Page 1 of 317

2003 Civic Hybrid Online Reference Owner's Manual Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com.
Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
............................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety ........................................................................\
.................................................. ii
Your Car at a Glance ........................................................................\
.............................................................. 2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
............................................... 5
Proper use and care of your car's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
.................................................. .57
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
...............................107
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
.....................................................................143
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new car, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
...................................................... .............................159
The proper way to start the engine, shift the tr ansmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
...................................................... ...................181
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your car to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
.................................................................245
Tips on cleaning and protecting your car. Things to look for if your car ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................255
This section covers several problems motorists someti mes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
...................................................... .285
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)......................................................................299
A summary of the warranties covering your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
.......................................303
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index ........................................................................\
......................................................................................... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need wh en you pull up to the fuel pump.
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Your Car at a Glance
2
(P.10, 48)
AIRBAGS
POWER
DOOR LOCK
SWITCH
(P. 87)
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES
(P. 97)
FUEL FILL DOOR RELEASE
(P. 145)
TRUNK RELEASE
(P. 92) HOOD RELEASE
HANDLE
(P.
146) (P.
166)
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (CVT)
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
(P.
162) (P.
108)
HEATING/COOLING CONTROLS (P.
123 )
DIGITAL CLOCK (P.
118 )
AUDIO SYSTEM
Page 61 of 317
Control L ocations
Inst rument s and Cont rols58
CRUISE CONTROL
(P.139)
POWER DOOR LOCK
SWITCH
(P. 87)
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER (P. 81)
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES
(P. 97)
FUEL FILL DOOR RELEASE
(P.145)
TRUNK RELEASE
(P. 92) (P.
146)
HOOD RELEASE
HANDLE
(P.
140)
CRUISE CONTROL (P.
123 )
DIGITAL CLOCK (P.
118 )
AUDIO SYSTEM
MIRROR
CONTROLS
HEATING/COOLING CONTROLS
(P. 108)
(P. 99)
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µ
µ µ
In this position,
you can operate the audio system
and the accessory power socket.
This is the normal key
position when driving. All f eatures
and accessories on the car are usable.
Several of the lights on the instru-
ment panel come on as a test when
you turn the ignition switch f rom
ACCESSORY to ON. Use this position
only to start the engine. The switch
returns to ON (II) when you let go of
the key.
The engine will not start if the
Immobilizer System does not
recognize the key’s coding (see page ).
You will hear a reminder beeper if
you leave the key in the ignition
switch in the LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I) position and open
thedriver’sdoor.Removethekeyto
turn of f the beeper. The master door lock switch allows
control of all door locks f rom the
driver’s door. Push the switch down
to lock all doors, and up to unlock
them.
84
CONT INUED
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols
A CCESSORY (I)
ON (II)
ST A RT (III)
Power Door L ocks
87
MASTER DOOR LOCK SWITCH
Page 106 of 317
It will not power an automotive type
cigarette lighter element. To use the accessory power socket,
pull up the cover.
This socket is intended to supply
power f or 12 volt DC accessories
that are rated 120 watts or less (10
amps). To power an accessory, the
ignition switch must be in
ACCESSORY (I) or ON (II).
The coin box is located under the air
vent. To open the coin box, pull
down the lid. Close it with a f irm
push.
The center pocket is located under
the audio system. To open the lid,
pull it down. Close it with a f irm push.
CoinBox
CenterPocket AccessoryPowerSocket
Coin Box, Center Pocket, A ccessory Power Socket
Inst rument s and Cont rols103
Pull up
Page 110 of 317

Heating and Cooling.............
(Automatic System) . 108
................
Automatic Operation . 110
.....................
Manual Operation .111
Sunlight Sensor/Temperature ...................................
Sensor .117
................................
Audio System .118
.................
Operating the Radio . 118
.................
Adjusting the Sound . 122
............
Audio System Lighting . 123
..............................
Digital Clock .123
....................
Radio Frequencies . 124
........................
Radio Reception .125
.........
Operating the CD Player . 127
.....
Operating the CD Changer . 129
.......
Protecting Compact Discs . 130
....
CD Player Error Indications . 131
CD Changer Error .............................
Indications .132
Operating the Cassette .....................................
Player .133
............
Tape Search Functions . 134
Caring f or the Cassette .....................................
Player .136
............................
Thef t Protection .137
...............................
Cruise Control .139
The heating and air conditioning
systems in your Honda provide a
comf ortable driving environment in
all weather conditions.
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.)
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 ures107
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The band and f requency that the
radio was last tuned to is displayed.
To change bands, press the AM/FM
button. On the FM band, ST will be
displayed if the station is broadcast-
ing in stereo. Stereo reproduction on
AM is not available.
The ignition switch must be in
ACCESSORY (I) or ON (II) to
operate the audio system. Turn the
system on by pushing the PWR/
VOL knob or the AM/FM button.
Adjust the volume by turning the
PWR/VOL knob.
Your Honda’s audio system provides
clear reception on both AM and FM
bands, while the preset buttons allow
you to easily select your f avorite
stations.
The anti-thef t f eature will disable the
system if it is disconnected f rom the
car’s battery. To get the system
working again, you must enter a
code number (see page ).
137
Audio System
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
AM/FM/CD Audio System
Operating the Radio
118
AM/FM BUTTONSTEREO INDICATOR
SCAN INDICATOR
AUTO
SELECT
BUTTONSCAN
BUTTON
PRESET BUTTONS
SEEK BAR
PWR/VOL KNOB
TUNE KNOB
Page 122 of 317

µµµ
CONT INUED
You can use any of f ive methods to
f ind radio stations on the selected
band: TUNE, SEEK, SCAN, AUTO
SELECT, and the Preset buttons.
Use the TUNE knob to
tune the radio to a desired f requency.
Turn the TUNE knob to the right to
tune to a higher f requency, or to the
lef t to tune to a lower f requency.
Turn the knob right or lef t until the
display reaches the desired
f requency. The SEEK f unction
searches the band for a station with
a strong signal. To activate it, press
theSEEKbaroneitherthe or side, then release it.
Depending on which side you press,
the system scans upward or down-
ward f rom the current f requency. It
stops when it finds a station with a
strong signal. The SCAN function
samples all the stations with strong
signals on the selected band. To
activate it, press the SCAN button,
then release it. You will see SCAN in
the display. The system will scan up
the band for a station with a strong
signal. When it f inds one, it will stop
and play that station for
approximately f ive seconds. If you do
nothing, the system will then scan
f or the next strong station and play
that f or f ive seconds. When it plays a
station that you want to continue
listening to, press the SCAN button
again.
Audio System
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
TUNE SEEK
SCA N
119