Page 209 of 248

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 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 (climate control to
FULL AUTO at 90°F/32°C). 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.
7.
8.
9.
11. 10.
208Emergency
Towing
If theEngineOverheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed205
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. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 224 of 248

µ
The tires on your car meet all U.S.
Federal Saf ety Requirements. All
tires are also graded for treadwear,
traction, and temperature perform-
ance according to Department of
Transportation (DOT) standards.
The f ollowing explains these
gradings.
Quality grades can be f ound where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and the
maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger vehicle tires must
conf orm to Federal Saf ety
Requirements in addition to these
grades. The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-
half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100. The relative perf ormance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart signif icantly f rom the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and dif f erences in
road characteristics and climate.
The traction grades, f rom highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specif ied government test surf aces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
perf ormance.
Warning: The traction grade
assignedtothistireisbasedon
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
DOT T ire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
T echnical Inf ormation
Unif orm T ire Quality Grading
T readwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A Treadwear
Traction AA, A, B, C
220 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 227 of 248

ÎÎIn Canada, Honda vehicles comply
with the Canadian emission
requirements, as specif ied in an
agreement with Environment
Canada, at the time they are
manuf actured.
Your vehicle has a Positive
Crankcase Ventilation System. This
keeps gasses that build up in the
engine’s crankcase f rom going into
the atmosphere. The Positive Crank- case Ventilation valve routes them
from the crankcase back to the
intake manif old. They are then
drawn into the engine and burned.
As gasoline evaporates in the f uel
tank, an evaporative emissions
control canister f illed with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is of f . Af ter
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine
and burned during driving.
The Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
Recovery (ORVR) system captures
the f uel vapors during ref ueling. The
vapors are adsorbed in a canister
f illed with activated carbon. While
driving, the f uel vapors are drawn
into the engine and burned of f .
The burning of gasoline in your
vehicle’s engine produces several by-
products. Some of these are carbon
monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen
(NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC).
Gasoline evaporating f rom the tank
also produces hydrocarbons. Con-
trolling the production of NOx, CO,
and HC is important to the environ-
ment. Under certain conditions of
sunlight and climate, NOx and HC
react to f orm photochemical ‘‘smog.’’
Carbon monoxide does not contri-
bute to smog creation, but it is a
poisonous gas.
The United States Clean Air Act
sets standards f or automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
workandwhattodotomaintain
them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.
Scheduled maintenance is on page
.
164
Crankcase Emissions Control
System Evaporative Emissions Control
System
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
Recovery
The Clean Air Act
Emissions Cont rols
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed223 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 240 of 248

Î
................................
Cancel Button .117
............................
Capacities Chart .218
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 42
........................
Cargo, .131
Cassette Player ..............................................
Care .95
.....................................
Operation .98
..............
CAUTION, Explanation of . ii
...........................................
CD Care .95
.....................................
CD Changer .94
.........
CD Changer Error Message . 97
.........................................
CD Player .93
.............
CD Player Error Message . 96
........................
Certif ication Label .216
...................................
Chains, .192
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .197
Change Oil ........................................
How to .172
.............................
When to .164, 165
...
Charging System Indicator . 48,206
............
Checklist, Bef ore Driving . 136
..................
Childproof Door Locks . 65
.....................................
Child Saf ety .25
..............................
Booster Seats .39 ...................................
Child Seats .30
.....
Important Saf ety Reminders . 25
..........................................
Inf ants .29
..........................
Larger Children .38
.........................................
LATCH .33
......................
Risks with Airbags .26
.............................
Small Children .30
.........................................
Tethers .37
.........
Where Should a Child Sit? . 26
Child Seats .........................................
LATCH .33
...........................
Lower Anchors .33
..........
Tether Anchorage Points . 37
.................
Climate Control System . 86
.........................
Clock, Setting the .103
..............................................
Clock .103
.....................
Code, Audio System .102
........................
CO in the Exhaust .223
............
Cold Weather, Starting in . 137
.......................
Compact Spare .196
...................
Console Compartment . 77
...............
Consumer Inf ormation . 230
.............
Controls, Instruments and . 45
Coolant ........................................
Adding .174
....................................
Checking .127 .........................
Proper Solution .174
...................
Temperature Gauge . 55
Crankcase Emissions Control ........................................
System .223
................
Cruise Control Indicator . 51
............
Cruise Control Operation . 116
.....................................
Cup Holders .77
....
Customer Service Inf ormation . 230
................
DANGER, Explanation of . ii
...................................
Dashboard .2, 46
................
Daytime Running Lights . 59
Daytime Running Lights .......................................
Indicator .51
.................................
Dead Battery .202
............
Def ects, Reporting Saf ety . 232
................
Def ogger, Rear Window . 60
..........
Def rosting the Windows . 83,85
....................................
Dimensions .218
...............
Dimming the Headlights . 58
Dipstick ..........
Automatic Transmission . 176
..................................
Engine Oil .127
..........................
Directional Signals .58
how to carry
tires tire
Index
C
D
II