2012 HONDA ACCORD COUPE engine

CONT INUED
If the automatic transmission f luid
temperature increases and exceeds
the specif ied limit, the transmission
will also automatically downshif t to
the first gear even with the
Sequential Sportshif t Mode. This
prevents the automatic transmission
f rom overheating. In this case, the
gear position ‘‘1’’ next to the ‘‘M’’
indicator in the instrument panel
blinks f or about f ive seconds, then it
stays on.
When driving uphill and downhill,
use the S position (without using the
paddle shif ters) to provide the
proper engine power and engine
braking on each gear. You can also
use the paddle shif ters. In this case,
select third, second, or f irst gear
with the paddle shif ter; depending on
the vehicle speeds and road
condition. Do not use f ourth and f if th
gears.
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.
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
Do not exceed the limited speed
when towing a trailer. At higher
speeds, the trailer may sway or
af f ect vehicle handling (see ‘‘
’’inthenextpagefor
additional gear information).
If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, use the D position
when towing a trailer on level roads.
D3 is the proper shif t lever position
to use when towing a trailer in hilly
terrain.V6 models with automatic transmission
4-cylinder models with
Towing a Trailer
T owing Speeds and Gears Making T urns and Braking
Driving
on Hills
335

Driving
automatic transmission
2012 Accord Coupe

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.
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and always apply engine
braking by shif ting down. If your
vehicle has a manual transmission,
when going down a steep hill, use
the second gear to provide greater
engine braking.Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember, it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
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.
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.
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and use the S mode. You
canalsousethepaddleshiftersto
change the gear position. Select third,
second or f irst gear depending on
the vehicle speeds and road
condition. When going down a steep
hill, use second gear to provide
greater engine braking. Shif t down
to f irst gear when driving up steep
hills.
If the automatic transmission shif ts
f requently while going up a hill, shif t
to D3.
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shif t down to the
second gear.
V6 models with automatic transmission
4-cylinder models with
Driving on Hills
Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ing
Towing a Trailer
336

Driving
automatic transmission
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
TM

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.
TM

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)
TM

Maint enance
2012 Accord Coupe

CONT INUED
The maintenance item code or codes
indicate the main and sub items
required at the time of the oil change
(see page ).
You can switch the information
display f rom the engine oil lif e
display to the odometer or the trip
meter. Press and release the select/
reset knob on the instrument panel.
Whentheengineoillifeis15to1
percent, the Maintenance Minder
indicator ( ) comes on every
time you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, then it goes out
if you switch the inf ormation display.
When you see this message, have
the indicated maintenance
perf ormed by your dealer as soon as
possible.When the remaining engine oil lif e is
0 percent, the engine oil lif e indicator
will blink. The display comes on
everytimeyouturntheignition
switch to the ON (II) position. The
Maintenance Minder indicator
( ) also comes on and remains
on in the instrument panel. When
you see this message, immediately
have the indicated maintenance done
by your dealer. If you do not perf orm the indicated
maintenance, negative distance
traveled is displayed and begins to
blink af ter the vehicle has been
driven 10 miles (10 km) or more.
Negative distance traveled means
your vehicle has passed the
maintenance required point.
Immediately have the indicated
maintenance done by your dealer.
347
Maintenance Minder
343
NEGATIVE DISTANCE TRAVELED
TM

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.
TM

Maint enance
and Sub Items Oil Life Display
2012 Accord Coupe