Page 34 of 225
Indicator Lights
Supplemental
Restraint System
Indicator
Only on cars equipped with SRS
The SRS light normally comes on
for a few seconds when you turn
the ignition ON (II). If it doesn't, or it stays on after the engine starts,
something is wrong with the
Supplemental Restraint System. It
may also flash on and off to indi-
cate a problem.
If you see any of these indications,
the airbag may not work when
needed in an accident. Take the car
to your dealer promptly for diag-
nosis and service.
Anti-lock Brake
System (ABS)
Indicator
Only on cars equipped with ABS (see
page 117)
This light normally comes on whenyou turn the ignition ON (II) and
goes off after the engine starts. If it
comes on a
t any other time, there is
a problem in the ABS. If this
happens, stop the car in a safe place
and tur n
off the engine. Reset the
system by restarting the engine.
Watch the ABS light. If it does not
go off, or comes back on again
while driving, take the car to your
dealer to have it checked. With the
light on, your car still has normal
braking ability but no anti-lock.
Check Engine
Light
This light comes on for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch ON (II). If it comes on at any
other time, it indicates one of the
engine's emission control systems
may have a problem. Turn to page
167 fo r
information about what to
do.
Brake Lam
p
Indicator
This light normally comes on for a
few seconds when you turn the
ignition switc h
ON (II). If this light
comes on at any other time, it
indicates a brake light does not
work.
A burned out brake light is a
hazard when drivers behind you
cannot tell you are braking. Have
your brake lights repaired right
away.
Instruments an d
Controls
SRS ABS US
Canada
BRAKE LAMP
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Keys and Locks
Both doors lock when you push in
the lock tab on the driver's door, or
lock the driver's door from the outside with the key. Only the
driver's door unlocks when you use
the key or lock tab. To unlock the
passenger's door, use the master
door lock switch or pull out the
lock tab on passenger's door.
Lockout Prevention
If you forget and leave the key in
the ignition switch, Lockout
Prevention will not allow you to
lock the driver's door. With either
door open and the key in the
ignition, the master door lock
switches are disabled. If you try to
lock the driver's door by pushing in
the lock tab, the tabs on both doors immediately pop up.
Trunk
You can open the trunk in two
ways:
Pull the trunk release handle to
the left of the driver's seat. Use the master key to open the
trunk lock. The valet key does
not work in this lock.
To close the trunk, press down on
the trunk lid.
See page 106 fo
r cargo loading and
weight limit
information. Keep the
trunk lid closed at all times while
driving to avoid damaging the lid
and getting exhaust gas in the
interior. See Carbon Monoxide
Hazard on page 25.
Instruments and Controls
MASTER KEY
TRUNK RELEASE
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Page 61 of 225
Mirrors, Parking Brake
Available on all Canadian models
The outside mirrors are heated to
remove fog and frost. Press the
mirror defroster button to turn on
the heaters. The light in the button
comes on as a reminder. Press the
button again to turn the heaters off.
Parking Brake
To apply the parking brake, pull
the lever up fully. To release it, pull
up slightly, push the button, and lower the lever. The parking brake
light on the instrument panel
should go out when the parking
brake is fully released (see page 33).
If you try to drive the car without
releasing the parking brake, the
ABS cannot work properly. Driving the car with the parking
brake applied can damage the rear brakes and axles.
Instruments and Controls
NOTICE
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Page 116 of 225
The Braking System
If this happens, you will immediate-
ly notice that the brake pedal goes
down much farther and you need to press on it much harder. A much
longer distance will be needed to stop the car.
Slow the car by downshifting to a
lower gear and removing your foot
from the accelerator pedal. Pull to
the side of the road as soon as it is
safe. Because of the longer stop-
ping distance needed, brake system
failure is very hazardous. It is best
to have your car towed, but if you
must drive the car in this condition,
be extremely cautious. Have your car repaired as soon as possible.
Anti-lock Brakes
The Prelude Si and Si 4WS models
in
the U.S. and SR and SR 4WS
models in Canada have an Anti-
lock Brake System (ABS) as standard equipment.
ABS helps you maintain steering
control. It does this by helping you
to prevent the wheels from locking
up and skidding.
The ABS is always "On". It
requires no special effort or driving
technique. You will feel a pulsation
in the brake pedal when the ABS
activates.
Activation varies with the amount of traction your tires have. On drypavement, you will need to press on
the brake pedal very hard before
you feel the pedal
pulsation that
means the ABS has activated.
However, you may feel the ABS
activate immediately if you are
trying to stop on snow or ice. Under all conditions, the ABS is helping to
prevent the wheels from locking so
you can retain steering
control.
You should continue to press on the
brake pedal with the same force.
You may feel a slight movement of
the brake pedal just after you start
the engine. This
is
the ABS
working.
Driving
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The Braking System, Four Wheel Steering
The ABS is self-checking. If
anything goes wrong, the ABS indi-
cator on the instrument panel
comes on (see page 34 ). This means
the Anti-lock function of the brak-
ing system has shut down. The
brakes still work like a convention-
al system, providing normal stop- ping ability. You should have the
dealer inspect your car as soon as
possible.
The ABS works by comparing the
speed of the wheels. When re-
placing tires, use the same size
originally supplied with the car.
Tire size and construction can
affect wheel speed and may cause
the system to work inconsistently.
A car with ABS may require a
longer distance to stop on loose or
uneven surfaces than an equivalent
car without Anti-lock. The ABS
cannot make up for road conditions
or bad judgment. It is still yourresponsibility to drive at reasonable
speeds for weather and
traffic
conditions, and to leave a margin of
safety.
For a technical description of the
Anti-lock brake system hardware,
refer to page 208 . Four Wheel Steering
The Si 4WS and SR 4WS models
feature an electronically controlled
system that steers the rear wheels
as you steer the front wheels.
It uses the car's speed, angle of the
front wheels, and the rate that you
turn the steering wheel to steer the
rear wheels in the appropriate
direction and angle.
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Brake and Clutch Fluid
Brake and Clutch Fluid
Check the fluid level in the reser-
voirs monthly. There are up to
three reservoirs, depending on
model. They are:
Brake fluid reservoir (all models) Clutch fluid reservoir
(5-speed transmission only)
ABS reservoir
(Si and Si 4WS models in U.S.
and SR and SR 4WS models in
Canada)
The brake fluid in the brake and
Anti-lock brake systems should be
replaced every 2 years or 48,000 km
(30,000 miles).
Brake System
The fluid should be between the MIN and MAX marks on the side
of the reservoir. If the level is at or
below the MIN mark, it is an indication that your brake system
needs attention. Have the brake
system inspected for leaks or worn
brake pads. If you add brake fluid to bring it up
to the MAX mark, use Genuine
Honda Brake Fluid or an equiva-
lent that is marked DOT3 or DOT4
only. Brake fluid marked DOT5 is
not compatible with your car's
braking system.
Maintenance
MAX
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Brake and Clutch Fluid
Anti-lock Brake System
Check the fluid level in this reser-
voir after driving the car for atleast a few minutes.
It should be between the MIN and
MAX marks on the side of the
reservoir. If it is at or below the
MIN mark, it may indicate a
problem in the braking system.
Have the dealer inspect your car. If the fluid level is half an inch or
more above the MAX mark, it may
indicate a problem in the ABS.
Have your dealer inspect the
system as soon as posible.
If you add brake fluid to bring it up
to the MAX mark, use the same
DOT3 or DOT4 brake fluid speci-
fied for the brake system.
Clutch System
The fluid should be between the
MIN and MAX marks on the side
of the reservoir. If it is not, add
brake fluid to bring it up to that
level. Use the same DOT3 or DOT4
brake fluid specified for the brake
system.
Low fluid level can indicate a leak
in the clutch system. Have this system inspected as soon as
possible.
Maintenance
MAX
MIN MAX
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Windshield Wipers
3. Remove the blade from its holder by grasping the tabbed end of the
blade. Pull firmly until the tabs
come out of the holder. 4. Examine the new wiper blades. If
they have no plastic or metal rein-
forcement along the back edge,
remove the metal reinforcement
strips from the old wiper blade
and install them in the slots along
the edge of the new blade. 5. Slide the new wiper blade into
the holder until the tabs lock.
6. Slide the blade assembly onto the wiper arm. Make sure it locks in
place.
7. Lower the wiper arm down against the windshield.
Maintenance
BLADE
REINFORCEMENT
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