Page 187 of 277

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.
Page 188 of 277

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
Page 190 of 277

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.
Page 193 of 277

In addition to proper inf lation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you f ind a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
The tires were properly balanced by
the factory. They may need to be
rebalanced at some time bef ore they
are worn out. Have your dealer
check the tires if you f eel a consis-
tent vibration while driving. A tire
should always be rebalanced if it is
removed f rom the wheel f or repair.Make sure the installer balances the
wheels when you have new tires
installed. This increases riding
comf ort and tire lif e. Your car’s
original tires were dynamic or ‘‘spin’’
balanced at the f actory. For best
results, have the installer perf orm a
dynamic balance.
You should not rotate your Honda’s
tires. The f ront and rear tires are
dif f erent sizes, so they cannot be
rotated f ront-to-rear. The original-
equipment tires on your Honda have
a unidirectional tread pattern, so
they cannot be rotated side-to-side.
The tires that came on your car were
designed and constructed to provide
superior grip during acceleration,
braking, and cornering. As a trade-
off, they will wear more rapidly than
tiresusedonordinarypassenger
cars. Because of the car’s weight
distribution, and the f act that they
are the driving wheels, you may
expect the rear tires to wear more
rapidly than the f ront tires.
Maintenance
T ire Rotation
Tire Wear
Tires
Maint enance
194 Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle’s aluminum wheels. Use
only genuine Honda wheel weights f or
balancing.
Page 207 of 277

Block the rear wheels.
Disconnect the battery.If possible, run the engine f or a
while periodically (pref erably once
amonth).
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.
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.
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).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 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/30,000 miles (48,000
km) maintenance schedule 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.
Raise the convertible top cover.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Reverse. 165
154
Maint enance
St oring Your Car
208
Page 215 of 277
Repair chips and scratches in the
paint as soon as you discover them.
Inspect and clean out the drain
holes in the bottom of the doors
and body.
Check the floor coverings for
dampness. Carpeting and f loor
mats may remain damp f or a long
time, especially in winter. This
dampness can eventually cause
the f loor panels to corrode.Use a high-pressure spray to clean
the underside of your car. This is
especially important in areas that
useroadsaltinwinter.Itisalsoa
good idea in humid climates and
areas subject to salt air. Be careful
of the ABS wheel sensors and
wiring at each wheel.
Have the corrosion-preventive
coatings on the underside of your
car inspected and repaired
periodically.
Many corrosion-preventive measures
are built into your Honda. You can
help keep your car f rom corroding
by perf orming some simple periodic
maintenance:
Corrosion Prot ect ion
Appearance Care
216
Page 251 of 277

Î ÎÎ Î
T echnical Inf ormation
Specif ications
252 Engine
Dimensions
Weights
Capacities
162.0 in (4,115 mm)
68.9 in (1,750 mm)
50.6 in (1,285 mm)
94.5 in (2,400 mm)
57.9 in (1,470 mm)
59.4 in (1,510 mm) 13.2 US gal (50
, 11.0 Imp gal)
Water cooled 4-stroke DOHC
VTEC 4-cylinder gasoline engine
Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs 121.8 cu-in (1,997 cm
)
11.0 : 1 1.72 US gal (6.5
, 1.43 Imp gal)
2.01 US gal (7.6, 1.67 Imp gal)
Length
Width
Height
Wheelbase
Track
Gross vehicle weight rating See the certification label attached
to the driver’s doorjamb. Fuel tank
Engine coolant
Engine oil Manual
transmission
fluid
Differential
oil
Windshield
washer
reservoir5.1 US qt (4.8
, 4.2 Imp qt)
4.8 US qt (4.5, 4.0 Imp qt)
5.9 US qt (5.6, 4.9 Imp qt)
1.6 US qt (1.5, 1.3 Imp qt)
1.7 US qt (1.6, 1.4 Imp qt)
0.78 US qt (0.74
,0.65Impqt)
0.81 US qt (0.77,0.68Impqt)
2.7 US qt (2.6, 2.3 Imp qt)
4.4 US qt (4.2, 3.7 Imp qt)
Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in the
engine.
Reserve tank capacity:
0.16 US gal (0.6
, 0.13 Imp gal)
Excluding the oil remaining in the engine.
3.43 x 3.31 in (87.0 x 84.0 mm)
See the spark plug maintenance
section, page 181 .
FrontRear
1: 2:Change Total
Change Total
ChangeTotal
Change Total
U.S. Cars
Canadian Cars
1 2
Including filter
Without filter
Page 257 of 277

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