Page 162 of 301

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 . 164
...............................
Gasoline Type . 164
.........
Service Station Procedures . 165
....................................
Ref ueling . 165
Opening and Closing the
.......................................
Hood . 166
...................................
Oil Check . 168
.............
Engine Coolant Check . 169
...............................
Fuel Economy . 170
........
Improving Fuel Economy . 170
....................................
Accessories . 171
.................................
Modif ications . 172
...........
Modif ying Your Vehicle . 172
.............................
Carrying Cargo . 173
..
Carrying Cargo in the Trunk . 175
Carrying Cargo in the
.....
Passenger Compartment . 175
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving163
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Page 163 of 301

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.
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. 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
a persistent, heavy, metallic rapping
noise in the engine that can lead to
mechanical f ailure.
We recommend gasolines containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your vehicle’s emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
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.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.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
Quick Start Guide.
Break-in Period, Gasoline T ype
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period Gasoline Type
164
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Page 164 of 301

Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
The fuel fill cap is attached to the
f uel f iller with a tether. Put the
attachment on the fuel fill cap into
the slit on the f uel f ill door.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top of f ’’ the tank. Leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.
even though the tank is not f ull,
there may be a problem with your
vehicle’s fuel vapor recovery
system. The system helps keep
f uel vapors f rom going into the
atmosphere. Consult your dealer.
Park with the driver’s side closest
to the gas pump.
Open the f uel f ill door by pulling
onthehandletotheleftof the
driver’s seat. 3. 4.
1. 2.
If the f uel nozzle keeps clicking of f
CONT INUED
Service Station Procedure
Bef ore Driving
Ref ueling
165
FUEL FILL CAP
Push
TETHER
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flamesaway.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.
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Page 167 of 301
Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.Remove the dipstick. Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert it all the way back in its hole.Remove the dipstick again and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page .
1.
2. 3.4.
214
Service Station Procedure
Bef ore Driving
Oil Check
A dding Oil
168
4-cylinder models6-cylinder models
DIPSTICK
(Orange Handle)
DIPSTICK
(Orange Loop)
4-cylinder models UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
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Page 168 of 301
Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, seeon page f or
inf ormation on adding the proper
coolant. Refer to
on page f or inf ormation
on checking other items in your
Honda.
219 203
Service Station Procedure
Bef ore Driving
Engine Coolant Check
A dding
Engine Coolant Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
169
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK RESERVE TANK
4-cylinder models MIN
MAX MAX
RESERVE TANK
6-cylinder models MIN
6-cylinder models
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Page 169 of 301
Always drive in the highest gear
possible.
Try to maintain a constant speed.
Everytimeyouslowdownand
speed up, your vehicle uses extra
fuel.Usethecruisecontrolwhen
appropriate.
Combine several short trips into
one.
The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Usethefresh-air
ventilation when possible.
Always maintain your vehicle
according to the maintenance
schedule. See
(see page
).
Drive moderately. Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering and
hard braking use more f uel.
The build-up of snow or mud on
your vehicle’s underside adds
weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
mileage and reduces the chance of
corrosion. an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses f uel. 203
For example,
Bef ore Driving
Improving Fuel Economy
Owner’s
Maintenance Checks
Fuel Economy
170
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Page 176 of 301

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes
important inf ormation on parking
your vehicle, the braking system, the
Traction Control System, and facts
you need if you are planning to tow a
trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive . 178
.......................
Starting the Engine . 179
....
5-speed Manual Transmission . 180
.....
Recommended Shif t Points . 181
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 181
..............
Automatic Transmission . 182
Shif t Lever Position ...............................
Indicators . 182
.......................................
Shif ting . 182
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 184
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 185
...........................................
Parking . 187
.............................
Braking System . 188
...............
Brake System Design . 188
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 188
...........
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 189
Activating the Anti-lock ................................
Brakes . 189
........................
ABS Indicator . 189
..............
Traction Control System . 191
...............
TCS ON/OFF Switch . 192
.........
TCSActivationIndicator .192
...........................
Towing a Trailer . 194
Driving
Driving177
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Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments bef ore you drive
your vehicle.Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
f astened down securely. Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicator lights in
the instrument panel (see page
).
Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page ).
Check the seat adjustment (see
pages and ).
3. 2.
1.
4. 5. 6. 7.8.
159.
61
98 92 93
78
Preparing to Drive
Driving178
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