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µµAlways drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your vehicle longer
to react, even in conditions that may
seem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss of
control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious f or the f irst f ew miles
(kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in
snow. A person can f orget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills.
Exercise extra caution when driving
in rain af ter a long dry spell. Af ter
months of dry weather, the f irst
rains bring oil to the surf ace of the
roadway, making it slippery.
Rain, f og, and snow conditions re-
quire a dif f erent driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your vehicle well-
maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control
should not be used in these condi-
tions. Being able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important
in all weather conditions. This is
more difficult in bad weather. To be
seen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers f requently. Keep the
windshield washer reservoir f ull of
the proper f luid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to
streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the def roster and air
conditioning to keep the windows
f rom f ogging up on the inside (see
pages and ). 141 151/156
Driving
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving T echnique Visibility
224
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µµ µ
µ
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Youshouldcheckthefollowing
items at the specif ied intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perf orm
any check, turn to the page given.
Engine oil level Check every
time you fill the fuel tank. See
page .
Engine coolant level Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
youfillthefueltank.Seepage .Tires Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread f or
wear and foreign objects. See page
.
Windshield washer f luid Check
the level in the reservoir monthly.
If weather conditions cause you to
use the washers f requently, check
the reservoir each time you stop
f or f uel. See page .
Automatic transmission Check
the f luid level monthly. See page .
Brakes Check the f luid level
monthly. See page . Lights Check the operation of
the headlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
turn signals, brake lights, and
license plate light monthly. See
page .
200
201
258
259 260 273
280
Owner Maintenance Checks
Maint enance 247
Page 280 of 363
Check the f ollowing:Headlights (low and high beam)
Parking lights
Taillights
Brake lights
High-mount brake light
Turn signals
Back-up lights
Hazard light f unction
License plate light
Side marker lights
Daytime running lights
(Canadian models)
If youfindanybulbsareburnedout,
replace them as soon as possible.
Refer to the chart on page to
determinewhattypeof replacement
bulb is needed. 335
Lights
Maint enance
281
HHIIGGHH--MMOOUUNNTTBBRRAAKKEELLIIGGHHTTSSTTOOPP//TTAAIILLLLIIGGHHTTSS//SSIIDDEEMMAARRKKEERRLLIIGGHHTTSS
BBAACCKK--UUPPLLIIGGHHTTTTUURRNNSSIIGGNNAALLLLIIGGHHTT
TTAAIILLLLIIGGHHTT
LLIICCEENNSSEEPPLLAATTEELLIIGGHHTT
Page 281 of 363

Unclip the end of the hold-down
wire f rom its slot. Pivot it out of
the way and remove the bulb.
Remove the rubber weather seal
by pulling on the tab.
Remove the electrical connector
f rom the bulb by pulling the
connector straight back.
Your vehicle has halogen headlight
bulbs, one on each side. When
replacing a bulb, handle it by its steel
base and protect the glass from
contactwithyourskinorhard
objects. If you touch the glass, clean
it with denatured alcohol and a clean
cloth.
Open the hood.
If you need to change the head-
light bulb on the driver’s side,
remove the air intake cover (see
page ).
Theheadlightswereproperlyaimed
when your vehicle was new. If you
regularly carry heavy items in the
cargo area or pull a trailer,
readjustment may be required.
Adjustment of the headlights should
be perf ormed by a Honda technician
or other qualif ied mechanic.
1.2. 3. 4.
262
Lights
Maint enance Replacing a Headlight Bulb
Headlight A iming 282
HHOOLLDD--DDOOWWNNWWIIRREEWWEEAATTHHEERRSSEEAALL
CCOONNNNEECCTTOORRBBUULLBB
Halogen headlight bulbs get very hot
when lit. Oil, perspiration, or a scratch
on the glass can cause the bulb to
overheat and shatter.
Page 282 of 363
Use a f lat-tipped screwdriver to
remove the two holding clips f rom
the inner f ender.
Pull the inner f ender cover away
f rom the f ender and bumper.
If you are changing the bulb on
the driver’s side, start the engine,
turn the steering wheel all the way
to the right, and turn off the
engine. If you are changing the
bulb on the passenger’s side, turn
the steering wheel to the left.
Insert the new bulb into the hole,
making sure the tabs are in their
slots. Pivot the hold-down wire
back in place and clip the end into
the slot.
Install the rubber seal over the
back of the headlight assembly.
Make sure it is right side up; it is
marked ‘‘TOP.’’
Push the electrical connector onto
the new bulb.
Turn on the headlights to test the
new bulb.
(Driver’s side)
Reinstall the air intake cover.
1.
2. 3.
5. 6. 7.8.
CONT INUED
Lights
Maint enance
Replacing the Front Side Marker/
Turn Signal and Parking L ightBulb
283
HHOOLLDDIINNGGCCLLIIPP
Page 311 of 363

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):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. 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 vehicle
f rom a booster battery (see page
).
Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
orNeutralorthestarterwillnot
operate.
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 .
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: Your vehicle has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
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 .)
81
313 313267329
Jump Starting
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
If Your Engine Won’t Start
312
Page 323 of 363
If something electrical in your
vehicle stops working, the first thing
youshouldcheckforisablownfuse.
Determine f rom the chart on pagesand , or the diagram on the
f use box lid (the diagram f or the
driver’s side interior f use box is on
the kick panel below the f use box),
which f use or f uses control that
component. Check those f uses f irst,
but check all the f uses bef ore
deciding that a blown f use is not the
cause. Replace any blown f uses and
check the component’s operation.
Turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(0). Make sure the headlights and
all other accessories are of f .
Remove the cover f rom the f use
box.
The secondary f use box is in the
engine compartment next to the
battery.
The primary under-hood f use box is
located in the back of the engine
compartment on the passenger’s side.
To open it, push the tabs as shown.
1.
2. 327 328
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed Checking and Replacing Fuses
324
UUNNDDEERR--HHOOOODDUUNNDDEERR--HHOOOODD
Page 334 of 363

µ
µ µ µ µ µ µµµµµµµ µ µ
Specif ications
T echnical Inf ormation
335
Lights Battery
Fuses
Engine
Alignment
Tires
12 V 21 W
12 V 21/5 W
3.50 x 3.66 in (89.0 x 93.0 mm)
212 cu-in (3,471 cm
)
9.4 : 1
0.00 in (0.0 mm)
0.00 in (0.0 mm) 0°
0°30’
2°07’
P215/65R16 96T
T135/80D16 101M
35 psi (240 kPa , 2.4 kgf/cm
)
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
24/2.2 CP
12 V 1.8 W
12 V 8 W
12 V 21 W
12 V 3 CP
2CP
21 CP (18 W)
4CP
10 W
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
60/55 W (HB2)
12 V
65 AH/20 HR
52 AH/5 HR
12 V
12 V
Headlights
Front turn signal/parking/side
marker lights
Rear turn signal lights
Stop/Taillights/Rear side
marker lights
Taillights
Back-up lights
License plate light
High-mount brake light
Individual map lights
Cargo area light
Vanity mirror lights
Capacity
Interior
Under-hood Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs
Toe-in
CamberCaster Size
Pressure
See page 328 or the fuse label
attached to the dashboard.
See page 328 or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box door under the dashboard.
See page 327 or the fuse box
cover. See spark plug maintenance sec-
tion page 266 .
High/Low
Front/Rear
Spare
Front/Rear
Spare
FrontRear
FrontRear
Front
FrontRear
Driver’s side
Passenger’s side
Water cooled 4-stroke SOHC VTEC, 6-cylinder, gasoline engine