Page 156 of 208

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 .154
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .155
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start . 160
................................
Jump Starting .162
..............
If the Engine Overheats . 163
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 166
..........
Charging System Indicator . 166
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 167
...............
Brake System Indicator . 168
.......
Closing the Convertible Top . 169
..............................................
Fuses .170
..........
Checking and Replacing . 170
..............................
Fuse Locations .172
..........
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck . 174
......................
Emergency Towing .176
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed153
Page 158 of 208

If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Drive slowly along the shoulder until
you get to an exit or an area that is
far away from the traffic lanes.Thesizedifferencemayalsocause
damage to the rear dif f erential, so do
not mount the compact spare on the
rear. If either rear tire goes f lat,
remove the f ront tire on that same
side, mount the compact spare tire
on the f ront, then mount the f ront
tire on the rear.
Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Reverse. Apply the
parking brake.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have your passenger
get out of the vehicle while you
change the tire. Open the trunk. Lif t up the tool
box lid, and take the jack, wheel
wrench, and extension out of the
tool box.
Thecompactsparetireissmaller
than a standard tire, which will affect
the vehicle’s handling. Drive
cautiously when this spare is
mounted on your vehicle. 3.
1.
2.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed155
NOTICE:
TOOL BOX LID
JACK
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack. Use the jack that came with
your vehicle. If you try to raise another
vehicle with this jack or use another
jack to raise your vehicle, the vehicle or
jack can be damaged.
Page 160 of 208
Use the extension and wheel
wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.Remove the wheel nuts and f lat
tire. Temporarily place the flat tire
on the ground with the outside
surf ace of the wheel f acing up.
Placing the wheel face down could
mar its f inish.Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipe any dirt of f the mounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.
8.
9.10.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed157
BRAKE HUB
Page 165 of 208

´´ µ
Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
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.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
battery. Connect the other end to
the positive ( ) terminal on the
booster battery. 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.
Turn of f all the electrical
accessories: heater, A/C, audio
system, lights, etc. Put the
transmission in Neutral, and set
the parking brake.
3. 1.
2. 4.
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
To Jump Start Your Vehicle:
162
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.
Page 167 of 208

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 (seeon 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. If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.
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 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. Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral,
and set the parking brake. Turn
of f the all accessories, and turn on
the hazard warning indicators.
2. 1.
3. 4.
5.
6.
176
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Emergency
Towing
If theEngineOverheats
164
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Page 171 of 208

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.
Page 173 of 208
The interior f use box is underneath
the dashboard on the driver’s side.There are two under-hood f use
boxes in the engine compartment.
The primary under-hood f use box is
onthepassenger’ssidenexttothe
battery. To open it, push the two tabs
as shown.
The auxiliary f use box is on the
driver’s side, near the brake f luid
reservoir. To open it, push the tab on
each side, and remove the lid.If something electrical in your
vehicle stops working, check f or a
blown f use f irst. Determine f rom the
chart on pages and ,or the
diagram on the f use box lid, which
f uses control that device. Check
those fuses first, but check all the
f uses bef ore deciding that a blown
f use is the cause. Replace any blown
f uses, and check if the device works.
172 173
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Checking and Replacing Fuses
170
INTERIOR
UNDERHOOD
(AUXILIARY)
UNDERHOOD
(PRIMARY)
Page 192 of 208
Select a nearby lightly traveled
major highway where you can
maintain a speed of 50 to 60 mph
(80to97km/h)foratleast20
minutes. Drive on the highway in
5th.Donotusethecruisecontrol.
When traffic allows, drive for 90
seconds without moving the
accelerator pedal. (Vehicle speed
may vary slightly; this is okay.) If
you cannot do this f or a
continuous 90 seconds because of
traf f ic conditions, drive f or at least
30 seconds, then repeat it two
more times (for a total of 90
seconds).Then drive in city/suburban
traffic for at least 10 minutes.
When traf f ic conditions allow, let
the vehicle coast f or several
seconds without using the
accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal.
If the testing f acility determines the
readiness codes are still not set, see
your Honda dealer.
St at e Emissions T est ing
T echnical Inf ormation189