2003 HONDA S2000 brakes

This light has two f unctions:
If this light comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged. For complete
inf ormation, see page . The engine can be severely damaged
if this light f lashes or stays on when
the engine is running. For complete
inf ormation, see page .
The instrument panel has many
indicators to give you important
inf ormation about your car.
If you do not f asten your seat belt,
the beeper will stop af ter a f ew
seconds but the light stays on until
you do. Both the light and the beeper
stay of f if you f asten your seat belt
bef ore turning on the ignition. This indicator f lashes f or several
seconds when you turn the ignition
ON (II). It f lashes as a reminder to
you and your passenger to f asten the
seat belts. A beeper also sounds if
you have not f astened your seat belt.
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch ON (II). It
is a reminder to check the parking
brake. Driving with the parking
brake not f ully released can
damage the brakes and tires.
If the indicator remains lit after
you have f ully released the
parking brake while the engine is
running, or if it comes on while
driving, it can indicate a problem
in the brake system. For complete
inf ormation, see page .
2. 1.
232
233
236
Parking Brake and
Brake System Indicator
L ow Oil Pressure
Indicator
Charging System
Indicator
Seat Belt Reminder L ight
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Indicator L ights
46
U.S. Canada

Push the appropriate edge of the
adjustment switch to move the
mirrorright,left,up,ordown.
When you f inish, move the
selector switch to the center (off)
position. This turns of f the
adjustment switch so you can’t
move a mirror out of position by
accidentally bumping the switch.To apply the parking brake, pull the
lever up f ully. To release it, pull up
slightly, push the button, and lower
the lever. The parking brake light on
the instrument panel should go out
when the parking brake is f ully
released (see page ). If you try to
drive the vehicle without releasing
the parking brake, the ABS indicator
maycomeon,andtheABSmaynot
work properly.
3.
4.
46
Parking Brake
Mirrors, Parking Brake
Inst rument s and Cont rols81
Driving the car with the parking brake
applied can damage the rear brakes
and axles.

Press and release the SET/decel
buttononthesteeringwheel.The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on to
show the system is now activated.
Thecruisecontrolmaynothold
the set speed when you are going
up and down hills. If your speed
increases going down a hill, use
thebrakestoslowdowntothe
desired speed. This will cancel thecruise control. To resume the set
speed, press the RESUME/accel
button. The CRUISE CONTROL
light on the instrument panel
comes on.
Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. The car will
accelerate. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.
You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways: You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the SET/decel
button. The car will decelerate.
Release the button when you
reach the desired speed.
To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/decel
button repeatedly. Each time you
do this, your car will slow down
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your f oot. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out.
When the car slows to the desired
speed, press the SET/decel button.
The car will then maintain the
desired speed.
Push on the accelerator pedal.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel
button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
accel button repeatedly. Each time
you do this, your car will speed up
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
3.
Changing t he Set Speed
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures116
RESUME/accel
SET/decel

During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration. Do not exceed
5,500 rpm f or the f irst 600 miles
(1,000 km) of operation.
Help assure your car’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your car’s emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emission control system
perf ormance may deteriorate and
the Malf unction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on.
If this happens, contact your
authorized Honda dealer f or service.
We recommend gasolines containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits. If you are unable to f ind premium
unleaded gasoline, you may substi-
tute an unleaded regular gasoline.
The engine will compensate f or the
lower octane, but you may notice a
slight decrease in power as a result. Your Honda is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane number of 91 or higher. Youshouldfollowthesesamere-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are relined.
Avoidhardbraking.Newbrakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use f or the f irst 200 miles (300
km).
Do not change the oil until the
recommended time or mileage
intervalshowninthemaintenance
schedule.
Break-in Period
Gasoline
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period, Gasoline
120

Do not attach or place objects on the
airbag covers. Any object attached to
or placed on the covers marked ‘‘SRS
AIRBAG,’’ in the center of the
steering wheel and on top of the
dashboard, could interf ere with the
proper operation of the airbags. Or,
if the airbags inf late, the objects
could be propelled inside the car and
hurt someone.
Some examples are:
Lowering the vehicle with an
aftermarket suspension kit that
signif icantly reduces ground
clearance can allow the
undercarriage to impact speed
bumps or other raised objects,
which could cause the airbags to
deploy.
Raising the vehicle with an
af termarket suspension kit can
af f ect the handling and stability.
Af termarket wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components. Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interf ere with the operation of
your vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and
other systems.
Do not modif y your steering wheel
or any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.
Modif ications could make the
system inef f ective.
If you plan to modif y your vehicle,
consult with your Honda dealer.
Removing parts f rom your vehicle,
or replacing components with non-
Honda (af termarket) components
could seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability. Modif ications
Additional Saf ety Precaution
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving127

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual transmission. It also includes
important inf ormation on parking
your car, and the braking system.........................
Preparing to Drive .134
.......................
Starting the Engine .135
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude .136
....
6-speed Manual Transmission . 137
.....
Recommended Shif t Points . 138
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 138
.......................
Reverse Lockout .138
...........................................
Parking .139
.....................
The Braking System .140
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 140
...............
Brake System Design . 141
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes .141
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders .142
........................
ABS Indicator .143
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 144
...........................
Towing a Trailer .145
Driving
Driving133

The manual transmission is synchro-
nizedinallforwardgearsforsmooth
operation. It has a lockout so you
cannot shift directly from Fifth to
Reverse instead of Sixth (see page). When shif ting up or down,
make sure you push the clutch 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 f aster. Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t into
Reverse with the car 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.
138
Driving
6-speed Manual T ransmission
137
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.

Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you. Turn of f the lights.
Always use the parking brake when
you park your car. The indicator on
the instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not f ully released; it
does not indicate that the parking
brakeisfirmlyset.Makesurethe
parking brake is set f irmly or your
car may roll if it is parked on an
incline. If the car is f acing uphill, turn the
f ront wheels away f rom the curb and
put the transmission in f irst gear.
If the car is f acing downhill, turn the
f ront wheels toward the curb and put
the transmission in reverse gear.
Make sure the parking brake is f ully
released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes. Make sure the convertible top and
the windows are closed.
Lockthedoorswiththekeyorthe
remote transmitter.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire.
Parking T ips
Parking
Driving139