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 . 180
....................
Changing a Flat Tire . 181
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start . 186
................................
Jump Starting . 188
..............
If the Engine Overheats . 190
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 192
..........
Charging System Indicator . 192
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 193
...............
Brake System Indicator . 194
......................
Emergency Towing . 195
..............................................
Fuses . 196
..............................
Fuse Locations . 199
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed179
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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):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.
Check these things:
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 ).
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 connections
(see page ). You can then try
jump starting the vehicle from a
booster battery (see page ).
188 195
177 188
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting Emergency T owing
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed186
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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.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, stereo system,
lights, etc. Put the transmission in
Neutral or Park, and set the
parking brake.
1.
2.To Jump Start Your Vehicle:
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed188
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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µ
´
´ 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.
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.
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.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
battery. Connect the other end to
the positive ( ) terminal on 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.
3.
4. 5. 6. 7.
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed189
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CONT INUED
BatteryCharging System ...........................
Indicator . 54, 192
............................
Jump Starting . 188
..............................
Maintenance . 177
............................
Specif ications . 205
..............................
Bef ore Driving . 109
....................................
Belts,Seat .8,19
...........................
Beverage Holders . 87
...................................
Body Panels . 165
..................................
Booster Seats . 45
Brakes
...........
Anti-lock System (ABS) . 133
.............
Break-in, New Linings . 110
....................
Bulb Replacement . 166 ...........................................
Fluid . 164
.........................................
Parking . 83
.................
System Indicator . 54, 194
........................
Wear Indicators . 133
.............................
Braking System . 132
.................
Break-in, New Vehicle . 110
..
Brightness Control, Instruments . 63
........................
Brights, Headlights . 62
Bulb Replacement
..........................
Back-up Lights . 169
..............................
Brake Lights . 169
................
Front Parking Lights . 167
........
Front Side Marker Lights . 168
.................................
Headlights . 166
............................
Specif ications . 205
....................
Turn Signal Lights . 167
..............................
Bulbs, Halogen . 166
............................
Capacities Chart . 204
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 48
..............................................
Cargo . 117
........................
Cargo, . 117
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 115
................................
Accessories . 115
............................
Modif ications . 116
ACCESSORY (Ignition Key .......................................
Position) . 69
..............
Accessory Power Sockets . 87
....................
Additives, Engine Oil . 157
.............................
Airbag (SRS) . 10, 22
................
Air Conditioning System . 91
............................................
Usage . 91
.........................
Air Outlets (Vents) . 92
.......................
Air Pressure, Tires . 172
.........................
Normal Driving . 173
......................................
Antif reeze . 160
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
...............................
Indicator . 55, 134
...................................
Operation . 133
..............
Anti-thef t, Audio System . 104
.
Anti-thef t Steering Column Lock . 69
......................
Armrests, Front Seat . 74
..................................
Audio System . 94
...
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners . 20
.............
Automatic Speed Control . 107 ..............
Automatic Transmission . 127
..........................
Capacity, Fluid . 204
...............
Checking Fluid Level . 162
.......................................
Shif ting . 127
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 127
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 127
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 130
......................
Auxiliary Input Jack . 106
how to carry
Index
A
B C
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CONT INUED
..............................
Economy, Fuel . 114
..................................
Emergencies . 179
............................
Jump Starting . 188
...........
Brake System Indicator . 194
................
Changing a Flat Tire . 181
.....
Charging System Indicator . 192
..................
Checking the Fuses . 196
.........
Hazard Warning Flashers . 63
.....
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 192
...
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 193
..................
Overheated Engine . 190
.......................................
Towing . 195
...........................
Emergency Brake . 83
......................
Emergency Flashers . 63
.......................
Emissions Controls . 209
.............
Emissions Testing, State . 212 Engine
....
Coolant Temperature Gauge . 59
......
Engine Speed Limiter . 126, 129
.............................. 186
Malf unction Indicator ................................
Lamp . 54, 193
........
Oil Pressure Indicator . 54, 192
..............
Oil, What Kind to Use . 157 ...............................
Overheating . 190
............................
Specif ications . 204
.......................................
Starting . 124
......................
Ethanol in Gasoline . 110
.
Evaporative Emissions Controls . 209
...............................
Exhaust Fumes . 48
Expectant Mothers, Use of Seat
........................................
Belts by . 17
.....................................
Fan, Interior . 90
Features, Comfort and
................................
Convenience . 89
....................
Filling the Fuel Tank . 111
Filters
.........................
Dust and Pollen . 170
...............................................
Oil . 158
5-speed Manual Transmission ...............
Checking Fluid Level . 163
................................
Shif ting the . 125
.............
Flashers, Hazard Warning . 63
...................
Flat Tire, Changing a . 181
Fluids
..........
Automatic Transmission . 162
..........................................
Brake . 164 .........................................
Clutch . 164
..............
Manual Transmission . 163
..........................
Power Steering . 165
..................
Windshield Washer . 161
FM Stereo Radio .....................................
Reception . 97
...........................
Folding Rear Seat . 77
..........................
Four-way Flashers . 63
Front Seat
......................................
Adjusting . 11
.........................................
Airbags . 22
.................................................
Fuel . 110
......................
Fill Door and Cap . 111
...........................................
Gauge . 58
................
Octane Requirement . 110
........................
Reserve Indicator . 56
........................
Tank, Filling the . 111
.....................
Fuses, Checking the . 196
...............
Gas Mileage, Improving . 114
..........................................
Gasohol . 110
If it won’t start
Index
E
F
G
III
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CONT INUED
................................
Jump Starting . 188
..................................................
Keys . 65
.......................
Label, Certif ication . 202
.................
Lane Change, Signaling . 62
..................
Lap/Shoulder Belts . 14, 19
...........
LATCH Anchorage System . 39
Lights
....................
Bulb Replacement . 166
.......................................
Indicator . 53
.........................................
Parking . 62
..................................
Turn Signal . 62
.....................................
Load Limit . 118
......
LOCK (Ignition Key Position) . 69
Locks
.......
Anti-thef t Steering Column . 69
............................
Fuel Fill Door . 111
....................................
Glove Box . 87
.................................
Power Door . 70
........................................
Tailgate . 72
........................
Low Coolant Level . 113 .........................
Low Fuel Indicator . 56
...
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 54, 192
................................
Lower Anchors . 39
...
Lubricant Specif ications Chart . 204
..............
Luggage, . 117
..................................
Maintenance . 147
...
Owner Maintenance Checks . 151
.................................
Record . 154-155
......................
Required Indicator . 57
..........................................
Saf ety . 148
.............................
Schedule . 152-153
.
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 54, 193
...................
Manual Transmission . 125
........
Manual Transmission Fluid . 163
.........................
Meters, Gauges . 53, 58
..........................
Mirrors, Adjusting . 82
...............
Modif ying Your Vehicle . 116
...................
Neutral Gear Position . 128
..................
New Vehicle Break-in . 110
.....................
Normal Shif t Speeds . 126 ...................
NOTICE, Explanation of . i
...............
Numbers, Identif ication . 202
...
Octane Requirement, Gasoline . 110
.........................................
Odometer . 58
...............................
Odometer, Trip . 58
....................
Of f -Highway Driving . 143
Oil
........................
Change, How to . 158
......................
Change, When to . 152
......................
Checking Engine . 113
..............
Pressure Indicator . 54, 192
Selecting Proper Viscosity
......................................
Chart . 157
...........
ON (Ignition Key Position) . 69
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
....................................
Recovery . 209
..............................
Outside Mirrors . 82
.......................................
Overdrive . 129
....................
Overheating, Engine . 190
.......
Owner Maintenance Checks . 151
Storing (Cargo)
Index
M N O
K L
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