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. Check these things:
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.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights, and check
their brightness. If the headlights
areverydimordonotcomeonat
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 connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
f rom a booster battery (see page
).209
184
196
196
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting Emergency T owing
If theEngineWon’tStart
194
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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 f rozen, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.
You cannot start your vehicle with an
automatic transmission by pushing
or pulling it. The numbers in the illustration show
you the order to connect the jumper
cables.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
battery. Connect the other end to
the positive ( ) terminal on the
booster battery.
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.
3.
1. 2.To Jump Start Your Vehicle:
Jump Starting
196
BOOSTER BATTERY
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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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 the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.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 (see
on page ).
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. If you don’t f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page
). Add coolant if the level is
below the MIN mark.
Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
Turn of f all accessories, and turn
on the hazard warning indicators.
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6.
126 209
Emergency
Towing
If theEngineOverheats
198
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
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CONT INUED
If , due to damage, your vehicle must
be towed with the f ront wheels on
the ground, do the f ollowing:
If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a prof essional towing service or
organization. Never tow your vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous. There are two ways to
tow your vehicle.
The operator
loads your vehicle on the back of a
truck.
The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (f ront or rear) and lif t
them of f the ground. The other two
tires remain on the ground. Release the parking brake.
Shif t the transmission to Neutral.
Release the parking brake.
Start the engine.
ShifttoD,thentoN.
Turn of f the engine.
With the f ront wheels on the ground,
it is best to tow the vehicle no farther
than 50 miles (80 km), and keep the
speedbelow35mph(55km/h).
If your vehicle is equipped with a
f ront spoiler, remove it bef ore
towing so it is not damaged.
Manual Transmission and Continuously
Variable Transmission (CVT):
Automatic Transmission:
Emergency T owing
Flat -bed Equipment
Wheel-lif t Equipment
This is the best way to trans-
port your vehicle.
T his is
an acceptable way to tow your
vehicle.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
209
Improper towing preparation will
damage the transmission. Follow the
above procedure exactly. If you cannot
shif t the transmission or start the
engine (automatic transmission), your
vehicle must be transported with the
f ront wheels of f the ground.
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The engine number is stamped into
the engine block. It is on the f ront.
The transmission number is on a
label on top of the transmission.
Identif ication Numbers
T echnical Inf ormation
213
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NUMBER
ENGINE NUMBER
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
NUMBER
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ÎÎÎ Î Î Î
Î ÎÎÎ
Î Î
Î
ÎÎ
Î Î Î Î
´ ´
Specif ications
214
Dimensions
Weights
EngineCapacities
Capacities 174.7 in (4,438 mm)
66.7 in (1,695 mm)
55.1 in (1,399 mm)
103.1 in (2,620 mm)
57.9 in (1,470 mm)
57.9 in (1,470 mm)
2.95 x 3.72 in (75.0 x 94.4 mm) 102 cu-in (1,668 cm
)
9.5 9.9
Length
Width
Height
Wheelbase
Track
Gross vehicle weight rating See the certification label attached
to the driver’s doorjamb.
Water cooled 4-stroke
SOHC , SOHC VTEC
4-cylinder gasoline engine
NGK:
DENSO:
Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs
Spark plug Gap
PZFR6F-11 PKJ20CR-M11
0.04 in (1.1 mm) Engine
coolant
Engine oil Automatic
transmission
fluid
13.2 US gal (50
)
Fuel tank 1.03 US gal (3.9
)
1.00 US gal (3.8)
1.00 US gal (3.8)
1.32 US gal (5.0
)
1.29 US gal (4.9)
1.29 US gal (4.9)
3.4 US qt (3.2
)
3.7 US qt (3.5)
3.2 US qt (3.0)
3.5 US qt (3.3)
4.4 US qt (4.2)
1.6 US qt (1.5)
1.7 US qt (1.6)
2.9 US qt (2.7)
3.4 US qt (3.2)
6.3 US qt (6.0)
6.0 US qt (5.7)
2.6 US qt (2.5)
4.8 US qt (4.5)
Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in
the engine.
Reserve tank capacity: 0.108 US gal (0.41
)
Excluding the oil remaining in the engine.
Front Rear
Approx. 7:
1: 2:
U.S: DX, Value Package, LX, LX Special Edition
Canada: DX, LX, REVERB
U.S.: HX, EX, EX Special Edition
Canada: Si Change
ManualAutomaticCVT
Total ManualAutomaticCVT
Change
Including
filter
Without filter
Total
ChangeTotal
Change Total
U.S. Vehicles
HX
3: 4: 5: 6:
U.S.: DX, Value Package, LX, LX Special Edition
Canada: DX, LX, REVERB
U.S.: HX, EX, EX Special Edition Canada: Si
12
12 3 4
5 656
7 7
Manual trans-
mission fluid
Canada Vehicles
Windshield
washer reservoir0
0.1 mm
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The emissions control systems are
designed and certif ied to work to-
gether in reducing emissions to
levels that comply with the Clean Air
Act. To make sure the emissions
remain low, you should use only new
Honda replacement parts or their
equivalent f or repairs. Using lower
qualitypartsmayincreasethe
emissions f rom your vehicle.
The emissions control systems are
covered by warranties separate f rom
the rest of your vehicle. Read your
warranty manual f or more inf orma-
tion.
The exhaust emissions controls
include f our systems: PGM-FI,
ignition timing control, exhaust gas
recirculation and three way catalytic
converter. These f our systems work
together to control the engine’s
combustion and minimize the
amount of HC, CO, and NOx that
comes out the tailpipe. The exhaust
emissions control systems are
separate f rom the crankcase and
evaporative emissions control
systems.
The PGM-FI system uses sequential
multiport f uel injection. It has three
subsystems: air intake, engine
control, and f uel control. The
powertrain control module (PCM) in
automatic transmission vehicles or
the engine control module (ECM) in
manual transmission vehicles uses
various sensors to determine how
much air is going into the engine. It then controls how much f uel to inject
under all operating conditions.
The three way catalytic converter is
in the exhaust system. Through
chemical reactions, it converts HC,
CO, and NOx in the engine’s exhaust
to carbon dioxide (CO ), nitrogen
(N ), and water vapor.
The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)
system takes some of the exhaust
gas and routes it back into the intake
manif old. Adding exhaust gas to the
air/f uel mixture reduces the amount
of NOx produced when the f uel is
burned.
This system constantly adjusts the
ignition timing, reducing the amount
of HC, CO, and NOx produced.
2
2
Replacement Parts
Exhaust Emissions Controls
PGM-FI Syst em
Three Way Catalytic Converter
Exhaust Gas Recirculat ion (EGR)
Syst em
Ignit ion T iming Cont rol Syst em
Emissions Cont rols
220
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If you take your vehicle f or a state
emissions test shortly af ter the
battery has been disconnected or
gone dead, it may not pass the test.
This is because of certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that must be set in the on-
board diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. These codes are erased
when the battery is disconnected,
and set again only after several days
of driving under a variety of
conditions.
If the testing f acility determines that
the readiness codes are not set, you
will be requested to return at a later
date to complete the test. If you must
get the vehicle retested within the
next two or three days, you can
condition the vehicle f or retesting by
doing the f ollowing.Make sure the gas tank is nearly,
but not completely f ull (around
3/4). Make sure the vehicle has been
parked with the engine of f f or 8
hours or more.
Make sure the ambient
temperature is between 20° and
95°F.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, start the engine, and let it
idle f or 20 seconds.
Keep the vehicle in Park
(automatic transmission) or
Neutral (manual transmission).
Increase the engine speed to 2,000
rpm,andholditthereuntilthe
temperature gauge rises to at least
1/4of thescale(about3minutes).
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
D (A/T) or 5th (M/T). Do not usethecruisecontrol.Whentraffic
allows, drive f or 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 traffic 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 dealer.
T esting of Readiness Codes
St at e Emissions T est ing
222
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