2004 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID Owners Manual

Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten
them f ully.
Lower the vehicle to the ground
and remove the jack.Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
Remove the center cap before
storing the f lat tire in the trunk
well.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.
Secure the f lat tire by screwing
the wing bolt back into its hole.
12.
13. 14.
15.16.
17.
18.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed182
WING BOLT
SPACER
CONE
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m)

Store the jack in the trunk with the
end bracket on the lef t side. Turn
the jack’s end bracket to lock it in
place. Store the tool kit.
Store the wheel cover or center
cap in the trunk. Make sure it does
not get scratched or damaged.
Lower the trunk f loor and trunk
floor mat, then close the trunk lid.
19.
20.
21.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed183
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.

Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):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.
Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or Neutral.
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 . Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
the f uses are OK, there is
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 ).
Check these things:
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).199
175
186
186
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting Emergency T owing
184

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.Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the instrument panel
to blink rapidly (see page ).
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page . Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the low f uel indicator 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 ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See
on page .
71
129 199
194
If theEngineWon’tStart
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed185

µ
´ ´
Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle. Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the metal projection
as shown. Do not connect this
jumper cable to any other part of
the engine.
You cannot start a Honda with an
automatic transmission (CVT) by
pushing or pulling it. Open the hood, and check the
physical condition of the 12 volt
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.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
battery. Connect the other end to
the positive ( ) terminal on the
booster battery. Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, stereo system,
lights, etc. Put the transmission in
Neutral or Park, and set the
parking brake.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
To Jump Start Your Vehicle:
186
NOTICE:
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
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.

Start your vehicle. If the starter
motor still operates slowly, check
that the jumper cables have good
metal-to-metal contact.
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,
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.
If your vehicle’s 12 volt battery is
disconnected or goes dead, the IMA
battery level gauge reading may not
be correct the next time you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II). It may
show less than the actual level
temporarily. It will show the correct
level af ter you drive f or at least 30 minutes.
The reading on 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.
7. 6.
CONT INUED
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Jump Starting, If the Engine Overheats
If the Engine Overheats
187
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.

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.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.
1.
2.
3.
4.5.
6.
199
If theEngineOverheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Emergency
Towing
188

Using gloves or a 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.
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.
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 reading
reaches the middle of the
temperature gauge, or lower,
bef ore checking the radiator.
8.
9. 10.
11.
7.
199
If theEngineOverheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Emergency
Towing
189
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.