1998 HONDA PRELUDE automatic transmission

Steering Wheel Controls

3. Press and hold the SET/decel button on the steering wheel until
the CRUISE CONTROL light on
the instrument panel comes on.
This shows the system is now
activated.

The cruise control may not hold the set speed when you are going
up and down hills.
When climing a steep hill, the automatic transmission may
downshift to hold the set speed. Changing the Set Speed
You can increase the set cruising
speed in either of two ways: Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. The vehicle will
accelerate slowly. When you reach
the desired cruising speed, release
the button. Push on the accelerator pedal. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel

button.
You can decrease the set cruising
speed in either of two ways: Press and hold the SET/decel
button. The vehicle will decelerate. Release the button when you
reach the desired speed.
Tap the brake or clutch pedal lightly with your foot. TheCRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out.
When the vehicle slows to the desired speed, press the SET/
decel button. The vehicle will then
maintain the desired speed.
Instruments and Controls RESUME/

accel

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Keys and Locks

LOCK (0) — You can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
To switch from ACCESSORY to LOCK, you must push the key in
slightly as you turn it. If your vehicle
has an automatic transmission, it must also be in Park. The anti-theft
lock will lock the steering column
when you remove the key. If the front wheels are turned, the
anti-theft lock may sometimes make
it difficult to turn the key from
LOCK to ACCESSORY. Firmly turn
the steering wheel to the left or to
the right as you turn the key. ACCESSORY (I) — In this position,
you can operate the audio systemand the accessory power socket.
ON (II) — This is the normal key
position when driving. All features and accessories on the vehicle are
usable. Several of the lights on the
instrument panel come on as a test
when you turn the ignition switch
from ACCESSORY to ON (see page
51).
START (III) — Use this position
only to start the engine. The switch
returns to ON (II) when you let go of
the key.
The engine will not start if the Immobilizer System does not
recognize the key's coding (see page 69).

You will hear a reminder beeper if
you leave the key in the ignition switch in the LOCK (0) or

ACCESSORY (I) position and open the driver's door. Remove the key to
turn off the beeper.

Instruments and Controls

Removing the key from the
ignition switch while driving

locks the steering. This can

cause you to lose control.

Remove the key from the
ignition switch only when

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Driving

This section gives you tips on starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes important information on parking
your vehicle, the braking system, and facts you need if you are plan-
ning to tow a trailer. Preparing to Drive......................... 132
Starting the Engine........................ 133
Starting in Cold Weather at High Altitude ..................... 133
5-speed Manual Transmission..... 134 Recommended Shift Points...... 135
Maximum Allowable Speeds.... 135
Automatic Transmission............... 136
Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 136
Shift Lever Positions................. 137
Maximum Allowable Speeds.... 142
Shift Lock Release..................... 143
Parking............................................ 144
The Braking System...................... 145 Brake Wear Indicators.............. 145
Brake System Design................ 146
Anti-lock Brakes........................ 146 Important SafetyReminders.......................... 147
ABS Indicator......................... 148
Active Torque Transfer System ..149 Driving in Bad Weather................ 150
Towing a Trailer............................ 152

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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

Neutral (N) — Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the vehicle for any reason. Press on the brake pe-dal when you are moving the shift
lever from Neutral to another gear.
Drive (D4) — Use this position for
your normal driving. The transmis- sion automatically selects a suitable
gear for your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission shifting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps the
engine warm up faster. Sequential SportShift Mode With
the shift lever in "D4" position, you can select the Sequential SportShift
mode to shift gears; much like a
manual transmission, but without a clutch pedal.
To enter the Sequential SportShift mode, slide the shift lever further to
the left. To return to "D4", slide the shift lever to the right.
In the Sequential SportShift mode, each time you push forward on the
shift lever, the transmission shifts to
a higher gear. Pull back on the lever
to downshift. The number of the
gear selected is displayed next to the "D4" indicator (see page 136).
If you slide the shift lever from "D4"
to the Sequential SportShift mode,
the display shows the selected gear. If you selected "4", you will see /4/
next to "D4" in the display. The Shift
Lever Position Indicator will show the gear you selected while in the
sequential sportshift mode. If you
select the Sequential SportShift
while the vehicle is stopped, the transmission automatically selectsfirst gear and the display shows /1/.

Driving
CONTINUED
Downshift

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