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
.)
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.
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. 253
A ir Condit ioning Syst em
Maint enance
188
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.
Open the hood. Unclip the
windshield base by pulling it up.Put the pins on the windshield
base into their mating holes on the
support, and push the base down
until the pins snap in.
Remove the old f ilter. Put a new
f ilter in the holder and push it in
until it locks.
The dust and pollen f ilter is located
in the engine compartment on the
passenger’s side near the base of the
windshield.
Push the tab on the dust and
pollen f ilter to unlock it f rom the
holder.
This f ilter should be replaced every
30,000 miles (48,000 km) under
normal conditions. It should be
replaced every 15,000 miles (24,000
km) if you drive primarily in urban
areas that have high concentrations
of soot in the air f rom industry and
diesel-powered vehicles. Replace it
more of ten if air f low f rom the
climate control system becomes less
than usual. Have the dust and pollen
f ilter replaced by your Honda dealer.
The dust and pollen f ilter removes
pollen and dust f rom the outside air,
The heating and cooling system
brings air into the interior. It should
be replaced according to the time
and distance recommendations in
the maintenance schedule.
1.2. 3.4.
Maint enance
Replacement
Dust and Pollen Filt er
189
CONT INUED
Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort. Underinf lated tires wear
unevenly, adversely af f ect handling
and f uel economy, and are more
likely to f ail f rom being overheated.
Overinf lated tires can make your car
ride more harshly, are more prone to
damage f rom road hazards, and wear
unevenly.
To saf ely operate your car, your tires
must be the proper type and size, in
good condition with adequate tread,
and correctly inf lated. The f ollowing
pages give more detailed inf ormation
on how and when to check air
pressure, how to inspect your tires
for damage and wear, and what to do
when your tires need to be replaced.
We recommend that you visually
check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.
Inf lation
Maint enance
Tires
191
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.
Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month. Even
tires that are in good condition may
lose one to two psi (10 to 20 kPa, 0.1
to 0.2 kgf /cm ) per month.
Remember to check the spare tire at
thesametimeyoucheckallthe
other tires.Front:
Rear:
Check the pressure in the tires when
they are cold. This means the car
has been parked f or at least three
hours. If you have to drive the car
bef ore checking the tire pressure,
the tires can still be considered
‘‘cold’’ if you drive less than 1 mile
(1.6 km). If you check the pressure when the
tires are hot (the car has been driven
several miles), you will see readings
4 to 6 psi (30 to 40 kPa, 0.3 to 0.4
kgf /cm ) higher than the cold
reading. This is normal. Do not let
air out to match the specified cold
pressure. The tire will be
underinf lated.
These pressures are also given on
thetireinformationlabelonthe
driver’s doorjamb.
Thecompactsparetirepressureis:
Youshouldgetyourowntire
pressure gauge and use it whenever
you check your tire pressures. This
will make it easier f or you to tell if a
pressure loss is due to a tire problem
and not due to a variation between
gauges.
The following chart shows the
recommended cold tire pressures f or
most normal driving conditions and
speeds. Tire pressures f or high
speed driving are the same as f or
normal driving. Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving
Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving
Tires
Maint enance
Recommended T ire Pressures f or
Normal Driving
192
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
205/55R16 89W 32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2
kgf/cm
)
225/50R16 92W 32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
)
Slow down by shif ting to a lower
gear, and pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e. Because of the
longer distance needed to stop, it is
hazardous to drive the car. You
should have it towed, and repaired as
soon as possible.
If it comes on at any other time, it
indicates a problem with the car’s
brake system. In most cases, the
problem is a low f luid level in the
brake f luid reservoir. Press lightly on
the brake pedal to see if it f eels
normal. If it does, check the brake
f luid level the next time you stop at a
service station (see page ). If the
fluid level is low, take the car to your
dealer and have the brake system
inspected f or leaks or worn brake
pads.
However, if the brake pedal does not
f eel normal, you should take
immediate action. Because of the
brake system’s dual-circuit design, a
problem in one part of the system
will still give you braking at two
wheels. You will f eel the brake pedal
go down much f arther bef ore the car
begins to slow down, and you will
have to press harder on the pedal.
The distance needed to stop will be
much longer. If you must drive the car a short
distance in this condition, drive
slowly and cautiously.
The Brake System Indicator
normallycomesonwhenyouturn
the ignition switch ON (II). It is a
reminder to check the parking brake.
It comes on and stays lit if you do not
f ully release the parking brake. 176
Brake System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
238
BBRRAAKKEESSYYSSTTEEMMIINNDDIICCAATTOORR
µ µ
µµ µ
µµµµµµµµµµµµµ
T echnical Inf ormation
Specif ications
253
Tires
Battery
Alignment
Fuses
Air conditioning
Lights
55 W
12 V 12 V 36 AH/5 HR
0.00 in (0.0 mm)
0.24 in (6.0 mm)0°30’
6°
205/55R16 89W
225/50R16 92W
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
)
Size
Pressure
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm)
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
Capacity Toe
CamberCaster
Under-hood
Interior
T125/70D16 96M1°30’
Refrigerant type
Charge quantity
Lubricant type SP-10 19.4 21.2 oz (550 600 g)HFC-134a (R-134a)
12 V 5 W
12 V 5 W
12 V 5 W
12 V 21 W
12 V 5 W
12 V 5 W
12 V 21 W/5 W
12 V 21 W
12 V 21 W
12 V 55 W(H1)
See page 244 or the fuse box
cover.
See page 243 or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box door under the dashboard.
35 W
12 V 5 W
12 V
Headlights
Daytime running lights
Front turn signal lights
Rear turn signal lights
Stop/Taillights
Side marker lights
Back-up lights
License plate light
Interior light
Trunk light
Side turn signal lights FrontRear
FrontRear
FrontRear
Frontin
FrontRear
Spare Tire
FrontRear
Spare Tire
HighLow
Î
Î
The United States Clean Air Act
sets standards f or automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
workandwhattodotomaintain
them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.
Scheduled maintenance is on page
.
The burning of gasoline in your car’s
engine produces several byproducts.
Some of these are carbon monoxide
(CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and
hydrocarbons (HC). Gasoline
evaporating from the tank also
produces hydrocarbons. Controlling
the production of NOx, CO, and HC
is important to the environment.
Under certain conditions of sunlight
and climate, NOx and HC react to
f orm photochemical ‘‘smog.’’ Carbon
monoxide does not contribute to
smog creation, but it is a poisonous
gas.
Your car has a Positive Crankcase
Ventilation System. This keeps
gasses that build up in the engine’s
crankcase from going into the
atmosphere. The Positive Crankcase
Ventilation valve routes them fromthe crankcase back to the intake
manif old. They are then drawn into
the engine and burned.
As gasoline evaporates in the f uel
tank, an evaporative emissions
control canister f illed with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is of f . Af ter
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine
and burned during driving.
In Canada, Honda vehicles comply
with the Canadian Motor Vehicle
Saf ety Standards (CMVSS) f or
Emissions valid at the time they are
manuf actured. 154
The Clean Air Act
Crankcase Emissions Control
System Evaporative Emissions Control
System
T echnical Inf ormation
Emissions Cont rols
258
The PGM-FI System uses sequential
multiport f uel injection.
It has three subsystems: Air Intake,
Engine Control, and Fuel Control.
The Engine Control Module (ECM)
uses various sensors to determine
how much air is going into the
engine. It then controls how much
f uel to inject under all operating
conditions.This system constantly adjusts the
ignition timing, reducing the amount
of HC, CO, and NOx produced.
The emissions control systems are
covered by warranties separate f rom
the rest of your car. Read your
warranty manual f or more inf orma-
tion.
The exhaust emissions controls
include f our systems: PGM-FI,
Ignition Timing Control, Secondary
Air Injection System, and Three Way
Catalytic Converter. These four
systems work together to control the
engine’s combustion and minimize
the amount of HC, CO, and NOx that
comes out the tailpipe. The exhaust
emissions control systems are
separate f rom the crankcase and
evaporative emissions control
systems.
During engine warm-up, air is
pumped into the exhaust to reduce
emissions when the engine is cold.
The three way catalytic converter is
in the exhaust system. Through
chemical reactions, it converts HC,
CO, and NOx in the engine’s exhaust
to carbon dioxide (CO ), dinitrogen
(N ), and water vapor.The emissions control systems are
designed and certif ied to work to-
gether in reducing emissions to
levels that comply with the Clean Air
Act. To make sure the emissions
remain low, you should use only new
Genuine Honda replacement parts or
their equivalent f or repairs. Using
lower quality parts may increase the
emissions f rom your car.
2
2
Exhaust Emissions Controls
Replacement Parts
PGM-FI Syst emIgnit ion T iming Cont rol Syst em
Secondary A ir Inject ion Syst em
Three Way Catalytic Converter
Emissions Cont rols
T echnical Inf ormation 259