Maintenance
This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and to follow basic
maintenance safety precautions.
This section also includes Maintenance Schedules for normal
driving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions for simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of
yourself.
If you have the skills and tools to per-
form more complex maintenance tasks on your Honda, you may want
to purchase the Service Manual. See page 337 for information on how to
obtain a copy, or see your Honda
dealer.
Maintenance Safety....................... 226
Important Safety Precautions.. 227
Maintenance Schedule.................. 228
Required Maintenance Record.... 235
Owner Maintenance Checks........ 237
Fluid Locations............................... 238
Engine Oil....................................... 239 Adding Oil................................... 239Recommended Oil..................... 239
Synthetic Oil............................... 240
Additives..................................... 241
Changing the Oil and Filter...... 241
Cooling System.............................. 243
Adding Engine Coolant............. 243
Replacing Engine Coolant........ 245
Windshield Washers..................... 248
Automatic Transmission Fluid..... 249
Brake Fluid..................................... 250
Brake System............................ . 250
Power Steering............................... 251
Air Cleaner Element...................... 252
Hood Latch.................................... . 254
Spark Plugs..................................... 254
Replacement............................... 254
Specifications............................. 256
Battery............................................ 257
Wiper Blades.................................. 259
Air Conditioning System............... 261 Air Conditioning Filter.................. 262Drive Belts...................................... 262
Timing Belt.................................... . 263
Tires................................................ 263 Inflation....................................... 263
Inspection.................................. . 265
Maintenance............................... 266
Tire Rotation.............................. 266 Replacing Tires and Wheels.... 267
Wheels and Tires....................... 268
Winter Driving........................... 268
Snow Tires.............................. 269
Tire Chains............................. 269
Lights............................................. . 270
Headlight Aiming...................... 272
Replacing Bulbs......................... 272
Storing Your Vehicle..................... 281
Maintenanc e
Owner Maintenanc e Check s
You should check the following
items at the specified intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perform
any check, turn to the page given.
Engine oil level — Check every
time you fill the fuel tank. See
page 192.
Engine coolant level — Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
you fill the fuel tank. See page 193.
Windshield washer fluid — Check the level in the reservoir monthly.If weather conditions cause you to
use the washers frequently, check
the reservoir each time you stop
for fuel. See page 248.
Automatic transmission — Check the fluid level monthly. See page
249.
Brakes — Check the fluid level
monthly. See page 250. Tires — Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread for
wear and foreign objects. See page
263.
Lights — Check the operation of
the headlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
turn signals, brake lights, and
license plate light monthly. See
page 270.
Maintenanc e
Timing Belt , Tire s
Timin g Bel t
The timing belt should normally be replaced at the intervals shown in
the maintenance schedule.
Replace the belt at 60,000 miles (U.S.)
or 100,000 km (Canada) if you regu-
larly drive your vehicle in one or more of these conditions:
In very high temperatures
(over 110°F,43°C).
In very low temperatures
(under — 20°F, — 29°C).
Tire s
To safely operate your vehicle, your tires must be the proper type andsize, in good condition with adequate
tread, and correctly inflated. The
following pages give more detailed information on how and when tocheck air pressure, how to inspect
your tires for damage and wear, and
what to do when your tires need to be replaced.Inflatio n
Keeping the tires properly inflated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread life and riding comfort. Underinflated tires wear
unevenly, adversely affect handlingand fuel economy, and are more
likely to fail from being overheated. Overinflated tires can make your
vehicle ride more harshly, are more prone to damage from road hazards,and wear unevenly.
We recommend that you visually check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it immediately with a tire gauge.
CONTINUED
Maintenanc e
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner's manual regarding tire inflation and maintenance.
Tires
Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month. Even
tires that are in good condition may
lose one to two psi (10 to 20 kPa, 0.1
to 0.2 kgf/cm
2) per month.
Remember to check the spare tire at
the same time you check all the other tires.
Check the pressure in the tires when
they are cold. This means the vehicle has been parked for at least three
hours. If you have to drive the
vehicle before checking the tire pressure, the tires can still be
considered "cold" if you drive less
than 1 mile (1.6 km). If you check the pressure when the
tires are hot (the vehicle has been
driven several miles), you will see
readings 4 to 6 psi (30 to 40 kPa, 0.3
to 0.4 kgf/cm2) higher than the cold
reading. This is normal. Do not let air out to match the specified cold
pressure. The tire will be
underinflated.
You should get your own tire pressure gauge and use it whenever
you check your tire pressures. This
will make it easier for you to tell if a pressure loss is due to a tire problem
and not due to a variation between
gauges.
Recommended Tire Pressures for
Normal Driving
The following chart shows the recommended cold tire pressures for
most normal driving conditions andspeeds. Tire pressures for highspeed driving are the same as for
normal driving.
The compact spare tire pressure is: 60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm2)
Maintenanc e
Tires
These pressures are also given on
the tire information label on thedriver's doorjamb.
Tubeless tires have some ability to self-seal if they are punctured.
However, because leakage is often
very slow, you should look closely for punctures if a tire starts losing
pressure.
Inspectio n
Every time you check inflation, you should also examine the tires for
damage, foreign objects, and wear.
You should look for:
Bumps or bulges in the tread orside of the tire. Replace the tire if
you find either of these conditions.
Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side
of the tire. Replace the tire if you
can see fabric or cord.
Excessive tread wear. Your vehicle's tires have wear indica-
tors molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down to that point, you
will see a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide
band running across the tread. This shows there is less than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread left on the tire. A
tire that is this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see the
tread wear indicator in three or more
places around the tire.
Maintenanc e
INDICATO
R LOCATIO N MARK S
TREA D WEA R INDICATOR S
Tires
Maintenanc e
In addition to proper inflation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you find a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer check the wheel alignment.
The tires were properly balanced by the factory. They may need to be
rebalanced at some time before theyare worn out. Have your dealer
check the tires if you feel a consis-
tent vibration while driving. A tire should always be rebalanced if it is
removed from the wheel for repair. Make sure the installer balances the
wheels when you have new tires installed. This increases riding
comfort and tire life. Your vehicle's
original tires were dynamic or "spin"
balanced at the factory. For best results, have the installer perform adynamic balance.
On some models
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle's aluminum wheels. Use only Genuine Honda wheel weights for
balancing.
Tir e Rotatio n
(For Non-directiona l (Fo r Directiona l
Tire s an d Wheels ) Tire s an d Wheels )
To help increase tire life and
distribute wear more evenly, you
should have the tires rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km). Move the
tires to the positions shown in the
chart each time they are rotated.
Maintenance
NOTIC E
Front
Fron t
Tires
When shopping for replacement
tires, you may find that some tires
are "directional." This means they
are designed to rotate only in one direction. If you use directional tires,
they should be rotated only front-to-
back. Replacin
g Tire s an d Wheel s
The tires that came with your
vehicle were selected to match the performance capabilities of the
vehicle while providing the best combination of handling, ride
comfort, and long life. You should
replace them with radial tires of thesame size, load range, speed rating,
and maximum cold tire pressure
rating (as shown on the tire's sidewall). Mixing radial and bias-ply
tires on your vehicle can reduce its
braking ability, traction, and steering
accuracy.It is best to replace all four tires at
the same time. If that is not possible or necessary, then replace the two
front tires or the two rear tires as a pair. Replacing just one tire can
seriously affect your vehicle's han-
dling.
CONTINUED
Maintenanc e
Installing improper tires on your
vehicle can affect handling and stability. This can cause a crashin which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner's manual.
Tires
The ABS works by comparing the
speed of the wheels. When replacing
tires, use the same size originally supplied with the vehicle. Tire size
and construction can affect wheelspeed and may cause the system to
work inconsistently.
If you ever need to replace a wheel,
make sure the wheel's specifications
match those of the original wheel
that came on your vehicle. Re-
placement wheels are available at
your Honda dealer. Wheel
s an d Tire s
Wheel: 16 x 6 1/ 2 J J
Tire:
P215/65R1 6 96 T
See page 324 for information about
DOT Tire Quality Grading.
Winte r Drivin g
Tires that are marked "M + S" or
"All Season" on the sidewall have an
all-weather tread design. They
should be suitable for most winter
driving conditions. Tires without
these markings are designed for optimum traction in dry conditions.
They may not provide adequate performance in winter driving.For the best performance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under
certain conditions.
Maintenanc e