2012 HONDA ACCORD COUPE service

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.
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.
When preparing to tow, and bef ore
driving away, be sure to check the
f ollowing:
The vehicle has been properly
serviced, and the suspension and
the cooling system are in good
operating condition.
The trailer has been properly
serviced and is in good condition.
All weights and loads are within
limits.
Thehitch,safetychains,andany
other attachments are secure.
All items in or on the trailer are
properly secured and cannot shif t
while you drive. Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
in this section.
Towing a Trailer
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
Pre-T ow Checklist
334

Driving
2012 Accord Coupe

This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.
This section also includes
instructions on how to read the
Maintenance Minder messages on
the information display, and
instructions f or simple maintenance
tasks you may want to take care of
yourself .
If you have the skills and tools to
perf orm more complex maintenance
tasks on your vehicle, you may want
to purchase the service manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your dealer.......................
Maintenance Saf ety .340
.................
Maintenance Minder . 341
..............................
Fluid Locations .348
........................
Adding Engine Oil .350
Changing the Engine Oil and ...........................................
Filter .352
..............................
Engine Coolant .354
....................
Windshield Washers .356
.......................
Transmission Fluid .357
..........
Automatic Transmission . 357
..............
Manual Transmission . 359
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid . 362
....................
Power Steering Fluid . 363
....................................
Timing Belt .364
.............................................
Lights .365
................
Cleaning the Seat Belts . 374
.....................................
Floor Mats .375
..................
Dust and Pollen Filter . 375
.................................
Wiper Blades .376
...............................................
Tires .379
...................
Checking the Battery . 387
.............................
Vehicle Storage .388
..................................
Interior Care .389
U.S. Vehicles:
439
Maintenance
Maintenance, replacement, or
repair of emissions control
devices and systems may be done
by any automotive repair
establishment or individual using
parts that are ‘‘certif ied’’ to EPA
standards.
Maint enance
339
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2012 Accord Coupe

To eliminate potential hazards, read
the instructions bef ore you begin,
and make sure you have the tools
and skills required.To clean parts, use a commercially
available degreaser or parts
cleaner, not gasoline. Do
not run the engine unless
instructed to do so.
Some of the most important saf ety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every
conceivable hazard that can arise in
perf orming maintenance. Only you
can decide whether or not you
should perf orm a given task.
Make sure your vehicle is parked
on level ground, the parking brake
is set, and the engine is of f .
To reduce the possibility of f ire or
explosion, keep cigarettes, sparks,
and flames away from the battery
and all f uel-related parts.
Wear eye protection and
protective clothing when working
with the battery or compressed air.
All service items not detailed in this
section should be perf ormed by a
certif ied technician or qualif ied
mechanic.
Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
down bef ore touching any parts. Be sure there is
adequate ventilation whenever you
operate the engine.
Maintenance Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions Injury f rom moving parts.
Burns f rom hot parts. Carbon Monoxide poison f rom
engine exhaust.
Potential Vehicle Hazards
340
Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures
and precautions in this owner’s
manual.
Improperly maintaining this
vehicle, or failing to correct a
problem before driving can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection
and maintenance
recommendations and
schedules in this owner’s
manual.

Maint enance
2012 Accord Coupe

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Calculated Engine Oil Lif e (%)
100% 91% 90% 81%
80% 71%
70% 61%
60% 51%
50% 41%
40% 31%
30% 21%
20% 16%
15% 11%10% 6% 5% 1% 0% Displayed
Engine Oil Lif e (%) 100%90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
15%
10%5%
0%
Your vehicle displays engine oil lif e
and maintenance service items on
the inf ormation display to show you
when you should have your dealer do
engine oil replacement and indicated
maintenance service.
Based on the engine operating
conditions, the onboard computer in
your vehicle calculates the remaining
engine oil lif e and displays it as a
percentage.
To see the current engine oil lif e,
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position, then press and release
the select/reset knob repeatedly
until the engine oil lif e indicator
appears (see page ).The remaining engine oil lif e is
shownonthedisplayaccordingto
this table:
64
Maintenance Minder
Engine Oil L if e Display
341
ENGINE OIL LIFE INDICATOR SELECT/RESET KNOB
U.S. V6 model is shown.
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Maint enance
2012 Accord Coupe

If the remaining engine oil lif e is 15
to 6 percent, you will see the engine
oil lif e indicator every time you turn
the ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. The Maintenance Minder
indicator will also come on, and the
maintenance item code(s) for other
scheduled maintenance items
needing service will be displayed
next to the engine oil lif e indicator.The 15 and 10 percent oil lif e
indicators remind you that your
vehicle will soon be due f or
scheduled maintenance.
When the remaining engine oil lif e is
5 to 1 percent, you will see a
‘‘SERVICE’’ message along with the
same maintenance item code(s),
everytimeyouturntheignition
switch to the ON (II) position.
Maintenance Minder
342
MAINTENANCE MINDER INDICATOR
ENGINE OIL LIFE INDICATOR
U.S. V6 model is shown. MAINTENANCE ITEM CODE(S)
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Maint enance
2012 Accord Coupe

Your dealer will reset the display
af ter completing the required
maintenance service. You will see
‘‘OIL LIFE 100%’’ on the inf ormation
display the next time you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
If maintenance service is done by
someone other than your dealer,
reset the Maintenance Minder as
f ollows:Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position.
Press the select/reset knob
repeatedly until the engine oil lif e
indicator is displayed.
To change the inf ormation display
f rom the engine oil lif e display to the
odometer or the trip meter, press
and release the select/reset knob.
When the engine oil lif e is 0 percent
or negative distance traveled, the
Maintenance Minder indicator
( )remainsonevenif you
change the inf ormation display.
Immediately have the service
perf ormed, and make sure to reset
the display as described as f ollows.
All maintenance items displayed on
the inf ormation display are in code.
For an explanation of these
maintenance codes, see page .1.
2.
347
Maintenance Minder
Resetting the Engine
Maintenance Main Items
344
MAINTENANCE
MINDER INDICATOR MAINTENANCE
MAIN ITEM
MAINTENANCE SUB ITEM(S) ENGINE
OIL LIFE
U.S. V6 model is shown.
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Maint enance
and Sub Items Oil Life Display
2012 Accord Coupe

CONT INUED
If you have the required service
done but do not reset the display, or
reset the display without doing the
service, the system will not show the
correct maintenance intervals. This
canleadtoseriousmechanical
problems because you will no longer
have an accurate record of when
maintenance is needed.
Your authorized Honda dealer
knows your vehicle best and can
provide competent, ef f icient service.
Press the select/reset knob f or
about 10 seconds. The engine oil
lif e and the maintenance item
code(s) will blink. Press the select/reset knob f or
another 5 seconds. The
maintenance item code(s) will
disappear, and the engine oil lif e
will reset to ‘‘100.’’
4.
3.
Maintenance Minder
Important Maintenance
Precautions
345
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Maint enance
2012 Accord Coupe

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U.S. Vehicles:
However, service at a dealer is not
mandatory to keep your warranties
in effect. Maintenance may be done
by any qualif ied service f acility or
person who is skilled in this type of
automotive service. Make sure to
have the service f acility or person
reset the display as previously
described. Keep all receipts as proof
of completion, and have the person
who does the work f ill out your
Honda Service History or Canadian
Maintenance Log. Check your
warranty booklet f or more
inf ormation.
We recommend using Honda parts
and fluids whenever you have
maintenance done. These are
manuf actured to the same high
quality standards as the original
components, so you can be conf ident
of their perf ormance and durability. According to state and federal
regulations, f ailure to perf orm
maintenance on the items marked
with will not void your emissions
warranties. However, all
maintenance services should be
perf ormed in accordance with the
intervals indicated by the
inf ormation display.
Youshouldcheckthefollowing
items at the specif ied intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perf orm
any check, turn to the appropriate
page listed.
Engine oil level Check every
time you fill the fuel tank. See
page .
Engine coolant level Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
you f ill the f uel tank. See page . Automatic transmission Check
the f luid level monthly. See page
.
Brakes Check the f luid level
monthly. See page .
Tires Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread f or
wear and foreign objects. See page .
Lights Check the operation of
all the lights monthly. See page .
357
362
379
291 292365
Maintenance Minder
Owner’s Maintenance Checks
346
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Maint enance
2012 Accord Coupe