2003 HONDA S2000 headlights

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Exercise extra caution when driving
in rain af ter a long dry spell. Af ter
months of dry weather, the f irst
rains bring oil to the surf ace of the
roadway, making it slippery. Being able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important
in all weather conditions. This is
more dif f icult in bad weather. To be
seen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers f requently. Keep the wind-
shield washer reservoir f ull of the
proper f luid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to
streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the def rosters and air
conditioning to keep the windows
f rom f ogging up on the inside (see
page ).
Rain, f og, and snow conditions
require a dif f erent driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your car well-
maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control
should not be used in these
conditions. Always drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your car longer to
react, even in conditions that may
seem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss of
control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious f or the f irst f ew miles
(kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in
snow. A person can f orget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills. 91
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving
Visibility
Driving T echnique
144

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Youshouldcheckthefollowing
items at the specif ied intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perf orm
any check, turn to the page given.
Engine oil level Check every
time you fill the fuel tank. See
page .
Windshield washer f luid Check
the level in the reservoir monthly.
If weather conditions cause you to
use the washers f requently, check
the reservoir each time you stop
f or f uel. See page .Tires Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread f or
wear and foreign objects. See page
.
Lights Check the operation of
the headlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
turn signals, brake lights, and
license plate lights monthly. See
page .
Engine coolant level Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
you f ill the f uel tank. See page .
Brakes and clutch Check the
f luid level monthly. See page . 123
124
171 174 189
196
Owner Maintenance Checks
Maint enance159

Check the f ollowing:Headlights (low and high beam)
Parking lights
Taillights
Brake lights
Turn signals
Back-up lights
Hazard light f unction
License plate light
Side marker lights
Daytime running lights
(Canadian cars)
If you f ind any bulbs are burned out,
replace them as soon as possible.
Refer to the chart on page to
determine what type of replacement
bulb is needed. 251
Maint enance
Lights
197
TURN SIGNAL LIGHT
SIDE MARKER LIGHT STOP/TAILLIGHT
BACK-UP LIGHTLICENSE PLATE LIGHT

Halogen bulbs are used f or the high
beam headlight bulbs. When
replacing a high beam headlight bulb,
handle it by its base and protect the
glass from contact with your skin or
hard objects. If you touch the glass,
clean it with denatured alcohol and a
clean cloth.
The low beam headlight bulbs are a
type of high voltage discharge tube.
High voltage can remain in the
circuit even with the light switch of f
and the key removed. Because of
this, you should not attempt to
examine or change a low beam
headlight bulb yourself . If a low
beam headlight bulb fails, take the
cartoyourdealertohaveitreplaced.
Theheadlightswereproperlyaimed
when your car was new. If you
regularly carry heavy items in the
trunk, readjustment may be required.
Adjustment of the headlights should
be perf ormed by a Honda technician
or other qualif ied mechanic.
Lights
Maint enance
Replacing a Headlight Bulb
Headlight A iming
198
Halogen headlight bulbs get very hot
when lit. Oil, perspiration, or a scratch
on the glass can cause the bulb to
overheat and shatter.

Open the hood.
Remove the electrical connector
f rom the bulb by squeezing the
connector to unlock the tab, then
slide the connector of f the bulb.Remove the rubber weather seal
by pulling on the tab.
If you need to change the high
beam headlight bulb on the lef t
side, remove the coolant reserve
tank f rom its holder by pulling it
straight up. Unclip the end of the hold-down
wire f rom its slot. Pivot it out of
the way and remove the bulb
socket.Install the rubber seal over the
back of the headlight assembly.
Make sure it is right side up; it is
marked ‘‘TOP.’’ Insert the socket back into the
headlight assembly. Make sure
the bulb is installed correctly by
looking through the headlight lens.
The pins on the base of the bulb
should f it in the holes in the
headlight assembly. Pivot the hold-
down wire back in place and clip
the end into the slot.
Pull the bulb straight out of its
socket. Push the new bulb straight
into the socket until it bottoms. Push the electrical connector onto
the new bulb. Turn on the
headlights to test the new bulb.
(Lef t side)
Reinstall the radiator reserve tank.
1.
2. 3.
4.
5.6.
7.
8.
9.
Lights
Maint enance199

You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
Check these things:
Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you press
the ENGINE START button.
When you press the ENGINE
START button, you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all. Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See
on page .
Press the ENGINE START button,
then release it. If the headlights do
not dim, check the condition of the
f uses. If the f uses are OK, there is
probably something wrong with
the electrical circuit f or the
ignition switch or starter motor.
You will need a qualif ied
technician to determine the
problem. (See on page .)
59 226
245
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed224

There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page .
Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank. Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page .
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of the
battery and terminal connections
(see page ). You can then try
jump starting the car from a booster
battery (see page ).
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you press the
ENGINE START button, but the
engine does not run.
181
226 135239
245
T he Starter Operates Normally
Emergency
Towing
Starting the
Engine
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed225

The auxiliary f use box is located on
thedriver’ssidenearthebrakefluid
reservoir. To open it, push the tab on
each side and remove the lid.If something electrical in your car
stops working, the f irst thing you
should check f or is a blown f use.
Determine f rom the chart on pages
and , or the diagram on the
fuse box lid, which fuse or fuses
control that component. Check those
f uses f irst, but check all the f uses
bef ore deciding that a blown f use is
not the cause. Replace any blown
f uses and check the component’s
operation.
Turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(0). Make sure the headlights and
all other accessories are off.
Remove the cover f rom the f use
box. Check each of the large f uses in
the under-hood f use box by
looking through the top at the wire
inside. Removing these f uses
requires a Phillips-head screw-
driver.
1.
2. 3.
241 242
CONT INUED
Checking and Replacing Fuses
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed239
BLOWN