2001 HONDA S2000 Owners Manual

Carryin
g Carg o

Carryin g Carg o i n th e Trun k Distribut
e carg o evenl y o n th e
floo r o f th e trunk , placin g th e
heavies t item s o n th e botto m an d
a s fa r forwar d a s possible .

Befor e Drivin g

Genera
l Precaution s

You r Hond a i s designe d t o giv e yo u
optimu m handlin g an d performanc e
o n well-maintaine d roads . A s par t o f
thi s design , you r ca r ha s a minimu m
o f groun d clearanc e an d ver y low -
profil e tires . Us
e cautio n i f yo u shoul d driv e
you r ca r o n ver y roug h o r rutte d
roads . Yo u coul d damag e th e
suspensio n an d underbod y b y
bottomin g out . Goin g to o fas t ove r
parkin g lo t "spee d bumps " ca n
als o caus e damage . Curb
s an d stee p incline s coul d
damag e th e fron t an d rea r
bumpers . Lo w curb s tha t d o no t
affec t th e averag e ca r ma y b e hig h
enoug h t o hi t th e bumpe r o n you r
Honda . Th e fron t o r rea r bumpe r
ma y scrap e whe n tryin g t o driv e
ont o a n incline , suc h a s a stee p
drivewa y o r traile r ramps . Becaus
e o f th e low-profil e tire s
fitte d t o you r car , th e allo y wheel s
ar e close r t o th e ground . Drivin g
ove r a pothol e o r roa d debri s a t
to o hig h a spee d ca n seriousl y
damag e a wheel . Slo w dow n unde r
thes e conditions .
Befor e Drivin g

128

Drivin
g
Thi s sectio n give s yo u tip s o n
startin g th e engin e unde r variou s
conditions , an d ho w to operat e th e
manua l transmission . I t als o include s
importan t informatio n o n parkin g
you r car , an d th e brakin g system . Preparin
g to Drive........................ . 13 0
Startin g th e Engine....................... . 13 1
Startin g i n Col d Weathe r
a t Hig h Altitud e .................... . 13 2
6-spee d Manua l Transmission.... . 13 3
Recommende d Shif t Points..... . 13 4
Engin e Spee d Limite r .............. . 13 4
Revers e Lockout....................... . 13 4
Parking........................................... . 13 5
Th e Brakin g System..................... . 13 6
Brak e Wea r Indicators............. . 13 6
Brak e Syste m Design............... . 13 7
Anti-loc k Brakes....................... . 13 7
Importan t Safet y
Reminders......................... . 13 8
AB S Indicator........................ . 13 9
Drivin g in Ba d Weather............... . 14 0
Towin g a Trailer........................... . 14 1

Drivin g

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 car .
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 trun k 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 to 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 6 9 ) .
6 . Chec k th e adjustmen t o f th e
insid e an d outsid e mirror s (se e
pag e 8 0 ) .
7 . Mak e sur e th e door s ar e securel y

close d an d locked .
8
. Faste n you r sea t belt . Chec k tha t
you r passenge r ha s fastene d hi s
sea t bel t (se e pag e 1 5 ) .
9 . 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 .
10. Star t th e engin e (se e pag e 131 ).
11. Chec k th e gauge s an d indicato r
light s i n th e instrumen t pane l (se e
pag e 43 ).

Drivin g

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 . Pus h th e clutc h peda l dow n al l th e
way . Th e ENGIN E STAR T butto n
ha s n o effec t unles s th e clutc h
peda l i s depressed .
4 . Tur n th e ignitio n ke y t o O N (II )

position .

5. Withou t touchin g th e accelerato r
pedal , pus h th e ENGIN E STAR T
button . I f th e engin e doe s no t start
righ t away , d o no t hol d th e
ENGIN E STAR T butto n 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 . 6
. 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 5 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 .
7 . 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 it ther e whil e
startin g in orde r t o clea r flooding .
A s before , hol d th e ENGIN E
STAR T butto n fo r n o mor e tha n
1 5 seconds . Retur n to ste p 6 if th e
engin e doe s no t start . I f i t starts ,
lif t you r foo t of f th e accelerato r
peda l s o th e engin e doe s no t race .

Drivin g

ENGIN
E STAR T BUTTO N

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 i s 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 ENGIN E STAR T butto n
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 i t 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 .

Drivin g

6-spee
d Manua l Transmissio n

Th e manua l transmissio n is synchro -
nize 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
Revers e instea d o f sixt h (se e pag e
134 ). 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 t o wea r
ou t faster . Com
e t o 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 t o shif t int o
Revers e wit h th e ca r 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 t o 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 .

Driving

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 .