2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID maintenance

Clean the hood latch assembly with a
mild cleaner, then lubricate it with a
multipurpose grease. Lubricate all
the moving parts (as shown),
including the pivot. Follow the time
and distance recommendations in
the Maintenance Schedule. If you
are not sure how to clean and grease
the latch, contact your Honda dealer.
Maint enance
Hood L at ch
212
PIVOTS
LATCH
ASSEMBLY

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The spark plugs in your car are a
special iridium-tipped design f or
longer lif e. The spark plugs should
be replaced according to the
distance recommendation in the
maintenance schedule.Loosen the two holding bolts with
a wrench and remove the
resonator chamber.
Clean up any dirt and oil that have
collected around the ignition coils.
To replace the ignition coils,
remove the engine cover by
pulling it straight up.
1.
2.
3.
Maint enance
Spark Plugs
Replacement
213
ENGINE
COVERBOLTS
RESONATOR
CHAMBER

µ
If the terminals are severely cor-
roded, clean them with baking soda
and water. Then use a wrench to
loosen and remove the cables f rom
the terminals. Always disconnect the
negative ( ) cable f irst and recon-
nect it last. Clean the battery termi-
nals with a terminal cleaning tool or
wire brush. Reconnect and tighten
the cables, then coat the terminals
with grease. If you need to connect the battery to
a charger, disconnect both cables to
prevent damage to the car’s
electrical system.
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Battery
Maint enance217
The battery gives off explosive
hydrogen gas during normal
operation.
A spark or flame can cause the
battery to explode with enough
force to kill or seriously hurt you.
Wear protective clothing and a
face shield, or have a skilled
mechanic do the battery
maintenance.

Periodically check the engine’s
radiator and air conditioning
condenser f or leaves, insects, and
dirt stuck to the f ront surf ace. These
block the air f low and reduce cooling
ef f iciency. Use a light spray f rom a
hose or a sof t brush to remove them.If the air conditioning does not get as
cold as before, have your dealer
check the system. Recharge the
system with Ref rigerant HFC-134a
(R-134a). (See Specif ications on page
.)
Run the air conditioning at least once
a week during the cold weather
months. Run it f or at least ten
minutes while you are driving at a
steady speed with the engine at
normal operating temperature. This
circulates the lubricating oil con-
tained in the ref rigerant.
Your car’s air conditioning is a sealed
system. Any major maintenance,
such as recharging, should be done
by a qualif ied mechanic. You can do
a couple of things to make sure the
air conditioning works ef f iciently.
289
A ir Condit ioning Syst em
Maint enance221
AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER
Whenever you have the air conditioning
system serviced, make sure the service
f acility uses a ref rigerant recycling
system. This system captures the
ref rigerant f or reuse. Releasing
ref rigerant into the atmosphere can
damage the environment.
The condenser and radiator f ins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure spray
or sof t-bristle brush to clean them.

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.
Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month. Even
tires that are in good condition may
lose one to two psi (10 to 20 kPa, 0.1
to 0.2 kgf /cm ) per month.
Remember to check the spare tire at
thesametimeyoucheckallthe
other tires.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.
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Inf lation
Tires
Maint enance225
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.

Every time you check inf lation, you
should also examine the tires f or
damage, f oreign objects, and wear.
Youshouldlookfor:Bumps or bulges in the tread or
side of the tire. Replace the tire if
youfindeitherof theseconditions.
Excessive tread wear. In addition to proper inf lation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you f ind a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side
of the tire. Replace the tire if you
can see f abric or cord. The tires were properly balanced by
the factory. They may need to be
rebalanced at some time bef ore they
are worn out. Have your dealer
check the tires if you f eel a consis-
tent vibration while driving. A tire
should always be rebalanced if it is
removed f rom the wheel f or repair.
Your car’s tires have wear indicators
molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down to that point, you
will see a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide
band running across the tread. This
shows there is less than 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) of tread lef t on the tire. A
tire that is this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see the
tread wear indicator in three or more
places around the tire.
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Inspection
Maintenance
Tires
Maint enance227
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR

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).
Support the f ront wiper blade
arms with a f olded towel or rag so
they do not touch the windshield.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and trunk seals. Also, apply a
vehiclebodywaxtothepainted
surfaces that mate with the door
and trunk seals.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.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Reverse (5-
speed manual) or Park (CVT). Disconnect the 12 volt battery.
Reconnect the 12 volt battery and
drive your car every month f or
about 30 minutes. This will keep
the IMA battery charged and in
good condition.
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 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.
197
186
St oring Your Car
Maint enance243

Two f actors normally contribute to
causing corrosion in your car:Moisture trapped in body cavities.
Dirtandroadsaltthatcollectsin
hollows on the underside of the
car stays damp, promoting
corrosion in that area.
Removal of paint and protective
coatings f rom the exterior and
underside of the car. Many corrosion-preventive measures
are built into your Honda. You can
help keep your car f rom corroding
by perf orming some simple periodic
maintenance:
Repair chips and scratches in the
paint as soon as you discover them.
Inspect and clean out the drain
holes in the bottom of the doors
and body.
Check the f loor coverings f or
dampness. Carpeting and f loor
mats may remain damp f or a long
time, especially in winter. This
dampness can eventually cause
the f loor panels to corrode. Use a high-pressure spray to clean
the underside of your car. This is
especially important in areas that
useroadsaltinwinter.Itisalsoa
good idea in humid climates and
areas subject to salt air. Cars
equipped with ABS have a sensor
and wiring at each wheel. Be
caref ul not to damage them.
Have the corrosion-preventive
coatings on the underside of your
car inspected and repaired
periodically.
1.
2.
Corrosion Prot ect ion
Appearance Care252