2000 HONDA PRELUDE service

2000 Prelude Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through\
this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.h\
elminc.com.
Contents

Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safet y........................................................................\
.........................................ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
............................................ .2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
......................................5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
........................................ .51
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
........................ 97
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................125
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... .139
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................167
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take yo ur vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
..................................................... .227
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your\
vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
..............................235
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, a nd how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
............................................ .261
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................273
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................279
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index........................................................................\
........................................................................\
...... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

Drive
r an d Passenge r Safet y

This section gives you important information about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains your Supple- mental Restraint System. And it tells
you how to properly restrain infants and children in your car.
Important Safety Precautions .......... 6
Your Car's Safety Features ..............
7

Seat Belts........................................
8

Airbags............................................
9

Seats & Seat-Backs......................
1 0

Head Restraints...........................
10

Door Locks...................................
11

Pre-Drive Safety Checklist......... 11

Protectin
g Adults............................. 12

1. Close and Lock the Doors......

12

2. Adjust the Front Seats..........
.. 13

3. Adjust the

Seat-Backs.............

14

4. Adjust the Head Restraints...
. 15

5. Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts...................................... 16

6. Adjust the
Steering Wheel.....

17

7. Maintain a Proper Sitting

Position................................
. 18
Advice for Pregnant Women...... 19 Additional Safety Precautions.... 19
Protecting Children.........................

21

All Children Must Be
Restrained................................

21

Children Should Sit in the
Back

Seat............................................

22

The Passenger's Airbag Poses Serious
Risks to Children.......

22

If You Must Drive wit

h Several
Children....................................

24

If a Child Requires Close
Attention...................................
24

Additional Safety Precaution...... 24

General Guidelines for Using
Child Seats................................25

Protecting Infants........................ 29

Protecting Small Children.......... 33 Protecting Larger Children........ 36

Using Child Seats with Tethers......................................40
Additional Information About Your
Seat Belts.................................. 42

Seat Belt System Components... 42

Lap/Shoulder Belt....................... 42

Seat Belt Maintenance................ 44

Additional Information About Your
SRS............................................45

SRS Components......................... 45 How Your Airbags Work............ 45
How the SRS Indicator Light
Works........................................47

SRS Service................................... 47
Additional Safety Precautions.... 48
Carbon Monoxide Hazard.............. 49
Safety Labels.................................... 50
Driver an d Passenge r Safet y

Additional Informatio n Abou t You r SR S

Ho w th e SR S Indicato r
Ligh
t
Work s
The purpose of the SRSlight is to alert you to a
potential problem with your Supplemental Restraint System.
When you turn the ignition ON (II), this indicator will light up briefly
then go out. This tells you that the system is working properly.
However, if the light comes on at any
other time, you should have the system checked by your dealer. For

example:
If the SRS indicator light does not
come on after

you
turn the ignition
ON

(II).
If the light
stays on after the
engine starts. If the light comes on or flashes on
and off while you drive.
If you see any of these indications,
your airbags may not deploy when
you need them. See your Honda dealer as soon as possible. SR
S Servic e
Your Supplemental Restraint System is virtually maintenance-free, and
there are no parts you can safely service. However, you must have
your car serviced if:
Your airbags ever inflate. The

airbags and the control unit must
be replaced. Do not try to remove or replace the airbags yourself.
This must be done by a Honda dealer or a knowledgeable body

shop.
The SRS indicator light alerts you

to a problem. Take your car to an
authorized Honda dealer as soon
as possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inflate when you need them (see
page 45).
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

SRS

Ignoring the SRS indicator light
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags do not inflate when needed.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS light alerts you to a potential problem.

Befor
e Drivin g
Before you begin driving your Honda,
you should know what gasoline to use, and how to check the levels of
important fluids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggageor packages. The information in this
section will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your car,
please read the information in this
section first.
Break-in Period.............................. 126

Gasoline.......................................... 126

Service Station Procedures .......... 127 Filling the Fuel Tank................. 127

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

Oil Check................................ 130
Engine Coolant Check.......... 131

Fuel Economy................................ 132
Vehicle Condition...................... 132
Driving Habits............................ 132
Accessories and Modifications.... 133
Accessories................................. 133Modifications............................. 134
Additional Safety Precaution.... 134

Carrying Cargo.............................. 135

Load Limit.................................. 136

Carrying Items in the Passenger Compartment......................... 136

Carrying Cargo in the Trunk or
on a Roof Rack....................... 137

Before Drivin g

Break-i
n Period , Gasolin e

Break-i n Perio d

Help assure your car's future
reliability and performance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period: Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid

acceleration.

Avoid hard braking. New brakes need to be broken-in by moderate
use for the first 200 miles (300

km).

You shoul
d follow these
same re-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the

brakes are relined.
Gasolin
e

Your Honda is designed to operate on premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane number of 91 or higher.
If you are unable to find premium
unleaded gasoline, you may substi-
tute an unleaded regular gasoline.
The engine will compensate for the lower octane, but you may notice aslight decrease in power as a result.
We recommend gasolines containing detergent additives that help prevent
fuel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead willdamage your car's emissions In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emission control system performance may deteriorate andthe Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on. If this happens, contact yourauthorized Honda dealer for service.
Befor e Drivin g

Servic
e Statio n Procedure s

Fillin g th e Fue l Tan k

1. Because the fuel fill cap is on the driver's side of the car, park with
that side closest to the service station pumps.
2. Open the fuel fill door by pulling on the handle to the left of the
driver's seat.
3. Remove the fuel fill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound aspressure inside the tank escapes.Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.
4. Stop filling the tank after the fuel nozzle automatically clicks off. Donot try to "top off" the tank, leavesome room for the fuel to expand
with temperature changes.
Your car has an on-board refueling vapor recovery system to helpkeep fuel vapors from going into
the atmosphere. If the fuel pump
keeps clicking off even though the
tank is not full, there may be a
problem with this system. Consult
your dealer.
CONTINUED

Befor e Drivin g
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.
Stop the engine and keepheat, sparks, and flame awayHandle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.
FUEL FIL L CA P

Pul
l

Service Statio n Procedure s
5. Screw the fuel fill cap back on,
tighten it until it clicks severaltimes. If you do not properly
tighten the cap, the Malfunction
Indicator Lamp may come on (see
page 250).
6. Push the fuel fill door closed until it latches. Openin
g th e Hoo d
1. Shift to Park or Neutral and set the parking brake. Pull the hoodrelease handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly. 2. Standing in front of the car, put
your fingers under the front edgeof the hood to the right of center.
Slide your hand to the left until
you feel the hood latch handle. Push this handle up until it
releases the hood. Lift the hood.
Befor e Drivin g HOOD
RELEAS E HANDL E
LATCH

Service
Statio n Procedures
If you can open the hood without
lifting the hood latch handle, or the
hood latch handle moves stiffly or does not spring back as before, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated (see page 196).
3. Pull the support rod out of its clipand insert the end into the hole on
the left side of the hood.
To close the hood, lift it up slightly to remove the support rod from the
hole. Put the support rod back into
its holding clip. Lower the hood toabout a foot (30 cm) above the
fender, then let it drop. After closing the hood, make sure it
is securely latched.

Before Drivin g

CONTINUED

SUPPOR
T RO D

CLI P