Page 185 of 372
Service Station Procedures
To close the hood, lower it to about a foot (30 cm) above the fender, thenpress down firmly with your hands.
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 (orange handle).
Before Driving
4-cylinder models
DIPSTICK
6-cylinder models
DIPSTICK
Page 186 of 372
Service Station Procedures
2. Wipe the dipstick with a clean cloth or paper towel. 3. Insert it all the way back in its tube.
CONTINUED
Before Driving
4-cylinder models
6-cylinder models
Page 187 of 372
Service Station Procedures
4. Remove the dipstick again and check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see Adding Oil on page 234 . 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 239 for
information on adding the proper
coolant.
Refer to Owner Maintenance
Checks on page 231 for information
on checking other items in your
Honda.
Before Driving
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
MAX
RESERVE TANK
MIN
4-cylinder models RESERVE TANK
6-cylinder models
MIN
MAX
Page 188 of 372

Fuel Economy
The condition of your car and your driving habits are the two most
important things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Vehicle 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 231). 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 tocombine several short trips into one.
The air conditioning puts an extra load on the engine which makes ituse 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
Page 189 of 372

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.
Page 190 of 372

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
Page 191 of 372
Carrying Cargo
Your car has several convenientstorage areas so you can stow cargo
safely.
The glove box, and the pockets in the front doors and seat-backs, aredesigned for small, lightweight items.
The trunk is intended for larger, heavier items. In addition, the backseat can be folded down to allow you
to carry more cargo or longer items.
However, carrying too much cargo,
or improperly storing it, can affect
your car's handling, stability and operation and make it unsafe. Before
carrying any type of cargo, be sure to
read the following pages.
Before Driving
CONSOLE COMPARTMENT
FRONT DOOR POCKET
SEAT-BACK POCKET GLOVE BOX
TRUNK
Page 192 of 372

Carrying Cargo
Load Limit
The maximum load for your car is 850
lbs
(395 kg).
This figure includes the total weight of all occupants, cargo, accessories,
and the tongue weight if you are
towing a trailer.
To figure out how much cargo you can carry:
Add up the weight of all occupants.If you are towing a trailer, add the
tongue weight to the number
above.
Subtract the total from 850 Ibs (395 kg).
The final number is the total weight of cargo you can carry. Carrying Items in the Passenger
Compartment Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurtsomeone during a crash.
Do not put any items on top of the
rear shelf. They can block your
view and be thrown around the car during a crash.
Be sure items placed on the floor
behind the front seats cannot roll
under the seats and interfere with
the driver's ability to operate the
pedals, or with the proper operation of the seats.
Keep the glove box closed while
driving. If the lid is open, a
passenger could injure their knees during a crash or sudden stop.
Before Driving
Overloading or improper
loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in
which you can be hurt or killed.
Follow all load limits and other
loading guidelines in this
manual.