Page 161 of 325

If you do not clean the cassette
player regularly, it may eventually
become impossible to remove the
contamination with a normal
cleaning kit.
Use 100-minute or shorter cassettes.
Cassettes longer than that use
thinner tape that may break or jam
the drive.Look at the cassette before you
insert it. If the tape is loose, tighten
it by turning a hub with a pencil or
your f inger.
The cassette player picks up dirt and
oxides f rom the tape. This contami-
nation builds up over time and
causes the sound quality to degrade.
To prevent this, you should clean the
player af ter every 30 hours of use.
Your dealer has a cleaning kit
available.
Never try to insert f oreign objects
into the cassette player. When they are not in use, store
cassettes in their cases to protect
them f rom dust and moisture. Never
place cassettes where they will be
exposed to direct sunlight, high heat,
or high humidity. If a cassette is
exposed to extreme heat or cold, let
it reach a moderate temperature
bef ore inserting it in the player. If the label is peeling of f , remove it
from the cassette or it could cause
the cassette to jam in the player.
Never try to insert a warped or
damaged cassette in the player.If you see the error indication
‘‘ ’’ on the display, press
the EJECT button and remove the
cassette from the unit. Make sure
the tape is not damaged. If the
cassette will not eject or the error
indication stays on after the cassette
ejects, take the car to your Honda
dealer.
Audio System
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Caring f or the Cassette Player
158
Page 162 of 325

You will have to store your favorite
stations in the Preset buttons after
the system begins working. Your
original settings were lost when
power was disconnected.
If your car’s battery is disconnected
or goes dead, or the radio f use is
removed, the audio system will
disable itself . If this happens, you
will see ‘‘ ’’ in the f requency
display the next time you turn on the
system. Use the Preset buttons to
enter the f ive-digit code. If it is
entered correctly, the radio will start
playing.
If you make a mistake entering the
code, do not start over or try to
correct your mistake. Complete the
f ive-digit sequence, then enter the
correct code. You have ten tries to
enter the correct code. If you are
unsuccessful in ten attempts, you
must then leave the system on for
one hour bef ore trying again.
Your car’s audio system will disable
itself if it is disconnected f rom
electrical power f or any reason. To
make it work again, the user must
enter a specif ic f ive-digit code in the
Preset buttons. Because there are
hundreds of number combinations
possible f rom f ive digits, making the
system work without knowing the
exact code is nearly impossible.
Youshouldhavereceivedacardthat
lists your audio system’s code
number and serial number. It is best
tostorethiscardinasafeplaceat
home. In addition, you should write
the audio system’s serial number in
this Owner’s Manual. If you should
happen to lose the card, you must
obtain the code number f rom your
Honda dealer. To do this, you will
need the system’s serial number.
For EX model in the U.S., and LX and Si
models in Canada
Audio System
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Thef t Protection
159
Page 163 of 325
Page 164 of 325
Bef ore you begin driving your Honda,
youshouldknowwhatgasolineto
use, and how to check the levels of
important f luids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggage
or packages. The inf ormation in this
section will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your car,
please read the inf ormation in this
section f irst..............................
Break-in Period .162
.........................................
Gasoline .162
.........
Service Station Procedures . 163
................
Filling the Fuel Tank . 163
....................
Opening the Hood .164
...............................
Oil Check .166
.........
Engine Coolant Check . 167
...............................
Fuel Economy .168
.....................
Vehicle Condition .168
...........................
Driving Habits .168
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 169
.............................
Carrying Cargo .171
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving161
Page 165 of 325

During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbraking.Newbrakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use f or the f irst 200 miles (300
km). Your Honda is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher. Use
of 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
f uel system and engine deposits.
In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emission control system
perf ormance may deteriorate and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on.
If this happens, contact your
authorized Honda dealer f or service.
Help assure your car’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your car’s emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
Youshouldfollowthesesamere-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are relined. Do not change the oil until the
recommended time or mileage
intervalshowninthemaintenance
schedule.
Break-in Period, Gasoline
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period
Gasoline
162
Page 166 of 325

Removethefuelfillcapslowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Because the f uel f ill cap is on the
driver’s side of the car, park with
that side closest to the service
station pumps. Your car has an on-board ref ueling
vapor recovery system to help
keep f uel vapors f rom going into
the atmosphere. If the fuel pump
keeps clicking of f even though the
tank is not f ull, there may be a
problem with this system. Consult
your dealer. Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top off’’ the tank, leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.
Open the f uel f ill door by pushing
onthehandletotheleftof the
driver’s seat.
1.
2. 3.
4.
CONT INUED
Filling the Fuel Tank
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving163
F FU
UE EL
L F
FIILLL L C
CAA P
P
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.
Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.
Page 167 of 325
Shift to Park or Neutral and set
the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.Standing in f ront of the car, put
your f ingers under the f ront edge
of the hood to the right of center.
Slide your hand to the lef t until
you f eel the hood latch handle.
Push this handle up until it
releases the hood. Lif t the hood.
Screw the f uel f ill cap back on,
tighten it until it clicks several
times. If you do not properly
tighten the cap, the Malfunction
Indicator Lamp may come on (see
page ).
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.
1. 2.
5.
6.
280
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
Opening the Hood
164
H H
O
OO ODD
R
RE EL
LEE A
A S
SEE
H
H A
AN
ND DL
LEE L
LA
A T
TC
CH H
Page 168 of 325
If you can open the hood without
lifting the hood latch handle, or the
hood latch handle moves stif f ly or
does not spring back as bef ore, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated (see page ).Pull the support rod out of its clip
and insert the end into the hole on
theleftsideof thehood.Afterclosingthehood,makesureit
is securely latched.
To close the hood, lif t it up slightly to
remove the support rod f rom the
hole. Put the support rod back into
its holding clip. Lower the hood to
about a f oot (30 cm) above the
fender,thenletitdrop. 3.
226
CONT INUED
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving165
S SU
UP PP
PO
OR RTT R
ROOD D