Page 19 of 273

Protecting Adults 
If a seat  belt does  not seem  to work 
as  it should,  it may  not protect 
the 
occupant in a crash. No  one should 
sit in a seat with  an inoperative seat 
belt. Anyone  using a seat  belt that is 
not  working  properly  can be 
seriously  injured or killed.  Have your 
Honda  dealer check 
the belt as soon 
as  possible. 
See page 33 for  additional 
information about  your seat belt 
system  and how  to take  care  of your 
belts. 
16 Driver and Passenger Safety 
5.Maintain a Proper Sitting 
Position 
After  occupants  have adjusted  their 
seats  and put on seat  belts,  it is  very 
important 
that they  continue  to sit 
upright,  well back  in their  seats,  with 
their  feet on the  floor,  until the car is 
parked  and the engine  is off. 
Sitting  improperly  can increase  the 
chance  of injury  during  a crash.  For 
example, 
if an  occupant  slouches, 
lies  down,  turns sideways,  sits 
forward,  leans forward  or sideways, 
or  puts  one or both  feet up, the 
chance  of injury  during  a crash  is 
greatly  increased. 
In  addition,  an occupant  who is out  of 
position  can be seriously  or fatally 
injured  by striking  interior parts of 
the  car,  or by  being  struck  by an 
inflating  airbag. 
Sitting improperly or out of 
position  can 
result in serious 
injury  or death 
in a crash. 
Always sit upright, well back in 
the  seat,  with your  feet on the 
floor. 
Remember,  to get the best 
protection from your car's airbags 
and  other  safety  features,  you must 
sit  properly  and wear  your seat belt 
properly.  
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 40 of 273

How the Automatic Seat Belt 
Tensioners Work 
Your Honda has automatic  seat belt 
tensioners  for added protection 
during  a moderate  to severe  frontal 
collision. 
If your  airbags  inflate, the tensioners 
immediately  tighten the front 
seat 
belts  to help  hold  the occupants  in 
place. 
The belts  will remain  tight 
until  you unbuckle 
them in the 
normal  way. 
Additional Information About Your SRS 
How the SRS Indicator Light 
Works 
~ ~he J?Urpose of the SRS 
~ hght 1s 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  and 
seat belt tensioners 
may  not deploy  when you need  them. 
See  your  Acura  dealer  as soon  as 
possible. 
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. 
Driver and Passenger Safety 37  
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 48 of 273

~ 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  
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 50 of 273

Liquid crystal  is used in the  meter 
panel.  You may feel the indicators 
appear  slowly 
in the low temperature. 
Speedometer 
This  shows  your speed  in miles  per 
hour  (mph)  or kilometers  per hour 
(km/h).  Select 
Button 
The Select button  switches  the 
speedometer  reading between  miles 
per  hour  and kilometer  per hour. 
It 
also  changes  the odometer  and trip 
meters  to read  in miles  or kilometers 
correspondingly.  To change  the 
readings,  push the Select  button  and 
hold  it until  you 
hear a beep. 
Gauges 
Tachometer 
The tachometer  shows the engine 
speed 
in revolutions  per minute 
(rpm).  To protect  the engine  from 
damage,  never drive with the 
tachometer  reading in the  red  zone. 
Temperature  Gauge 
This  shows  the temperature  of the 
engine's  coolant. During normal 
operation,  the reading  should be 
in 
the middle  of the  gauge.  In severe 
driving  conditions,  such as very  hot 
weather  or a long  period  of uphill 
driving,  the reading  may reach  near 
the  red  mark. 
If it reaches  the red 
mark,  pull safely  to the  side  of the 
road. 
Turn to  page 223 for 
instructions  and precautions  on 
checking 
the engine's  cooling 
system. 
Instruments and Controls 4 7  
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 118 of 273

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 luggage 
or  packages. 
The information  in this 
section  will help  you. 
If you plan  to 
add  any accessories  to your  vehicle, 
· 
please  read the information  in this 
section  first. 
Before Driving 
Break-in Period ..............................  116 
Gasoline  ..........................................  116 
Service  Station Procedures  .......... 
117 
Filling the Fuel Tank ................. 117 
Opening the Hood  ..................... 118 
Oil Check  ................................ 119 
Engine  Coolant  Check .......... 120 
Fuel Economy  ................................ 121 
Car Condition  ............................. 121 
Driving Habits ............................ 121 
Accessories  and Modifications .... 122 
Accessories  ................................. 122 
Modifications  ............................. 123 
Additional Safety Precaution .... 123 
Carrying  Cargo .............................. 124 
General  Precautions  ...................... 127 
Before Driving 115  
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 122 of 273
3. Pull the support rod out of its  clip 
and  insert 
the end into the hole  on 
the front  of the hood  around the 
center. 
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  to about  a foot (30 em)  above 
the fender, then let it drop. 
After  closing 
the hood, make sure 
it  is  securely  latched. 
Oil Check 
Check the engine oil level every  time 
you 
fill the car  with  fuel. Wait  a few 
minutes  after turning 
the engine  off 
before  you check 
the oil. 
1. Remove the dipstick  (black 
handle). 
Service  Station Procedures 
2. Wipe the dipstick  with a clean 
cloth 
or paper  towel. 
CONTINUED 
Before Driving 119  
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 123 of 273
Service Station Procedures 
3. Insert it all the way  back in its tube. 4. Remove  the dipstick  again and 
check  the level. 
It should  be 
between  the upper  and lower 
marks. 
120 Before Driving 
If it  is  near  or below  the lower  mark, 
see 
Adding Oil on  page  157. 
Engine  Coolant Check 
Look at the  coolant  level in the 
radiator  reserve tank. Make  sure it is 
between 
the MAX and  MIN  lines. If 
it is  below  the MIN  line, see Adding 
Engine  Coolant 
on page 161 for 
information  on adding  the proper 
coolant. 
Refer  to 
Owner Maintenance 
Checks 
on  page 155 for  information 
on  checking  other items 
in your 
Honda.  
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 124 of 273

The condition of your  car and  your 
driving  habits are the  two  most 
important  things 
that affect the fuel 
mileage  you get. 
Car Condition 
Always  maintain  your car according 
to  the  maintenance  schedule. This 
will keep it in top operating  condition. 
An  important  part of that  mainte
nance  is the 
Owner Maintenance 
Checks 
(see  page 155 ). For 
example,  an underinflated  tire 
causes  more 
"rolling  resistance," 
which uses fuel.  It also  wears  out 
faster,  so check  the tire  pressure 
at 
least  monthly. 
In  winter,  the build-up  of snow  on 
your  car's  underside  adds weight  and 
rolling  resistance.  Frequent cleaning 
helps  your fuel mileage  and reduces 
the  chance  of corrosion. 
Driving  Habits 
You can improve  fuel economy  by 
driving  moderately.  Rapid acceler
ation,  abrupt  cornering,  and hard 
braking  use more  fuel. 
Always  drive 
in the highest  gear that 
allows  the engine  to run  and  acceler
ate  smoothly. 
Depending  on traffic  conditions,  try 
to  maintain  a constant  speed. Every 
time  you slow  down  and speed  up, 
your  car uses  extra  fuel. 
Use the 
cruise  control,  when appropriate,  to 
increase  fuel economy. 
A  cold  engine  uses more  fuel than  a 
warm  engine. 
It is not  necessary  to 
"warm-up" a cold  engine  by letting  it 
idle  for a long  time.  You can drive 
away 
in about  a minute,  no matter 
how  cold it is  outside. 
The engine 
will warm  up faster,  and you get 
better  fuel economy. To cut down  on 
the  number  of 
"cold starts," try to 
Fuel  Economy 
combine  several short trips into one. 
The air conditioning  puts an extra 
load  on the  engine  which makes  it 
use  more  fuel. 
Turn off the A/C to 
cut  down  on air  conditioning  use. 
Use the flow-through  ventilation 
when  the outside  air temperature  is 
moderate. 
Before Driving 121