2003 HONDA ACCORD traction control

The TCS indicator may occasionally
come on f or one or two seconds and
then go out. This is normal.This indicator will come on along
with the ABS indicator if there is a
problem in the anti-lock brake
system (see on page
).
If the TCS indicator comes on along
with the Brake System indicator, it
indicates a problem in the brake
system (see on page ).
If the TCS indicator comes on while
driving, pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e and turn of f the
engine. Reset the system by re-
starting the engine, and watch the
TCS indicator. If the indicator
remains on, or comes back on while
driving, have the TCS inspected by
your Honda dealer. You can still
drive the car without TCS.
231
58
ABS Indicator
Brake System
Indicator
Traction Control System
Driving234
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CONT INUED
Rain, f og, and snow conditions
require a dif f erent driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your car well-
maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control
should not be used in these
conditions.Always drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your car longer to
react, even in conditions that may
seem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss of
control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious f or the f irst f ew miles
(kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in
snow. A person can f orget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills. Exercise extra caution when driving
in rain af ter a long dry spell. Af ter
months of dry weather, the f irst
rains bring oil to the surf ace of the
roadway, making it slippery.
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving
Driving T echnique
235
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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
236
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Your Honda has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and
their cargo. You can use it to tow a
trailer if you caref ully observe the
load limits, use the proper equipment,
and f ollow the guidelines in this
section.The weight that
the tongue of a f ully-loaded trailer
puts on the hitch should be
approximately 10 percent of the
trailer weight. Too little tongue
load can make the trailer unstable
and cause it to sway. Too much
tongue load reduces f ront-tire
traction and steering control.
The total
weight of the trailer and
everything loaded in it must not
exceed 1,000 lbs (450 kg). Towing
a load that is too heavy can
seriously af f ect your car’s
handling and perf ormance. It can
also damage the engine and
drivetrain.
CONT INUED
Towing a Trailer
Driving
Tongue Load:
Load Limits
T otal T railer Weight:
237
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Thecompactsparetirehasashorter
tread lif e than a regular tire. Replace
it when you can see the tread wear
indicator bars. The replacement
should be the same size and design
tire, mounted on the same wheel.
Thecompactsparetireisnot
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the compact wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
Your car has a compact spare tire
that takes up less space. Use this
sparetireasatemporaryreplace-
ment only. Get your regular tire
repaired or replaced and put it back
on your car as soon as you can.
Follow these precautions whenever
you are using the compact spare tire:
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
under any circumstances. This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces than the regular tire. Use
greater caution while driving on
this tire.
Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare.
Turn off the Traction Control
System (see page ). Driving
withthecompactsparetiremay
activate the TCS.
The wheel of the compact spare
tire is designed especially to f it
your car. Do not use your spare
tire on another car unless it is the
same make and model.
232
On all LX-V6 and EX-V6 models
Compact Spare Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed334
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
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The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-
half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100. The relative perf ormance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart signif icantly f rom the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and dif f erences in
road characteristics and climate. The traction grades, f rom highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specif ied government test surf aces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
perf ormance.
Warning: The traction grade
assignedtothistireisbasedon
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
All passenger car tires must conf orm
to Federal Saf ety Requirements in
addition to these grades.
Quality grades can be f ound where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and the
maximum section width. For
example:
The tires on your car meet all U.S.
Federal Saf ety Requirements. All
tires are also graded for treadwear,
traction, and temperature perform-
ance according to Department of
Transportation (DOT) standards.
The f ollowing explains these
gradings.
T echnical Inf ormation
Treadwear Traction AA, A, B, C
T readwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A
Unif orm T ire Quality Grading
DOT T ire Quality Grading (U.S. Cars)
367
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Î
....................................
Tire Chains . 308
.........
Tire, How to Change a Flat . 335
...............................................
Tires . 303
..............................
Air Pressure . 304
.........................
Checking Wear . 305
..........................
Compact Spare . 334
......
DOT Tire Quality Grading . 367
......................................
Inf lation . 303
..................................
Inspection . 305
...................................
Replacing . 306
......................................
Rotating . 306
...........................................
Snow . 308
............................
Specif ications . 366
...................
Tools, Tire Changing . 335
Towing
.....................................
A Trailer . 237
................
Emergency Wrecker . 358
..............
Traction Control System . 232
...
TCS Activation Indicator . 59, 233
......................
TCS Indicator . 60, 232
...............
TCS ON/OFF Switch . 233
Transmission Checking Fluid Level, ......................
Automatic . 280, 281
Checking Fluid Level, ...................................
Manual . 283 ..................
Fluid Selection . 280, 283
..............
Identif ication Number . 362
.............
Shif ting the Automatic . 223
..................
Shif ting the Manual . 221
.....................................
Treadwear . 367
.......................................
Trip Meter . 64
................................................
Trunk . 84
....................
Emergency Opener . 85
.................................
Opening the . 84
...................
Open Monitor Light . 60
....................................
Turn Signals . 70
.....................
Underside, Cleaning . 331
Unexpected, Taking Care
..........................................
of the . 333
....
Unif orm Tire Quality Grading . 367
........................
Unleaded Gasoline . 204
.....................
Upholstery Cleaning . 328
.......
Used Oil, How to Dispose of . 272
................................
Vanity Mirror . 106
.................
Vehicle Capacity Load . 215 ......................
Vehicle Dimensions . 364
....
Vehicle Identif ication Number . 362
.............................
Vehicle Storage . 323
.................................................
VIN . 362
...............................
Vinyl Cleaning . 329
..................................
Viscosity, Oil . 269
.............
WARNING, Explanation of . ii
.........
Warning Labels, Location of . 53
..................
Warranty Coverages . 379
Washer, Windshield
........
Checking the Fluid Level . 279
.....................................
Operation . 72
.........................................
Washing . 326
..................
Waxing and Polishing . 327
Wheels
...............
Adjusting the Steering . 73
............
Alignment and Balance . 305
..........................
Compact Spare . 334
......................................
Wrench . 337
Windows .....................................
Cleaning . 330
..................
Operating the Power . 96
...........................
Rear, Def ogger . 72
Index
U V W
VIII
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