2003 HONDA S2000 service

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.

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

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

Bef ore you begin driving your Honda,
youshouldknowwhatgasolineto
use, and how to check the levels of
important f luids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggage
or packages. The inf ormation in this
section will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your vehicle,
please read the inf ormation in this
section f irst..............................
Break-in Period .120
.........................................
Gasoline .120
.........
Service Station Procedures . 121
................
Filling the Fuel Tank . 121
....................
Opening the Hood .122
...............................
Oil Check .123
.........
Engine Coolant Check . 124
...............................
Fuel Economy .125
............................
Car Condition .125
...........................
Driving Habits .125
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 126
................................
Accessories .126
............................
Modif ications .127
...
Additional Safety Precaution . 127
.............................
Carrying Cargo .128
.....................
General Precautions .131
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving119

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

Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.
Because the f uel f ill cap is on the
driver’s side of the car, park with
that side closest to the service
station pumps.
Open the f uel f ill door by pulling
on the knob on the driver’s door
jamb.
1.
2.
3.
CONT INUED
Filling the Fuel Tank
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving121
Pull
FUEL FILL CAP
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.

Standing in f ront of the car, put
your f ingers under the f ront edge
of the hood to the right of center.
Slide your hand to the lef t until
you f eel the hood latch handle.
Push this handle to the lef t until itreleases the hood. Lif t the hood.
If you can open the hood without
lifting the hood latch handle, or
the hood latch handle moves
stif f ly or does not spring back as
bef ore, the mechanism should be
cleaned and lubricated (see page
).
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top off’’ the tank, leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.
Shif t to Neutral and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches. Screw the f uel f ill cap back on,
tighten it until it clicks several
times. If you do not properly
tighten the cap, the Malfunction
Indicator Lamp may come on (see
page ). Your car has an on-board ref ueling
vapor recovery system to help
keep f uel vapors f rom going into
the atmosphere. If the fuel nozzle
keeps clicking of f even though the
tank is not f ull, there may be a
problem with this system. Consult
your dealer. 1.
4.
5.
2.
6. 178
234
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
Opening the Hood
122
RELEASE HANDLE

Pull the support rod out of its clip
and insert the end into the hole on
the f ront of the hood around the
center.
To close the hood, lif t it up slightly
to remove the support rod f rom
the hole. Put the support rod back
into its holding clip. Lower the
hood to about a f oot (30 cm) above
the fender, then let it drop.
After closing the hood, make sure
it is securely latched.Check the engine oil level every time
you f ill the car with f uel. Wait a f ew
minutes af ter turning the engine of f
bef ore you check the oil.
Remove the dipstick (black
handle). Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
1.
3.
2.
CONT INUED
Oil Check
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving123
DIPSTICK