2003 HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK air condition

You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the
risk, but serious accidents can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe f rontal collision.
So even though your car is equipped
with airbags, make sure you and
your passengers always wear your
seat belts, and wear them properly.
(See page .) While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page
.)
Children are saf est when they are
properly restrained in the back seat,
notthefrontseat.Achildwhoistoo
smallforaseatbeltmustbeproperly
restrained in a child saf ety seat. (See
page .) Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page .)
15 9
20 156
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt Be Aware of Airbag Hazards Control Your Speed
Don’t Drink and Drive
K eep Your Car in Saf e Condition
Restrain All Children 6

For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out f ully and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retract
easily. Any belt not in good condition
or not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.
Honda provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts. Honda will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
f ails to f unction properly during
normal use. Please see yourbooklet f or
details. For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page .
Automatic seat belt tensioners that
deployed during a crash must be
replaced.
If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by the dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed. 218
Honda
Warranty Inf ormation
Seat Belt Maintenance
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
U.S. Model
45
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly whenneeded.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.

Select the Fresh Air mode.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage.
Your car’s exhaust contains carbon
monoxide gas. You should have no
problem with carbon monoxide
entering the car in normal driving if
you maintain your car properly.
If you must sit in your parked car,
even in an unconf ined area, with the
engine running, adjust the heating
and cooling system as f ollows:
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:
The car is raised f or an oil change.
You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust.
Thecarwasinanaccidentthat
may have damaged the underside. With the hatch open, air flow can
pull exhaust gas into your car’s
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
hatch open, open all the windows
and set the heating and cooling
system as shown below.
1.2.3.4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
52 Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even killyou.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.

.......................
Heating and Cooling . 96
...........
What Each Control Does . 96
..............
How to Use the System . 99
..........
To Turn Everything Of f . 103
................................
Audio System . 104
.................
Operating the Radio . 104
.................
Adjusting the Sound . 108
..............................
Digital Clock . 109
....................
Radio Frequencies . 110
........................
Radio Reception . 111
.........
Operating the CD Player . 113
Operating the Optional CD
.................................
Changer . 115
.......
Protecting Compact Discs . 116
....
CD Player Error Indications . 117
CD Changer Error
.............................
Indications . 118
Operating the Optional
.....................
Cassette Player . 119
............
Tape Search Functions . 120
Caring f or the Cassette
.....................................
Player . 122
............................
Thef t Protection . 123
...............................
Cruise Control . 124
The standard audio system has
many f eatures. This section de-
scribes those f eatures and how to
use them. (If you selected an
optional audio system, ref er to the
operating instructions that came
with it.)
The heating and air conditioning
systems in your Honda provide a
comf ortable driving environment in
all weather conditions.
Your Honda has an anti-thef t audio
system that requires a code number
to enable it.
Comf ort and Convenience Features
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
95

Proper use of the Heating and
Cooling system can make the
interior dry and comf ortable, and
keep the windows clear f or the best
visibility.This button controls the source of
the air going into the system. When
the indicator in this button is lit, air
from the car’s interior is sent
through the system again (Recircula-
tion mode). When the indicator is off,
air is brought in f rom outside the car
(Fresh Air mode).
This button turns the air condi-
tioning ON and OFF. The indicator
in the button lights when the A/C ison.
This button turns the rear window
def ogger on and of f (see page ).
Turning this dial clockwise increases
the f an’s speed, which increases air
flow.
Turning this dial clockwise increases
the temperature of the air flow.
70
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Heating and Cooling
Recirculation Button
Air Conditioning (A/C) Button
Rear Window Def ogger Button
What Each Control Does
Fan Control Dial
T emperature Control Dial 96 RECIRCULATION BUTTON
MODE CONTROL
DIAL TEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL
FAN CONTROL DIAL
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER
BUTTON
AIR CONDITIONING
(A/C) BUTTON

CONT INUED
The f low-through ventilation system
draws in outside air, circulates it
through the interior, then exhausts it
through vents near the hatch.Turn the temperature control dial
all the way to the lef t.
Make sure the A/C is of f .
Select and Fresh Air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
The outside air intakes f or the
heating and cooling system are at
the base of the windshield. Keep
these clear of leaves and other
debris.
It is best to leave the system in Fresh
Air mode under almost all conditions.
Keeping the system in Recirculation
mode, particularly with the A/C of f ,
can cause the windows to fog up.
Switch to Recirculation mode when
you are driving through smoky or
dusty conditions, then switch back to
Fresh Air mode when the condition
clears.
This section covers how to set up the
system controls f or ventilation,
heating, cooling, dehumidif ying, and
def rosting.
The engine must be running f or the
heater and air conditioning to
generate hot and cold air. The heater
uses engine coolant to warm the air.
If the engine is cold, it will be several
minutes bef ore you f eel warm air
coming from the system.
The air conditioning does not rely on
engine temperature.
1. 2. 3.
Heating and Cooling
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Vent ilat ion
How to Use the System
99
MODE CONTROL
DIAL
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL
FAN CONTROL DIAL RECIRCULATION BUTTON
AIR CONDITIONING
(A/C) BUTTON

When the interior has cooled down
to a more comf ortable temperature,
close the windows and set the
controls as described f or normal
cooling.Air conditioning places an extra load
on the engine. Watch the engine
coolant temperature gauge (see page
) when driving in stop-and-go
traf f ic or climbing a long, steep hill.
If it moves near the red zone, turn
of f the A/C until the gauge reads
normally.
If the interior is very warm f rom
beingparkedinthesun,youcancool
it down more rapidly by setting up
the controls this way: Turn on the A/C by pressing the
button. The light in the button
comesonwhenafanspeedis
selected.
Make sure the temperature
control dial is all the way to the left.
Select .
If the outside air is humid, select
Recirculation mode. If the outside
air is dry, select Fresh Air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
Start the engine.
Turn on the A/C by pressing the
button. Make sure the tempera-
ture control dial is turned all the
way to the left.
Set the f an to maximum speed.
Open the windows partially. Select
and Fresh Air mode.
1.2. 3. 4.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
64
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Heating and Cooling
T o Cool wit h A /C
100 AIR CONDITIONING
(A/C) BUTTON
RECIRCULATION BUTTON
MODE CONTROL
DIAL
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL FAN CONTROL DIAL

To warm the interior:Air conditioning, as it cools, removes
moisture from the air. When used in
combination with the heater, it
makes the interior warm and dry.To remove f og f rom the inside of the
windows:
This setting is suitable f or all driving
conditions whenever the outside
temperature is above 32°F (0°C).
Start the engine.
Select and Fresh Air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
Adjust the warmth of the air with
the temperature control dial. Set the f an to the desired speed.
Turn on the air conditioning.
Select and Fresh Air mode.
Adjust the temperature control
dial so the mixture of heated and
cooled air f eels comf ortable.Set the f an to the desired speed.
Select .
When you select , the
system automatically switches to
Fresh Air mode and turns on the
A/C.
Adjust the temperature control
dial so the air flow from the
def roster vents f eels warm.
Turn on the rear window def ogger
to help clear the rear window.
1.2.3.4.
1.2.3.4.1.2. 3. 4.
CONT INUED
Heating and Cooling
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
T o Heat T o Heat and Dehumidif y wit h A ir
Condit ioningT o Def og and Def rost
101