2008 HONDA ACCORD maintenance

Maintaining your vehicle according to the maintenance minder shown in the
instrument panel helps to keep your driving trouble-f ree while it preserves
your investment. When your vehicle needs maintenance, keep in mind that
your dealer’s staf f is specially trained in servicing the many systemsunique
to your vehicle. Your dealer is dedicated to your satisf action and will be
pleased to answer any questions and concerns.
Several warranties protect your new vehicle. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new vehicle is to
read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Af terwards, keep this owner’s manual in your vehicle so
youcanrefertoitatanytime.
As you read this manual, you will
f ind inf ormation that is preceded by
a symbol. This
inf ormation is intended to help you
avoid damage to your vehicle, other
property, or the environment.
Congratulations! Your selection of a 2008 Honda Accord was a wise
investment. It will give you years of driving pleasure.
Introduction
i
——
y



y
)yy

(f luid capacities and tire pressures)
(main controls)
(seat belts, SRS, and child protection)
(indicators, gauges, dashboard, and steering column)
( )
(fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading)
(engine and transmission operation)
(minder, f luid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage) (f lat tire, dead battery, overheating, f uses)
(vehicle specif ications, tires, and emissions controls) (warranty and contact inf ormation)
(how to order)
climate control, audio, steering wheel, security, cruise control, HomeLink, and other convenience items
Contents
................................................................................................................................................
Index .I
..................................................
Service Inf ormation Summary . last page
...............................................................................................
Your Vehicle at a Glance .3
............................................................
Driver and Passenger Saf ety .5
..........................................
Instruments and Controls .53
...............
Features .119
.......................................................................
Bef ore Driving .259
.........................................................................................
Driving .279
.................................................
Maintenance .305
...............................................
T aking Care of the Unexpected .355
..............................................
T echnical Inf ormation .381
..................
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada only) . 399
..................................................................................
A uthorized Manuals (U.S. only) .403INDEX
1
——
y

y
)yy

A convenient ref erence to the
sections in this manual.
A quick ref erence to the main
controls in your vehicle.
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and gauge,
and how to use the controls on the
dashboard and steering column.ID numbers, dimensions, capacities,
and technical information.
How to order manuals and other
technical literature.
A summary of the inf ormation you
need when you pull up to the f uelpump.
A summary of the warranties
covering your new vehicle, and how
to contact us for any reason. Refer to
your warranty manual f or detailed
inf ormation.
Important inf ormation about the
proper use and care of your vehicle’s
seat belts, an overview of the
supplemental restraint system, and
valuable inf ormation on how to
protect children with child restraints.
How to operate the climate control
system, the audio system, and other
convenience f eatures. What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
The proper way to start the engine,
shif t the transmission, and park; plus
what you need to know if you’re
planning to tow a trailer.
The maintenance minder shows you
when you need to take your vehicle
to the dealer for maintenance service.
There is also a list of things to check
and instructions on how to check
them.
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience,
and details how to handle them.
Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Instruments and Controls
Features T echnical Inf ormation
Warranty and Customer
Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only) Index
Service Inf ormation Summary
Bef ore Driving
Driving
Maintenance
T aking Care of the Unexpected
Overview of Contents
2
——
y

y
)yy

µ
You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types 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 ).
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse withevery additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
Excessive speed is a major f actor 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
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
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.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat, not the front seat. Infants and
smallchildrenshouldberestrained
in a child seat. Larger children
should use a booster seat and a lap/
shoulder belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat
(see pages ).
14 33 50
307
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Don’t Drink and DriveControl Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Restrain All Children
6
——
y

y
)y

y

The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed. If the automatic seat
belt tensioners activate during a
crash, they must be replaced.
If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by the dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out f ully, and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
the belts retract easily. If a belt does
not retract easily, cleaning the belt
may correct the problem (see page
). Any belt that is not in good
condition or working properly will
not provide good protection and
should be replaced as soon as
possible.
The tensioners are designed to
activate in any collision severe
enough to cause the f ront airbags to
deploy.
The tensioners can also be activated
during a collision in which the f ront
airbags . In this case, the
airbags would not be needed, but the
additional restraint could be helpf ul.
When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled.
If a side airbag or side curtain airbag
deploys during a side impact, the
tensioner on that side of the vehicle
will also deploy.
Honda provides a limited warranty
on seat belts. See yourbooklet f or
details. 338
do not deploy
Honda
Warranty Inf ormation
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Seat Belt Maintenance
20
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly whenneeded.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.
——
y




y
)yy

The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed. If the automatic seat
belt tensioners activate during a
crash, they must be replaced.
If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by the dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out f ully, and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
the belts retract easily. If a belt does
not retract easily, cleaning the belt
may correct the problem (see page
). Any belt that is not in good
condition or working properly will
not provide good protection and
should be replaced as soon as
possible.
The tensioners are designed to
activate in any collision severe
enough to cause the f ront airbags to
deploy.
The tensioners can also be activated
during a collision in which the f ront
airbags . In this case, the
airbags would not be needed, but the
additional restraint could be helpf ul.
When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled.
If a side airbag or side curtain airbag
deploys during a side impact, the
tensioner on that side of the vehicle
will also deploy.
Honda provides a limited warranty
on seat belts. See yourbooklet f or
details. 338
do not deploy
Honda
Warranty Inf ormation
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Seat Belt Maintenance
20
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly whenneeded.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.
——
y




y
)yy

Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
If water or
another liquid soaks into a seat-
back, it can prevent the side airbag
cutof f system f rom working
properly.
Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly.
Even if your
airbags do not inflate, your dealer
should inspect the driver’s seat
position sensor, the f ront
passenger’s weight sensors, the
f ront seat belt tensioners, and all
seat belts worn during a crash to
make sure they are operating
properly.
Your airbag systems are virtually
maintenance f ree, and there are no
parts you can saf ely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:
Any airbag
that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. Any
seat belt tensioner that activates
must also be replaced.
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by an authorized dealer or
a knowledgeable body shop.
CONT INUED
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Airbag Service
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason.
Do not expose t he f ront passenger’sseat -back t o liquid.
T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o a
problem.
If your vehicle has a moderat e t osevere impact .
An airbag ever inf lates.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
31
——
y


y
)yy

Î
ÎÎ
Î
The U.S. instrument panel is shown. Dif f erences f or the Canadian models are noted in the tex t.
Instrument Panel
Inst rument s and Cont rols
55
(P.57)
(P.62)
: If equipped LOW FUEL INDICATOR
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
(ABS) INDICATOR
HIGH BEAM INDICATOR DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS INDICATOR
SEAT BELT REMINDER
INDICATOR LIGHTS ON INDICATOR
CRUISE CONTROL
INDICATOR
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM INDICATOR
SIDE AIRBAG OFF
INDICATOR
IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM
INDICATOR
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR (P.62)
(P.62) (P.61)
(P.61)
(P.61)
SECURITY SYSTEM INDICATOR
(P.57)(P.57)(P.58)
(P.62)
PARKING BRAKE AND BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR
CRUISE CONTROL
MAIN INDICATOR
(P.62)
MAINTENANCE MINDER INDICATOR
CHARGING SYSTEM INDICATOR (P.61)
(P.56)(P.60)
FOG LIGHT INDICATOR
VSA ACTIVATION INDICATOR
VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST (VSA)
SYSTEM INDICATOR (P.58)(P.58)
(P.56, 370)(P.56, 369) (P.56, 369)
(P.59)
FUEL ECONOMY INDICATOR
LOW TIRE
PRESSURE
INDICATOR
(P.59)
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (TPMS) INDICATOR (P.59)DOOR AND TRUNK OPEN INDICATOR (P.60)
——y
y
)yy