2000 HONDA PRELUDE ABS

You
r Car' s Safet y Feature s
(1 ) Safet y Cage
(2 ) Crus h Zones
(3 ) Seat s & Seat-Back s
(4 ) Head Restraint s
(5 ) Collapsibl e Steerin g Colum n
(6 ) Sea t Belt s
(7 ) Airbag s
(8 ) Door Lock s
Your car is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passengers during a crash.
Some safety features do not require any action on your part. These
include a strong steel framework
that forms a safety cage around the
passenger compartment; front and rear crush zones that are designed to
crumple and absorb energy during acrash; and a collapsible steering

column.

These safety features are designed to reduce the severity of injuries in acrash. However, you and your
passengers can't take full advantageof these safety features unless you
remain sitting in a proper position
and always wear your seat belts

properly. In fact, some safety features can contribute to injuries if
they are not used properly.

Driver an d Passenge r Safet y

Your Car' s Safet y Feature s

Seat s & Seat-Back s

Your car's seat
s are designed to keep
you in a comfortable, upright position so you can take full
advantage of the protection offered
by seat belts and the energy absorbing materials in the seats.
How you adjust your seats and seat-
backs can also affect your safety. For
example, sitting too close to the
steering wheel or dashboard
increases the risk of you or your
passenger being injured by striking
the inside of the car, or by an inflating airbag.
Reclining a seat-back too far reduces
the seat belt's effectiveness and increases the chance that the seat's
occupant will slide under the seat
belt in a crash and be seriously
injured.
What you should do: Move the front

seats as far back as possible, and
keep adjustable seat-backs in an
upright position whenever the car is

moving.

Hea d Restraint s
Head restraints can help protect you
from whiplash and other injuries. For maximum protection, the back of
your head should rest against the center of the head restraint.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Indicato
r Lights

U.S .


Anti-lock Brak e
Syste m (ABS )
Indicato r
This light normally comes on for a few seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II), and when
the ignition switch is turned toSTART (III). If this light comes on at
any other time, there is a problem in
the ABS. If this happens, take the
car to your dealer to have it checked.
With the light on, your car still has normal braking ability but no anti-
lock. For complete information, see

page 156.
Activ
e Torqu e Transfe r
Syste m (ATTS ) Indicato r
Type SH only

This indicator normally comes o
n for
a few seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II).
If it comes on at any other time,
there is a problem in the Active
Torque Transfer System (ATTS). If this happens, take the car to yourdealer to have it checked. With the
indicator on, your car will corner
normally, but you will not have active
torque transfer. Tur
n Signa l an d
Hazar d Warnin g
Indicator s
The left or right turn signal light blinks when you signal a lane changeor turn. If the light does not blink or
blinks rapidly, it usually means one of the turn signal bulbs is burned out (see page 218). Replace the bulb as
soon as possible, since other drivers
cannot see that you are signalling.
When you turn on the Hazard
Warning switch, both turn signal lights blink. All turn signals on the outside of the car should flash.
Instrument s an d Control s

Canad
a

AB S

ATTS

Key
s and Locks

To lock the passenger'
s doo
r when
getting out of the car, push the lock
tab in and close the door. To lock the driver's door, remove the key from
the ignition switch and push the lock
tab in or push the master switch down, then close the door.
Both doors can be locked from the
outside by using the key in either

door.

To unlock only the driver's door from the outside, insert the key in
the driver's door lock, turn the key and release it. If you turn the key
and hold it, both doors will unlock.
Both doors will unlock when you
unlock the passenger's door with the
key. Lockout Prevention
If you forget and leave the key in the
ignition switch, Lockout Prevention
will not allow you to lock the driver's door. With the driver's door open
and the key in the ignition, both
master door lock switches are disabled. However, if the driver's
door is not open, the master door
lock switches are not disabled. Pushing the switch down on the
open passenger's door will lock both
doors. If you try to lock an open driver's door by pushing in the lock
tab, the tabs on both doors pop out. Pushing in the lock tab on the
passenger's door only locks that door. You can lock and unlock your car
with the remote transmitter. Whenyou push the LOCK button, both doors lock.
When you push the UNLOCK button once, only the driver's door unlocks.
The passenger's door unlocks when you push the button a second time.

CONTINUED

Instrument s an d Control s
Remot
e Transmitte r

LOCK

BUTTO N

UNLOC K

BUTTO N
LED

Drivin
g
This section gives you tips on starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the 5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes important information on parking
your car, the braking system, and
facts you need if you are planning to

tow a trailer.
Preparing to Drive......................... 140
Starting the Engine........................ 141
Starting in Cold Weatherat High Altitude..................... 141
5-speed Manual Transmission..... 14
2

Recommended Shift Points...... 143
Engine
Speed Limiter ............... 143
Automatic Transmission............... 144 Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 144
Shift Lever Positions................. 145
Engine Speed Limiter............... 150Shift Lock Release..................... 151

Parking............................................ 152

The Braking System...................... 153 Brake Wear Indicators.............. 153
Brake System Design................ 154
Anti-lock Brakes........................ 154 Important Safety
Reminders.......................... 155

ABS Indicator......................... 156
Active Torque Transfer System .. 157 Driving in Bad Weather................ 158
Towing a Trailer............................ 160

Driving

Th
e Brakin g Syste m

Your Honda is equipped with disc brakes at all four wheels. A powerassist helps reduce the effort needed
on the brake pedal. The ABS helps
you retain steering control when
braking very hard.
Put your foot on the brake pedal only
when you intend to brake. Resting
your foot on the pedal keeps the
brakes applied lightly, causing them
to build up heat. Heat build-up can
reduce how well your brakes work. It also keeps your brake lights on all
the time, confusing drivers behind

you.
Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds up heat and reduces their effective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by downshifting to a lower
gear and taking your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Check your brakes after driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they feel normal. If not, apply them gently and
frequently until they do. Since a
longer distance is needed to stop
with wet brakes, be extra cautious and alert in your driving. Brak
e Wea r Indicator s
All four brakes have audible brake wear indicators.
When the brake pads need replacing,
you will hear a distinctive metallic "screeching" sound when you apply
the brakes. If you do not have the
brake pads replaced, they will begin screeching all the time.
Your brakes may sometimes squeal or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not confuse this with the
brake wear indicators. They make a
very audible "screeching."

Driving

Th
e Brakin g Syste m

Brak e Syste m Desig n
The hydraulic system that operates the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (the left-front brake is
connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking at two wheels. Anti-loc
k Brake s
Your vehicle has an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) as standard
equipment. ABS helps to prevent the
wheels from locking up and skidding during hard braking, allowing you to
retain steering control.
When the front tires skid, you lose steering control; the car continues
straight ahead even though you turn
the steering wheel. The ABS helps to
prevent lock-up and helps you retain steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly; much faster than a
person can do it. Yo
u shoul d neve r pum p th e
brak e pedal , this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work for you by always keeping firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes referred to as
"stomp and steer."

You will feel a pulsation in the brake pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is normal, it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on
the brake pedal very hard before you
activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.

Drivin g

Fron
t

Th
e Brakin g Syste m

ABS Indicator

The ABS is self-checking. If anything goes wrong, the ABS indicator on
the instrument panel comes on (see
page 56). This means the anti-lock
function of the braking system has shut down. The brakes still work like
a conventional system without anti-
lock, providing normal stopping ability. You should have the dealer
inspect your car as soon as possible. If anything goes wrong, the ABS
indicator on the instrument panel
comes on (see page 56). This means
the anti-lock function of the braking
system has shut down. The brakes
still work like a conventional system
without anti-lock, providing normal stopping ability. You should have the
dealer inspect your car as soon as

possible.

Drivin g

*
U.S . indicato r show n

AB
S INDICATO R