2003 HONDA ACCORD COUPE key

µMake sure the parking brake is f ully
released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes.
Always use the parking brake when
you park your car. The indicator on
the instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not f ully released; it
does not indicate that the parking
brakeisfirmlyset.Makesurethe
parking brake is set f irmly or your
car may roll if it is parked on an
incline.
If your car has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park.Thiskeepsthecarfrom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission making it easier to
move the shift lever out of Park
when you want to drive away. If the car is f acing uphill, turn the
f ront wheels away f rom the curb. If
you have a manual transmission, put
it in f irst gear.
If the car is f acing downhill, turn the
f ront wheels toward the curb. If you
have a manual transmission, put it in
reverse gear.
Make sure the moonroof (if
equipped) and the windows are
closed.
Lockthedoorswiththekeyorthe
remote transmitter. Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you. Turn of f the lights.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire. Check the indicator on the
instrument panel to verif y that the
security system is set.
On cars with security system
Parking T ips
Parking
Driving253

Thecoolingsystemshouldbe
completely drained and ref illed with
new coolant according to the time
and distance recommendations in
the maintenance schedule. Only use
Honda All Season Antif reeze/
Coolant Type 2.
Draining the coolant requires access
to the underside of the car. Unless
you have the tools and knowledge,
you should have this maintenance
done by a skilled mechanic.
Do not add any rust inhibitors or
other additives to your car’s cooling
system. They may not be compatible
with the coolant or engine compo-
nents. Openthehood.Makesurethe
engine and radiator are cool to the
touch.
Turn the ignition ON (II). Turn
the temperature control dial all the
way clockwise. Turn off the
ignition and remove the key. 1.
CONT INUED
On cars with Manual A/C
Replacing Engine Coolant
Cooling Syst em
Maint enance301
4-cylinder models
6-cylinder models RESERVE TANK

Loosen the drain plug on the
bottom of the radiator. The
coolant will drain through the
splash guard. Drain the coolant
into an appropriate container.
Turn the ignition ON (II).Make
sure the DUAL indicator is off.
Turn the driver’s side temperature
control dial to 90°F (32°C). Turn
of f the ignition and remove the
key.
Remove the radiator cap. 3.
2.On car with Climate Control System
Cooling Syst em
Maint enance302
4-cylinder models 6-cylinder models
6-cylinder models DRAIN PLUG
DRAIN PLUG

Body repairs can af f ect your car’s
resistance to corrosion. If your car
needs repairs af ter a collision, pay
close attention to the parts used in
the repair and the quality of the
work.
Make sure the repair f acility uses
Honda replacement body parts.
Some companies make sheet metal
pieces that seem to duplicate the
original Honda body parts, but are
actually inf erior in f it, f inish, and
corrosion resistance. Once installed,
they do not give the same high-
quality appearance.When reporting your collision to the
insurance company, tell them you
want Honda parts used in the repair.
Although most insurers recognize
the quality of original parts, some
maytrytospecifythattherepairsbe
done with other available parts. You
should investigate this bef ore any
repairs have begun.
Takeyourcartoyourauthorized
Honda dealer f or inspection af ter the
repairs are completed. Your dealer
can make sure that quality materials
were used, and that corrosion-
preventive coatings were applied to
all repaired and replaced parts.
Body Repairs
Appearance Care362

Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:
Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or Neutral.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See on page . Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
the f uses are OK, there is proba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit f or the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. (See
on page .)
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the car from
a booster battery (see page ).
373 391
373
324
CONT INUED
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting Emergency T owing
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed371

In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page .
Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly. Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See
on page .
386 391
83
241
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed372

CONT INUED
Battery......
Charging System Light . 62,380
............................
Jump Starting .373
..............................
Maintenance .324
....................
Specif ications .397, 399
..............................
Bef ore Driving .223
....................................
Belts,Seat .8,46
.........................
Beverage Holders .112
...................................
Body Repair .362
Brakes ...........
Anti-lock System (ABS) . 256
.............
Break-in, New Linings . 224....................
Bulb Replacement .348
...........................................
Fluid .313
.......................................
Parking .110
.................
System Indicator . 63,383
........................
Wear Indicators .254
.............................
Braking System .254
........................
Break-in, New Car .224
..
Brightness Control, Instruments . 76
........................
Brights, Headlights .74
Bulb Replacement ..........................
Back-up Lights .348
..............................
Brake Lights .348
..............................
Ceiling Light .351
................
Door Courtesy Light . 351
................
Front Parking Lights . 346
.................................
Headlights .342
.........
High-mount Brake Light . 350
.................
License Plate Lights . 349
....................
Specif ications .397, 399
...................................
Spotlights .351
...............................
Trunk Light .353
....................
Turn Signal Lights . 346
................
Vanity Mirror Lights . 351
..............................
Bulbs, Halogen .342
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 232
................................
Accessories .232
.
Additional Safety Precautions . 233
............................
Modif ications .233
ACCESSORY (Ignition Key .......................................
Position) .85
............
Accessory Power Sockets . 116
....................
Additives, Engine Oil . 296
...............................
Airbag (SRS) .9, 49
.....................
Air Cleaner Element .316
...........
Air Conditioning . 122,131,138
..............................
Maintenance .329
.........................
Usage .122, 131,138
.......................
Air Pressure, Tires .333
.......................
Alcohol in Gasoline .403
........................
Aluminum Wheels .357
......................................
Antif reeze .299
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) ...............................
Indicator .64, 256
...................................
Operation .255
..............
Anti-thef t, Audio System . 212
.
Anti-thef t Steering Column Lock . 84
..........................
Appearance Care .355
..........................................
Armrest .111 ................
Audio System . 148,163,187
...
Automatic Lighting Off Feature . 75
...
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners . 47
.............
Automatic Speed Control . 214
..............
Automatic Transmission . 248
..................
Capacity, Fluid . 396,398
.......
Checking Fluid Level . 307,308
.......................................
Shif ting .248
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 248
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 248
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 251
Index
A
B
I

.............
Halogen Headlight Bulbs . 342
..............
Hazard Warning Flashers . 79
........................................
Headlights .74
........................................
Aiming .342
..............
Automatic Lighting Off . 75
............
Daytime Running Lights . 76
............
Low Beams, Turning on . 74
.........................
Reminder Chime .74
........
Replacing Halogen Bulbs . 342
...................................
Turning on .74
..............................
Head Restraints .99
.....................
Heating and Cooling .122
...............................
Heated Mirror .109
.............
High Altitude, Starting at . 242
HomeLink Wireless Control ........................................
System .218
....................................
Hood Latch .318 .......................
Hood, Opening the .226
...........................
Hydraulic Clutch .314
.................................
Hydroplaning .262
.................................................
Fuel .224
......................
Fill Door and Cap .225
...........................................
Gauge .70
................
Octane Requirement . 224
...............................
Oxygenated .403
........................
Tank, Filling the .225
.....................
Fuses, Checking the .386
...............
Gas Mileage, Improving . 231
..........................................
Gasohol .403
.........................................
Gasoline .224
...........................................
Gauge .70
................
Octane Requirement . 224
........................
Tank, Filling the .225
................
Gas Station Procedures . 225
Gauges ...
Engine Coolant Temperature . 70
...............................................
Fuel .70
...............................
Speedometer .68
.................................
Tachometer .68
Gearshif t Lever Positions ..........
Automatic Transmission . 248
5-speed Manual .........................
Transmission .243 6-speed Manual
.........................
Transmission .245
..............................
Glass Cleaning .360
........................................
Glove Box .93
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating .....................................
(GVWR) .264
...
Identif ication Number, Vehicle . 394
Ignition ..............................................
Keys .82
...........................................
Switch .84
............
Timing Control System . 406
........................
Immobilizer System .83
.........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.........
Indicators, Instrument Panel . 61
...............................
Inf ant Restraint .21
......................................
Inf ant Seats .30
..........
Tether Anchorage Points . 42
...................
Inf lation, Proper Tire . 333
.................................
Inside Mirror .108
.............................
Inspection, Tire .335
............................
Instrument Panel .61
........
Instrument Panel Brightness . 76
...........................
Interior Cleaning .358
...............................
Interior Lights .117
........................................
Introduction . i
Index
G HI
IV