2003 HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK tires

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.
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.
CONT INUED
Replacing T ires and Wheels
Tires
Maint enance
197
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.

´
Wheels:
Tires:
See page f or inf ormation about
DOT Tire Quality Grading. 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.
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 work
inconsistently.
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.
252
Wheels and Tires Winter Driving
Tires
Maint enance
198 15x6J
195/60R15 88V

When installing chains, f ollow the
manuf acturer’s instructions and
mount them as tightly as you can.
Drive slowly with chains installed. If
you hear the chains contacting the
body or chassis, stop and investigate.
Make sure the chains are installed
tightly, and that they are not
contacting the brake lines or
suspension. Remove the chains as
soon as you begin driving on cleared
roads.
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
areclear.Checkwiththetiredealer
f or maximum speed recommenda-
tions.
Mount snow chains on your car
when warranted by driving condi-
tions or required by local laws. Make
sure the chains are the correct size
f or your tires. Install them only on
the front tires. If metal chains are
used, they must be SAE class ‘‘S.’’
Cable type traction devices can also
be used.
Snow T ires T ire Chains
Tires
Maint enance
199
Chains of the wrong size or that are
improperly installed can damage your
car’s brake lines, suspension, body, and
wheels. Stop driving if you hear the
chains hitting any part of the car.

Block the rear wheels.
Fill the f uel tank.
Change the engine oil and f ilter
(see page ).
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry.
If you need to park your car f or an
extended period (more than one
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your car back on the road. If
possible, store your car indoors.
If the car is to be stored for a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Leave one window open slightly (if
the car is being stored indoors).Coverthecarwitha‘‘breathable’’
cover, one made f rom a porous
material such as cotton.
Nonporous materials, such as
plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
Disconnect the battery.
Support the f ront and rear wiper
blade arms with a f olded towel or
ragsotheydonottouchthe
windshield.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and hatch seals. Also, apply a body
wax to the painted surf aces that
mate with the door and hatch seals. If possible, run the engine f or a
while periodically (pref erably once
amonth).
If you store your car f or 12 months
or longer, have your Honda dealer
perf orm the inspections called f or in
the 24 months/30,000 miles (48,000
km) maintenance schedule (Normal
Conditions) as soon as you take it
out of storage (see page ). The
replacements called f or in the
maintenance schedule are not
needed unless the car has actually
reached that time or mileage.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Reverse. 158
169
St oring Your Car
Maint enance
212

Follow these precautions whenever
you are using the compact spare tire:Thecompactsparetirehasashorter
tread lif e than a regular tire. Replace
it when you can see the tread wear
indicator bars. The replacement
shouldbethesamesizeanddesign
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:
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.
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.
The wheel of the compact spare
tire is designed especially to f it
your car. Do not use your spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Compact Spare Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
222 INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm
)

µ
µ
µ
There are three popular types of
prof essional towing equipment.
The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (f ront or rear) and lif t
them of f the ground. The other two
tires remain on the ground.
If your car needs to be towed, call a
prof essional towing service or, if you
belong to one, an organization that
provides roadside assistance. Never
tow your car behind another vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous.
The operator
loads your car on the back of a truck.
The tow
truck uses metal cables with hooks on the ends. These hooks go around
parts of the f rame or suspension and
the cables lif t that end of the car of f
the ground. Your car’s suspension
and body can be seriously damaged.
If your Honda cannot be transported
by f lat-bed, it should be towed by
wheel-lif t equipment with the f ront
wheels of f the ground. If due to
damage, your car must be towed
with the f ront wheels on the ground,
do the f ollowing:
Release the parking brake.
Shif t the transmission to Neutral. With the f ront wheels on the ground,
it is best to tow the car no farther
than 50 miles (80 km), and keep the
speedbelow35mph(55km/h).
If your car is equipped with a f ront
spoiler, remove it bef ore towing so it
is not damaged.
CONT INUED
Wheel-lif t Equipment
Flat -bed Equipment
Sling-t ype Equipment
T his is
an acceptable way to tow your
Honda.
This is the best way to transport
your Honda. T his method of towing is
unacceptable.
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
245
Improper towing preparation will
damage the transmission. Follow the
above procedure exactly. If you cannot
shif t the transmission or start the
engine, your car must be transported
with the f ront wheels of f the ground.

Thediagramsinthissectiongive
you the dimensions and capacities of
your Honda, and the locations of the
identif ication numbers. It also
includes inf ormation you should
know about your car’s tires and
emissions control systems.................
Identif ication Numbers . 248
................................
Specif ications . 250
DOT Tire Quality Grading
......................
(U.S. Vehicles) . 252
.................................
Treadwear . 252
......................................
Traction . 252
.............................
Temperature . 253 .........................
Oxygenated Fuels . 254
......
Driving in Foreign Countries . 255
.......................
Emissions Controls . 256
.....................
The Clean Air Act . 256
Crankcase Emissions Control
....................................
System . 256
Evaporative Emissions Control ....................................
System . 256
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor ................................
Recovery . 256
...
Exhaust Emissions Controls . 257
....................
PGM-FI System . 257
Ignition Timing Control
................................
System . 257
Three Way Catalytic
...........................
Converter . 257
....................
Replacement Parts . 257
..
Three Way Catalytic Converter . 258
..............
State Emissions Testing . 259
....
Testing of Readiness Codes . 259
T echnical Inf ormat ion
T echnical Inf ormation 247

µµµ
µ µµµµµµµµµµµµµ µ
Specif ications
T echnical Inf ormation 251
Air Conditioning
Alignment
Tires
Lights
Fuses
Battery HFC-134a (R-134a)
21.2 22.9 oz (500 550 g) SP-10
12 V
12 V 60/55 W (HB2)
21 W 0.00 in (0.0 mm)
0.08 in (2.0 mm)
0°45°
1°33’
195/60R15 88V
T125/70D15 95M
Refrigerant type
Charge quantity
Lubricant type
Toe-in
CamberCaster Size
Pressure 33 psi (230 kPa , 2.3 kgf/cm
)
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm)
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
21 W
21/5 W
2CP
12 V
12 V 21 W
12 V
12 V
12 V 5W5W5W
3CP5W
2CP 8W
12 V
12 V
Headlights (HI/LO)
Front turn signal
Front parking light
Side turn signal light
Front side marker
Rear turn signal lights
Stop/Taillights
Rear side marker lights
Back-up lights
High-mount brake light
License plate lights
Front ceiling light/Spotlights
Center ceiling light
Cargo area light
Interior
Under-hood
Capacity
45 AH/20 HR
12 V
12 V 5 W
See page 244 or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box door under the dashboard.
See page 243 or the fuse box
cover. FrontRear
FrontRear
Front
Front/Rear
Spare
FrontRear
Spare