2003 HONDA ACCORD Owners Manual

Battery
Maint enance296
The battery gives off explosive
hydrogen gas during normaloperation.
A spark or flame can cause the
battery to explode with enough
force to kill or seriously hurt you.
Wear protective clothing and a
face shield, or have a skilled
mechanic do the batterymaintenance.Charging the battery with the cables
connected can seriously damage your
car’s electronic controls. Detach the
battery cables bef ore connecting the
battery to a charger.
——yy
(yy

Check the condition of the wiper
blades at least every six months.
Look f or signs of cracking in the
rubber, or areas that are getting
hard. Replace the blades if you f ind
these signs, or if they leave streaks
and unwiped areas when used.Disconnect the blade assembly
fromthewiperarmbypushingin
the lock tab. Hold the lock tab in
while you push the blade assembly
toward the base of the arm.
Raise the wiper arm of f the
windshield.
To replace the blade:
Raise the driver’s side f irst, then
the passenger’s side. 2.
1.
CONT INUED
Wiper Blades
Maint enance297
WIPER ARMS
LOCK TAB
——yy
(yy

Remove the blade f rom its holder
by grasping the tabbed end of the
blade. Pull f irmly until the tabs
come out of the holder.Examine the new wiper blades. If
they have no plastic or metal rein-
f orcement along the back edge,
remove the metal reinf orcement
strips f rom the old wiper blade and
install them in the slots along the
edge of the new blade.Slide the new wiper blade into the
holder until the tabs lock.
Lower the wiper arm down against
the windshield.
Slide the wiper blade assembly
onto the wiper arm. Make sure it
locks in place.
Lower the passenger’s side f irst,
then the driver’s side.
3. 4. 5. 6.
7.
Wiper Blades
Maint enance298
BLADE BLADE
REINFORCEMENT
——yy
(y
y

Run the air conditioning at least once
a week during the cold weather
months. Run it f or at least ten
minutes while you are driving at a
steady speed with the engine at
normal operating temperature. This
circulates the lubricating oil con-
tained in the ref rigerant.If the air conditioning does not get as
cold as before, have your dealer
check the system. Recharge the
system with Ref rigerant HFC-134a
(R-134a). (See Specif ications on page
.)
Your car’s air conditioning is a sealed
system. Any major maintenance,
such as recharging, should be done
by a qualif ied mechanic. You can do
a couple of things to make sure the
air conditioning works ef f iciently.
Periodically check the engine’s
radiator and air conditioning
condenser f or leaves, insects, and
dirt stuck to the f ront surf ace. These
block the air f low and reduce cooling
ef f iciency. Use a light spray f rom a
hose or a sof t brush to remove them. 364
Optional f or U.S. DX models
A ir Condit ioning Syst em
Maint enance299
AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER
Whenever you have the air conditioning
system serviced, make sure the service
f acility uses a ref rigerant recycling
system. This system captures the
ref rigerant f or reuse. Releasing
ref rigerant into the atmosphere can
damage the environment.
The condenser and radiator f ins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure spray
or sof t-bristle brush to clean them.
——y
y
(yy

The dust and pollen f ilter is located
behind the glove box.
The dust and pollen f ilter removes
pollen and dust that is brought in
f rom the outside through the heating
andcoolingsystem.
This f ilter should be replaced every
30,000 miles (48,000 km) under
normal conditions. It should be
replaced every 15,000 miles (24,000
km) if you drive primarily in urban
areas that have high concentrations
of soot in the air f rom industry and
diesel-powered vehicles. Replace it
more of ten if air f low f rom the
heating and cooling system becomes
less than usual.
Open the glove box.
To replace it: Push the stop on the right side of
the glove box to detach it from the
glove box.
Pivot the glove box out of the way.
1. 3.
2.
Replacement
Dust and Pollen Filter
Maint enance300
STOP
——yy
(yy

Pushinthetabsonthecornersof
the dust and pollen f ilter case. Pull
out the case.Remove the filter from the case.
Install the new f ilter in the case.
Make sure the arrows of the ‘‘AIR
FLOW’’ marks on the f ilter point
to the air flow direction
(downward).Install the case. Make sure both
tabs ‘‘click’’ into place.
Install the glove box stop, and
close the glove box.
If you are not sure how to replace
the dust and pollen f ilter, have it
replaced by your Honda dealer.
5. 6. 7. 8.
4.
Dust and Pollen Filter
Maint enance301
——yy
(yy

µµ
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. Take your car to a Honda dealer to
replacethedrivebelt.
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.
Check the condition of the drive belt.
Examine the edges of the belt f or
cracks or fraying. 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:
The timing belt and balancer belt
should normally be replaced at the
intervals shown in the maintenance
schedule.
6-cylinder models
6-cylinder models only
Timing Belt
Drive Belt
Maint enance
Drive Belt, Timing Belt
302
4-cylinder models
——yy
(yy

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.
——yy
(yy