Fuel Economy
The condition of your vehicle and
your driving habits are the two most important things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Vehicle Condition Always maintain your vehicle accord- ing to the maintenance schedule.
This will keep it in top operating condition.
An important part of that mainte- nance is the Owner Maintenance
Checks (see page 146). 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 vehicle's underside adds weight and rolling resistance. Frequent
cleaning helps your fuel mileage and
reduces the chance of corrosion. Driving Habits
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 allows the engine to run and acceler-
ate smoothly.
Depending on traffic conditions, try
to maintain a constant speed. Every
time you slow down and speed up,
your vehicle 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 clown on the number of "cold starts," try tocombine several short trips into one.
The air conditioning puts an extra load on the engine which makes it
use more fuel. Turn off the A/C tocut down on air conditioning use.
Use the flow-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is moderate.
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Maintenance Schedule
The Maintenance Schedule specifies how often you should have your
vehicle serviced and what things need attention. It is essential that
you have your vehicle serviced as scheduled to retain its high level of
safety, dependability, and emissions
control performance.
The services and time or distance
intervals shown in the maintenanceschedule assume you will use your
vehicle as normal transportation for
passengers and their possessions.
You should also follow these
recommendations:
Avoid exceeding your vehicle'sload limit. This puts excess stresson the engine, brakes, and many
other parts of your vehicle. The
load limit is shown on the label on
the driver's doorjamb. Operate your vehicle on
reasonable roads within the legal
speed limit.
Drive your vehicle regularly over a
distance of several miles
(kilometers).
Always use unleaded gasoline with
the proper octane rating (see page
128). Which Schedule to Follow:
Service your vehicle according to the
time and mileage periods on one of
the Maintenance Schedules on the
following pages. Select the schedule
for "Severe Conditions" if most of
your driving is done under one or more of the conditions listed on that
page. Otherwise, follow the schedule
for "Normal Conditions."
MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Maintenance Schedule
Your authorized Honda dealer knows your vehicle best and can
provide competent, efficient service.
However, service at a dealer is not
mandatory to keep your warranties
in effect. Maintenance 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. Check your warranty booklet for
more information. We recommend the use of Genuine
Honda parts and fluids whenever you
have maintenance done. These are manufactured to the same high-
quality standards as the original
components, so you can be confident
of their performance and durability.
U.S. Vehicles:
Maintenance, replacement or
repair of emissions control devices and systems may be done
by any automotive repair establishment or individual using
parts that are "certified" to EPA standards. According to state and federal
regulations, failure to perform
maintenance on the items marked
with # will not void your emissions
warranties. However, Honda recommends that all maintenance services be performed at the
recommended time or mileage
period to ensure long-term reliability.
MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Storing Your Vehicle
If you need to park your vehicle for
an extended period (more than one
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 vehicle back on the road. If
possible, store your vehicle indoors.
Fill the fuel tank.
Change the engine oil and filter(see page 175 ). 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 Park. Block the rear wheels. If the vehicle 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 vehicle is being stored
indoors).
Disconnect the battery.
Support the front and rear wiper
blade arms with a folded towel or rag so they do not touch the
windshield.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and trunk seals. Also, apply a body
wax to the painted surfaces that mate with the door and trunk seals. Cover the vehicle with a
"breathable" vehicle 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 vehicle for 12
months or longer, have your Honda dealer perform the inspections called
for in the 24 months/30,000 miles (48,000 km) maintenance schedule
(Normal Conditions) as soon as you
take it out of storage (see page 164 ).
The replacements called for in the maintenance schedule are not
needed unless the vehicle has
actually reached that time or mileage.
MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Driving in Foreign Countries
If you are planning to take your
Honda outside the U.S. or Canada,
contact the tourist bureaus in the
areas you will be traveling in to find out about the availability of unleaded
gasoline with the proper octane
rating.
If unleaded gasoline is not available,
be aware that using leaded gasoline
in your Honda will affect perfor-
mance and fuel mileage, and damage
its emissions controls. It will no
longer comply with U.S. and Canadian emissions regulations, and
will be illegal to operate in North
America. To bring your vehicle back into compliance will require the re-
placement of several components, such as the oxygen sensors and the
three way catalytic converter. These
replacements are not covered under
warranty.
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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 246)
Name and address of the dealer
who services your vehicle Date of purchase
Mileage on your vehicle
Your name, address, and tele- phone number
A detailed description of the problem
Name of the dealer who sold the
vehicle to you
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Warranty Coverages
U.S. Owners
Your new Honda is covered by these
warranties:
New Vehicle Limited Warranty —
covers your new vehicle, except for
the battery, emissions control
systems and accessories, against
defects in materials and
workmanship.
Emissions Control Systems Defects
Warranty and Emissions
Performance Warranty — these two
warranties cover your vehicle's emis- sions control systems. Time, mileage,
and coverage are conditional. Please
read the warranty manual for exact
information.
Original Equipment Battery Limited
Warranty — this warranty gives up
to 100 percent credit toward a
replacement battery.
Seat Belt Limited Warranty — a seat
belt that fails to function properly is covered for the useful life of the
vehicle.
Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
— all exterior body panels are
covered for rust-through from the
inside for the specified time period
with 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 — covers all Genuine
Honda replacement parts against defects in materials and workman-
ship.
Replacement Battery Limited
Warranty — provides prorated
coverage for a replacement battery
purchased from a Honda dealer.
Replacement Muffler Lifetime
Limited Warranty — provides
coverage for as long as the pur- chaser of the muffler owns the
vehicle.
Restrictions and exclusions apply to
all these warranties. Please read the1998 Honda Warranty Information
booklet that came with your vehicle
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.
Canadian Owners
Please refer to the 1998 Warranty
Manual that came with your vehicle.
Warranty and Customer RelationsProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Index
Fabric, Cleaning............................. 216
Fan, Interior...................................... 94
Features, Comfort and Convenience................................. 93
Filling the Fuel Tank..................... 129
Filter
Air................................................ 185
Oil................................................ 175
First Gear Position......................... 144
Flashers, Hazard Warning.............. 61
Flat Tire, Changing a.................... 223
Fluids
Automatic Transmission........... 182
Brake........................................... 183
Power Steering........................... 184
Windshield Washer................... 181
FM Stereo Radio Reception.................................... 117
Folding the Second Seats ............... 78
Folding the Third Seats.................. 80
Foreign Countries, Driving in...... 254
Four-way Flashers........................... 61
Front End, Towing by Emergency
Wrecker...................................... 244
Fuel.................................................. 128
Fill Door and Cap....................... 129
Gauge............................................ 56
Octane Requirement................. 128
Oxygenated................................ 128
Tank, Filling the......................... 129
Fuses, Checking the...................... 240
Gas Mileage, Improving................ 133
Gasohol........................................... 128
Gasoline.......................................... 128
Gauge............................................ 56
Octane Requirement................. 128
Tank, Filling the......................... 129
Gas Station Procedures................. 129
Gauges
Engine Coolant Temperature .... 56
Fuel................................................ 56
Gearshift Lever Positions............. 142
Glass Cleaning............................... 217
Glove Box......................................... 73 Halogen Headlight Bulbs.............. 206
Hazard Warning Flashers............... 61
Headlights......................................... 58
Aiming......................................... 202Daytime Running Lights............. 58
High Beam Indicator................... 54
High Beams, Turning on............ 58
Low Beams, Turning on............. 58
Reminder Chime.......................... 58
Replacing Halogen Bulbs ......... 206
Turning on.................................... 58
Head Restraints............................... 76 Heating and Cooling........................ 94
High Altitude, Starting at.............. 141 High-Low Beam Switch .................. 58
Hood, Opening the ........................ 130 Horn................................................... 57
Hot Coolant, Warning about........ 177 Hydroplaning.................................. 151
Identification Number, Vehicle.... 246
If Your Car Has to be Towed....... 244ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t