2005 Civic Sedan Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference. For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helmi\
nc.com. If you havea Civic GX refer to Civic Sedan GX Owner's Manual Supplement for additional information.
Contents
Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety........................................................................\
.........................................ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
.............................................4
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
......................................7
Seat belts, SRS, and child protection
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
.........................................51
Indicators, gauges, dashboard, and steering column
Features .......................................................................................................................\
.......................87
Climate, audio, steering wheel, security, cruise control, and HomeLink
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................121Fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading
Driving ........................................................................\
......................................................................133
Engine and transmission operation
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................145
Schedules, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
..............................181
Flat tire, dead battery, overheating, fuses
Technical Information........................................................................\
.............................................205
Vehicle specifications, tires, fuels, and emissions controls
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................221
Warranty and contact information
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................225How to order
Index........................................................................\
.............................................................................. I
Service Information Summary
Fluid capacities and tire pressures
Owner's Identification Form
Your Vehicle at a Glance
4
AIRBAGSHEATING/COOLING CONTROLS
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
FUEL FILL DOOR RELEASE
HOOD RELEASE
HANDLE
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
TRUNK RELEASE POWER DOOR
LOCK SWITCH DASH LIGHTS
GAUGES
(P.88)
(P.
53)
(P. 61)
(P. 72)
(P. 80)
(P. 73) (P.
11, 23)
(P. 123)
(P.124) (P.
138)
(P. 136)
Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. You may hear a knocking noise from
the engine if you drive the vehicle at
low engine speed (below about 1,000
rpm) in a higher gear. To stop this,
raise the engine speed by shif ting to
a lower gear.
We recommend using gasoline
containing detergent additives that
help prevent f uel system and engine
deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it isavailable, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the Malfunction Indicator
Lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your dealer f or service.
Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 percent ethanol
by volume and up to 15 percent
MTBE by volume. Do not use
gasoline containing methanol.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
.
Your vehicle is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy, metallic rapping
noise in the engine that can lead to
mechanical f ailure.
On vehicles with manual transmission
Break-in Period
Fuel Recommendation
Quick Start Guide
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
122
This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual and automatic transmissions.
It also includes important
information on parking your vehicle,
and the braking system.........................
Preparing to Drive .134
.......................
Starting the Engine .135
...................
Manual Transmission . 136
..............
Automatic Transmission . 138
...........................................
Parking .141
.............................
Braking System .142
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 143
...........................
Towing a Trailer .144
Driving
Driving
133
Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Push the clutch pedal down all the
way.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in START for more than
15 seconds at a time. If the engine
does not start right away, pause
f or at least 10 seconds bef ore
trying again.If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
downandholdittherewhile
starting to clear flooding. If the
engine still does not start, return
to step 5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
6. 5.
Manual Transmission:
Automatic Transmission: 70
Starting the Engine
Driving
135
Immobilizer System
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. See
on page .
The manual transmission is syn-
chronizedinallforwardgearsfor
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth
to Reverse. When shif ting up or
down,makesureyoupushtheclutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shif ting,
do not rest your f oot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster.Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t into
Reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause f or a f ew seconds bef ore
shif ting into Reverse, or shif t into
one of the f orward gears f or a
moment. This stops the gears so
they won’t ‘‘grind.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking f rom the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure the vehicle speed is low
enough that you will not activate the
engine speed limiter in the lower
gear. On EX and LX models in the
U.S., and all models in Canada, make
sure the engine speed will not go into
the tachometer’s red zone in the
lower gear bef ore downshif ting.
Manual T ransmission
136
Rapid slowing or speeding up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.
Remove the key from the Shift
Lock Release slot, then install the
cover. Make sure the notch on the
cover is on the lef t side.
Return the key to the ignition
switch, press the brake pedal, and
restart the engine.Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The hot three way
catalytic converter could cause
these materials to catch on fire.
Make sure the parking brake is
f ully released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or
damage the rear brakes.
Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. Make sure
the parking brake is set f irmly or
your vehicle may roll if it is on an
incline.
If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park. This keeps the vehicle f rom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission.
Lock the doors. Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you. Turn of f the lights.
Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed. If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the f ront wheels away f rom the
curb. If you have a manual
transmission, put it in f irst gear.
If the vehicle is f acing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb. If you have a manual
transmission, put it in reverse gear.
If you need to use the Shif t Lock
Release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have it
checked by your dealer. 6.
Automatic Transmission, Parking
Parking
Parking T ips
Driving
141
RELEASE BUTTON
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
This section also includes
Maintenance Schedules f or normal
driving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions f or simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of
yourself . This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.
If you have the skills and tools to per-
f orm more complex maintenance
tasks on your vehicle, you may want
to purchase the Service Manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your dealer.......................
Maintenance Saf ety .146
.................
Maintenance Schedule . 147
....................
Maintenance Record .151
..............................
Fluid Locations .153
........................
Adding Engine Oil .154
.........
Changing the Oil and Filter . 155
..............................
Engine Coolant .157
....................
Windshield Washers .158
.....
Automatic Transmission Fluid . 159
........
Manual Transmission Fluid . 160
....................................
Timing Belt .160
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid . 161
....................
Power Steering Fluid . 162
....................................
Hood Latch .162
.............................................
Lights .163
................
Cleaning the Seat Belts . 169
.....................................
Floor Mats .169
..................
Dust and Pollen Filter . 169
.................................
Wiper Blades .170
...............................................
Tires .172
...................
Checking the Battery . 178
.............................
Vehicle Storage .179
215
Maintenance
Maint enance
145