2003 HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK Owners Manual

The three way catalytic converter
contains precious metals that serve
as catalysts, promoting chemical
reactions to convert the exhaust
gasses without af f ecting the metals.
The catalytic converter is ref erred to
as a three-way catalyst, since it acts
on HC, CO, and NOx. A replacement
unit must be an original Honda part
or its equivalent.Always use unleaded gasoline.
Even a small amount of leaded
gasoline can contaminate the
catalyst metals, making the three
way catalytic converter inef f ective.Keep the engine tuned-up.
The three way catalytic converter
must operate at a high temperature
for the chemical reactions to take
place. It can set on f ire any com-
bustible materials that come near it.
Park your car away f rom high grass,
dry leaves, or other f lammables. A defective three way catalytic
converter contributes to air pollution,
and can impair your engine’s per-
f ormance. Follow these guidelines to
protect your car’s three way catalytic
converter. Have your car diagnosed and
repaired if it is misf iring, back-
f iring, stalling, or otherwise not
running properly.
Three Way Catalytic Converter
T echnical Inf ormation
258 THREE WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTER

Make sure the gas tank is nearly,
but not completely, f ull (around
3/4).
Make sure the ambient
temperature is between 20° and
95°F.Without touching the accelerator
pedal, start the engine and let it
idle f or 20 seconds.
If you take your car for a state
emissions test shortly af ter the
battery has been disconnected or
gone dead, it may not pass the test.
This is because of certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that must be set in the on-
board diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. These codes are erased
when the battery is disconnected,
and set again only after several days
of driving under a variety of
conditions. If the testing f acility determines that
the readiness codes are not set, you
will be requested to return at a later
date to complete the test. If you must
get the car re-tested within the next
two or three days, you can condition
the car for re-testing by doing the
f ollowing.
Keep the car on Neutral.
Increase the engine speed to
2,000 rpm and hold it there until
the temperature gauge rises to at
least 1/4 of the scale
(approximately 3 minutes).
Make sure the car has been
parked with the engine of f f or 8
hours or more.
CONT INUED
T esting of Readiness Codes
St at e Emissions T est ing
T echnical Inf ormation 259

Then drive in city/suburban
traffic for at least 10 minutes.
When traf f ic conditions allow, let
the vehicle coast f or several
seconds without using the
accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal.
If the testing f acility determines the
readiness codes are still not set, see
your Honda dealer.
Select a nearby lightly traveled
major highway where you can
maintain a speed of 50 to 60 mph
(80to97km/h)foratleast20
minutes. Drive on the highway in
5th.Donotusethecruisecontrol.
When traffic allows, drive for 90
seconds without moving the
accelerator pedal. (Vehicle speed
may vary slightly; this is okay.) If
you cannot do this f or a
continuous 90 seconds because of
traf f ic conditions, drive f or at least
30 seconds, then repeat it two
more times (for a total of 90
seconds).
St at e Emissions T est ing
T echnical Inf ormation
260

Customer Relations................................
Inf ormation . 262
....................
Warranty Coverages . 263
Reporting Saf ety Def ects
..........................
(U.S. Vehicles) . 264
.....................
Authorized Manuals . 265
Warranty and Customer Relations
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions 261

Honda dealership personnel are
trained prof essionals. They should
be able to answer all your questions.
If you encounter a problem that your
dealership does not solve to your
satisf action, please discuss it with
the dealership’s management. The
Service Manager or General
Manager can help. Almost all
problems are solved in this way.
If you are dissatisf ied with the
decision made by the dealership’s
management, contact your Honda
Customer Relations Of f ice.U.S. Owners:
Canadian Owners:
In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands:
When you call or write, please give
us this inf ormation:
Vehicle Identif ication Number
(see page )
Name and address of the dealer
who services your car
Date of purchase
Mileage on your car
Your name, address, and tele-
phone number
A detailed description of the
problem
Name of the dealer who sold the
car to you 248
Cust omer Relat ions Inf ormat ion
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions
262 CUSTOMER RELATIONS
RELATIONS AVEC LA CLIENTÉLE
Honda Canada Inc.
715 Milner Avenue
Toronto, ON
M1B 2K8
Tel: 1-888-9-HONDA-9
Fax: Toll-free 1-877-939-0909 Toronto (416) 287-4776 Bella International
P.O. Box 190816
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00919-0816
(787) 250-4318
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Automobile Customer Service
Mail Stop 500-2N-7A
1919 Torrance Boulevard
Torrance, California 90501-2746
Tel: (800) 999-1009

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Your new Honda is covered by these
warranties:
provides prorated
coverage f or a replacement battery
purchased f rom a Honda dealer.
a seat
belt that f ails to f unction properly is
covered f or the usef ul lif e of the
vehicle.
covers all genuine
Honda replacement parts against
defects in materials and workman-
ship.
genuine Honda Accessories are
covered under this warranty. Time
and mileage limits depend on the
type of accessory and other f actors.
Please read your warranty manual
f or details. all exterior body panels are
covered f or rust-through f rom the
inside f or the specif ied time period
with no mileage limit.
this warranty gives up
to 100 percent credit toward a
replacement battery. covers
your new car, except for the battery,
emissions control systems, and
accessories, against def ects in
materials and workmanship.
these two
warranties cover your car’s emis-
sions control systems. Time, mileage,
and coverage are conditional. Please
read the warranty manual for exact
inf ormation. provides
coverageforaslongasthepur-
chaser of the muf f ler owns the
vehicle.
Please ref er to the 2003 Warranty
Manual that came with your car.
Restrictions and exclusions apply to
all these warranties. Please read the
2003 Honda Warranty Inf ormation
booklet that came with your car f or
precise inf ormation on warranty
coverages. Your Honda’s original
tires are covered by their
manuf acturer. Tire warranty inf or-
mation is in a separate booklet.
Replacement Bat t ery L imit ed
Warranty
Seat Belt Limited Warranty
Replacement Part s L imit edWarranty
Accessory Limited Warranty
Rust Perf orat ion L imit ed Warrant y
Original Equipment Bat t ery L imit ed Warranty
New Car Limited Warranty
Emissions Cont rol Syst ems Def ect sWarrant y and EmissionsPerf ormance Warranty Replacement Muf f ler L if et ime
Limited WarrantyU.S. Owners
Canadian Owners
Warranty Coverages
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions263

To contact NHTSA, you may either
call the Auto Saf ety Hotline toll-f ree
at 1-800-424-9393 (or 366-0123 in
Washington D.C. area) or write to:
NHTSA, U.S. Department of
Transportation, Washington,
D.C. 20590. You can also obtain
other inf ormation about motor
vehicle safety from the Hotline.
If NHTSA receives similar com-
plaints, it may open an investigation,
and if it f inds that a saf ety def ect
exists in a group of vehicles, it may
order a recall and remedy campaign.
However, NHTSA cannot become
involved in individual problems
between you, your dealer, or
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
If you believe that your car has a
def ect which could cause a crash or
could cause injury or death, you
should immediately inf orm the
National Highway Traf f ic Saf ety
Administration (NHTSA) in addition
to notifying American Honda Motor
Co., Inc.
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions
Reporting Saf ety Def ects (U.S. Vehicles)
264

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Valid only f or sales within the U.S. Canadian owners shouldcontact their authorized Honda dealer.
The f ollowing publications covering the operation and
servicingof yourcarcanbeobtainedfromHelm
Incorporated, either by f illing out the attached f orm or,
f or credit card holders, calling the toll-f ree phone number
on the f orm. For manuals prior to the year shown below,
contact Helm Incorporated, P.O. Box 07280, Detroit,
Michigan 48207, or call 1-800-782-4356.
Authorized Manuals
Purchasing Factory Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only)
265
ORDER TOLL FREE: 1-800-782-4356
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Form Description
2002-03 Honda Civic 3 Door Service Manual
2002-03 Honda Civic 3 Door
Electrical Troubleshooting Manual 2002-03 Honda Civic 3 Door Body Repair Manual
2003 Honda Civic 3 Door Owner’s Manual
2003 Honda Civic 3 Door
Quick Start Guide
Order Form for Previous Years-
Indicate Year and Model Desired PUBLICATION NUMBER
VEHICLE MODEL
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Each Total
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GRAND TOTAL
HANDLING CHARGE
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TOTAL MATERIAL
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