Page 156 of 313

You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:Press and hold the RES/ACCEL
button. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.
Push on the accelerator pedal until
you reach the desired cruising
speed, then press the DECEL/
SET button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RES/
ACCEL button. Each time you do
this, the vehicle will speed up
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h). You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the DECEL/SET
button. Release the button when
you reach the desired speed.
To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the DECEL/SET
button repeatedly. Each time you
do this, your vehicle will slow
down about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your f oot. The
CRUISE CONTROL indicator on
the instrument panel will go out.
When the vehicle slows to the
desired speed, press the DECEL/
SET button. Even with the cruise control turned
on, you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up f or passing. Af ter
completing the pass, take your foot
of f the accelerator pedal. The vehicle
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your f oot on the brake or
clutch pedal will cause the cruise
control to cancel.
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Changing the Set Speed
157
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Page 157 of 313
Youcancancelthecruisecontrolin
any of these ways:Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel.
Press the Cruise Control Master
button on the steering wheel. When you push the CANCEL button,
or tap the brake or clutch pedal, the
system will remember the previously
set cruising speed. To return to that
speed, accelerate to above 25 mph
(40 km/h), then press and release
the RES/ACCEL button. The
CRUISE CONTROL indicator comes
on, and the vehicle will accelerate to
thesamecruisingspeedasbefore.
Pressing the Cruise Control Master
button turns the system completely
of f and erases the previous cruising
speed.
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Cancelling the Cruise Control Resuming the Set Speed
158
CANCEL BUTTON
CRUISE CONTROL MASTER BUTTON
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Page 178 of 313

Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Push the clutch pedal down all the
way. START (III) does not
f unction unless the clutch pedal is
pressed.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in START for more than
15 seconds at a time. If the engine
does not start right away, pause
f or at least 10 seconds bef ore
trying again.If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
downandholdittherewhile
starting to clear flooding. If the
engine still does not start, return
to step 5.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Manual Transmission:
Automatic Transmission:
Starting the Engine
Driving179
NOTICE: The engine is harder to start
in cold weather. Also, the thinner air
f ound at altitudes above 8,000 f eet
(2,400 meters) adds to this problem.
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Page 179 of 313

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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Page 181 of 313

If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
Bef ore downshif ting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer’s red zone.If you are still unable to shif t to
Reverse, apply the parking brake
and turn the ignition key to
ACCESSORY (I) or LOCK (0).
If you need to use this procedure to
shif t to Reverse, your vehicle may be
developing a problem. Have your
vehicle checked by a Honda dealer.
The 6-speed manual transmission
has an electric lockout so you cannot
accidentally shif t f rom Fif th to
Reverse instead of Sixth while the
vehicle is moving. If you cannot shif t
to Reverse when the vehicle is
stopped:
With the clutch pedal pressed,
move the shift lever to the First/
Second gear side of the Neutral
gate, then shif t to Reverse. Depress the clutch pedal and shif t
to Reverse.
With the clutch pedal still pressed,
start the engine.
1. 2. 3. 4.6-speed manual transmission only
Engine Speed L imiter Reverse L ockout
5-speed/6-speed Manual T ransmission
Driving182
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Page 184 of 313

µ
µ
µ
µ If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
Use Second gear:
For more power when climbing.
To increase engine braking when
going down steep hills.
For starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow.
When driving downhill with a
trailer.
To shif t f rom Second to
First, press the release button on the
side of the shift lever. With the lever
in this position, the transmission
locks in First gear. By upshif ting and
downshif ting through 1, 2, D , and D,
you can operate the transmission
much like a manual transmission
without a clutch pedal.
This position is similar
to D, except only the first three
gears are selected instead of all f ive.
Use D when towing a trailer in hilly
terrain, or to provide engine braking
when going down a steep hill. D can
also keep the transmission f rom
cycling between third and f ourth
gears in stop-and-go driving. Use this position f or
normal driving. The transmission
automatically selects a suitable gear
(1 through 5) f or speed and
acceleration. You may notice the
transmission shif ting up at higher
speeds when the engine is cold. This
helps the engine warm up f aster.
To shif t to Second,
pressthereleasebuttonontheside
of the shif t lever. This position locks
the transmission in second gear. It
does not downshif t to f irst gear
when you come to a stop.
3
3
3
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Engine Speed L imiter
First (1)
Drive (D )
Drive (D)
Second (2)
3
185
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Page 200 of 313

This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.
This section also includes
Maintenance Schedules f or normal
driving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions f or simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of
yourself .
If you have the skills and tools to per-
f orm more complex maintenance
tasks on your Honda, you may want
to purchase the Service Manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your Honda
dealer.......................
Maintenance Saf ety . 202
.................
Maintenance Schedule . 203
Maintenance Schedule
..................
(4-cylinder Models) . 205
....................
Maintenance Record . 207
Maintenance Schedule
..................
(6-cylinder Models) . 210
....................
Maintenance Record . 212
..............................
Fluid Locations . 215
........................
Adding Engine Oil . 217
.........
Changing the Oil and Filter . 218
..............................
Engine Coolant . 221
....................
Windshield Washers . 224
.......................
Transmission Fluid . 225
..........
Automatic Transmission . 225
5-speed Manual
.........................
Transmission . 228
6-speed Manual .........................
Transmission . 228
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid . 230
....................
Power Steering Fluid . 231
....................................
Timing Belt . 232
....................................
Hood Latch . 232
.............................................
Lights . 233
.......................................
Seat Belts . 240
.....................................
Floor Mats . 240 ..................
Dust and Pollen Filter . 242
.................................
Wiper Blades . 243
...............................................
Tires . 245
........................
Check the Battery . 252
.............................
Vehicle Storage . 254
303
Maintenance
Maint enance201
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Page 214 of 313
Fluid Locations
Maint enance
4-cylinder Models
215
BRAKE FLUID
(Gray cap)
ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK
(Orange handle)
WASHER FLUID
(Blue cap)
POWER STEERING
FLUID (Red cap)
RADIATOR CAPAUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
FLUID DIPSTICK
(Yellow loop)
ENGINE OIL
FILL CAP
CLUTCH FLUID
(5-speed Manual
Transmission only)
(Light gray cap)
ENGINE
COOLANT
RESERVOIR
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