2003 HONDA S2000 maintenance

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.

One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Honda is to
read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Af terwards, keep this owner’s manual in your car so you
can ref er to it at any time.
Several warranties protect your new Honda. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.
Maintaining your car according to the schedules given in this manual helps
to keep your driving trouble-f ree while it preserves your investment. When
your car needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Honda dealer’s staf f is
specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to your Honda. Your
Honda dealer is dedicated to your satisf action and will be pleased to answer
any questions and concerns.As you read this manual, you will
f ind inf ormation that is preceded by
a
symbol. This
inf ormation is intended to help you
avoid damage to your S2000, other
property, or the environment.
Calif ornia Proposition 65 Warning This product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of
Calif ornia to cause cancer and birth def ects or other reproductive harm. Congratulations on your selection of the 2003 Honda S2000. We are certain
you will be pleased with your purchase of one of the most sophisticated and
technologically-advanced sports cars in the world.
Introduction
WARNING:
i

This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passenger. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains your Supple-
mental Restraint System. And it tells
you how to properly restrain children
in your car..........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.............
Your Car’s Saf ety Features . 7
.......................................
Seat Belts .8
...........................................
Airbags .9
.....................
Seats & Seat-Backs .10
..........................
Head Restraints .10
..................................
Door Locks .10
........
Pre-Drive Saf ety Checklist . 11
............................
Protecting Adults .12
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 12
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 12
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 13
4. Fasten and Position the Seat .....................................
Belts .15
5. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .16
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 17
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 18
........................
Protecting Children .18
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .19
Your Car is Not Recommended ..............
f or Child Passengers . 19
The Passenger’s Airbag Poses ......
Serious Risks to Children . 20
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 22General Guidelines f or Using
...............................
Child Seats .22
.........
Protecting Small Children . 26
.......
Protecting Larger Children . 29
Additional Inf ormation About Your .................................
Seat Belts .33
..
Seat Belt System Components . 33
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .33
Automatic Seat Belt ...............................
Tensioners .34
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 34
Additional Inf ormation About Your ...........................................
SRS .36
........................
SRS Components .36
...........
How Your Airbags Work . 36
How the SRS Indicator Light .......................................
Works .38
..................................
SRS Service .39
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 39
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 40
...................................
Saf ety Labels .41
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
5

A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe f rontal collision.
So even though your car is equipped
with airbags, make sure you and
your passenger always wear your
seat belts, and wear them properly.
(See page ).
Since all children are saf est in the
back seat of a car, and your car does
not have a back seat, we recommend
that you do not carry a child
passenger.If a small child who
must be restrained in a f orward-
f acing child seat, or a larger child,
must ride in this car, be sure to
f ollow all instructions and saf ety
warnings in this manual. (See pages and .)
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page .)
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the
risk, but serious accidents can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page .)
You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
15 26 29
150
9
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Due t o t he passenger’s airbag hazard, you should never
carry an inf ant in a rear-f acing childseat in t his car.
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Don’t Drink and Drive Control Your Speed
K eep Your Car in Saf e Condition
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Your Car is Not Recommended
f or Child Passengers
6

If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the locking
mechanism will activate. The belt
will retract, but it will not allow the
passenger to move f reely.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt f ully retract. To
ref asten the belt, pull it out only as
f ar as needed.
See page f or instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly.For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out f ully and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retract
easily. Any belt not in good condition
or not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.
Your Honda has automatic seat belt
tensioners f or added protection
during a moderate to severe frontal
collision.
If your airbags inf late, the tensioners
immediately tighten the seat belts to
help hold the occupants in place. The
belts will remain tight until you
unbuckle them in the normal way.
15
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Seat Belt Maintenance
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners
34

Your Supplemental Restraint System
is virtually maintenance-f ree, and
there are no parts you can saf ely
service. However, you must have
your car serviced if :The
airbags, seat belt tensioners, and
control unit must be replaced. Do
not try to remove or replace the
airbags yourself .
This must be done by a Honda
dealer or a knowledgeable body
shop.
Take your car to an
authorized Honda dealer as soon
as possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inf late when you need them. Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
See page f or f urther inf ormation
and precautions relating to your SRS. Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection in a moderate to severe
f rontal collision.
127
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
SRS Service Additional Saf ety Precautions
Your airbags ever inf late.
T he SRS indicat or light alert s yout o a problem. Do not t amper wit h SRS
component s or wiring f or anyreason.
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
39

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

Î
ÎÎ
The U.S. instrument panel is shown. Dif f erences f or the Canadian models are noted in the text.
Indicator L ights
Inst rument s and Cont rols45
CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR
(P.48)MAINTENANCE REQUIRED
INDICATOR
(P.51)
TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD
WARNING INDICATORS
(P.48)
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE
SYSTEM (ABS)
INDICATOR
(P.47)
PARKING BRAKE AND
BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR
(P.46)
CHARGING SYSTEM INDICATOR
(P.46) ELECTRIC POWER STEERING INDICATOR
(P.47)
HIGH BEAM INDICATOR (P.48)
LOW FUEL INDICATOR (P.
48)
SEAT BELT REMINDER LIGHT (P.
46)
SUPPLEMENTAL
RESTRAINT
SYSTEM INDICATOR
(P.47)
DOOR-OPEN
INDICATOR
(P.47)
TRUNK-OPEN INDICATOR (P.47)
IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM INDICATOR (P.48)
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP
LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR (P.46) (P.234)