2003 HONDA ACCORD COUPE maintenance

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An auto-tensioner adjusts the tension
of the drive belt. The pointer on the
auto-tensioner should be in the
proper range. It should be checked
accordingtothetimeanddistance
recommendations in the
maintenance schedule. Check the condition of the drive belt.
Examine the edges of the belt f or
cracks or fraying. The timing belt should normally be
replaced at the intervals shown in
the maintenance schedule.
In very high temperatures
(over 110°F, 43°C).
In very low temperatures
(under 20°F, 29°C).
Replace these belts at 60,000 miles
(U.S.) or 100,000 km (Canada) if you
regularly drive your car in one or
more of these conditions:
If the pointer is out of this range or
you see signs of wear, have the drive
belt replaced by your Honda dealer
as soon as possible.
6-cylinder models only
Timing Belt
Drive Belt
Maint enance
Drive Belt, Timing Belt
332
POINTER
Proper range
4-cylinder models 6-cylinder modelsPOINTER
Proper
range

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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
Add or release air, if needed, to
match the recommended cold tire
pressures on page .334
CONT INUED
Inf lation
Tires
Maint enance333
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.

Every time you check inf lation, you
should also examine the tires f or
damage, f oreign objects, and wear.
Youshouldlookfor:Bumps or bulges in the tread or
side of the tire. Replace the tire if
youfindeitherof theseconditions.
Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side
of the tire. Replace the tire if you
can see f abric or cord.
Excessive tread wear. 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.
Your car’s tires have wear indicators
molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down to that point, you
will see a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide
band running across the tread. This
shows there is less than 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) of tread lef t on the tire. A
tire that is this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see the
tread wear indicator in three or more
places around the tire.
CONT INUED
Inspection
Maintenance
Tires
Maint enance335
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS

Block the rear wheels.
Fill the f uel tank.
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).
Disconnect the battery.
Support the f ront wiper blade
arms with a f olded towel or rag so
they do not touch the windshield.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 possible, run the engine f or a
while periodically (pref erably once
amonth).
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and trunk seals. Also, apply a car
body wax to the painted surf aces
that mate with the door and trunk
seals.
Change the engine oil and f ilter
(see page ).
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 maintenance schedule
(Normal Conditions) 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.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Reverse
(manual) or Park (automatic). 296
274
Maint enance
St oring Your Car
354

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 f loor coverings f or
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.
Two f actors normally contribute to
causing corrosion in your car:
Moisture trapped in body cavities.
Dirtandroadsaltthatcollectsin
hollows on the underside of the
car stays damp, promoting
corrosion in that area.
Removal of paint and protective
coatings f rom the exterior and
underside of the car. 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:
Have the corrosion-preventive
coatings on the underside of your
car inspected and repaired
periodically. 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
not to damage the ABS wheel
sensors and wiring at each wheel.
1.
2.
Appearance Care
Corrosion Prot ect ion
361

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T echnical Inf ormation
Specif ications ( 4-cylinder Models)
397
Battery
Fuses Lights Engine
Alignment
Tires
12 V
12 V
24/2.2 CP
12 V
12 V
60 W (HB3)
51 W (HB4)
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V 12 V
12 V
12 V 21 W
21/5 W
18 W
3CP
8W
21 W
5W
2CP
1.1 W
8W
Capacity 12 V
12 V 38 AH/5 HR
47 AH/20 HR
Interior
Under-hood Headlights
Front turn signal/parking/side
marker lights
Rear turn signal lights
Back-up lights
License plate lights
Ceiling light
High-mount brake light
Trunk light
Door courtesy lights
Vanity mirror lights
Spotlights
See page390or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box lid.
See page 389or the fuse box
cover. Water cooled 4-stroke i-VTEC
4-cylinder gasoline engine
Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs 3.43 x 3.90 in (87.0 x 99.0 mm)
144 cu-in (2,354 cm
)
9.7 : 1
See spark plug maintenance sec-
tion page 320 .
Toe-in
Camber
Caster 0.00 in (0.0 mm)
0.08 in (2.0 mm)
0°1°
3°15’
Size
Pressure P205/65R15 92H
P205/60R16 91V
T135/90D15 100M
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm
)
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm)
29 psi (200 kPa , 2.0 kgf/cm)
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm)
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
Front
Rear
Front
Rear
Front
High
Low
1: LX
2: EXFront/Rear
Spare
Front
Rear
Spare
Stop/taillight/side marker lights
1
2
1
2
1
2

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T echnical Inf ormation
Specif ications ( 6-cylinder Models)
399
Engine
Alignment
Lights
Battery
Fuses
Tires Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs
Toe-in
Camber
CasterWater cooled 4-stroke
SOHC VTEC
6-cylinder gasoline engine
Headlights
Front turn signal/parking/side
marker lights
Rear turn signal lights
Back-up lights
License plate lights
Ceiling light
High-mount brake light
Trunk light
Door courtesy lights
Vanity mirror lights
Spotlights
Capacity
Interior
Under-hood Size
Pressure
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
63 W (HB3)
51 W (HB4)
24/2.2 CP
21 W
21/5 W
18 W
3CP
8W
21 W
5W
2CP
1.1 W
8W
52 AH/5 HR
65 AH/20 HR
3.39 x 3.39 in (86.0 x 86.0 mm)
183 cu-in (2,997 cm
)
10.0 : 1
0.00 in (0.0 mm)
0.08 in (2.0 mm) 0°1°
3°15’
P215/50R17 93V P205/60R16 91V
T135/90D15 100M
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
)
T135/80R16 101M
See page 390or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box lid.
See page 389or the fuse box
cover. 60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm
)
29 psi (200 kPa , 2.0 kgf/cm)
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm)
See spark plug maintenance sec-
tion page 323 .
Front
Rear
Front
Rear
Front
High
Low
1:
2:LX-V6, EX-V6 with automatic transmission
EX-V6 with manual transmission Front/Rear
Spare
Front
Rear
Spare
Stop/taillight/side marker lights
1
2
1
2
1
2

Î
ÎThe 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. 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
.
In Canada, Honda vehicles comply
with the Canadian emission
requirements, as specif ied in an
agreement with Environment
Canada, at the time they are
manuf actured.
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 from
the crankcase back to the intake
manif old. They are then drawn into
the engine and burned.
The Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
Recovery (ORVR) system captures
the f uel vapors during ref ueling. The
vapors are adsorbed in a canister
f illed with activated carbon. While
driving, the f uel vapors are drawn
into the engine and burned of f . 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.
274
The Clean Air Act
Crankcase Emissions Control
System
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
Recovery Evaporative Emissions Control
System
Emissions Cont rols
T echnical Inf ormation405