1999 HONDA CIVIC COUPE transmission

Storing Your Car

If you need to park your car 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 car back on the road. If possible, store your car indoors.

Fill the fuel tank.
Change the engine oil and filter
(see page 173).

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 Reverse (5-
speed manual) or Park
(automatic). Block the rear wheels.
If the car 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 car is being stored indoors).
Disconnect the battery.
Support the front 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
vehicle body wax to the painted surfaces that mate with the door
and trunk seals. Cover the car with a "breathable"
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 car for 12 months
or longer, have your Acura dealer
perform the inspections called for in the 24 months/30,000 miles (48,000
km) maintenance schedule as soos as you take it out of storage (see
page 162). The replacements called
for in the maintenance schedule are not needed unless the car has
actually reached that time or mileage.

MaintenanceMain Menu Table of Contents s t

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 car on firm, level, non-slippery ground away from traffic.
Put the transmission in Park.
Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn on the hazard warning lights and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the car 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 the trunk.

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Taking Care of the Unexpected

SPARE TIRE
TRUNK FLOOR
JACK
TOOL KIT

The car can easily roll off the

jack, seriously injuring anyone
underneath.

Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and never get under the car when it
is supported only by the jack.Main Menu Table of Contents s t

If Your Engine Won't Start

Diagnosing why your engine won't
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):
You hear nothing, or almostnothing. The engine's starter
motor does not operate at all, oroperates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
faster than normal, but the engine does not start up and run. 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 to start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all. Check these things:
Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed all the way to the floor or thestarter 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 227.
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

Emergency Towing on page 241.)

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 189). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
from a booster battery (see page 227).

Taking Care of the UnexpectedMain Menu Table of Contents s t

If Your Engine Won't Start, Jump Starting
The Starter Operates Normally In this case, the starter motor's
speed 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 startingprocedure? Refer to Starting the
Engine on page 137.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 237).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Emergency
Towing on page 241. Jump Starting
If your car's battery has run down,
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 pushingor pulling it. To jump start your car, follow these
directions closely:
1. Open the hood and check the physical condition of the battery(see page 189). In very cold
weather, check the condition of the electrolyte. If it seems slushyor 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.

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Taking Care of the Unexpected

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.
NOTICEMain Menu Table of Contents s t

If Your Engine Overheats
The pointer of your car's tempera- ture gauge should stay in the mid-range under most conditions. It may
go higher if you are driving up a long steep hill on a very hot day. If it
climbs to the red mark, you should
determine the reason.

Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause serious damage to your engine. Your car can overheat for several
reasons, such as lack of coolant or a
mechanical problem. The only

indication may be the temperature

gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or spray coming from under the hood.
In either case, you should take

immediate action.
1. Safely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral orPark and set the parking brake.
Turn off the heating and cooling system and all other accessories.
Turn on the hazard warning indicators.
2. If you see steam and/or spray coming from under the hood, turnoff the engine.
3. If you do not see steam or spray, leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading (climbing a long, steep hill on a
hot day with the A/C running, for
example), the engine should start
to cool down almost immediately. If it does, wait until the tempera-
ture gauge comes down to the mid-
point then continue driving.

CONTINUED

Taking Care of the Unexpected

NOTICE

Steam and spray from an

overheated engine can

seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.Main Menu Table of Contents s t

Emergency Towing

If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a professional towing service or, if you belong to one, an
organization that provides roadside
assistance. Never tow your vehicle
behind another vehicle with just a rope or chain. It is very dangerous.
There are three popular types of
professional towing equipment.
Flat-bed Equipment — The operator loads your vehicle on the back of a
truck. This is the best way to
transport your Honda.
Wheel-Lift Equipment — The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that
go under the tires (front or rear) and
lift them off the ground. The other
two tires remain on the ground. This is an acceptable way to tow
your Honda.
Sling-type Equipment — The tow truck uses metal cables with hooks on the ends. These hooks go around
parts of the frame or suspension and
the cables lift that end of the vehicle
off the ground. Your vehicle's suspension and body can beseriously damaged. This method of

towing is unacceptable.

If your Honda cannot be transported

by flat-bed, it should be towed by

wheel-lift equipment with the front

wheels off the ground. If due to
damage, your vehicle must be towed with the front wheels on the ground,
do the following.
5-speed Manual Transmission Release the parking brake.
Shift the transmission to Neutral.
Automatic Transmission Release the parking brake.
Start the engine.
Shift to D4, then to N.
Turn off the engine. Improper towing preparation will
damage the transmission. Followthe above procedure exactly. If youcannot shift the transmission or
start the engine (automatictransmission), your vehicle must be
transported with the front wheels
off the ground.
With the front wheels on the ground, it is best to tow the vehicleno farther than 50 miles (80 km),
and keep the speed below 35 mph
(55 km/h).
If you decide to tow your vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground,
make sure you use a properly-
designed and attached tow bar. Prepare the vehicle for towing as
described above, and leave theignition switch in Accessory (I) so
the steering wheel does not lock.
Make sure the radio and any items
Taking Care of the Unexpected

NOTICEMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Identification Numbers

The Engine Number is stamped into the engine block.
The Transmission Number is on a label on top of the transmission.

Technical Information
TRANSMISSION NUMBER
ENGINE NUMBERMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Emissions Controls

Exhaust Emissions Controls
The exhaust emissions controls include three systems: PGM-FI,
Ignition Timing Control and Three
Way Catalytic Converter. These three systems work together tocontrol the engine's combustion and
minimize the amount of HC, CO, and
NOx that comes out the tailpipe. Theexhaust emissions control systems
are separate from the crankcase and
evaporative emissions control
systems.

PGM-FI System

The PGM-FI System uses sequential multiport fuel injection.
It has three subsystems: Air Intake,Engine Control, and Fuel Control.
The Engine Control Module (ECM)/ Powertrain Control Module (PCM)/
Transmission Control Module (TCM-HX model only) uses various
sensors to determine how much air
is going into the engine. It then controls how much fuel to inject under all operating conditions.
Ignition Timing Control System
This system constantly adjusts the ignition timing, reducing the amountof HC, CO and NOx produced.
Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) System
Only on HX model

The Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system takes some of the
exhaust gas and routes it back into
the intake manifold. Adding exhaust
gas to the air/fuel mixture reduces
the amount of NOx produced when
the fuel is burned.
Three Way Catalytic Converter
The three way catalytic converter is in the exhaust system. Throughchemical reactions, it converts HC,
CO, and NOx in the engine's exhaust
to carbon dioxide (CO 2), dinitrogen
(N2), and water vapor. Replacement Parts
The emissions control systems are designed and certified to work to-
gether in reducing emissions to
levels that comply with the Clean Air
Act. To make sure the emissions remain low, you should use only new Genuine Acura replacement parts or
their equivalent for repairs. Using lower quality parts may increase the
emissions from your car.
The emissions control systems are covered by warranties separate from
the rest of your car. Read your
warranty manual for more informa- tion.

Technical InformationMain Menu Table of Contents s t