2000 HONDA S2000 towing

2000 S2000 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

Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety........................................................................\
........................................ .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........................................................................\
........................................ .41
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
....................... 85
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................115
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... .129
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................143
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take yo ur vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
..................................................... .203
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your\
vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
..............................211
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, a nd how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
............................................ .241
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................253
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................259
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. Owner's Identification Form

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

Traction -Check your tires
frequently for wear and proper
pressure. Both are important
in
preventing "hydroplaning" (loss of
traction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all four
wheels for the
best handling.
Watch road conditions carefully,
they can change from moment to
moment. Wet leaves can be as
slip­
pery as ice. "Clear" roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditions
can be very hazardous when the
outside temperature is near freezing.
The road surface can become
covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be careful when downshifting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the
drive wheels for a moment and cause
a skid.
Driving in Bad Weather, Towing a Trailer
Be very cautious when passing, or
being passed by other cars.
The
spray from large cars reduces your
visibility, and the wind buffeting can
cause you to lose control.
Towing a Trailer
Your car is not designed to tow a
trailer. Attempting to
do so can void
your warranties.
Driving 141

Taking Care of the Unexpected
This section covers the more­
common problems
that motorists
experience with their vehicles.
It
gives you information about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to
do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also find instructions
on getting your car towed. Compact
Spare Tire .......................
212
Changing a Flat Tire ..................... 213
If Your Engine Won't Start ........... 218
Nothing Happens or the
Starter Motor
Operates
Very
Slowly ......................... 218
The Starter Operates
Normally ................................. 219
Jump Starting ................................. 220
If Your Engine Overheats ............. 223
Low Oil Pressure Indicator .......... 226
Charging System Indicator.. .........
227
Malfunction Indicator Lamp ........ 228
Brake System Indicator ................ 229
Closing the Convertible Top ........ 230
Fuses ............................................... 231
Checking and Replacing ........... 232
If Your Car Gets Stuck. ................. 236
Emergency Towing ....................... 238
Taking Care of the Unexpected 211

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

If Your Engine Overheats
6. Look for any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution.
If you find a leak, it
must be repaired before you
continue driving (see
Emergency
Towing on page 238 ) .
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the
coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator
cool down before
removing the radiator cap.
224 Taking Care of the Unexpected
7. If you don't find an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in
the
radiator reserve tank (see page
120 ) . If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
between the MIN and
MAX marks.
8. If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the reading
reaches the middle of the
temperature gauge, or lower,
before checking the radiator.
9. Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn
the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to
the first stop. This
releases any remaining pressure
in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes
off.

lO.Start the engine and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the filler
neck.
If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water.
Remember to have the cooling
system drained and refilled with
the proper mixture as soon as you
can.
ll.Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge.
If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair. (See
Emergency
Towing on page 238 .)
If Your Engine Overheats
12.If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank.
If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
Taking Care of the Unexpected 225