2002 HONDA ACCORD check engine

Run the air conditioning at least once
a week during the cold weather
months. Run it f or at least ten
minutes while you are driving at a
steady speed with the engine at
normal operating temperature. This
circulates the lubricating oil con-
tained in the ref rigerant.If the air conditioning does not get as
cold as before, have your dealer
check the system. Recharge the
system with Ref rigerant HFC-134a
(R-134a). (See Specif ications on page
.)
Periodically check the engine’s
radiator and air conditioning
condenser f or leaves, insects, and
dirt stuck to the f ront surf ace. These
block the air f low and reduce cooling
ef f iciency. Use a light spray f rom a
hose or a sof t brush to remove them.
Your car’s air conditioning is a sealed
system. Any major maintenance,
such as recharging, should be done
by a qualif ied mechanic. You can do
a couple of things to make sure the
air conditioning works ef f iciently.
342
Optional f or U.S. DX and Value Package
models
A ir Condit ioning Syst em
Maint enance281
AAIIRRCCOONNDDIITTIIOONNIINNGGCCOONNDDEENNSSEERR
Whenever you have the air conditioning
system serviced, make sure the service
f acility uses a ref rigerant recycling
system. This system captures the
ref rigerant f or reuse. Releasing
ref rigerant into the atmosphere can
damage the environment.
The condenser and radiator f ins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure spray
or sof t-bristle brush to clean them.

This section covers the more-
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your car towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire . 312
....................
Changing a Flat Tire . 313
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start . 318
Nothing Happens or theStarter Motor Operates ............................
Very Slowly . 319
The Starter Operates ................................
Normally . 319
................................
Jump Starting . 320
............
If Your Engine Overheats . 323
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 325
..........
Charging System Indicator . 326
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 327
.......................
Readiness Codes . 328
...............
Brake System Indicator . 329
..................
Closing the Moonroof . 330
..............................................
Fuses . 331
..........
Checking and Replacing . 332
......................
Emergency Towing . 336
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed311

When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or Neutral.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See on page . If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the car from
a booster battery (see page ).
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereisproba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. (See
on page .)In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page .
Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly. 71
209
320 336
276 320
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting Emergency T owing
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine
319

Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: climate control, stereo
system, lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
Open the hood and check the
physical condition of the battery
(see page ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy
or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
If your car’s battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine
by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
you should take several precautions.
You cannot start a Honda with an
automatic transmission by pushing
or pulling it. To jump start your car, f ollow these
directions closely:
Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page . 1. 2.276
336
331 Jump Starting
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Won’t Start, Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed320
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyonenearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery. If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

This indicator should light when the
ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
af ter the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing, it
indicates that the oil pressure
dropped very low f or a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure
and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action.Saf ely pull of f the road and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ).
Letthecarsitforaminute.Open
the hood and check the oil level
(see page ). Although oil level
and oil pressure are not directly
connected, an engine that is very
low on oil can lose pressure during
cornering and other driving
maneuvers. Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the light
does not go out within ten seconds,
turn of f the engine. There is a
mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired bef ore you can
continue driving. (See
on page .)
1. 2. 3. 4.
198 250 336
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Emergency
Towing
325
LLOOWWOOIILLPPRREESSSSUURREEIINNDDIICCAATTOORR
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn of f
the engine as soon as you can saf ely get
the car stopped.

If the indicator remains on past three
driving trips, or the f uel cap was not
loose or missing, have the car
checked by the dealer as soon as
possible. Drive moderately until the
dealer has inspected the problem.
Avoid full-throttle acceleration and
driving at high speed.
Youshouldalsohavethedealer
inspect your car if this indicator
comes on repeatedly, even though it
may turn of f as you continue driving.
This indicator comes on f or a f ew
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch ON (II). If it comes on at any
other time, it indicates one of the
engine’s emissions control systems
may have a problem. Even though
you may f eel no dif f erence in your
car’s perf ormance, it can reduce
your f uel economy and cause your
car to put out excessive emissions.
Continued operation may cause
serious damage. This indicator should light when the
ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
af ter the engine starts. If it comes on
at any other time, it indicates one of
the engine’s emissions control
systems may have a problem. Even
though you may f eel no dif f erence in
your car’s perf ormance, it can
reduce your f uel economy and cause
your car to put out excessive
emissions. Continued operation may
cause serious damage.
If you have recently ref ueled your
car, the cause of this indicator
coming on could be a loose or
missing f uel f ill cap. Check the cap
and tighten it until it clicks several
times. Replace the f uel f ill cap if it is
missing. Tightening the cap will not
make the indicator turn of f
immediately; it takes at least three
driving trips.On V6 and 4-cylinder ULEV
On 4-cylinder LEV
Malf unct ion Indicat or L amp
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed327
MMAALLFFUUNNCCTTIIOONNIINNDDIICCAATTOORRLLAAMMPP
If you keep driving with the
malf unction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your car’s emissions controls
and engine. Those repairs may not be
covered by your car’s warranties.

Your car has certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that are part of the on-board
diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. In some states, part of the
emissions testing is to make sure
these codes are set. If they are not
set, the test cannot be completed.
If your car’s battery has been
disconnected or gone dead, these
codes are erased. It takes several
days of driving under various
conditions to set the codes again.If possible, do not take your car f or a
state emissions test until the
readiness codes are set. To check if
they are set, turn the ignition ON (II),
but do not start the engine. The
Malf unction Indicator Lamp will
come on f or 20 seconds. If it then
goes of f , the readiness codes are set.
If it blinks 5 times, the readiness
codes are not set. See State
Emissions Testing on pages and
. 352
353
4-cylinder ULEV, V6
Malf unct ion Indicat or L amp
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Readiness Codes
328

CONT INUED
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 202
................................
Accessories . 202
...
Additional Safety Precaution . 202
............................
Modif ications . 202
ACCESSORY (Ignition Key .......................................
Position) . 73
.............
Accessory Power Socket . 100
....................
Additives, Engine Oil . 252
.....................................
Airbag (SRS) . 9
.....................
Air Cleaner Element . 269
............................
Air Conditioning . 104
..............................
Maintenance . 281
.........................................
Usage . 104
.......................
Air Pressure, Tires . 284
.......................
Alcohol in Gasoline . 347
......................................
Antif reeze . 255
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
................................
Description . 220
...............................
Indicator . 57, 221
...................................
Operation . 220
.
Anti-thef t Steering Column Lock . 72
..........................
Appearance Care . 303
........
Audio System . 119, 131, 147, 164
.............
Automatic Speed Control . 185 ..............
Automatic Transmission . 212
..........................
Capacity, Fluid . 342
.......
Checking Fluid Level . 263, 264
.......................................
Shif ting . 212
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 213
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 213
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 216
Battery ......
Charging System Light . 56, 326
............................
Jump Starting . 320
..............................
Maintenance . 276
............................
Specif ications . 343
..............................
Bef ore Driving . 193
..........................................
Belts, Seat . 8
.............................
Beverage Holder . 98
...................................
Body Repair . 310
Brakes
...........
Anti-lock System (ABS) . 220
.............
Break-in, New Linings . 194
....................
Bulb Replacement . 295
...........................................
Fluid . 267
.........................................
Parking . 95
.........................
System Indicator . 57 ........................
Wear Indicators . 219
.............................
Braking System . 219
........................
Break-in, New Car . 194
..
Brightness Control, Instruments . 65
........................
Brights, Headlights . 64
Bulb Replacement
..........................
Back-up Lights . 295
..............................
Brake Lights . 295
..............................
Ceiling Light . 298
..........................
Courtesy Light . 299
................
Front Parking Lights . 294
........
Front Side Marker Lights . 293
.................................
Headlights . 292
.........
High-mount Brake Light . 297
.................
License Plate Lights . 297
............................
Specif ications . 343
.....................................
Spotlight . 299
...............................
Trunk Light . 300
....................
Turn Signal Lights . 293
..............................
Bulbs, Halogen . 292
Index
A
B
I