You’ll find many safety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important. Excessive speed is a maj
or factor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mech anical failure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your ti re
pressures and condition frequently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
A seat belt is y
our best protection in
all typ es of collisions. Airbags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with airbags,
make sure you and your passengers
always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly (see page ).
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat. Infants and small children
should be restrained in a child seat.
Larger children should use a booster
and a lap/shoulder belt until they
canusethebeltproperlywithouta
booster (see pages ). While
airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Infants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
su re to follow all instru ctions and
warnings in this manual.
Al cohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your friends
drink and drive, either.
16
34 193
52
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Restrain All Children Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Don’t Drink and Drive
8
µ
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustmen ts before you drive
your vehicle.
Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost, snow,
or ice.
Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page ).
Check
the steering wheel
ad justment (see page ).
Check that the hood is fully closed.
Ch eck that the trunk is fully
closed.
Vi sually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
fastened down securely. Check
the seat adjustment (see
pages to ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
pages and ). When
you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicato rs in the
instrument panel (see pages to
).
3. 2. 1.
4.
5. 6.
7.
8.
9.
11.
10. 58
16
85 87
90 91 73 66
Preparing to Drive
168
This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to follow basic
maintenance safety precautions.
This section also includes
instructions on how to read the
maintenance messages, a
maintenance record, and instructions
for simple maintenance tasks you
may want to take care of yourself.
If you have the skills and tools to
perform 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 .192
....................
Maintenance Minder . 193
....................
Maintenance Record .200
..............................
Fluid Locations .202
........................
Adding Engine Oil .204
.......
Recommended Engine Oil . 204
..............................
Synthetic Oil .205
................
Engine Oil Additives . 205
.........
Changing the Oil and Filter . 206
..............................
Engine Coolant .208
............
Adding Engine Coolant . 208
....................
Windshield Washers .210
.......................
Transmission Fluid .211
..........
Automatic Transmission . 211
5-speed Manual Transmission. 213
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid . 215
................................
Brake Fluid .216
...............................
Clutch Fluid .216
....................
Power Steering Fluid . 216
....................................
Timing Belt .217
.............................................
Lights .218
................
Cleaning the Seat Belts . 224
.....................................
Floor Mats .224
..................
Dust and Pollen Filter . 225
.................................
Wiper Blades .226 ...............................................
Tires .228
..................
Inf lation Guidelines . 228
Recommended Tire ...............................
Pressures .229
..........................
Tire Inspection .230
.....................
Tire Maintenance .230
.............................
Tire Rotation .231
...........
Replacing Tires Wheels . 232
......................
Wheels and Tires .232
..........................
Winter Driving .233
.............................
Snow Tires .233
............................
Tire Chains .234
...................
Checking the Battery . 235
.............................
Vehicle Storage .236
283
M ai ntenance
Maint enance
191
6-speed Manual Transmission . 214
U.S. Vehicles:Youshouldcheckthefollowing
items at the specified intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perform
any check, turn to the appropriate
page listed. Lights Check the operation of
the h
eadlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
and licen se plate lights monthly.
See p age .
Engine coolant level Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
you fill the fuel tank. See p age .
Engine oil level Check every
time you fill the fuel tank. See
page .
Automatic transmission Check
the fluid level monthly. S
ee page
.
Brakes Check the fluid level
monthly. See page .
Tires Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread for
wear and foreign objects. See page
.
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 in accordance with the
intervals indicated by the odometer/
trip meter display.
159
160
215 218
211
228
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
Maintenance Minder
198
µ
µµ
µ
µ µ
Ì
Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort.Underinf lated tires wear unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel
economy, and are more likely to
fail from being overheated.
We recommend that you visually
check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.
To saf ely operate your vehicle, your
tires must be the proper type and
size, in good condition with adequate
tread, and correctly inf lated.
The f ollowing pages give more
detailed inf ormation on how to take
care of your tires and what to do
when they need to be replaced.
Check the air pressures when the
tires are cold. This means the
vehicle has been parked f or at least 3
hours, or driven less than 1 mile (1.6
km). Add or release air, if needed, to
match the recommended cold tire
pressures on the next page. Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure in each tire at least once a
month. Even tires that are in good
condition may lose 1 to 2 psi (10 to
20 kPa, 0.1 to 0.2 kgf /cm ) per
month. Remember to check the
sparetireatthesametime.
Overinf lated tires can make your
vehiclerideharshly,aremore
prone to damage f rom road
hazards, and wear unevenly.
Inf lation Guidelines
Tires
228
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.
If you check air pressures when the
tires are hot (driven for several
miles), you will see readings 4 to 6
psi (30 to 40 kPa, 0.3 to 0.4 kgf/cm )
higher than the cold readings. This
is normal. Do not let air out to match
the recommended cold air pressure.
The tire will be underinflated. The
following chart shows the
recommended cold tire pressures for
most normal driving conditions.
Youshouldgetyourowntire
pressure gauge whenever you check
your tire pressu res. This will make it
easier for you to tell if a pressure
loss is due to a tire problem and not
due to a variation between gauges.
While tubeless tires have some
ability to self-seal if they are
punctured, you should look closely
for punctures if a tire starts losing
pressure. Thecompactsparetirepressureis:
For
convenience, the recommended
tire sizes and cold tire pressures are
on a label on the driver’s doorjamb.
For additional inf ormation about
your tires, see page . 271
Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving
Front:
Rear:
Front:
Rear: Front:
Rear:
V6 models
4:
U.S. VP
U.S. LX
1:
2:
3:
Canadian DX-G, SE, and EX-L U.S. SE, EX, and EX-L
4
1
2
3
Recommended Tire Pressures
Tires
Maint enance
229
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
)
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm
)
P195/65R15 89H
P205/60R16 91V
P205/65R15 92H
30 psi (210 kPa ,2.1 kgf/cm
)
29 psi (200 kPa , 2.0 kgf/cm
) P215/50R17 93V
32 psi (220 kPa ,2.2 kgf/cm
)
29 psi (200 kPa , 2.0 kgf/cm
)
Replace your tires with radial tires of
the same size, load range, speed
rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire’s sidewall).
Mixing radial and bias-ply tires on
your vehicle can reduce braking
ability, traction, and steering
accuracy. Using tires of a dif f erent
size or construction can cause the
ABS and vehicle stability assist
system (VSA) to work inconsistently.
It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, replace the two f ront
tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
af f ect your vehicle’s handling.If you ever replace a wheel, make
sure that the wheel’s specif ications
match those of the original wheels.
Replacement wheels are available at
your dealer.
Wheels
U.S. VP and LX:
V6 models: U.S. SE, EX, and EX-L:
Canadian DX-G, SE, and EX-L:
Replacing T ires and Wheels
Wheels and T ires
Tires
232
15x61/2JJ
16x61/2JJ
17x61/2JJ
Installing improper tires on your
vehicle can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner’s 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 .240
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .241
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start . 246
Nothing Happens or the Starter Motor Operates ............................
Very Slowly .246
The Starter Operates ................................
Normally .247
................................
Jump Starting .248
..............
If the Engine Overheats . 251
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 253
..........
Charging System Indicator . 253
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 254
.......................
Readiness Codes .254
...............
Brake System Indicator . 255
..................
Closing the Moonroof . 256
..............................................
Fuses .257
..............................
Fuse Locations .260
......................
Emergency Towing .262
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
239