2000 HONDA S2000 Owners Manual

Changing a Flat Tire
4. Remove the three clips holding
the spare tire cover by pulling
straight up on the rings. Remove
the spare tire cover.
214 Taking Care of the Unexpected
5. Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of the spare tire
shelf.
6. Loosen the five wheel nuts 1/2
turn with the wheel wrench.
7. Locate the jacking point nearest
the tire you need to change.
It is
pointed to by an arrow molded into
the underside of the body. Place
the jack under the jacking point.
Turn the end bracket clockwise
until the top of the jack contacts
the jacking point. Make sure the
jacking point tab is resting
in the
jack notch.

8. Use the extension and wheel
wrench as shown to raise the car
until the flat tire is off
the ground.
9. Remove the wheel nuts and flat
tire. Temporarily place the flat tire
on the ground with the outside
surface of the wheel facing
up.
Placing the wheel face down could
mar its finish.
Changing a Flat Tire
lO.Before mounting the spare tire,
wipe any dirt off the mounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully, it may be hot from
driving.
CONTINUED
Taking Care of the Unexpected 215

Changing a Flat Tire
ll.Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on finger-tight,
then tighten them
in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel wrench
until the wheel is firmly against
the hub.
Do not try to tighten
them
fully.
216 Taking Care of the Unexpected
12.Lower the car to the ground and
remove the jack. 13.Tighten
the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
facility.
Tighten
the wheel nuts to:
80 lbf.ft (1 08 N·m, 11 kgf·m)

14.Remove the tool box from the
trunk well and replace the jack,
wheel wrench and extension
in the
tool box.
15.Place the tool box into the spare
tire shelf
in the trunk. 16.Replace
the spare tire cover.
Secure it with the three clips.
Push
each clip down securely, and pivot
the ring down flat.
17.Put the flat tire in the trunk well
vertically as shown.
Changing a Flat Tire
Taking Care of the Unexpected 217

If Your Engine Won't Start
Diagnosing why your engine won't
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you
hear when you press
the ENGINE START button.
• You hear nothing, or almost
nothing.
The engine's starter
motor does not operate at
all, or
operates very slowly.
• You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
faster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
218 Taking Care of the Unexpected
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
When you press the ENGINE
START button, you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at
all.
Check these things:
• Your car has the Immobilizer
System.
You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page 59).
A key that
is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator
in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
• Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness.
If the headlights
are very dim or don't light at
all,
the battery is discharged. See
Jump Starting on page 220.
• Press
the ENGINE START button,
then release
it. If the headlights do
not dim, check the condition of the
fuses.
If the fuses are 0 K, there is
probably something wrong with
the electrical circuit for the
ignition switch
or starter motor.
You
will need a qualified
technician to determine the
problem.
(See Emergency
Towing on page 238 .)

If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is
dis­
charged or the connections are
corroded.
Check the condition of the
battery and terminal connections
(see page 177). You can then try
jump starting the car from a booster
battery (see page 220).
The Starter Operates Normally
In this case, the starter motor's
speed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when you press the
ENGINE START button, but the
engine does not run.
• Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer to
Starting the
Engine on page 131 .
• Do you have fuel? Turn the
ignition switch to
ON (ID for a
minute and watch the fuel gauge.
The low fuel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to
fill the tank.
If Your Engine Won't Start
• There may be an electrical
problem, such as
no power to the
fuel pump.
Check all the fuses
(see page
231 ) .
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See
Emergency
Towing on page 238.
Taking Care of the Unexpected 219

Jump Starting
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.
220 Taking Care of the Unexpected
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.
To jump start your car, follow these
directions closely:
1. Open the hood and check the
physical condition of the battery
(see page 177 ) . In very cold
weather,
check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy
or like ice, do not
try jump starting
until it thaws.
NOTICE
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
and
set the parking brake.

3. Connect one jumper cable to the
positive (
+) terminal on the
booster battery. Connect the other
end to the positive (
+) terminal
on your Honda's battery.
4. Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative (
~) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the metal projection
near
the intake manifold as shown
in the illustration. Do not connect
this jumper cable to any other part
of the engine.
Jump Starting
5. If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle.
CONTINUED
Taking Care of the Unexpected 221