
Maintenance
This section explains why it is important to keep your car well
maintained and to follow basic
maintenance safety precautions.
This section also includes Maintenance Schedules for normal
driving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and
instructions for simple maintenance
tasks you may want to take care of
yourself.
If you have the skills and tools
required to perform more complex
maintenance tasks on your Honda,
you may want to purchase the Service Manual. See page 233 for
information on how to obtain a copy, or see your Honda dealer.
Maintenance Safety....................... 136
Maintenance Schedule.................. 138
Maintenance Record..................... 142
Periodic Checks............................. 144
Fluid Locations............................... 145
Engine Oil....................................... 146
Checking Engine Oil................. 146
Adding......................................... 146
Recommended Oil..................... 147
Additives..................................... 148
Oil and Filter Changes.............. 148
Cooling System.............................. 150
Checking the Engine Coolant
Level........................................ 150
Adding Engine Coolant............. 151
Replacing Engine Coolant........ 152
Windshield Washers..................... 154
Automatic Transmission Fluid..... 155
Brake Fluid..................................... 156
Brake System............................. 156
Anti-lock Brake System............ 157
Power Steering............................... 157
Air Cleaner..................................... 158
Spark Plugs..................................... 160
Replacement............................... 160
Specification............................... 161
Battery............................................ 162
Windshield Wipers........................ 165
Air Conditioning............................. 168 Drive Belts...................................... 169
Tires................................................ 169 Inflation....................................... 170
Inspection................................... 171
Maintenance............................... 171
Tire Rotation.............................. 172 Replacing Tires and Wheels .... 172
Wheels and Tires....................... 173
Winter Driving........................... 173 Snow Tires.............................. 174
Tire Chains............................. 174
Lights.............................................. 175 Headlight Aiming...................... 175
Replacing Bulbs......................... 177
Storing Your Car............................ 182
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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 fuel tank. See
page 112.
Engine coolant level — Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
you fill the fuel tank. See page 113.
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 fuel. See page 154. Automatic transmission — Check
the fluid level monthly. See page
155.
Brakes and power steering —
Check the fluid level monthly. See
page 156.
Tires — Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread for
wear and foreign objects. See page
169.
Battery — Check its condition and
the terminals for corrosion monthly. See page 162. Air conditioning — Check its
operation weekly. See page 168. 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 175.
Maintenance
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Engine Oil
WASHER
DRAIN BOLT
2. Open
the hood and remove the
engine oil fill cap. Remove the oil
drain bolt from the bottom of the
engine. Drain the oil into an
appropriate container. OIL FILTER
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.
4. Install a new oil filter according to instructions that come with it.
5. Put a new washer on the drain bolt, then reinstall the drain bolt.
Tighten it to:
44 N .
m(4.4 kg-m,32 Ib-ft)
6. Refill the engine with the recom-
mended oil.
Engine oil change capacity
(including filter):
3.8 (4.0 US qt, 3.3 Imp qt)
7. Replace the engine oil fill cap.
Start the engine. The oil pressure
indicator light should go out within
five seconds. If it does not, turn off
the engine and reinspect your
work.
8. Let the engine run for several minutes and check the drain bolt
and oil filter for leaks.
9. Turn off the engine, let it sit for several minutes, then check the oil
level. If necessary, add oil to bring
the level to the upper mark on the
dipstick.
Maintenance
CONTINUED
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Cooling System, Windshield Washers
10.Turn off the engine. Check the level in the radiator, add coolant if needed. Install the radiator cap,
tighten it fully.
11.Fill the reserve tank to the MAX mark. Install the reserve tank cap.
Windshield Washers
Check the level in the windshield
washer reservoir at least monthly
during normal usage. In bad weather,
when you use the washers often, check the level every time you stop
for fuel.
The windshield washer reservoir is located behind the left headlight.Check the reservoir's fluid level by
removing the cap and looking at the
level gauge attached to the cap.
Fill the reservoir with a good-quality
windshield washer fluid. This increases the cleaning capability and
prevents freezing in cold weather.
Do not use engine antifreeze or a vinegar/water solution in the
windshield washer reservoir.
LEVEL GAUGE
Antifreeze can damage your car's paint, while a vinegar/water solution can
damage the windshield washer pump.
Use only commercially-available
windshield washer fluid.
Maintenance
RESERVE TANK
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Air Conditioning
Your car's air conditioning is a sealed system. Any major maintenance,
such as recharging, should be done
by
a qualified technician. There are a
couple of things you can do to make sure the air conditioning works
efficiently.
Periodically check the engine's
radiator and air conditioning
condenser for leaves, insects
, and
dirt stuck to the front surface.
These
block the air flow and reduce cooling efficiency. Use a light spray from a
hose or
a soft brush to remove them. Run the air conditioning at least once
a week during the cold weather
months
. Run it for at least ten
minutes while you are driving at a steady speed with the engin
e at
normal operating temperature. This
circulates
the lubricating oil con-
tained in the refrigerant.
If th
e air conditioning does not get as
cold
as before, have your dealer
chec
k the system. Recharge the
syste
m with Refrigerant HFC-134a
(R-134a). (See Specifications on page
218.)
Whenever you have the air conditioning
system. This system captures the
refrigerant for reuse. Releasing
refrigerant into the atmosphere can
damage the environment.
Maintenance
AIR CONDITIONING
CONDENSER
The condenser and radiator fins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure spray
or soft-bristle brush to clean them.
NOTICE NOTICE
system serviced, make sure the service
facility uses a refrigerant recycling
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Taking Care of the Unexpected
This section covers the more- common problems that motorists
experience with their cars. It gives
you information about how to safely evaluate the problem and what to do
to correct it. If the problem has stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again. If not, you will also find instructions
on getting your car towed. Compact Spare Tire....................... 192
Changing a Flat Tire..................... 193
If Your Engine Won't Start........... 199 Nothing Happens....................... 199
The Starter Operates
Normally................................ 200
Jump Starting................................. 200 If Your Engine Overheats............. 202Low Oil Pressure........................... 204
Charging System Indication......... 205
Malfunction Indicator Lamp/ Check Engine Light.................. 206
Closing the Sunroof....................... 207
Fuses............................................... 208
Checking and Replacing........... 209
Towing............................................ 213
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If Your Engine Won't Start
Diagnosing why your engine won't
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):
You hear nothing, or almostnothing. The engine's starter
motor does not operate at all, or operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor operating normally, but the engine
does not start up and run. Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
When you turn the ignition switch to START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:
Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park or Neutral or the starter will not
operate.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don't light at all,
the battery is discharged. See
Jump Starting on page 200 .
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the fuses. If
the fuses are OK, there is proba-
bly something wrong with the electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to determine the problem. (See
Towing on page 213 .)
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page 162 ). You can
then try jump starting the car from a booster battery (see page 200 ).
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If Your Engine Won't Start, Jump Starting
The Starter Operates Normally In this case, the starter motorsounds normal when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.
Are you using the proper startingprocedure? Refer to Starting the
Engine on page 119 .
Do you have fuel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the fuel gauge.
The low fuel level warning light may not be working, so you were
not reminded to fill the tank.
There may be an electrical problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses (see page 208 ).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Towing on page 213. Jump Starting
If your car's battery has run clown,
you may be able to start the engine by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
there are several precautions youshould take. Follow the directions
closely.
You cannot start a Honda by pushing or pulling it. To jump start your car:
1. Open the hood and check the physical condition of the battery(see page 162 ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can freeze.
Attempting to lump start with a frozen battery can cause it to rupture or
explode.
2. Turn off all the electrical acces- sories: heater, A/C, stereo system,
lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
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