You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat. Infants and small children
should be restrained in a child seat.
Larger children should use a booster
and a lap/shoulder belt until they canusethebeltproperlywithouta
booster (see page ).
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe f rontal collision.
So even though your vehicle is
equipped with airbags, make sure
you and your passengers always
wear your seat belts, and wear them
properly (see page ). 29
145
14
Important Saf ety Precautions
Restrain All Children Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Don’t Drink and Drive
Driver and Passenger Saf ety6
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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).
Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
f astened down securely.
Check the seat adjustment (see
page ).
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments every day bef ore
you drive your vehicle.
Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Check that the hood and trunk are
f ully closed.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
1. 2. 3. 4.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
10.
76
83 68 14
53
Driving
Preparing to Drive
126
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µµµ
µ
µ
µ
Ì
Your authorized Honda dealer
knows your vehicle best and can
provide competent, ef f icient service.
However, service at a dealer is not
mandatory to keep your warranties
in effect. Maintenance may be done
by any qualif ied service f acility or
skilled person to keep your warranty
in ef f ect. Keep all the receipts as
proof of completion, and have the
person who does the work f ill out the
Maintenance Record. Check your
warranty booklet f or more
inf ormation. Engine oil level Check every
time you fill the fuel tank. See
page .
Engine coolant level Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
you f ill the f uel tank. See page .
Automatic transmission Check
the f luid level monthly. See page
.
Brakes Check the f luid level
monthly. See page .
Tires Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread f or
wear and foreign objects. See page .
Lights Check the operation of
the headlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
and license plate lights monthly.
See page .
U.S. Vehicles:
According to state and federal
regulations, f ailure to perf orm
maintenance on the items marked
with will not void your emissions
warranties. However, Honda
recommends that all maintenance
services be perf ormed at the
recommended time or mileage
period to ensure long-term reliability.
Youshouldcheckthefollowing
items at the specif ied intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perf orm
any check, turn to the appropriate
page listed.
We recommend the use of Honda
parts and f luids whenever you have
maintenance done. 117
118
160 163
172
164
Maintenance Schedule
Maint enance
Maintenance, replacement, or
repair of emissions control
devices and systems may be done
by any automotive repair
establishment or individual using
parts that are ‘‘certif ied’’ to EPA
standards.
Owner’s Maintenance Checks
144
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The f ollowing pages give more
detailed inf ormation on how to take
care of your tires and what to do
when they need to be replaced.
To saf ely operate your vehicle, your
tires must be the proper type and
size, in good condition with adequate
tread, and correctly inf lated.
The following chart shows the
recommended cold tire pressures f or
most normal driving conditions and
speed.
Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort.
Thecompactsparetirepressureis:
Underinf lated tires wear unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel
economy, and are more likely to
fail from being overheated.
Overinf lated tires can make your
vehicleridemoreharshly,are
more prone to damage f rom road
hazards, and wear unevenly.
We recommend that you visually
check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.
Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure for Normal Driving
Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure for Normal Driving
Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure for Normal Driving(U.S.: DX, HX, Canada:DX)
(Canada: LX)
(U.S.: LX, EX, Canada:Si)
Tires
Maint enance
Recommended T ire Pressures f or Normal DrivingInf lation
172
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
P185/70R14 87S 30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm
)
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm
)
P195/60R15 87H 30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm
)
P185/65R15 86H
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.
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Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month. Even
tires that are in good condition may
lose one to two psi (10 to 20 kPa, 0.1
to 0.2 kgf /cm ) per month.
Remember to check the spare tire at
thesametime.
Check the pressure in the tires when
they are cold. This means the vehicle
has been parked f or at least three
hours, or driven less than 1 mile (1.6
km).
Add or release air, if needed, to
match the recommended cold tire
pressures on page .
If you check the pressure when the
tires are hot (driven f or several
miles), you will see readings 4 to 6
psi (30 to 40 kPa, 0.3 to 0.4 kgf /cm )
higher than the cold reading. This is
normal; do not release air to match
the cold pressure.
When you return to normal speed
driving, be sure to readjust the tire
pressure f or normal driving. You
should wait until the tires are cold
bef ore adjusting the tire pressure.
Tire pressure f or high speed driving
is the same as f or normal driving.
For convenience, the recommended
tire sizes and cold air pressures are
on a label on the driver’s doorjamb.
For additional technical inf ormation,
see page .
Honda strongly recommends that
you not drive f aster than posted
speed limits and conditions allow. If
you decide it is safe to drive at high
speeds, be sure to adjust the cold tire
pressuresasshownbelow.If youdo
not adjust the tire pressure, exces-
sive heat can build up and cause
sudden tire f ailure.
173
210
Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure
for speeds over 100
mph (160 km/h)
CONT INUED
(U.S.: DX, HX, Canada:DX)
U.S. DX, HX and Canadian DX models
only
U.S. LX, EX and Canadian LX, Si models
Tires
Maint enance
T ire Pressure A djust ment f or HighSpeed Driving
173
P185/70R14 87S 35 psi (240 kPa , 2.4 kgf/cm
)
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Tubeless tires have some ability to
self -seal if they are punctured. You
should look closely f or punctures if a
tire starts losing pressure.
Youshouldgetyourowntire
pressure gauge and use it whenever
you check your tire pressures. This
will make it easier f or you to tell if a
pressure loss is due to a tire problem
and not due to a variation between
gauges.Every time you check inf lation, you
should also examine the tires f or
damage, f oreign objects, and wear.
Youshouldlookfor:
Bumps or bulges in the tread or
side of the tire. Replace the tire if
youfindeitherortheseconditions.
Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side
of the tire. Replace the tire if you
can see f abric or cord.
Excessive tread wear. When you
see a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide
band running across the tread,
there is less than 1/16 inch (1.6
mm) of tread lef t on the tire.
Replace the tire if you can see
threeormoretreadwear
indicators around it.
Tire Inspection
Tires
Maint enance174
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Replace your tires with radial tires of
the same size, load range, speed
rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire’s sidewall). Mixing radial and
bias-ply tires on your vehicle can
reduce braking ability, traction, and
steering accuracy. Using tires of a
dif f erent size or construction can
cause the ABS to work inconsistently.
If you ever replace a wheel, make
sure that the wheel’s specif ications
match those of the original wheels.
It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, replace the two f ront
tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
af f ect your vehicle’s handling. Wheels:
Tires:
See page f or DOT tire quality
grading inf ormation, and page
f or tire size explanation.
(U.S.: HX)
(U.S.: EX, Canada: Si)
(Aluminum Wheel)
(U.S.: LX, Canada: LX)
(Aluminum Wheel)
(Canada: LX)
(U.S.: LX, EX, Canada: Si)
(U.S.: DX, Canada: DX)
(U.S.: DX, HX, Canada: DX)
210
211
Replacing T ires
Wheel and T ire Specif ications
Tires
Maint enance176
14x51/2JJ
15x6JJ
15x6JJ
14x51/2JJ
P185/70R14 87S
P185/65R15 86H
P195/60R15 87H
Installing improper tires on your
vehicle can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner’s manual.
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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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