2003 HONDA CIVIC COUPE air condition

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.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
.)
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.
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.
289Standard f or LX and EX models in the
U.S.,andLXandSimodelsinCanadaOptional f or other models
A ir Condit ioning Syst em
Maint enance228
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.
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To replace it:
The air conditioning f ilter is located
behind the glove box.
Open the glove box. Remove the
hooks on the side panels by pulling
out on the tabs. Pivot the glove
box out of the way. Remove the dust and pollen f ilter
cover by pushing in on the lock tab,
then pulling the cover toward you.
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.
1.2.
CONT INUED
Standard f or LX and EX models in the
U.S.,and LXandSimodelsinCanadaOptional f or other models
Maint enance
Replacement
Dust and Pollen Filter
229
HOOKS COVER
TAB
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Remove the f irst f ilter by pulling it
straight out of the air conditioning
unit. Remove the second f ilter by
sliding it to the lef t, then pulling it
out.Install the new f ilters. Reinstall the
cover.
Pivot the glove box up into
position. Reinstall the hooks into
thesidepanelof theglovebox.
Close the glove box.
If you are not sure how to replace
the dust and pollen f ilters, have
them replaced by your Honda
dealer.
3. 4. 5.
Maint enance
Dust and Pollen Filter
230
DUST AND POLLEN FILTERS
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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.
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.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).
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.
Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month. Even
tires that are in good condition may
lose 1 to 2 psi (10 to 20 kPa, 0.1 to 0.2
kgf /cm ) per month. Remember to
checkthesparetireatthesametime
you check all the other tires.
Inf lation
Tires
Maint enance232
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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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.
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.
Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side
of the tire. Replace the tire if you
can see f abric or cord. 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.
Inspection
Maintenance
Tires
Maint enance234
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR
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Î
ÎSlow down by shif ting to a lower
gear, and pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e. Because of the
longer distance needed to stop, it is
hazardous to drive the car. You
should have it towed, and repaired as
soon as possible. (See on page .)
If you must drive the car a short
distance in this condition, drive
slowly and cautiously.
If it comes on at any other time, it
indicates a problem with the car’s
brake system. In most cases, the
problem is a low f luid level in the
brake f luid reservoir. Press lightly on
the brake pedal to see if it f eels
normal. If it does, check the brake
f luid level the next time you stop at a
service station (see page ). If the
fluid level is low, take the car to your
dealer and have the brake system
inspected f or leaks or worn brake
pads.
However, if the brake pedal does not
f eel normal, you should take
immediate action. Because of the
brake system’s dual-circuit design, a
problem in one part of the system
will still give you braking at two
wheels. You will f eel the brake pedal
go down much f arther bef ore the car
begins to slow down, and you will
have to press harder on the pedal.
The distance needed to stop will be
much longer. 217
283Emergency
Towing
Brake System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed276
BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR
DX models U.S. indicator shown
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Specif ications
T echnical Inf ormation289
Fuses
Tires
Alignment
Air Conditioning Battery
Lights
HFC-134a (R-134a)
17.6 19.4 oz (500 550 g) SP-10
12 V
12 V 60/55 W (HB2)
21/5 W
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm
)
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V 18 W
12 V 21/5 W
12 V 21 W
12 V 3 CP Interior
Under-hood Size
Pressure
Toe-in
Camber
Caster
2°14’45’
0°
0.00 in (0.0 mm)
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm)
T115/70D14 88M
P185/65R15 86HP185/70R14 87S
Refrigerant type
Charge quantity
Lubricant oil type
0.08 in ( 2.0 mm)
T125/70D15 95M
21 W
3CP
10 W5W5W8W5W
Capacity 36 AH/5 HR
12 V
38 AH/5 HR
12 V See page 282 or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box door under the steering
column.
See page 281 or the fuse box
cover.
Headlights (HI/LO)
Front turn signal/side marker
lights
Front parking light
Rear turn signal lights
Stop/Taillights/Rear side
marker lights
Back-up lights
High-mount stop light
License plate lights
Ceiling light
Front ceiling light
Spotlights
Trunk light Front Rear
FrontRear
Front
Front/Rear
Spare
Front/Rear
Spare
3: 4:5:6:
1 : U.S.: EX
Canada : Si
2: LX U.S.: DX, HX and LX
Canada: DX
U.S.: EX
Canada: LX, Si
U.S.: DX, HX and LX
Canada : DX, LX and Si
U.S.: EX
Canada: LX with ABS, Si with ABS
1
12 34
56
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Î
ÎThe United States Clean Air Act
sets standards f or automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
workandwhattodotomaintain
them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.
Scheduled maintenance is on page .
The burning of gasoline in your car’s
engine produces several byproducts.
Some of these are carbon monoxide
(CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and
hydrocarbons (HC). Gasoline
evaporating from the tank also
produces hydrocarbons. Controlling
the production of NOx, CO, and HC
is important to the environment.
Under certain conditions of sunlight
and climate, NOx and HC react to
f orm photochemical ‘‘smog.’’ Carbon
monoxide does not contribute to
smog creation, but it is a poisonous
gas.
In Canada, Honda vehicles comply
with the Canadian emission
requirements, as specif ied in an
agreement with Environment
Canada, at the time they are
manuf actured.
Your car has a Positive Crankcase
Ventilation System. This keeps
gasses that build up in the engine’s
crankcase from going into the
atmosphere. The Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve routes them from
the crankcase back to the intake
manif old. They are then drawn into
the engine and burned.
As gasoline evaporates in the f uel
tank, an evaporative emissions
control canister f illed with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is of f . Af ter
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine
and burned during driving.
194
The Clean Air Act
Crankcase Emissions Control
System Evaporative Emissions Control
System
Emissions Cont rols
T echnical Inf ormation294
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