2006 HONDA CIVIC SEDAN Owner's Manual (in English)

Trailer lights and equipment must
comply with federal, state, and local
regulations. Check with your local
recreational vehicle dealer f or the
requirements in your area, and use
only equipment designed f or your
vehicle.
Since lighting and wiring vary by
trailer type and brand, you should
have a qualif ied technician install a
suitable connector between the
vehicle and the trailer. Improper
equipment or installation can cause
damage to your vehicle’s electrical
system and af f ect your vehicle
warranty.Many states and Canadian provinces
require special outside mirrors when
towing a trailer. Even if they don’t,
you should install special mirrors if
you cannot clearly see behind you, or
if the trailer creates a blind spot.
Askyourtrailersalesorrental
agency if any other items are
recommended or required f or your
towing situation.
Towing a Trailer
A ddit ional T owing Equipment
T railer L ights
176
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When preparing to tow, and bef ore
driving away, be sure to check the
f ollowing:The vehicle has been properly
serviced, and the tires, brakes,
suspension, cooling system, and
lights are in good operating
condition.
All weights and loads are within
limits (see pages and ).
Thehitch,safetychains,andany
other attachments are secure.
All items in or on the trailer are
properly secured and cannot shif t
while you drive.
The lights and brakes on your
vehicle and the trailer are working
properly. Your vehicle tires and spare are
properly inf lated (see page ),
and the trailer tires and spare are
trailer maker.
Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause trailer to
sway. When being passed by a large
vehicle, keep a constant speed, and
steer straight ahead. Do not try to
make quick steering or braking
corrections. Always drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the lef t
to get the trailer to move to the lef t,
andturnthewheelrighttomovethe
trailer to the right.
Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including f irmly setting the
parking brake and putting the
transmission in Park (automatic) or
in 1st or reverse (manual). Also,
place wheel chocks at each of the
trailer’s tires.
173 174 210
bottom
Towing a Trailer
Pre-T ow Checklist
Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ing
Backing Up
Parking
Driving
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The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
below.
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
If you have an automatic
transmission, use D position when
towing a trailer on level roads. D is
the proper shif t lever position to use
when towing a trailer in hilly terrain.
(See ‘‘ ’’ in the next
column f or additional gear
inf ormation.)Make turns more slowly and wider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.
When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red (hot) mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
If the automatic transmission shif ts
f requently while going up a hill, shif t
to D .
If youmuststopwhenfacinguphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed, and shif t down to second
gear. Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember, it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
33
Towing a Trailer
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
T owing Speeds and Gears
Driving on Hills Making T urns and Braking
Driving on Hills
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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
perf 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. This section also includes
instructions on how to read the
maintenance minder messages in the
inf ormation display, a maintenance
record, and instructions f or simple
maintenance tasks you may want to
take care of yourself .......................
Maintenance Saf ety .180
....................
Maintenance Minder .181
....................
Maintenance Record .188
..............................
Fluid Locations .190
........................
Adding Engine Oil .191
Changing the Engine Oil
....................................
and Filter .192
..............................
Engine Coolant .194
....................
Windshield Washers .195
.......................
Transmission Fluid .196
..........
Automatic Transmission .196
..............
Manual Transmission .197
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid .198
....................
Power Steering Fluid .199
.............................................
Lights .200
................
Cleaning the Seat Belts .206
.....................................
Floor Mats .206
..................
Dust and Pollen Filter .206
.................................
Wiper Blades .207
...............................................
Tires .209
...................
Checking the Battery .215
.............................
Vehicle Storage .216
255
Maintenance
Maint enance
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To eliminate potential hazards, read
the instructions bef ore you begin,
and make sure you have the tools
and skills required.Do
not run the engine unless
instructed to do so.
Some of the most important saf ety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every
conceivable hazard that can arise in
perf orming maintenance. Only you
can decide whether or not you
should perf orm a given task.
Make sure your vehicle is parked
on level ground, the parking brake
is set, and the engine is of f .
All service items not detailed in this
section should be perf ormed by a
certif ied technician or qualif ied
mechanic.
To clean parts, use a commercially
available degreaser or parts
cleaner, not gasoline.
To reduce the possibility of f ire or
explosion, keep cigarettes, sparks,
and flames away from the battery
and all f uel-related parts.
Wear eye protection and
protective clothing when working
with the battery or compressed air. Be sure there is
adequate ventilation whenever you
operate the engine.
Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
bef ore touching any parts.
Maintenance Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions Injury f rom moving parts.
Potential Vehicle Hazards Carbon Monoxide poison f rom
engine exhaust.
Burns f rom hot parts.
180
Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures
and precautions in this owner’s
manual.
Improperly maintaining this
vehicle, or failing to correct a
problem before driving can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection
and maintenance
recommendations and
schedules in this owner’s
manual.
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CONT INUED
Calculated Engine Oil Lif e (%)
100 % 91 % 90 % 81 %
80 % 71 %
70 % 61 %
60 % 51 %
50 % 41 %
40 % 31 %
30 % 21 %
20 % 16 %
15 % 11 %10 % 6 % 5% 1% 0% Displayed
Engine Oil Lif e (%) 100 %90 %
80 %
70 %
60 %
50 %
40 %
30 %
20 %
15 %
10 %5%
0%
Your vehicle displays engine oil lif e
and maintenance service items in the
inf ormation display to show you
when you should have your dealer
perf orm engine oil replacement and
indicated maintenance service.
Based on the engine operating
conditions and accumulated engine
revolutions, the onboard computer in
your vehicle calculates the remaining
engine oil lif e and displays it as a
percentage.
To see the current engine oil lif e,
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position, and press the SEL/
RESET button repeatedly until the
engine oil lif e display appears (see
page ).The remaining engine oil lif e is
displayed on the engine oil lif e
display according to this table:
65
Maintenance Minder
Engine Oil L if e Display
Maint enance
181
MAINTENANCE MINDER
INDICATOR ENGINE OIL LIFE
DISPLAY
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When the remaining engine oil lif e is
less than 5 percent, you will see a
‘‘SERVICE’’ message along with the
same maintenance item code(s),
everytimeyouturntheignition
switch to the ON (II) position.
If the oil lif e is 15 percent or less,
you will see the oil lif e indicator
everytimeyouturntheignition
switch to the ON (II) position. The
maintenance minder indicator will
also come on, and the maintenance
item code(s) f or other scheduled
maintenance items needing service
will be displayed next to the engine
oil lif e indicator. To cancel the engine oil lif e display,
press and hold the SEL/RESET
button until the inf ormation display
is replaced by the previous display
and the maintenance minder
indicator turns of f .
The maintenance item code or codes
indicate the main and sub items
required at the time of the oil change
(see page ).
Press and hold the SEL/RESET
button to cancel the engine oil lif e
display. The maintenance minder
indicator also turns of f .
187
Maintenance Minder
182
ENGINE OIL LIFE
INDICATOR
MAINTENANCE
ITEM CODE(S)
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If you still do not perf orm the
indicated maintenance, you will see a
negative mileage, f or example ‘‘ 10,’’
blinking in the display. This negative
mileage means that you should have
perf ormed the indicated
maintenance 10 miles (16 km) ago.
Immediately have the indicated
maintenancedonebyyourdealer.
When the remaining engine oil lif e is
0percent,youwillseetheabove
display. In this display, the remaining
oil lif e indicator will be blinking. This
display comes on and stays on every
time you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position. When you see
this message, have the indicated
maintenance perf ormed by your
dealer as soon as possible. You can change the display to the
engine oil lif e display or the
odometer and trip meter by pushing
the SEL/RESET button. Pressing and holding the SEL/
RESET button cancels the engine oil
life display, but the maintenance
minder indicator remains on.
Maintenance Minder
Maint enance
183
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