Page 155 of 301

Thecruisecontrolmaynotholdthe
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 RES/ACCEL button.
The CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will come back on.
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. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the DECEL/SET
button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RES/
ACCEL button. Each time you do
this, your 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 light on the
instrument panel will go out.
When the car 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.
Changing the Set Speed
Cruise Control
Features156
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Page 156 of 301
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
above25mph(40km/h)thenpress
and release the RES/ACCEL button.
The CRUISE CONTROL light comes
on. The vehicle will accelerate to the
same cruising speed as bef ore.Pressing the Cruise Control Master
Switch turns the system of f and
erases the previous cruising speed.
Youcancancelthecruisecontrolin
any of these ways:
Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel.
Press the Cruise Control Master
Switch.
Cancelling the Cruise Control Resuming the Set Speed
Cruise Control
Features157
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Page 178 of 301

Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.Turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in START (III) f or 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. Return
to step 5 if the engine does not
start.
Push the clutch pedal down all the
way.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
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 301

The manual transmission is syn-
chronizedinallforwardgearsfor
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth
to Reverse. When shif ting up or
down,makesureyoupushtheclutch
pedal down all the way, shift 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 faster.Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t 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 f rom 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.
5-speed Manual T ransmission
Driving180
Rapid slowing or speeding-up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.
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Page 183 of 301

µµThis position locks
the transmission in second gear. It
does not downshif t to f irst gear
when you come to a stop.
Use Second gear:
For starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow.
To help reduce wheel spin.
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 this transmission
much like a manual transmission
without a clutch pedal. 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.
For more power when climbing.
To increase engine braking when
going down steep hills.
3
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Second (2) First (1) Engine Speed L imiter
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Page 198 of 301

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.
This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.
......................
Maintenance Saf ety . 200
.................
Maintenance Schedule . 201
............
Servicing Your Vehicle . 202
Owner’s Maintenance
...................................
Checks . 203
.....................
4-cylinder Models . 204
.....................
6-cylinder Models . 206
....................
Maintenance Record . 208
..............................
Fluid Locations . 212
........................
Adding Engine Oil . 214
.......
Recommended Engine Oil . 214
..............................
Synthetic Oil . 215
................
Engine Oil Additives . 215
.........
Changing the Oil and Filter . 216
....................
Windshield Washers . 218
..............................
Engine Coolant . 219
............
Adding Engine Coolant . 219
.......................
Transmission Fluid . 221
Automatic .........................
Transmission . 221
5-speed Manual .........................
Transmission . 224
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid . 225
................................
Brake Fluid . 225
...............................
Clutch Fluid . 226
....................
Power Steering Fluid . 226 ....................................
Timing Belt . 227
....................................
Hood Latch . 227
.............................................
Lights . 228
........................
Replacing Bulbs . 228
.........................................
Seat Belt . 235
.....................................
Floor Mats . 235
..................
Dust and Pollen Filter . 235
.................................
Wiper Blades . 236
...............................................
Tires . 238
......................................
Inf lation . 238
..........................
Tire Inspection . 240
.....................
Tire Maintenance . 240
.............................
Tire Rotation . 241
.........................
Replacing Tires . 241
......................
Wheels and Tires . 242
..........................
Winter Driving . 242
.............................
Snow Tires . 242
............................
Tire Chains . 243
................
Checking Your Battery . 244
.............................
Vehicle Storage . 246
291
Maintenance
Maint enance199
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Fluid Locations
4-cylinder Models
Maint enance212
BRAKE FLUID
(Gray cap)
ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK
(Orange handle)
WASHER FLUID
(Blue cap)
POWER STEERING
FLUID (Red cap)
RADIATOR CAPCLUTCH FLUID
(5-speed Manual
Transmission only)
(Light gray cap)
ENGINE OIL
FILL CAP
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
FLUID DIPSTICK
(Yellow loop)
COOLANT
RESERVOIR
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Page 224 of 301

Check the f luid level in the
reservoirs monthly. There are up to
two reservoirs, depending on the
model. They are:Brake f luid reservoir (all models)
Clutch f luid reservoir
(manual transmission only) Always use Honda Heavy Duty
Brake Fluid DOT 3. If it is not
available, you should use only DOT 3
or DOT 4 f luid, f rom a sealed
container, as a temporary
replacement.
Using any non-Honda brake f luid can
cause corrosion and decrease the lif e
of the system. Have the brake
system f lushed and ref illed with
Honda Heavy Duty Brake Fluid
DOT 3 as soon as possible.
The f luid level should be between
theMINandMAXmarksontheside
of the reservoir. If the level is at or
below the MIN mark, your brake
system needs attention. Have the
brake system inspected f or leaks or
worn brake pads.
Replace the brake f luid according to
the recommendations in the
maintenance schedule.
Brake f luid marked DOT 5 is not
compatible with your vehicle’s
braking system and can cause
extensive damage.
Brake and Clutch Fluid
Maint enance
Brake Fluid
225
MAX
MIN
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