Page 1 of 325

2001 Civic Coupe Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through\
this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.h\
elminc.com.
Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety........................................................................\
........................................ .ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
............................................ .2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
......................................5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
........................................ .57
Instrume nt panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
..................... .107
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................161
What gasoline to use, how to break -in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... .175
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................195
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take you r vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
..................................................... .255
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your\
vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
..............................263
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, an d how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
............................................ .291
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................305
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................311
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index........................................................................\
........................................................................\
...... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.
Page 20 of 325
Adjust the steering wheel, if needed,
so that the wheel points toward your
chest, not toward your f ace.
Pointing the steering wheel toward
your chest provides optimal
protection f rom the airbag.
See page f or how to adjust the
steering wheel.
If a seat belt does not seem to work
as it should, it may not protect the
occupant in a crash.
Anyone using a seat belt that is
not working properly can be
seriously injured or killed. Have your
Honda dealer check the belt as soon
as possible.
See page f or additional
inf ormation about your seat belt
system and how to take care of your
belts.
This could cause
very serious injuries in a crash. 43
75
A djust the Steering Wheel
6.
No one should
sit in a seat wit h an inoperat ive seat belt.
Never place t he shoulder port ion of a lap/shoulder belt under your arm orbehind your back.
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety17
Page 24 of 325

(See page
.)
To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian province requires that
inf ants and children be restrained
whenever they ride in a vehicle. Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In f act, vehicle
accidents are the number one cause
of death of children ages 12 and
under.
Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many parents and other
adults may not know how to
protect young passengers.
So if you have children, or if you ever
need to drive with a grandchild or
otherchildreninyourcar,besureto
read this section. (See page
.)
26
37
properly
CONT INUED
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children
All Children Must Be Restrained
Anychildwhoistoosmalltoweara seat belt should be properlyrest rained in a child seat .
A larger child should always berest rained wit h a seat belt .
21
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in a
crash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt.
Page 36 of 325
Forproperprotection,aninfantmust
ride in a reclined, or semi-reclined
position. To determine the proper
reclining angle, check with the baby’s
doctor or f ollow the seat maker’s
recommendations.
To achieve the desired reclining
angle, it may help to put a rolled up
towel under the toe of the child seat,
as shown.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism and remove a child seat,
unlatch the buckle, unroute the seat
belt, and let the belt f ully retract.
Rear-Facing Child Seat Inst allat ion
Tips
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety33
Page 78 of 325
Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position.
Make sure you have securely
locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up and down.
Move the steering wheel to the
desired position, making sure the
wheel points toward your chest,
not toward your f ace. Make sure
you can see the instrument panel
gauges and the indicator lights. Push the lever under the steering
column all the way down.
To adjust the steering wheel upward
or downward:
Make any steering wheel adjustment
bef ore you start driving.
1.4. 3.
2.
See page f or important saf ety inf ormation about how to properlyposition the steering wheel. 17
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Steering Wheel A djustment
75
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
car and be seriously injured in a
crash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the car is stopped.
Page 169 of 325
Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.Insert it all the way back in its tube.
Remove the dipstick (orange
handle).
Check the engine oil level every time
you f ill the car with f uel. Wait a f ew
minutes af ter turning the engine of f
bef ore you check the oil.
2.
3.
1.
Oil Check
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving166
D D I
IPP S
ST TI
ICCK K
Page 174 of 325

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Your car has several convenient
storage areas so you can stow cargo
saf ely.
However, carrying too much cargo,
or improperly storing it, can af f ect
your car’s handling, stability and
operation and make it unsafe. Before
carrying any type of cargo, be sure to
read the f ollowing pages. The glove box, and the pockets in
the front doors and seat-back, are
designed f or small, lightweight items.
The trunk is intended f or larger,
heavier items. In addition, the back
seatcanbefoldeddowntoallowyou
to carry more cargo or longer items.
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving171
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Page 178 of 325

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 impor-
tant inf ormation on parking your car,
and the braking system.........................
Preparing to Drive .176
.......................
Starting the Engine .177
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude .177
....
5-speed Manual Transmission . 178
.....
Recommended Shif t Points . 179
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 179
..............
Automatic Transmission . 180
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 180
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 181
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 183
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 184
Continuously Variable ................
Transmission (CVT) . 185
.........
Maximum Allowable Speed . 187
...........................................
Parking .188
..............................
Parking Tips .188
.....................
The Braking System .189
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 189
...............
Brake System Design . 190
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes .190
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders .191
........................
ABS Indicator .192
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 193
...........................
Towing a Trailer .194
Driving
Driving175