2009 HONDA CIVIC Chain

Towing can require a variety of
equipment, depending on the size of
your trailer, how it will be used, how
much load you are towing, and
where you tow.If you choose electric brakes, be
sure they are electronically actuated.
Do not attempt to tap into your
vehicle’s hydraulic system. No
matter how successf ul it may seem,
any attempt to attach trailer brakes
to your vehicle’s hydraulic system
will lower braking ef f ectiveness and
create a potential hazard.
Seeyourtrailerdealerorrental
agency f or more inf ormation on
installing electric brakes.
Discuss your needs with your trailer
sales or rental agency, and f ollow the
guidelines in the rest of this section.
Also make sure that all equipment is
properly installed and that it meets
f ederal, state, province, and local
regulations. Any hitch used on your vehicle must
be properly bolted to the underbody.
Always use saf ety chains when you
tow a trailer. Make sure the chains
are secured to the trailer and hitch,
and that they cross under the tongue
and can catch the trailer if it
becomes unhitched. Leave enough
slack to allow the trailer to turn
corners easily, but do not let the
chains drag on the ground.
There are two common types of
trailer brakes: surge and electric.
Surge brakes are common f or boat
trailers, since the brakes will get wet.
CONT INUED
T owing Equipment and
A ccessoriesTrailer Brakes
Hitches
Saf et y Chains
Towing a Trailer
Driving
285
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When preparing to tow, and bef ore
driving away, be sure to check the
f ollowing:Always drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering wheel,
then turn the wheel to the left to get
the trailer to move to the lef t, and
turn the wheel right to move the
trailer to the right.
Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including f irmly setting the
parking brake and putting the
transmission in Park (automatic) or
in 1st or reverse (manual). Also,
place wheel chocks at each of the
trailer’s tires.
Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause the trailer to
sway. When being passed by a large
vehicle, keep a constant speed, and
steer straight ahead. Do not try to
make quick steering or braking
corrections.
The vehicle has been properly
serviced, and the suspension,
cooling system, and lights are in
good operating condition.
All weights and loads are within
limits (see pages and ).
Thehitch,safetychains,andany
other attachments are secure.
All items in or on the trailer are
properly secured and cannot shif t
while you drive.
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 inf lated as
recommended by the trailer
maker.
283 284
bottom
Pre-T ow ChecklistBacking Up
Parking
Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ing
Towing a Trailer
Driving
287
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´
Tires marked ‘‘M S’’ or ‘‘All
Season’’ on the sidewall have an all-
weather tread design suitable for
most winter driving conditions.
For the best perf ormance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under
certain conditions. If you mount snow tires on your
vehicle, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as original tires. Mount snow tires on
all f our wheels. The traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
maybelowerthanyouroriginaltires.
Check with the tire dealer f or
maximum speed recommendations.
Mount tire chains on your tires when
required by driving conditions or
local laws. Install them only on the
f ront tires.
Because your vehicle has limited tire
clearance, Honda strongly
recommends using the chains listed
below, made by Security Chain
Company (SCC).
If your vehicle is equipped with
summer tires, be aware that these
tires are not designed f or winter
driving conditions. For more
inf ormation, consult your dealer.
Cable-type: SCC RADIAL CHAIN
SC1030Cable-type: SCC RADIAL CHAIN
SC1032
When installing cables, f ollow the
manuf acturer’s instructions, and
mount them as tight as you can.
Make sure they are not contacting
the brake lines or suspension. Drive
slowly with them installed. If you
hear them coming into contact with
the body or chassis, stop and
investigate. Remove them as soon as
you begin driving on cleared roads.
CONT INUED
Si model only
Except DX and Canadian DX-G models
On DX and Canadian DX-G models
Winter DrivingSnow T ires T ire Chains
Summer T ires
Tires
Maint enance
331
Traction devices that are the wrong
size or improperly installed can
damage your vehicle’s brake lines,
suspension, body, and wheels. Stop
driving if they are hitting any part of
the vehicle.
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Check the condition of the battery
monthlybylookingatthetest
indicator window. The label on the
battery explains the test indicator’s
colors.Check the terminals f or corrosion (a
white or yellowish powder). To
remove it, cover the terminals with a
solution of baking soda and water. It
will bubble up and turn brown. When
this stops, wash it of f with plain
water. Dry off the battery with a
cloth or paper towel. Coat the
terminals with grease to help prevent
f urther corrosion.
Checking the Battery
Tires, Checking the Battery
332
TEST INDICATOR WINDOW TEST INDICATOR WINDOW
Except Si SiUsing the wrong chains, or not
properly installing chains, can
damage the brake lines and
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously injured or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding the
selection and use of tire chains.
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Check the condition of the battery
monthlybylookingatthetest
indicator window. The label on the
battery explains the test indicator’s
colors.Check the terminals f or corrosion (a
white or yellowish powder). To
remove it, cover the terminals with a
solution of baking soda and water. It
will bubble up and turn brown. When
this stops, wash it of f with plain
water. Dry off the battery with a
cloth or paper towel. Coat the
terminals with grease to help prevent
f urther corrosion.
Checking the Battery
Tires, Checking the Battery
332
TEST INDICATOR WINDOW TEST INDICATOR WINDOW
Except Si SiUsing the wrong chains, or not
properly installing chains, can
damage the brake lines and
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously injured or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding the
selection and use of tire chains.
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Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
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.
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.
Follow these precautions:
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road
surf aces. Use greater caution
while driving.
Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
Do not mount tire chains on the
compact spare tire. Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Do not use a compact spare tire
mounted on a f ront wheel; it will
damage the limited slip dif f erential
(see page ).
On vehicles with the TPMS
system, the low tire pressure
indicator comes on and stays on
after 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 .
337
On Si model
Compact Spare Tire
336
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
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If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a prof essional towing service or
organization. Never tow your vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous.
The operator
loads your vehicle on the back of a
truck.
Therearetwowaystotowyour
vehicle: If , due to damage, your vehicle must
be towed with the f ront wheels on
the ground, do this:
Release the parking brake.
Shif t the transmission to neutral.
Leave the ignition switch in the
ACCESSORY (I) position so the
steering wheel does not lock.
The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the f ront tires and lif t them of f
the ground. The rear tires remain on
the ground. With the f ront wheels on the ground,
do not tow the vehicle more than 50
miles (80 km), and keep the speed
below35mph(55km/h).
Start the engine.
Press on the brake pedal. Move
the shif t lever through all its
positions.
Leave the ignition switch in the
ACCESSORY (I) position so the
steering wheel does not lock.
Release the parking brake.
Turn of f the engine.
Shif t to D position f or 5 seconds,
then to N.
Manual transmission:
Automatic transmission:
Flat -bed Equipment
Wheel-lif t Equipment
T his is the best way to
transport your vehicle.
This is an acceptable
way to tow your vehicle.
Emergency T owing
358
Improper towing preparation will
damage the transmission. Follow the
above procedure exactly. If you cannot
shif t the transmission or start the
engine (automatic transmission), your
vehicle must be transported with the
f ront wheels of f the ground.
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Î
Bulb Replacement..........................
Back-up Lights . 315
..............................
Brake Lights . 315
........
Front Side Marker Lights . 314
.........
Front Turn Signal Lights . 314
.........................
Headlights . 312, 313
.........
High-mount Brake Light . 317
..........................
Parking Lights . 314
.........
Rear Side Marker Lights . 315
..........
Rear Turn Signal Lights . 315
............................
Specif ications . 365
..............................
Bulbs, Halogen . 312 ...............
DANGER, Explanation of . iii
...................................
Dashboard . 3, 56
................
Daytime Running Lights . 74
.........
Def ects, Reporting Saf ety . 380
........................
Def og and Def rost . 113
................
Def ogger, Rear Window . 76
..............
Def rosting the Windows . 113
....................................
Dimensions . 364
...............
Dimming the Headlights . 73
Dipstick
..........
Automatic Transmission . 308
..................................
Engine Oil . 251
..........................
Directional Signals . 73
Disc Brake Pad Wear
...................................
Indicators . 275
............................
Disc Player . 125, 161
..................
Display Change Button . 66
.....................
Disposal of Used Oil . 304
.........................................
Card, PC . 170
............................
Capacities Chart . 365
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 51
.............................
Carrying Cargo . 259
.............
CAUTION, Explanation of . iii
..............................
CD Player . 125, 161
..................................
Ceiling Light . 106
........................
Certif ication Label . 362
............................................
Chains . 331
....................
Changing a Flat Tire . 337 Changing Oil
........................................
How to . 302
......................................
When to . 291
...
Charging System Indicator . 65, 349
..............
Check Fuel Cap Message . 69
............
Checklist, Bef ore Driving . 265
.....................................
Child Saf ety . 33
Child Seats
.............
LATCH Anchor System . 42
...........................
Lower Anchors . 42
................
Tether Anchor Points . 45
..................
Childproof Door Locks . 82
.........................
Clock, Setting the . 206
...................................
Clutch Fluid . 311
........................
CO in the Exhaust . 372
............
Cold Weather, Starting in . 266
..............................
Compact Spare . 336
.................
Console Compartment . 108
.................
Consumer Inf ormation . 378
.............
Controls, Instruments and . 55
Coolant
........................................
Adding . 304
....................................
Checking . 253
.........................
Proper Solution . 304
...................
Temperature Gauge . 70 Crankcase Emissions Control
........................................
System . 372
............
Cruise Control Operation . 208
....
Customer Service Inf ormation . 378
Index
C D
II
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