1998 HONDA PRELUDE towing

Towing a Trailer

Towing Safety

Your vehicle will not stop as quickly
with a trailer in tow. Leave extra distance between your vehicle and
other vehicles. Avoid braking or
turning suddenly. This could cause
the trailer to jackknife or possibly
turn over.
Keep in mind that your total vehicle
is now much longer. Leave more
room when making turns. The trailer
tracks a smaller arc than the vehicle
and can hit or run over something
that the vehicle misses. When
passing another vehicle, make sure
the trailer is clear before changing

lanes.
The vehicle/trailer combination is
more affected by crosswinds andbuffeting. When being passed by a
large vehicle, keep a constant speed and steer straight ahead. If there is
too much wind buffeting, slow down
to get out of the other vehicle's air

turbulence.

Towing a trailer puts an extra load on your vehicle. You should have
your vehicle serviced according to the "Maintenance Schedule undersevere driving conditions" on page 166. This extra load is magnified when
you are driving in hilly terrain.
Watch the temperature gauge closely when climbing hills. If it gets
near the hot area, turn off the airconditioning (if it is on). If this does
not reduce the heat, it may be
necessary to pull to the side of the
road and wait for the engine to cool. If the automatic transmission shifts
frequently between 3rd and 4th
gears, put it in D3. This will help prevent the transmission from
overheating. Help keep the brakes
from overheating by shifting to a
lower gear when going downhill.
If you have to stop while going uphill,do not hold the vehicle in place by
pressing on the accelerator. This can cause the automatic transmission to
overheat. Use the parking brake or
footbrake.

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Towing a Trailer

When towing a trailer in the Sequential SportShift mode, select
Third, Second, or First gear; depending on the vehicle speeds and
road condition. Do not use Fourth
gear. The recommended speed
range for each gear position is shown in the table. When parking your vehicle and
trailer, especially on a hill, be sure to
follow all the normal precautions.
Turn your front wheels into the curb, set the parking brake firmly, and put
the transmission in 1st or Reverse (manual) or Park (automatic). In
addition, place wheel chocks at each
of the trailer's tires.
Backing up with a trailer is difficult and takes practice. Drive slowly,
make small movements with thesteering wheel, and have someone
stand outside to guide you. Grip the
steering wheel on the bottom (rather
than the usual position near the top). Move your hand to the left to get the
trailer to move to the left, and right
to move the trailer right.

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Maintenance Schedule (Severe Conditions)

# : See maintenance and emissions warranty information, last column, page 163 . Follow the Severe Maintenance
Schedule if you drive your
vehicle MAINLY under one or
more of the following condi-

tions:

Driving less than 5 miles (8
km) per trip or, in freezing
temperatures, driving less than 10 miles (16 km) per trip. Driving in extremely hot
[over90°F (32°C)] conditions. Extensive idling or long
periods of stop-and-go driving.
Trailer towing, driving with a
roof rack carrier, or driving inmountainous conditions. Driving on muddy, dusty, or
de-iced roads.

* 1: Refer to page 196 for replacement

information under special driving
conditions.
For Canadian Owners

Follow the Maintenance
Schedule for Severe Conditions.

Maintenance
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Maintenance Schedule for Severe Conditions (listed by distance/time)

Use this schedule if your vehicle is MAINLY driven in any of the following Severe Conditions, or normally driven in Canada; otherwise use the Normal
Schedule. Service at the indicated distance or time, whichever comes first. Do the items in A, B, C as required for each distance/time.
Severe Conditions:

• Driving less than 5 mi (8 km) per trip or, in freezing temperatures, driving less than 10 mi (16 km) per trip.
• Driving in extremely hot (over 90°F/32°C) conditions.
• Extensive idling or long periods of stop-and-go driving.
• Trailer towing, driving with a roof rack carrier, or driving in mountainous conditions.
• Driving on muddy, dusty, or de-iced roads.

CONTINUED

Maintenance

#: See maintenance and emissions warranty information, last
column, page 163.
page 200).ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Taking Care of the Unexpected

This section covers the more-
common problems that motorists

experience with their vehicles. 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 vehicle towed.
Compact Spare Tire....................... 228
Changing a Flat Tire ..................... 229
If Your Engine Won't Start........... 234
Nothing Happens or theStarter Motor OperatesVery Slowly.............................235
The Starter Operates Normally................................. 236
Jump Starting................................. 236 If Your Engine Overheats............. 238
Low Oil Pressure Indicator.......... 240Charging System Indicator........... 241
Malfunction Indicator Lamp ........ 242
Brake System Indicator................ 243
Closing the Moonroof................... 244
Fuses............................................... 245
Checking and Replacing........... 246

Towing............................................ 250

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If Your Engine Won't Start

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 tostart. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all. Check these things: Your vehicle has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page 69).
A key that is not properly coded will cause the immobilizer systemindicator in the dash panel to blinkrapidly. Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed all the way to the floor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or Neutral. Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlightsare very dim or don't light at all,
the battery is discharged. See

Jump Starting on page 236.
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 ignitionswitch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to
determine the problem. (See
Towing on page 250.) 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 190). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
from a booster battery (see page
236).

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If Your Engine Won't Start, Jump Starting

The Starter Operates Normally In this case, the starter motor'sspeed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run. Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer to Starting the
Engine on page 133.
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 245).

If you find nothing wrong, you will

need a qualified technician to find

the problem. See Towing on page
250. Jump Starting
If your vehicle's battery has rundown, you may be able to start the
engine by using a booster battery.
Although this seems like a simple procedure, you should take several

precautions.

You cannot start a Honda with an automatic transmission by pushing
or pulling it. To jump start your vehicle, follow
these directions closely:
1. Open the hood and check the physical condition of the battery(see page 190). 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.

If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can freeze.

Attempting to jump start with a frozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

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.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
NOTICE

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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If Your Engine Overheats

6. Look for any obvious coolant leaks, such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot, so use caution. If you find a leak, it
must be repaired before you continue driving (see Towing on
page 250).
7. If you don't find an obvious leak, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page 124). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
between the MIN and MAX marks.
8. If there was no coolant in the reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, before check-
ing the radiator. 9. Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushingdown, to the first stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comesoff. 10. Start the engine and set the
temperature control lever to
maximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the filler
neck. If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water.
Remember to have the cooling
system drained and refilled with
the proper mixture as soon as you

can.

11. Put the radiator cap back on tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair. (See Towing on
page 250.)
12. If the temperature stays normal, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on

tightly.

Taking Care of the Unexpected

Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and radiator cool down before
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