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Identification Numbers
Your car has several identifying numbers located in various places.
The Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) is the 17-digit number your
Honda dealer uses to register your car for warranty purposes. It is also
necessary for licensing and insur- ing your car. The easiest place to
find the VIN is on a plate fastened
to the top of the dashboard. You
can see it by looking through the
windshield on the driver's side. It is
also on the Certification label at-
tached to the driver's door jamb,
and is stamped on the engine com-
partment bulkhead. The VIN is
also provided in bar code on the
Certification label.
Technical Information
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
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Identification Numbers
The Engine Number is stamped
into the engine block.
The Transmission Number is on a
label on top of the transmission.
ENGINE NUMBER
Technical Information
MANUAL TRANSMISSION NUMBER
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Specifications
* 1 : US: S, Canada: S
* 2 : US: Si, Si 4WS, Canada: SR, SR 4WS *
1 : Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in the engine.
Reserve tank capacity:
0.6 (0.16 US gal,0.13 Imp gal)
* 2 : US: S, Canada: S
* 3 : US: Si, Si 4WS, Canada: SR, SR 4WS
* 4 : Excluding the oil remaining in the engine.
Technical Information
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Page 207 of 225

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
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Emission Controls
Exhaust Emission Controls
The exhaust emission controls
include four systems: PGM-FI,
Ignition Timing Control, Exhaust
Gas Recirculation and Catalytic
Converter. These four systems
work together to control the engine's combustion and minimize
the amount of HC, CO, and NOx
that comes out the tailpipe. The
exhaust emission control systems
are separate from the crankcase
and evaporative emission control
systems.
PGM-FI System
The PGM-FI System on your car
has three sub systems: Air Intake,
Electronic Control, and Fuel
Control. The Electronic Control
Unit (ECU) uses various sensors to
determine how much air is going
into the engine. It then controls
how much fuel to inject under all
operating conditions. Ignition Timing Control System
This system constantly adjusts the
ignition timing, reducing the
amount of HC, CO and NOx
produced.
Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR)
The EGR system takes some of the
exhaust gas and routes it back into
the intake manifold. Adding ex-
haust gas to the air/fuel mixture re-
duces the amount of NOx produced
when the fuel is burned.
Catalytic Converter
The catalytic converter is in the exhaust system. Through chemical
reactions, it converts HC, CO, and
NOx in the engine's exhaust to
carbon dioxide (CO 2), dinitrogen
(N 2), and water vapor.
Replacement Parts
The emission control systems are
designed and certified to work to-
gether in reducing emissions to
levels that comply with the Clean
Air Act. To make sure the emis-
sions remain low, you should use
only new genuine Honda replace-
ment parts or their equivalent for
repairs. Using lower quality parts
may increase the emissions from
your car .
The emissions control systems are
covered b y
warranties separate
from the rest of your car. Read
your warranty manual for more
information.
Technical InformationProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Page 209 of 225

Catalytic Converter
The catalytic converter contains
platinum and rhodium. These
metals serve as catalysts, pro-
moting chemical reactions to con-
vert the exhaust gasses without
affecting the metals. The catalytic
converter is referred to as a three-
way catalyst, since it acts on HC, CO, and NOx. A replacement unit
must be an original Honda part or
its equivalent.
The catalytic converter must ope-
rate at a high temperature for the
chemical reactions to take place. It
can set on fire any combustible
materials that come near it. Park your car away from high grass, dry
leaves, or other flammables. A defective catalytic converter
contributes to air pollution, and can
impair your engine's performance.
Follow these guidelines to protect
your car's catalytic converter.
Always use unleaded gasoline.
Even a small amount of leaded
gasoline can contaminate the
catalyst metals, making the
converter ineffective. Keep the engine tuned-up.Have your car diagnosed and
repaired if
it is misfiring, back-
firing, continuing to run after
you turn off the engine, stalling,
or otherwise not running proper-
ly.
Technical Information
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Authorized Manuals
These Publications cannot be returned for credit without receiving advance authorization within 14 days of
delivery On returns, a restocking fee may be applied against the original order
P.O. BOX 07280 DETROIT MICHIGAN 48207 (313) 883-1430
Service Manual:
This manual covers maintenance and recommended procedures for repair to engine and chassis components.
It is written for the Journeyman mechanic, but is
simple enough for most mechanically-inclined owners
to understand.
Electrical Troubleshooting Manual:
This manual complements the Service Manual by providing in-depth troubleshooting information for
each electrical circuit in your car.
Body Repair Manual:
This manual describes the procedures involved in the
replacement of damaged body parts.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Page 217 of 225

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
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