Resting your f oot on the brake or
clutch pedal will cause the cruise
control to cancel.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.
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.
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.
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).
Press and hold the SET/decel
button. The vehicle will decelerate.
Release the button when you
reach the desired speed.
You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways: 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).
Push on the accelerator pedal. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel
button.
Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. The car will acceler-
ate. When you reach the desired
cruising speed, release the button.
You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshif t to hold the set speed.
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Changing the Set Speed
186
µµ
µ µ
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Press the release
button on the side of the shift lever
to move it. Use this position f or
your normal driving. The transmis-
sion automatically selects a suitable
gear f or your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission
shif ting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps the
engine warm up f aster.
To shif t to Reverse
f rom Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shif t to Reverse f rom
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Press the release button
bef ore shif ting into Reverse f rom
Neutral.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shif t Lock Release on page
.
You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a
complete stop bef ore shif ting into
Park. The shif t lever must be in Park
bef ore you can remove the key f rom
the ignition switch. Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the car for
any reason. Press on the brake pedal
when you are moving the shif t lever
f rom Neutral to another gear.
216
Driving
Automatic Transmission
Park (P)
Drive (D )
Reverse (R) Neutral (N)
4
214
µµµThis position is similar
to D , except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D when
towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to
provide engine braking when going
down a steep hill. D can also keep
the transmission f rom cycling
between third and f ourth gears in
stop-and-go driving. To shif t to Second,
pressthereleasebuttonontheside
of the shif t lever. This position locks
thetransmissioninsecondgear.It
does not downshif t to f irst gear
when you come to a stop. Second
gives you more power when climbing,
and increased engine braking when
going down steep hills. Use second
gear when starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow. It will help
reduce wheelspin. To 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.
ForfasteraccelerationwheninD or
D , you can get the transmission to
automatically downshif t by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shif t down one
or two gears, depending on your
speed.
4 3
3 3
4
3
4
Drive (D ) Second (2) First (1)3
Automatic Transmission
Driving215
Push down on the key while you
pressthereleasebuttononthe
shif t lever and move the shif t lever
out of Park to Neutral.If you need to use the Shif t Lock
Release, it means your car is
developing a problem. Have the car
checked by your Honda dealer.
Remove the key from the Shift
Lock Release slot, then reinstall
thecover.Makesurethenotchon
the cover is on the lef t side.
Depress the brake pedal and
restart the engine.
5. 6.
Automatic Transmission
Driving217
The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
discussed below.Make turns more slowly and wider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.
If youmuststopwhenfacinguphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shif t down to 2nd
gear. Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
If you have an automatic
transmission, use D position when
towing a trailer on level roads. D is
the proper shif t lever position to use
when towing a trailer in hilly terrain.
(See ‘‘ ’’ in the next
column f or additional gear
inf ormation.) When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red (Hot) mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
If the automatic transmission shif ts
f requently between 3rd and 4th
gears while going up a hill, shif t toD.
4
33
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
T owing Speeds and Gears Making T urns and Braking
Driving on Hills
Driving on Hills
Towing a Trailer
Driving232
Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause trailer
swaying. When being passed by a
large vehicle, keep a constant speed
and steer straight ahead. Do not try
to make quick steering or braking
corrections.
Always drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the lef t
to get the trailer to move to the lef t,
andturnthewheelrighttomovethe
trailer to the right.Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including f irmly setting the
parking brake and putting the
transmission in Park (automatic) or
in 1st or Reverse (manual). Also,
place wheel chocks at each of the
trailer’s tires.
bottom
Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ing
Backing Up Parking
Towing a Trailer
Driving233
µµ
Ø ØØØØØØØØØ Ø ØØØØØØ
Ø ØØ Ø ØØ Ø
Ì Ì
Î
Ì Î
Maint enance241
A, B, C, D
U.S. Owners
Canadian Owners
A B C D
Balancer belt applies to 4-cylinder models only.
See information on maintenance and emissions warranty, last
column, page .
Check engine oil and coolant at each fuel stop.
Check and adjust valve clearance, cold engine, only if noisy. :
1:
240
239
Service at the indicated distance or time, whichever comes first. Do the items in as required for each distance/time interval.Refer to page to determine which schedule to use.
Use the Maintenance Schedule for Severe Conditions.
Replace engine oil.
Rotate tires (follow pattern on page ).
Replace engine oil filter.
Inspect front and rear brakes.
Check parking brake adjustment.
Inspect tie rod ends, steering gear box and boots.
Inspect suspension components.
Inspect driveshaft boots.
Inspect brake hoses and lines (including ABS).
Check all fluid levels, condition of fluids, and check
for leaks.
Inspect cooling system hoses and connections.Inspect exhaust system.
Inspect fuel lines and connections.
Replace air cleaner element.
Inspect and adjust drive belts.
Replace dust and pollen filter.
Replace brake fluid every 3 years.
(independent of mileage)
7,500 mi/12,000 km
15,000 mi/24,000 km/1 yr
22,500 mi/36,000 km
30,000 mi/48,000 km/2 yrs
37,500 mi/60,000 km
3 yrs (independent of mileage)
45,000 mi/72,000 km/3 yrs
52,500 mi/84,000 km
60,000 mi/96,000 km/4 yrs
67,500 mi/108,000 km
75,000 mi/120,000 km/5 yrs
82,500 mi/132,000 km
6 yrs (independent of mileage)
90,000 mi/144,000 km/6 yrs
97,500 mi/156,000 km
105,000 mi/168,000 km/7 yrs
112,500 mi/180,000 km
120,000 mi/192,000 km/8 yrs
120,000 mi/192,000 km/10 yrs,
then replace every 60,000 mi/
96,000 km/5yrs
Every 120,000 mi/192,000 km/6yrs
120,000 mi/192,000 km/6yrs
then replace every 90,000 mi/
144,000 km/5yrs Do items in A.
Do items in A, B.
Do items in A.
DoitemsinA,B,C.
Do items in A, B.
Do item in D.
Do items in A, B.
Do items in A.
DoitemsinA,B,C.
Do items in A.
Do items in A, B.
Do items in A.
Do item in D.
DoitemsinA,B,C.
Do items in A.
Replace timing belt, balancer belt , inspect
water pump.
Inspect valve clearance. Check idle speed.
Replace spark plugs. Do items in A, B.
Do items in A.
DoitemsinA,B,C. Replace engine coolant
Replace manual transmission fluid
Replace automatic transmission fluid 287
NOTE:
1
Maintenance Schedule for Normal Conditions (listed by distance/time)
Start the engine and hold it at
1,500 rpm until the cooling f an
comes on. Turn of f the engine.
Check the coolant level in the
radiator and add coolant if needed.
Start the engine and let it run f or
about 30 seconds. Then turn of f
the engine.
Fill the radiator with coolant up to
the base of the f iller neck.
Fill the reserve tank to the MAX
mark. Install the reserve tank cap.
Install the radiator cap, and
tighten it to the first stop.
Start the engine and let it run until
the radiator cooling f an comes on
at least twice. Then stop the
engine.
Remove the radiator cap. Pour
coolant into the radiator up to the
base of the f iller neck and into the
reserve tank up to the MAX mark. If necessary, f ill the reserve tank
to the MAX mark. Install the
reserve tank cap.
Install the radiator cap, and
tighten it fully.
Pour coolant into the radiator up
to the base of the f iller neck.
The cooling system capacity is: 8. 9.
10. 11.12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
With automatic transmission:
6-cylinder models
With 5-speed manual transmission:
6-cylinder models
Cooling Syst em
Maint enance261
44--ccyylliinnddeerrmmooddeellssBBLLEEEEDDEERRBBOOLLTT
1.45 US gal (5.5, 1.21 Imp gal)
1.43 US gal (5.4
, 1.19 Imp gal)
1.48 US gal (5.6
, 1.23 Imp gal)