
Contents
Child Safety P. 50 Exhaust Gas Hazard P. 62 Safety Labels P. 63
Opening and Closing the Trunk P. 109 Security System P. 112 Opening and Closing the Windows P. 114 
Operating the Switches Around the Steering Wheel P. 117 Adjusting the Mirrors P. 125 
Interior Lights/Interior Convenience Items P. 134 Heating and Cooling*
 P. 140
Audio Error Messages *
 P. 172 General Information on the Audio System *
 P. 174
When Driving P. 211 Braking P. 229 Parking Your Vehicle P. 233 
Accessories and Modifications P. 238
Maintenance Under the Hood P. 251 Replacing Light Bulbs P. 268 
Checking and Maintaining Tires P. 280 Battery P. 289 Remote Transmitter Care *
 P. 290
Cleaning P. 292
Engine Does Not Start P. 306 Jump Starting P. 307 Shift Lever Does Not Move P. 310 
Fuses P. 318 Emergency Towing P. 321
Devices that Emit Radio Waves P. 329 Reporting Safety Defects P. 330 
Authorized Manuals P. 335 Customer Service Information P. 336
Quick Reference GuideP. 2
Safe DrivingP. 23
Instrument PanelP. 65
ControlsP. 97
FeaturesP. 143
DrivingP. 201
MaintenanceP. 239
Handling the UnexpectedP. 297
InformationP. 323
IndexP. 337
2012 Civic 4D Online Reference Owner's Manual
Note: All page numbers referenced in this document are hyperlinked. 

22
Quick Reference Guide
A Few Words About Safety 
Your safety, and the safety of others, is very important. And  
operating this vehicle safely is an important responsibility. 
To help you make informed decisions about safety, we have  
provided operating procedures and other information on labels and  
in this manual. This information alerts you to potential hazards that 
could hurt you or others. 
Of course, it is not practical or possible to warn you about all the  
hazards associated with operating or maintaining your vehicle. You  
must use your own good judgement.You will find this important safety information in a variety of forms,  
including: ●
Safety Labels  - on the vehicle.
● Safety Messages  - preceded by a safety alert symbol 
3 and 
one of three signal words:  DANGER, WARNING , or CAUTION .
These signal words mean:
● Safety Headings  - such as Important Safety Precautions.
● Safety Section  - such as Safe Driving.
● Instructions  - how to use this vehicle correctly and safely.
This entire book is filled with important safety information - please  read it carefully.
3 DANGERYou WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if  
you don't follow instructions.
3WARNINGYou CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if  
you don't follow instructions.
3CAUTIONYou CAN be HURT if you don't follow  instructions. 

24
Safe Driving
For Safe Driving
The following pages explain your vehicle's safety features and how to use them  
properly. The safety precautions below are ones that we consider to be among the  most important.
Important Safety Precautions ■Always wear your seat belt
A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbags are designed to  
supplement seat belts, not replace them. So  even though your vehicle is equipped 
with airbags, make sure you and your passengers always wear your seat belts, and  
wear them properly. ■ Restrain all children
Children age 12 and under should ride properly restrained in a back seat, not the  
front seat. Infants and small children should be restrained in a child seat. Larger 
children should use a booster seat and a lap/shoulder seat belt until they can use the  
belt properly with out a booster seat.
■ Be aware of airbag hazards
While airbags can save lives, they can cause serious or fatal injuries to occupants  
who sit too close to them, or are no t properly restrained. Infants, young children, 
and short adults are at the greatest risk. Be sure to follow all instructions and  
warnings in this manual. ■ Don't drink and drive
Alcohol and driving don't mix. Even one drink can reduce your ability to respond to  
changing conditions, and your  reaction time gets worse with every additional drink. 
So don't drink and drive, and don't let your friends drink and drive, either.
1Important Safety Precautions 
Some states, provinces and territories prohibit the use  
of cell phones other than hands-free devices by the  
driver while driving. 

Continued39
uuAirbagsuFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe DrivingFront airbags are designed to inflate during moderate-to-severe frontal collisions. 
When the vehicle decelerates suddenly, the sensors send information to the control  
unit which signals one or both front airbags to inflate. 
A frontal collision can be either head-on or angled between two vehicles, or when a  
vehicle crashes into a stationary object, such as a concrete wall.
While your seat belt restrains your torso, the  
front airbag provides supplemental protection  
for your head and chest. 
The front airbags deflate immediately so that  
they won't interfere with the driver's visibility 
or the ability to steer or operate other  
controls.
The total time for inflation and deflation is so fast that most occupants are not  
aware that the airbags deployed until they see them lying in front of them.
■Operation
■How the Front Airbags Work1How the Front Airbags Work 
After a front airbag inflates in a crash, you may see  
what looks like smoke. This is actually powder from 
the airbag's surface. Although the powder is not  
harmful, people with respiratory problems may  
experience some temporary discomfort. If this occurs,  
get out of the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. 
Although the driver's and front passenger's airbags  
normally inflate within a split second of each other, it  
is possible for only one airbag to deploy. This can  
happen if the severity of a collision is at the margin, 
or threshold, that determines whether or not the  
airbags will deploy. In such cases, the seat belt will  
provide sufficient protection, and the supplemental 
protection offered by the airbag would be minimal.  

51
uuChild SafetyuProtecting Child Passengers
Safe Driving
•Any child who is too small to wear a seat belt correctly must be restrained in an  
approved child seat that is properly secured to the vehicle using either the lap belt  
portion of the lap/shoulder belt or the lower anchors of the LATCH system.
• Never hold a child on your lap because it is impossible to protect them in the 
event of a collision.
• Never put a seat belt over yourself and a child. During a crash, the belt would 
likely press deep into the child and cause serious or fatal injuries.
• Never let two children use the same seat belt. Both children could be very  
seriously injured in a crash.
• Do not allow children to operate the doors, windows or seat adjustments.
• Do not leave children in the vehicle unattended, especially in hot weather when  
the inside of the vehicle can get hot enough to kill them. They could also activate  
vehicle controls causing it to move unexpectedly.1Protecting Child Passengers 
To deactivate a lockable retractor, release the buckle  
and allow the seat belt to wind up all the way. 
To remind you of the passenger's front airbag  
hazards and child safety, your vehicle has warning 
labels on the dashboard (U.S. models) and on the  
front visors. Please read and follow the instructions  
on these labels.
2 Safety Labels  P. 63
3WARNING
Allowing a child to play with a seat belt or  
wrap one around their neck can result in 
serious injury or death. 
Instruct children not to play with any seat  
belt and make sure any unused seat belt a  
child can reach is buckled, fully retracted,  
and locked. 

uuBluetooth®
 HandsFreeLink ®*uUsing HFL
178
Features
The multi-information display notifies you  
when there is an incoming call.
■HFL Status Display1Bluetooth ®
 HandsFreeLink ®
Bluetooth ®
 Wireless Technology
Bluetooth ®
 name and logos are registered 
trademarks owned by  Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any 
use of such marks by Honda Motors Co., Ltd., is  
under license. Other trademarks and trade names are  
those of their respective owners. 
HFL Limitations 
An incoming call on HFL will interrupt the audio  
system when it is playing. It will resume when the call  is ended.
John
Signal Strength
HFL Mode Battery Level Status Roam Status
Call Name
Bluetooth IndicatorComes on when your  
phone is connected to HFL.
1HFL Status Display 
The information that appears on the multi- 
information display varies between phone models. 
You can change the system language to English,  
French, or Spanish. 2 Customized Features  P. 86    

uuBluetooth®
 HandsFreeLink ®*uHFL Menus
192
Features
Up to 15 speed dial numbers can be stored per phone. To store a speed dial number: 1.Press the PHONE button or the   button.
2. Rotate  to select  Phone Setup, then 
press .
uRepeat the procedure to select  Speed 
Dial , then  Add New .
3. Rotate   to select a place to choose a  
number from, then press  . 
By Phonebook:
uSelect a number from the linked cell  
phone’s imported phonebook.
By Call History:
uSelect a number from the call history.
By Phone Number:
uInput the number manually.
4. When the speed dial is successfully stored,  
you are asked to create a voice tag for the  number. Rotate 
 to select  Yes or No, then press  .
5. Using the   button, follow the prompts to 
say the name for the speed dial entry.
■Speed Dial1Speed Dial 
You can use the audio preset buttons during a call to  
store a speed dial number: 
1. Press and hold the desired audio preset button 
during a call.
2. The contact information for the active call will be  stored for the corresponding speed dial.
002300
75°F miles
Phone Number    

uuBluetooth®
 HandsFreeLink ®*uHFL Menus
198
Features
■ To make a call using the call history
Call history is stored by  Dialed Calls, Received Calls , and Missed Calls .
1. Press the PHONE button or the   button.
2. Rotate   to select  Call History, then press 
.
3. Rotate  to select  Dialed Calls, Received 
Calls , or Missed Calls , then press  .
4. Rotate   to select a number, then press 
.
uDialing starts automatically.
■ To make a call using a speed dial entry
1.Press the PHONE button or the   button.
2. Rotate   to select  Speed Dial, then press 
.
3. Rotate   to select a number, then press 
.
uDialing starts automatically.
1To make a call using the call history 
The call history displays the last 20 dialed, received, or  
missed calls. 
(Appears only when a phone is connected to HFL.)
1To make a call using a speed dial entry 
On the  Phone screen, the first six speed dials on the 
list can be directly selected by pressing the  
corresponding audio preset buttons (1-6). 
Select  More Speed Dial Lists  to view another paired 
phone’s speed dial list.