2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID check engine

Every time you press the display
change button, the display changes
from the current fuel mileage to the
temperature gauge, or f rom the
temperature gauge to the current
f uel mileage.
Press and hold the display change
button until you hear a beep. Each
time you press the button, the
speedometer, trip meter, average
f uel mileage and current f uel
mileage readings switches their
measures.
Depending on the selected measures
(mph or km/h), the trip meter and
odometer readings are shown with
miles or km. The average f uel
mileage and current f uel mileage are
shown with mpg or l/100 km.This display shows the current, or
instant fuel mileage you are getting.
It shows the number of mpg or l/100
km.This shows the temperature of the
engine’s coolant. During normal
operation, the reading should be in
the middle of the gauge. In severe
driving conditions, such as very hot
weather or a long period of uphill
driving, the reading may reach near
the red mark. If it reaches the red
(Hot) mark, pull saf ely to the side of
theroad.Seepagefor
instructions and precautions on
checking the engine’s cooling
system.
251
Gauges
Display Change Button Current Fuel Mileage Temperature Gauge
Inst rument s and Cont rols
65
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The inf ormation display in the
instrument panel shows you the
engine oil lif e and maintenance
service items when the ignition
switch is in the ON (II) position. This
inf ormation helps to keep you aware
of the periodic maintenance your
vehicle needs f or continued trouble-
f ree driving. Ref er to page f or
more inf ormation.
Your vehicle’s onboard diagnostic
system will detect a loose or missing
f uel f ill cap as an evaporative system
leak. The f irst time a leak is detected
a ‘‘CHECK FUEL CAP’’ message
appears on the information display.
Turn the engine of f , and conf irm the
f uel f ill cap is installed. If it is, loosen
it, then retighten it until it clicks at
least once. The message should go
off after several days of normal
driving once you tighten or replace
the f uel f ill cap. To scroll to another
display, press the SEL/RESET
button. The ‘‘CHECK FUEL CAP’’
message will appear each time you
restart the engine until the system
turns the message of f . If the system still detects a leak in
the vehicle’s evaporative emissions
system, the malf unction indicator
lamp (MIL) comes on. If the f uel f ill
cap was not already tightened, turn
the engine of f , and check or
retighten the f uel f ill cap until it
clicks at least once. The MIL should
go off after several days of normal
driving once the cap is tightened or
replaced. If the MIL does not go of f ,
have your vehicle inspected by a
dealer. For more inf ormation, see
page .
255 207
Gauges
Maintenance Minder
Check Fuel Cap Message
68
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2008 Civic Hybrid

This gauge shows you the state of
charge of the battery for the
Integrated Motor Assist (IMA). This
battery is recharged by the IMA
motor, and discharged by the IMA
when it is assisting the engine with
powering the vehicle.The battery level gauge does not
read the battery level directly. It
calculates the level by continuously
measuring the current f low, voltage,
and temperature.
Since the level is not read directly,
small sensing errors can, over time,
cause the gauge to read higher than
the actual battery level. The system
will then perf orm a correction, and
the battery level gauge reading will
drop suddenly. When this happens,
IMA assist and Auto Idle Stop are
disabled until the IMA battery is
suf f iciently recharged by normal
driving. This should take only a f ew
minutes.This correction of the battery level
gauge is normal and does not
indicate a problem. If the IMA
battery develops a problem or
becomes deteriorated, the IMA
system indicator will come on. If this
happens, have the vehicle checked
by your dealer as soon as possible.
The gauge reading may drop near
the bottom under driving conditions
that require IMA motor assistance
f or a long time, such as prolonged acceleration or climbing a long hill.
TheIMAmotorwillrechargethe
battery as you continue driving.
If the battery is mostly discharged,
the Auto Idle Stop f unction is
disabled (see page ).
196
IMA Battery Level Gauge
Gauges
Inst rument s and Cont rols
69
BATTERY LEVEL GAUGE
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2008 Civic Hybrid

Bef ore you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use and how to check the
levels of important f luids. You also
need to know how to properly store
luggage or packages. The
inf ormation in this section will help
you. If you plan to add any
accessories to your vehicle, please
read the information in this section
first..............................
Break-in Period .174
.................
Fuel Recommendation .174
.........
Service Station Procedures .175
....................................
Ref ueling .175
OpeningandClosingthe
.......................................
Hood .176
...................................
Oil Check .177
.............
Engine Coolant Check .178
...............................
Fuel Economy .179
...
Accessories and Modif ications .182
.............................
Carrying Cargo .184
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
173
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Remove the dipstick again, and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.
Remove the dipstick (orange loop).
To close the hood, lif t it up slightly to
remove the support rod f rom the
hole. Put the support rod back into
its holding clip. Lower the hood to
about a f oot (30 cm) above the
f ender, then let it drop. Make sure it
is securely latched.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page .
Wipe of f the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert the dipstick all the way back
into its hole.
2.
3.
1.
4.
215
Service Station Procedures
Oil Check
A dding Engine Oil
Bef ore Driving
177
DIPSTICK UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
SUPPORT ROD
CLIP
GRIP
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2008 Civic Hybrid

Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, seeon page f or
inf ormation on adding the proper
coolant. Refer to
on page f or inf ormation
about checking other items on your
vehicle.
218 212
Engine Coolant Check
A dding
Engine Coolant Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
Service Station Procedures
178
MAX
MIN RESERVE TANK
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Aggressive driving (hard
acceleration and braking)
Excessive idling, accelerating and
braking in stop-and-go traf f ic
Cold engine operation (engines
aremoreefficientwhenwarmed
up)
Driving with a heavy load or the
air conditioner running
Improperly inf lated tires
An under-inf lated tire increases
‘‘rolling resistance,’’ which reduces
f uel economy.
It puts a heavier
load on the engine, increasing f uel
consumption. In
particular, a build-up of snow or
mud on your vehicle’s underside
adds weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
economy.
The f ollowing f actors can lower your
vehicle’s f uel economy:
A properly maintained vehicle
maximizes f uel economy. Poor
maintenance can signif icantly reduce
f uel economy. Always maintain your
vehicle according to the maintenance
messages displayed on the multi-
inf ormation display (see
on page ).
For example: Idling
results in 0 miles per gallon. If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, you can
boost your f uel economy by up
shif ting as early as possible.
Aerodynamic drag has a big ef f ect
on f uel mileage at speeds above 45
mph (75 km/h). Reduce your
speed and you reduce the drag.
Trailers, car top carriers, roof
racks and bike racks are also big
contributors to increased drag.
Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking increase fuel
consumption.
212
Fuel Economy Factors Use the recommended viscosity
motor oil, displaying the A PI
Certif ication Seal (see page).
Maintain proper tire inf lation
A void carrying excess weight in
your vehicle
K eep your vehicle clean
Improving Fuel Economy
Owner’s
Maintenance Checks Avoid excessive idling
Always drive in the highest gear
possible
Observe the speed limit
Drive moderately 215
Drive Ef f icient ly
Vehicle Maint enance
Fuel Economy
180
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Fill the f uel tank until the nozzle automatically clicks of f .
Reset trip counter to zero.
Record the total gallons (liters) needed to ref ill.
Follow one of the simple calculations above.
Direct calculation is the
recommended source of inf ormation
about your actual f uel economy.
Using f requency of f ill-ups or taking
f uel gauge readings are NOT
accurate measures of f uel economy.
Fuel economy may improve over the
f irst several thousand miles. The A/C
puts an extra load on the engine
which makes it use more f uel. Use
the f resh-air ventilation when
possible.
Combine several short trips into
one. A warmed-up engine is more
f uel ef f icient than a cold one.
1)
2)
3)
4)
Checking Your Fuel Economy
Measuring T echniques
Calculating Fuel Economy Minimize the use of the air
conditioning system
Plan and combine trips
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
181
Miles
driven Gallons
of fuel Miles per
Gallon
100 KilometersLper
100 km
Liter
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