Block the rear wheels.
Fill the f uel tank.
Change the engine oil and f ilter
(see page ).
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Reverse
(5-speed manual) or Park
(automatic).
If you need to park your car f or an
extended period (more than one
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your car back on the road. If
possible, store your car indoors.
If the car is to be stored for a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Leave one window open slightly (if
the car is being stored indoors).
Disconnect the battery.
Support the f ront wiper blade
arms with a f olded towel or rag so
they do not touch the windshield.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and trunk seals. Also, apply a
vehiclebodywaxtothepainted
surfaces that mate with the door
and trunk seals.Coverthecarwitha‘‘breathable’’
cover, one made f rom a porous
material such as cotton.
Nonporous materials, such as
plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
If possible, run the engine f or a
while periodically (pref erably once
amonth).
If you store your car f or 12 months
or longer, have your Honda dealer
perf orm the inspections called f or in
the 24 months maintenance schedule
(Normal Conditions) as soon as you
take it out of storage (see page ).
The replacements called f or in the
maintenance schedule are not
needed unless the car has actually
reached that time or mileage.
211
200
St oring Your Car
Maint enance256
If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Stopping in traf f ic or on the shoulder
of a busy road is dangerous. Drive
slowly along the shoulder until you
gettoanexitoranareatostopthat
is far away from the traffic lanes.Park the car on f irm, level and
non-slippery ground away f rom
traffic. Put the transmission in
Park (automatic) or Reverse
(manual). Apply the parking brake.
Turn on the hazard warning lights
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the car while
you change the tire.Open the trunk. Raise the trunk
f loor mat and the trunk f loor by
lif ting up on the back edge.
Take the tool kit out of the trunk.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed267
SSPPAARREETTIIRREETTRRUUNNKKFFLLOOOORR
TTOOOOLLKKIITTJJAACCKK
The car can easily roll off the
jack, seriously injuring anyoneunderneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the car when it
is supported only by the jack.
Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):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:
You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. 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 . Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
the f uses are OK, there is proba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit f or the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. (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 ). 290
230 274
274
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
272
µ
µ µ
The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (f ront or rear) and lif t
them of f the ground. The other two
tires remain on the ground.
If your car needs to be towed, call a
prof essional towing service or, if you
belong to one, an organization that
provides roadside assistance. Never
tow your car behind another vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous.
There are three popular types of
prof essional towing equipment.
The operator
loads your car on the back of a truck. Release the parking brake.
Shif t the transmission to Neutral.
The tow
truck uses metal cables with hooks
on the ends. These hooks go around
parts of the f rame or suspension and
the cables lif t that end of the car of f
the ground. Your car’s suspension
and body can be seriously damaged.
If your Honda cannot be transported
by f lat-bed, it should be towed by
wheel-lif t equipment with the f ront
wheels of f the ground. If due to
damage, your car must be towed
with the f ront wheels on the ground,
do the f ollowing: Release the parking brake.
Start the engine.
ShifttoD,thentoN.
Turn of f the engine.
5-speed Manual Transmission
Automatic Transmission
Wheel-lif t Equipment
Flat -bed Equipment Sling-t ype Equipment
T his is
an acceptable way to tow your
Honda.
This is the best way to transport
your Honda.
T his method of towing is
unacceptable.
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed290
Improper towing preparation will
damage the transmission. Follow the
above procedure exactly. If you cannot
shif t the transmission or start the
engine (automatic transmission), your
car must be transported with the f ront
wheels of f the ground.
ÎÎÎ Î Î Î
Î ÎÎÎ
Î Î ÎÎ
ÎÎ
Specif ications
T echnical Inf ormation296
Dimensions
Weights
Engine Capacities
174.6 in (4,435 mm)
67.3 in (1,710 mm)
56.9 in (1,445 mm)
103.1 in (2,620 mm)
57.9 in (1,470 mm)
57.9 in (1,470 mm)
2.95 x 3.72 in (75.0 x 94.4 mm) 13.2 US gal (50
, 11.0 Imp gal)
1.03 US gal (3.9
, 0.86 Imp gal)
102 cu-in (1.668 cm
)
9.5 9.9
Length
Width
Height
Wheelbase
Track
Gross vehicle weight rating See the certification label attached
to the driver’s doorjamb.
Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs Water cooled 4-stroke
SOHC , SOHC VTEC
4-cylinder gasoline engine Fuel tank
Engine
coolant
Engine oil Automatic
transmission
fluid1.06 US gal (4.0
, 0.88 Imp gal)
1.35 US gal (5.1
, 1.12 Imp gal)
1.32 US gal (5.0, 1.10 Imp gal)
3.4 US qt (3.2
, 2.8 Imp qt)
3.7 US qt (3.5, 3.1 Imp qt)
3.2 US qt (3.0, 2.6 Imp qt)
3.5 US qt (3.3, 2.9 Imp qt)
4.4 US qt (4.2, 3.7 Imp qt)
1.6 US qt (1.5, 1.3 Imp qt)
1.7 US qt (1.6, 1.4 Imp qt)
2.9 US qt (2.7, 2.4 Imp qt)
6.2 US qt (5.9, 5.2 Imp qt)
2.6 US qt (2.5
, 2.2 Imp qt)
4.8 US qt (4.5, 4.0 Imp qt)
Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in the
engine.
Reserve tank capacity: 0.11 US gal (0.4
, 0.09 Imp gal)
Excluding the oil remaining in the engine.
See spark plug maintenance
section page 229 .
FrontRear
Approx.
1: 2: 3:4:
1 : DX, LX
2:EX
DX, LXEXChange
ManualAutomatic
Total
ManualAutomatic
Change
Without filter
Total
ChangeTotal
ChangeTotal
U.S. Cars
Canada Cars
12
12 1 2
3 434
Manual trans-
mission fluidIncluding filter
Windshield
washer reservoir
CONT INUED
If you take your vehicle f or a state
emissions test shortly af ter the
battery has been disconnected or
gone dead, it may not pass the test.
This is because of certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that must be set in the on-
board diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. These codes are erased
when the battery is disconnected,
and set again only after several days
of driving under a variety of
conditions.If the testing f acility determines that
the readiness codes are not set, you
will be requested to return at a later
date to complete the test. If you must
get the vehicle re-tested within the
next two or three days, you can
condition the vehicle for re-testing
by doing the f ollowing.
Make sure the gas tank is nearly,
but not completely, f ull (around
3/4).
Make sure the vehicle has been
parked with the engine of f f or 8
hours or more.
Make sure the ambient
temperature is between 20° and
95°F. Without touching the accelerator
pedal, start the engine and let it
idle f or 20 seconds.
Keep the vehicle in Park
(automatic transmission) or
Neutral (manual transmission).
Increase the engine speed to 2,000
rpm and hold it there until the
temperature gauge rises to at least
1/4of thescale(approximately3
minutes).
T echnical Inf ormation
T esting of Readiness Codes
St at e Emissions T est ing
305
CONT INUED
Downshif ting, 5-speed Manual.............................
Transmission . 180
.....................................
Drive Belts . 237
...........
Driver and Passenger Safety . 5
...........................................
Driving . 177
....................................
Economy . 170
.........................
In Bad Weather . 192
................
In Foreign Countries . 301
..................
Dust and Pollen Filter . 235
..............................
Economy, Fuel . 170
............
Emergencies on the Road . 265
.............
Battery, Jump Starting . 274
...........
Brake System Indicator . 283
................
Changing a Flat Tire . 267
.....
Charging System Indicator . 280
..................
Checking the Fuses . 286
.....
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 279
...
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 281
...
Manually Closing Moonroof . 284
..................
Overheated Engine . 276
...........................
Emergency Brake . 97
......................
Emergency Flashers . 74
......................
Emergency Towing . 290 ............
Emergency Trunk Opener . 87
.......................
Emissions Controls . 302
.............
Emissions Testing, State . 305 Engine
....
Coolant Temperature Gauge . 68
.................................
Drive Belts . 237
......
Engine Speed Limiter . 181, 185
Malf unction Indicator
................................
Lamp . 63, 281
........
Oil Pressure Indicator . 62, 279
..............
Oil, What Kind to Use . 209
...............................
Overheating . 276
............................
Specif ications . 296
.......................................
Starting . 179
......................
Ethanol in Gasoline . 300
.
Evaporative Emissions Controls . 302
...............................
Exhaust Fumes . 54
Expectant Mothers, Use of Seat
........................................
Belts by . 20
..................
Exterior, Cleaning the . 258
............................
Fabric, Cleaning . 261
...................................
Fan, Interior . 106
Features, Comfort and ..............................
Convenience . 105
....................
Filling the Fuel Tank . 165
Filters
................................
Air Cleaner . 225
.........................
Dust and pollen . 235
...............................................
Oil . 211
5-speed Manual Transmission ...............
Checking Fluid Level . 221
................................
Shif ting the . 180
.............
Flashers, Hazard Warning . 74
...................
Flat Tire, Changing a . 267
Fluids
..........
Automatic Transmission . 220
..........................................
Brake . 222
.........................................
Clutch . 223
..............
Manual Transmission . 221
..........................
Power Steering . 224
..................
Windshield Washer . 219
FM Stereo Radio ...................................
Reception . 145
...........................
Folding Rear Seat . 91
.....
Foreign Countries, Driving in . 301
..........................
Four-way Flashers . 74
............................
Front Airbags . 10, 48
Index
E
F
III
.................................................
Fuel . 164
......................
Fill Door and Cap . 165
...........................................
Gauge . 67
................
Octane Requirement . 164
...............................
Oxygenated . 300
........................
Reserve Indicator . 63
........................
Tank, Filling the . 165
.....................
Fuses, Checking the . 285
...............
Gas Mileage, Improving . 170
..........................................
Gasohol . 300
.........................................
Gasoline . 164
...............
Fuel Reserve Indicator . 63
...........................................
Gauge . 67
................
Octane Requirement . 164
........................
Tank, Filling the . 165
................
Gas Station Procedures . 165
Gauges
...
Engine Coolant Temperature . 68
...............................................
Fuel . 67
...............................
Speedometer . 66
.................................
Tachometer . 66
Gearshif t Lever Positions ..........
Automatic Transmission . 183 5-speed Manual
.........................
Transmission . 180
..............................
Glass Cleaning . 262
........................................
Glove Box . 98
.............
Halogen Headlight Bulbs . 247
..............
Hazard Warning Flashers . 74
Headlights
........................................
Aiming . 247
............
Daytime Running Lights . 71
..................
High Beam Indicator . 63
........................
Reminder Beeper . 70
........
Replacing Halogen Bulbs . 247
...................................
Turning on . 70
..............................
Head Restraints . 90
.....................
Heating and Cooling . 106
.............
High Altitude, Starting at . 179
.................
High-Low Beam Switch . 70
..............
High-mount Brake Light . 251
....................................
Hood Latch . 226
.......................
Hood, Opening the . 166
..................................................
Horn . 69
...........................
Hydraulic Clutch . 223
.................................
Hydroplaning . 193 ...
Identif ication Number, Vehicle . 294
Ignition
..............................................
Keys . 77
...........................................
Switch . 80
............
Timing Control System . 303
.........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
Indicators, Instrument
.............................................
Panel . 59
...............................
Inf ant Restraint . 31
Inf ant Seats
......
LATCH Anchorage System . 43
...........................
Lower Anchors . 43
..........
Tether Anchorage Points . 42
...................
Inf lation, Proper Tire . 238
..................
High Speed Driving . 239
.........................
Normal Driving . 239
...................................
Inside Mirror . 96
.............................
Inspection, Tire . 240
........................
Instrument Panel . 2, 58
........
Instrument Panel Brightness . 71
...........................
Interior Cleaning . 260
...............................
Interior Lights . 102
........................................
Introduction . i
Index
G H I
IV