Page 115 of 231
Put your f ingers under the f ront
edge of the hood to the right of
the center. Slide your hand to the
lef t until you f eel the hood latch
handle. Push this handle up to
release it. Lift up the hood.If the hood latch handle moves
stif f ly, or if you can open the hood
without lifting the handle, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated.
Park the vehicle, and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly. Pull the support rod out of its clip,
and insert the end into the hole on
the f ront lef t side of the hood.
1. 2.3.To Open the Hood:
Service Station Procedure
Opening and Closing the Hood
Bef ore Driving116
HOOD
RELEASE
HANDLE
LATCH
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Page 153 of 231

Open the hood and remove the
engine oil f ill cap. Remove the oil
drain bolt and washer f rom the
bottom of the engine. Drain the oil
into an appropriate container.Remove the oil f ilter and let the
remaining oil drain. A special
wrench (available from your
Honda dealer) is required.
Install a new oil f ilter according to
the instructions that come with it.
Always change the oil and f ilter
according to the recommendations in
the maintenance schedule. The oil
and f ilter collect contaminants that
can damage your engine if they are
not removed regularly.
Changing the oil and f ilter requires
special tools and access f rom
underneath the vehicle. The vehicle
should be raised on a service station-
type hydraulic lif t f or this service.
Unless you have the knowledge and
proper equipment, you should have
this maintenance done by a skilled
mechanic.
Run the engine until it reaches
normal operating temperature,
then shut it off.
1. 2.
4.
3.
Changing the Oil and Filter
Maint enance154
DRAIN BOLT
WASHEROIL FILTER
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Page 169 of 231
Check the condition of the wiper
blades at least every six months.
Replace them if you f ind signs of
cracking in the rubber, areas that are
getting hard, or if they leave streaks
and unwiped areas when used.Raise the wiper arm of f the
windshield.
Disconnect the blade assembly
fromthewiperarmbypushingin
the lock tab. Hold the lock tab in
while you push the blade assembly
toward the base of the arm.Remove the blade f rom its holder
by grasping the tabbed end of the
blade. Pull f irmly until the tabs
come out of the holder.
2.
1.
3.
Wiper Blades
Maint enance170
LOCK TABBLADEDo not open the hood when the wiper
arms are raised, or you will damage the
hood and wiper arms.
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Page 190 of 231

µ
´ ´
Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
You cannot start a Honda with an
automatic transmission by pushing
or pulling it.
Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the grounding strap
as shown. Do not connect this
jumper cable to any other part of
the engine.
If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle.
Open the hood and check the
physical condition of the battery.
In very cold weather, check the
condition of the electrolyte. If it
seems slushy or like ice, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.
Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, climate
control, stereo system, lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
battery. Connect the other end to
the positive ( ) terminal on the
booster battery.
3.
5.
1. 2.
4.
CONT INUED
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
To Jump Start Your Vehicle:
191
NOTICE:
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyonenearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery. If a battery sits in extreme
cold, the electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.
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Page 191 of 231

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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Page 192 of 231

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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Page 194 of 231

Saf ely pull of f the road, and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ).Immediately turn of f all electrical
accessories. Try not to use other
electrically operated controls such as
the power windows. Keep the engine
running; starting the engine will
discharge the battery rapidly.
Go to a service station or garage
where you can get technical
assistance.
Let the vehicle sit f or a minute.
Open the hood, and check the oil
level (see page ). An engine
very low on oil can lose pressure
during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
If the charging system
indicator comes on brightly
when the engine is running, the
battery is not being charged.
This indicator should never
come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing or stays
on, the oil pressure has dropped very
low or lost pressure. Serious engine
damage is possible and you should
take immediate action.
Start the engine, and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If it does not go
out within 10 seconds, turn of f the
engine. There is a mechanical
problem that needs to be repaired
bef ore you can continue driving
(see on page).
1. 2. 3. 4.
117
152
203 Charging System Indicator
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
Emergency T owing
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator, Charging System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed195
NOTICE:Running the engine with low
oil pressure can cause serious mechani-
cal damage almost immediately. Turn
of f the engine as soon as you can
saf ely get the car stopped.
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Page 198 of 231

The primary under-hood f use box is
locatedonthepassenger’ssidenext
to the battery.Turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(0). Make sure the headlights and
all other accessories are off.
Remove the cover f rom the f use
box.
Check each of the large f uses in
the under-hood f use box by
looking through the top at the wire
inside. Remove the screw with a
Phillips-head screwdriver.
The vehicle’s f uses are located in
two fuse boxes. The interior fuse
box is located underneath the
steering column. To open it, turn the
knobsasshown.
If something electrical in your
vehicle stops working, check f or
there is a blown f use f irst.
Determine f rom the chart on pages
and or the diagram on the
fuse box lid, which fuses control that
device. Check those f uses f irst, but
check all the f uses bef ore deciding
that a blown f use is the cause.
Replace any blown f uses, and check
if the device works. 1. 2. 3.
201 202
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Checking and Replacing Fuses
199
UNDER-HOOD
TAB
INTERIOR
BLOWN
FUSE
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