2003 HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK service indicator

This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains your Supple-
mental Restraint System. And it tells
you how to properly restrain inf ants
andchildreninyourcar..........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.............
Your Car’s Saf ety Features . 7
.......................................
Seat Belts . 8
...........................................
Airbags . 9
..................
Seats and Seat-Backs . 10
..........................
Head Restraints . 10
..................................
Door Locks . 11
........
Pre-Drive Saf ety Checklist . 11
............................
Protecting Adults . 12
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 12 ...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 12
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 13
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 14
5. Fasten and Position the Seat
.....................................
Belts . 15
....
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel . 17
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting
................................
Position . 17
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 18
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 18
........................
Protecting Children . 20
All Children Must Be
...............................
Restrained . 20
Children Should Sit in the Back ...........................................
Seat . 21
The Passenger’s Airbag Poses
......
Serious Risks to Children . 21
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children . 24
If a Child Requires Close
..................................
Attention . 24
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 24
General Guidelines f or Using
...............................
Child Seats . 25
.......................
Protecting Inf ants . 29
.........
Protecting Small Children . 32 .......
Protecting Larger Children . 35
Using Child Seats with
.....................................
Tethers . 39
Additional Inf ormation About Your .................................
Seat Belts . 43
..
Seat Belt System Components . 43
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt . 43
Automatic Seat Belt
...............................
Tensioners . 44
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 45
Additional Inf ormation About Your .....................................
Airbags . 46
....................
Airbag Components . 46
How Your Front Airbags
.........................................
Work . 46
...
How Your Side Airbags Work . 48
How the SRS Indicator Light
.......................................
Works . 48
How the Passenger Airbag Cutoff Indicator Light
...................................
Works . 49
.............................
Airbag Service . 50
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 51
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 52
...................................
Saf ety Labels . 53
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 5

A f ront seat passenger should not
use a cushion or other object as a
backrest. It may prevent the cutof f
system f rom working properly.
If a small-statured adult leans
sideways, or larger adult slouches
and leans sideways into the
deployment path of the side airbag,
the system may also shut of f the side
airbag.
Your f ront airbag system and side
airbag system (if equipped) are
virtually maintenance-f ree, and there
are no parts you can safely service.
However, you must have your car
serviced if :
Any
airbag that has deployed must be
replaced along with the seat belt
tensioners, control unit and other
related parts. Do not try to remove
or replace any airbag by yourself.
This must be done by a Honda
dealer or a knowledgeable body
shop.
When you turn the ignition switch to
ON (II), the indicator should light
brief ly and go out (see page ). If it
doesn’t light, stays on, or comes on
while driving without a passenger in
the front seat, have the system
checked.
If the passenger airbag cutof f
indicator light comes on, you should
have the passenger sit upright. Once
the passenger is out of the
deployment path of the side airbag,
the system will turn the airbag back
on and the light will go out. 58
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Airbag Service
Your airbags ever inf late.
50

During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration. We recommend gasolines containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits.
Avoidhardbraking.Newbrakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use f or the f irst 200 miles (300
km). In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emission control system
perf ormance may deteriorate and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on.
If this happens, contact your
authorized Honda dealer f or service.
Help assure your car’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your car’s emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
Do not change the oil until the
recommended time or mileage
intervalshowninthemaintenance
schedule.
Youshouldfollowthesesamere-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are relined. Your Honda is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise in the engine that can lead to
mechanical damage.
Break-in Period, Gasoline
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period Gasoline 128

Shift to Park or Neutral and set
the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top of f ’’ the tank, leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.
Your car has an on-board ref ueling
vapor recovery system to help
keep f uel vapors f rom going into
the atmosphere. If the fuel nozzle
keeps clicking of f even though the
tank is not f ull, there may be a
problem with this system. Consult
your dealer.
Screw the f uel f ill cap back on,
tighten it until it clicks several
times. If you do not properly
tighten the cap, the Malfunction
Indicator Lamp may come on (see
page ).
Put the attachment on the fuel fill
cap into the slit on the f uel f ill door.
1.
5. 6.
4.
236
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving Opening the Hood
130 ATTACHMENT
SLIT FUEL FILL CAP HOOD RELEASE HANDLE

This indicator should come on when
the ignition switch is ON (II), and go
out af ter the engine starts. If it
comes on brightly when the engine
is running, it indicates that the
charging system has stopped
charging the battery.By eliminating as much of the
electrical load as possible, you can
drive several miles (kilometers)
before the battery is too discharged
to keep the engine running. Drive to
a service station or garage where
you can get technical assistance.
Immediately turn of f all electrical
accessories: radio, heater, A/C, rear
def ogger, cruise control, etc. Try not
to use other electrically-operated
controls such as the power windows.
Keep the engine running and take
extra care not to stall it. Starting the
engine will discharge the battery
rapidly.
Charging System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
235
CHARGING SYSTEM INDICATOR

ÎÎ
If you must drive the car a short
distance in this condition, drive
slowly and cautiously.
Slow 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 .)
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.
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.
The Brake System Indicator
normallycomesonwhenyouturn
the ignition switch ON (II). It is a
reminder to check the parking brake.
It comes on and stays lit if you do not
f ully release the parking brake. 178
245
Brake System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed Emergency
Towing
238 The U.S. indicator shown
BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR

ÎÎ
CONT INUED
..................................
Saf ety Belts . 8, 43
.........
Safety Defects, Reporting . 264
.................................
Saf ety Features . 7
...........................................
Airbags . 9
..................................
Door Locks . 11
..........................
Head Restraints . 10
.......................................
Seat Belts . 8
..................
Seats and Seat-Backs . 10
.............
Saf ety Labels, Location of . 53
...............................
Saf ety Messages . ii
Seat Belts, Additional
..............................
Inf ormation . 43
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt . 43
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 45
..
Seat Belt System Components . 43
.....................................
Seat Belts . 8, 43
.....................................
Cleaning . 218
................................
Maintenance . 45
...................
System Components . 43
..........
Tether Anchorage Points . 39
...............
Use During Pregnancy . 18
...
Wearing a Lap/Shoulder Belt . 15
........................
Seats, Adjusting the . 81
...............................
Serial Number . 248 ...........................
Service Intervals . 158
...........................
Service Manual . 265
.........
Service Station Procedures . 129
..........................
Setting the Clock . 109
Shif ting
The 5-speed Manual
.........................
Transmission . 144
Side Marker Lights, Bulb .........................
Replacement in . 204
...............................
Signaling Turns . 68
.....................................
Snow Tires . 199
...................
Solvent-type Cleaners . 214
................................
Sound System . 104
Spare Tire
......................................
Inf lating . 222
............................
Specif ications . 251
................
Spark Plugs, Replacing . 181
....................
Specif ications Charts . 250
...................................
Speedometer . 63
..........
SRS, Additional Inf ormation . 46
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 51
....................
Airbag Components . 46
.............................
Airbag Service . 50
How the Passenger Airbag
Cutoff Indicator Light
...................................
Works . 49 How the SRS Indicator
.......................................
Works . 48
How Your Front Airbags .........................................
Work . 46
...
How Your Side Airbags Work . 48
.............................
SRS Indicator . 48, 58
....
START (Ignition Key Position) . 73
.......................
Starting the Engine . 143
In Cold Weather at High ..................................
Altitude . 143
................
With a Dead Battery . 230
........
Steam Coming f rom Engine . 232
Steering Wheel
..................................
Adjustment . 71
.............
Anti-theft Column Lock . 73
...................
Stereo Sound System . 104
...........................
Storing Your Car . 212
Supplemental Restraint
..................................
System .9,46
......................................
Servicing . 50
.........................
SRS Indicator . 48, 58
...................
System Components . 46
..................................
Synthetic Oil . 168
Index
S
VII