2003 HONDA S2000 jump start

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

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

Open the hood and check the
physical condition of the battery
(see page ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy
or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
If your car’s battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine
by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
you should take several precautions.
To jump start your car, f ollow these
directions closely:
1.
181
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed226
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

µ
´
´
CONT INUED
Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the metal projection
near the intake manifold as shown
in the illustration. Do not connect
this jumper cable to any other part
of the engine.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
Honda’s battery. Connect the
other end to the positive ( )
terminal on the booster battery.
Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, stereo system,
lights, etc. Put the transmission in
Neutral and set the parking brake.
3. 4.
2.
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed227

Start your car. If the starter motor
still operates slowly, check the
jumper cable connections to make
sure they have good metal-to-
metal contact.
Once your car is running, discon-
nectthenegativecablefromyour
car, then from the booster battery.
Disconnect the positive cable f rom
your car, then the booster battery.
Keep the ends of the jumper
cables away from each other and
any metal on the car until all are
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short.
If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle.
The numbers in the illustration show
you the order to connect the jumper
cables. 7. 6.
5.
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed228
BOOSTER
BATTERY

CONT INUED
............................
Capacities Chart .250
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 40
............................
Cargo, Carrying .128
..............
CAUTION, Explanation of . ii
...................................
CD Changer .108
.......................................
CD Player .105
........................
Certif ication Label .248
............................................
Chains .195
........
Back-up Lamp Replacement . 202
Battery Charging System ...........................
Indicator .46, 233
............................
Jump Starting .226
..............................
Maintenance .181
............................
Specif ications .251
..............................
Bef ore Driving .119
..........................................
Belts, Seat .8
.............................
Beverage Holder .82
...................................
Body Repair .215
............................................
Brakes .140
...........
Anti-lock System (ABS) . 141
.............
Break-in, New Linings . 120
....................
Bulb Replacement .202
...........................................
Fluid .174
.........................................
Parking .81
.................
System Indicator . 46,236
..............
Wear Indicators, Disc . 140
.............................
Braking System .140
........................
Break-in, New Car .120 ..
Brightness Control, Instruments . 54
........................
Brights, Headlights .53
.........................
Bulb Replacement .198
..........................
Back-up Lights .202
..............................
Brake Lights .202
.................................
Headlights .198
.................
License Plate Lights . 204
..................
Side Marker Lights . 200
............................
Specif ications .251
....................
Turn Signal Lights . 200
..............................
Bulbs, Halogen .198
Accessories
.................................
Installation .126
...............
Accessory Power Socket . 82
ACCESSORY (Ignition Key .......................................
Position) .61
....................
Additives, Engine Oil . 162
.....................................
Airbag (SRS) .9
.....................
Air Cleaner Element .176
..............................
Air Conditioning .86
..............................
Maintenance .186
............................................
Usage .86
.........................
Air Outlets (Vents) .88
.......................
Air Pressure, Tires .189
...........................
Alarm, Anti-theft .114
.......................
Alcohol in Gasoline .255
.......
Aluminum Wheels, Cleaning . 210
......................................
Antif reeze .165
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) ....................
Indicator Light .47, 143
...................................
Operation .141
.
Anti-thef t Steering Column Lock . 60
..........................
Anti-thef t System .114
..........................
Appearance Care .207
......................................
Audio Panel .82 ..................................
Audio System .94
.............
Automatic Speed Control . 115
Index
B
A
C
I

..............................
Economy, Fuel .125
............
Emergencies on the Road . 217
.............
Battery, Jump Starting . 226
................
Changing a Flat Tire . 219
.....
Charging System Indicator . 233
..................
Checking the Fuses . 239
Changing Oil
........................................
How to .163
......................................
When to .150
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .219
............
Changing Engine Coolant . 167
...
Charging System Indicator . 46,233
...............
Check Engine Light . 47,234
............
Checklist, Bef ore Driving . 134
.....................................
Child Saf ety .18
.......................................
Child Seats .22
...................................
Cleaner, Air .176
.........................................
Cleaning .207
....................
Aluminum Wheels .210
...................................
Carpeting .211
......................................
Exterior .208
.................................
Floor Mats .211
.......................................
Interior .211
.......................................
Leather .212
...................................
Seat Belts .212
...........................................
Vinyl .212
....................................
Windows .213
...................................
Clutch Fluid .175
........................
CO in the Exhaust .257
............
Cold Weather, Starting in . 136
......................
Compact Spare Tire .218
.............
Controls, Instruments and . 43..............................
Convertible Top .72
...............
Convertible Top Cover . 77
..
Lowering the Convertible Top . 72
................................
Maintenance .78
.....
Raising the Convertible Top . 75
Coolant ........................................
Adding .165
....................................
Checking .124
.........................
Proper Solution .165
...................
Temperature Gauge . 49
....................
Corrosion Protection .213
Crankcase Emission Control ........................................
System .257
............
Cruise Control Operation . 115
Customer Relations ................................
Inf ormation .264
................
DANGER, Explanation of . ii
.......................................
Dashboard .44
................
Daytime Running Lights . 54
............
Def ects, Reporting Saf ety . 266
................
Def rosting the Windows . 91
....................................
Dimensions .250
...............
Dimming the Headlights . 53Dipstick
..................................
Engine Oil .123
..........................
Directional Signals .55
........
Disc Brake Wear Indicators . 140
.....................
Disposal of Used Oil .164
...................
Do Not Tow a Trailer . 145
Doors ..............
Locking and Unlocking . 62
..............................
Monitor Light .47
......................
Power Door Locks .62
..........
DOT Tire Quality Grading . 252
Downshif ting, 6-speed Manual .............................
Transmission .138
...........................................
Driving .133
....................................
Economy .125
.........................
In Bad Weather .144
................
In Foreign Countries . 256
Index
D
E
II