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.
Page 194 of 372

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
Page 195 of 372

Preparing to Drive
You should do the following checks and adjustments every day before
you drive your car.
1. Make sure all windows, mirrors, and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost, snow,
or ice.
2. Check that the hood and trunk are fully closed.
3. Visually check the tires. If a tire looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
4. Check that any items you may be carrying with you inside are stored
properly or fastened down
securely. 5. Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page 88).
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and outside mirrors (see
page 99).
7. Check the adjustment of the steering wheel (see page 67).
8. Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
9. Fasten your seat belt. Check that your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page 14 ). 10.Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
11.Start the engine (see page 193).
12. Check the gauges and indicator lights in the instrument panel (see
page 53).
Driving
Page 198 of 372

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.
Page 199 of 372
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
Page 201 of 372

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
Page 202 of 372

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
Page 203 of 372
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