2005 HONDA ACCORD Owners Manual

Your vehicle is equipped with f ront
disc brakes. The brakes on the rear
wheels may be disc or drum,
depending on the model. A power
assist helps reduce the ef f ort needed
on the brake pedal. The ABS helps
you retain steering control when
braking very hard.
Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds
up heat and reduces their ef f ective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by taking your f oot of f the
accelerator and downshif ting to a
lower gear.Check the brakes after driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they f eel
normal. If not, apply them gently and
f requently until they do. Be extra
cautious in your driving.
Resting your f oot on the pedal keeps
the brakes applied lightly, builds up
heat, increases wear, and reduces
their ef f ectiveness. It also keeps
your brake lights on all the time,
conf using drivers behind you. The f ront and rear disc brakes on all
models have audible brake wear
indicators. All models except f or the
4-cylinder LX have rear disc brakes
as standard equipment.
If the brake pads need replacing, you
will hear a distinctive, metallic
screeching sound when you apply
the brake pedal. If you do not have
the brake pads replaced, they will
screech all the time. It is normal f or
the brakes to occasionally squeal or
squeak when you apply them.
The hydraulic system that operates
the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (the lef t-f ront brake is
connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking
at two wheels.
Braking System
Braking System Design Brake Wear Indicators
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If the ABS indicator comes on, the
anti-lock f unction of the braking
system has shut down. The brakes
still work like a conventional system,
but without anti-lock. You should
have your dealer inspect your vehicle
as soon as possible.
The anti-lock brake system (ABS)
helps prevent the brakes f rom
locking up, and helps you retain
steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly, much f aster than a
person can do it.
The ABS also balances the f ront-to-
rear braking distribution according
to vehicle loading.
Let the ABS work f or you by always
keeping f irm, steady pressure on the
brake pedal. This is sometimes
ref erred to as ‘‘stomp and steer.’’
You will f eel a pulsation in the brake
pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is
normal: it is the ABS rapidly
pumpingthebrakes.Ondry
pavement, you will need to press on
thebrakepedalveryhardbeforethe
ABS activates. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
If the indicator comes on while
driving, test the brakes as instructed
on page .262
CONT INUED
You should never pump the brake pedal.
ABS Indicator
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
Driving
185
ABS INDICATOR
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If the ABS indicator and the brake
system indicator come on together,
and the parking brake is f ully
released, the front-to-rear braking
distribution system may also be shut
down.
Test your brakes as instructed on
page . If the brakes f eel normal,
drive slowly and have your vehicle
repaired by your dealer as soon as
possible. Avoid sudden hard braking
which could cause the rear wheels to
lock up and possibly lead to a loss of
control.It only helps with the
steering control during braking.
such as trying to take a
corner too f ast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe
speed f or the road and weather
conditions. on loose or
uneven surf aces, such as gravel or
snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater
distance between vehicles under
those conditions.
The TCS indicator will come on
alongwiththeABSindicator. Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe
or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your vehicle to veer
into oncoming traffic or off the road.
262
On all V6 models
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
Import ant Saf et y Reminders
A BS does not reduce the time or
distance it takes to stop the
vehicle.
A BS will not prevent a skid that
results f rom changing direction
abruptly,
A vehicle with A BS may require a
longer distance to stop
A BS cannot prevent a loss of
stability.
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Your vehicle is equipped with a
traction control system (TCS) to
assist you in maintaining traction
while driving slowly on loose or
slippery surf aces.
TCS monitors the speed of all f our
wheels. When it senses a f ront wheel
losing traction, it applies braking to
that wheel. The TCS Activation
indicator f lashes when this occurs.
Driving with TCS requires no special
skills or technique. The TCS does
not control your vehicle’s whole
braking system and cannot prevent
skidding if you enter a corner too
f ast. It is still your responsibility to
drive at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety.When starting out or driving on a
loose or slippery road surf ace, you
may notice that the vehicle does not
respond to the accelerator in the
samewayitdoesatothertimes.This
is a sign TCS is activating. You will
seetheTCSactivationindicator
flash.TheTCSindicator(seepage )
andtheTCSactivationindicator
comeonandstayonwhenthereisa
problem with the TCS.
You should still install winter tires on
your vehicle during the winter. Make
sure to use the same size originally
supplied with the vehicle. Exercise
the same caution in winter driving as
you would if your vehicle was not
equipped with TCS.
Driving with the compact spare tire
installed (see page ) may
activate the TCS. When driving with
the spare tire installed, turn off the
TCS.
58
248
On all V6 models
Traction Control System (TCS)
Driving
187
TCS INDICATOR
TCS ACTIVATION INDICATOR
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Deactivate the system by pressing
the TCS On/Off switch. The TCS
activation indicator comes on as a
reminder. Pressing the switch again
turns the system back on.
The TCS turns on every time you
start the engine, even if you turned it
off the last time you drove the
vehicle.
This switch is under the side vent. It
letsyouturntheTCSonandoff.You
cannot turn of f the TCS while the
TCS activation indicator is f lashing. This indicator comes on or f lashes
under the f ollowing conditions:
When you turn the ignition switch
to ON (II).
When you manually turn of f TCS.
It f lashes when TCS is regulating
wheelspin.
If the system’s diagnostics senses
a problem with TCS, the TCS
indicator will come on and stay on
along with the TCS activation
indicator.
Traction Control System (TCS)
TCS ON/OFF Switch TCS Activation Indicator
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This indicator will come on along
with the ABS indicator if there is a
problem in the anti-lock brake
system (see on page).
If the TCS indicator comes on along
with the brake system indicator, it
indicates a problem in the brake
system (see on page ).
If the TCS indicator comes on while
driving, pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e, and turn of f the
engine. Reset the system by
restarting the engine. If the TCS
indicator remains on, or comes back
on while driving, have the TCS
inspected by your dealer. You can
still drive the vehicle without TCS.
The TCS indicator may occasionally
come on f or 1 or 2 seconds and then
go out. This is normal.
185
262
Traction Control System (TCS)
ABS Indicator
Brake System
Indicator
Driving
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Your vehicle has been designed to
primarily carry passengers and their
cargo. You can also use it to tow a
trailer if you caref ully observe the
load limits, use the proper equipment,
and f ollow the guidelines in this
section.The
maximum allowable weight of the
trailerandeverthinginoronit
must not exceed 1,000 lbs (450 kg).
Towing a load that is too heavy
can seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling and perf ormance. It can
also damage the engine and
drivetrain. The weight that
the tongue of a f ully-loaded trailer
puts on the hitch should be
approximately 10 percent of the
total trailer weight. Too much
tongue load reduces f ront-tire
traction and steering control. Too
little tongue load can make the
trailer unstable and cause it to
sway.
Towing a Trailer
Load Limits
T otal T railer Weight: T ongue L oad:
190
Exceeding any load limit or
improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously hurt
or killed.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully
beforestartingtodrive.
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To achieve a proper tongue load,
start by loading 60 percent of the
load toward the front of the trailer
and 40 percent toward the rear, then
re-adjust the load as needed.The maximum allowable weight of
the vehicle, all occupants, all cargo,
and the tongue is: The best way to conf irm that vehicle
and trailer weights are within limits
is to have them checked at a public
scale.
Using a suitable scale or a special
tongue load gauge, check the tongue
load the f irst time you set up a
towing combination (a f ully-loaded
vehicle and trailer), then recheck the
tongue load whenever the conditions
change.
The maximum allowable weight at
the vehicle axles is:
(LX)on the f ront axle
on the rear axle
on the f ront axle
on the rear axle
(EX, EX with Leather)
on the f ront axle
on the rear axle
(LX)
(EX, EX with Leather)
4-cylinder models:
6-cylinder models: 4-cylinder models:
6-cylinder models:
Towing a Trailer
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR): Checking L oads
Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GA WR):
Driving
191
2,195 lbs (995 kg)
1,960 lbs (890 kg)
2,360 lbs (1,070 kg)
2,005 lbs (910 kg)
2,225 lbs (1,010 kg)
1,985 lbs (900 kg)
4,080 lbs (1,850 kg)
4,125 lbs (1,870 kg)
4,300 lbs (1,950 kg)
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