2001 HONDA CIVIC jump start

This section covers the more-
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your car towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire . 262
....................
Changing a Flat Tire . 263
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start . 268
Nothing Happens or the StarterMotor Operates Very .....................................
Slowly . 268
The Starter Operates ................................
Normally . 269
................................
Jump Starting . 270
............
If Your Engine Overheats . 272
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 275
..........
Charging System Indicator . 276
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 277
.......................
Readiness Codes . 278
...............
Brake System Indicator . 279
..................
Closing the Moonroof . 280
..............................................
Fuses . 281
..........
Checking and Replacing . 282
......................
Emergency Towing . 286
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed 261

Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:
You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor 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 headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See
on page . Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereisproba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit f or the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. (See
on page .)
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the car from
a booster battery (see page ).
270 286
226 270
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting Emergency T owing
268

If your car’s battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine
by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
you should take several precautions.
You cannot start a Honda with an
automatic transmission by pushing
or pulling it.To jump start your car, f ollow these
directions closely:
Open the hood and check the
physical condition of the battery
(see page ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy
or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws. Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, stereo system,
lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.
1.
2.
226
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
270 A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyonenearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

µ
´
´
Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the grounding strap
as shown. Do not connect this
jumper cable to any other part of
the engine.
If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle. Start your car. If the starter motor
still operates slowly, check the
jumper cable connections to make
sure they have good metal-to-
metal contact.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
Honda’s battery. Connect the
other end to the positive ( )
terminal on the booster battery.
3.
4.6.
5.
CONT INUED
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed 271
BBOOOOSSTTEERRBBAATTTTEERRYY

Once your car is running, discon-
nectthenegativecablefromyour
car, then from the booster battery.
Disconnect the positive cable f rom
your car, then the booster battery.Your car can overheat f or several
reasons, such as lack of coolant or a
mechanical problem. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming f rom under the hood.
In either case, you should take
immediate action.
The pointer of your car’s tempera-
ture gauge should stay in the mid-
range under most conditions. It may
go higher if you are driving up a long
steep hill on a very hot day. If it
climbs to the red mark, you should
determine the reason.
Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the car until all are disconnected.
Otherwise, you may cause an
electrical short.
7.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Jump Starting, If Your Engine Overheats
If Your Engine Overheats
272 Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to your engine.

CONT INUED
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 167
................................
Accessories . 167
...
Additional Safety Precaution . 168
............................
Modif ications . 168
ACCESSORY (Ignition Key .......................................
Position) . 83
.............
Accessory Power Socket . 102
....................
Additives, Engine Oil . 206
.............................
Airbag (SRS) . 10, 48
.....................
Air Cleaner Element . 221
..............
Air Conditioning System . 106
......................
Maintenance . 230, 231
.........................................
Usage . 106
.......................
Air Outlets (Vents) . 108
.......................
Air Pressure, Tires . 234
..................
High Speed Driving . 235
.........................
Normal Driving . 235
.......................
Alcohol in Gasoline . 296
......................................
Antif reeze . 209
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
....................
Indicator Light . 62, 187
...................................
Operation . 185
Anti-thef t Steering Column ..............................................
Lock . 82 ..........................
Appearance Care . 253
................
Audio System . 114, 126, 138
...............
Automatic Speed Control . 76
..............
Automatic Transmission . 178
..........................
Capacity,Fluid .292
...............
Checking Fluid Level . 216
.......................................
Shif ting . 179
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 178
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 179
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 182
Battery Charging System ...........................
Indicator . 62, 276
............................
Jump Starting . 270
..............................
Maintenance . 226
............................
Specif ications . 293
..............................
Bef ore Driving . 159
....................................
Belts,Seat .8,44
...........................
Beverage Holder . 101
.................................
Body Repairs . 260
Brakes
...........
Anti-lock System (ABS) . 185
.............
Break-in, New Linings . 160 ............
Bulb Replacement . 246, 247
...........................................
Fluid . 218
.........................................
Parking . 99
.................
System Indicator . 62, 279
........................
Wear Indicators . 184
.............................
Braking System . 184
........................
Break-in, New Car . 160
..
Brightness Control, Instruments . 71
........................
Brights, Headlights . 70
Bulb Replacement
..........................
Back-up Lights . 247
..............................
Brake Lights . 246
..............................
Ceiling Light . 250
................
Front Parking Lights . 244
........
Front Side Marker Lights . 244
.................................
Headlights . 243
.........
High-mount Brake Light . 247
.................
License Plate Lights . 248
.........
Rear Side Marker Lights . 246
............................
Specif ications . 293
...................................
Spotlights . 250
...............................
Trunk Light . 249
....................
Turn Signal Lights . 244
..............................
Bulbs, Halogen . 243
Index
A
B
I

CONT INUED
...........................................
Driving . 173
....................................
Economy . 166
.........................
In Bad Weather . 188
................
In Foreign Countries . 297
............................
Fabric, Cleaning . 257
...................................
Fan, Interior . 106
Features, Comfort and
..............................
Convenience . 105
....................
Filling the Fuel Tank . 161
Filters
................................
Air Cleaner . 221
.......................
Air Conditioning . 231
...............................................
Oil . 207 5-speed Manual Transmission
...............
Checking Fluid Level . 217
................................
Shif ting the . 176
.............
Flashers, Hazard Warning . 74
...................
Flat Tire, Changing a . 263
Fluids
..........
Automatic Transmission . 216
..........................................
Brake . 218
.........................................
Clutch . 219
..............
Manual Transmission . 217
..........................
Power Steering . 220
..................
Windshield Washer . 215
FM Stereo Radio ...................................
Reception . 145
...........................
Folding Rear Seat . 93
.....
Foreign Countries, Driving in . 297
..........................
Four-way Flashers . 74
.................................................
Fuel . 160
......................
Fill Door and Cap . 161
...........................................
Gauge . 67
................
Octane Requirement . 160
...............................
Oxygenated . 296
........................
Reserve Indicator . 63
........................
Tank, Filling the . 161
.....................
Fuses, Checking the . 282
..............................
Economy, Fuel . 166
............
Emergencies on the Road . 286
.............
Battery, Jump Starting . 270
...........
Brake System Indicator . 279
................
Changing a Flat Tire . 263
.....
Charging System Indicator . 276
..................
Checking the Fuses . 282
.....
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 275
...
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 277
...
Manually Closing Moonroof . 279
..................
Overheated Engine . 272
...........................
Emergency Brake . 99
......................
Emergency Flashers . 74
......................
Emergency Towing . 286
.......................
Emissions Controls . 298
.............
Emissions Testing, State . 301Engine
....
Coolant Temperature Gauge . 68
.................................
Drive Belts . 233 Malf unction Indicator
................................
Lamp . 63, 277
........
Oil Pressure Indicator . 62, 275
..............
Oil, What Kind to Use . 205
...............................
Overheating . 272
............................
Specif ications . 292
.......................................
Starting . 175
......
Engine Speed Limiter . 177, 181
......................
Ethanol in Gasoline . 296
.
Evaporative Emissions Controls . 298
...............................
Exhaust Fumes . 54
Expectant Mothers, Use of Seat
........................................
Belts by . 19
..................
Exterior, Cleaning the . 254
Index
E
F
III

...............
Gas Mileage, Improving . 166
..........................................
Gasohol . 296
.........................................
Gasoline . 160
...............
Fuel Reserve Indicator . 63
...........................................
Gauge . 67
................
Octane Requirement . 160
........................
Tank, Filling the . 161
................
Gas Station Procedures . 161
Gauges
...
Engine Coolant Temperature . 68
...............................................
Fuel . 67
...............................
Speedometer . 66
.................................
Tachometer . 66
Gearshif t Lever Positions ..........
Automatic Transmission . 179
5-speed Manual
.........................
Transmission . 176
..............................
Glass Cleaning . 258
......................................
Glove Box . 100
.............
Halogen Headlight Bulbs . 243
..............
Hazard Warning Flashers . 74 Headlights
............
Daytime Running Lights . 71
..................
High Beam Indicator . 63
........................
Reminder Beeper . 70
........
Replacing Halogen Bulbs . 243
...................................
Turning on . 70
..............................
Head Restraints . 92
.....................
Heating and Cooling . 106
.............
High Altitude, Starting at . 175
.................
High-Low Beam Switch . 70
..............
High-mount Brake Light . 247
....................................
Hood Latch . 222
.......................
Hood, Opening the . 162
..................................................
Horn . 69
...........................
Hydraulic Clutch . 219
.................................
Hydroplaning . 189
........................
Jacking up the Car . 263
.......................................
Jack, Tire . 263
................................
Jump Starting . 270
..................................................
Keys . 79
...
Identif ication Number, Vehicle . 290
Ignition
..............................................
Keys . 79
...........................................
Switch . 82
............
Timing Control System . 299
.........
Important Safety Precautions . 6 Indicators, Instrument
.............................................
Panel . 59
...............................
Inf ant Restraint . 30
Inf ant Seats
.......................
Lower Anchorage . 42
..........
Tether Anchorage Points . 41
...................
Inf lation, Proper Tire . 234
..................
High Speed Driving . 235
.........................
Normal Driving . 235
...................................
Inside Mirror . 98
.............................
Inspection, Tire . 236
........................
Instrument Panel . 2, 58
........
Instrument Panel Brightness . 71
...........................
Interior Cleaning . 256
...............................
Interior Lights . 104
........................................
Introduction . i
Index
G H IJ
K
IV