2008 Accord Sedan Online Reference Owner's Manual
Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... i A Few Words About Safety .............................................................................................................................. iii
Your Vehicle at a Glance (main controls) ...................................................................................................... 3
Driver and Passenger Safety (seat belts, SRS, and child protection) .......................................................... 5
Instruments and Controls (indicators, gauges, dashboard, and steering column) ......................................... 53
Features (climate control, audio, steering wheel, security, cruise control, HomeLink and other convenience items)... 119
Before Driving (fuel, vehicle break- in, and cargo loading) ............................................................................ 259
Driving (engine and transmission operation) ...................................................................................................... 279
Maintenance (minder, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)...................................................... 305
Taking Care of the Unexpected (flat tire, dead battery, overheating, and fuses) ..................................... 355
Technical Information (vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls) ................................................ 381
Warranty and Customer Relations (U. S. and Canada only) (warranty and contact information) ......... 399
Authorized Manuals (U. S. only) (how to order) ........................................................................................... 403
Index ............................................................................................................................... ...................................... I
Service Information Summary ( fluid capacities and tire pressures)
1 00X31-TA5-6000
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
If it comes on while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are signif icantly low
on pressure.
If this happens, pull to the side of the
road when it is saf e, check which tire
has lost the pressure, and determine
the cause. If it is because of a flat tire,
replace the flat tire with the compact
spare (see page ), and have the
f lat tire repaired as soon as possible.
If two or more tires are underinf lated,
call a prof essional towing service
(see page ). For more
inf ormation, see page .This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
If this indicator comes on and stays
on at any other time, or if it does not
come on when you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position, there
is a problem with the TPMS. With
this indicator on, the low tire
pressure indicator will not come on
when a tire loses pressure. Take the
vehicle to your dealer to have the
system checked.
While the engine is operating in its
most economical range, this
indicator may come on and stay on.
357
379 295All V6 models
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (T PMS) Indicator
Low Tire Pressure
Indicator Fuel Economy Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
Inst rument s and Cont rols
59
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2008 Accord Sedan
For example, if you check and f ill
your tires in a warm area, then drive
in extremely cold weather, the tire
pressure will be lower than
measured and could be underinf lated
and cause the low tire pressure
indicator to come on. Or, if you
check and adjust your tire pressure
in cooler conditions, and drive into
extremely hot conditions, the tire
maybecomeoverinflated.However,
the low tire pressure indicator will
not come on if the tires are
overinf lated.
Refer to page for tire inflation
guidelines.When you restart the vehicle with
thecompactsparetire,theTPMS
indicator may also come on and stay
on after driving several miles
(kilometers).
Although your tire pressure is
monitored, you must manually check
thetirepressuresmonthly.
Each tire, including the spare, should
be checked monthly when cold, and
set to the recommended inf lation
pressure as specif ied on the tire information label and in the owner’s
manual (see page ).
This indicator comes on and stays on
if there is a problem with the tire
pressure monitoring system.
If this happens, the system will shut
of f and no longer monitor tire
pressures. Have the system checked
by your dealer as soon as possible.
If the low tire pressure indicator or
TPMS indicator comes on, the VSA
system automatically turns on even if
the VSA system is turned of f by
pressing the VSA OFF switch (see
page ). If this happens, you
cannot turn the VSA system of f by
pressing the VSA of f switch again.
344
343 294Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (T PMS) Indicator
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
296
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2008 Accord Sedan
As required by the FCC:This device complies with Part 15 of theFCC rules. Operation is subject to thef ollowing two conditions: (1) This devicemay not cause harmf ul interf erence, and(2) this device must accept anyinterf erence received, includinginterf erence that may cause undesiredoperation.
Changes or modif ications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible f orcompliance could void the user’sauthority to operate the equipment.
This device complies with IndustryCanada Standard RSS-210.Operation is subject to the f ollowing twoconditions: (1) this device may not causeinterf erence, and (2) this device mustaccept any interf erence that may causeundesired operation of the device.
If you have a f lat tire, the low tire
pressure indicator will come on.
Replace the flat tire with the
compact spare tire (see page ).
Each wheel (except the compact
sparetirewheel)isequippedwitha
tire pressure sensor mounted inside
the tire behind the valve stem. You
must use TPMS specif ic wheels. It is
recommended that you always have
your tires serviced by your dealer or
qualif ied technician.
After you replace the flat tire with
thecompactsparetire,thelowtire
pressure indicator stays on. This is
normal; the system is not monitoring
the spare tire pressure. Manually
check the spare tire pressure to be
sure it is correct. Af ter several miles
(kilometers) driving with the
compact spare tire, the TPMS
indicator comes on and the low tire
pressure indicator goes of f . The low tire pressure indicator or
the TPMS indicator will go off, after
several miles (kilometers) driving,
when you replace the spare tire with
the specif ied regular tire equipped
with the tire pressure monitor sensor.
Never use a puncture-repairing agent
in a f lat tire. If used, you will have to
replace the tire pressure sensor.
Havetheflattirerepairedbyyour
dealer as soon as possible.
356
Changing a T ire with T PMS
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Driving
297
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2008 Accord Sedan
Maketurnsmoreslowlyandwider
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 D3.
The lights and brakes on your
vehicle and the trailer are working
properly.
Your vehicle tires and spare are
properly inf lated, and the trailer
tires and spare are inflated as
recommended by the trailer
maker.
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
in this section.
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. D3 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.)
CONT INUED
Making T urns and Braking
Driving on Hills
T owing Speeds and Gears
Driving on Hills
Towing a Trailer
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
Driving
303
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2008 Accord Sedan
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.
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.
Overinf lated tires can make your
vehiclerideharshly,aremore
prone to damage f rom road
hazards, and wear unevenly.
Thetirepressuremonitoringsystem
(TPMS) warns you when a tire
pressure is low. See page f or
more inf ormation. 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.
Even though your vehicle is
equipped with TPMS, 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.
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.
295
CONT INUED
Inf lation Guidelines
Tires
Maint enance
343
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.
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2008 Accord Sedan
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 .356
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .357
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start .362
................................
Jump Starting .364
..............
If the Engine Overheats .367
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator .369
..........
Charging System Indicator .369
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp .370
...............
Brake System Indicator .371
..............................................
Fuses .372
..............................
Fuse Locations .376
......................
Emergency Towing .379
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
355
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2008 Accord Sedan
Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to: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
same wheel. The spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
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.
Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare tire.
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.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
The low tire pressure indicator
comes on and stays on af ter you
replace the flat tire with the
compact spare tire. Af ter several
miles (kilometers) driving with the
compact spare tire, the TPMS
indicator comes on and the low
tire pressure indicator goes of f .
Compact Spare Tire
356
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
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2008 Accord Sedan