1999 HONDA CIVIC COUPE fuel

Gauges

Fuel Gauge
This shows how much fuel you have. It is most accurate when the car is on
level ground. It may show slightlymore or less than the actual amount
when you are driving on curvy or hilly roads. The gauge stays at the same fuel
level reading after you turn off the
ignition. When you add fuel, the
gauge slowly changes to the new
reading after you turn the ignitionswitch back ON (II). Temperature Gauge
This shows the temperature of the
engine's coolant. During normal
operation, the pointer should rise
from the bottom white mark to about
the middle of the gauge. In severe driving conditions, such as very hot
weather or a long period of uphill driving, the pointer may rise to the
upper blue zone. If it reaches the red (Hot) mark, pull safely to the side of
the road. Turn to page 229 for
instructions and precautions on checking the engine's cooling

system.

Instruments and Controls

U.S.: DX Instrument Panel
TEMPERATUREGAUGE TRIP METER

SPEEDOMETER
FUEL GAUGE
ODOMETER MAINTENANCE
REQUIRED INDICATOR
(U.S. Cars only)
TRIP METER
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Before Driving

Before you begin driving your Honda,
you should know what gasoline to use, and how to check the levels of
important fluids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggage or packages. The information in this
section will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your car,
please read the information in this section first. Break-in Period.............................. 124
Gasoline.......................................... 124
Service Station Procedures .......... 125 Filling the Fuel Tank................. 125Opening the Hood..................... 126 Oil Check................................127
Engine Coolant Check.......... 128
Fuel Economy................................ 129
Vehicle Condition...................... 129Driving Habits............................ 129
Accessories and Modifications.... 130 Carrying Cargo.............................. 132

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Break-in Period, Gasoline

Break-in Period

Help assure your car's future
reliability and performance by paying extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period: Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid

acceleration.
Avoid hard braking. New brakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use for the first 200 miles (300

km).

You should follow these same re- commendations with an overhauledor exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are relined.
Gasoline

Your Honda is designed to operate on unleaded gasoline.
We recommend gasolines containing detergent additives that help prevent
fuel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your car's emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emission control system performance may deteriorate and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on. If this happens, contact your
authorized Honda dealer for service.
(U.S. DX, HX, EX models, and Canadian

DX and Si models)

Use an unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane number of 86 or higher. Use of a lower octane gasoline can
cause a persistent, heavy metallic
rapping noise in the engine that can
lead to mechanical damage.

(U.S. Si model and Canadian SiR model)

Use a premium unleaded gasoline
with a pump octane number of 91 or higher.
If you are unable to find premium
unleaded gasoline, you may substi-
tute an unleaded regular gasoline.
The engine will compensate for the lower octane, but you may notice aslight decrease in power as a result.

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Service Station Procedures

Filling the Fuel Tank
1. Because the fuel fill cap is on the driver's side of the car, park with
that side closest to the service

station pumps.

2. Open the fuel fill door by pulling on the handle to the left of thedriver's seat.
3. Remove the fuel fill cap slowly. You may hear a hissing sound aspressure inside the tank escapes. 4. Stop filling the tank after the fuel
pump automatically clicks off. Donot try to "top off" the tank, leave
some room for the fuel to expand
with temperature changes.
Your car has an on-board refueling
vapor recovery system to help keep fuel vapors from going into
the atmosphere. If the fuel pumpkeeps clicking off even though the
tank is not full, there may be a
problem with this system. Consult
your dealer.
5. Screw the fuel fill cap back on, tighten it until it clicks at least
three times. If you do not properlytighten the cap, the Malfunction
Indicator Lamp may come on (see
page 233).
6. Push the fuel fill door closed until it latches.

Before Driving

FUEL FILL CAP
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.

Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors. Wipe up spills immediately.

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Service Station Procedures

3. Pull the support rod out of its clip and insert the end into the hole on
the left side of the hood.
To close the hood, lower it to about a foot (30 cm) above the fender, thenpress down firmly with your hands.
After closing the hood, make sure it is securely latched.
After closing the hood, make sure it is securely latched. Check the engine oil level every time
you fill the car with fuel. Wait a few minutes after turning the engine off
before you check the oil.
1. Remove the dipstick (orange handle). 2. Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.

CONTINUED

Before Driving

SUPPORT ROD

CLIP
Oil Check

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Fuel Economy
The condition of your car and your driving habits are the two most
important things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Vehicle Condition Always maintain your car according to the maintenance schedule. This
will keep it in top operating condition.
An important part of that mainte- nance is the Owner MaintenanceChecks (see page 169). 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 car'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 car 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 down 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 to

cut down on air conditioning use.
Use the flow-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is moderate.

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5-speed Manual Transmission

Recommended Shift Points
Drive in the highest gear that lets
the engine run and accelerate
smoothly. This will give you the best
fuel economy and effective emis- sions control. The following shift
points are recommended:
(U.S.: DX, EX, HX, Canada: DX, Si) (U.S.: Si, Canada: SiR)
Engine Speed Limiter
If you exceed maximum speed for
the gear you are in, the enginespeed will enter into the tachometer's
red zone. If this occurs, you may
feel the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine's
computer controls. The engine will run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
Before downshifting, make sure the
engine will not go into the tachometer's red zone in the lower
gear.

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Automatic Transmission

Your Honda's transmission has fourforward speeds, and is electronicallycontrolled 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.
On vehicles with Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT):

To operate your Honda's
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT), refer to the page 145 .

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