2000 HONDA S2000 Owners Manual

Air Conditioning System
Your car's air conditioning is a sealed
system. Any major maintenance,
such as recharging, should
be done
by a qualified mechanic. You can do
a couple of things to
make sure the
air conditioning works efficiently.
Periodically
check the engine's
radiator and air conditioning
condenser for leaves, insects, and
dirt
stuck to the front surface. These
block the air flow and reduce cooling
efficiency.
Use a light spray from a
hose or a soft
brush to remove them.
NOTICE
The condenser and radiator fins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure
~pray
or soft-bristle brush to clean them.
182 Maintenance
Run the air conditioning at least once
a
week during the cold weather
months. Run it for at least ten
minutes while you are driving at a
steady speed with
the engine at
normal operating temperature. This
circulates the lubricating oil con­
tained in
the refrigerant.
If the air conditioning does not get as
cold
as before, have your dealer
check the system. Recharge the
system with Refrigerant HFC-134a
(R-134a). (See Specifications on page
245.)
NOTICE
Whenever you have the air conditioning
system serviced, make sure the service
facility uses a refrigerant recycling
system. This system captures the
refrigerant
for reuse. Releasing
refrigerant into the atmosphere can
damage the environment.

The air conditioning filter removes
pollen and dust from outside air the
heating and cooling system brings
into the interior.
It should be
replaced according to the time and
distance recommendations
in the
maintenance schedule.
This filter should be replaced every
30,000 miles (48,000 km) under
normal conditions.
It should be
replaced every
15,000 miles (24,000
km) if you drive primarily in urban
areas that have high concentrations
of soot in the air from industry and
diesel-powered vehicles. Replace it
more often
if air flow from the
climate control system becomes less
than usual. Have the air conditioning
filter replaced by your Honda dealer.
Replacement
The air conditioning filter is located
in the engine compartment on the
passenger's side near the base of the
windshield.
1. Open the hood. Unclip the
windshield base by pulling it
up.
Air Conditioning Filter
2. Push the tab on the air
conditioning filter to unlock it
from the holder.
3. Remove the old filter. Put a new
filter in the holder and push it in
until it locks.
4. Put the pins on the windshield
base into their mating holes on the
support, and push the base down
until the pins snap
in.
Maintenance 183

Drive Belt
You should check the condition of
the drive belt every 2 years. Examine
the edges of belt for cracks or
fraying.
184
Maintenance
An auto-tensioner adjusts the tension
of the drive belt.
The pointer on the auto-tensioner
should be between
the two lines of
the indicator.
If the pointer is not
between
the lines, contact your
Honda dealer.

To safely operate your car, your tires
must be
the proper type and size, in
good condition with adequate tread,
and correctly inflated.
The following
pages give more detailed information
on how and when to check air
pressure, how to inspect your tires
for damage and wear, and what to
do
when your tires need to be replaced.
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash
in which you can
be
seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all
instructions in this
owner's
manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.
Tires
Inflation
Keeping the tires properly inflated
provides the
best combination of
handling, tread life and riding
comfort. Underinflated tires wear
unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more
likely to fail from being overheated.
Overinflated tires can make your car
ride more harshly, are more prone to
damage from road hazards, and wear
unevenly.
We recommend that you visually
check your tires every day.
If you
think a tire might be
low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.
CONTINUED
Maintenance 185

Tires
Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month. Even
tires that are
in good condition may
lose one to two psi
(10 to 20 kPa, 0.1
to 0.2 kgf/ cm2
) per month.
Remember to check the spare tire at
the same
time you check all the
other tires.
Check the pressure in the tires when
they are cold. This means the car
has been parked for at least three
hours. If you have to drive the car
before checking the tire pressure,
the tires can still be considered
"cold" if you drive less than 1 mile
(1.6 km).
186 Maintenance
If you check the pressure when the
tires are hot (the car has been driven
several miles), you
will see readings
4 to 6 psi
(30 to 40 kPa, 0.3 to 0.4
kgf/cm2
) higher than the cold
reading. This is normal. Do not let
air out to match the specified cold
pressure.
The tire will be
underinflated.
You should get your own tire
pressure gauge and use it whenever
you check your tire pressures. This
will make it easier for you to tell if a
pressure loss is due to a tire problem
and not due to a variation between
gauges.
Recommended Tire Pressures for
Normal Driving
The following chart shows the
recommended cold tire pressures for
most normal driving conditions and
speeds. Tire pressures for high
speed driving are
the same as for
normal driving.
Fro=n~t:~~---,--~~---------, Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure
205/55R16 89W
Rear:
Tire Size
225/50R16 92W
for Normal Driving
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2
kgf/cm2
)
I Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving
! 32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2
L_ ___________ .L.I __ k.=..gf_lc_m_2_) _ --·-·-·-·-·-
The compact spare tire pressure is:
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm2
)
These pressures are also given on
the tire information label on the
driver's doorjamb.

Tubeless tires have some ability to
self-seal
if they are punctured.
However, because leakage is often
very slow, you should look closely
for punctures if a tire starts losing
pressure.
Inspection
Every time you check inflation, you
should also examine the tires for
damage, foreign objects, and wear.
You should look for:
• Bumps or bulges in the tread or
side of the tire. Replace the tire
if
you find either of these conditions.
• Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side
of the tire. Replace the tire
if you
can see fabric or cord.
• Excessive tread wear.
Tires
Your car's tires have wear indicators
molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down to that point, you
will see a
1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide
band running across the tread.
This
shows there is less than 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) of tread left on the tire. A
tire
that is this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace
the tire if you can see the
tread wear indicator in three or more
places around the tire.
Maintenance 187

Tires
Maintenance
In addition to proper inflation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear.
If you find a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
The tires were properly balanced by
the factory.
They may need to be
rebalanced at some time before they
are worn out. Have your dealer
check the tires
if you feel a consis­
tent vibration while driving. A tire
should always be rebalanced if it is
removed from
the wheel for repair.
188 Maintenance
Make sure the installer balances the
wheels when you have new tires
installed. This increases riding
comfort and tire life.
Your car's
original tires were dynamic or
"spin"
balanced at the factory. For best
results, have the installer perform a
dynamic balance.
NOTICE
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle's aluminum wheels.
Use
only Genuine Honda wheel weights for
balancing.
Tire Rotation
You should not rotate your Honda's
tires.
The front and rear tires are
different sizes, so they cannot be
rotated front-to-rear.
The original­
equipment tires on your Honda have
a unidirectional tread pattern, so
they cannot be rotated side-to-side.
Tire Wear
The tires that came on your car were
designed and constructed to provide
superior grip during acceleration,
braking, and cornering. As a trade­
off, they
will wear more rapidly than
tires used on ordinary passenger
cars. Because of the car's weight
distribution, and the fact that they
are the driving wheels, you may
expect the
rear tires to wear more
rapidly than the front tires.

You should carefully inspect your
car's tires for wear, damage, and
proper inflation every
7,500 miles
(12,000 km) (see page 186 ) .
Replacing Tires and Wheels
The tires that came with your car
were selected to match the perform­
ance capabilities of the car while
providing the best combination of
handling, ride comfort, and long life.
You should replace them with radial
tires of the same size, load range,
speed rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire's sidewall). Mixing radial and
bias-ply tires on your car can reduce
its braking ability, traction, and
steering accuracy.
Tires
Installing improper tires on your
car can affect
handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always
use the size and type of
tires recommended
in this
owner's
manual.
It is best to replace all four tires at
the same time. If that is not possible
or necessary, then replace the two
front tires or the two
rear tires as a
pair. Replacing just one tire can
seriously affect your car's handling.
CONTINUED
Maintenance 189