Gauges
Fuel Gauge
This shows how much fuel you
have. The fuel gauge is fully
electronic, lighting one of the
indicator bars to show the current
fuel level. It is most accurate when you are driving or parked on level
ground. The indicated fuel level may vary when you are driving on
curved or hilly roads. As a test, all the indicator bars in
the fuel gauge light for several
seconds when you turn the ignition
to ON (II).
Temperature Gauge
The temperature gauge is fully
electronic. It uses a series of
illuminated indicator bars to show
the engine coolant's temperature range. Under normal driving
conditions, you will see one of the
bars at the display's midpoint. In more severe driving conditions,
such as very hot weather or
climbing a long hill, the engine may
get hot enough to illuminate the
white indicator on the right side of
the gauge. If the red indicator
above the H comes on, pull safely
to the side of the road. Turn to
page 193 for instructions and
precautions on checking the
engine's cooling system.
As a test, all the indicator bars in the temperature gauge illuminate
when you turn the ignition ON (II).
Instruments and Controls
FUEL GAUGE
TEMPERATURE
GAUGEProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Heating and Cooling
How to Use the System
This section covers the best way to
use the system for ventilation, cooling, dehumidifying, defrosting
and heating. In most cases, the
mode and air source selections are
only recommendations. You may
prefer different settings.
Use the Recirculation mode to heat
or cool the interior more quickly, or
to keep out smoke and dust.
Leaving the system in recirculation
mode with the A/C off can cause
the windows to fog up. Switch to
the Fresh Air mode as soon as the
interior reaches a comfortable
temperature or the outside smoky,
dusty condition clears.
The engine must be running for the
heater and air conditioner to pro-
vide hot and cold air. The heater
uses engine coolant to warm the air.
If the engine is cold, it will be sever-
al minutes before you feel warm air
circulating.
The air conditioner does not de-
pend on engine temperature. It can produce cold air almost immedi-
ately.
Controlling Air Flow direction
Air flows into the interior at three
levels: Toward the floor
through the dash vents
toward the windshield and side windows You select the air
flow level or combination of levels
with th
e five mode buttons. Ventilation
Your car has a flow-through
ventilation system. Air enters the car through vents in front of the
windshield. I
t circulates through
the interior then exits through
vents nea
r the rear window. This
system provides fresh air even
when th
e car is standing still. To
bring i
n outside air, select the
Fresh Air mode. Set the fan at a
comfortable speed
.
CONTINUED
Comfort an
d Convenience Features
and
ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Heating and Cooling
To Cool
To operate the air conditioner,
press the air conditioning button.
Set the fan to the desired speed.
You can also use the mode
button to direct air out of the dash
and heater vents.
To cool the interior down rapidly after the car has been sitting in the
sun:
1. Start the engine.
2. Turn o
n the A/C by pressing the
button.
3. Set
the fan to maximum speed.
4.
Open the windows partially.
Select the Recirculation mode
and
When the
interior reaches a com-
fortable temperature, close the
windows and set the system for
cooling as described above.
MODE BUTTONS
AIR CONDITIONER
BUTTON
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL LEVER
The air conditioner places an extra
load on the engine. Watch the
coolant temperature gauge (see
page 38 ) when using the A/C in
heavy traffic or driving up long
hills. If the temperature indication
climbs near the H, turn off the air
conditioner until the gauge reads
normally.
FAN CONTROL
LEVER
Comfort and Convenience FeaturesProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Heating and Cooling
To Heat
To warm the interior, press and select the Fresh Air
mode. Set the fan to the desired
speed. Adjust the warmth of the air
with the temperature control lever.
To warm the interior rapidly after
the car has been sitting out in cold
weather.
1. Start the engine.
2. Select
the Recirculation mode
and
3. Slide the temperature control
lever to maximum heat.
4. Leave
the fan OFF for the first
few minutes. When the tempera-
ture gauge rises above the bot-
tom white mark, set the fan to
medium speed.
5. Whe
n
the interior warms up,
switch to fresh air mode and
adjust the temperature control
lever to a comfortable setting.
To Defrost
To remove frost or ice from the
windshield and side windows after the car has been sitting out in cold
weather.
1. Start the engine.
2. Selec t
the Recirculation mode
and
3. Open
the side defroster vents.
4. Set the fan and temperature
controls to maximum.
These settings
direct all the air
flow to the defroster vents at the
base of the windshield and the side
window defroster vents. The air
flow will get warmer and clear the
windows faster as the engine
warms up. You can close the corner
vents with the dial beside each vent.
That will send more warm air to
the side defroster vents.
For safety, make sure you have a
clear view through all the windows
before driving away.
To Turn Everything Off
To shut off the system temporarily,
slide the fan speed and temperature
control levers all the way to the left.
You should only shut the system completely off for the first few
minutes of driving in cold weather,
until the engine coolant warms up
enough to operate the heater. Keep
the fan on at all other times so stale
air does not build up in the interior.
Comfort and Convenience FeaturesProCarManuals.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
Maintenance
Regularly maintaining your Honda
is the best way to protect your investment. You will be rewarded
with safer, more economical,
trouble-free driving. This section
lists items that need to be checked
regularly and explains how to check them. It also details some
simple maintenance tasks you can
do yourself. The maintenance
schedules for normal and severe
driving conditions show you when
these things need to be done.
If you are interested in how to per-
form more complex maintenance
on your Honda, you can purchase
the Service Manual. See page 221 for information on how to
obtain a copy, or see your Honda
dealer.
Maintenance Schedule................ 128
Maintenance Record................ 131
Periodic Checks............................ 133
Fluid Locations............................. 134
Engine Oil...................................... 135
Checking Engine Oil................ 135
Adding........................................ 135
Recommended Oil.................... 136
Additives.................................... 136 Oil and Filter Changes ............ 137
Cooling System............................. 139 Checking the Coolant Level... 139
Adding Radiator Coolant........ 139
Replacing Coolant.................... 140
Windshield Washers.................... 143
Transmission Oil.......................... 144
Automatic Transmission........ 144
5-speed Transmission.............. 145
Brake and Clutch Fluid............... 146
Brake System............................ 146
Anti-lock Brake System ......... 147 Clutch System........................... 147
Power Steering............................. 148
Air Filter....................................... 149
Fuel Filter..................................... 150
Spark Plugs.................................. .
150
Replacement.............................. 150
Specification.............................. 152
Battery............................................ 152
Windshield Wipers....................... 155
Air Conditioner............................. 157 Engine Belts.................................. 158
Tires................................................ 158 Inflation...................................... 158
Inspection................................... 159
Maintenance.............................. 160
Tire Rotation............................ 160
Replacing Tires ........................ 161
Wheels and Tires...................... 161
DOT Tire Quality Grading..... 161 Treadwear............................. 161
Traction................................. 162
Temperature......................... 162
Winter Driving.......................... 163 Snow Tires............................ 163
Tire Chains............................ 163
Lights.............................................. 164
Replacing Bulbs........................ 164
Storing Your Car.......................... 173
MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t
R — Replace I — Inspect After inspection, clean, adjust, repair or replace if necessary.
: Check oil and coolant level at each fuel stop.
: Under severe driving conditions, service these items more often.
* 1 : For cars sold in California, this service is recommended only: other
areas, it is required.
* 2 : Tension adjustment only. *
3 : Thereafter, replace every 2 years or 48,000 km (30,000 miles), which
-
ever comes first.
* 4 : For
cars with Anti-lock brake system.
(US: Si, Si 4WS, Canada
: SR, SR 4WS)
ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Periodic Checks
You should check the following items at the specified intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perform
any check, turn to the page given. Engine oil level — Check every
time you fill the gas tank. See
page 102.
Engine coolant level — Check
the radiator reserve tank every
time you fill the gas tank. See
page 103.
Windshield washer fluid —
Check the level in the reservoir
monthly. If weather conditions
cause you to use the washers
frequently, check the reservoir each time you stop for gas. See
page 143 .
Automatic transmission — Check the fluid level monthly.
See page 144. Brakes, clutch and power
steering — Check the fluid level
monthly. See page 146.Tires — Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread for
wear and foreign objects. See
page 159.
Battery — Check its condition
and the terminals for corrosion
monthly. See page 152.
Air conditioner — Check its operation weekly. See page 157.
Lights — Check the operation of
the headlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
turn signals, brake lights, and
license plate lights monthly. See
page 164.
MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t