2003 HONDA ACCORD Owners Manual

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
——yy
(yy

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 enance305
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS
——yy
(yy

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.
——yy
(yy

It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, then replace the two
f ront tires or the two rear tires as a
pair. Replacing just one tire can
seriously af f ect your car’s handling.
TheABSworksbycomparingthe
speed of the wheels. When replacing
tires, use the same size originally
supplied with the car. Tire size and
construction can af f ect wheel speed
and may cause the system to workinconsistently.
If you ever need to replace a wheel,
make sure the wheel’s specif ications
match those of the original wheel
that came on your car. Replacement
wheels are available at your Honda
dealer.
Wheel:
Tire:
See page f or inf ormation about
DOT Tire Quality Grading.
DX and LX models
All EX models
LX-V6 model LX model
All EX and V6 models
DX model
367
Wheels and T ires
Tires
Maint enance307
15x61/2JJ P195/65R15 89H
16x61/2JJ(Aluminumwheels only) P205/65R15 92H
P205/60R16 91V
16x61/2JJ(Steelwheelsonly)
Installing improper tires on your
car can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner’s manual.
——yy
(y
y

´
Tires that are marked ‘‘M S’’ or
‘‘All Season’’ on the sidewall have an
all-weather tread design. They
should be suitable f or most winter
driving conditions. Tires without
these markings are designed f or
optimum traction in dry conditions.
They may not provide adequate
perf ormance in winter driving.
For the best perf ormance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under
certain conditions. If you mount snow tires on your
Honda, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as the original tires. Mount snow
tiresonallfourwheelstobalance
your car’s handling in all weather
conditions. Keep in mind the traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
may not be as high as your car’s
original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads
are clear. Check with the tire dealer
f or maximum speed recommenda-
tions.Mount snow chains on your tires
when required by driving conditions
or local laws. Install them only on the
f ront tires.
Because your car has limited tire
clearance, Honda strongly
recommends using the chains listed
below, made by Security Chain
Company (SCC).
Link-type: SCC Quick Grip QG1130
Cable-types: SCC Radial Chain
CH2311T or SCC SC Cable SC1030
Link-type: SCC Quick Grip QG1134
Cable-types: SCC Radial Chain
CH2311T or SCC SC Cable SC1030
Cable-types: SCC Radial Chain
CH2311T or SCC SC Cable SC1030
DX
LXEX and V6
Winter DrivingSnow T ires T ire Chains
Maint enance
Tires
308
——yy
(y

y

If you ever hear the chains
contacting the body or chassis, stop
and investigate. If the chains have
loosened, retighten them. Make sure
they do not contact the brake lines
or suspension.
Removethechainsassoonasyou
begin driving on cleared roads.
Thesechainsaretheonlyonesthat
have been approved by Honda f or
use on your car. Since Honda cannot
test all chains, you must be
personally responsible f or proper
selection, installation, and use of
snow chains.
The chains listed here are available
at many auto supply stores. For a
complete list of stores, visit the SCC
website at www.scc-chain.com.
When installing chains, f ollow the
manuf acturer’s instructions, and
mount them as tightly as you can.
Drive slowly with chains installed.
Tires
Maint enance309
Using the wrong chains, or not
properly installing chains, can
damage the brake lines and
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously injured or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding the
selection and use of tire chains.
——yy
(y
y

Check the operation of your car’s
exterior lights at least once a month.
A burned out bulb can create an
unsaf e condition by reducing your
car’s visibility and the ability to
signal your intentions to other
drivers.
Lights
Maint enance310
HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTTURN SIGNAL/PARKING LIGHT
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT
——yy
(y
y

Check the f ollowing:Headlights (low and high beam)
Parking lights
Taillights
Brake lights
High-mount brake light
Turn signals
Back-up lights
Hazard light f unction
License plate light
Daytime running lights
(Canadian models)
If you f ind any bulbs are burned out,
replace them as soon as possible.
Refer to the chart on page to
determine what type of replacement
bulb is needed. 365
Lights
Maint enance311
HIGH-MOUNT BRAKE LIGHT
TAILLIGHT
TURN SIGNAL LIGHT BACK-UP LIGHT LICENSE PLATE LIGHT
STOP/TAILLIGHT
——yy
(y
y