2001 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN brake

Seat Adjustments

Make sure all rear shoulder belts are
positioned in front of the rear seat-
back whenever the seat-back is in its upright position.
Make sure all items in the trunk, or
items extending through the opening
into the back seat, are secured.Loose items can fly forward and
cause injury if you have to brake
hard. See Carrying Cargo on page
188.
Never drive with the seat-back
folded down and the trunk lid open. See Carbon Monoxide Hazard on
page 49. Rear Seat Armrest
On all models except DX
The rear seat armrest is located at the center of the rear seat. Pivot itdown to use it.
Instruments and Controls

Mirrors, Parking Brake

On all Canadian models except DX
model
The outside mirrors are heated to re- move fog and frost. With the ignitionswitch ON (II), turn on the heaters
by pressing the button. The light in
the button comes on as a reminder. Press the button again to turn the
heaters off. Parking Brake
To apply the parking brake, pull the lever up fully. To release it, pull upslightly, 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 with the engine running (see page 55). Driving the car with the parking brake
applied can damage the rear brakes
and axles.

Instruments and Controls

HEATED MIRROR BUTTON
PARKING BRAKE LEVER
NOTICE

Security System
On EX and EX-V6 models

The security system helps to protect your car and valuables from theft.
The horn sounds and a combination of headlights, parking lights, side
marker lights and taillights flashes if
someone attempts to break into your
car or remove the radio. This alarm
continues for two minutes, then the system resets. To reset an alarming
system before the two minutes have
elapsed, unlock either front door
with the key or the remote transmitter.
The security system sets auto- matically fifteen seconds after you
lock the doors, hood, and trunk. For
the system to activate, you must lock
the doors from the outside with the
key, lock tab, door lock switch, or
remote transmitter. The security system light next to the driver's door
lock starts blinking immediately to show you the system is setting itself. SECURITY SYSTEM LIGHT
Once the security system is set, opening any door (without using the
key or the remote transmitter), or
the hood, will cause it to alarm. It also alarms if the radio is removed
from the dashboard or the wiring is cut. With the system set, you can still
open the trunk with the master key
or the remote transmitter without
triggering the alarm. The alarm will sound if the trunk lock is forced, or
the trunk is opened with the trunk

release handle.

The security system will not set if the hood, trunk, or any door is not
fully closed. If the system will not set,check the Door and Brake Lamp
Monitor on the instrument panel (see page 56), to see if the doors
and trunk are fully closed. Since it is
not part of the monitor display,
manually check the hood.
Do not attempt to alter this system
or add other devices to it.
Comfort and Convenience Features

Break-in Period, Gasoline, Service Station Procedures

Break-in Period
Help assure your car's future
reliability and performance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period: Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid

acceleration.
Avoid hard braking. New brakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use for the first 200 miles (300
km).

Do not change the oil until the

recommended time or mileage

interval shown in the maintenance
schedule.

You should follow these same re-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the

brakes are relined.
Gasoline

Your Honda is designed to operate on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher. Useof a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise in the engine that can lead to
mechanical damage.
We recommend gasolines containing detergent additives that help prevent
fuel system and engine deposits. Using gasoline containing lead willdamage your car's emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emission control system performance may deteriorate and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on.If this happens, contact your
authorized Honda dealer for service. Filling the Fuel Tank
1. Because the fuel fill cap is on the driver's side of the car, park with
that side closest to the service

station pumps.

2. Open the fuel fill door by pushing on the handle to the left of the
driver's seat.
Before Driving

Service Station Procedures

Opening the Hood
1. Shift to Park or Neutral and set the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly. 2. Standing in front of the car, put
your fingers under the front edgeof the hood to the right of center.
Slide your hand to the left until
you feel the hood latch handle. Push this handle up until it
releases the hood. Lift the hood. If you can open the hood without
lifting the hood latch handle, or the hood latch handle moves stiffly ordoes not spring back as before, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated (see page 256 ).

Before Driving
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
LATCH

Accessories and Modifications
Modifying your car, or installing
some non-Honda accessories, can
make your car unsafe. Before you
make any modifications or add any accessories, be sure to read the
following information.

Accessories
Your dealer has Genuine Honda accessories that allow you to
personalize your car. These
accessories have been designed andapproved for your car, and are
covered by warranty.
Non-Honda accessories are usually designed for universal applications.
Although aftermarket accessories may fit on your car, they may not
meet factory specifications, andcould adversely affect your car's
handling and stability. (See "Modifications" on the page 187 for
additional information.) When properly installed, cellular
phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems shouldnot interfere with your car's
computer-controlled systems, suchas the SRS and anti-lock brake

system.

However, if electronic accessories
are improperly installed, or exceed
your car's electrical system capacity, they can interfere with the operation of your car, or even cause the
airbags to deploy.
Before installing any accessory: Make sure the accessory does not
obscure any lights, or interfere
with proper car operation or performance. Be sure electronic accessories do
not overload electrical circuits (see page 315). Have the installer contact your
Honda dealer for assistance before
installing any electronic accessory.
If possible, have your dealer inspect
the final installation.

Before Driving
Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
car's handling, stability and performance, and cause a

crash in which you can be hurt

or killed.

Follow all instructions in this

owner's manual regarding
accessories and modifications.

Accessories and Modifications

Modifications
Do not remove any original equipment or modify your car in any
way that would alter its design or operation. This could make your car
unsafe and illegal to drive.
For example, do not make any
modifications that would change the
ride height of your car, or install
wheels and tires with a different overall diameter.
Such modifications can adversely
affect handling, and interfere with
the operation of the car's anti-lock brakes and other systems. In addition, any modifications that
decrease ground clearance increase
the chance of undercarriage parts striking a curb, speed bump, or other
raised object, which could cause
your airbags to deploy.
Do not modify your steering wheelor any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System. Modifications could make the
system ineffective.
Additional Safety Precaution
Do not attach or place objects on

the front airbag covers. Any object

attached to or placed on the covers
marked "SRS AIRBAG," in the
center of the steering wheel and on top of the dashboard, could
interfere with the proper operation of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inflate, the objects could be
propelled inside the car and hurt
someone.
On models equipped with side airbags
Do not attach hard objects on or

near a front door. If a side airbag
inflates, a cup holder or other hard
object attached on or near the door could be propelled inside the
car and hurt someone.
Do not place any objects over the

outside edge of a front seat-back.

Covering the outside edge of a
front seat-back, with a non-Honda seat cover for example, could
prevent the airbag from inflating
properly.
Before Driving

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