2004 HONDA S2000 service

Use an SAE 90 viscosity hypoid gear
oil, API service classif ied GL5 or
GL6 only.
Put a new washer on the f iller bolt,
then reinstall the f iller bolt. Tighten
it securely. Tightening torque:
The dif f erential should be drained
and ref illed with new f luid according
to the time and distance recommen-
dations in the maintenance schedule.Clean the hood latch assembly with a
mild cleaner, then lubricate it with a
multipurpose grease. Lubricate all
the moving parts (as shown),
including the pivot. Follow the time
and distance recommendations in
the Maintenance Schedule. If you
are not sure how to clean and grease
the latch, contact your Honda dealer.
Check the f luid level with the
dif f erential at normal operating
temperature and the vehicle sitting
on level ground. Remove the
dif f erential f luid f iller bolt and
washer, and caref ully f eel inside the
bolt hole with your f inger. The f luid
level should be up to the edge of the
bolt hole. If it is not, slowly add f luid
until it starts to run out of the hole.
Dif f erential Fluid, Hood L atch
Maint enance
Hood L atch
Dif f erential Fluid
135
CORRECT LEVEL
FILLER BOLT
PIVOTS
33 lbf·ft (45 N·m , 4.6 kgf·m)

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
a crisscross pattern. Have the
wheel nut torque checked at the
nearest automotive service f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
13.
11. 12.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed158
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m)

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
(seeon 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.
4.103
129
176
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator, Charging System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
Emergency T owingCharging System Indicator
166
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.

If the brake system indicator comes
on while driving, the brake f luid level
is probably low. Press lightly on the
brake pedal to see if it f eels normal.
If it does, check the brake f luid level
thenexttimeyoustopataservice
station (see page ).
If the f luid level is low, take your
vehicle to a dealer and have the
brake system inspected f or leaks or
worn brake pads.However, if the brake pedal does not
f eel normal, you should take
immediate action. A problem in one
part of the system’s dual circuit
design will still give you braking at
two wheels. You will f eel the brake
pedal go down much f arther bef ore
the vehicle begins to slow down, and
you will have to press harder on the
pedal.
Slow down by shif ting to a lower
gear, and pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e. Because of the long
distance needed to stop, it is
hazardous to drive the vehicle. You
should have it towed and repaired as
soon as possible (see
on page ).
If you must drive the vehicle a short
distance in this condition, drive
slowly and caref ully.
The brake system indicator
normally comes on when
you turn the ignition switch
to ON (II), and as a
reminder to check the
parking brake. It will stay
on if you do not f ully
release the parking brake.
176
136
Emergency
Towing
Brake System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed168
Canada U.S.

If your vehicle gets stuck in sand,
mud, or snow, call a towing service
to pull it out (see page ).For very short distances, such as
f reeing the vehicle, you can use the
detachable towing hook that mounts
on the anchors in the front and rear
bumpers.
To use the towing hook:Remove the cover f rom the
bumper. Remove the towing hook, hook
extension, and wheel wrench f rom
the tool box.
Using the wheel wrench, f asten
the extension into the bolt hole in
the anchor.
1. 2.
3.
176
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed174

µµ
µ The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (f ront or rear) and
lif ts them of f the ground. The other
two tires remain on the ground.
Because the S2000 sits so low, the
body could come in contact with the
ground and be damaged. The tow
truck uses metal cables with hooks
on the ends. These hooks go around
parts of the f rame or suspension and
the cables lif t that end of the vehicle
of f the ground. Your vehicle’s sus-
pension and body can be seriously
damaged.
If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a prof essional towing service or
organization. Never tow your vehicle
behind another vehicle with just a
rope or chain. It is very dangerous.
There are three popular types of
prof essional towing equipment.
The operator
loads your vehicle on the back of a
truck.
When you contact the towing agency,
inf orm them that you have an S2000
and that a f lat-bed is required.
Emergency T owing
Wheel L if t Equipment Sling-t ype Equipment
Flat -bed Equipment
This
method of towing is unacceptable. T his method of towing
is unacceptable.
T his is the only way your
S2000 should be transported.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed176

µ
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 car 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.
The tires on your vehicle meet all
U.S. Federal Saf ety Requirements.
All tires are also graded f or
treadwear, traction, and temperature
perf ormance according to
Department of Transportation
(DOT) standards. The f ollowing
explains these gradings.
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
182

Customer Service................................
Inf ormation .192
....................
Warranty Coverages .193
Reporting Saf ety Def ects ..........................
(U.S. Vehicles) .194
.....................
Authorized Manuals .195
Warranty and Customer Relations
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions191