2002 HONDA CIVIC steering

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. Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
Youcancancelthecruisecontrolin
any of these ways:
Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel.
Press the Cruise Control Master
Switch.
CONT INUED
Cancelling t he Cruise Cont rol
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures161
CCAANNCCEELLBBUUTTTTOONN

In addition, any modif ications that
decrease ground clearance increase
the chance of undercarriage parts
striking a curb, speed bump, or other
raised object, which could cause
your airbags to deploy.
Do not modif y your steering wheel
or any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.
Modif ications could make the
system inef f ective.
Do not remove any original
equipment or modif y your car in any
way that would alter its design or
operation. This could make your car
unsaf e and illegal to drive.
For example, do not make any
modif ications that would change the
ride height of your car, or install
wheels and tires with a dif f erent
overall diameter.
Such modif ications can adversely
af f ect handling, and interf ere with
the operation of the car’s anti-lock
brakes and other systems. If a side airbag
inflates,acupholderorotherhard
object attached on or near the
door could be propelled inside the
car and hurt someone.
Covering the outside edge of a
f ront seat-back, with a non-Honda
seat cover for example, could
prevent the airbag from inflating
properly.
Any object
attached to or placed on the covers
marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG,’’ in the
center of the steering wheel and
on top of the dashboard, could
interf ere with the proper operation
of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inf late, the objects could be
propelled inside the car and hurt
someone.Only on U.S. models equipped with side
airbagsModif ications
Additional Saf ety Precautions
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving
Do not at t ach hard object s on ornear a f ront door.
Do not place any object s over t heoutsideedgeof afront seat-back.
Do not at t ach or place object s on the f ront airbag covers.
172

Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Check that the hood and trunk are
f ully closed.Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Check that any items you may be
carrying with you inside are stored
properly or f astened down
securely.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure. Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the adjustment of the
steering wheel (see page ).Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
Start the engine (see page ).
Check the gauges and indicator
lights in the instrument panel (see
page ).
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments every day bef ore
you drive your car. 1. 2. 3. 4.
9.
10.
8.
7.
6.
5.
11.
12. 16
59
88
96 76 179
Preparing to Drive
Driving178

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.
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.
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.
Your brakes may sometimes squeal
or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not conf use this with the
brakewearindicators.Theymakea
very audible ‘‘screeching.’’
The f ront disc brakes on all models
have audible brake wear indicators.
All Civics are equipped with f ront
disc brakes. The brakes on the rear
wheels are drum. A power assist
helps reduce the ef f ort needed on
thebrakepedal.TheABS(oncars
equipped with ABS) helps you retain
steering control when braking very
hard.
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. Brake Wear Indicators
The Braking System
Driving188

CONT INUED
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.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.
The U.S. EX and Canadian LX
models have an Anti-lock Brake
System (ABS) as standard
equipment.
It is optional on the U.S. LX model.
ABS helps to prevent the wheels
f rom locking up and skidding during
hard braking, allowing you to retain
steering control.
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.
‘‘stomp and steer.’’
Brake System Design A nti-lock Brakes You should never pump the
brake pedal,
Driving
The Braking System
189
FFrroonntt

on loose or
uneven surf aces, such as gravel or
snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater
distance between vehicles under
those conditions.
it
only helps with steering control
during braking. You should always
maintain a saf e f ollowing distance
f rom other vehicles.
such as trying to take a
corner too f ast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed f or the road and
weather conditions.
Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe
or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your car to veer into
oncoming traffic or off the road.
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 Braking System
Driving
A vehicle with A BS may require a
longer distance to stop
A BS does not reduce the time or
distance it takes to stop the car,
A BS will not prevent a skid that
results f rom changing direction
abruptly,
A BS cannot prevent a loss of
stability.Import ant Saf et y Reminders
190

µ
µ Being able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important
in all weather conditions. This is
more dif f icult in bad weather. To be
seen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers f requently. Keep the wind-
shield washer reservoir f ull of the
proper f luid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to
streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the def rosters and air
conditioning to keep the windows
f rom f ogging up on the inside (see
page ).
Exercise extra caution when driving
in rain af ter a long dry spell. Af ter
months of dry weather, the f irst
rains bring oil to the surf ace of the
roadway, making it slippery.
Rain, f og, and snow conditions
require a dif f erent driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your car well-
maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control
should not be used in these
conditions. Always drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your car longer to
react, even in conditions that may
seem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss of
control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious f or the f irst f ew miles
(kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in
snow. A person can f orget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills. 111
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving
Visibility
Driving T echnique
192

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 . 196
.
Important Safety Precautions . 197
.................
Maintenance Schedule . 198 ...
Required Maintenance Record . 205
.......
Owner Maintenance Checks . 207
..............................
Fluid Locations . 208
......................................
Engine Oil . 209
..................................
Adding Oil . 209
....................
Recommended Oil . 209
..............................
Synthetic Oil . 210
....................................
Additives . 210
.....
Changing the Oil and Filter . 211
.............................
Cooling System . 213
............
Adding Engine Coolant . 213
.......
Replacing Engine Coolant . 215
....................
Windshield Washers . 219
.......................
Transmission Fluid . 220
Automatic .........................
Transmission . 220
5-speed Manual .........................
Transmission . 221
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid . 222
............................
Brake System . 222
...........................
Clutch System . 223
..............................
Power Steering . 224
.....................
Air Cleaner Element . 225
....................................
Hood Latch . 226
....................................
Spark Plugs . 227
..............................
Replacement . 227 ............................
Specif ications . 229
...........................................
Battery . 230
.................................
Wiper Blades . 232
..............
Air Conditioning System . 234
..................
Dust and Pollen Filter . 235
.....................................
Drive Belts . 237
....................................
Timing Belt . 237
...............................................
Tires . 238
......................................
Inf lation . 238
Recommended Tire Pressures ...........
f or Normal Driving . 239
Tire Pressure Adjustment f or ..........
High Speed Driving . 239
..................................
Inspection . 240
..............................
Maintenance . 240
.............................
Tire Rotation . 241
...
Replacing Tires and Wheels . 242
......................
Wheels and Tires . 243
..........................
Winter Driving . 243
.............................
Snow Tires . 243
............................
Tire Chains . 244
.............................................
Lights . 245
.....................
Headlight Aiming . 247
........................
Replacing Bulbs . 247
...........................
Storing Your Car . 256
311
Maintenance
Maint enance195