2003 HONDA ACCORD COUPE engine

To apply the parking brake, pull the
lever up f ully. To release it, pull up
slightly, push the button, and lower
the lever. The parking brake light on
the instrument panel should go out
when the parking brake is f ully
released with the engine running
(see page ).63
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Parking Brake
110
PARKING BRAKE LEVER
Driving the car with the parking brake
applied can damage the rear brakes
and axles.

CONT INUED
The f low-through ventilation system
draws in outside air, circulates it
through the interior, then exhausts it
through vents near the rear window.Turn the temperature control dial
all the way to the lef t.
Make sure the A/C is of f .
Select and Fresh Air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
The outside air intakes f or the
heating and cooling system are at
the base of the windshield. Keep
these clear of leaves and other
debris.
This section covers how to set up the
system controls f or ventilation,
heating, cooling, dehumidif ying, and
def rosting.
The engine must be running f or the
heater and air conditioning to
generate hot and cold air. The heater
uses engine coolant to warm the air.
If the engine is cold, it will be several
minutes bef ore you f eel warm air
coming from the system.
It is best to leave the system in Fresh
Air mode under almost all conditions.
Keeping the system in Recirculation
mode, particularly with the A/C of f ,
can cause the windows to fog up.
Switch to Recirculation mode when
you are driving through smoky or
dusty conditions, then switch back to
Fresh Air mode when the condition
clears. The air conditioning does not rely on
engine temperature.
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2.
3.
Heating and Cooling
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Vent ilat ion
How to Use the System
125
RECIRCULATION BUTTONTEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL
FAN CONTROL
DIAL
AIR CONDITIONING
(A/C) BUTTON MODE BUTTONS

Turn on the A/C by pressing the
A/C button. The light above the
button comes on when a f an speed
is selected.
Make sure the temperature
control dial is all the way to the left.
Select .
If the outside air is humid, select
Recirculation mode. If the outside
air is dry, select Fresh Air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.If the interior is very warm f rom
beingparkedinthesun,youcancool
it down more rapidly by setting up
the controls this way:Start the engine.
Turn on the A/C by pressing the
A/C button. Make sure the tem-
perature control dial is turned all
the way to the left.
Set the f an to maximum speed.
Open the windows partially. Select and Fresh Air mode.
To cool the interior with MAX A/C:
Set the f an to the desired speed.
Select the MAX A/C mode.
The system automatically turns on
the A/C, selects and
switches to Recirculation mode.
Make sure the temperature
control dial is all the way to the left. When the interior has cooled down
to a more comf ortable temperature,
close the windows and set the
controls as described f or normal
cooling.
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2.
3.
4.
5.
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2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Heating and Cooling
T o Cool wit h A /C
126
RECIRCULATION BUTTON
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL
AIR CONDITIONING
(A/C) BUTTON
FAN CONTROL
DIAL
MODE BUTTONS

Air conditioning, as it cools, removes
moisture from the air. When used in
combination with the heater, it
makes the interior warm and dry.To remove f og f rom the inside of the
windows:
Set the f an to the desired speed.
Turn on the air conditioning.
Select and Fresh Air mode.
Adjust the temperature control
dial so the mixture of heated and
cooled air f eels comf ortable.
Once the engine is warmed up, this
setting is suitable f or all driving
conditions. Set the f an to the desired speed.
Select .
When you select , the
system automatically switches to
Fresh Air mode and turns on the
A/C. (The indicator above the
A/C button stays off.)
Adjust the temperature control
dial so the air flow from the
def roster vents f eels warm.
Turn on the rear window def ogger
to help clear the rear window.
When you switch to another mode
f rom , the A/C turns of f .
Butifitwasontostartwith,it
stays on.
Air conditioning places an extra load
on the engine. Watch the engine
coolant temperature gauge (see page
) when driving in stop-and-go
traf f ic or climbing a long, steep hill.
If it moves near the red zone, turn
of f the A/C until the gauge reads
normally.
To warm the interior:
Start the engine.
Select .
When you select , the
system automatically switches to
Fresh Air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
Adjust the warmth of the air with
the temperature control dial. 1.
2.
3.
4.
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2.
3.
4.
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2.
3.
4. 70
CONT INUED
Heating and Cooling
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
T o Heat and Dehumidif y wit h A ir
Condit ioning T o Def og and Def rost
To Heat
127

For saf ety, make sure you have a
clear view through all the windows
bef ore driving away.To shut of f the system temporarily,
turn the fan speed and temperature
control dials all the way to the lef t.
These settings direct all the air f low
to the defroster vents at the base of
the windshield and the side window
def roster vents. The air f low will get
warmer and clear the windows faster
as the engine warms up. You can
close the side vents with the dial
underneath each vent. This will send
more warm air to the windshield
defroster vents.
To remove exterior f rost or ice f rom
the windshield and side windows
after the car has been sitting out in
cold weather:
Start the engine.
Select .
When you select , the
system automatically switches to
Fresh Air mode and turns on the
A/C. (The indicator above the
A/C button stays off.)
Set the f an and temperature
controls to maximum.
To rapidly remove exterior f rost or
ice f rom the windshield (on very cold
days), f irst select the Recirculation
mode. Once the windshield is clear,
select the Fresh Air mode to avoid
f ogging the windows. No air flow can cause the windows to
fogup.Itisrecommendedthatyou
keep the fan on at all times so stale
air and moisture do not build up in
the interior and cause f ogging.
1.
2.
3.
Heating and Cooling
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
To Turn Everything Of f
128

The climate control system draws air
through the exterior vents at the
bottom of the windshield. Keep
these vents clear of leaves and other
debris.
For the climate control system to
provide heating and cooling, the
engine must be running.
Climat e Cont rol Syst em
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures130
PASSENGER’S SIDE VENTOpen CloseTAB

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