2003 HONDA CR-V engine overheat

The manual transmission is syn-
chronizedinallforwardgearsfor
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth
to Reverse. When shif ting up or
down,makesureyoupushtheclutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shif ting,
do not rest your f oot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster.Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t into
Reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause f or a f ew seconds bef ore
shif ting into Reverse, or shif t into
one of the f orward gears f or a
moment. This stops the gears so
they won’t ‘‘grind.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking f rom the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure engine speed will not go
into the tachometer’s red zone in the
lower gear.
5-speed Manual T ransmission
Driving202
Rapid slowing or speeding-up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.

The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
discussed below.If the automatic transmission shif ts
f requently between 3rd and 4th
gears while going up a hill, turn of f
the Over drive (O/D) mode (see
page ). When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
Make turns more slowly and wider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over. Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
If you have an automatic
transmission, use the Over drive
(O/D) mode when towing a trailer
on level roads. Turn of f the Over
drive (O/D) mode when towing a
trailer in hilly terrain (see page ).
(See ‘‘ ’’ in the next
column f or additional gear
inf ormation.)
If youmuststopwhenfacinguphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
207
207
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
Towing a Trailer
Driving
Driving on Hills
Making T urns and Braking Driving on Hills
T owing Speeds and Gears
222

Torque the spark plug. (If you do
not have a torque wrench, tighten
the spark plug two-thirds of a turn
af ter it contacts the cylinder head.)
Tightening torque:Connect the wire connector to the
ignition coil. Make sure it locks in
place.
Push the ignition coil down all the
way. Install the bolt.
Repeat this procedure f or the
other three spark plugs.
Reinstall the coil cover, and
tighten the f our nuts. Install the ignition coil into the
hole.NGK:
DENSO:
8. 9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Maint enance
Spark Plugs
Specif ications:
268
13 lbf·ft (18 N·m , 1.8 kgf·m) SKJ20DR-M11 IZFR6K-11
Tighten the spark plugs caref ully. A
spark plug that is too loose can
overheat and damage the engine.
Overtightening can cause damage to
the threads in the cylinder head.

This section covers the more-
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your vehicle towed.....................
Changing a Flat Tire .308
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start . 318
Nothing Happens or the Starter Motor Operates Very .................................
Slowly .318
The Starter Operates ................................
Normally .319
................................
Jump Starting .320
............
If Your Engine Overheats . 323
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 325
..........
Charging System Indicator . 326
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 327
.......................
Readiness Codes .328
...............
Brake System Indicator . 329
..................
Closing the Moonroof . 330
..............................................
Fuses .331
..........
Checking and Replacing . 332
......................
Emergency Towing .337
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed307

If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine.If you do not see steam or spray,
leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading
(climbing a long, steep hill on a
hot day with the A/C running, for
example), the engine should start
to cool down almost immediately.
If it does, wait until the tempera-
ture gauge comes down to the mid-
point then continue driving.
The pointer of your vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange under most conditions.
Itmaygohigherif youaredrivingup
a long steep hill on a very hot day. If
it climbs to the red mark, you should
determine the reason.
Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
Turn of f the heating and cooling
system and all other accessories.
Turn on the hazard warning
indicators.If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.
Wait until you see no more signs
of steam or spray, then open the
hood.
Your vehicle can overheat for several
reasons, such as lack of coolant or a
mechanical problem. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming f rom under the hood.
In either case, you should take
immediate action. 1.
2.3.
4.
5.
CONT INUED
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed323
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to your engine.

Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (seeon page ).
If you don’t f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page ). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
between the MIN and MAX marks. Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the f irst stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes
off.Start the engine and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the f iller
neck. If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water.
Remember to have the cooling
system drained and ref illed with
the proper mixture as soon as you
can.
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, bef ore check-
ing the radiator. Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair. (See
on page .)
If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
10.
9.
8. 7.
6.
11.
12.
337
189
337
Emergency
Towing
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed324
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.

CONT INUED
Dipstick
..........Automatic Transmission .260
..................................Engine Oil.188
..........................Directional Signals.77
........Disc Brake Wear Indicators .211
.....................Disposal of Used Oil.250
Doors
..............Locking and Unlocking .88
......................Power Door Locks.88
..........DOT Tire Quality Grading .344
Downshif ting,5-speed Manual
.............................Transmission.202
.......................................Drive Belt.277
...........................................Driving.197
....................................Economy.190
.........................In Bad Weather.215
................In Foreign Countries .347
........................Driving Guidelines.198
..................Dust and Pollen Filter .275
............................Fabric, Cleaning.302
...................................Fan, Interior.128
Features, Comfort and
..............................Convenience.127
....................Filling the Fuel Tank .185
Filters
................................Air Cleaner.265
.........................Dust and Pollen.275
...............................................Oil.249
5-speed Manual Transmission
...............Checking Fluid Level .261
................................Shif ting the.202
.............Flashers, Hazard Warning .81
...................Flat Tire, Changing a .308
..............................Economy, Fuel.190
............Emergencies on the Road .307
.............Battery, Jump Starting .320
...........Brake System Indicator .329
................Changing a Flat Tire .308
.....Charging System Indicator .326
..................Checking the Fuses .332
.....Low Oil Pressure Indicator .325
...Malf unction Indicator Lamp .327
...Manually Closing Moonroof .330
..................Overheated Engine .323
...........................Emergency Brake.82
......................Emergency Flashers.81
......................Emergency Towing.337
.......................Emissions Controls.349
.............Emissions Testing, State .352
Engine
....Coolant Temperature Gauge .74
...................................Drive Belt.277
......Engine Speed Limiter .203,208
Malf unction Indicator
................................Lamp.66,327
........Oil Pressure Indicator .66,325
..............Oil, What Kind to Use .247
...............................Overheating.323
............................Specif ications.342
.......................................Starting.200
......................Ethanol in Gasoline.347
.Evaporative Emissions Controls .349
...............................Exhaust Fumes.60
Expectant Mothers, Use of Seat
........................................Belts by.21
..................Exterior, Cleaning the .298
Index
E
F
III

...................
Neutral Gear Position . 206
..................
New Vehicle Break-in . 184
.....................
Normal Shif t Speeds .203
...................
NOTICE, Explanation of . i
...............
Numbers, Identif ication . 340
...................
Radiator Overheating . 323
Radio/Cassette/CD Sound ........................................
System .137
...........................
Readiness Codes .328
.................
Rear Dif f erential Fluid . 262
..
Rear Lights, Bulb Replacement . 290
........................
Rear Seat, Folding .104
..........................
Rear View Mirror .114
.................
Rear Window Def ogger . 81
.
Rear Window Wiper and Washer . 80
...............
Reclining the Seat Backs . 97
.......
Recommended Shif t Speeds . 203
.............................
Reminder Lights .65
.......................
Remote Transmitter .89
...
Octane Requirement, Gasoline . 184
.........................................
Odometer .73
...............................
Odometer, Trip .73
..............
Of f -Highway Guidelines . 226
Oil ........................
Change, How to .249
......................
Change, When to .238
......................
Checking Engine .188
..............
Pressure Indicator . 66,325
Selecting Proper Viscosity ......................................
Chart .248
...........
ON (Ignition Key Position) . 87
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor ....................................
Recovery .349
..
Operation in Foreign Countries . 348
............................
Outside Mirrors .114 ....
Outside Temperature Indicator . 73
.....................................
Over Drive .207
....................
Overheating, Engine .323
.......
Owner Maintenance Checks . 245
.........................
Oxygenated Fuels .347
..............................
Paint Touch-up .300
..............
Panel Brightness Control . 77
........................
Park Gear Position .205
...........................................
Parking .210
.................................
Parking Brake .82
Parking Brake and Brake .................
System Indicator . 66,329
.................................
Parking Lights .76
..
Parking Over Things that Burn . 210
.............................
PGM-FI System .350
..................
Polishing and Waxing . 299
............
Pre-Drive Saf ety Checklist . 12
.........
Pregnancy, Using Seat Belts . 21
............................
Protecting Adults .13
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 22
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 21
........................
Protecting Children .24
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .34 .......
Protecting Larger Children . 42
.........
Protecting Small Children . 38
Using Child Seats with .....................................
Tethers .46
.............................
Using LATCH .47
Index
N
O R
P
VI