2003 HONDA ACCORD Tires pressure

The instrument panel has many
indicators to give you important
inf ormation about your car.
This indicator lights when you turn
the ignition switch ON (II). It is a
reminder to you and your passengers
to protect yourselves by f astening
the seat belts. A beeper also sounds
if you have not fastened your seat
belt.
If you do not f asten your seat belt,
the beeper will stop af ter a f ew
seconds but the light stays on until
you do. Both the light and the beeper
stay of f if you f asten your seat belt
bef ore turning on the ignition.The engine can be severely damaged
if this light f lashes or stays on when
the engine is running. For complete
inf ormation, see page .
If this light comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged. For complete
inf ormation, see page .
See page .
This light has two f unctions:
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch ON (II). It
is a reminder to check the parking
brake. Driving with the parking
brake not f ully released can
damage the brakes and tires.
If the indicator remains lit after
you have f ully released the
parking brake while the engine is
running, or if it comes on while
driving, it can indicate a problem
in the brake system. For complete
inf ormation, see page .
1.
2.
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348
349
351
Indicator L ights
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Seat Belt Reminder L ightL ow Oil Pressure
Indicator
Charging System
Indicator
Malf unction Indicator
LampParking Brake and Brake
System Indicator
58
U.S. Canada
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Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Check that the hood and trunk are
f ully closed.Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the adjustment of the
steering wheel (see page ).
Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
Start the engine (see page ).
Check the gauges and indicator
lights in the instrument panel (see
page ).
Check that any items you may be
carrying with you inside are stored
properly or f astened down
securely.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments every day bef ore
you drive your car.
3.2.
1.
4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 11.
12. 10.
15
87
219
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101
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Preparing to Drive
Driving218
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this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work f or you by always keeping f irm,
steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes ref erred to as
You will f eel a pulsation in the brake
pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is
normal; it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of
traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on
thebrakepedalveryhardbeforeyou
activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
The hydraulic system that operates
the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the car (the lef t-f ront brake is
connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking
at two wheels.
Your car has an Anti-lock Brake
System (ABS) as standard
equipment. ABS helps to prevent the
wheels f rom locking up and skidding
during hard braking, allowing you to
retain steering control.
When the f ront tires skid, you lose
steering control; the car continues
straightaheadeventhoughyouturn
the steering wheel. The ABS helps to
prevent lock-up and helps you retain
steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly; much f aster than a
person can do it.
The ABS also balances the f ront-to
rear braking distribution according
to car loading.
‘‘stomp and steer.’’
A nti-lock Brakes You should never pump the
brake pedal;
Brake System Design
The Braking System
Driving230
Front
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µµBeing able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important
in all weather conditions. This is
more dif f icult in bad weather. To be
seen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights. Check your tires
f requently f or wear and proper
pressure. Both are important in
preventing ‘‘hydroplaning’’ (loss of
traction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all f our
wheels f or the best handling.
Watch road conditions caref ully,
they can change f rom moment to
moment. Wet leaves can be as slip-
pery as ice. ‘‘Clear’’ roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditions
can be very hazardous when the
outside temperature is near f reezing.
The road surf ace can become
covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be caref ul when downshif ting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the
drive wheels f or a moment and cause
askid. Be very cautious when passing, or
beingpassedbyothervehicles.The
spray f rom large vehicles reduces
your visibility, and the wind buf f eting
can cause you to lose control.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers f requently. Keep the wind-
shield washer reservoir f ull of the
proper f luid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to
streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the def roster and air
conditioning to keep the windows
f rom f ogging up on the inside (see
pages and ).
131
125
Visibility Traction
Driving
Driving in Bad Weather
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µµµ µ
µ µ µ
Youshouldcheckthefollowing
items at the specif ied intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perf orm
any check, turn to the page given.
Engine oil level Check every
time you fill the fuel tank. See
page .
Engine coolant level Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
you f ill the f uel tank. See page .
Windshield washer f luid Check
the level in the reservoir monthly.
If weather conditions cause you to
use the washers f requently, check
the reservoir each time you stop
f or f uel. See page .Tires Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread f or
wear and foreign objects. See page
.
Brakes Check the f luid level
monthly. See page .
Automatic transmission Check
the f luid level monthly. See pages
and . Lights Check the operation of
the headlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
turn signals, brake lights, and
license plate light monthly. See
page .
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280 284 303
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Owner Maintenance Checks
Maint enance265
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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.
CONT INUED
Inf lation
Tires
Maint enance303
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.
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Î Î
ÎÎ
The following chart shows the
recommended cold tire pressures f or
most normal driving conditions and
speeds. Tire pressures f or high
speed driving are the same as f or
normal driving.
If you check the pressure when the
tires are hot (the car has been driven
several miles), you will see readings
4 to 6 psi (30 to 40 kPa, 0.3 to 0.4
kgf /cm ) higher than the cold
reading. This is normal. Do not let
air out to match the specified cold
pressure. The tire will be
underinf lated.
Youshouldgetyourowntire
pressure gauge and use it whenever
you check your tire pressures. This
will make it easier f or you to tell if a
pressure loss is due to a tire problem
and not due to a variation between
gauges.
Tubeless tires have some ability to
self -seal if they are punctured.
However, because leakage is of ten
very slow, you should look closely
for punctures if a tire starts losing
pressure.
These pressures are also given on
thetireinformationlabelonthe
driver’s doorjamb.
Thecompactsparetirepressureis:
LX model
All models except LX
Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure for Normal Driving Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving
12DX model Front:
Rear: Front:
Rear:
EX and V6 models
1 2
Recommended T ire Pressures f or Normal Driving
Tires
Maint enance304
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
P205/65R15 92H
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
)
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm
) 30 psi (210 kPa ,
2.1 kgf/cm
)
29 psi (200 kPa , 2.0 kgf/cm
)
P205/60R16 91V
P195/65R15 89H
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When shopping f or replacement
tires, you may find that some tires
are ‘‘directional.’’ This means they
are designed to rotate only in one
direction. If you use directional tires,they should be rotated only front-to-
back.
Make sure the installer balances the
wheels when you have new tires
installed. This increases riding
comf ort and tire lif e. Your car’s
original tires were dynamic or ‘‘spin’’
balanced at the f actory. For best
results, have the installer perf orm a
dynamic balance. The tires that came with your car
were selected to match the perform-
ance capabilities of the car while
providing the best combination of
handling, ride comf ort, and long lif e.
Youshouldreplacethemwithradial
tires of the same size, load range,
speed rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire’s sidewall). Mixing radial and
bias-ply tires on your car can reduce
its braking ability, traction, and
steering accuracy.
To help increase tire lif e and
distribute wear more evenly, you
should have the tires rotated every
10,000 miles (16,000 km). Move the
tires to the positions shown in the
chart each time they are rotated.
(U.S. LX, EX and EX-V6 models) Tire Rotation
Replacing T ires and Wheels
Maint enance
Tires
306
(For Non-directional
Tires and Wheels)Front Front
(For Directional
Tires and Wheels)Improper wheel weights can damage
your car’s aluminum wheels. Use only
Honda wheel weights f or balancing.
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