2003 HONDA ACCORD COUPE catalytic converter

This meter shows the number of
miles (U.S.) or kilometers (Canada)
driven since you last reset it.This shows the temperature of the
engine’s coolant. During normal
operation, the pointer should rise
from the bottom white mark to about
the middle of the gauge. In severe
driving conditions, such as very hot
weather or a long period of uphill
driving, the pointer may rise into the
upper half of the gauge. If it reaches
the red (Hot) mark, pull safely to the
side of the road. Turn to page f or
instructions and precautions on
checking the engine’s cooling
system.This shows how much f uel you have.
It is most accurate when the car is on
level ground. It may show slightly
more or less than the actual amount
whenyouaredrivingoncurvyor
hilly roads.
The needle returns to the bottom
after you turn off the ignition. The
gauge shows the f uel level reading
immediately af ter you turn the
ignition switch back ON (II).
There are two trip meters: Trip A
and Trip B. Switch between these
displays and the odometer/outside
temperature display by pressing the
Select/Reset knob repeatedly. Each
trip meter works independently, so
you can keep track of two dif f erent
distances.
When you turn the ignition switch to
ON (II), what you last selected is
displayed.
To reset a trip meter, display it, and
then press and hold the Select/Reset
knob until the number resets to ‘‘0.0’’. 376
Trip Meter
Temperature GaugeFuel Gauge
Gauges
Inst rument s and Cont rols70
Avoid driving with an extremely low
f uel level. Running out of f uel could
cause the engine to misf ire, damaging
the catalytic converter.

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

Thediagramsinthissectiongive
you the dimensions and capacities of
your Honda, and the locations of the
identif ication numbers. It also
includes inf ormation you should
know about your car’s tires and
emissions control systems.................
Identif ication Numbers . 394
Specif ications ..................
(4-cylinder Models) . 396
Specif ications ..................
(6-cylinder Models) . 398
DOT Tire Quality Grading ............................
(U.S.Cars) .400
.................................
Treadwear .400
......................................
Traction .400
.............................
Temperature .401
...........................
Tire Inf ormation .402 .........................
Oxygenated Fuels .403
......
Driving in Foreign Countries . 404
.......................
Emissions Controls .405
.....................
The Clean Air Act .405
Crankcase Emissions Control ....................................
System .405
Evaporative Emissions Control ....................................
System .405
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor ................................
Recovery .405
...
Exhaust Emissions Controls . 406
....................
PGM-FI System .406
Ignition Timing Control ................................
System .406
Exhaust Gas Recirculation ...................
(EGR) System . 406
Three Way Catalytic ...........................
Converter .406
....................
Replacement Parts . 406
..
Three Way Catalytic Converter . 407
..............
State Emissions Testing . 408
T echnical Inf ormat ion
T echnical Inf ormation393

If you are planning to take your
Honda outside the U.S. or Canada,
contact the tourist bureaus in the
areas you will be traveling in to f ind
out about the availability of unleaded
gasoline with the proper octane
rating.
If unleaded gasoline is not available,
be aware that using leaded gasoline
in your Honda will af f ect perf or-
mance and fuel mileage, and damage
its emissions controls. It will no
longer comply with U.S. and
Canadian emissions regulations, and
will be illegal to operate in North
America. To bring your car back into
compliance will require the replace-
ment of several components, such as
theoxygensensorsandthethree
way catalytic converter. These re-
placements are not covered under
warranty.
Driving in Foreign Countries
T echnical Inf ormation404

The emissions control systems are
covered by warranties separate from
the rest of your car. Read your
warranty manual f or more informa-
tion. The emissions control systems are
designed and certif ied to work to-
gether in reducing emissions to
levels that comply with the Clean Air
Act. To make sure the emissions
remain low, you should use only new
genuine Honda replacement parts or
their equivalent f or repairs. Using
lowerqualitypartsmayincreasethe
emissions f rom your car.
The PGM-FI System uses sequential
multiport f uel injection.
It has three subsystems: Air Intake,
Engine Control, and Fuel Control.
The Engine Control Module (ECM)
or the Powertrain Control Module
(PCM) uses various sensors to
determine how much air is going
into the engine. It then controls how
much f uel to inject under all operat- ing conditions.
This system constantly adjusts the
ignition timing, reducing the amount
of HC, CO, and NOx produced.
The exhaust emissions controls
include f our systems: PGM-FI,
Ignition Timing Control, Exhaust
Gas Recirculation and Three Way
Catalytic Converter. These four
systems work together to control the
engine’s combustion and minimize
the amount of HC, CO, and NOx that
comes out the tailpipe. The exhaust
emissions control systems are
separate f rom the crankcase and
evaporative emissions control
systems. The Exhaust Gas Recirculation
(EGR) system takes some of the
exhaust gas and routes it back into
the intake manif old. Adding exhaust
gas to the air/f uel mixture reduces
the amount of NOx produced when
the f uel is burned.
The three way catalytic converter is
in the exhaust system. Through
chemical reactions, it converts HC,
CO, and NOx in the engine’s exhaust
to carbon dioxide (CO ), dinitrogen
(N ), and water vapor.
2
2
Replacement Parts
Exhaust Emissions Controls
PGM-FI Syst em Ignit ion T iming Cont rol Syst em
Exhaust Gas Recirculat ion (EGR)Syst em
Three Way Catalytic Converter
Emissions Cont rols
T echnical Inf ormation406

Always use unleaded gasoline.
Even a small amount of leaded
gasoline can contaminate the
catalyst metals, making the three
way catalytic converter inef f ective.
The three way catalytic converter
contains precious metals that serve
as catalysts, promoting chemical
reactions to convert the exhaust
gasses without af f ecting the metals.
The catalytic converter is ref erred to
as a three-way catalyst, since it acts
on HC, CO, and NOx. A replacement
unit must be an original Honda part
or its equivalent.
The three way catalytic converter
must operate at a high temperature
for the chemical reactions to take
place. It can set on f ire any com-
bustible materials that come near it.
Park your car away f rom high grass,
dry leaves, or other f lammables.
A defective three way catalytic
converter contributes to air pollution,
and can impair your engine’s per-
f ormance. Follow these guidelines to
protect your car’s three way catalytic
converter. Keep the engine tuned-up.
Have your car diagnosed and
repaired if it is misf iring, back-
f iring, stalling, or otherwise not
running properly.
Three Way Catalytic Converter
T echnical Inf ormation407
4-cylinder models
6-cylinder models
THREE WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTER
THREE WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTERS

Supplemental Restraint System......................................
Servicing .55
.........................
SRS Indicator .52 ,63
...................
System Components . 49
..................................
Synthetic Oil .295
.....................................
Tachometer .68
......
Taillights, Changing Bulbs in . 348
.
Taking Care of the Unexpected . 363
Technical Descriptions ......
DOT Tire Quality Grading . 400
.....
Emissions Control Systems . 405
.....................
Oxygenated Fuels .403
Three Way Catalytic ...............................
Converter .407
.......................
Temperature Gauge .70
..............
Tether Anchorage Points . 42
..
Three Way Catalytic Converter . 407
..........
Time, Setting the . 153,171,193
....................................
Timing Belt .332
....................................
Tire Chains .338
.........
Tire, How to Change a Flat . 365
...........................
Tire Inf ormation .402 ...............................................
Tires .333
..............................
Air Pressure .333
.........................
Checking Wear .335
..........................
Compact Spare .364
......
DOT Tire Quality Grading . 400
......................................
Inf lation .333
..................................
Inspection .335
...................................
Replacing .336
......................................
Rotating .336
...........................................
Snow .338
....................
Specif ications .397, 399
...................
Tools, Tire Changing . 365
Towing .....................................
A Trailer .263
................
Emergency Wrecker . 391
..
Traction Control System (TCS) . 258
...
TCS Activation Indicator . 64,259
......................
TCS Indicator .64, 258
...............
TCS ON/OFF Switch . 259
Transmission Checking Fluid Level, ......................
Automatic .307, 308
Checking Fluid Level, ...........................
Manual .310, 311
..........
Fluid Selection . 307,310,312
..............
Identif ication Number . 395 .............
Shif ting the Automatic . 248
..........
Shif ting the Manual . 243,245
.....................................
Treadwear .400
.......................................
Trip Meter .70
................................................
Trunk .91
....................
Emergency Opener .92
.........................................
Hooks .237
.................................
Opening the .91
...................
Open Monitor Light . 65
....................................
Turn Signals .77
.....................
Underside, Cleaning .361
Unexpected, Taking Care ..........................................
of the .363
....
Unif orm Tire Quality Grading . 400
........................
Unleaded Gasoline .224
.....................
Upholstery Cleaning .358
.......
Used Oil, How to Dispose of . 298
Index
U
T
VIII