1992 HONDA PRELUDE engine

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.

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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.

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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
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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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