Calif ornia Proposition 65 WarningThis product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth
def ects or other reproductive harm.
Service Diagnostic Recorders
This vehicle is equipped with service-related devices that record inf ormation about powertrain perf ormance. The data
can be used to verif y emissions law requirements and/or help technicians diagnose and solve service problems. It may
also be combined with data f rom other sources f or research purposes, but it remains conf idential.
Event Data Recorders
This data belongs to the vehicle owner and may not be accessed by anyone else
except as legally required or with the permission of the vehicle owner.
Introduction
WARNING:
This vehicle is equipped with one or more devices commonly ref erred to as event data recorders. These
devices record f ront seat belt use, f ront passenger seat occupancy, airbag deployment data, and the f ailure
of any airbag system component.
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2008 S2000 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) .................................... 43
Features (heating and cooling ,audio,steering wheel, and cruise control) ...................................................... 95
Before Driving (fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading) ...................................................................... 127
Driving (engine and transmission operation) ................................................................................................ 143
Maintenance (minder, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)........................................... 159
Taking Care of the Unexpected (flat tire, dead battery, overheating, fuses) ..................................... 199
Technical Information (vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls) ....................................... 231
Warranty and Customer Relations (U. S. and Canada only) (warranty and contact information) ... 247
Authorized Manuals (U. S. only) (how to order) ......................................................................................... 251
Index ............................................................................................................................... ........................................ I
Service Information Summary ( fluid capacities and tire pressures)
1
00X31-S2A-6800
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.
How to operate the heating and air
conditioning 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.
How to order manuals and other
technical literature.
A summary of the inf ormation you
need when you pull up to the f uel
pump.
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.
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities,
and technical information.
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience,
and details how to handle them. 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.
Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Instruments and Controls
Features Bef ore Driving
Driving
Maintenance
Warranty and Customer
Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only)
Index
Service Inf ormation Summary
T echnical Inf ormation
T aking Care of the Unexpected
Overview of Contents
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µ
.........
Important Safety Precautions .6
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features .7
.......................................
Seat Belts .8
...........................................
Airbags .9
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens .10
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors .10
......................
2. Adjust the Seats .10
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs .11
4. Fasten and Position the
.............................
Seat Belts .12
5. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .13
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women .14
...
Additional Safety Precautions .15
Additional Inf ormation About .......................
Your Seat Belts .16
..
Seat Belt System Components .16
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .17
Automatic Seat Belt
...............................
Tensioners .18
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance .18
Additional Inf ormation About Your .....................................
Airbags .20
......
Airbag System Components .20
...........
How Your Airbags Work .22
..
How the SRS Indicator Works .25 How the Passenger Airbag Of f
......................
Indicator Works .26
.............................
Airbag Service .27
...
Additional Safety Precautions .28
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .29
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .29
Your Vehicle is Not Recommended f or Child ..........................
Passengers .30
The Passenger’s Airbag
.........
Can Pose Serious Risks .30
...
Additional Safety Precautions .32
.............
Protecting Small Children .33
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .34
....................
Installing a Child Seat .34
...........
Protecting Larger Children .37
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit .37
..................
Using a Booster Seat .38
When Can a Larger Child Ride
........................
in This Vehicle .39
...
Additional Safety Precautions .40
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard .41
...................................
Saf ety Labels .42
This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passenger. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains how your
airbags work, and it tells you how to
properly restrain children in your
vehicle.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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The passenger airbag of f indicator
maycomeonandoff repeatedlyif
the total weight on the seat is near
the airbag cutof f threshold.If the indicator comes on with no
passenger and no objects on the
passenger seat, or with an adult
riding there, something may be
interf ering with the weight sensors.
Look f or and remove:
Any items under the passenger’s
seat.
Any objects hanging on the seat.
Any object(s) touching the rear of
the seat-back.
If no obstructions are f ound, have
your vehicle checked by a dealer as
soon as possible. Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by an authorized dealer or
a knowledgeable body shop.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.
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:
If an adult or teenage passenger is
riding in f ront, move the seat as f ar
to the rear as possible, and have the
passenger sit upright and wear the
seat belt properly.
An airbag ever inf lates.
Airbag Service
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly. Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury. This could make the driver’s seat
position sensor or the passenger’s
weight sensors inef f ective. If it is
necessary to remove or modif y a
seat to accommodate a person
with disabilities, f irst contact
Honda Automobile Customer
Service at (800) 999-1009.
Even if your
airbags do not inflate, your dealer
should inspect the driver’s seat
position sensor, the passenger’s
weight sensors, the seat belt
tensioners, and all seat belts worn
during the crash to make sure
they are operating properly.
T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o a
problem. Do not at t empt t o deact ivat e your airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason. Do not remove or modif y a seat
wit hout consult ing your dealer.
If your vehicle has a moderat e t o severe impact .Additional Saf ety Precautions
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
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This indicator has three f unctions:Itcomesonasareminderthatyou
have turned off the vehicle
stability assist (VSA) system.
It flashes when VSA is active (see
page ).
It comes on along with the VSA
system indicator if there is a
problem with the VSA system.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. 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 itcomesonandstaysonatany
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 VSA system. Take
your vehicle to a dealer to have it
checked. Without VSA, your vehicle
still has normal driving ability, but
will not have VSA traction and
stability enhancement. See page
f or more inf ormation on the
VSA system. This indicator reminds you that it is
time to take your vehicle in for
scheduled maintenance. The
maintenance main items and sub
items will be displayed in the
inf ormation display. See page f or
more inf ormation on the
maintenance minder.
This indicator goes of f when your
dealer resets it after completing the
required maintenance service.
1.
2.
3.
152 152
152 161
Vehicle Stability Assist
(VSA ) System Indicator
VSA A ctivation Indicator Maintenance Minder
Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
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This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition to the ON (II) position.
If it comes on while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are extremely 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 ). Ref er to pagef or more inf ormation. 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.
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,
repair the f lat tire with the tire repair
kit (see page ), and have the flat
tire repaired as soon as possible. If
two or more tires are underinf lated,
call a prof essional towing service
(see page ). Ref er to page
f or more inf ormation.
201
154 154
228 228
206
CR models
Except CR modelsLow Tire Pressure
Indicator Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (T PMS) Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
Inst rument s and Cont rols
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