2003 HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK tire type

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

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.
CONT INUED
Inf lation
Maint enance
Tires
193
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.

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.

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.

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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.

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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

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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

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