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Starting the Engine
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. In cold weather, turn off all electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
3. Manual Transmission:
Push the clutch pedal down all the
way. START (III) does not
function unless the clutch pedal is
depressed.
Automatic Transmission:
Make sure the shift lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
4. Without touching the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the engine
does not start right away, do not
hold the key in START (III) for
more than 15 seconds at a time.
Pause for at least 10 seconds
before trying again. 5. If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed half-way
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
6. If the engine still does not start, press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while
starting in order to clear flooding.
As before, keep the ignition key in
the START (III) position for no
more than 15 seconds. Return to
step 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lift your foot off the
accelerator pedal so the engine
does not race.
Starting in Cold Weather at High
Altitude (Above 8,000 feet/ 2,400 meters)
An engine is harder to start in cold
weather. The thinner air found at high altitude above 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) adds to the problem.
Use the following procedure:
1. Turn off all electrical accessories to reduce the drain on the battery.
2. Push the accelerator pedal half- way to the floor and hold it there
while starting the engine. Do nothold the ignition key in START (III) for more than 15 seconds.
When the engine starts, release the accelerator pedal gradually as
the engine speeds up and smooths out.
3. If the engine fails to start in step 2, push the accelerator pedal to the
floor and hold it there while you
try to start the engine for no morethan 15 seconds. If the enginedoes not start, return to step 2.
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Automatic Transmission
Your Honda's transmission has fourforward speeds, and is electronically
controlled for smoother shifting. It
also has a "lock-up" torque converter
for better fuel economy. You may
feel what seems like another shift
when the converter locks. Shift Lever Position Indicator
This indicator in the tachometer shows which position the shift lever
is in. The illuminated number next to
the "D4" indicator shows you the
gear you have selected in the Sequential SportShift mode. The "D4" indicator comes on for a
few seconds when you turn theignition switch ON (II). If it flashes
while driving (in any shift position), it indicates a possible problem in the
transmission. Avoid rapid acceler-ation and have the transmission
checked by an authorized Honda
dealer as soon as possible.
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Automatic Transmission
Shift Lever Positions
The shift lever has eight positions. It must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped inD4, D3, 2, 1, N, R, or the Sequential
SportShift mode, press firmly on the
brake pedal and keep your foot off
the accelerator pedal. To select the Sequential SportShift
mode, slide the shift lever toward the
left from the "D4" position. In this mode the shift lever allows
you to shift up and down manually.
Whenever you move the shift lever,slide it along the guide on the
console.
You cannot shift out of Park with the brake pedal depressed when theignition switch is in LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I).
Driving
SHIFT LEVER
SEQUENTIAL
SPORTSHIFT
MODE
POSITION
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Automatic Transmission
Park (P) — This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning off or
starting the engine. To shift out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your foot off the
accelerator pedal. Move the shift
lever to the right to shift out of the
Park position.
If you have done all of the above and still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on page
143.
To avoid transmission damage, cometo a complete stop before shifting
into Park. The shift lever must be inPark before you can remove the key
from the ignition switch. Reverse (R) — To shift to Reverse
from Park, see the explanation under Park. To shift to Reverse from
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift.
Your car has a reverse lockout so
you cannot accidentally shift to Reverse from Neutral or any other
driving position when the vehiclespeed exceeds 7 — 9 mph (12 — 14
km/h).
If you cannot shift to Reverse when
the car is stopped, press the brake pedal and slowly shift to Neutral
then to Reverse.
If there is a problem in the reverse
lockout system, or your vehicle's
battery is disconnected or goes dead,
you cannot shift to Reverse. In this
case, use the procedure of Shift Lock Release (see page 143).
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Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Release
This allows you to move the shift lever out of Park if the normalmethod of pushing on the brake
pedal does not work. This procedurealso releases the Reverse Lockout.
1. Set the Parking brake.
2. Make sure the key is in the ignition switch OFF (0) position.
To release the Reverse Lockout, make sure the key is in the
ACCESSORY (I) position.
3. Put a cloth on the edge of the shift lock release slot cover next to theshift lever.
Use a small flat-tipped screwdriver
or small metal plate (neither are
included in the tool kit) to remove
the cover. Carefully pry off the
edge of the cover. 4. Insert a screwdriver in the shift
lock release slot.
5. Push down on the screwdriver and move the shift lever out of Park to
Neutral.
To release the Reverse Lockout, move the shift lever from Neutral
to Reverse, then Park. 6. Remove the screwdriver from the
shift lock release slot, then install
a new cover.
Depress the brake pedal and
restart the engine.
If you need to use the Shift Lock Release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by your Honda dealer.
Driving
COVER
SHIFT LOCK
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Changing a Flat Tire
If you have a flat tire while driving, stop in a safe place to change it.
Stopping in traffic or on the shoulder
of a busy road is dangerous. Drive slowly along the shoulder until you
get to an exit or an area to stop that is far away from the traffic lanes.
1. Park the vehicle on firm, levelground away from traffic. Turn on
the hazard warning lights and turnthe ignition switch to LOCK (0).
2. Put the transmission in Park (automatic) or Reverse (manual).
Apply the parking brake. Have all of the passengers get out of the
vehicle while you change the tire. 3. Open the trunk. Raise the trunk
floor by lifting up on the back edge.
4. Take the tool kit out of the trunk.
5. Unscrew the wing bolt and take the spare tire out of its well.
CONTINUED
Taking Care of the Unexpected
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.
JACK
TRUNK
FLOOR
TOOL KIT SPARE
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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
from the battery.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
