2000 HONDA ACCORD COUPE engine

Heatin
g an d Coolin g

T o remov e exterio r fros t o r ic e fro m
th e windshiel d an d sid e window s
afte r th e ca r ha s bee n sittin g ou t i n
col d weather :
1 . Star t th e engine .
2
. Selec t
Whe
n yo u selec t th e
syste m automaticall y switche s t o
Fres h Ai r mod e an d turn s o n th e
A/C .
3 . Switc h th e fa n an d temperatur e
control s t o maximum .
T o rapidl y remov e exterio r fros t o r
ic e fro m th e windshiel d (o n ver y col d
days) , firs t selec t th e Recirculatio n
mode . Onc e th e windshiel d is clear ,
selec t th e Fres h Ai r mod e t o avoi d
foggin g th e windows . Thes
e setting s direc t al l th e ai r flo w
t o th e defroste r vent s a t th e bas e o f
th e windshiel d an d th e sid e windo w
defroste r vents . Th e ai r flo w wil l ge t
warme r an d clea r th e window s faste r
a s th e engin e warm s up . Yo u ca n
clos e th e sid e vent s wit h th e dia l
underneat h eac h vent . Thi s wil l sen d
mor e war m ai r t o th e windshiel d
defroste r vents .
Fo r safety , mak e sur e yo u hav e a
clea r vie w throug h al l th e window s
befor e drivin g away . T
o Tur n Everythin g Of f
T o shu t of f th e syste m temporarily ,
tur n th e fa n spee d an d temperatur e
contro l dial s al l th e wa y t o th e left .
Yo u shoul d shu t th e syste m
completel y of f onl y fo r th e firs t fe w
minute s o f drivin g in col d weather ,
unti l th e engin e coolan t warm s u p
enoug h t o operat e th e heater . Kee p
th e fa n o n a t al l othe r time s s o stal e
ai r doe s no t buil d u p in th e interior .
Comfor t an d Convenienc e Feature s

Break-i
n Period , Gasolin e

Break-i n Perio d

Hel p assur e you r car' s futur e
reliabilit y an d performanc e b y payin g
extr a attentio n to ho w yo u driv e
durin g th e firs t 60 0 mile s (1,00 0 km) .
Durin g thi s period : Avoi
d full-throttl e start s an d rapi d

acceleration .
Avoi
d har d braking . Ne w brake s
nee d to b e broken-i n b y moderat e
us e fo r th e firs t 20 0 mile s (30 0

km) .

Yo u shoul d follo w thes e sam e re -
commendation s wit h a n overhaule d

o r exchange d engine , o r whe n th e

brake s ar e relined .
Gasolin
e

You r Hond a is designe d t o operat e
o n unleade d gasolin e wit h a pum p
octan e numbe r o f 8 6 o r higher . Us e
o f a lowe r octan e gasolin e ca n caus e
a persistent , heav y metalli c rappin g
nois e in th e engin e tha t ca n lea d to
mechanica l damage .
W e recommen d gasoline s containin g
detergen t additive s tha t hel p preven t
fue l syste m an d engin e deposits .
Usin g gasolin e containin g lea d wil l
damag e you r car' s emission s
controls . Thi s contribute s t o ai r

pollution .
I
n Canada , som e gasoline s contai n

a n octane-enhancin g additiv e calle d

MMT . I f yo u us e suc h gasolines ,
you r emissio n contro l syste m
performanc e ma y deteriorat e an d
th e Malfunctio n Indicato r Lam p o n
you r instrumen t pane l ma y tur n on .
I f thi s happens , contac t you r
authorize d Hond a deale r fo r service .

Befor e Drivin g

Servic
e Statio n Procedure s

UPPE R MAR K
4 . Remov e th e dipstic k agai n an d
chec k th e level . I t shoul d b e
betwee n th e uppe r an d lowe r
marks .
I f i t i s nea r o r belo w th e lowe r mark ,
se e Addin g Oi l o n pag e 21 2 .
MA
X

4-cy!inde r model s
MI
N

Loo k a t th e coolan t leve l i n th e
radiato r reserv e tank . Mak e sur e i t i s
betwee n th e MA X an d MI N lines . I f
i t i s belo w th e MI N line , se e Addin g
Engin e Coolan t o n pag e 21 7 fo r
informatio n o n addin g th e prope r
coolant . RESERV
E TAN K
MAX

Refe r t o Owne r Maintenanc e
Check s o n pag e 20 9 fo r informatio n
o n checkin g othe r item s i n you r
Honda .

Befor e Drivin g
Engine Coolant Check

MIN

6-cylinde r model s

LOWE
R MAR K RESERV
E TAN K

Fue
l Econom y

Th e conditio n o f you r ca r an d you r
drivin g habit s ar e th e tw o mos t
importan t thing s tha t affec t th e fue l
mileag e yo u get .
Vehicl e Conditio n
Alway s maintai n you r ca r accordin g
t o th e maintenanc e schedule . Thi s
wil l kee p it i n to p operatin g condition .
A n importan t par t o f tha t mainte -
nanc e is th e Owne r Maintenanc e
Check s (se e pag e 20 9 ) . Fo r
example , a n underinflate d tir e
cause s mor e "rollin g resistance, "
whic h use s fuel . I t als o wear s ou t
faster , s o chec k th e tir e pressur e a t
leas t monthly .
I n winter , th e build-u p o f sno w o n
you r car' s undersid e add s weigh t an d
rollin g resistance . Frequen t cleanin g
help s you r fue l mileag e an d reduce s
th e chanc e o f corrosion . Drivin
g Habit s
Yo u ca n improv e fue l econom y b y
drivin g moderately . Rapi d acceler -
ation , abrup t cornering , an d har d
brakin g us e mor e fuel .
Alway s driv e i n th e highes t gea r tha t
allow s th e engin e t o ru n an d acceler -
at e smoothly .
Dependin g o n traffi c conditions , tr y
t o maintai n a constan t speed . Ever y
tim e yo u slo w dow n an d spee d up ,
you r ca r use s extr a fuel . Us e th e
cruis e control , whe n appropriate , t o
increas e fue l economy . A
col d engin e use s mor e fue l tha n a
war m engine . I t i s no t necessar y t o
"warm-up " a col d engin e b y lettin g it
idl e fo r a lon g time . Yo u ca n driv e
awa y in abou t a minute , n o matte r
ho w col d i t i s outside . Th e engin e
wil l war m u p faster , an d yo u ge t
bette r fue l economy . T o cu t dow n o n
th e numbe r o f "col d starts, " tr y t o
combin e severa l shor t trip s int o one .
Th e ai r conditionin g put s a n extr a
loa d o n th e engin e whic h make s i t
us e mor e fuel . Tur n of f th e A/ C to
cu t dow n o n ai r conditionin g use .
Us e th e flow-throug h ventilatio n
whe n th e outsid e ai r temperatur e i s

moderate .

Before Drivin g

Drivin
g

Thi s sectio n give s yo u tip s o n
startin g th e engin e unde r variou s

conditions , an d ho w to operat e th e

5-spee d manua l an d automati c

transmissions . I t als o include s

importan t informatio n o n parkin g

you r car , th e brakin g system , an d

fact s yo u nee d if yo u ar e plannin g to

to w a trailer .
Preparin
g to Drive........................ . 17 4
Startin g th e Engine....................... . 17 5
Startin g in Col d Weathe r
a t Hig h Altitud e .................... . 17 6
5-spee d Manua l Transmission.... . 17 7
Recommende d Shif t Points..... . 17 8
Engin e Spee d Limite r .............. . 17 8
Automati c Transmission.............. . 17 8
Shif t Leve r Positio n Indicato r .. 17 9
Shif t Leve r Positions................ . 17 9
Engin e Spee d Limite r .............. . 18 2
Shif t Loc k Release.................... . 18 2
Parking........................................... . 18 4
Th e Brakin g System..................... . 18 5
Brak e Wea r Indicators............. . 18 5
Brak e Syste m Design............... . 18 6
Anti-loc k Brakes....................... . 18 6
Importan t Safet y
Reminders......................... . 18 7
AB S Indicator........................ . 18 7
Drivin g in Ba d Weather............... . 18 8
Towin g a Trailer........................... . 19 0

Drivin g

Startin
g th e Engin e

Startin g in Col d Weathe r a t Hig h
Altitud e (Abov e 8,00 0 feet /
2,40 0 meters )

A n engin e is harde r t o star t i n col d
weather . Th e thinne r ai r foun d a t
hig h altitud e abov e 8,00 0 fee t (2,40 0
meters ) add s t o th e problem .
Us e th e followin g procedure : 1
. Tur n of f al l electrica l accessorie s
t o reduc e th e drai n o n th e battery .
2 . Pus h th e accelerato r peda l half -
wa y t o th e floo r an d hol d it ther e
whil e startin g th e engine . D o no t
hol d th e ignitio n ke y i n STAR T
(III ) fo r mor e tha n 1 5 seconds .
Whe n th e engin e starts , releas e
th e accelerato r peda l graduall y a s
th e engin e speed s u p an d smooth s
out . 3
. I f th e engin e fail s t o star t i n ste p 2 ,
pus h th e accelerato r peda l t o th e
floo r an d hol d it ther e whil e yo u
tr y t o star t th e engin e fo r n o mor e
tha n 1 5 seconds . I f th e engin e
doe s no t start , retur n to ste p 2 .

Drivin g

5-spee
d Manua l Transmission , Automati c Transmissio n

Recommende d Shif t Point s
Driv e in th e highes t gea r tha t let s
th e engin e ru n an d accelerat e
smoothly . Thi s wil l giv e yo u th e bes t
fue l econom y an d effectiv e emis -
sion s control . Th e followin g shif t
point s ar e recommended : Engin
e Spee d Limite r
I f yo u excee d th e maximu m spee d
fo r th e gea r yo u ar e in , th e engin e
spee d wil l ente r int o th e tachometer' s
re d zone . I f thi s occurs , yo u ma y fee l
th e engin e cu t i n an d out . Thi s i s
cause d b y a limite r i n th e engine' s
compute r controls . Th e engin e wil l
ru n normall y whe n yo u reduc e th e
RP M belo w th e re d zone .
Befor e downshifting , mak e sur e th e
engin e wil l no t g o int o th e
tachometer' s re d zon e in th e lowe r
gear . Automati
c Transmissio n
You r Honda' s transmissio n ha s fou r
forwar d speeds , an d is electronicall y
controlle d fo r smoothe r shifting . I t
als o ha s a "lock-up " torqu e converte r
fo r bette r fue l economy . Yo u ma y
fee l wha t seem s lik e anothe r shif t
whe n th e converte r locks .

Drivin g

Automati
c Transmissio n

Shif t Leve r Positio n Indicato r
Thi s indicato r betwee n th e fue l
gaug e an d temperatur e gaug e show s
whic h positio n th e shif t leve r i s in . Th
e "D 4" indicato r come s o n fo r a
fe w second s whe n yo u tur n th e
ignitio n switc h O N (II) . I f i t flashe s
whil e drivin g (i n an y shif t position) ,
i t indicate s a possibl e proble m in th e
transmission . Avoi d rapi d acceler -
atio n an d hav e th e transmissio n
checke d b y a n authorize d Hond a
deale r a s soo n a s possible . Shif
t Leve r Position s
Th e shif t leve r ha s seve n positions .
I t mus t b e i n Par k o r Neutra l t o star t
th e engine . Whe n yo u ar e stoppe d in
D 4, D 3, 2,1 , N or R , pres s firml y o n
th e brak e pedal , an d kee p you r foo t
of f th e accelerato r pedal .

CONTINUED

Drivin g

RELEAS
E BUTTO N
SHIF
T LEVE R