2000 HONDA PRELUDE hood open

If You r Engin e Won' t Start , Jum p Startin g
The Starte r Operate s Normall y
In this case, the starter motor's speed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when yon turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.
Are you using the proper starting procedure? Refer to Startin g th e
Engin e on page 141.
Do you have fuel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the fuel gauge.
The low fuel level warning light may not be working, so you werenot reminded to fill the tank.
There may be an electrical problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses
(see page 254).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 258 . Jum
p Startin g
If your car's battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
you should take several precautions.
You cannot start a Honda with an automatic transmission by pushing
or pulling it. To jump start your car, follow these
directions closely:
1. Open the hood and check the physical condition of the battery(see page 198). In very cold
weather, check the condition of the electrolyte. If it seems slushyor like ice, do not try jump starting
until it 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. Turn off all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, stereo system,
lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
NOTIC E

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.

Lo
w Oi l Pressur e Indicato r
LO W OI L PRESSUR E INDICATO R

This indicator should light when the ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
after the engine starts. It shouldnever come on when the engine is
running. If it starts flashing, it
indicates that the oil pressure dropped very low for a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure
and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action.
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical damage almost immediately. Turn offthe engine as soon as yon can safely get
the car stopped.

1. Safely pull off the road and shut off the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
2. Let the car sit for a minute. Open the hood and check the oil level(see page 130). Although oil level
and oil pressure are not directly connected, an engine that is very
low on oil can lose pressure during cornering and other driving

maneuvers.

3. If necessary, add oil to bring the level back to the full mark on thedipstick (see page 181). 4. Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the lightdoes not go out within ten seconds,
turn off the engine. There is a mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired before you can continue driving. (See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 258.)

Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d NOTIC
E

Fuse
s

All the electrical circuits in your car have fuses to protect them from ashort circuit or overload. These
fuses are located in two fuse boxes.
The under-hood fuse box is locatedin the back of the engine compart-ment on the passenger's side. Toopen it, push the tab as shown. The interior fuse box is underneath
the dashboard on the driver's side.
To open it, turn the knob as shown.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
UNDER-HOO
D
TA
B

INTERIO R

KNOB

Inde
x

Halogen Headlight Bulbs..............
214

Hazard Warning Flashers...............
65

Headlights Aiming......................................... 213
Daytime Running Lights............
. 62
High Beam Indicator................... 62 High Beams, Turning on............ 62
Low Beams, Turning on............. 62
Reminder Chime.......................... 62

Replacing Halogen Bulbs......... 214

Turning on....................................

62

Head Restraints............................... 82
Heating and
Cooling........................ 98
High Altitude, Stalling at.............. 141
High-Low Beam Switch .................. 62
High-mount Brake Light............... 221

Hood Latch..................................... 196

Hood, Opening the........................ 128

Horn................................................... 61

Hot Coolant, Warning About........ 185
Hydraulic Clutch............................ 194

Hydroplaning.................................. 159
Identification Number, Vehicle.... 262
If Your Car Has to be Towed....... 258
Ignition
Keys............................................... 70
Switch............................................ 72
Timing Control System............. 27

1

Immobilizer System......................... 7
1

Indicator Lights. Instrument
Panel.............................................. 53

Infan
t Restraint................................ 29

Inflation, Proper Tire .................... 205 High Speed Driving................... 266Normal Driving.......................... 206

Inside Mirror.................................... 88

Inspection, Tire.............................. 206
Instrument Panel............................. 52
Instrument Panel Brightness......... 63
Interior Cleaning............................ 230

Interior Lights.................................. 94

Introduction.........................................

i

Jacking up the Car......................... 23
9
Jack, Tire........................................ 238

Jump Starting................................. 244

Keys................................................... 70
Label, Certification........................ 262
Lane Change, Signaling.................. 63
Lap/Shoulder Belts......................... 42
Leaking of Exhaust into Car.......... 49

Learning Key.................................... 7

1

Lights
Bulb Replacement..................... 214

Indicator........................................ 5
3

Parking.......................................... 62

Turn Signal................................... 63

Loading Cargo................................ 135

LOCK (Ignition Key Position)....... 73
CONTINUED

Index
Locks
Anti-theft Steering Column........ 73
Fuel Fill Door............................. 127Glove Box..................................... 79
Power Door.................................. 74
Trunk............................................ 78
Low Coolant Level......................... 131
Lower Gear, Downshifting to a.... 142
Low Fuel Indicator .......................... 57
Low Oil Pressure Indicator.... 55, 248
Lubricant Specifications
Chart........................................... 264
Luggage.......................................... 135
Maintenance................................... 167
Owner Maintenance Checks.... 179
Record.................................. 177-178
Required Indicator....................... 60
Schedule.............................. 170-176
Malfunction Indicator Lamp .. 55, 250
Manual Transmission.................... 142
Manual Transmission Fluid ......... 192
Maximum Allowable Speeds................................. 143, 150
Meters, Gauges................................ 58
Methanol in Gasoline.................... 268
Mirrors, Adjusting........................... 88
Moonroof.......................................... 87
Closing Manually....................... 252
Operation...................................... 87
Neutral Gear Position.................... 147
New Vehicle Break-in ................... 126
Normal Shift Speeds...................... 143
NOTICE, Explanation of.................... i
Numbers, Identification................ 262
Octane Requirement, Gasoline.... 126
Odometer.......................................... 58
Odometer, Trip................................ 58
Oil Change, How to ......................... 183
Change, When to....................... 172
Checking Engine....................... 130
Pressure Indicator............... 55, 248
Selecting Proper Viscosity
Chart....................................... 182
ON (Ignition Key Position) ............ 73
Opening the Hood ......................... 128
Opening the Trunk.......................... 78
Operation in Foreign Countries... 269
Outside Mirrors............................... 88
Overheating, Engine..................... 246
Panel Brightness Control............... 63
Park Gear Position......................... 146
Parking............................................ 152
Parking Brake.................................. 89 Parking Lights.................................. 62
Parking Over Things that Burn... 272
PGM-FI System.............................. 271
Polishing and Waxing................... 229
Power
Door Locks................................... 74
Mirrors.......................................... 88
Steering....................................... 194
Windows....................................... 85
Pregnancy, Using Seat Belts.......... 19