2004 HONDA CIVIC 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 f rom 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 EX and LX models in the
U.S., and all models in Canada, 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
Driving126
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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Remove the key from the Shift
Lock Release slot, then reinstall
thecover.Makesurethenotchon
the cover is on the lef t side.
Return the key to the ignition
switch, press the brake pedal, and
restart the engine.Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The hot three way
catalytic converter could cause
these materials to catch on fire.
Make sure the parking brake is
f ully released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or
damage the rear brakes.
Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. Make sure
the parking brake is set f irmly or
your vehicle may roll if it is on an
incline.
If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park. This keeps the vehicle f rom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission.
Lock the doors.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.
in the trunk or take them with you.
Turn of f the lights.
Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed. If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the f ront wheels away f rom the
curb. If you have a manual
transmission, put it in f irst gear.
If the vehicle is f acing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb. If you have a manual
transmission, put it in reverse gear.
If you need to use the Shif t Lock
Release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have it
checked by a Honda dealer.
6.
Automatic Transmission, Parking
Driving
Parking
Parking T ips
131
RELEASE BUTTON
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
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......................
Compact Spare Tire . 170
....................
Changing a Flat Tire . 171
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start . 176
................................
Jump Starting . 178
............
If Your Engine Overheats . 179
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 182
..........
Charging System Indicator . 182
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 183
...............
Brake System Indicator . 184
..................
Closing the Moonroof . 185
..............................................
Fuses . 186
..........................
Fuse Locations . 188
......................
Emergency Towing . 190
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.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed169
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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 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 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.
Jump Starting, If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
If Your Engine Overheats
179
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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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 accessories, and turn
on the hazard light.
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.
190
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Emergency
Towing
180
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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 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.
8. 9.
10. 11.
7.
190
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Emergency
Towing
181
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
................
Changing a Flat Tire . 171
.....
Charging System Indicator . 182
..................
Checking the Fuses . 186
.....
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 182
...
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 183
...
Manually Closing Moonroof . 185
..................
Overheated Engine . 179
...........................
Emergency Brake . 82
......................
Emergency Flashers . 65
......................
Emergency Towing . 190
............
Emergency Trunk Opener . 71
.......................
Emissions Controls . 202
.............
Emissions Testing, State . 205 Engine
....
Coolant Temperature Gauge . 60
......
Engine Speed Limiter . 127, 130
Malf unction Indicator
................................
Lamp . 56, 183
........
Oil Pressure Indicator . 55, 182
..............
Oil, What Kind to Use . 144
...............................
Overheating . 179
............................
Specif ications . 196
.......................................
Starting . 125
......................
Ethanol in Gasoline . 200
.
Evaporative Emissions Controls . 202
...............................
Exhaust Fumes . 46 Expectant Mothers, Use of Seat
........................................
Belts by . 17
.....................................
Fan, Interior . 89
Features, Comfort and
................................
Convenience . 87
....................
Filling the Fuel Tank . 113
Filters
.........................
Dust and Pollen . 159
...............................................
Oil . 145
5-speed Manual Transmission ...............
Checking Fluid Level . 150
................................
Shif ting the . 126
.............
Flashers, Hazard Warning . 65
...................
Flat Tire, Changing a . 171
Fluids
..........
Automatic Transmission . 149
..........................................
Brake . 151
.........................................
Clutch . 151
..............
Manual Transmission . 150
..........................
Power Steering . 152
..................
Windshield Washer . 148
FM Stereo Radio .....................................
Reception . 95 ...........................
Folding Rear Seat . 76
.....
Foreign Countries, Driving in . 201
..........................
Four-way Flashers . 65
............................
Front Airbags . 10, 22
.................................................
Fuel . 112
......................
Fill Door and Cap . 113
...........................................
Gauge . 59
................
Octane Requirement . 112
...............................
Oxygenated . 200
........................
Reserve Indicator . 56
........................
Tank, Filling the . 113
.....................
Fuses, Checking the . 186
...............
Gas Mileage, Improving . 116
..........................................
Gasohol . 200
.........................................
Gasoline . 112
...............
Fuel Reserve Indicator . 56
...........................................
Gauge . 59
................
Octane Requirement . 112
........................
Tank, Filling the . 113
................
Gas Station Procedures . 113
Index
F
G
III
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Locks.......
Anti-thef t Steering Column . 69
............................
Fuel Fill Door . 113
.................................
Power Door . 70
...........................................
Trunk . 71
........................
Low Coolant Level . 115
.........................
Low Fuel Indicator . 56
................................
Lower Anchors . 37
...
Lower Gear, Downshif ting to a . 126
...
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 55, 182
...
Lubricant Specif ications Chart . 196
.........................................
Luggage . 119
..................................
Maintenance . 135
...
Owner Maintenance Checks . 138
.................................
Record . 141-142
......................
Required Indicator . 58
..........................................
Saf ety . 136
.............................
Schedule . 137-140
.
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 56, 183
...................
Manual Transmission . 126
........
Manual Transmission Fluid . 150
...............................
Meters, Gauges . 59
...................
Methanol in Gasoline . 200 ..........................
Mirrors, Adjusting . 80
.........................................
Moonroof . 80
......................
Closing Manually . 185
.....................................
Operation . 80
...................
Neutral Gear Position . 129
..................
New Vehicle Break-in . 112
.....................
Normal Shif t Speeds . 127
...................
NOTICE, Explanation of . i
...............
Numbers, Identif ication . 194
...
Octane Requirement, Gasoline . 112
.........................................
Odometer . 59
...............................
Odometer, Trip . 59
Oil
........................
Change, How to . 145
......................
Change, When to . 139
......................
Checking Engine . 115
..............
Pressure Indicator . 55, 182
Selecting Proper Viscosity
......................................
Chart . 144
...........
ON (Ignition Key Position) . 69 Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
....................................
Recovery . 202
..
Operation in Foreign Countries . 201
..............................
Outside Mirrors . 81
....................
Overheating, Engine . 179
.......
Owner Maintenance Checks . 138
.........................
Oxygenated Fuels . 200
..............
Panel Brightness Control . 64
........................
Park Gear Position . 129
...........................................
Parking . 131
.................................
Parking Brake . 82
Parking Brake and Brake
.................
System Indicator . 55, 184
.................................
Parking Lights . 55
..
Parking Over Things that Burn . 204
............................
Playing the Radio . 92
....................................
Playing a CD . 97
.............................
PGM-FI System . 203
.........
Pregnancy, Using Seat Belts . 17
CONT INUED
Index
M N O
P
V
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