2001 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN ignition

Automatic Transmission

Park (P) — This position mechani-cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning off or
starting the engine. To shift out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your foot off the accelerator pedal. Press the release
button on the side of the shift lever
to move it.
If you have done all of the above andstill cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on page 200.
You must also press the release button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a complete stop before shifting into
Park. The shift lever must be in Park
before you can remove the key from the ignition switch. Reverse (R) — To shift to Reverse
from Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shift to Reverse from
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Press the release button
before shifting into Reverse from Neutral. Neutral (N) — Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the car for
any reason. Press on the brake pedal
when you are moving the shift lever from Neutral to another gear.
Drive (D4) — Use this position for
your normal driving. The transmis- sion automatically selects a suitable
gear for your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission shifting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps the
engine warm up faster.

Driving

Automatic Transmission

Engine Speed LimiterIf 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 iscaused by a limiter in the engine's
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone. Shift Lock Release
This allows you to move the shift lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release button does not work.
1. Set the Parking brake.
2. Remove the key from the ignition
switch.

3. Put a cloth on the edge of the ShiftLock Release slot cover next to
the shift lever. Use a small flat-tipped screwdriver
or small metal plate (neither are
included in the tool kit) to remove
the cover. Carefully pry off theedge of the cover.
4. Insert the key in the Shift Lock Release slot.

Driving

Traction Control System

TCS ON/OFF Switch

This switch is under the side vent. It lets you turn the Traction ControlSystem on and off. You cannot turn
off the TCS while the TCS indicator
light is flashing. Deactivate the system by pressing
the TCS On/Off switch. The TCS
indicator light comes on as a
reminder. Pressing the switch again
turns the system back on.
The Traction Control System turns on every time you start the engine,
even if you turned it off the last time
you drove the vehicle. TCS Indicator
The TCS indicator comes on orflashes under the following condi-tions:
When you turn the ignition switch
to ON (II).
When you manually turn off the

TCS.
It flashes when the TCS is

regulating wheelspin.

If the system's diagnostics senses
a problem in the TCS, the indica-
tor will come on and stay on.
If the brakes overheat, the
indicator will come on.

CONTINUED

Driving

Cooling System

1. Open the hood. Make sure the engine and radiator are cool to the

touch.

Except EX- V6 model

Turn the ignition ON (II). Turn the temperature control Dial all
the way clockwise. Turn off theignition and remove the key.
EX-V6 model

Turn the ignition ON (II). Turn the temperature control dial to90°F (32° C). Turn off the ignition
and remove the key.
2. Remove the radiator cap.
4-cylinder models

3. Loosen the drain plug on the bottom of the radiator. Thecoolant will drain through the
splash guard. Remove the drain
bolt and washer from the engine
block.

Maintenance
DRAIN

BOLT

DRAIN

PLUG

6-cylinder models
4-cylinder models

4-cylinder models

Spark Plugs (6-cylinder Models)
The spark plugs in your car should be replaced according to the timeand distance recommendations in
the maintenance schedule.
1. Loosen the two holding clips by turning the heads one-quarter turncounterclockwise with a flat-tippedscrewdriver. Remove the cover on
the front cylinder bank by pulling
it straight up. 2. Clean up any dirt and oil that have
collected around the ignition coils.
3. Disconnect the wire connector from the ignition coil by pushingon the lock tab and pulling on the
connector. Pull on the plastic connector, not the wires. 4. Use a wrench to remove the
hexagon socket head cap boltholding the ignition coil. Remove
the ignition coil by pulling it straight out.
5. Remove the spark plug with a five-eighths inch (16 mm) spark
plug socket.

Maintenance

Replacement
HEXAGON SOCKET HEAD CAP BOLT
HOLDING CLIP

Spark Plugs (6-cylinder Models)

6. Put the new spark plug into the socket; then screw it into the hole.
Screw it in by hand so you do not
crossthread it.
7. Torque the spark plug. (If you do not have a torque wrench, tighten
the spark plug two-thirds of a turn after it contacts the cylinder head.)
Tightening torque:
13 lbf .
ft (18 N .
m , 1.8 kgf .
m)

Tighten the spark plugs carefully. A
spark plug that is too loose can overheat and damage the engine.Overtightening can cause damage to
the threads in the cylinder head.
8. Install the ignition coil. Reinstall the hexagon socket head cap bolt. 9. Push the wire connector onto the
ignition coil. Make sure it locks in

place.

10. Repeat this procedure for the other five spark plugs.
11. Reinstall the cover on the front cylinder bank while putting its
mounting clip in the hole on the
passenger's side. Secure the cover
by turning the heads of the two holding clips one-quarter turn clockwise with a flat-tipped
screwdriver.

Specifications:
NGK:

DENSO:
PZFR5F-11

PKJ16CR-L11

Spark Plug Gap:
0.04 in
(1.1
mm)

Maintenance

NOTICE

Changing a Flat Tire
If you have a flat tire while driving,
stop in a safe place to change it.
Stopping in traffic or on the shoulder
of a busy road is dangerous. Drive
slowly along the shoulder until you
get to an exit or an area to stop that
is far away from the traffic lanes.
1. Park the car on firm, level andnon-slippery ground away from
traffic. Put the transmission in
Park (automatic) or Reverse(manual). Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn on the hazard warning lights and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the car while
you change the tire. 3. Open the trunk. Raise the trunk
floor by lifting up on the back edge.
4. Unscrew the wing bolt and take the spare tire out of its well.
5. The tools are in the tool box on the right side of the trunk. Take
the tools out of the tool box.

CONTINUED

Taking Care of the Unexpected

The car can easily roll off the

jack, seriously injuring anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and never get under the car when it
is supported only by the jack. TRUNK FLOOR

TOOL BOX

SPARE TIRE JACK

If Your Engine Won't Start
Nothing Happens or the Starter Motor Operates Very Slowly
When you turn the ignition switch to START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying tostart. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:
Your car has the ImmobilizerSystem. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page 57).
A key that is not properly coded will cause the immobilizer systemindicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly. Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed all the way to the floor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or Neutral.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check their brightness. If the headlightsare very dim or don't light at all,
the battery is discharged. See
Jump Starting on page 304. Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the fuses. If
the fuses are OK, there is proba-
bly something wrong with the electrical circuit for the ignitionswitch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to
determine the problem. (See
Emergency Towing on page 320 .)
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections arecorroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page 260). You can
then try jump starting the car from a booster battery (see page 304).

Taking Care of the Unexpected