2012 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID service

Contents
Child Safety P. 54Exhaust Gas Hazard P. 66Safety Labels P. 67Opening and Closing the Trunk P. 110 Security System P. 113 Opening and Closing the Windows P. 115
Adjusting the Mirrors P. 125 Adjusting the Seats P. 126
Climate Control System P. 137Audio Error Messages P. 162 General Information on the Audio System P. 164When Driving P. 198Braking P. 213Parking Your Vehicle P. 217
Accessories and Modifications P. 226Maintenance Under the Hood P. 235 Replacing Light Bulbs P. 247
Checking and Maintaining Tires P. 254 12 Volt Battery P. 263 Remote Transmitter Care P. 264
Cleaning P. 266Engine Does Not Start P. 279 Jump Starting P. 280Shift Lever Does Not Move P. 282
Fuses P. 289 Emergency Towing P. 292Devices that Emit Radio Waves P. 297 Reporting Safety Defects P. 298
Authorized Manuals P. 303 Customer Service Information P. 304
Quick Reference Guide
P. 2
Safe Driving
P. 27
Instrument Panel
P. 69
Controls
P. 101
Features
P. 141
Driving
P. 191
Maintenance
P. 227
Handling the Unexpected
P. 271
Information
P. 293
Index
P. 305

Quick Reference Guide21
Handling the Unexpected
(P271)
Flat Tire
(P273)
● Park in a safe location and replace the
flat tire with the compact spare tire in the
trunk.
Indicators Come On (P285)
●Identify the indicator and consult the
owner's manual.
Engine Won't Start
(P279)
● If the battery is dead, jump start using a
booster battery.
Blown Fuse
(P289)
● Check for a blown fuse if an electrical
device does not operate.
Overheating
(P283)
● Park in a safe location. If you do not see
steam under the hood, open the hood,
and let the engine cool down.
Emergency Towing
(P292)
● Call a professional towing service if you
need to tow your vehicle.

24Quick Reference Guide
California Proposition 65 WarningEvent Data RecordersThis vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder (EDR).
The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in certain crash or near
crash-like situations, such as an air bag deployment or hitting a
road obstacle, data that will assist in understanding how a vehicle’s
systems performed. The EDR is designed to record data related
to vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 second s or less. The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data as:
• How various syst ems in your vehicle were operating;
• Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts were
buckled/fastened;
• How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelerator
and/or brake pedal; and,
• How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better understanding of the
circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur. NOTE: EDR data
are recorded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial crash situation
occurs; no data are recorded by the EDR under normal driving
conditions and no personal data (e.g., name, gender, age, and
crash location) are recorded. However, other parties, such as law
enforcement, could combine the EDR data with the type of
personally identifying data routin ely acquired during a crash
investigation.WARNING: This product contains or emits
chemicals known to the st ate of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other reproductive
harm.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is required,
and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed. In addition to the
vehicle manufacturer, other parties, such as law enforcement, that
have the special equipment, can read the information if they have
access to the vehicle or the EDR.
The 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.Service Diagnostic RecordersThis vehicle is equipped with service-related devices that record
information about powertrain performance. The data can be used
to verify emissions law requirements and/or help technicians
diagnose and solve service probl ems. It may also be combined with
data from other sources for research purposes, but it remains
confidential.California Perchlorate Contamination Prevention ActThe airbags, seat belt tensioners, and CR type batteries in this
vehicle may contain perchlorate materials - special handling may
apply. See www.dtsc.ca.gov/haz ardouswaste/perchlorate/
As you read this manual, you will find information that is preceded
by a symbol. This information is intended to help you avoid
damage to your vehicle, other property, or the environment.
NOTICE

53
uuAirbags uAirbag Care
Safe Driving
Airbag CareYou do not need to, and should not, perform any maintenance on or replace any
airbag system components yourself. However, you should have your vehicle
inspected by a dealer in the following situations:■
When the airbags have deployed
If an airbag has inflated, the control unit and other related parts must be replaced.
Similarly, once an automatic seat belt tensioner has been activated, it must be
replaced.
■
When the vehicle has been in a moderate-to-severe collision
Even if the airbags did not inflate, have your dealer inspect the following: the driver’s
seat position sensor, weight sensors in the passenger’s seat, front seat belt
tensioners, and each seat belt that was worn during the crash.
■
Do not remove or modify a front seat without consulting a dealer
This would likely disable the driver's seat position sensor or the passenger’s weight
sensors. If it is necessary to remove or modify a front seat to accommodate a person
with disabilities, contact a Honda dealer, or for U.S. vehicles, American Honda
Automobile Customer Service at 800-999-1009 and for Canadian vehicles, Honda
Canada Customer Relations at 888-9-HONDA-9.
1 Airbag Care
We recommends against the use of salvaged airbag
system components, including the airbag, tensioners,
sensors, and control unit.

81
uuIndicators uMulti-Information Display Warning and Information Messages
Instrument Panel
Message
Condition
Explanation
●
Appears when the scheduled maintenance is due soon.
●
Consequently, "SERVICE DUE NOW" and "SERVICE
PAST DUE" follow.
2 Maintenance Minder
TM P. 231
●
Appears when you open the driver's door while the
ignition key is in ACCESSORY
(q
.
●
Turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(0
, then remove the
key.
●
Appears when you open the driver's door while the
ignition key is in LOCK
(0
.
●
Remove the key from the ignition switch.
●
Appears when the IMA battery is significantly low.
●
Drive continuously or, if necessary, allow the vehicle to
idle in an open area until the message disappears.

222Driving
RefuelingFuel Information■
Fuel recommendation
Use of a lower octane gasoline can cause a persistent, heavy metallic knocking noise
that can lead to engine damage.
■
Top tier detergent gasoline
Because the level of detergency and additives in gasoline vary in the market, Honda
endorses the use of “TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline” where available to help
maintain the performance and reliability of your vehicle. TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline meets a new gasoline standard jointly established by leading automotive
manufacturers to meet the needs of today’s advanced engines.Unleaded gasoline, pump octane number 87 or higher
1 Fuel Information
NOTICEWe recommend quality gasoline containing
detergent additives that help prevent fuel system and
engine deposits. In addition, in order to maintain
good performance, fuel economy, and emissions
control, we strongly recommend the use of gasoline
that does NOT contain harmful manganese-based
fuel additives such as MMT, if such gasoline is
available.
Use of gasoline with these additives may adversely
affect performance, and cause the malfunction
indicator lamp on your instrument panel to come on.
If this happens, contact a dealer for service.
Some gasoline today is blended with oxygenates such
as ethanol. Your vehicle is designed to operate on
oxygenated gasoline containing up to 10% ethanol
by volume. Do not use gasoline containing methanol.
If you notice any undesirable operating symptoms, try
another service station or switch to another brand of
gasoline.

Continued
223
uuRefueling uHow to Refuel
Driving
Qualifying gasoline retailers will, in most cases, identify their gasoline as having met
"TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline" standards at the retail location. This fuel is
guaranteed to contain the proper level of detergent additives and be free of metallic
additives. The proper level of detergent additives, and absence of harmful metallic
additives in gasoline, help avoid build-up of deposits in your engine and emission
control system.
For further important fuel-related information for your vehicle, or on information on
gasoline that does not contain MMT, visit www.hondacars.com. In Canada, visit
www.honda.ca for additional information on gasoline. For more information on top
tier gasoline, visit www.toptiergas.com .■
Fuel tank capacity: 13.2 US gal (50 liters)
How to Refuel
1.Stop your vehicle with the service station
pump on the left side of the vehicle in the
rear.
2. Turn off the engine.
3. Push on the fuel fill door release handle at
the foot of the driver’s seat.
u The fuel fill door opens.
1How to Refuel
3
WARNING
Gasoline is highly flammable and explosive.
You can be burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.
• Stop the engine, and keep heat, sparks,
and flame away.
• Handle fuel only outdoors.
• Wipe up spills immediately.
Push

227
Maintenance
This chapter discusses basic maintenance.
Before Performing MaintenanceInspection and Maintenance ............ 228
Safety When Performing Maintenance .... 229Parts and Fluids Used in Maintenance Service ........................................... 230
Maintenance Minder™ .................... 231
Maintenance Under the HoodMaintenance Items Under the Hood ..... 235Opening the Hood ........................... 236
Recommended Engine Oil ................ 237
Oil Check ......................................... 238
Adding Engine Oil ............................ 239Changing the Engine Oil and Oil Filter .. 240
Engine Coolant ................................ 242
Transmission Fluid ............................ 244
Brake Fluid ....................................... 245
Refilling Window Washer Fluid......... 246
Replacing Light Bulbs ....................... 247
Checking and Maintaining Wiper
Blades .......................................... 252Checking and Maintaining Tires
Checking Tires ................................. 254
Tire and Loading Information Label .. 255
Tire Labeling .................................... 255
DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles) .. 257Wear Indicators................................ 259 Tire Service Life ................................ 259
Tire and Wheel Replacement ........... 260
Tire Rotation .................................... 261
Winter Tires ..................................... 262
12 Volt Battery .................................. 263
Remote Transmitter Care
Replacing the Battery ....................... 264
Climate Control System Maintenance ...... 265Cleaning
Interior Care .................................... 266
Exterior Care.................................... 268