2005 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID Owners Manual

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 .176
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .177
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start . 182
................................
Jump Starting .184
..............
If the Engine Overheats . 186
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 188
..........
Charging System Indicator . 189
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 190
...............
Brake System Indicator . 191
..............................................
Fuses .192
..............................
Fuse Locations .195
......................
Emergency Towing .197
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
175

Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:Follow these precautions:
Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces. Use greater caution while
driving.
Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement should be the same size
and design tire, mounted on the
samewheel.Thesparetireisnot
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare tire.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced,
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Compact Spare Tire
176
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)

Open the trunk. Raise the trunk
f loor mat and the trunk f loor by
lif ting up on the back edge.
Take the tool kit out of the trunk.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire.
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.
Park the vehicle on f irm, level and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park (CVT) or
Reverse(manual).Applythe
parking brake.5. 4. 3.
2. 1.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
177
SPARE TIRE TRUNK FLOOR
JACK
TOOL KIT
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.

Turn the jack’s end
counterclockwise to loosen it, then
remove the jack.Loosen each wheel nut 1/2 turn
with the wheel nut wrench.
Place the jack under the jacking
point nearest the tire you need to
change. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch.
6.
7.8.
Changing a Flat T ire
178
JACK JACKING POINTS
WHEEL NUT WRENCH

Use the extension and the wheel
nut wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipeanydirtoff themounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.
Remove the wheel nuts, then
removetheflattire.Handlethe
wheel nuts caref ully; they may be
hot f rom driving. Place the flat tire
on the ground with the outside
surface facing up.
9.
11.
10.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
179
BRAKE HUB
WHEEL NUT WRENCH EXTENSION

Lower the vehicle to the ground
and remove the jack.Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
Remove the center cap before
storing the f lat tire in the trunk
well.Place the flat tire face down in the
sparetirewell.
Remove the spacer cone f rom the
wing bolt, turn it over, and put it
back on the bolt.
Securetheflattirebyscrewing
the wing bolt back into its hole.
Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten
them f ully.
12.
13. 14.
15.16.
17.
18.
Changing a Flat T ire
180
WING BOLT
SPACER
CONE
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m)

Store the jack in the trunk with the
end bracket on the lef t side. Turn
the jack’s end bracket to lock it in
place. Store the tool kit.
Lower the trunk f loor and trunk
floor mat, then close the trunk lid. Store the center cap in the trunk.
Make sure it does not get
scratched or damaged.
19.
20.
21.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
181
Loose items can fly around the
interior in a crash and could
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.

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.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 START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereis
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 ).
Check these things:
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):
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights, and check
their brightness. If the headlights
areverydimordonotcomeonat
all, the battery is discharged. Seeon page . If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is
discharged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the 12 volt battery and terminal
connections (see page ). You
canthentryjumpstartingthe
vehicle from a booster battery
(see page ).
184 197
173
184
If theEngineWon’tStart
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Emergency T owing
Jump Starting
182