Page 98 of 209

You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.
Push on the accelerator pedal.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed, and press the SET/decel
button. You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the SET/decel
button. Release the button when
you reach the desired speed.
To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/decel
button. Each time you do this,
your vehicle will slow down about
1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your f oot. The
CRUISE CONTROL indicator on
the instrument panel goes out.
When the vehicle slows to the
desired speed, press the SET/
decel button.
Cruise control may not hold the
set speed when you are going up
and down hills. If your speed
increases going down a hill, use
the brakes to slow down. This will
cancelthecruisecontrol.To
resume the set speed, press the
RESUME/accel button. The
indicator on the instrument panel
will come back on.
To increase the speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
accel button. Each time you do
this, your vehicle speeds up about
1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Cruise Control
Changing the Set Speed
96
Page 99 of 209

Even with the cruise control turned
on, you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up f or passing. Af ter
completing the pass, take your foot
of f the accelerator pedal. The vehicle
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your f oot on the brake or
clutch pedal causes the cruise
control to cancel.Youcancancelthecruisecontrolin
any of these ways:
Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel.
Push the Cruise Control Master
Button. Pressing the Cruise Control Master
Button turns the system off and
erases the previous cruising speed. When you push the CANCEL button,
or tap the brake or clutch pedal, the
system will remember the previously
set cruising speed. To return to that
speed, accelerate to above 25 mph
(40 km/h) and then press and
release the RESUME/accel button.
The CRUISE CONTROL indicator
comes on. The vehicle will accelerate
to the same cruising speed as before.
Cruise Control
Cancelling the Cruise Control Resuming the Set Speed
Features
97
Page 116 of 209

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. The ENGINE START button
has no ef f ect unless the clutch
pedal is pressed.
Turn the ignition key to the ON
(II) position.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, push the ENGINE START
button. Do not hold the ENGINE
START button 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 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 6. If theenginedoesnotstartwithin
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 5 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. 6.
7.
Starting the Engine
114
ENGINE START BUTTON
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 .52
Page 117 of 209

The manual transmission is
synchronized in all f orward gears f or
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth
to Reverse instead of Sixth (see page). When shif ting up or down,
make sure you push the clutch 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 f aster. Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shift 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 engine speed will not
go into the tachometer’s red zone in
the lower gear.
Your vehicle is equipped with an
aluminum shif t lever. If you leave the
vehicle parked outside f or a long
time on a hot day, be caref ul bef ore
moving the shift lever. Because of
the heat, the shift lever may be
extremely hot. If the outside
temperature is low, the shif t lever
f eels cold.
116
Manual T ransmission
Driving
115
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.
Page 118 of 209

If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
Bef ore downshif ting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer’s red zone.With the clutch pedal pressed, move
theshiftlevertotheReversesideof
the Neutral gate. Then push the shift
lever down, and shift to Reverse.
Shif t Up
1st to 2nd
2nd to 3rd 3rd to 4th4th to 5th
5th to 6th Normal Acceleration
15 mph (24 km/h)
25 mph (40 km/h)
40 mph (64 km/h)
47 mph (75 km/h)
52 mph (83 km/h)
Drive in the highest gear that lets
the engine run and accelerate
smoothly. This will give you good
f uel economy and ef f ective
emissions control. The f ollowing
shif t points are recommended:
The manual transmission has a
lockout so you cannot accidentally
shift from Fifth to Reverse instead of
Sixth while the vehicle is moving.
Recommended Shif t Points Engine Speed L imiter
Reverse L ockout
Manual T ransmission
116
Page 123 of 209

This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.
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 .
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 .122
.................
Maintenance Schedule . 123
....................
Maintenance Record .127
..............................
Fluid Locations .130
........................
Adding Engine Oil .131
.........
Changing the Oil and Filter . 132
..............................
Engine Coolant .134
....................
Windshield Washers .136
........
Manual Transmission Fluid . 137
..........................
Dif f erential Fluid .138
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid . 139
.............................................
Lights .140
................
Cleaning the Seat Belts . 145
.....................................
Floor Mats .146
..................
DustandPollenFilter . 146
.................................
Wiper Blades .147
...............................................
Tires .148
...................
Checking the Battery . 154
.............................
Vehicle Storage .155
197
Maintenance
Maint enance
121
Page 126 of 209

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µ
µ µ µ
Your authorized dealer knows your
vehicle best and can provide
competent, ef f icient service.
However, service at a dealer is not
mandatory to keep your warranties
in effect. Maintenance may be done
by any qualif ied service f acility or
skilled person to keep your
warranties in ef f ect. Keep all the
receipts as proof of completion, and
have the person who does the work
f ill out the Maintenance Record.
Check your warranty booklet f or
more inf ormation.
We recommend the use of Honda
parts and f luids whenever you have
maintenance done. U.S. Vehicles:
According to state and federal
regulations, f ailure to perf orm
maintenance on the items marked
with will not void your emissions
warranties. However, all
maintenance services should be
perf ormed at the recommended time
or mileage period to ensure long-
term reliability.
Youshouldcheckthefollowing
items at the specif ied intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perf orm
any check, turn to the appropriate
page listed.
Engine oil level Check every
time you f ill the f uel tank. See
page .
Engine coolant level Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
you f ill the f uel tank. See page .
Tires Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread f or
wear and foreign objects. See page .
Lights Check the operation of
the headlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
and license plate lights monthly.
See page . Brakes and clutch Check the
f luid level monthly. See page . 103
104
139
148
140
Maintenance Schedule
Servicing Your Vehicle Maintenance, replacement, or
repair of emissions control
devices and systems may be done
by any automotive repair
establishment or individual using
parts that are ‘‘certif ied’’ to EPA
standards.Owner’s Maintenance Checks
124
Page 132 of 209
Fluid Locations
130
WASHER FLUID
(Blue cap)ENGINE OIL FILL CAP
CLUTCH FLUID
(Gray cap)
BRAKE FLUID
(Gray cap)
ENGINE COOLANT
RESERVOIR
ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK
(Black handle)
RADIATOR CAP