Page 240 of 293

Takin
g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
Thi s sectio n cover s th e more -
commo n problem s tha t motorist s
experienc e wit h thei r vehicles . I t
give s yo u informatio n abou t ho w to
safel y evaluat e th e proble m an d wha t
t o d o t o correc t it . I f th e proble m ha s
strande d yo u o n th e sid e o f th e road ,
yo u ma y b e abl e t o ge t goin g again .
I f not , yo u wil l als o fin d instruction s
o n gettin g you r ca r towed . Compac
t Spar e Tire...................... . 23 8
Changin g a Fla t Tire.................... . 23 9
I f You r Engin e Won' t Start.......... . 24 4
Nothin g Happen s o r th e Starte r
Moto r Operate s Ver y
Slowly..................................... . 24 4
Th e Starte r Operate s
Normally................................. 245
Jump Starting................................ . 24 5
I f You r Engin e Overheats............ . 24 7
Lo w Oi l Pressur e Indicator......... . 24 9
Chargin g Syste m Indicator.......... . 25 0
Malfunctio n Indicato r Lam p ....... . 25 1
Brak e Syste m Indicator............... . 25 2
Closin g th e Moonroof.................. . 25 3
Fuses.............................................. . 25 4
Checkin g an d Replacing.......... . 25 5
Emergenc y Towing...................... . 25 9
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
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I
f You r Engin e Won' t Star t
Diagnosin g wh y you r engin e won' t
star t fall s int o tw o areas , dependin g
o n wha t yo u hea r whe n yo u tur n th e
ke y t o STAR T (III) :
Yo u hea r nothing , o r almos t
nothing . Th e engine' s starte r
moto r doe s no t operat e a t all , o r
operate s ver y slowly .
Yo u ca n hea r th e starte r moto r
operatin g normally , o r th e starte r
moto r sound s lik e it i s spinnin g
faste r tha n normal , bu t th e engin e
doe s no t star t u p an d run . Nothin
g Happen s o r th e Starte r
Moto r Operate s Ver y Slowl y
Whe n yo u tur n th e ignitio n switc h to
STAR T (III) , yo u d o no t hea r th e
norma l nois e o f th e engin e tryin g to
start . Yo u ma y hea r a clickin g soun d
o r serie s o f clicks , o r nothin g a t all .
Chec k thes e things :
Chec k th e transmissio n interlock .
I f yo u hav e a manua l transmission ,
th e clutc h peda l mus t b e pushe d
al l th e wa y t o th e floo r o r th e
starte r wil l no t operate . Wit h a n
automati c transmission , i t mus t b e
i n Par k o r Neutral .
Tur n th e ignitio n switc h t o O N (II) .
Tur n o n th e headlight s an d chec k
thei r brightness . I f th e headlight s
ar e ver y di m o r don' t ligh t a t all ,
th e batter y is discharged . Se e
Jum p Startin g o n pag e 24 5 .
Tur
n th e ignitio n switc h t o STAR T
(III) . I f th e headlight s d o no t dim ,
chec k th e conditio n o f th e fuses . I f
th e fuse s ar e OK , ther e is proba -
bl y somethin g wron g wit h th e
electrica l circui t fo r th e ignitio n
switc h o r starte r motor . Yo u wil l
nee d a qualifie d technicia n to
determin e th e problem . (Se e
Emergenc y Towin g o n pag e 259 .)
I f th e headlight s di m noticeabl y o r
g o ou t whe n yo u tr y t o star t th e
engine , eithe r th e batter y is dis -
charge d o r th e connection s ar e
corroded . Chec k th e conditio n o f
th e batter y an d termina l connec -
tion s (se e pag e 205 ). Yo u ca n
the n tr y jum p startin g th e ca r fro m
a booste r batter y (se e pag e 245 ).
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
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I
f You r Engin e Won' t Start , Jum p Startin g
Th e Starte r Operate s Normall y
I n thi s case , th e starte r motor' s
spee d sound s normal , o r eve n faste r
tha n normal , whe n yo u tur n th e
ignitio n switc h t o STAR T (III) , bu t
th e engin e doe s no t run . Ar
e yo u usin g th e prope r startin g
procedure ? Refe r t o Startin g th e
Engin e o n pag e 157 . D
o yo u hav e fuel ? Tur n th e
ignitio n switc h t o O N (II ) fo r a
minut e an d watc h th e fue l gauge .
Th e lo w fue l leve l warnin g ligh t
ma y no t b e working , s o yo u wer e
no t reminde d t o fil l th e tank . Ther
e ma y b e a n electrica l
problem , suc h a s n o powe r t o th e
fue l pump . Chec k al l th e fuse s
(se e pag e 255 ).
I f yo u fin d nothin g wrong , yo u wil l
nee d a qualifie d technicia n to fin d
th e problem . Se e Emergenc y
Towin g o n pag e 25 9 . Jum
p Startin g
I f you r car' s batter y ha s ru n down ,
yo u ma y b e abl e to star t th e engin e
b y usin g a booste r battery . Althoug h
thi s seem s lik e a simpl e procedure ,
yo u shoul d tak e severa l precautions .
Yo u canno t star t a Hond a wit h a n
automati c transmissio n b y pushin g
o r pullin g it . T
o jum p star t you r car , follo w thes e
direction s closely :
1 . Ope n th e hoo d an d chec k th e
physica l conditio n o f th e batter y
(se e pag e 205 ). I n ver y col d
weather , chec k th e conditio n o f
th e electrolyte . I f i t seem s slush y
o r lik e ice , d o no t tr y jum p startin g
unti l i t 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. Tur n of f al l th e electrica l acces -
sories : heater , A/C , stere o system ,
lights , etc .
Pu t th e transmissio n in Neutra l o r
Par k an d se t th e parkin g brake .
CONTINUED
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
A
batter y ca n explod e i f yo u d o
no t follo w th e correc t procedure ,
seriousl y injurin g anyon e
nearby .
Kee p ai l sparks , ope n flames ,
an d smokin g material s awa y
fro m th e battery .
NOTIC
E
Page 257 of 293
Fuse
s
Al l th e electrica l circuit s i n you r ca r
hav e fuse s t o protec t the m fro m a
shor t circui t o r overload . Thes e
fuse s ar e locate d i n tw o o r thre e fus e
boxes .
Th e interio r fus e bo x i s underneat h
th e dashboar d o n th e driver' s side .
Remov e th e fus e bo x li d b y swingin g
th e li d dow n an d pullin g it straigh t
ou t o f it s hinges .
TA
B
UNDER-HOOD
Th e under-hoo d fus e bo x is locate d
i n th e engin e compartmen t nex t t o
th e battery . T o ope n it , pus h th e ta b
a s shown .
AB
S FUS E BO X
Car s equippe d wit h AB S hav e a thir d
fus e bo x fo r th e ABS . I t i s i n th e
engin e compartmen t o n th e passen -
ger' s side .
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
INTERIO
R
Page 258 of 293

Fuse
s
Checkin g an d Replacin g Fuse s
I f somethin g electrica l i n you r ca r
stop s working , th e firs t thin g yo u
shoul d chec k fo r i s a blow n fuse .
Determin e fro m th e char t o n page s
25 7 an d 25 8 , o r th e diagra m on th e
fus e bo x lid , whic h fus e o r fuse s
contro l tha t component . Chec k thos e
fuse s first , bu t chec k al l th e fuse s
befor e decidin g tha t a blow n fus e is
no t th e cause . Replac e an y blow n
fuse s an d chec k th e component' s
operation .
1 . Tur n th e ignitio n switc h to LOC K
(0) . Mak e sur e th e headlight s an d
al l othe r accessorie s ar e off .
2 . Remov e th e cove r fro m th e fus e
box .
FUS
E
BLOWN
3 . Chec k eac h o f th e larg e fuse s i n
th e under-hoo d fus e bo x b y
lookin g throug h th e to p a t th e wir e
inside . Removin g thes e fuse s
require s a Phillips-hea d screw -
driver .
FUS
E PULLE R
4 . Chec k th e smalle r fuse s i n th e
under-hoo d fus e bo x an d al l th e
fuse s i n th e interio r fus e bo x b y
pullin g ou t eac h fus e wit h th e fus e
pulle r provide d i n th e interio r fus e
box .
CONTINUED
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
Page 259 of 293

Fuse
s
BLOW N
5 . Loo k fo r a burne d wir e insid e th e
fuse . I f i t i s burned , replac e it wit h
on e o f th e spar e fuse s o f th e sam e
ratin g o r lower .
I f yo u canno t driv e th e ca r withou t
fixin g th e problem , an d yo u d o no t
hav e a spar e fuse , tak e a fus e o f th e
sam e ratin g o r a lowe r ratin g fro m
on e o f th e othe r circuits . Mak e sur e
yo u ca n d o withou t tha t circui t
temporaril y (suc h a s th e accessor y
powe r socke t o r radio) . I
f yo u replac e th e blow n fus e wit h a
spar e fus e tha t ha s a lowe r rating , i t
migh t blo w ou t again . Thi s doe s no t
indicat e anythin g wrong . Replac e th e
fus e wit h on e o f th e correc t ratin g a s
soo n a s yo u can .
Replacing a fuse with one that has a higher rating greatly increases the
chances of damaging the electrical
system. If you do not have a replace-
ment fuse with the proper rating for the
circuit, install one with a lower rating.
6 . I f th e replacemen t fus e o f th e
sam e ratin g blow s in a shor t time ,
ther e is probabl y a seriou s
electrica l proble m in you r car .
Leav e th e blow n fus e in tha t
circui t an d hav e you r ca r checke d
b y a qualifie d mechanic .
On U.S. DX Value Package and EX
models
I f th e radi o fus e is removed , th e
audi o syste m wil l disabl e itself . Th e
nex t tim e yo u tur n o n th e radi o yo u wil
l se e " " in th e frequenc y
display . Us e th e Prese t button s t o
ente r th e five-digi t cod e (se e pag e
139 ).
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
NOTIC
E
Page 260 of 293
Fuse
s
INTERIO R FUS E BO X
* :
O n Canadia n model s
CONTINUED
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
Page 261 of 293
Fuse
s
UNDER-HOO D FUS E BO X
AB S FUS E BO X
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d