2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID Owners 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 .216
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .217
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start .221
................................
Jump Starting .223
..............
If the Engine Overheats .225
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator .227
..........
Charging System Indicator .228
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp .229
...............
Brake System Indicator .230
..............................................
Fuses .231
..............................
Fuse Locations .235
......................
Emergency Towing .237
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
215

Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:Follow these precautions:
Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road
surf aces. Use greater caution
while driving.
Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement should be the same size
and design tire, mounted on the
samewheel.Thesparetireisnot
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare tire.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced,
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Compact Spare Tire
216
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)

CONT INUED
If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Drive slowly along the shoulder until
you get to an exit or an area to stop
that is far away from the traffic lanes.Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park. Apply the
parking brake.Open the trunk. Raise the trunk
f loor by lif ting up on the back edge.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position. Have all
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire. Take the tool case out of the spare
tire.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.
5. 4.
3.
2. 1.
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
217
JACK
SPARE TIRE
TRUNK FLOOR TOOL CASE
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.

Loosen each wheel nut 1/2 turn
with the wheel nut wrench.
Remove the center cap from the
wheel with the extension. Place the jack under the jacking
point nearest the tire you need to
change. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch.
6. 7. 8.
Changing a Flat Tire
218
JACKING POINTS
WHEEL NUT WRENCH

Use the extension and the wheel
nut wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.
Remove the wheel nuts, then
remove the f lat tire. Handle the
wheel nuts caref ully; they may be
hot from driving. Place the flat tire
on the ground with the outside
surface facing up.Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipeanydirtoff themounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten the
wheel nuts f ully.
Lower the vehicle to the ground,
and remove the jack.
9.
10. 11.12.
13.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
219
BRAKE HUB
WHEEL NUT WRENCH EXTENSION

Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:Place the flat tire face down in the
spare tire well.
Remove the spacer cone f rom the
wing bolt, turn it over, and put it
back on the bolt.
Securetheflattirebyscrewing
the wing bolt back into its hole.Store the jack in the tool case.
Store the center cap in the trunk.
Make sure it does not get
scratched or damaged.
Lower the trunk f loor, then close
the trunk lid.
14. 15.
16.
17.18.
19.
20.
Changing a Flat Tire
220
SPACER CONE
WING BOLT
For normal
tire For spare
tire
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m) 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.

Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position:
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is
discharged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the 12 volt battery and terminal
connections (see page ). You
canthentryjumpstartingthe
vehicle from a booster battery
(see page ).
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
faster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. Wh
en 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, a series of clicks, or
nothing at all.
Check these things:
Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
or neutral or the starter will not
operate. Turn
the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the fuses. If the fuses
areOK,thereisprobably
something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to
determine the problem. See
on page .
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 . 223 223212237
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Emergency T owing
Jump Starting
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
221