Page 184 of 375

Push in the Cruise Control Master
Switch to the lef t of the steering
column. The indicator in the
switch will light.
Cruise control allows you to maintain
asetspeedabove25mph(40km/h)
without keeping your f oot on the
accelerator pedal. It should be used
f or cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended f or
conditions such as city driving,
winding roads, slippery roads, heavy
rain, or bad weather. You should
have f ull control of the car under
those conditions.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speedabove25mph(40km/h).
1.
2.
CONT INUED
Cruise ControlUsing t he Cruise Cont rol
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures181
C CRRUUI ISSE E C
COON NTTR
RO OL L M
M A
AS
STTE
ER
R S
SWWI ITT C
CH H
6
6--c
cy yl liinn d
de
err m
m o
od
de
ellss
C
CR
RUUI ISSE E C
COON NTTR
RO OL L M
M A
AS
STTE
ER
R S
SWWI ITT C
CH H
4
4- -c
cy yl liinn d
de
err m
m o
od
de
ellss
Improper use of the cruise
control can lead to a crash.
Use the cruise control only
when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
Page 185 of 375

Push on the accelerator pedal. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel
button. To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
accel button repeatedly. Each time
you do this, your car will speed up
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. The car will acceler-
ate. When you reach the desired
cruising speed, release the button.
Thecruisecontrolmaynotholdthe
set speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down to the desired speed. This
will cancel the cruise control. To
resume the set speed, press the
RESUME/accel button. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on.
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshif t to hold the set speed.
Press and release the SET/decel
buttononthesteeringwheel.The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on to
show the system is now activated.
3.
Changing t he Set Speed
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures182
R RE
ES
SU UM M E
E/
/a
ac ccceel l
C
CAA N
NC CEEL
L
S
SE ET
T/
/d
d e
ecceel l
Page 186 of 375

Youcancancelthecruisecontrolin
any of these ways:Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel.
Press the Cruise Control Master
Switch.
Even with the cruise control turned
on, you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up f or passing. Af ter
completing the pass, take your foot
of f the accelerator pedal. The car
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your f oot on the brake or
clutch pedal will cause the cruise
control to cancel.
You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the SET/decel
button. The car will decelerate.
Release the button when you
reach the desired speed.
To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/decel
button repeatedly. Each time you
do this, your car will slow down
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your f oot. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out.
When the car slows to the desired
speed, press the SET/decel button.
The car will then maintain the
desired speed.
CONT INUED
Cancelling t he Cruise Cont rol
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures183
C CAA N
NC CEEL
L
B
BU UT TT
TO
ON N
Page 204 of 375

In addition, any modif ications that
decrease ground clearance increase
the chance of undercarriage parts
striking a curb, speed bump, or other
raised object, which could cause
your airbags to deploy.
Do not modif y your steering wheel
or any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.
Modif ications could make the
system inef f ective.
Do not remove any original
equipment or modif y your car in any
way that would alter its design or
operation. This could make your car
unsaf e and illegal to drive.
For example, do not make any
modif ications that would change the
ride height of your car, or install
wheels and tires with a dif f erent
overall diameter.
Such modif ications can adversely
af f ect handling, and interf ere with
the operation of the car’s anti-lock
brakes and other systems.
Covering the outside edge of a
f ront seat-back, with a non-Honda
seat cover for example, could
prevent the airbag from inflating
properly.
Any object
attached to or placed on the covers
marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG,’’ in the
center of the steering wheel and
on top of the dashboard, could
interf ere with the proper operation
of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inf late, the objects could be
propelled inside the car and hurt
someone. If a side airbag
inflates,acupholderorotherhard
object attached on or near the
door could be propelled inside the
car and hurt someone.Only on models equipped with side
airbagsModif ications
Additional Saf ety Precautions
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving
Do not place any object s over t heoutsideedgeof afront seat-back.
Do not at t ach or place object s on the f ront airbag covers. Do not at t ach hard object s on or
near a door.
201
Page 209 of 375

Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Check that the hood and trunk are
f ully closed.Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the adjustment of the
steering wheel (see page ).
Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
Start the engine (see page ).
Check the gauges and indicator
lights in the instrument panel (see
page ).
Check that any items you may be
carrying with you inside are stored
properly or f astened down
securely. Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments every day bef ore
you drive your car.
3.2.
1.
4. 5.
6.
7.
8.
9. 1510.
11.
12.
57
85
97 73 207
Preparing to Drive
Driving206
Page 220 of 375

Your brakes may sometimes squeal
or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not conf use this with the
brakewearindicators.Theymakea
very audible ‘‘screeching.’’
Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds
up heat and reduces their ef f ective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by downshif ting to a lower
gear and taking your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal.
Check your brakes af ter driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they f eel
normal. If not, apply them gently and
f requently until they do. Since a
longer distance is needed to stop
with wet brakes, be extra cautious
and alert in your driving.
The f ront disc brakes on all models
have audible brake wear indicators.
They are also on the rear brakes of
cars equipped with ABS as standard
equipment.
When the brake pads need replacing,
you will hear a distinctive metallic
‘‘screeching’’ sound when you apply
the brakes. If you do not have the
brake pads replaced, they will begin
screeching all the time.
Your Honda is equipped with f ront
disc brakes. The brakes on the rear
wheels may be disc or drum,
depending on the model. A power
assist helps reduce the ef f ort needed
on the brake pedal. The ABS (on
cars equipped with ABS) helps you
retain steering control when braking
very hard.
Put your f oot on the brake pedal only
when you intend to brake. Resting
your f oot on the pedal keeps the
brakes applied lightly, causing them
to build up heat. Heat build-up can
reduce how well your brakes work. It
also keeps your brake lights on all
the time, conf using drivers behind
you. Brake Wear Indicators
The Braking System
Driving217
Page 221 of 375

this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work f or you by always keeping f irm,
steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes ref erred to as
You will f eel a pulsation in the brake
pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is
normal, it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of
traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on
thebrakepedalveryhardbeforeyou
activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
The hydraulic system that operates
the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (the lef t-f ront brake is
connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking
at two wheels.
When the f ront tires skid, you lose
steering control; the car continues
straightaheadeventhoughyouturn
the steering wheel. The ABS helps to
prevent lock-up and helps you retain
steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly; much f aster than a
person can do it. ABS helps to prevent the wheels
f rom locking up and skidding during
hard braking, allowing you to retain
steering control. The EX, and EX-V6 models, the U.S.
LX-V6, and the Canadian Special
Edition models have an Anti-lock
Brake System (ABS) as standard
equipment.
‘‘stomp and steer.’’
A nti-lock BrakesYou should never pump the
brake pedal,
Brake System Design
The Braking System
Driving218
F Fr
roo n
nt
t
Page 222 of 375

Î
ÎÎ
Î
such as trying to take a
corner too f ast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed f or the road and
weather conditions. on loose or
uneven surf aces, such as gravel or
snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater
distance between vehicles under
those conditions.
The ABS is self -checking. If anything
goes wrong, the ABS indicator on
the instrument panel comes on (see
page ). This means the anti-lock
f unction of the braking system has
shut down. The brakes still work like
a conventional system without anti-
lock, providing normal stopping
ability. You should have the dealer
inspect your car as soon as possible.
it
only helps with steering control
during braking. You should always
maintain a saf e f ollowing distance
f rom other vehicles.
Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe
or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your car to veer into
oncoming traffic or off the road. 59
CONT INUED
Import ant Saf et y Reminders
A BS Indicat or
A BS will not prevent a skid that
results f rom changing direction
abruptly,A vehicle with A BS may require a
longer distance to stop
A BS does not reduce the time or
distance it takes to stop the car,
A BS cannot prevent a loss of
stability.
The Braking System
Driving219
U U. .SS. .i
inn d
di
icca at too r
r s
shh o
ow
wn nA
A
B
BSS I
INND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R