2004 HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK Owners Manual

Place the flat tire face down in the
spare tire well.
Remove the spacer cone f rom the
wing bolt, turn it over, and put it
back on the bolt.
Securetheflattirebyscrewing
the wing bolt back into its hole.Store the jack and tool kit back in
the spare tire.
Store the center cap in the spare
tire well. Make sure it does not get
scratched or damaged.
Lower the cargo area f loor, then
close the hatch.
15.
16.
17. 18. 19.
20.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
170 WING BOLT
SPACER CONE
Loose items can fly around the
interior in a crash and could
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.
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You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereis
probably something wrong with
the electrical circuit f or the
ignition switch or starter motor.
You will need a qualif ied
technician to determine the
problem (see
on page ).
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
f rom a booster battery (see page
).
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights, and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See
on page .
Check the transmission interlock.
The clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor or the
starter will not operate.
Check these things:
Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):
173185
162
173
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Emergency T owing
Jump Starting T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
If theEngineWon’tStart
171
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In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the warning light may not
be working.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly(seepage ).
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to
on page . If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See
on page .
123 65 181
185
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
172
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Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
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
accessories: heater, A/C, stereo
system, lights, etc. Put the
transmission in Neutral 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.
1. 2. 3.
4. 5.
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
173
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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Start the vehicle. If the starter
motor still operates slowly, check
that the jumper cables have good
metal-to-metal contact.
Once the vehicle is running,
disconnect the negative cable f rom
the vehicle, then f rom the booster
battery. Disconnect the positive
cable f rom the vehicle, and then
from the booster battery.
Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the vehicle until everything is
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short. The pointer of the 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 the 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.
7.
6.
If the Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Jump Starting, If the Engine Overheats
174 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 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.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,
and set the parking brake. Turn
off all the accessories, and turn on
the hazard indicator.
1. 2. 3. 4.5. 6.
185
Emergency
Towing
If theEngineOverheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed 175
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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 f irst stop. Af ter the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap, and turn it until it comes
off.
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.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.
8. 9.
10. 11.
7.
185Emergency
Towing
If theEngineOverheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
176 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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Saf ely pull of f the road, and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
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 necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ).
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). If the charging system
indicator comes on brightly
when the engine is running,
the battery is not being charged.
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.
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. 1. 2. 3. 4.113
138
185
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
Emergency T owingCharging System Indicator
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator, Charging System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
177
NOTICE:
Running the engine with low
oil pressure can cause serious
mechanical damage almost immediately.
Turn of f the engine as soon as you can
saf ely get the vehicle stopped.
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