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.
Before DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Maintenance Schedule
The Required Maintenance Schedule specifies how often you
should have your car serviced, and
what things need attention. It is
essential that your car be serviced
as scheduled to retain its high level of safety, dependability, and
emission control performance.
The services and time or mileage intervals shown in the maintenance
schedule assume you will use your
car as normal transportation for
passengers and their possessions.
You should:
Avoid exceeding your car's loadlimit. This puts excess strain on
the engine, brakes, and many
other parts of your car. The load
limit is shown on the label in the
glove box. Operate your car on reasonable
roads within the legal speed limit. Drive your car regularly over a
distance of several miles.
Always use unleaded gasoline
with the proper octane (see page
98).
Your authorized Honda dealer
knows your car best, and can provide competent, efficient
service. However, service at a
dealer is not mandatory to keep
your warranties in effect. Mainte-
nance may be done by any qualified
service facility or person who is
skilled in this type of automotive
service. Keep all the receipts as
proof of completion, and have the
person who does the work fill out
the maintenance record on page 131. Check your warranty booklet
for more information. We recommend the use of Genuine
Honda parts and fluids or their
equivalent whenever you have
maintenance done. These are the
same high-quality items that went
into your car when it was new, so you can be sure they fit and
perform flawlessly.
U.S. Cars:
Maintenance, replacement or
repair of emission control
devices and systems may be
done by any automotive re-
pair establishment or indi-
vidual using parts that are "certified" to EPA standards.
Vehicles sold in California have
slightly different maintenance
requirements. These are noted in
the Required Maintenance Sche-
dule. Other maintenance operations
are required by California regula-
tions, and condition the emission
warranty.
MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Engine Oil
Oil and Filter Changes
Always change the oil and filter according to the time and mileage
recommendations on the mainte-
nance schedule. The oil and filter collect contaminants that can dam-
age your engine if they are not
removed regularly. Changing the oil and filter requires
special tools and access from
underneath the car. The car should
be raised on a service station-type
hydraulic lift for this service. Unless you have the knowledge
and proper equipment, you should
have this maintenance done by a
skilled mechanic. 1. Run the engine until it reaches
normal operating temperature,
then shut it off. 2. Open the hood and remove the oil
filler cap. Remove the oil drain
bolt from the bottom of the
engine. Drain the oil into an
appropriate container.
3. Remove the oil filter and let the remaining oil drain. A special
wrench (available from your Honda dealer) is required to
remove the filter.
Maintenance
CONTINUED
The oil, engine components
and the exhaust system are
hot and can burn you.
Use caution and wear protec-
tive clothing while working in
the engine compartment.
Repeated, prolonged exposure
to used motor oil may cause
skin cancer.
Wash your hands thoroughly
with strong soap as soon as possible after handling used oil. OIL FILTER
OIL DRAIN BOLTProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Cooling System
2. Turn the radiator cap counter- clockwise, without pressing
down on it, until it stops. This
relieves any pressure remaining
in the cooling system.
3. Remove the radiator cap by pushing down and turning
counterclockwise.
4. The coolant level should be up to
the base of the filler neck. Add
coolant if it is low.
5. Put
the radiator cap back on.
Tighten it fully.
6. Pour coolant into the reserve tank. Fill it to halfway between
the MAX and MIN marks. Put
the cap back on the reserve tank.
Do no t
add any rust inhibitors or
other additives to your car's
cooling system. They may not be
compatible with the coolant or
engine components.
Replacing Coolant
The cooling system should be
completely drained and refilled
with new coolant according to the
time and mileage recommendations in the maintenance schedule. Only
use recommended antifreeze.
Draining the coolant requires
access to the underside of the car.
Unless you have the tools and
knowledge, you should have this
maintenance done by a skilled
mechanic.
Maintenance
RADIATOR CAP
RESERVE TANKProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Storing Your Car
If you need to park your car for an
extended period (more than 1
month), there are several things
you should do to prepare it for
storage. Proper preparation helps
prevent deterioration and makes it
easier to get your car back on the
road. It is best to store your car indoors if at all possible. Fill the gas tank.
Change the engine oil and filter
(see page 137).
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Clean the interior. Make sure the
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Reverse (5-
speed) or Park (automatic). Block the rear wheels.
If the car is to be stored for a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are off the ground.
Leave one window open slightly
(if the car is being stored indoors).
Disconnect the battery.
Cover the car with a "breathable" car cover, one made
from a porous material such as
cotton. Nonporous materials,
such as plastic sheeting, trap
moisture which can damage the
paint. If possible, run the engine for a
while periodically (preferably once a month). If you store your car for 12 months
or longer, have your Honda dealer
perform the inspections called for
in the 24 months/48,000 km (30,000
miles) maintenance schedule as
soon as you take it out of storage
(see page 133). The replacements
called for in the maintenance
schedule are not needed unless the
car has actually reached that time or mileage.
MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Warranty Coverages
U.S. Cars
Your new Honda is covered by
these warranties:
New Car Limited Warranty
—
provides coverage for defects in materials and workmanship for 3
years or 57,600 km (36,000 miles).
Emission Control Systems De-
fects Warranty and Emissions
Performance Warranty — these
two warranties cover your car's
emission control systems. Time,
mileage, and coverage are condi-
tional. Please read the warranty
manual for exact information.
Original Equipment Battery
Limited Warranty —
provides
coverage fo r
36 months, with 100%
coverage for the first 24 months. Seat Belt Limited Warranty — a
seat belt that fails to function
properly is covered for the useful
life of the car.
Rust Perforation Limited Warranty — body panels that rust
through from the inside will be
repaired or replaced for up to 36
months. There is no mileage limit.
Accessory Limited Warranty —
Genuine Honda Accessories are
covered under this warranty. Time
and mileage limits depend on the
type of accessory and other factors.
Please read your warranty manual
for details.
Replacement Parts Limited Warranty — provides coverage for
defects in materials and workman-
ship for 12 months or 19,200 km
(12,000 miles).
Replacement Battery Limited
Warranty — provides coverage for
up to 36 months, with 100% cover- age for the first 12 months.
Replacement Muffler Lifetime
Limited Warranty — provides
coverage for as long as the pur-
chaser of the muffler owns the car.
There are restrictions and exclu-
sions which apply to all these war-
ranties. Please read the 1992 Honda
Warranties bookle t
that came with
your car for precise information on
warranty coverages. Your Honda's original tires are covered by their
manufacturer. Tire warranty infor-
mation is in a separate booklet.
Canada Cars
Please refer to the 1992 Warranty
and Maintenance Guide that came
with your car.
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Customer Relations Information
Honda dealership
personnel are
trained professionals. They should
be able to answer all your questions. If you encounter a problem that
your dealership does not solve to
your satisfaction, please discuss it
with the dealership's management.
The Service Manager or General Manager can help. Almost all
problems are solved in this way. If you are dissatisfied with the
decision made by the dealership's
management, contact your Honda
Customer Relations Zone Office.
Refer to the U.S. and Canadian
Zone Office maps on the following
pages.
When you call or write, please give
us this information:
Vehicle Identification Number
(see page 204)
Name and address of the dealer who services your car
Date of purchase
Mileage on your car
Your name, address, and tele- phone number
A detailed description of the problem
Name of the dealer who sold the
car to you
Warranty and Customer RelationsProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Index
5-Speed Transmission,
Shifting the ............................... 111
Flashers, Hazard
Warning ........... 56
Flat Tire, Changing a..................
185
Fluids Automatic Transmission.......
. 144
Brake.......................................... 146
Clutch......................................... 147
Manual Transmission.............. 145
Power Steering......................... 148
Windshield Washer..................
155
FM Stereo
Radio
Reception.............................. 75, 84
Folding Rear Seat.......................... 55
Foreign Countries, Driving in...... 99
Four-way Flashers......................... 56
Four Wheel Steering (4WS)
Description................................ 210
Indicator Light........................... 35
Operation...................................
118
Front End ,
Towing by Emergency
Wrecker..................................... 202
Fuel................................................... 9
8
Fille
r Door and Cap..................
100
Filter........................................... 150
Gauge............................................ 3
8
Octan
e Requirement................. 98
Oxygenated................................. 98
Tank, Filling the ...................... 100
Fuses, Checking the .................... 200
Gas Mileage, Improving.............. 104
Gasohol............................................ 98
Gasoline............................................ 98
Filter...........................................
150
Gauge............................................ 3 8
Octan
e Requirement................. 98
Tank, Filling the ......................
100
Gas Statio n
Procedures...............
100
Gauges
Engine Coolan
t Temperature.. 38
Fuel............................................... 38
Gearshift Lever Positions Automatic Transmission........
112
5-speed Transmission............. .
111
Glass Cleaning.............................
.
180
Glove Box........................................
.
62
Halogen Headlight Bulbs............ 164
Hazard Warning Flashers ............ 56
Headlights
Daytime Running Lights.......... 40
High Beam Indicator................. 35
High Beams, Turning on.......... 40
Low Beams, Turning on........... 40
Reminder Chime........................ 40
Replacing Halogen Bulbs ....... 164
Turning on.................................. 40
Heating and Cooling...................... 68
High Altitude, Starting at...........
110
High-Low Bea m
Switch ............... 40
Hood, Opening the........................
101
Horn.................................................. 4 7
Ho
t Coolant, Warning about......
139
Hydraulic Clutch.........................
.
147
Hydroplaning................................. 119
Identification Number
,
Vehicle......................................
.
204
If You
r
Car Has to be Towed ....
202
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