Page 183 of 338

Automati
c Transmissio n
Park (P ) — Thi s positio n mechani -
call y lock s th e transmission . Us e
Par k wheneve r yo u ar e turnin g of f o r
startin g th e engine . T o shif t ou t o f
Park , yo u mus t pres s o n th e brak e
peda l an d hav e you r foo t of f th e
accelerato r pedal . Pres s th e releas e
butto n o n th e sid e o f th e shif t leve r
t o mov e it .
If yo u hav e don e al l of th e abov e an d
stil l canno t mov e th e leve r ou t o f
Park , se e Shif t Loc k Releas e o n pag e
183 .
Yo u mus t als o pres s th e releas e
butto n t o shif t int o Park . T o avoi d
transmissio n damage , com e to a
complet e sto p befor e shiftin g int o
Park . Th e shif t leve r mus t b e in Par k
befor e yo u ca n remov e th e ke y fro m
th e ignitio n switch . Revers
e (R ) — To shif t t o Revers e
fro m Park , se e th e explanatio n unde r
Park . T o shif t t o Revers e fro m
Neutral , com e t o a complet e sto p an d
the n shift . Pres s th e releas e butto n
befor e shiftin g int o Revers e fro m
Neutral .
Drivin g
Page 184 of 338

Automati
c Transmissio n
Neutra l (N ) — Us e Neutra l i f yo u
nee d to restar t a stalle d engine , o r i f
i t i s necessar y t o sto p briefl y wit h
th e engin e idling . Shif t t o Par k posi -
tio n if yo u nee d t o leav e th e ca r fo r
an y reason . Pres s o n th e brak e peda l
whe n yo u ar e movin g th e shif t leve r
fro m Neutra l t o anothe r gear .
Driv e (D 4) — Us e thi s positio n fo r
you r norma l driving . Th e transmis -
sio n automaticall y select s a suitabl e
gea r fo r you r spee d an d acceleration .
Yo u ma y notic e th e transmissio n
shiftin g u p a t highe r speed s whe n
th e engin e is cold . Thi s help s th e
engin e war m up faster . Driv
e (D 3) — Thi s positio n is similar
t o D 4, excep t onl y th e firs t thre e
gear s ar e selected . Us e D 3 whe n
towin g a traile r i n hill y terrain , o r t o
provid e engin e brakin g whe n goin g
dow n a stee p hill . D 3 ca n als o kee p
th e transmissio n fro m cyclin g
betwee n thir d an d fourt h gear s i n
stop-and-g o driving .
Fo r faste r acceleratio n whe n i n D 3 o r
D 4, yo u ca n ge t th e transmissio n t o
automaticall y downshif t b y pushin g
th e accelerato r peda l t o th e floor .
Th e transmissio n wil l shif t dow n on e
o r tw o gears , dependin g o n you r
speed .
Secon
d (2 ) — To shif t t o Second ,
pres s th e releas e butto n o n th e sid e
o f th e shif t lever . Thi s positio n lock s
th e transmissio n in secon d gear . I t
doe s no t downshif t t o firs t gea r
whe n yo u com e to a stop . Secon d
give s yo u mor e powe r whe n climbing ,
an d increase d engin e brakin g whe n
goin g dow n stee p hills . Us e secon d
gea r whe n startin g ou t o n a slipper y
surfac e o r i n dee p snow . I t wil l hel p
reduc e wheelspin .
CONTINUED
Drivin g
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Automati
c Transmissio n
Firs t (1 ) — To shif t fro m Secon d to
First , pres s th e releas e butto n o n th e
sid e o f th e shif t lever . Wit h th e leve r
i n thi s position , th e transmissio n
lock s in Firs t gear . B y upshiftin g an d
downshiftin g throug h 1 , 2 , D 3 an d D 4,
yo u ca n operat e thi s transmissio n
muc h lik e a manua l transmissio n
withou t a clutc h pedal .
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 is
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 . Shif
t Loc k Releas e
Thi s allow s yo u to mov e the shif t
leve r ou t o f Par k if the norma l
metho d o f pushin g o n the brak e
peda l an d pressin g th e releas e
butto n doe s no t work .
1 . Se t th e Parkin g brake .
2 . Remov e th e ke y fro m th e ignitio n
switch .
Drivin g
Page 186 of 338
Automati
c Transmissio n
3 . Pu t a clot h o n th e edg e o f th e Shif t
Loc k Releas e slo t cove r nex t t o
th e shif t lever .
Us e a smal l flat-tippe d screwdrive r
o r smal l meta l plat e (neithe r ar e
include d in th e too l kit ) t o remov e
th e cover . Carefull y pr y of f th e
edg e o f th e cover .
4 . Inser t th e ke y i n th e Shif t Loc k
Releas e slot . 5
. Pus h dow n o n th e ke y whil e yo u
pres s th e releas e butto n o n th e
shif t leve r an d mov e th e shif t leve r
ou t o f Par k t o Neutral .
6 . Remov e th e ke y fro m th e Shif t
Loc k Releas e slot , the n reinstal l
th e cover . Mak e sur e th e notc h o n
th e cove r i s o n th e lef t side .
Depres s th e brak e peda l an d
restar t th e engine . I
f yo u nee d t o us e th e Shif t Loc k
Release , i t mean s you r ca r i s
developin g a problem . Hav e th e ca r
checke d b y you r Hond a dealer .
Drivin g
Page 202 of 338

Maintenanc
e Safet y
Importan t Safet y Precaution s
Befor e yo u begi n an y maintenance ,
mak e sur e you r ca r i s parke d o n
leve l groun d an d tha t th e parkin g
brak e is set . Also , b e sur e th e engin e
i s off . Thi s wil l hel p t o eliminat e
severa l potentia l hazards : Carbo
n monoxid e poisonin g
fro m engin e exhaust . B e sur e
ther e is adequat e ventilatio n
wheneve r yo u operat e th e engine . Burn
s fro m ho t parts . Le t th e
engin e an d exhaus t syste m coo l
befor e touchin g an y parts . Injur
y fro m movin g parts . D o
no t ru n th e engin e unles s in -
structe d to d o so . Rea
d th e instruction s befor e yo u
begin , an d mak e sur e yo u hav e th e
tool s an d skill s required .
T o reduc e th e possibilit y o f fir e o r
explosion , b e carefu l whe n workin g
aroun d gasoline or batteries . Us e a
commerciall y availabl e degrease r o r
part s cleaner , no t gasoline , t o clea n
parts . Kee p cigarettes , sparks , an d
flame s awa y fro m th e batter y an d al l
fuel-relate d parts .
Yo u shoul d wea r ey e protectio n an d
protectiv e clothin g whe n workin g
nea r th e batter y o r whe n usin g
compresse d air .
Maintenance
Page 203 of 338

Maintenanc
e Schedul e
Th e Maintenanc e Schedul e specifie s
ho w ofte n yo u shoul d hav e you r ca r
service d an d wha t thing s nee d
attention . I t i s essentia l tha t yo u hav e
you r ca r service d a s schedule d to
retai n it s hig h leve l o f safety ,
dependability , an d emission s contro l
performance .
Th
e service s an d tim e o r distanc e
interval s show n in th e maintenanc e
schedul e assum e yo u wil l us e you r
ca r a s normal transportatio n fo r
passenger s an d thei r possessions .
Yo u shoul d als o follo w thes e
recommendations :
Avoi
d exceedin g you r car' s loa d
limit . Thi s put s exces s stres s o n
th e engine , brakes , an d man y
othe r part s o f you r car . Th e loa d
limi t i s show n o n th e labe l o n th e
driver' s doorjamb . Operat
e you r ca r o n reasonabl e
road s withi n th e lega l spee d limit . Driv
e you r ca r regularl y ove r a
distanc e o f severa l mile s
(kilometers) . Alway
s us e unleade d gasolin e wit h
th e prope r octan e ratin g (se e pag e
160 ). Whic
h Schedul e t o Follow :
Servic e you r ca r accordin g to th e
tim e an d mileag e period s o n on e o f
th e Maintenanc e Schedule s o n th e
followin g pages . Selec t th e schedul e
fo r "Sever e Conditions " i f mos t o f
you r drivin g is don e unde r on e o r
mor e o f th e condition s liste d o n tha t
page . Otherwise , follo w th e schedul e
fo r "Norma l Conditions. "
Maintenanc e
Page 206 of 338
Service a t th e indicate d distanc e o r time , whicheve r come s first . D o th e item s i n A , B , C as require d fo r eac h distance/tim e interval . Follo w thi s
schedul e i f th e sever e drivin g condition s describe d i n th e Sever e Condition s Schedul e o n th e nex t pag e d o no t apply .
Canadia n owners : Follo w th e schedul e fo r Sever e Conditions .
Maintenanc e
page 249 ).
* 1 : Balance r bel t applie s t o 4-cylinde r model s only .
# : Se e informatio n o n maintenanc e an d emission s warranty , las t
column , pag e 201 .
NOTE :Check engin e oi l an d coolan t a t eac h fue l stop .Check an d adjus t valv e clearance , col d engine , i f noisy .
Page 209 of 338
NOTE
:
• Chec k engin e oi l an d coolan t a t eac h fue l stop .
• Chec k an d adjus t valv e clearance , col d engine , i f noisy .
Maintenanc e
*1 : Balancer belt applies to 4-cylinder models only.
*2
: Refe r t o pag e 24 5 fo r replacemen t informatio n unde r specia l
drivin g conditions .
* 3
: Refe r t o pag e 24 4 fo r replacemen t informatio n unde r specia l
drivin g conditions .
# : Se e informatio n o n maintenanc e an d emission s warranty , las t
column , pag e 201 .