2003 S2000 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........................................................................\
...................................................43
Instrument panel indica tor and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
.................................85
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... 119
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new car, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
...................................................... .............................133
The proper way to start the engine, shift the tr ansmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
...................................................... ...................147
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your car to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
................................................................. 207
Tips on cleaning and protecting your car. Things to look for if your car ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................217
This section covers several problems motorists someti mes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
...................................................... .247
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)......................................................................261
A summary of the warranties covering your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
.......................................265
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.
Your Car at a Glance
3
ENGINE START BUTTON
HEADLIGHTS/
TURN SIGNALS
(P.53)HOOD RELEASE HANDLE CRUISE CONTROL MASTER SWITCH HORNWINDSHIELD WIPERS/
WASHERS
(P.55)
REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER
BUTTON
(P. 57)
INSTRUMENT PANEL BRIGHTNESS
(P.54)
REMOTE AUDIO CONTROLS
(P.113)
(P.135)
(P.122) (P.115)
In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.
Foryoursafety,andthesafetyof
your passenger, your car is equipped
with seat belts in both seating
positions.
Seat belts have proven to be the
singlemosteffectivesafetydevice.
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your car has airbags. Your seat belt system also
includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passenger to f asten your seat
belts.
Always wear
your seat belt, and make sure you
wear it properly. Of course, seat belts cannot
completely protect you in every
crash.Butinmostcases,seatbelts
can reduce your risk of serious
injury. Help keep you in a good position
should the airbags ever deploy. A
good position reduces the risk of
injury f rom an inf lating airbag, and
allows you to get the best
advantage f rom the airbag. Keep you f rom being thrown out
of the vehicle.
Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including side and
rear impacts and rollovers. (Your
airbag can only be helpful in a moderate to severe frontal
collision.)
Keep you connected to the vehicle
so you can take advantage of the
vehicle’s built-in saf ety f eatures.
When properly worn, seat belts: Help keep you f rom being thrown
against the inside of the car and
against another occupant.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Why Wear Seat Belt s
What you should do:
Your Car’s Saf ety Features
Seat Belts
8
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
if you have airbags.
Be sure you and your
passenger always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.
This system also includes
an indicator light on the
instrument panel to alert you to a
possible problem with the system. The most important things you need
to know about your airbags are:
Always wear
your seat belt properly, and sit
upright and as f ar back as possible
f rom the steering wheel or
dashboard. To do their job, airbags must
inf late with tremendous f orce and
speed. So while airbags save lives,
they can cause serious injuries to
adults and larger children who are
not wearing seat belts, are not
wearing them properly, are sitting
too close to the airbag, or are not
sitting in a proper position. Inf ants
and small children are at an even
greater risk of injury or death.
Your car has a Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) with frontal
airbags to help protect the driver and
a passenger. Airbags are
designed to deploy only during a
moderate to severe frontal
collision. The seat belts are the occupants’
primary protection in all types of
collisions. Airbags supplement
seat belts by providing extra
protection f or occupants’ heads
and chests.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Airbags
What you should do:
Airbags can pose serious hazards.
Airbags of f er no protection in side impact s, rear impact s, rollovers,or minor collisions.
Airbags do not replace seat belts.
Your Car’s Saf ety Features
9
Any driver who sits too close to the
steering wheel is at risk of being
seriously injured or killed by striking
the steering wheel, or f rom being
struck by an inf lating airbag during a
crash.
Af ter everyone has entered the car,
be sure the doors are closed and
locked. The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to properly
protect adult occupants.
These instructions also apply to a
child whom you have decided is
large enough and mature enough to
ride as a passenger. (See page f or
important additional guidelines on
how to properly protect larger
children.) Your car has a door
monitor light on the
instrument panel to indicate when a
specif ic door is not tightly closed.
For saf ety, locking the doors reduces
the chance that a passenger,
especially a child, will open a door
while the car is moving and
accidentally f all out. It also reduces
the chance of someone being thrown
out of the car during a crash.
For security, locked doors can
prevent an outsider f rom
unexpectedly opening a door when
you come to a stop.
See page f or how to lock the
doors.
29
62
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Adults
Introduction A djust the Front Seats
Close and L ock the Doors
1. 2.
12
This seat belt has a single belt that
goes over your shoulder, across your
chest and across your hips.
Your seat belt system includes lap/
shoulder belts in both seating
positions.
The seat belts are also equipped with
automatic seat belt tensioners.
The system also includes a
light on the instrument
panel to remind you and your
passenger to f asten your belts. If the
driver’s seat belt is not f astened
before the ignition is turned ON (II),
the light will come on and a beeper
will also sound. The beeper will stop
af ter a f ew seconds, but the light will
stay on until the driver’s seat belt is
f astened. The passenger’s seat belt has an
additional locking mechanism that
must be activated to secure a child
seat. (See page for instructions on
how to secure a f orward-f acing child
seat with this type of belt.) Both seat belts have an emergency
locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move f reely in
your seat while it keeps some
tensiononthebelt.
During a collision or sudden stop,
the retractor automatically locks the
belt to help restrain your body. To unlock the belt, push the red
PRESSbuttononthebuckle.Guide
the belt across your body to the door
pillar. Af ter exiting the car, be sure
the belt is out of the way and will not
getclosedinthedoor.
To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched. 27
CONT INUED
Seat Belt System Components L ap/Shoulder Belt
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety33
An indicator light on the
instrument panel that alerts you to
a possible problem with the
system (see page ).
Emergency backup power in case
your car’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
Your Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) includes:
Two f ront airbags. The driver’s
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the f ront
passenger’sairbagisstoredinthe
dashboard. Both are marked ‘‘SRS
AIRBAG.’’
Automatic seat belt tensioners
(see page ).
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors
inf ormation about the sensors, the
control unit, and the airbag
activators when the ignition is ON
(II). If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, the sensors
will detect rapid deceleration and
signal the control unit to instantly
inflate the airbags and activate the
automatic seat belt tensioners.
34 38
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
SRS Components
How Your A irbags Work
36
This section gives inf ormation about
the controls and displays that
contribute to the daily operation of
your Honda. All the essential
controls are within easy reach............................
Control Locations .44
...............................
Indicator Lights .45
.............................................
Gauges .49
...............................
Speedometer .49
...............................
Select Button .49
.................................
Tachometer .49
...................
Temperature Gauge . 49
..................................
Fuel Gauge .50
.....................................
Odometer .50
...................................
Trip Meter .51
Maintenance Required ...................................
Indicator .51
Controls Near the Steering .......................................
Wheel .52
...................................
Headlights .53
............
Daytime Running Lights . 54
....
Instrument Panel Brightness . 54
................................
Turn Signals .55
.....................
Windshield Wipers .55
..................
Windshield Washers . 56
.............
Rear Window Def ogger . 57
...............................
Keys and Locks .58
..............................................
Keys .58
....................
Immobilizer System . 59
............................
Ignition Switch .60
......................
Power Door Locks .62 ...................
Remote Transmitter . 63
...........................................
Trunk .66
........
Emergency Trunk Opener . 67
.............
Console Compartments . 68
............................
Seat Adjustments .69
..............................
Power Windows .70
..............................
Convertible Top .72
..
Lowering the Convertible Top . 72
.....
Raising the Convertible Top . 75
...............
Convertible Top Cover . 77
................................
Maintenance .78
..............................
Hazard Warning .80
.............................................
Mirrors .80
....
Adjusting the Power Mirrors . 80
.................................
Parking Brake .81
.............................
Beverage Holder .82
...............
Accessory Power Socket . 82
......................................
Audio Panel .82
.................................
Interior Lights .83
Instruments and Controls
Inst rument s and Cont rols43