2003 HONDA S2000 oil

The spark plugs in your car are a
special platinum-tipped design f or
longer lif e. They only need to be
replaced every 7 years or 105,000
miles (168,000 km), whichever
comes f irst.
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. Clean off any dirt and oil that have
collected around the ignition coils. Remove the four hexagon socket
head cap bolts holding the ignition
coil cover.
1.
2.
ReplacementSpark Plugs
Hood L atch
Maint enance
Hood L at ch, Spark Plugs
178
PIVOTS

Put the new spark plug into the
socket, then screw it into the hole.
Screw it in by hand so you do not
crossthread it.Torque the spark plug. (If you do
not have a torque wrench, tighten
the spark plug two-thirds of a turn
after it contacts the cylinder head.)
Tightening torque:
Remove the bolt holding the
ignition coil and pull the ignition
coil straight up slightly.
Disconnect the ignition coil
connector by pushing the tab and
pulling the connector back.
Pull the ignition coil all the way up.
Remove the spark plug with
a f ive-eighths inch (16 mm) spark
plug socket.
3.
4.
5.
6.
CONT INUED
Spark Plugs
Maint enance179
18 lbf·ft (25 N·m , 2.5 kgf·m)

´
µ
Repeat this procedure f or the
other three spark plugs. Install the ignition coil. Reinstall
the bolt.
Reinstall the cover on the cylinder
bank. Reinstall the f our hexagon
socket head cap bolts.Spark Plug Gap:
7.
8.
9. NGK:
DENSO:
Spark Plugs
Maint enance
Specif ications:
180
PK22PR-L11S PFR7G-11S
0.04 in (1.1 mm)
0
0.1 mm
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.

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.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
.)
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.
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. 251
A ir Condit ioning Syst em
Maint enance186
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.

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.

Block the rear wheels.
Disconnect the battery.If possible, run the engine f or a
while periodically (pref erably once
amonth).
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.
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).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.
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/30,000 miles (48,000
km) maintenance schedule 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.
Raise the convertible top cover.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Reverse. 163
152
Maint enance
St oring Your Car
206

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 car towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire .218
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .219
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start . 224
Nothing Happens or the Starter Motor Operates ........................
Very Slowly .224
The Starter Operates ................................
Normally .225
................................
Jump Starting .226
............
If Your Engine Overheats . 229
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 232
..........
Charging System Indicator . 233
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 234
...............
Brake System Indicator . 236
.......
Closing the Convertible Top . 237
..............................................
Fuses .238
..........
Checking and Replacing . 239
.................
If Your Car Gets Stuck . 243
......................
Emergency Towing .245
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed217

This indicator should light when the
ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
af ter the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing, it
indicates that the oil pressure
dropped very low f or a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure
and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action.Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the light
does not go out within ten seconds,
turn of f the engine. There is a
mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired bef ore you can
continue driving. (See
on page .)
Saf ely pull of f the road and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ). Letthecarsitforaminute.Open
the hood and check the oil level
(see page ). Although oil level
and oil pressure are not directly
connected, an engine that is very
low on oil can lose pressure during
cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
1.
2.
3. 4.
123 161 245
Emergency
Towing
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed232
LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn of f
the engine as soon as you can saf ely get
the car stopped.