2003 HONDA S2000 tow

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.

µ
Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In f act, vehicle
accidents are the number one cause
of death of children ages 12 and
under.
To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian province requires that
inf ants and children be restrained
whenever they ride in a vehicle.
(See page
.)
(See page
.) We strongly recommend that you do
not carry any child in this car.
One reason is that your car does not
have a back seat, and accident
statistics show that a child of any
size or age is saf er when they are
properly restrained in the back seat
of a vehicle.
In addition, your car has a passenger’s
airbag which poses serious risks to
children particularly inf ants and
small children.
26
29
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children
A ll Children Must Be Restrained Your Car is Not Recommended f or Child Passengers
Anychildwhoistoosmalltoweara
seat belt should be properlyrest rained in a child seat .
A larger child should always berest rained wit h a seat belt .
19
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in a
crash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt.

This section covers how to set up the
system controls f or ventilation,
heating, cooling, dehumidif ying, and
def rosting.
The engine must be running f or the
heater and air conditioning to
generate hot and cold air. The heater
uses engine coolant to warm the air.
If the engine is cold, it will be several
minutes bef ore you f eel warm air
coming from the system.
The air conditioning does not rely on
engine temperature.
You can adjust the direction of the
air coming from the vents on both
sides of the instrument panel and at
the corner of the dashboard on the
passenger’s side. To adjust the air
flow up and down, move the tab in
the center of each vent up and down.
To adjust it lef t and right, turn the
dial under each vent lef t and right. You can shut off the air flow from
each vent by turning the dial all the
way toward the mark until it
clicks.
Heating and Cooling
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Vent Controls
How to Use the System
88
CENTER VENTSIDE VENT

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

Your car has several convenient
storage areas so you can stow cargo
saf ely.
The upper and lower console
compartments are designed for small,
lightweight items. The trunk is
intended f or larger, heavier items.
However, carrying too much cargo,
or improperly storing it, can af f ect
your car’s handling, stability,
stopping distance, and tires, and
make it unsaf e. Bef ore carrying any
type of cargo, be sure to read the
f ollowing pages.
Bef ore Driving
Carrying Cargo
128
UPPER AND LOWER CONSOLE
COMPARTMENTSTRUNK

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

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

µCheck your tires
f requently f or wear and proper
pressure. Both are important in
preventing ‘‘hydroplaning’’ (loss of
traction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all f our
wheels f or the best handling.
Watch road conditions caref ully,
they can change f rom moment to
moment. Wet leaves can be as slip-
pery as ice. ‘‘Clear’’ roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditions
can be very hazardous when the
outside temperature is near f reezing.
The road surf ace can become
covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be caref ul when downshif ting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the
drive wheels f or a moment and cause
askid. Be very cautious when passing, or
beingpassedbyothercars.The
spray f rom large cars reduces your
visibility, and the wind buf f eting can
cause you to lose control.Your car is not designed to tow a
trailer. Attempting to do so can void
your warranties.
Driving
Traction
Towing a Trailer
Driving in Bad Weather, Towing a Trailer
145