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 187 of 375
Pressing the Cruise Control Master
Switch turns the system completely
of f and erases the previous cruising
speed f rom memory. To use the
system again, ref er to.
When you push the CANCEL button,
or tap the brake or clutch pedal, the
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out and the
car will begin to slow down. You can
use the accelerator pedal in the
normal way. The system remembers the
previously-set cruising speed. To
return to that speed, accelerate to
above25mph(40km/h),thenpress
and release the RESUME/accel
button. The CRUISE CONTROL
light comes on, and the car will
accelerate to the same cruising
speed as bef ore.
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Using t he
Cruise Cont rol
184
Page 210 of 375

Push the clutch pedal down all the
way. START (III) does not
f unction unless the clutch pedal is
depressed. Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.If the engine still does not start,
press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while
starting in order to clear f looding.
As bef ore, keep the ignition key in
the START (III) position f or no
more than 15 seconds. Return to
step 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lif t your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal so the engine
does not race.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the engine
does not start right away, do not
hold the key in START (III) f or
more than 15 seconds at a time.
Pause f or at least 10 seconds
bef ore trying again.
If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed half-way
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.6.
Automatic Transmission:
Manual Transmission:
Starting the Engine
Driving207
Page 212 of 375

Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t into
Reverse with the car moving. Push
down the clutch pedal, and pause f or
a f ew seconds bef ore shif ting into
Reverse, or shif t into one of the
f orward gears f or a moment. This
stops the gears so they won’t ‘‘grind.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking f rom the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure engine speed will not go
into the tachometer’s red zone in the
lower gear.
The manual transmission is syn-
chronizedinallforwardgearsfor
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth
to Reverse. When shif ting up or
down,makesureyoupushtheclutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shif ting,
do not rest your f oot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster.
Driving
5-speed Manual T ransmission
209
Rapid slowing or speeding-up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.
Page 217 of 375
µTo shif t f rom Second to
First, press the release button on the
side of the shift lever. With the lever
in this position, the transmission
locks in First gear. By upshif ting and
downshif ting through 1, 2, D , and
D , you can operate this
transmission much like a manual
transmission without a clutch pedal. If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release
button does not work.
Set the Parking brake.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
1.
2.
3
4
Automatic Transmission
Driving
First (1) Engine Speed Limiter Shift Lock Release
214
Page 236 of 375

This section also includes
Maintenance Schedules f or normal
driving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions f or simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of
yourself .
If you have the skills and tools to per-
f orm more complex maintenance
tasks on your Honda, you may want
to purchase the Service Manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your Honda
dealer. This section explains why it is
important to keep your car well
maintained and to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.......................
Maintenance Saf ety .234
.
Important Safety Precautions . 235
.................
Maintenance Schedule . 236
...
Required Maintenance Record . 243 .......
Owner Maintenance Checks . 245
..............................
Fluid Locations .246
......................................
Engine Oil .248
..................................
Adding Oil .248
....................
Recommended Oil .248
..............................
Synthetic Oil .250
....................................
Additives .250
.....
Changing the Oil and Filter . 250
.............................
Cooling System .253
............
Adding Engine Coolant . 253
.......
Replacing Engine Coolant . 255
....................
Windshield Washers .260
.......................
Transmission Fluid .261
Automatic .........................
Transmission .261
5-speed Manual .........................
Transmission .263
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid . 264
............................
Brake System .264
...........................
Clutch System .265
..............................
Power Steering .266
.....................
Air Cleaner Element .267
....................................
Hood Latch .269
Spark Plugs ..............
(4-cylinder Models) . 269
..............................
Replacement .269 ............................
Specif ications .270
Spark Plugs ..............
(6-cylinder Models) . 271
..............................
Replacement .271
............................
Specif ications .273
...........................................
Battery .274
.................................
Wiper Blades .277
..............
Air Conditioning System . 279
.................
Dust and Pollen Filter . 280
.....................................
Drive Belts .280
....................................
Timing Belt .281
...............................................
Tires .282
......................................
Inf lation .282
..................................
Inspection .283
..............................
Maintenance .284
.............................
Tire Rotation .285
...
Replacing Tires and Wheels . 285
......................
Wheels and Tires .286
..........................
Winter Driving .286
.............................
Snow Tires .287
............................
Tire Chains .287
.............................................
Lights .288
.....................
Headlight Aiming .290
........................
Replacing Bulbs .290
...........................
Storing Your Car .291
361
Maintenance
Maint enance233
Page 267 of 375

Always use Honda Heavy Duty
Brake Fluid DOT 3. If it is not
available, you should use only DOT 3
or DOT 4 f luid, f rom a sealed
container, as a temporary
replacement. However, the use of
any non-Honda brake fluid can cause
corrosion and decrease the lif e of the
system. Have the brake system
f lushed and ref illed with Honda
Heavy Duty Brake Fluid DOT 3 as
soon as possible.
Check the f luid level in the reser-
voirs monthly. There are up to two
reservoirs, depending on the model.
They are:
Brake f luid reservoir (all models)
Clutch f luid reservoir
(manual transmission only)
The f luid level should be between
theMINandMAXmarksontheside
of the reservoir. If the level is at or
below the MIN mark, your brake
system needs attention. Have the
brake system inspected f or leaks or
worn brake pads.
The brake f luid should be replaced
according to the time recommenda-
tion in the maintenance schedule.
Brake f luid marked DOT 5 is not
compatible with your car’s braking
system and can cause extensive
damage.
Maint enance
Brake and Clutch Fluid
Brake System
264
M MA
AX
X
4
4- -c
cy yl liinn d
de
err m
m o
od
de
ellss M
MI
INN
Page 268 of 375
The f luid should be between the
MIN and MAX marks on the side of
the reservoir. If it is not, add brake
f luid to bring it up to that level. Use
the same f luid specif ied f or the
brake system.Low f luid level can indicate a leak in
the clutch system. Have this system
inspected as soon as possible.
Clutch System
Brake and Clutch Fluid
Maint enance265
M M
A
AX
X
M
M I
INN
6
6- -c
cy yl liinn d
de
err m
m o
od
de
ellss M
M
I
INN
M
M
A
AX
X