2003 HONDA ACCORD COUPE Owners Manual

222

Bef ore you begin driving your Honda,
youshouldknowwhatgasolineto
use, and how to check the levels of
important f luids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggage
or packages. The inf ormation in this
section will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your car,
please read the inf ormation in this
section f irst..............................
Break-in Period .224
.........................................
Gasoline .224
.........
Service Station Procedures . 225
................
Filling the Fuel Tank . 225
....................
Opening the Hood .226
...............................
Oil Check .228
.........
Engine Coolant Check . 230
...............................
Fuel Economy .231
............................
Car Condition .231
...........................
Driving Habits .231
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 232
.............................
Carrying Cargo .234
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving223

During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbraking.Newbrakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use f or the f irst 200 miles (300
km).
Help assure your car’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
Youshouldfollowthesesamere-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are relined.
Do not change the oil until the
recommended time or mileage
intervalshowninthemaintenance
schedule. Your Honda is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise in the engine that can lead to
mechanical damage.
In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emission control system
perf ormance may deteriorate and
the Malf unction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on.
If this happens, contact your
authorized Honda dealer f or service.
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your vehicle’s emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution. We recommend gasolines containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits. If you drive with the low engine
speed (below than about 1,000 rpm),
you may f eel the engine knocking. In
this case, you can use premium
unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 91 or higher to
prevent the engine f rom knocking.
On EX-V6 with manual transmission
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period Gasoline
Break-in Period, Gasoline
224

Open the f uel f ill door by pushing
onthehandletotheleftof the
driver’s seat. Because the f uel f ill cap is on the
driver’s side of the vehicle, park
with that side closest to the
service station pumps.Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
The fuel fill cap is attached to the
f uel f iller with a tether. Put the
tether end attachment on the fuel
f ill cap into the slot on the f uel f ill
door.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top of f ’’ the tank, leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.
Your vehicle has an on-board
ref ueling vapor recovery system to
help keep f uel vapors f rom going
into the atmosphere. If the fuel
nozzle keeps clicking of f even
though the tank is not full, there
maybeaproblemwiththissystem.
Consult your dealer.
3.
4.
1.
2.
CONT INUED
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
Filling the Fuel Tank
225
FUEL FILL CAP TETHER
Push
ATTACHMENT
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.

Standing in f ront of the vehicle,
reach in between the hood and the
f ront grille with your f inger. The
hood latch handle is above and to
the lef t of the ‘‘H’’ logo. Push this
handle up until it releases the
hood. Lif t the hood.
Shift to Park or Neutral and set
the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
Screw the f uel f ill cap back on,
tighten it until it clicks several
times. If you do not properly
tighten the cap, the Malfunction
Indicator Lamp may come on (see
page ).
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.
1. 2.
5.
381
6.
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
Opening the Hood
226
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE LATCH

CONT INUED
To close the hood, lif t it up slightly to
remove the support rod f rom the
hole. Put the support rod back into
its holding clip. Lower the hood to
about a f oot (30 cm) above the
fender,thenletitdrop.
After closing the hood, make sure it
is securely latched.Lif t the hood up most of the way.
The hydraulic supports will lif t it
uptherestof thewayandholdit
up.
To close the hood, lower it to about a
f oot (30 cm) above the f ender, then
press down f irmly with your hands.
After closing the hood, make sure it
is securely latched.
If you can open the hood without
lifting the hood latch handle, or the
hood latch handle moves stif f ly or
does not spring back as bef ore, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated (see page ).
Pull the support rod out of its clip
by holding the grip and insert the
end into the hole on the f ront of
the hood around the center.
3. 318
6-cylinder models
4-cylinder models
Bef ore Driving
Service Station Procedures
227
GRIP
CLIP
4-cylinder models 6-cylinder models

Check the engine oil level every time
you f ill the car with f uel. Wait a f ew
minutes af ter turning the engine of f
bef ore you check the oil.Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Remove the dipstick (orange
handle/loop).
1. 2.
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
Oil Check
228
4-cylinder models
6-cylinder models
DIPSTICK
(Orange Handle)
DIPSTICK
(Orange Loop)

CONT INUED
Insert it all the way back in its tube.Remove the dipstick again and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page .
3.
4.
294
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
A dding Oil
229
4-cylinder models 6-cylinder models 4-cylinder modelsUPPER MARK
LOWER MARK