2004 HONDA CIVIC COUPE engine overheat

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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This section covers the more
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your vehicle towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire . 182
....................
Changing a Flat Tire . 183
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start . 189
................................
Jump Starting . 191
..............
If the Engine Overheats . 192
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 195
..........
Charging System Indicator . 195
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 196
...............
Brake System Indicator . 197
..................
Closing the Moonroof . 198
..............................................
Fuses . 199
..........................
Fuse Locations . 201
......................
Emergency Towing . 203
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed181
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Start your vehicle. If the starter
motor still operates slowly, check
the jumper cable connections to
make sure they have good metal-
to-metal contact.The pointer of your vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange. If it climbs to the red
mark, you should determine the
reason (hot day, driving up a steep
hill, etc.).
If your vehicle overheats, you
should take immediate action. The
only indication may be the
temperature gauge climbing to or
above the red mark. Or you may
see steam or spray coming f rom
under the hood.
Once your vehicle is running,
disconnect the negative cable f rom
your vehicle, then f rom the
booster battery. Disconnect the
positive cable f rom your vehicle,
then from the booster battery.
Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the vehicle until all are
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short.
7.
6.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Jump Starting, If the Engine Overheats
If the Engine Overheats
192
NOTICE: Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the
temperature gauge pointer at the red
mark can cause serious damage to
your engine.
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If you do not see steam or spray,
leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading,
the engine should start to cool
down almost immediately. If it
does, wait until the temperature
gauge comes down to the midpoint,
then continue driving.
If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (see
on page ).
If you don’t f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Add coolant
if the level is below the MIN mark.
Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
Turn of f all the accessories, and
turn on the hazard indicator.
If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine. Wait until you see
no more signs of steam or spray,
then open the hood.
1. 2.
3. 4.5. 6.
203
CONT INUED
If theEngineOverheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Emergency
Towing
193
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If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may need to add
coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, bef ore check-
ing the radiator.Using gloves or large heavy cloth,
turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise without pushing
down to the first stop. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap, and turn it until it comes
off.Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair (see
on page ).
If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
Start the engine, and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the f iller
neck. If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water.
Remember to have the cooling
system drained and ref illed with
the proper mixture as soon as you
can.
7.
8. 9.10. 11.
203
If theEngineOverheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Emergency
Towing
194
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.
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CONT INUED
..............................
Economy, Fuel . 119
Emergencies
............................
Jump Starting . 119
.......................................
Towing . 203
...........
Hazard Warning Flashes . 67
............
Emergencies on the Road . 182
.............
Battery, Jump Starting . 191
...........
Brake System Indicator . 197
................
Changing a Flat Tire . 183
.....
Charging System Indicator . 195
..................
Checking the Fuses . 199
.....
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 195
...
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 196
...
Manually Closing Moonroof . 198
..................
Overheated Engine . 192
...........................
Emergency Brake . 84
......................
Emergency Flashers . 67
......................
Emergency Towing . 203
............
Emergency Trunk Opener . 73
.......................
Emissions Controls . 212Engine
....
Coolant Temperature Gauge . 61
...........................
If it won’t start . 189 Malf unction Indicator
................................
Lamp . 58, 196
........
Oil Pressure Indicator . 56, 195
..............
Oil, What Kind to Use . 152
...............................
Overheating . 192
............................
Specif ications . 208
.......................................
Starting . 127
......................
Ethanol in Gasoline . 212
.
Evaporative Emissions Controls . 212
...............................
Exhaust Fumes . 47
Expectant Mothers, Use of Seat
........................................
Belts by . 17
.....................................
Fan, Interior . 91
Features, Comfort and
................................
Convenience . 89
....................
Filling the Fuel Tank . 115
Filters
.........................
Dust and Pollen . 169
...............................................
Oil . 154
5-speed Manual Transmission ...............
Checking Fluid Level . 162
................................
Shif ting the . 128
.............
Flashers, Hazard Warning . 67 ...................
Flat Tire, Changing a . 183
Fluids
..........
Automatic Transmission . 160
..........................................
Brake . 163
.........................................
Clutch . 163
..............
Manual Transmission . 162
..........................
Power Steering . 159
..................
Windshield Washer . 156
FM Stereo Radio .....................................
Reception . 97
..........................
Four-way Flashers . 67
Front Seat
......................................
Adjusting . 11
.........................................
Airbags . 22
.................................................
Fuel . 114
....................................
Economy . 119
......................
Fill Door and Cap . 115
...........................................
Gauge . 60
................
Octane Requirement . 114
...............................
Oxygenated . 114
........................
Reserve Indicator . 58
........................
Tank, Filling the . 115
.....................
Fuses, Checking the . 199
Index
E
F
III
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...........
ON (Ignition Key Position) . 71
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
....................................
Recovery . 212
..............................
Outside Mirrors . 83
....................
Overheating, Engine . 192
.......
Owner Maintenance Checks . 144
.........................
Oxygenated Fuels . 212
..............
Panel Brightness Control . 66
........................
Park Gear Position . 131
...........................................
Parking . 137
.................................
Parking Brake . 84
Parking Brake and Brake
.........................
System Indicator . 57
...............................
Parking Lights . 166
..
Parking Over Things that Burn . 214
.............................
PGM-FI System . 213
..........................
Power Door Locks . 72
.................
Power Socket Locations . 88
..............................
Power Windows . 81
.........
Pregnancy, Using Seat Belts . 17
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens . 11
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 18
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 17 ........................
Protecting Children . 29
.......................
General Guideline . 29
................
Installing a Child Seat . 37
.......................
Protecting Inf ants . 34
.......
Protecting Larger Children . 43
.........
Protecting Small Children . 35
..................
Selecting Child Seats . 36
Using Child Seats with
.....................................
Tethers . 42
................
Using Lower Anchors . 38
...................
Radiator Overheating . 192
Radio/CD/Cassette
..............................
Sound System . 94
...................
Readiness Codes . 196, 215
Rear Lights, Bulb
..............................
Replacement . 167
..........................
Rear Seat, Folding . 79
............................
Rear View Mirror . 83
.................
Rear Window Def ogger . 67
...............
Reclining the Seat Backs . 76
.......
Recommended Shif t Speeds . 129
.............................
Reminder Lights . 56
.......................
Remote Transmitter . 74 Replacement Inf ormation
..............
Dust and Pollen Filter . 169
................
Engine Oil and Filter . 154
..........................................
Fuses . 199
................................
Light Bulbs . 164
....................................
Schedule . 143
................................
Spark Plugs . 208
................................
Timing Belt . 162
...........................................
Tires . 172
.............................
Wiper Blades . 170
Replacing Seat Belts Af ter a ............................................
Crash . 21
Reserve Tank, Engine ...............................
Coolant . 118, 157
...............................
Restraint, Child . 29
..................
Reverse Gear Position . 131
......................................
Roof Rack . 124
................................
Rotation, Tire . 175
..................................
Saf ety Belts . 8, 19
.........
Safety Defects, Reporting . 220
.................................
Saf ety Features . 7
.........................................
Airbags . 10
.......................................
Seat Belts . 8
Index
R
P
S
VI
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