Page 169 of 326

Preparin
g to Driv e
Yo u shoul d d o th e followin g check s
an d adjustment s ever y da y befor e
yo u driv e you r vehicle .
1 . Mak e sur e al l windows , mirrors ,
an d outsid e light s ar e clea n an d
unobstructed . Remov e frost , snow ,
o r ice .
2 . Chec k tha t th e hoo d an d tailgat e
ar e full y closed .
3 . Visuall y chec k th e tires . I f a tir e
look s low , us e a gaug e t o chec k it s
pressure .
4 . Chec k tha t an y item s yo u ma y b e
carryin g wit h yo u insid e ar e store d
properl y o r fastene d dow n
securely .
5
. Chec k th e adjustmen t o f th e sea t
(se e pag e 7 7 ).
6 . Chec k th e adjustmen t o f th e
insid e an d outsid e mirror s (se e
pag e 8 5).
7 . Chec k th e adjustmen t o f th e
steerin g whee l (se e pag e 6 4).
8 . Mak e sur e th e door s ar e securel y
close d an d locked .
9 . Faste n you r sea t belt . Chec k tha t
you r passenger s hav e fastene d
thei r sea t belt s (se e pag e 15 ). 10.Tur
n th e ignitio n switc h O N (II) .
Chec k th e indicato r light s i n th e
instrumen t panel .
11.Star t th e engin e (se e pag e 16 6).
12.Chec k th e gauge s an d indicato r
light s i n th e instrumen t pane l (se e
pag e 53 ).
Driving
Page 170 of 326

Startin
g th e Engin e
1 . Appl y th e parkin g brake .
2 . I n col d weather , tur n of f al l
electrica l accessorie s t o reduc e
th e drai n o n th e battery .
3 . Manual Transmission:
Pus h th e clutc h peda l dow n al l th e
way . STAR T (III ) doe s no t
functio n unles s th e clutc h peda l i s
depressed .
Automatic Transmission:
Mak e sur e th e shif t leve r i s i n
Park . Pres s o n th e brak e pedal . 4
. Withou t touchin g th e accelerato r
pedal , tur n th e ignitio n ke y t o th e
STAR T (III ) position . I f th e engin e
doe s no t star t righ t away , d o no t
hol d th e ke y i n STAR T (III ) fo r
mor e tha n 1 5 second s a t a time .
Paus e fo r a t leas t 1 0 second s
befor e tryin g again .
5 . I f th e engin e doe s no t star t withi n
1 5 seconds , o r start s bu t stall s
righ t away , repea t ste p 4 wit h th e
accelerato r peda l presse d half-wa y
down . I f th e engin e starts , releas e
pressur e o n th e accelerato r peda l
s o th e engin e doe s no t race . 6
. I f th e engin e stil l doe s no t start ,
pres s th e accelerato r peda l al l th e
wa y dow n an d hol d i t ther e whil e
startin g i n orde r t o clea r flooding .
A s before , kee p th e ignitio n ke y i n
th e STAR T (III ) positio n fo r n o
mor e tha n 1 5 seconds . Retur n to
ste p 5 if th e engin e doe s no t start .
I f i t starts , lif t you r foo t of f the
accelerato r peda l s o th e engin e
doe s no t race .
Drivin g
Page 171 of 326
Startin
g th e Engin e
Startin g in Col d Weathe r a t Hig h
Altitud e (Abov e 8,00 0 feet /
2,40 0 meters )
A n engin e is harde r t o star t i n col d
weather . Th e thinne r ai r foun d a t
hig h altitud e abov e 8,00 0 fee t (2,40 0
meters ) add s t o th e problem .
Us e th e followin g procedure :
1 . Tur n of f al l electrica l accessorie s
t o reduc e th e drai n o n th e battery .
2 . Pus h th e accelerato r peda l half -
wa y t o th e floo r an d hol d it ther e
whil e startin g th e engine . D o no t
hol d th e ignitio n ke y i n STAR T
(III ) fo r mor e tha n 1 5 seconds .
Whe n th e engin e starts , releas e
th e accelerato r peda l graduall y a s
th e engin e speed s u p an d smooth s
out . 3
. I f th e engin e fail s t o star t i n ste p 2 ,
pus h th e accelerato r peda l t o th e
floo r an d hol d it ther e whil e yo u
tr y t o star t th e engin e fo r n o mor e
tha n 1 5 seconds . I f th e engin e
doe s no t start , retur n to ste p 2 .
Driving
Page 172 of 326

5-spee
d Manua l Transmissio n
Th e manua l transmissio n is syn -
chronize d in al l forwar d gear s fo r
smoot h operation . I t ha s a lockou t s o
yo u canno t shif t directl y fro m Fift h
t o Reverse . Whe n shiftin g u p o r
down , mak e sur e yo u pus h th e clutc h
peda l dow n al l th e way , shif t t o th e
nex t gear , an d le t th e peda l u p
gradually . Whe n yo u ar e no t shifting ,
d o no t res t you r foo t o n th e clutc h
pedal . Thi s ca n caus e you r clutc h to
wea r ou t faster . Com
e to a ful l sto p befor e yo u shif t
int o Reverse . Yo u ca n damag e th e
transmissio n b y tryin g to shif t int o
Revers e wit h th e vehicl e moving .
Pus h dow n th e clutc h pedal , an d
paus e fo r a fe w second s befor e
shiftin g int o Reverse , o r shif t int o
on e o f th e forwar d gear s fo r a
moment . Thi s stop s th e gear s s o
the y won' t "grind. "
Whe n slowin g down , yo u ca n ge t
extr a brakin g fro m th e engin e b y
shiftin g to a lowe r gear . Thi s extr a
brakin g ca n hel p yo u maintai n a saf e
spee d an d preven t you r brake s fro m
overheatin g whil e goin g dow n a
stee p hill . Befor e downshifting ,
mak e sur e engin e spee d wil l no t g o
int o th e tachometer' s re d zon e in th e
lowe r gear .
Drivin g
Rapi
d slowin g o r speeding-u p
ca n caus e los s o f contro l o n
slipper y surfaces . I f yo u crash ,
yo u ca n b e injured .
Us e extr a car e whe n drivin g o n
slipper y surfaces .
Page 173 of 326
5-spee
d Manua l Transmissio n
Recommende d Shif t Point s
Driv e i n th e highes t gea r tha t let s
th e engin e ru n an d accelerat e
smoothly . Thi s wil l giv e yo u th e bes t
fue l econom y an d effectiv e emis -
sion s control . Th e followin g shif t
point s ar e recommended : Engin
e Spee d Limite r
I f yo u excee d th e maximu m spee d
fo r th e gea r yo u ar e in , th e engin e
spee d wil l ente r int o th e tachometer' s
re d zone . I f thi s occurs , yo u ma y fee l
th e engin e cu t i n an d out . Thi s i s
cause d b y a limite r i n th e engine' s
compute r controls . Th e engin e wil l
ru n normall y whe n yo u reduc e th e
RP M belo w th e re d zone .
Befor e downshifting , mak e sur e th e
engin e wil l no t g o int o th e
tachometer' s re d zone .
Driving
Page 174 of 326

Automati
c Transmissio n
You r Honda' s transmissio n ha s fou r
forwar d speeds , an d is electronicall y
controlle d fo r smoothe r shifting . I t
als o ha s a "lock-up " torqu e converte r
fo r bette r fue l economy . Yo u ma y
fee l wha t seem s lik e anothe r shif t
whe n th e converte r locks . Shif
t Leve r Positio n Indicato r
Thi s indicato r o n th e instrumen t
pane l show s whic h positio n th e shif t
leve r i s in .
Th e "D " indicato r come s o n fo r a
fe w second s whe n yo u tur n th e
ignitio n switc h O N (II) . I t i t flashe s
whil e drivin g (i n an y shif t position) ,
i t indicate s a possibl e proble m in th e
transmission . Avoi d rapi d accelera -
tio n an d hav e th e transmissio n
checke d b y a n authorize d Hond a
deale r a s soo n a s possible . Shif
t Leve r Position s
SHIF T LEVE R
Th e shif t leve r ha s si x positions . I t
mus t b e in Par k o r Neutra l t o star t
th e engine . Whe n yo u ar e stoppe d in
D , 2,1 , N or R , pres s firml y o n th e
brak e pedal , an d kee p you r foo t of f
th e accelerato r pedal .
Drivin g
Page 175 of 326
Automati
c Transmissio n
Par k (P ) — Thi s positio n mechani -
call y lock s th e transmission . Us e
Par k wheneve r yo u ar e turnin g of f o r
startin g th e engine . T o shif t ou t o f
Park , yo u mus t pres s o n th e brak e
peda l an d hav e you r foo t of f th e
accelerato r pedal . Pul l th e shif t leve r
toward s you , the n mov e it ou t o f
Park .
I
f yo u hav e clon e al l o f th e abov e an d
stil l canno t mov e th e leve r ou t o f
Park , se e Shif t Loc k Releas e o n pag e
162 .
Yo u mus t als o pul l th e shif t leve r
toward s yo u to shif t int o Park . T o
avoi d transmissio n damage , com e to
a complet e sto p befor e shiftin g int o
Park . Th e shif t leve r mus t b e in Par k
befor e yo u ca n remov e th e ke y fro m
th e ignitio n switch .
Driving
CONTINUED
Page 176 of 326

Automati
c Transmissio n
Revers e (R ) — To shif t t o Revers e
fro m Park , se e th e explanatio n unde r
Park . T o shif t t o Revers e fro m
Neutral , com e t o a complet e sto p an d
the n shift . Pul l th e shif t leve r
toward s yo u befor e shiftin g int o
Revers e fro m Neutral .
Neutra l (N ) — Us e Neutra l i f yo u
nee d t o restar t a stalle d engine , o r i f
i t i s necessar y t o sto p briefl y wit h
th e engin e idling . Shif t t o Par k posi -
tio n if yo u nee d t o leav e th e vehicl e
fo r an y reason . Pres s o n th e brak e pe -
da l whe n yo u ar e movin g th e shif t
leve r fro m Neutra l t o anothe r gear . Driv
e (D ) — Us e thi s positio n fo r
you r norma l driving . Th e transmis -
sio n automaticall y select s a suitabl e
gea r fo r you r spee d an d acceleration .
Yo u ma y notic e th e transmissio n
shiftin g u p a t highe r speed s whe n
th e engin e is cold . Thi s help s th e
engin e war m u p faster .
Fo r faste r acceleration , yo u ca n ge t
th e transmissio n t o automaticall y
downshif t b y pushin g th e accelerato r
peda l t o th e floor . Th e transmissio n
wil l shif t dow n on e o r tw o gears ,
dependin g o n you r speed .
Over-Drive
(O/D) Mode
Th e Over-Driv e (O/D ) i s o n
wheneve r yo u tur n th e ignitio n O N
(II) . Yo u ca n tur n i t of f b y pressin g
th e O/ D switc h o n th e edg e o f th e
shif t lever . Th e O/ D OF F indicato r
o n th e instrumen t pane l nex t t o th e
shif t leve r positio n indicato r wil l
com e on .
Drivin g