When you turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, 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 these things: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.
Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position:
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.
Store the jack and tools in the tool
kit case. Place the tool kit case in
the center of the flat tire.
Store the wheel cover or center
cap in the trunk. Make sure it does
not get scratched or damaged.
Lower the trunk f loor, then close
the trunk lid.
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Turn on the
headlights, and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or do not come on at all,
the battery is discharged. See
on page .259
18.
19.
20.
CONT INUED
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
If the Engine Won’t Start
Jump Starting
Changing a Flat Tire, If the Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
257
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.
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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. To jump start your vehicle:
Turn of f all the electrical
accessories: heater, A/C, audio
system, lights, etc. Put the
transmission in neutral (M/T) or
Park (A/T), and set the parking
brake. The numbers in the illustrations
show you the order to connect the
jumper cables.
1.
2.
CONT INUED
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
259
BOOSTER BATTERY
DX, Canadian DX-G, LX, EX
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
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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CONT INUED
Once your vehicle is running,
disconnect the negative cable f rom
your vehicle, then f rom the
booster battery. Disconnect the
positive cable f rom your vehicle,
then from the booster battery.
Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the vehicle until everything is
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short. The pointer of the vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange. If it climbs to the red
mark, you should determine the
reason (hot day, driving up a steep
hill, etc.).
If the vehicle overheats, you
should take immediate action. The
only indication may be the
temperature gauge climbing to or
above the red mark. Or you may
see steam or spray coming f rom
under the hood.
Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in neutral
(M/T) or Park (A/T), and set the
parking brake. Turn of f all
accessories, and turn on the
hazard warning indicators.
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.
7.
1.
2.
Jump Starting, If the Engine Overheats
If the Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
261
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to the engine.
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µµ If , due to damage, your vehicle must
be towed with the f ront wheels on
the ground, do this:
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.
Therearetwowaystotowyour
vehicle:
The operator
loads your vehicle on the back of a
truck.
The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the f ront tires and lif t them of f
the ground. The rear tires remain on
the ground. Release the parking brake.
Shif t the transmission to neutral.
Turn of f the engine. ShifttoD,thentoN.
Start the engine.
Release the parking brake. Leave the ignition switch in the
ACCESSORY (I) position so the
steering wheel does not lock.
Leave the ignition switch in the
ACCESSORY (I) position so the
steering wheel does not lock.
Do not tie down the vehicle at an
angle that would allow the towing
cables to contact the vehicle’s f ront
bumper. To avoid possible damage,
protect the f ront bumper with tape. With the f ront wheels on the ground,
do not tow the vehicle more than 50
miles (80 km), and keep the speed
below35mph(55km/h).
If your vehicle is equipped with a
f ront spoiler, remove it bef ore
towing so it is not damaged.
Manual Transmission:
Automatic Transmission:
Flat -bed Equipment
Wheel-lif t Equipment
This is the best way to trans-
port your vehicle.
This is an acceptable
way to tow your vehicle.
Emergency Towing
272
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
Technical Inf ormation
277
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
NUMBER
Si
ENGINE NUMBER ENGINE NUMBER
AUTOMATIC/MANUAL
TRANSMISSION NUMBER
DX, Canadian DX-G, LX, and EX
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ÎÎ
Î
Î Î
Î Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Specif ications
278
Dimensions
Weights
EngineCapacities
174.8 in (4,440 mm)
68.9 in (1,751 mm)
55.0 in (1,396 mm)
104.3 in (2,650 mm)
59.0 in (1,499 mm)
60.1 in (1,526 mm)
3.19 x 3.44 in (81.0 x 87.3 mm)
Length
Width
Height
Wheelbase
Track
Gross vehicle weight rating See the certification label attached
to the driver’s doorjamb.
Water cooled 4-stroke
SOHC VTEC , DOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder gasoline engine
10.5
110 cu-in (1,799 cm
)
3.39x3.39in(86x86mm)
122 cu-in (1,998 cm)
SK22PR-M11S IFR7G-11KS
SKJ20DR-M11S
IZFR6K-11S
NGK:
DENSO:
Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs
Spark plugs 13.2 US gal (50
)
Excluding the oil remaining in the engine Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in
the engine
Reserve tank capacity: 0.11 US gal (0.4
)
4.8 US qt (4.5
)
Fuel tank
Engine
coolant
Engine oil
Automatic
transmission
fluid
Windshield
washer
reservoir
2.6 US qt (2.5)
2.5 US qt (2.4
)
6.2 US qt (5.9)
1.8 US qt (1.7
)
1.7 US qt (1.6)
1.6 US qt (1.5)
1.5 US qt (1.4)
5.8 US qt (5.5)
4.8 US qt (4.5)
4.4 US qt (4.2)
3.7 US qt (3.5)
4.6 US qt (4.4)
3.9 US qt (3.7)
1.19 US gal (4.5
)
1.37 US gal (5.2)
1.45 US gal (5.5)
1.88 US gal (7.1
)
1.72 US gal (6.5)
1.80 US gal (6.8)
11.0
Front
Rear
Approx.
Si
NGK:
DENSO:
1:
2: DX, Canadian DX-G, LX, EX
Si
U.S.: DX, LX, EX Canada: DX, DX-G, LX, EX
1:
2:
3:
4: A/T
M/T
A/T
M/T
Change
Total
Change
Including
filter
Without filter
Total
Change
Total
Change
Total
U.S. Vehicles
Canada
Vehicles
12
1
2 3
4 3
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
1
2
1
2 1
2
3
3
4
3
3
4
Manual trans-
mission fluid
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y
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 from
the rest of your vehicle. Read your
warranty manual for more informa-
tion.
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.
This system constantly adjusts the
ignition timing, reducing the amount
of HC, CO, and NOx produced.
The exhaust emissions controls
include three or f our systems: PGM-
FI, ignition timing control, exhaust
gas recirculation (DX, LX, and EX),
and three way catalytic converter.
These 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 from the crankcase and
evaporative emissions control
systems.
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.
2
2
Replacement Parts
Exhaust Emissions Controls
PGM-FI System Exhaust Gas Recirculat ion (EGR)
Syst em
Ignit ion T iming Cont rol Syst em
Three Way Catalytic Converter
Emissions Cont rols
284
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On DX, LX, and EX models
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). Without touching the accelerator
pedal, start the engine, and let it
idle f or 20 seconds.
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.
Make sure the ambient
temperature is between 40° and
95°F.
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). Make sure the vehicle has been
parked with the engine of f f or 6
hours or more.
If the testing f acility determines the
readiness codes are still not set, see
your dealer.Stop the vehicle, turn of f the
ignition switch, and leave it of f f or
30 minutes.
T esting of Readiness Codes
State Emissions T esting
286
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