Page 175 of 273

Coolin
g Syste m
Addin g Engin e Coolan t
If the coolant level in the reserve
tank is at or below the MIN line, add coolant to bring it up to the MAX line.
Inspect the cooling system for leaks.
This coolant should always be a mixture of 50 percent antifreeze and50 percent water. Never add straight
antifreeze or plain water. Always use Genuine Honda
Antifreeze/Coolant. If it is not
available, you may use anothermajor-brand non-silicate coolant as a
temporary replacement. Make sure it is a high-quality coolant
recommended for aluminum engines.
However, continued use of any non-
Honda coolant can result in
corrosion, causing the coolingsystem to malfunction or fail. Have
the cooling system flushed and refilled with Honda antifreeze/
coolant as soon as possible. If the reserve tank is completely
empty, you should also check the
coolant level in the radiator.
Maintenanc e
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
removing the radiator cap.
RESERV
E TAN K
Page 176 of 273
Coolin
g Syste m
1. Make sure the engine and radiator are cool.
2. Turn the radiator cap counter- clockwise, without pressing down
on it, until it stops. This relieves
any pressure remaining in the
cooling system.
3. Remove the radiator cap by pushing down and turning
counterclockwise.
4. The coolant level should be up tothe base of the filler neck. Add
coolant if it is low.
5. Put the radiator cap back on. Tighten it fully. 6. Pour coolant into the reserve tank.
Fill it to halfway between the MAX
and MIN marks. Put the cap back
on the reserve tank.
CONTINUED
Maintenanc e
RADIATO
R CA P
RESERVE TAN K
Page 177 of 273
Coolin
g Syste m
Do not add any rust inhibitors or other additives to your car's coolingsystem. They may not be compatible
with the coolant or engine compo-
nents.
Replacin g Engin e Coolan t
The cooling system should be completely drained and refilled with
new coolant according to the time
and distance recommendations in
the maintenance schedule. Only use Genuine Honda Antifreeze/Coolant.
Draining the coolant requires access to the underside of the car. Unless
you have the tools and knowledge,
you should have this maintenance done by a skilled mechanic. 1. Turn the ignition ON (II). Slide
the heater temperature controllever to maximum heat. Turn theignition off.
2. Open the hood. Make sure the engine and radiator are cool to the
touch.
3. Remove the radiator cap. 4. Loosen the drain plug on the
bottom of the radiator. Thecoolant will drain through thesplash guard. Remove the drain
bolt and washer from the engine
block.
Maintenanc e DRAI
N
BOL T
DRAIN PLU G
Page 178 of 273
Coolin
g Syste m
5. Remove the reserve tank from its holder by pulling it straight up.
Drain the coolant, then put the
tank back in its holder.
6. When the coolant stops draining,
tighten the drain plug at the
bottom of the radiator. Put a new
washer on the drain bolt, then reinstall the drain bolt in theengine block. Tighten it securely.Tightening torque:
58 Ibf .
ft (78 N .
m , 8.0 kgf .
m)
7. Mix the recommended antifreeze
with an equal amount of purifiedor distilled water in a clean
container. The cooling system
capacity is:
With 5-speed manual transmission:
(LS,
GS)
1.16 US gal (4.4 l ,0.97 Imp gal)
(GS-R)
1.24 US gal (4.7 l ,1.03 Imp gal)
With automatic transmission:
1.24 US gal (4.7 l ,1.03 Imp gal)
8. Pour coolant into the radiator up to the base of the filler neck.
9. Start the engine and let it run for about 30 seconds. Then turn off
the engine.
CONTINUED
Maintenanc e
RESERV
E TAN K
RESERVE
TAN K CA P
HOLDE R
FILLE
R NEC K
Fill u p t o her e
Page 179 of 273
Coolin
g Syste m
10.Fill the reserve tank to the MAX mark. Install the reserve tank cap.
11.Check the level in the radiator, add coolant if needed.
12.Install the radiator cap, and tighten it to the first stop.
13.Start the engine and let it run until the radiator fan comes on two
times. Then stop the engine.
14.Remove the radiator cap. Fill the radiator with coolant up to the
base of the filler neck. 15.Start the engine and hold it at
1,500 rpm until the radiator fan
comes on. Turn off the engine.
Check the coolant level in the
radiator and add coolant if needed.
16.Install the radiator cap, and tighten it fully.
17.If necessary, fill the reserve tank to the MAX mark. Install the
reserve tank cap.
Maintenanc e
Page 232 of 273

I
f You r Engin e Overheat s
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 longsteep 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 amechanical 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 or
Park 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, turn
off 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.
4. If the temperature gauge stays at the red mark, turn off the engine.
5. Wait until you see no more signs of steam or spray, then open the
hood.
CONTINUED
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
NOTIC
E
Page 233 of 273

I
f You r Engin e Overheat s
6. Look for any obvious coolant leaks,
such a
s 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 Emergenc y
Towin g on page 241).
7. If you don't find an obvious leak, check the coolant level in theradiator reserve tank (see page 123). 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 pushing
down, 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 comes off.
10. Start, the engine and set the
temperature control lever tomaximum. 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 engineneeds repair. (See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 241.)
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.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
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
removing the radiator cap.
Page 249 of 273
Specification
s
*
1
:
LS,
GS
*
2
:
GS-R
*
1 : Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in the
engine.
Reserve tank capacity:
0.16 US gal (0.T , 0.13 Imp gal)
* 2
:
LS,
GS
* 3
:
GS-R
* 4 : Excluding the oil remaining in the engine.
Technica l Informatio npage 185