2000 HONDA PRELUDE brake

Automati
c Transmissio n

Par k (P ) — This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning off or starting the engine. To shift out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your foot off the accelerator pedal. Move the shift
lever to the right to shift out of the
Park position.
If you have done all of the above and still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on page
151.

To avoid transmission damage, cometo a complete stop before shiftinginto Park. The shift lever must be inPark before you can remove the key
from the ignition switch. Revers
e (R ) — To shift to Reverse
from Park, see the explanation under Park. To shift to Reverse from
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift.
Your car has a reverse lockout so you cannot accidentally shift to Reverse from Neutral or any other
driving position when the car speed
exceeds 7 — 9 mph (12 — 14 km/h).
If you cannot shift to Reverse when
the car is stopped, press the brake
pedal and slowly shift to Neutral
then to Reverse.
If there is a problem in the reverse
lockout system, or your car's battery
is disconnected or goes dead, you
cannot shift to Reverse. In this case,
use the procedure of Shift LockRelease (see page 151).
Drivin g

Automati
c Transmissio n

Neutra l (N ) — Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the car for any reason. Press on the brake pedal
when you are moving the shift lever
from Neutral to another gear.
Driv e (D 4) — Use this position for
your normal driving. The transmis- sion automatically selects a suitable
gear for your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission shifting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps the engine warm up faster.
Sequential SportShift Mode — With

the shift lever in "D4" position, you can select the Sequential SportShift
mode to shift gears; much like a
manual transmission, but without a clutch pedal.
To enter the Sequential SportShift mode, slide the shift lever further to
the left. To return to "D4", slide theshift lever to the right.
In the Sequential SportShift mode, each time you push forward on theshift, lever, the transmission shifts to
a higher gear. Pull back on the lever
to downshift. The number of the
gear selected is displayed next to the "D4" indicator (see page 144).
If you slide the shift lever from "D4"
to the Sequential SportShift mode,
the display shows the selected gear.
If you selected "4", you will see /4/
next to "D4" in the display. The Shift
Lever Position Indicator will show the gear you selected while in the
sequential sportshift mode. If youselect the Sequential SportShift
while the car is stopped, the transmission automatically selects
first gear and the display shows /1/.
CONTINUED

Upshif
t

Downshift

Drivin g

Automati
c Transmissio n

When you accelerate away from a
stop, the transmission will be in first

gear. The transmission will not
automatically upshift. Watch the

tachometer and upshift manually

before the engine reaches redline.
The transmission remains in the
selected gear (4, 3, 2, or 1). There is
no automatic downshift when you
push the accelerator pedal to the

floor.

The transmission may automatically downshift from fourth gear to third"
gear under the following conditions: The car speeds drops below

20 mph (32 km/h).
If you drive uphill between

20 — 31 mph (32 — 50 km/h).

If you press the brake pedal as you

drive downhill.
Downshifting gives you more power
when climbing or provides engine
braking when going down a steep hill.
The transmission will also shift automatically as the car comes to a
complete stop. It will downshift to
first gear when the car speed is under 6 mph (10 km/h).
If you try to manually downshift at aspeed that would cause the engine to
exceed the redline in a lower gear,
the transmission will not downshift.
If you try to downshift from fourth
gear to third gear, the gear indicator
will flash /3/ several times, then
return to /4/; if yo
u try to downshift
from third gear to second gear, the
gear indicator will flash /2/ several
times, then return to third gear.

Drivin g

Automati
c Transmissio n

Secon d (2 ) — This position locks
the transmission in second gear. It does not downshift to first gear
when you come to a stop. Second gives you more power when climbing,
and increased engine braking when
going down steep hills, Use second
gear when starting out on a slippery surface or in deep snow. It will help
reduce wheelspin. Firs
t (1 ) — With the lever in this
position, the transmission locks in
First gear.
If you shift into First position when
the car speed exceeds 31 mph (50
km/h), the transmission shifts into Second gear first to avoid the
application of the sudden engine
brake. Engin
e Spee d Limite r
If you exceed the maximum speed
for the gear you are in, the engine speed will enter into the tachometer's
red zone. If this occurs, you may feel
the engine cut in and out. This is caused by a limiter in the engine's
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.

Drivin g

Automati
c Transmissio n

Shif t Loc k Releas e
This allows you to move the shift lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal does not work. This procedure
also releases the Reverse Lockout.
1. Set the Parking brake.
2. Make sure the key is in the
ignition switch OFF (0) position.
To release the Reverse Lockout,
make sure the key is in the
ACCESSORY (I) position.
3. Put a cloth on the edge of the Shift Lock Release slot cover next to
the shift lever.
Use a small flat-tipped screwdriver
or small metal plate (neither are
included in the tool kit) to remove
the cover. Carefully pry off the
edge of the cover. 4. Insert a screwdriver in the shift
lock release slot.
5. Push down on the screwdriver and move the shift lever out of Park to
Neutral.
To release the Reverse Lockout, move the shift lever from Neutral
to Reverse, then Park. 6. Remove the screwdriver from the
shift lock release slot, then install
a new cover.
Depress the brake pedal and
restart the engine.
If you need to use the Shift Lock Release, it means your car is
developing a problem. Have the car
checked by your Honda dealer.
Driving
SHIF
T LOC K
RELEAS E SLO T
COVE R

Parkin
g

Always use the parking brake when you park your car. The indicator onthe instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not fully released; itdoes not indicate that the parking
brake is firmly set. Make sure the
parking brake is set firmly or your car may roll if it is parked on an

incline.

If your car has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
before you put the transmission in Park. This keeps the car from
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission — making it easier to
move the shift lever out of Park
when you want to drive away. If the car is facing uphill, turn the
front wheels away from the curb. If
you have a manual transmission, put it in first gear.
If the car is facing downhill, turn the
front wheels toward the curb. If you
have a manual transmission, put it in reverse gear.
Make sure the parking brake is fully
released before driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes. Parkin
g Tip s
• Make sure the moonroof and the windows are closed.
Turn off the lights. Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you.
Lock the doors with the key or the
remote transmitter. Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other flammable materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on

fire.

Drivin g

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