2002 HONDA ACCORD brake

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes
important inf ormation on parking
your car, the braking system, the
Traction Control System, and facts
you need if you are planning to tow a
trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive . 208
.......................
Starting the Engine . 209
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude . 210
....
5-speed Manual Transmission . 211
.....
Recommended Shif t Points . 212
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 212
..............
Automatic Transmission . 212
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 213
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 213
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 216
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 216
...........................................
Parking . 218
.....................
The Braking System . 219
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 219
...............
Brake System Design . 220
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes . 220
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders . 221
........................
ABS Indicator . 221
..............
Traction Control System . 222
...............
TCS ON/OFF Switch . 223
............................
TCS Indicator . 223
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 225
...........................
Towing a Trailer . 227
Driving
Driving207

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
Driving209

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
211
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.

CONT INUED
The shift lever has seven positions.
It must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped in
D,D,2,1,NorR,pressfirmlyon
the brake pedal, and keep your f oot
of f the accelerator pedal.
This indicator between the f uel
gauge and temperature gauge shows
which position the shif t lever is in.
The ‘‘D ’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II). If it f lashes
while driving (in any shif t position),
it indicates a possible problem in the
transmission. Avoid rapid acceler-
ation and have the transmission
checkedbyanauthorizedHonda
dealer as soon as possible.
43 To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR
Dto2 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoD
DtoN
DtoD NtoD RtoN Do this:
Press the brake pedal and
press the release button.
Press the release button.
Move the lever.
4
3 3
34 4
43 4
Driving
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ever Position Indicator Shif t L ever Positions
213
SSHHIIFFTTLLEEVVEERR

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.
Insert the key in the Shift Lock
Release slot.
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.
Put a cloth on the edge of the Shif t
Lock Release slot cover next to
the shift lever.
Use a small flat-tipped screwdriver
or small metal plate (neither are
included in the tool kit) to remove
the cover. Caref ully pry of f the
edge of the cover.
1. 2.
3. 4.
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Shif t L ock Release
Engine Speed L imiter
216

µMake sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you.
Turn of f the lights.
Make sure the parking brake is f ully
released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes. Lockthedoorswiththekeyorthe
remote transmitter.
Check the indicator on the driver’s
door to verify that the security
system is set.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire.
Always use the parking brake when
you park your car. The indicator on
the instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not f ully released; it
does not indicate that the parking
brakeisfirmlyset.Makesurethe
parking brake is set f irmly or your
car may roll if it is parked on an
incline.
If your car has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park.Thiskeepsthecarfrom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission making it easier to
move the shift lever out of Park
when you want to drive away.
If the car is f acing uphill, turn the
f ront wheels away f rom the curb. If
you have a manual transmission, put
it in f irst gear.
If the car is f acing downhill, turn the
f ront wheels toward the curb. If you
have a manual transmission, put it in
reverse gear.
On EX, SE, and EX V-6 models
Parking T ips
Driving
Parking
218

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.
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.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.
Brake Wear Indicators
The Braking System
Driving219

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.
The U.S. LX with ABS and EX
models, Canada SE and EX-L models,
and all V6 models have an Anti-lock
Brake System (ABS) as standard
equipment. It is optional on other
models.
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.
‘‘stomp and steer.’’
A nti-lock Brakes You should never pump the
brake pedal,
Brake System Design
The Braking System
Driving220
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