2000 HONDA PRELUDE coolant

Coolin
g Syste m

Addin g Engin e Coolan t

If the coolant level in the reserve
tank is at or below the MIN line, add coolant to bring it up to the MAX line.
Inspect the cooling system for leaks.
This coolant should always be a mixture of 50 percent antifreeze and50 percent water. Never add straight
antifreeze or plain water. Always use Genuine Honda
Antifreeze/Coolant. If it is not available, you may use another
major-brand non-silicate coolant as a
temporary replacement. Make sure it
is a high-quality coolant
recommended for aluminum engines.
However, continued use of any non-
Honda coolant can result in
corrosion, causing the cooling system to malfunction or fail. Have
the cooling system flushed and refilled with Honda antifreeze/
coolant as soon as possible. If the reserve tank is completely
empty, you should also check the
coolant level in the radiator.
CONTINUED

Maintenanc e

RESERV
E TAN K
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.

Coolin
g Syste m

1. Make sure the engine and radiator are cool.
2. Turn the radiator cap counter- clockwise, without pressing down
on it, until it stops. This relieves
any pressure remaining in the

cooling system.
3. Remove the radiator cap by
pushing down and turning
counterclockwise.
4. The coolant level should be up to the base of the filler neck. Addcoolant if it is low.
5. Put the radiator cap back on.
Tighten it fully.

6. Pour coolant into the reserve tank.Fill it to halfway between the MAX
and MIN marks. Put the cap backon the reserve tank.
Maintenanc e
RADIATO
R CA P
RESERVE TAN K

Coolin
g Syste m

Do not add any rust inhibitors or other additives to your car's coolingsystem. They may not be compatible
with the coolant or engine compo-
nents.

Replacin g Engin e Coolan t
The cooling system should be completely drained and refilled with
new coolant according to the time
and distance recommendations in
the maintenance schedule. Only use Genuine Honda Antifreeze/Coolant.
Draining the coolant requires access
to the underside of the car. Unless
you have the tools and knowledge,
you should have this maintenance done by a skilled mechanic. 1. Turn the ignition ON (II). Slide
the heater temperature controllever to maximum heat. Turn offthe ignition. Open the hood. Makesure the engine and radiator are
cool to the touch.
2. Remove the radiator cap. 3. Loosen the drain plug on the
bottom of the radiator. Thecoolant will come out through the
hole in the splash cover.

CONTINUED

Maintenanc e
DRAI
N PLU G
Typ e S H

Coolin
g Syste m

Except Type SH only
Remove the drain bolt and washer
from the engine block. 4. Remove the reserve tank from its
holder by pulling it straight up.
Drain the coolant, then put the
tank back in its holder.
5. When the coolant stops draining, tighten the drain plug at the
bottom of the radiator.
Except Type SH only

Apply non-hardening sealant to the
drain bolt threads, put a new washer
on the drain bolt, and reinstall the
bolt in the engine block. Tighten it
securely.

Tightening torque:
61 lbf.ft (83 N.m , 8.5 kgf.m)

6. Mix the recommended antifreez
e
with an equal amount of purified or distilled water in a clean
container. The cooling system
capacity is:

With 5-speed manual transmission:

(Except Type SH)

0.87 US gal (3.3 l , 0.73 Imp gal)

(Type SH)

0.85 US gal (3.2 l , 0.70 Imp gal)

With automatic transmission:

0.85 US gal (3.2 l ,0.70 Imp gal)

Maintenanc e
DRAI
N BOL T
Excep t
Typ e S H
DRAIN PLU G


HOLDER
RESERV
E TAN K


RESERVE
TAN K CA P

Cooling
System
7. Loosen the bleeder bolt on top of the engine.
Pour coolant into the radiator up
to the base of the filler neck.
Tighten the bleeder bolt when coolant comes out in a steady
stream with no bubbles.
8. Fill the reserve tank to the MAX mark. Install the reserve tank cap. 9. Check the level in the radiator,

add coolant if needed.

10. Install the radiator cap, and tighten it to the first stop.

11. Start the engine and let it run until
the radiator fan comes on two
times. Then stop the engine. 12. Remove the radiator cap. Fill the
radiator with coolant up to the
filler neck and the reserve tank up
to the MAX mark.

13. Start the engine and hold it at 1,500 rpm until the radiator fancomes on. Turn off the engine.Check the coolant level in the
radiator and add coolant if needed.
14. Install the radiator cap, and
tighten it fully.

15. If necessary, fill the reserve tank
to the MAX mark. Install the
reserve tank cap.
Maintenance
FILLE
R NEC K
Fill u p to her e BLEEDER
BOL T

If You r Engin e Overheat s
The pointer of your car's tempera-
ture gauge should stay in the mid-
range under most conditions. It may
go higher if you are driving up a longsteep hill on a very hot day. If it
climbs to the red mark, you should determine the reason.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause serious damage to your engine.
Your car can overheat for severalreasons, such as lack of coolant or a
mechanical problem. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red mark. Or you may see steam orspray coming from under the hood.
In either case, you should take
immediate action.
1. Safely pull to the side of the road. Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.
Turn off the heating and cooling system and all other accessories.
Turn on the hazard warning indicators. 2. If you see steam and/or spray
coming from under the hood, turn
off the engine.
3. If you do not see steam or spray, leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. Ifthe high heat is due to overloading (climbing a long, steep hill on a
hot clay with the A/C running, for example), the engine should start
to cool down almost immediately. If it does, wait until the tempera-
ture gauge comes down to the mid-
point then continue driving.
4. If the temperature gauge stays at the red mark, turn off the engine.
5. Wait until you see no more signs of steam or spray, then open the
hood.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
NOTICE
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.

I
f You r Engin e Overheat s

6. Look for any obvious coolant leaks, such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot, so use caution. If you find a leak, it
must be repaired before you
continue driving (see Emergenc y
Towin g on page 258).
7. If you don't find an obvious leak, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page131). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
between the MIN and MAX marks.
8. If there was no coolant in the reserve tank, you may also have toadd coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, before check- ing the radiator. 9. Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the first stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes off. 10. Start the engine and set the
temperature control lever tomaximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the filler
neck. If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water. Remember to have the coolingsystem drained and refilled with
the proper mixture as soon as you
can.

11. Put the radiator cap back on tightly. Run the engine and watchthe temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair. (See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 258.)
12. If the temperature stays normal, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the MAX mark. Put the cap back on

tightly.

Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d

Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.

Specifications
* 1 : Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in the
engine.
Reserve tank capacity:
0.16 US gal (0.6 l , 0.13 Imp gal)
*2: Type SH
*3 : Except Type SH
*4 : Excluding the oil remaining in the engine.
Technical Informatio n
page 198 .