2000 HONDA S2000 ABS

Your Car's Safety Features
Your car is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passenger
during a crash.
Some safety features
do not require
any action on your part. These
include a strong steel framework
that forms a safety cage around the
passenger compartment; front and
rear crush zones that are designed to
crumple and absorb energy during a
crash; a collapsible steering column;
and seat belt tensioners that
automatically tighten the seat belts
in the event of a crash.
These safety features are designed
to reduce the severity of injuries
in a
crash. However, you and your
passenger can't take full advantage
of these safety features unless you
remain sitting in a proper position
and
always wear your seat belts
properly. In fact, some safety
features can contribute to injuries
if
they are not used properly.
Driver and Passenger Safety 7

Your Car's Safety Features
Seats & Seat-Backs
Your car's seats are designed to keep
you in a comfortable, upright
position so you can take full
advantage of
the protection offered
by seat belts and the energy
absorbing materials in
the seats.
How you adjust your seats and seat­
backs can also affect your safety.
For
example, sitting too close to the
steering wheel or dashboard
increases the risk of you
or your
passenger being injured by striking
the inside of the car, or by an
inflating airbag.
Reclining a seat-back too far reduces
the seat belt's effectiveness and
increases
the chance that the seat's
occupant
will slide under the seat
belt
in a crash and be seriously
injured.
10 Driver and Passenger Safety
What you should do: Move the seats
as far back as possible, and keep
adjustable seat-backs in an upright
position whenever
the car is moving.
Head Restraints
Head restraints can help protect you
from whiplash and other injuries.
Door Locks
Keeping your doors locked reduces
the chance of being thrown out of
the car during a crash.
It also helps
prevent occupants from accidentally
opening a door and falling out, and
outsiders from unexpectedly opening
your doors.

~ Supplemen~al Restraint
~ System Indicator
This indicator lights when you turn
the ignition switch
0 N (II). If it
comes on at any other time, it
indicates a problem in
the
supplemental restraint system. For
complete information, see page 37.
U.S. Canada
I ABS II@) I
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Indicator
This light normally comes on for a
few seconds when you turn the
ignition switch
ON (II), and when
you push the START button.
If this
light comes on at any other time,
there
is a problem in the ABS. If this
happens, take the car to your dealer
to have it checked. With
the light on,
your car still
has normal braking
ability but no anti-lock.
~ Malfunction Indicator
~Lamp
See page 228 .
I F¥ I Trunk-open Indicator
This light comes on if the trunk lid is
not closed tightly.
[I] Door-open Indicator
This light comes on if either door is
not closed tightly.
Indicator Lights
~ Electric Power Steering
~ (EPS) Indicator
This light normally comes on when
you turn the ignition
ON (II) and
goes off after the engine starts.
If it
comes on at any other time, there is
a problem
in the Electric Power
Steering system. If this happens,
stop the car
in a safe place and turn
off the engine. Reset the system by
restarting the engine, and watch the
EPS light. If it does not go off, or
comes back on again while driving,
take the car to your dealer to have it
checked. With the light
on, the EPS
is turned off, making the car harder
to steer.
Instruments and Controls 45

Mirrors, Parking Brake
3. Push the appropriate edge of the
adjustment switch to move the
mirror right, left, up or down.
4. When you finish, move the
selector switch to the center (off)
position. This turns off the
adjustment switch
so you can't
move a mirror out of position by
accidentally bumping the switch.
80 Instruments and Controls
Parking Brake
To apply the parking brake, pull the
lever up fully.
To release it, pull up
slightly, push the button, and lower
the lever.
The parking brake light on
the instrument panel should go out
when the parking brake is fully
released (see page
44 ) . If you try to
drive the vehicle without releasing
the parking brake, the ABS indicator
may come on, and the ABS may not
work properly.
I NOTICE
Driving the car with the parking brake
applied can damage the rear brakes
and axles.

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual transmission.
It also includes
important information on parking
your car, and
the braking system.
Driving
Preparing to Drive ......................... 130
Starting the Engine ........................ 131
Starting in Cold Weather
at High Altitude .....................
132
6-speed Manual Transmission ..... 133
Recommended Shift Points ...... 134
Engine
Speed Limiter ............... 134
Reverse Lockout.. ...................... 134
Parking ............................................ 135
The Braking System ...................... 136
Brake Wear Indicators ..............
136
Brake System Design ................ 137
Anti-lock Brakes ........................ 137
Important Safety
Reminders ..........................
138
ABS Indicator ......................... 139
Driving in Bad Weather ................ 140
Towing a Trailer ............................ 141
Driving 129

The Braking System
Your Honda is equipped with disc
brakes at
all four wheels. A power
assist 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.
136 Driving
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.
Brake Wear Indicators
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."

Brake System Design
The hydraulic system that operates
the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the car (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-lock Brakes
Your car 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.
The Braking System
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.
CONTINUED
Driving 137

The Braking System
You should never pump the
brake 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.
138
Driving
Important Safety Reminders
ABS does not reduce the time or
distance it takes to stop the car, it
only helps with steering control
during braking. You should always
maintain a safe following distance
from other vehicles.
ABS will not prevent a skid that
results from changing direction
abruptly, such as trying to take a
corner too fast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed for the road and
weather conditions.
ABS cannot prevent a loss of
stability. Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard.
Severe
or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your car to veer into
oncoming traffic
or off the road.
A car with ABS may require a
longer
distance to stop on loose or
uneven surfaces, such as gravel
or
snow, than a car without anti-lock.
Slow down and allow a greater
distance between cars under those
conditions.