2004 HONDA ACCORD COUPE brakes

This indicator has two f unctions:This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
It is a reminder to check the
parking brake. If you drive at
certain speeds without f ully
releasing the parking brake, the
beeper sounds continuously.
Driving with the parking brake not
fully released can damage the
brakes and tires. This indicator lights brief ly when
you turn the ignition switch to ON
(II). If it comes on at any other time,
it indicates a potential problem with
your f ront airbags. This indicator will
also alert you to a potential problem
with your side airbags, passenger’s
side airbag automatic cutoff system,
side curtain airbags, automatic seat
belt tensioners, driver’s seat position
sensor, or f ront passenger’s weight
sensors. For more inf ormation, see
page .
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to ON (II). If
it comes on at any other time, it
indicates that the passenger’s side
airbag has automatically shut off.
For more inf ormation, see page .
If it remains lit af ter you f ully
release the parking brake while
the engine is running, or if it
comes on while driving, there
could be a problem with the brake
system. For more inf ormation, see
page .
1. 2.
271 27
28
Only on models equipped with side
airbags
Instrument Panel Indicators
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Parking Brake and Brake System
Indicator Supplemental Restraint
System Indicator
Side Airbag Of f Indicator
59
U.S. Canada
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To apply the parking brake, pull the
lever up f ully. To release it, pull up
slightly, push the button, and lower
the lever. The parking brake
indicator on the instrument panel
should go out when the parking
brake is f ully released with the
engine running (see page ).
If you drive at certain speeds without
f ully releasing the parking brake, the
beeper sounds continuously.59
Parking Brake
Inst rument s and Cont rols97
NOTICE:
PARKING BRAKE LEVER
Driving the vehicle with the
parking brake applied can damage the
rear brakes and axles.
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Cruise control allows you to maintain
asetspeedabove25mph(40km/h)
without keeping your f oot on the
accelerator pedal. It should be used
f or cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended f or
city driving, winding roads, slippery
roads, heavy rain, or bad weather.Push in the Cruise Control Master
Buttononthesteeringwheel.The
CRUISE MAIN indicator on the
instrument panel will come on.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speedabove25mph(40km/h).Press and release the DECEL/
SET button on the steering wheel.
The CRUISE CONTROL indicator
on the instrument panel comes on
to show the system is now
activated.
The cruise control may not hold the
set speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down. This will cancel the
cruise control. To resume the set
speed, press the RESUME/ACCEL
button. The CRUISE CONTROL
indicator on the instrument panel will
come back on.
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshifttoholdthesetspeed.
1. 2. 3.
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Using the Cruise Control
156
CRUISE CONTROL MASTER BUTTON
CANCEL
BUTTON RES/ACCEL
BUTTON
DECEL/SET
BUTTON
Improper use of the cruise
control can lead to a crash.
Use the cruise control only
when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
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Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
You should also f ollow these re-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are replaced. If you drive with the low engine
speed (below than about 1,000 rpm),
you may f eel the engine knocking. In
this case, you can use premium
unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 91 or higher to
prevent the engine f rom knocking.
We recommend gasolines containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits.In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
We also recommend that you should
not tow a trailer during the f irst 500
miles (800 km). Your Honda is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
occasional metallic knocking noises
in the engine and will result in
decreased engine perf ormance.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the Malfunction Indicator
Lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your authorized Honda dealer f or
service.
Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 percent ethanol
by volume and up to 15 percent
MTBE by volume. Do not use
gasoline containing methanol.
On EX-V6 with manual transmission
Break-in Period, Gasoline T ype
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period Gasoline Type
164
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Removing parts f rom your vehicle,
or replacing components with non-
Honda (af termarket) components
could seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability.
Some examples are:Lowering the vehicle with an
aftermarket suspension kit that
signif icantly reduces ground
clearance can allow the
undercarriage to hit speed bumps
or other raised objects, which
could cause the airbags to deploy.
Raising your vehicle with an
af termarket suspension kit can
af f ect the handling and stability.
Af termarket wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components. Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interf ere with the operation of
your vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and
other systems.
Do not modif y your steering wheel
or any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.
Modif ications could make the
system inef f ective. See the saf ety
precautions on page .
If you plan to modif y your vehicle,
consult with your Honda dealer. Improperly replacing
or covering f ront seat-back covers
can prevent your side airbags f rom
inf lating during a side impact.
31
Bef ore Driving
Modif ying Your Vehicle Additional Saf ety Precaution
A ccessories and Modif ications
Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ing aHonda dealer.
172
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This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
5-speed/6-speed manual and
automatic transmissions. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the Traction Control System,
and f acts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive . 178
.......................
Starting the Engine . 179
5-speed/6-speed Manual
.............................
Transmission . 180
..............
Automatic Transmission . 183
..................................
Parking Tips . 187
.............................
Braking System . 188
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 189
..
Traction Control System (TCS) . 191
...........................
Towing a Trailer . 194
Driving
Driving177
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The manual transmission is
synchronized in all f orward gears f or
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth
to Reverse.
On vehicles with 6-speed manual
transmission, the lockout system
prevents you f rom shif ting directlyf rom Fif th to Reverse instead of
Sixth (see page ).
When shif ting up or down, make
sure you push the clutch pedal down
all the way, shif t to the next gear,
and let the pedal up gradually. When
you are not shif ting, do not rest your
f oot on the clutch pedal. This can
cause your clutch to wear out f aster.
Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage thetransmission by trying to shift into
Reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause f or a f ew seconds bef ore
shif ting into Reverse, or shif t into
one of the f orward gears f or a
moment. This stops the gears so
they won’t ‘‘grind.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking from the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure engine speed will not go
into the tachometer’s red zone in the
lower gear.
182
On all 4-cylinder models with 5-speed
manual transmission
On EX-V6 model with 6-speed manualtransmission
5-speed/6-speed Manual T ransmission
Driving180
5-speed M/T 6-speed M/T
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Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. Make sure
the parking brake is set f irmly or
your vehicle may roll if it is parked
on an incline.
If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park. This keeps the vehicle f rom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission.If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the f ront wheels away f rom the
curb. If you have a manual
transmission, put it in f irst gear.
If the vehicle is f acing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb. If you have a manual
transmission, put it 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 moonroof (if
equipped) and the windows are
closed.
Turn of f the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.
in the trunk or take them with you.
Lockthedoorswiththekeyorthe
remote transmitter.
Check the indicator on the
instrument panel to verif y that the
security system is set.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The hot three way
catalytic converter could cause
these materials to catch on fire.
On vehicles with security system
Parking T ips
Driving
Parking T ips
187
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