2004 HONDA CIVIC COUPE brakes

This indicator has two f unctions:Itcomesonwhenyouturnthe
ignition switch ON (II). It is a
reminder to check the parking
brake. Driving with the parking
brake not f ully released can
damage the brakes and tires.
If it remains lit af ter you have f ully
released 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 complete inf ormation,
see page . This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to ON (II)
with the headlight switch off and the
parking brake set. It should go of f if
youturnontheheadlightsorrelease
the parking brake. If it comes on at
any other time, it means there is a
problem with the DRL. There may
also be a problem with the high
beam headlights.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II), and when
the ignition switch is turned to
START (III). If this indicator comes
on at any other time, there is a
problem in the ABS. If this happens,
take your vehicle to your dealer to
have it checked. With this indicator
on, your vehicle still has normal
braking ability but no anti-lock. For
complete inf ormation, see page .
1. 2.
197 139
Only on models equipped with ABS (see
page ) Canadian models only
139
CONT INUED
Parking Brake
and Brake
System
Indicator Anti-lock Brake System
(A BS) Indicator
‘‘Daytime Running
Lights’’ Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Instrument Panel Indicators
57
U.S. Canada
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The outside mirrors are heated to
remove fog and frost. With the
ignition switch in the ON (II)
position, turn on the heaters by
pressing the button. The indicator in
the button comes on as a reminder.
Press the button again to turn the
heaters off.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 light on
the instrument panel should go out
when the parking brake is f ully
released (see page ).
57
On Canadian Si model
Power Mirror Heaters Parking Brake
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Mirrors, Parking Brake
84
NOTICE:
PARKING BRAKE LEVER
PARKING BRAKE LEVER
LX, U.S. DX VP, EX
and Canadian Si models DX, U.S. HX and Canada DX SE models
Driving the vehicle with the
parking brake applied can damage the
rear brakes and axles.
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You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/decel
button. Each time you do this,
your vehicle will slow down about
1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Press and hold the SET/decel
button. Release the button when
you reach the desired speed.
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 RESUME/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 RESUME/
accel button. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.
Push on the accelerator pedal.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel
button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
accel button. Each time you do
this, your vehicle will speed up
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 SET/
decel button.
CONT INUED
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Changing the Set Speed
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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. 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 using gasoline
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.
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, contactyour 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
Break-in Period Gasoline Type
Bef ore Driving114
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Some examples are: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.
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.
Lowering your 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. 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 collision. 28
Modif ying Your Vehicle
Additional Saf ety Precaution
Bef ore Driving
A ccessories and Modif ications
Do not cover or replace f ront seat -back covers wit hout consult ing aHonda dealer.
121
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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 impor-
tant inf ormation on parking your
vehicle, and the braking system.........................
Preparing to Drive . 126
.......................
Starting the Engine . 127
....
5-speed Manual Transmission . 128
..............
Automatic Transmission . 130
.
Automatic Transmission (CVT) . 134
...........................................
Parking . 137
.............................
Braking System . 138
...........................
Towing a Trailer . 138
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 139
Driving
Driving125
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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 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 the vehicle speed is low
enough that you will not activate the
engine speed limiter in the lower
gear. On all models except U.S. DX,
make sure the engine speed will not
go into the tachometer’s red zone in
the lower gear bef ore downshif ting.
5-speed Manual T ransmission
Driving128
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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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 on an
incline.Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Turn of f the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.
in the trunk or take them with you.
Lock the doors.
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.
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.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.
Driving
Parking T ips
Parking
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