2000 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN Owner's Manual (in English)

DO
T Tir e Qualit y Gradin g (U.S . Vehicles )

Temperatur e
Th e temperatur e grade s ar e A (th e
highest) , B, an d C, representin g th e
tire' s resistanc e to th e generatio n o f
hea t an d it s abilit y t o dissipat e hea t
whe n teste d unde r controlle d
condition s o n a specifie d indoo r
laborator y tes t wheel . Sustaine d hig h
temperatur e ca n caus e th e materia l
o f th e tir e to degenerat e an d reduc e
tir e life , an d excessiv e temperatur e
ca n lea d to sudde n tir e failure . Th e
grad e C correspond s t o a leve l o f
performanc e whic h al l passenge r ca r
tire s mus t mee t unde r th e Federa l
Moto r Vehicl e Safet y Standar d No .
109 . Grade s B an d A represen t
highe r level s o f performanc e o n th e
laborator y tes t whee l tha n th e
minimu m require d b y law . Warning
: Th e temperatur e grad e fo r
thi s tir e is establishe d fo r a tir e tha t
i s properl y inflate d an d no t over -
loaded . Excessiv e speed , underinfla -
tion , o r excessiv e loadin g eithe r
separatel y o r i n combination , ca n
caus e hea t build-u p an d possibl e tir e
failure .

Technica l Informatio n

Oxygenate
d Fuel s

Som e conventiona l gasoline s ar e
bein g blende d wit h alcoho l o r a n
ethe r compound . Thes e gasoline s
ar e collectivel y referre d to a s
oxygenate d fuels . T o mee t clea n ai r
standards , som e area s o f th e Unite d
State s an d Canad a us e oxygenate d
fuel s t o hel p reduc e emissions .
I f yo u us e a n oxygenate d fuel , b e
sur e it i s unleade d an d meet s th e
minimu m octan e ratin g requirement .
Befor e usin g a n oxygenate d fuel , tr y
t o confir m th e fuel' s contents . Som e
states/province s requir e thi s
informatio n to b e poste d o n th e

pump .
Th
e followin g ar e th e U.S . EP A an d
Canadia n CGS B approve d
percentage s o f oxygenates :
ETHANO L (ethy l o r grai n alcohol )
Yo u ma y us e gasolin e containin g u p
t o 1 0 percen t ethano l b y volume .
Gasolin e containin g ethano l ma y b e
markete d unde r th e nam e "Gasohol. "

MTB E (Methy l Tertiar y Buty l
Ether )
Yo u ma y us e gasolin e containin g u p

t o 1 5 percen t MTB E b y volume .

METHANO L (methy l o r woo d
alcohol )
You r vehicl e wa s no t designe d to

us e fue l tha t contain s memanol .

Methano l ca n corrod e meta l part s in

th e fue l system , an d als o damag e

plasti c an d rubbe r components . Thi s

damag e woul d no t b e covere d b y

you r warranties .
I
f yo u notic e an y undesirabl e
operatin g symptoms , tr y anothe r
servic e statio n o r switc h t o anothe r
bran d o f gasoline .
Fue l syste m damag e o r performanc e
problem s resultin g fro m th e us e o f
a n oxygenate d fue l containin g mor e
tha n th e percentage s o f oxygenate s
give n abov e ar e no t covere d unde r
warranty .

Technica l Informatio n

Drivin
g in Foreig n Countrie s

I f yo u ar e plannin g to tak e you r
Hond a outsid e th e U.S . o r Canada ,
contac t th e touris t bureau s i n th e
area s yo u wil l b e travelin g in to fin d
ou t abou t th e availabilit y o f unleade d
gasolin e wit h th e prope r octan e

rating .

I f unleade d gasolin e is no t available ,
b e awar e tha t usin g leade d gasolin e
i n you r Hond a wil l affec t perfor -
manc e an d fue l mileage , an d damag e
it s emission s controls . I t wil l n o
longe r compl y wit h U.S . an d
Canadia n emission s regulations , an d
wil l b e illega l t o operat e in Nort h
America . T o brin g you r ca r bac k int o
complianc e wil l requir e th e replace -
men t o f severa l components , suc h a s
th e oxyge n sensor s an d th e thre e
wa y catalyti c converter . Thes e re -
placement s ar e no t covere d unde r
warranty .

Technica l Informatio n

Emission
s Control s

Th e burnin g o f gasolin e in you r car' s
engin e produces several byproducts .
Som e o f thes e ar e carbo n monoxid e
(CO) , oxide s o f nitroge n (NOx ) an d
hydrocarbon s (HC) . Gasolin e
evaporatin g fro m th e tan k als o
produce s hydrocarbons . Controllin g
th e productio n o f NOx , CO , an d H C
i s importan t t o th e environment .
Unde r certai n condition s o f sunligh t
an d climate , NO x an d H C reac t t o
for m photochemica l "smog. " Carbo n
monoxid e doe s no t contribut e t o
smo g creation , bu t i t i s a poisonou s

gas .
Th
e Clea n Ai r Ac t

Th e Unite d State s Clea n Ai r Act *
set s standard s fo r automobil e
emissions . I t als o require s tha t
automobil e manufacturer s explai n t o
owner s ho w thei r emission s control s
wor k an d wha t t o d o t o maintai n
them . Thi s sectio n summarize s ho w
th e emission s control s work .
Schedule d maintenanc e is o n pag e

198 .

* I n Canada , Hond a vehicle s compl y
wit h th e Canadia n Moto r Vehicl e
Safet y Standard s (CMVSS ) fo r
Emission s vali d a t th e tim e the y ar e
manufactured .
Crankcas e Emission s Contro l
Syste m
You r ca r ha s a Positiv e Crankcas e
Ventilatio n System . Thi s keep s
gasse s tha t buil d u p in th e engine' s
crankcas e fro m goin g int o th e
atmosphere . Th e Positiv e Crankcas e
Ventilatio n valv e route s the m fro m th
e crankcas e bac k t o th e intak e
manifold . The y ar e the n draw n int o
th e engin e an d burned .
Evaporativ e Emission s Contro l
Syste m
A s gasolin e evaporate s i n th e fue l
tank , a n evaporativ e emission s
contro l caniste r fille d wit h charcoa l
adsorb s th e vapor . I t i s store d in thi s
caniste r whil e th e engin e i s off . Afte r
th e engin e is starte d an d warme d up ,
th e vapo r i s draw n int o th e engin e
an d burne d durin g driving .
Onboar d Refuelin g Vapo r
Recover y
Th e Onboar d Refuelin g Vapo r
Recover y (ORVR ) syste m capture s
th e fue l vapor s durin g refueling . Th e
vapor s ar e adsorbed in a caniste r
fille d wit h activate d carbon . Whil e
driving , th e fue l vapor s ar e draw n
int o th e engin e an d burne d off .

Technica l Informatio n

Emission
s Control s

Exhaus t Emission s Control s
Th e exhaus t emission s control s
includ e fou r systems : PGM-FI ,
Ignitio n Timin g Control , Exhaus t
Ga s Recirculatio n an d Thre e Wa y
Catalyti c Converter . Thes e fou r
system s wor k togethe r t o contro l th e
engine' s combustio n an d minimiz e
th e amoun t o f HC , CO , an d NO x tha t
come s ou t th e tailpipe . Th e exhaus t
emission s contro l system s ar e
separat e fro m th e crankcas e an d
evaporativ e emission s contro l

systems .

PGM-FI System

Th e PGM-F I Syste m use s sequentia l
multipor t fue l injection .
I t ha s thre e subsystems : Ai r Intake ,
Engin e Control , an d Fue l Control .
Th e Engin e Contro l Modul e (ECM )
o r th e Powertrai n Contro l Modul e
(PCM ) use s variou s sensor s t o
determin e ho w muc h ai r i s goin g
int o th e engine . I t the n control s ho w
muc h fue l t o injec t unde r al l operat -in
g conditions .
Ignition Timing Control System
Thi s syste m constantl y adjust s th e
ignitio n timing , reducin g th e amoun t
o f HC , C O an d NO x produced .
Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR)

System

Th e Exhaus t Ga s Recirculatio n
(EGR ) syste m take s som e o f th e
exhaus t ga s an d route s i t bac k int o
th e intak e manifold . Addin g exhaus t
ga s t o th e air/fue l mixtur e reduce s
th e amoun t o f NO x produce d whe n
th e fue l i s burned .
Three Way Catalytic Converter
Th e thre e wa y catalyti c converte r i s
i n th e exhaus t system . Throug h
chemica l reactions , i t convert s HC ,
CO , an d NO x in th e engine' s exhaus t
t o carbo n dioxid e (CO 2), dinitroge n
(N 2)
, an d wate r vapor . Replacemen
t Part s

Th e emission s contro l system s ar e
designe d an d certifie d to wor k to -
gethe r i n reducin g emission s to
level s tha t compl y wit h the Clea n Ai r
Act . T o mak e sur e the emission s
remai n low , yo u shoul d us e onl y ne w
Genuin e Hond a replacemen t part s o r

thei r equivalen t fo r repairs . Usin g

lowe r qualit y part s ma y increas e th e
emission s fro m you r car .
Th e emission s contro l system s ar e
covere d b y warrantie s separat e fro m
the res t o f you r car . Rea d you r

warrant y manua l fo r mor e informa -

tion .

Technica l Informatio n

Thre
e Wa y Catalyti c Converte r

Th e thre e wa y catalyti c converte r
contain s preciou s metal s tha t serv e
a s catalysts , promotin g chemica l
reaction s t o conver t th e exhaus t
gasse s withou t affectin g th e metals .
Th e catalyti c converte r i s referre d t o
as a three-wa y catalyst , sinc e it act s
o n HC , CO , an d NOx . A replacemen t
uni t mus t b e a n origina l Hond a par t
o r it s equivalent .
Th e thre e wa y catalyti c converte r
mus t operat e a t a hig h temperatur e
fo r th e chemica l reaction s t o tak e
place . I t ca n se t o n fir e an y com -
bustibl e material s tha t com e nea r it .
Par k you r ca r awa y fro m hig h grass ,
dr y leaves , o r othe r flammables .A
defectiv e thre e wa y catalyti c
converte r contribute s t o ai r pollution ,
an d ca n impai r you r engine' s per -
formance . Follo w these guideline s t o
protec t you r car' s thre e wa y catalyti c
converter .
Alway s us e unleade d gasoline .
Eve n a smal l amoun t o f leade d
gasolin e ca n contaminat e th e
catalys t metals , makin g th e thre e
wa y catalyti c converte r ineffective .Kee
p th e engin e tuned-up .
Hav e you r ca r diagnose d an d
repaire d i f i t i s misfiring , back -
firing , stalling , o r otherwis e no t
runnin g properly .

Technica l Informatio n

THRE
E WA Y CATALYTI C CONVERTE R

308

Warrant
y an d Custome r Relation s
Custome r Relation s
Information................................ . 31 0
U.S . Zon e Offic e Map................... . 31 1
Canad a Zon e Offic e Map............. . 31 2
Warrant y Coverages.................... . 31 3
Reportin g Safet y Defect s
(U.S . Vehicles).......................... . 31 4
Authorize d Manuals..................... . 31 5

Warrant y an d Custome r Relation s