1992 HONDA PRELUDE Owners Manual

Loading Cargo

The maximum load you can carry
in your Honda is 325 kg (700 Ibs). It
includes the total weight of all

passengers and their belongings,

any accessories, and the tongue

weight of a trailer. This 325 kg (700
Ibs) figure
is shown as the Vehicle
Capacity Weight on the tire infor-
mation label attached to the driver's

door jamb.
To figure out how much cargo you
can carry:
Figure the total "occupant
weight" you will be transporting.
To do this, multiply the number
of people (driver and all passen-
gers) by 70 kg (150 Ibs). Subtract this number from the
Vehicle Capacity Weight (325 kg/

700 Ibs).

If you are towing a trailer,
subtract the tongue weight. See
Towing a Trailer on page 121.
This final number is the total
weight of cargo you can load in or on the car. With four occupants
(driver and three passengers), the
maximum recommended weight
for cargo is 45 kg (100 Ibs). Where you store this cargo, and
how well you secure it, are just as
important as how much it weighs.
Make sure you load cargo so it will
not shift while driving. Items
stored in the trunk should be placed as far forward as possible.
You could store additional items on
the floor behind the front seats. Make sure they cannot roll under
the front seat and interfere with
the pedals.
If you must carry large objects that
prevent you from closing the trunk
lid, be aware that exhaust gas can enter the interior. See Carbon
Monoxide Hazard on page 25 .
Never place items on the shelf
behind the back seat. Those items
can fly forward and injure you or
your passengers if you brake hard
or are involved in a collision.

Before DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Driving
This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various conditions, and how to operate the
5-speed and automatic transmis-
sions. It also includes important information on your car's braking
system and facts you need if you
are planning to tow a trailer. Preparing to Drive ....................... 108
Starting the Engine...................... 109
5-speed Transmission............. 109

Automatic Transmission........ 109 Starting in Cold Weather at High Altitude.................... 110
5-speed Manua l
Transmission...
111
Recommended Shif
t
Points....
111
Maximum Speeds....................
.

112
Automatic Transmission...........
.

112
Shift Leve
r
Positions...............
112
Maximum Speeds....................
.

115
Shift Loc
k
Release...................
115
The Brakin
g
System....................
116
Brake Wea
r
Indicators............
116
Brake Syste
m
Design..............
116
Anti-lock Brakes.....................
.

117
Four Whee
l
Steering....................
118
Driving i
n
Bad Weather..............
119
Towing a
Traile
r ..........................
121

Driving
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Preparing to Drive
You should do the following checks and adjustments every day before
you drive your car.
1. Make sure all windows, mirrors, and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost,
snow, or ice.
2. Check that the hood and trunk are fully closed.
3. Check that any items you may be carrying with you inside are
stored properly or fastened down
securely. 4. Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page 51 ).
5. Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page 59 ).

6. Chec k
the adjustment of the
steering wheel (see page 43 ).
7. Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.

8. Fasten your seat belt. Check that your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page 7 ). 9. Turn the ignition ON (II). Check

the indicator lights in the instru-
ment panel.

10.Start th
e
engine.
11.Check the gauges and indicator

lights in the instrument panel
(see page 31 ).

Driving
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Starting the Engine

5-Speed Transmission 1. Apply the parking brake.
2. In cold weather, turn off all electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
3. Push the clutch pedal down all the way. START (III) does not
function unless the clutch pedal
is depressed.

4. Without touching the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the
engine does not start right away,
do not hold the key in START
(III) for more than 15 seconds at
a time. Pause for at least 10
seconds before trying again. 5. If the engine does not start
within 15 seconds, or starts butstalls right away, repeat step 4
with the accelerator pedal pressed half-way down. If theengine starts, release pressure on
the accelerator pedal so the
engine does not race.
6. If the
engine still does not start,
press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while
starting i n
order to clear flooding.
As before, keep the ignition key in the START (III) position for
no more than 15 seconds. Return
to step 5 if the engine does not
start. If it starts, lift your foot off
the accelerator pedal so the
engine does not race.
Automatic Transmissio
n

1
. Apply the parking brake.
2. In cold weather, turn off all electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
3. Make sure the shift lever is in Park. Press on the brake pedal.
4. Without touching the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the
engine does not start right away,
do not hold the key in START
(III) for more than 15 seconds at
a time. Pause for at least 10
seconds before trying again.

CONTINUED

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Starting the Engine

5. If the engine does not start within 15 seconds, or starts butstalls right away, repeat step 4
with the accelerator pedal pressed half-way down. If theengine starts, release pressure on
the accelerator pedal so the
engine does not race.
6. If
the engine still does not start,
press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while
starting in order to clear flooding.
As before, keep the
ignition key
in the START (III) position for
no more than 15 seconds. Return
to step 5 if the engine does not start. If it starts, lift your foot off
the accelerator pedal so the engine does not race.
Starting in Cold Weather at

High Altitude (Above 2,400

meters/8,000 feet)

An engine is harder to start in cold
weather. The thinner air found at
high altitude above 2,400 meters (8,000 feet) adds to the problem.
Use the following procedure:
1.
Turn off all electrical accessories

to reduce the drain on the
battery.

2. Push the accelerator pedal half-
way t o
the floor and hold it there
while starting the engine. Do not
hold the ignition key in START
(III) for more than 15 seconds.
When the engine starts, release
the accelerator pedal gradually

as the engine speeds up and
smooths out.
3. If the engine fails to start in step

2, push the accelerator pedal tothe floor and hold it there while
you try to start the engine for no

more than 15 seconds. If the

engine does not start, return to

step 2.

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5-speed Manual Transmission

The manual
transmission is syn-
chronized in all forward gears for smooth operation. It has a lockout
so you cannot shift directly from
Fifth to Reverse. When shifting up
or down, make sure you push the
clutch pedal down all the way, shift
to the next gear, and let the pedal
up gradually. When you are not shifting, do not rest your foot on
the clutch pedal. This can cause
your clutch to wear out faster. Come to a full stop before you shift
into reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shift into
reverse with the car moving.
Depress the clutch pedal and pause
for a few seconds before putting it in reverse, or shift into one of the
forward gears for a moment. This
stops the gears so they won't
"grind".

You can get extra braking from the

engine when slowing down by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe speed and prevent your brakes
from overheating while going down a steep hill. Before downshifting,
make sure engine speed will not go
into the red zone in the lower gear.
Refer to the Maximum Speeds

chart.
Recommended Shift Points

Drive in the highest gear that lets
the engine run and accelerate
smoothly. This will give you the
best fuel economy and effective emissions control. The following
shift points are recommended:
CONTINUED

Driving

Rapid slowing or speeding-up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

5-speed Manual Transmission, Automatic Transmission

Maximum Speeds

The speeds in this table are the
maximums for the given gears. If
you exceed these speeds, the
engine speed will enter into the
tachometer's red zone. If this
occurs, you may feel the engine cut
in and out. This is caused by a
limiter in the engine's computer
controls. The engine will run
normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
(US: S, Canada: S)

(US: Si, Si 4WS, Canada: SR, SR 4WS)
Automatic Transmission

Your Honda's transmission has
four forward speeds, and is electro-
nically controlled for smoother
shifting. It also has a "lock-up"
torque converter for better fuel
economy. You may feel what seems
like another shift when the con-
verter locks.

Driving
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Automatic Transmission

This display is on the instrument panel. It shows you the position of
the shift lever. It also indicates a
possible problem in the transmis-
sion if the "D4" indicator light

flashes.

The shift lever has seven positions. It must be in Park or Neutral to
start the engine. When you are
stopped in D4, D3, 2, 1 or R, press
firmly on the brake pedal and keep
your foot off the accelerator pedal. Park (P) — This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning off
or starting the engine. To shift out
of Park, you must press on the
brake pedal and have your foot off
the accelerator pedal. Press the
release button on the side of the shift lever to move it. You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a
complete stop before shifting into
Park. The shift lever must be in
Park before you can remove the
key from the ignition switch.
If you have done all of the above
and still cannot move the lever out
of Park, see Shift Lock Release on

page 115.

Driving

SHIFT

LEVER

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