2003 HONDA ACCORD engine

µµ
µ To shif t to Second,
pressthereleasebuttonontheside
of the shif t lever. This position locks
thetransmissioninsecondgear.It
does not downshif t to f irst gear
when you come to a stop. Second
gives you more power when climbing,
and increased engine braking when
going down steep hills. Use second
gear when starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow. It will help
reduce wheelspin. To shif t f rom Second to
First, press the release button on the
side of the shift lever. With the lever
in this position, the transmission
locks in First gear. By upshif ting and
downshif ting through 1, 2, D , and D,
you can operate this transmission
much like a manual transmission
without a clutch pedal.
ForfasteraccelerationwheninD or
D, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshif t by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shif t down one
or two gears, depending on your
speed. This position is similar
to D, except only the first three
gears are selected instead of all f ive.
Use D when towing a trailer in hilly
terrain, or to provide engine braking
when going down a steep hill. D can
also keep the transmission f rom
cycling between third and f ourth
gears in stop-and-go driving.
3
3
3
3
Second (2) First (1)
Drive (D )
Automatic Transmission
Driving
3
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This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release
button does not work.Set the Parking brake.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
Put a cloth on the edge of the Shif t
Lock Release slot cover next to
the shift lever.
Use a small flat-tipped screwdriver
or finger nail file to remove the
cover. Caref ully pry of f the edge
of the cover.
1. 2.
3.
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Shif t L ock Release
Engine Speed L imiter
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COVER
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If you need to use the Shif t Lock
Release, it means your car is
developing a problem. Have the car
checked by your Honda dealer.
Push down on the key while you
pressthereleasebuttononthe
shif t lever and move the shif t lever
out of Park to Neutral.
Remove the key from the Shift
Lock Release slot, then reinstall
thecover.Makesurethenotchon
the cover is on the lef t side.
Depress the brake pedal and
restart the engine.
Insert the key in the Shift Lock
Release slot.
5. 6.
4.
Automatic Transmission
Driving227
RELEASE
BUTTON
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
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Your Honda is equipped with f ront
disc brakes. The brakes on the rear
wheels may be disc or drum,
depending on the model. A power
assist helps reduce the ef f ort needed
on the brake pedal.
Put your f oot on the brake pedal only
when you intend to brake. Resting
your f oot on the pedal keeps the
brakes applied lightly, causing them
to build up heat. Heat build-up can
reduce how well your brakes work. It
also keeps your brake lights on all
the time, conf using drivers behind
you.Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds
up heat and reduces their ef f ective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by downshif ting to a lower
gear and taking your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal.
Check your brakes af ter driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they f eel
normal. If not, apply them gently and
f requently until they do. Since a
longer distance is needed to stop
with wet brakes, be extra cautious
and alert in your driving. Your brakes may sometimes squeal
or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not conf use this with the
brakewearindicators.Theymakea
very audible ‘‘screeching.’’
The f ront disc brakes on all models
have audible brake wear indicators.
They are also on the rear brakes of
cars equipped with rear disc brakes
(EX, EX-V6, and LX-V6 models) as
standard equipment.
When the brake pads need replacing,
you will hear a distinctive metallic
‘‘screeching’’ sound when you apply
the brakes. If you do not have the
brake pads replaced, they will begin
screeching all the time.
Brake Wear Indicators
The Braking System
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The TCS indicator comes on or
f lashes under the f ollowing condi-
tions:When you turn the ignition switch
to ON (II).
When you manually turn of f TCS.
It f lashes when TCS is regulating
wheelspin.
The Traction Control System turns
on every time you start the engine,
even if you turned it of f the last time
you drove the car.
This switch is under the side vent. It
letsyouturntheTractionControl
System on and of f . You cannot turn
of f the TCS while the TCS Activation
light is f lashing. Deactivate the system by pressing
the TCS On/Off switch. The TCS
Activation indicator light comes on
as a reminder. Pressing the switch
again turns the system back on.
If the system’s diagnostics senses
a problem with TCS, the indicator
will come on and stay on along
with the TCS indicator.
CONT INUED
TCS ON/OFF Switch TCS Activation Indicator
Traction Control System
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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.
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58
ABS Indicator
Brake System
Indicator
Traction Control System
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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:
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When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shif t down to 2nd
gear. Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red (Hot) mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your car’s
handling and perf ormance, so
driving with a trailer requires some
special driving skills and techniques.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
discussed below.
Make turns more slowly and wider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your car, and it can
hit or run over something the car
misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.
If youmuststopwhenfacinguphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the car in place by
pressing on the accelerator, as this
can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or cars with trailers. If
you have an automatic transmission,
use D position when towing a trailer
on level roads. D is the proper shif t
lever position to use when towing a
trailer in hilly terrain. (See ‘‘ ’’ in the next column f or
additional gear information.) If the automatic transmission shif ts
f requently while going up a hill, shif t
to D .
3
3
Driving Saf ely With a T railerMaking T urns and Braking
Driving on Hills
T owing Speeds and Gears
Driving
on Hills
Towing a Trailer
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