2011 HONDA CIVIC SEDAN engine overheat

(f luid capacities and tire pressures)
(main controls)
(seat belts, SRS, and child protection)
(indicators, gauges, dashboard, and steering column)
(heating and cooling, audio, steering wheel, security, and cruise control) (fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading)
(engine and transmission operation) (minder, f luid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)
(vehicle specif ications, tires, and emissions controls) (warranty and contact inf ormation)
(how to order)
(f lat tire, jump starting, overheating, and f uses)
Contents
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Index .I
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Service Inf ormation Summary . last page
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Your Vehicle at a Glance .3
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety .5
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Instruments and Controls .55
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Features .109
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Bef ore Driving .237
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Driving .253
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Maintenance .279
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T echnical Inf ormation .351
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Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada only) . 369
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A uthorized Manuals (U.S. only) .373
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T aking Care of the Unexpected .327INDEX
1
10/06/23 13:48:34 31SNA650_006

Shif t up
1st to 2nd
2nd to 3rd 3rd to 4th4th to 5th
5th to 6th
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking f rom the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure the engine speed will not
go into the tachometer’s red zone in
the lower gear.
Your vehicle is equipped with an
aluminum shif t lever. If you leave the
vehicle parked outside f or a long time on a hot day, be caref ul bef ore
moving the shift lever. Because of
the heat, the shift lever may be
extremely hot. If the outside
temperature is low, the shif t lever
f eels cold.
Drive in the highest gear that lets
the engine run and accelerate
smoothly. This will give you good
f uel economy and ef f ective
emissions control. The f ollowing
shif t points are recommended:
Shif t up
1st to 2nd
2nd to 3rd 3rd to 4th4th to 5th Normal acceleration
15 mph (24 km/h)
27 mph (44 km/h)
39 mph (63 km/h)
53 mph (85 km/h) Normal acceleration
17 mph (27 km/h)
29 mph (46 km/h)
37 mph (60 km/h)
43 mph (69 km/h)
49 mph (79 km/h)
With 5-speed manual transmission With 6-speed manual transmission
On Si model
Recommended Shif t Points
Manual T ransmission
258
Rapid slowing or speeding up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.
10/06/23 14:32:33 31SNA650_263

When the low tire pressure indicator
is on, one or more of your tires is
signif icantly underinf lated. You
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inf late them to
the proper pressure as indicated on
the vehicle’s tire inf ormation placard.
If you think you can saf ely drive a
short distance to a service station,
proceed slowly, and inf late the tire to
the recommended pressure shown
on the driver’s doorjamb.
If the tire is f lat, or if the tire
pressure is too low to continue
driving, replace the tire with the
compact spare tire (see page ).
If you cannot make the low tire
pressure indicator go out af ter
inf lating the tires to the specif ied
values, have your dealer check the
system as soon as possible.Driving on a signif icantly under
inf lated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Underinf lation also reduces f uel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
af f ect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.
Becausetirepressurevariesby
temperature and other conditions,
the low tire pressure indicator may
come on unexpectedly.
Each tire has its own pressure
sensor (not including the spare tire).
If the air pressure of a tire becomes
signif icantly low while driving, the
sensor in that tire immediately sends
a signal that causes the low tire
pressure indicator to come on. Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that turns on every time you start the
engine and monitors the pressure in
your tires while driving.
328
U.S. models onlyLow Tire Pressure
Indicator
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
270
10/06/23 14:34:35 31SNA650_275

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
below.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 shifts
f requently while going up a hill, shif t
to D .If youmuststopwhenfacinguphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
place by pressing on the accelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed, and shif t down to second
gear. Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember, it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
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 the D position
when towing a trailer on level roads.
D is the proper shif t lever position
to use when towing a trailer in hilly
terrain. (See ‘‘ ’’ in the
f ollowing column f or additional gear
inf ormation.) Your vehicle is not designed to be
towed behind a motor home. If your
vehicle needs to be towed in an
emergency, see page .
349
3
3
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
Towing Your Vehicle
T owing Speeds and GearsMaking T urns and Braking
Driving on Hills
Driving on Hills
Towing a Trailer
278
10/06/23 14:36:01 31SNA650_283

Your vehicle has halogen headlight
bulbs. When replacing a bulb, handle
it by its base, and protect the glass
f rom contact with your skin or hard
objects. If you touch the glass, clean
it with denatured alcohol and a clean
cloth.To change the headlight bulb on
the driver’s side, remove the
engine coolant reserve tank by
pulling it out of its holder.
Theheadlightswereproperlyaimed
when your vehicle was new. If you
regularly carry heavy items in the
trunk or pull a trailer, readjustment
may be required. Adjustments
should be done by your dealer or
another qualif ied technician.
1.
Headlight A iming Replacing a Headlight Bulb
High Beam Headlight
Lights
302
Halogen headlight bulbs get very hot
when lit. Oil, perspiration, or a scratch
on the glass can cause the bulb to
overheat and shatter.
10/06/23 14:39:53 31SNA650_307

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 . 328
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Changing a Flat Tire . 329
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If the Engine Won’t Start . 334
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Jump Starting . 336
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If the Engine Overheats . 338
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Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 340
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Charging System Indicator . 340
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Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 341
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Brake System Indicator . 342
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Fuses . 343
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Fuse Locations . 347
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Emergency Towing . 349
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
327
10/06/23 14:44:12 31SNA650_332

Once your vehicle is running,
disconnect the negative cable f rom
your vehicle, then f rom the
booster battery. Disconnect the
positive cable f rom your vehicle,
then from the booster battery.
Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the vehicle until everything is
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short. The reading of the vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange. If it climbs to the red
mark, you should determine the
reason (hot day, driving up a steep
hill, etc.).
If the vehicle overheats, you should
take immediate action. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming f rom under the hood.
Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in neutral
(M/T) or Park (A/T), and set the
parking brake. Turn of f all
accessories, and turn on the
hazard warning lights.
If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine. Wait until you see
no more signs of steam or spray,
then open the hood.
7.
1.
2.
Jump Starting, If the Engine Overheats
If the Engine Overheats
338
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the temperature gauge
reading at the red mark can cause
serious damage to the engine.
10/06/23 14:45:59 31SNA650_343

Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine, and check
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair (seeon page ).
If you do not see steam or spray,
leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading,
the engine should start to cool
down almost immediately. If it
does, wait until the temperature
gauge comes down to the midpoint,
then continue driving.
If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.
If you don’t f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page
). Add coolant if the level is
below the MIN mark. Start the engine, and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum heat. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the f iller
neck. If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water.
Remember to have the cooling
system drained and ref illed with
the proper mixture as soon as you
can.
If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the f irst stop. Af ter the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap, and turn it until it comes
off. If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may need to add
coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the reading
reaches the middle of the
temperature gauge or lower
bef ore checking the radiator.
Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (see on page ). 7.
8. 9.
3.
4.
5.
6. 10.
11.
243 349
349
Emergency
Towing
Emergency
Towing
If theEngineOverheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
339
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.
10/06/23 14:46:10 31SNA650_344