-
ate smoothly. Depending on traffic
conditions, try to maintain a con-
stant speed. Every time you slow
down and speed up, your car uses
extra fuel. Use the cruise control,
when appropriate, to increase fuel
economy.

A cold engine uses more fuel than a
warm engine. It is not necessary to "warm-up" a cold engine by letting
it idle for a long time. You can
drive away in about a minute, no
matter how cold it is outside. The
engine will warm up faster, and you
get better fuel economy. To cut
down on the number of "cold starts,"
try to combine several short trips
into one. The air conditioner puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
use more fuel. Turn off the A/C to
cut down on air conditioner use.
Use the flow-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is moderate.

Before DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Accessories

Your Honda dealer has many acces-
sories available to personalize your
car. Some of these are audio sys-
tems, alloy wheels, air conditioning, and color-coordinated carpet floor
mats. All Genuine Honda Acces-
sories have been approved by our
engineers for installation and use
on your car, and are covered by
warranty. For a complete guide to the Genuine Honda Accessories
available, see your dealer for a 1992

Accessories brochure.
Some non-Honda accessories you
can buy in the "aftermarket" are designed for universal applications.
Although they may fit your Honda,
they may not be within factory specifications. For example, after-
market wheels may not meet
Honda's specifications for width
and offset. They could cause sus-
pension problems which would not
be covered by your warranty. Im- properly-designed accessories can
adversely affect your car's han-
dling and stability.
Your car has several computer-
controlled systems, including the
SRS system, the engine's fuel
injection, and the Anti-lock brake
system. Strong electronic inter-
ference can affect their operation. Electronic communications equip-
ment, such as cellular telephones
and two-way radios are regulated
by the FCC and should not inter-
fere with your car's systems. Improper installation, or using
electrical equipment not intended
for mobile use may interfere with
your car's operation. If you want to
install a cellular telephone, other
mobile communications equipment
or even add-on stereo amplifiers,
please discuss it first with your
Honda dealer.
In many cases, improper instal-
lation is the real cause of problems
with aftermarket accessories. Have
these accessories installed by quali- fied technicians who are familiar
with your Honda. If possible, have
your Honda dealer inspect the final installation.

Before DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t