2001 HONDA ACCORD COUPE manual transmission

2001 Accord Sedan 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.helminc.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 Restraint System.
Instruments and Controls.................................................................................................................51
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ..............................................................................................109
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving..................................................................................................................................177
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ..............................................................................................................................................191
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance.....................................................................................................................................219
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care..............................................................................................................................287
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected......................................................................................................295
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information.....................................................................................................................323
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................339
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)......................................................................................................345
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.
Accord Value Package Audio System
Owner's Identification Form

Driving

This section gives you tips on starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes important information on parking
your car, the braking system, and facts you need if you are planning to

tow a trailer.
Preparing to Drive......................... 192
Starting the Engine........................ 193
Starting in Cold Weatherat High Altitude ..................... 194
5-speed Manual Transmission..... 195 Recommended Shift Points...... 196
Engine Speed Limiter ............... 196
Automatic Transmission............... 196 Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 197
Shift Lever Positions................. 197
Engine Speed Limiter............... 200
Shift Lock Release..................... 200
Parking............................................ 202
The Braking System...................... 203 Brake Wear Indicators.............. 203
Brake System Design................ 204
Anti-lock Brakes........................ 204
Important SafetyReminders.......................... 205
ABS Indicator......................... 205
Traction Control System............... 206 TCS ON/OFF Switch................ 207
TCS Indicator............................. 207
Driving in Bad Weather................ 209
Towing a Trailer............................ 211
Driving

Starting the Engine

1. Apply the parking brake.
2. In cold weather, turn off all electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.

3. Manual Transmission:
Push the clutch pedal down all the
way. START (III) does not
function unless the clutch pedal is
depressed.

Automatic Transmission:
Make sure the shift lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal. 4. Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to theSTART (III) position. If the engine
does not start right away, do not
hold the key in START (III) for
more than 15 seconds at a time. Pause for at least 10 seconds
before trying again.
5. If the engine does not start within 15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the accelerator pedal pressed half-way
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal so the engine does not race. 6. If the engine still does not start,
press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while starting in order to clear flooding.
As before, keep the ignition key in the START (III) position for no
more than 15 seconds. Return tostep 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lift your foot off the
accelerator pedal so the engine
does not race.

Driving

5-speed Manual Transmission
The manual transmission is syn- chronized in all forward gears for
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth to Reverse. When shifting up or down, make sure you push the clutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shifting, do not rest your foot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster. Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shift into Reverse with the car moving. Push
down the clutch pedal, and pause fora few seconds before shifting into
Reverse, or shift into one of the
forward gears for a moment. This stops the gears so they won't "grind."
When slowing down, you can get extra braking from the engine byshifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe speed and prevent your brakes from
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Before downshifting,
make sure engine speed will not go into the tachometer's red zone in the
lower gear.

Driving

Rapid slowing or speeding-up

can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,

you can be injured.

Use extra care when driving on

slippery surfaces.

5-speed Manual Transmission, Automatic Transmission

Recommended Shift Points
Drive in the highest gear that lets
the engine run and accelerate smoothly. This will give you the best
fuel economy and effective emis- sions control. The following shift
points are recommended: Engine Speed Limiter
If you exceed the maximum speed
for the gear you are in, the engine speed will enter into the tachometer's
red zone. If this occurs, you may feel the engine cut in and out This is
caused by a limiter in the engine's
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
Before downshifting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer's red zone. Automatic Transmission
Your Honda's transmission has fourforward speeds, and is electronically
controlled for smoother shifting. It
also has a "lock-up" torque converter
for better fuel economy. You may
feel what seems like another shift
when the converter locks.

Driving

Automatic Transmission

Drive (D3) —This position is similar
to D4, except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D3 when
towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to
provide engine braking when going down a steep hill. D3 can also keep
the transmission from cycling
between third and fourth gears in stop-and-go driving.
For faster acceleration when in D3 or
D4, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshift by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shift down one or two gears, depending on your
speed.
Second (2) — To shift to Second,
press the release button on the side
of the shift lever. This position locks
the transmission in second gear. It does not downshift to first gear
when you come to a stop. Second
gives you more power when climbing, and increased engine braking when
going down steep hills. Use second
gear when starting out on a slippery surface or in deep snow. It will help
reduce wheelspin. First (1) — To shift from Second to
First, press the release button on theside of the shift lever. With the lever
in this position, the transmission
locks in First gear. By upshifting and downshifting through 1, 2, D3 and D4,
you can operate this transmission much like a manual transmission
without a clutch pedal.

Driving

Parking

Always use the parking brake when you park your car. The indicator onthe instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not fully released; itdoes not indicate that the parking
brake is firmly set. Make sure the
parking brake is set firmly or your car may roll if it is parked on an
incline.
If your car has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake before you put the transmission in
Park. This keeps the car from
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission — making it easier to
move the shift lever out of Park
when you want to drive away. If the car is facing uphill, turn the
front wheels away from the curb. If
you have a manual transmission, put it in first gear.
If the car is facing downhill, turn the
front wheels toward the curb. If you have a manual transmission, put it in
reverse gear.
Make sure the parking brake is fully
released before driving away. Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes. Parking Tips
Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Turn off the lights. Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you.
Lock the doors with the key or the
remote transmitter.
On EX and EX-V6 models

Check the indicator on the driver's
door to verify that the security
system is set.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other flammable materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on

fire.

Driving

Towing a Trailer

Handling Crosswinds and Buffeting

Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause trailer swaying. When being passed by a
large vehicle, keep a constant speed and steer straight ahead. Do not try
to make quick steering or braking
corrections.

Backing Up
Always drive slowly and have someone guide you when backing up.Grip the bottom of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the left
to get the trailer to move to the left, and turn the wheel right to move the
trailer to the right.
Parking

Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including firmly setting the
parking brake and putting the
transmission in Park (automatic) or in 1st or Reverse (manual). Also,
place wheel chocks at each of the
trailer's tires.

Driving