2001 HONDA S2000 engine

Break-i
n Period , Gasolin e

Break-i n Perio d
Hel p assur e you r car' s futur e
reliabilit y an d performanc e b y payin g
extr a attentio n t o ho w yo u driv e
durin g th e firs t 60 0 mile s (1,00 0 km) .
Durin g thi s period : Avoi
d full-throttl e start s an d rapi d

acceleration .

D o no t excee d 5,50 0 rp m fo r th e
firs t 60 0 mile s (1,00 0 km ) o f

operation .
Avoi
d har d braking . Ne w brake s
nee d to b e broken-i n b y moderat e
us e fo r th e firs t 20 0 mile s (30 0
km) .
D
o no t chang e th e oi l unti l th e

recommende d tim e o r mileag e

interva l show n in th e maintenanc e

schedule .
Yo
u shoul d follo w thes e sam e re -

commendation s wit h a n overhaule d

o r exchange d engine , o r whe n th e

brake s ar e relined .

Gasolin e

You r Hond a is designe d to operat e

o n premiu m unleade d gasolin e wit h a

pum p octan e numbe r o f 9 1 o r higher .
I f yo u ar e unabl e to fin d premiu m

unleade d gasoline , yo u ma y substi -

tut e a n unleade d regula r gasoline .

Th e engin e wil l compensat e fo r th e
lowe r octane , bu t yo u ma y notic e a
sligh t decreas e in powe r a s a result .

W e recommen d gasoline s containin g

detergen t additive s tha t hel p preven t
fue l syste m an d engin e deposits .Usin
g gasolin e containin g lea d wil l
damag e you r car' s emission s
controls . Thi s contribute s t o ai r

pollution .

I n Canada , som e gasoline s contai n
a n octane-enhancin g additiv e calle d
MMT . I f yo u us e suc h gasolines ,
you r emissio n contro l syste m
performanc e ma y deteriorat e an d
th e Malfunctio n Indicato r Lam p o n
you r instrumen t pane l ma y tur n on .
I f thi s happens , contac t you r
authorize d Hond a deale r fo r service .

Befor e Drivin g

Servic
e Statio n Procedure s

3 . Inser t i t al l th e wa y bac k in it s tube .
UPPE
R MAR K

4 . Remov e th e dipstic k agai n an d
chec k th e level . I t shoul d b e
betwee n th e uppe r an d lowe r
marks .
I f i t i s nea r o r belo w th e lowe r mark ,
se e Addin g Oi l o n pag e 157 .
Engine Coolant Check

Loo k a t th e coolan t leve l i n th e
radiato r reserv e tank . Mak e sur e i t i s
betwee n th e MA X an d MI N lines . I f
i t i s belo w th e MI N line , se e Addin g
Engin e Coolan t o n pag e 16 1 fo r
informatio n o n addin g th e prope r
coolant .
Refe r t o Owne r Maintenanc e
Check s o n pag e 15 5 fo r informatio n
o n checkin g othe r item s i n you r

Honda .

Befor e Drivin g
LOWE
R MAR K

Fue
l Econom y

Th e conditio n o f you r ca r an d you r
drivin g habit s ar e th e tw o mos t
importan t thing s tha t affec t th e fue l
mileag e yo u get .
Ca r Conditio n
Alway s maintai n you r ca r accordin g
t o th e maintenanc e schedule . Thi s
wil l kee p it i n to p operatin g condition .
A n importan t par t o f tha t mainte -
nanc e is th e Owne r Maintenanc e
Check s (se e pag e 15 5 ) . Fo r
example , a n underinflate d tir e
cause s mor e "rollin g resistance, "
whic h use s fuel . I t als o wear s ou t
faster , s o chec k th e tir e pressur e a t
leas t monthly .
I n winter , th e build-u p o f sno w o n
you r car' s undersid e add s weigh t an d
rollin g resistance . Frequen t cleanin g
help s you r fue l mileag e an d reduce s
th e chanc e o f corrosion . Drivin
g Habit s
Yo u ca n improv e fue l econom y b y
drivin g moderately . Rapi d acceler -
ation , abrup t cornering , an d har d
brakin g us e mor e fuel .
Alway s driv e i n th e highes t gea r tha t
allow s the engin e t o ru n an d acceler -
at e smoothly .
Dependin g o n traffi c conditions , tr y
t o maintai n a constan t speed . Ever y
tim e yo u slo w dow n an d spee d up ,
you r ca r use s extr a fuel . Us e th e
cruis e control , whe n appropriate , t o
increas e fue l economy .
A col d engin e use s mor e fue l tha n a
war m engine . I t i s no t necessar y t o
"warm-up " a col d engin e b y lettin g it
idl e fo r a lon g time . Yo u ca n driv e
awa y in abou t a minute , n o matte r
ho w col d it i s outside . Th e engin e
wil l war m u p faster , an d yo u ge t
bette r fue l economy . T o cu t dow n o n
th e numbe r o f "col d starts, " tr y t o combin
e severa l shor t trip s int o one .
Th e ai r conditionin g put s a n extr a
loa d o n th e engin e whic h make s i t
us e mor e fuel . Tur n of f th e A/ C to
cu t dow n o n ai r conditionin g use .
Us e th e flow-throug h ventilatio n
whe n th e outsid e ai r temperatur e is

moderate .

Before Drivin g

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

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

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 ou t 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 . Revers
e Lockou t
Th e 6-spee d manua l transmissio n
ha s a lockou t s o yo u canno t
accidentall y shif t fro m Fift h t o
Revers e instea d o f Sixth .
Wit h th e clutc h peda l depressed ,
mov e th e shif t leve r t o th e Revers e
sid e o f th e Neutra l gate . The n pus h
th e shif t leve r dow n an d shif t t o

Reverse .

Drivin g

Maintenanc
e Safet y

Importan t Safet y Precaution s
Befor e yo u begi n an y maintenance ,
mak e sur e you r ca r i s parke d o n
leve l groun d an d tha t th e parkin g
brak e is set . Also , b e sur e th e engin e
i s off . Thi s wil l hel p t o eliminat e
severa l potentia l hazards : Carbo
n monoxid e poisonin g
fro m engin e exhaust . B e sur e
ther e is adequat e ventilatio n
wheneve r yo u operat e th e engine . Burn
s fro m ho t parts . Le t th e
engin e an d exhaus t syste m coo l
befor e touchin g an y parts . Injur
y fro m movin g parts . D o
no t ru n th e engin e unles s in -
structe d to d o so . Rea
d th e instruction s befor e yo u
begin , an d mak e sur e yo u hav e th e
tool s an d skill s required .
T o reduc e th e possibilit y o f fir e o r
explosion , b e carefu l whe n workin g
aroun d gasolin e o r batteries . Us e a
commerciall y availabl e degrease r o r
part s cleaner , no t gasoline , t o clea n
parts . Kee p cigarettes , sparks , an d
flame s awa y fro m th e batter y an d al l
fuel-relate d parts .
Yo u shoul d wea r ey e protectio n an d
protectiv e clothin g whe n workin g
nea r th e batter y o r whe n usin g
compresse d air .

Maintenance

Maintenanc
e Schedul e

Th e Maintenanc e Schedul e specifie s
ho w ofte n yo u shoul d hav e you r ca r
service d an d wha t thing s nee d
attention . I t i s essentia l tha t yo u hav e
you r ca r service d a s schedule d to
retai n it s hig h leve l o f safety ,
dependability , an d emission s contro l
performance .
Th
e service s an d tim e o r distanc e
interval s show n in th e maintenanc e
schedul e assum e yo u wil l us e you r
ca r a s norma l transportatio n fo r you r
passenge r an d possessions . Yo u
shoul d als o follo w thes e

recommendations :

Avoi d exceedin g you r car' s loa d
limit . Thi s put s exces s stres s o n
th e engine , brakes , an d man y
othe r part s o f you r car . Th e loa d
limi t i s show n o n th e labe l o n th e
driver' s doorjamb .
Operat e you r ca r o n reasonabl e
road s withi n th e lega l spee d limit . Driv
e you r ca r regularl y ove r a
distanc e o f severa l mile s

(kilometers) .
Alway
s us e unleade d gasolin e wit h
th e prope r octan e ratin g (se e pag e

116 ). Whic
h Schedul e t o Follow :
Servic e you r ca r accordin g t o th e
tim e an d mileag e period s o n on e o f
th e Maintenanc e Schedule s o n th e
followin g pages . Selec t th e schedul e
fo r "Sever e Conditions " i f mos t o f
you r drivin g is don e unde r on e o r
mor e o f th e condition s liste d o n tha t
page . Otherwise , follo w th e schedul e
fo r "Norma l Conditions. "

Maintenanc e