Steering Wheel Controls
The cruise control may not hold the set speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to slow down to the desired speed. This
will cancel the cruise control. To resume the set speed, press the
RESUME/accel button. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on.
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshift to hold the set speed.
Changing the Set Speed
You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. The car will acceler-
ate. When you reach the desired
cruising speed, release the button.
Push on the accelerator pedal. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel
button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
accel button repeatedly. Each time
you do this, your car will speed up about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
You can decrease the set cruising speed in any of these ways: Press and hold the SET/decel
button. The vehicle will decelerate.
Release the button when you
reach the desired speed. To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/decel
button repeatedly. Each time you do this, your car will slow down
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h). Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your foot. TheCRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out.
When the car slows to the desired speed, press the SET/decel button.
The car will then maintain the desired speed.
Even with the cruise control turned
on, you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up for passing. After
completing the pass, take your foot off the accelerator pedal. The car
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your foot on the brake or
clutch pedal will cause the cruise control to cancel.
CONTINUED
Instruments and Controls
Steering Wheel Controls
Cancelling the Cruise Control
You can cancel the cruise control in any of these ways: Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel.
Press the Cruise Control Master
Switch.
When you push the CANCEL button, or tap the brake or clutch pedal, the
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out and the car will begin to slow down. You can
use the accelerator pedal in the
normal way.
The system remembers the previously-set cruising speed. To
return to that speed, accelerate toabove 25 mph (40 km/h) and then
press and release the RESUME/ accel button. The CRUISE CONTROL light comes on. The car
will accelerate to the same cruising speed as before.
Pressing the Cruise Control MasterSwitch turns the system completelyoff and erases the previous cruising
speed from memory. To use the
system again, refer to Using the
Cruise Control.
Remote Audio Controls
On EX model with leather interior and
EX-V6 models
These buttons let you control some functions of the audio system with-out removing your hands from the
wheel. Refer to page 173 for a com- plete explanation.
Instruments and Controls
AUDIO/CH
BUTTON
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.
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
Maintenance
This section explains why it is important to keep your car well
maintained and to follow basic
maintenance safety precautions.
This section also includes Maintenance Schedules for normaldriving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions for simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of
yourself.
If you have the skills and tools to per-
form more complex maintenance
tasks on your Honda, you may want
to purchase the Service Manual. See page 345 for information on how toobtain a copy, or see your Honda
dealer.
Maintenance Safety....................... 220
Important Safety Precautions ..221
Maintenance Schedule.................. 222
Maintenance Record..................... 229
Owner Maintenance Checks........ 231
Fluid Locations............................... 232
Engine Oil....................................... 234
Adding Oil................................... 234Recommended Oil..................... 235
Synthetic Oil............................... 235
Additives..................................... 235
Changing the Oil and Filter...... 236
Cooling System.............................. 239
Adding Engine Coolant............. 239Replacing Engine Coolant........ 241
Windshield Washers..................... 246
Transmission Fluid........................ 247
Automatic
Transmission.......................... 247
5-speed Manual
Transmission.......................... 249
Brake and Clutch Fluid................. 251
Brake System............................. 251
Clutch System............................ 252
Power Steering............................... 252
Air Cleaner Element...................... 253
Hood Latch..................................... 256
Spark Plugs..................................... 256
Replacement............................... 256
Specifications............................. 257
Battery............................................ 260
Wiper Blades.................................. 263
Air Conditioning System............... 265
Air Conditioning Filter.................. 266 Drive Belts...................................... 266
Timing Belt..................................... 267
Tires................................................ 267
Inflation...................................... 268
Inspection................................... 270
Maintenance............................... 270
Tire Rotation.............................. 271 Replacing Tires and Wheels .... 271
Wheels and Tires....................... 272 Winter Driving........................... 273
Snow Tires.............................. 273
Tire Chains............................. 273
Lights.............................................. 274 Replacing Bulbs......................... 276
Storing Your Car............................ 285
Maintenance
Fluid Locations
Maintenance
4-cylinder Models
BRAKE FLUID(Gray cap)
ENGINE OIL
FILL CAP
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
FLUID DIPSTICK
(Yellow loop)
COOLANT
RESERVOIR
CLUTCH FLUID
(5-speed Manual
Transmission only)
(Gray cap)
ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK
(Orange loop)
WASHER FLUID (Blue cap)
POWER STEERING
FLUID (Red cap)
RADIATOR CAP
Brake and Clutch Fluid
Check the fluid level in the reser-
voirs monthly. There are up to two reservoirs, depending on the model.
They are:
Brake fluid reservoir (all models)
Clutch fluid reservoir(manual transmission only)
The brake fluid should be replaced according to the time and distance
recommendations in the mainte- nance schedule. Always use Honda DOT 3 brake
fluid. If it is not available, you should use only DOT 3 or DOT 4
fluid, from a sealed container, as a temporary replacement. However,
the use of any non-Honda brake fluid
can cause corrosion and decrease
the life of the system. Have the
brake system flushed and refilled
with Honda DOT 3 brake fluid as soon as possible.
Brake fluid marked DOT 5 is not
compatible with your car's braking system and can cause extensive
damage.
Brake System
4-cylinder models
MIN
The fluid level should be between the MIN and MAX marks on the sideof the reservoir. If the level is at or
below the MIN mark, your brake system needs attention. Have the
brake system inspected for leaks or
worn brake pads.
CONTINUED
Maintenance
MAX