2012 HONDA CIVIC SEDAN ECO mode

201
Driving
This chapter discusses driving, refueling, and information on items such as accessories.
Before Driving
Driving Preparation .......................... 202
Maximum Load Limit........................ 205
Towing a Trailer Towing Preparation .......................... 207
Driving Safely with a Trailer .............. 209
Towing Your Vehicle ........................ 210
When Driving
Starting the Engine .......................... 211
Precautions While Driving................. 213
Automatic Transmission ................... 214Shifting ..........................................
215
Shifting .......................................... 217
Cruise Control
*............................... 220
VSA® (Vehicle Stability Assist), aka ESC
(Electronic Stability Control), System ...... 223
TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) ... 225
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) -
Required Federal Explanation ......... 226
Braking
Brake System ................................... 229
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) ........... 231
Automatic transmission models
Manual transmission models
Brake Assist System ......................... 232
Parking Your Vehicle When Stopped ................................ 233
Parking ............................................ 233
Refueling Fuel Information .............................. 234
How to Refuel ................................. 235
Fuel Economy .................................... 237
Improving Fuel Economy .................. 237
Accessories and Modifications
Accessories ...................................... 238
Modifications................................... 238
* Not available on all models
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uuWhen Driving uStarting the Engine
212
Driving
3. Turn the ignition switch to START (e
without depressing the accelerator pedal.
1. Keeping your right foot on the brake peda l, release the parking brake. Check that
the brake system indicator has gone off.
2 Parking Brake P. 229
2.Put the shift lever in (D. Select (R when reversing.
3. Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal to pull
away.
1Starting the Engine
Do not hold the key in START
(e for more than 15
seconds.
•If the engine does not start right away, wait for at
least 10 seconds before trying again.
•If the engine starts, but then immediately stops,
wait at least 10 seconds before repeating step 3
while gently depressing the accelerator pedal.
Release the accelerator pedal once the engine
starts.
The immobilizer system pr otects your vehicle from
theft. If an improperly code d key (or other device) is
used, the engine's fuel system is disabled.
2 Immobilizer System P. 112
■Starting to Drive
Automatic transmission models
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215
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
Shifting
Change the shift position in accordance with your driving needs.
■Shift lever positions
Automatic transmission models
1Shifting
You cannot turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(0 and
remove the key unless the shift lever is in
( P.
The vehicle may move forward very slightly even in
(N while the engine is cold.
Depress the brake pe dal firmly and, when necessary,
apply the parking brake.Park
Used when parking or starting the
engine
Reverse
Used when reversing
Neutral
Used when idling
Drive
Used for normal driving (gears change
between 1st and 5th automatically)
Drive (D3)
Used when:
●Going up or down hills●Towing a trailer in hilly terrain
Second
Used to increase engine braking
(the transmission is locked in 2nd gear)
First
Used to further increase engine braking
(the transmission is locked in 1st gear)
Release Button
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217
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
Shifting
Fully depress the clutch pedal to operate the shift lever and change gears, then
slowly release the pedal.
Depress the clutch pedal, and pause fo r a few seconds before shifting into
(R, or
shift into one of the forward gears for a mo ment. This stops the gears so they do not
“grind.”
■Shift Lever Operation
Manual transmission models
1 Shifting
NOTICE
Do not shift to (R before the vehicle comes to a
complete stop.
Shifting to
( R before stopping can damage the
transmission.
NOTICE
Before downshifting, make sure the engine will not
go into the tachometer's red zone. Should this occur,
it can severely da mage your engine.
There is a metallic part on the shift lever. If you
leave the vehicle parked outside for a long time on
a hot day, be careful before moving the shift lever.
Because of heat, the shift lever may be extremely
hot. If the outside temperature is low, the shift
lever may feel cold.
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uuWhen Driving uShifting
218
Driving
When you are not shifting, do not rest your
foot on the clutch pedal. This can cause your
clutch to wear out faster. 5-speed manual
transmission1Shifting
Recommended Shift Points
Driving in the highest gear that allows the engine to
run and accelerate smoothly helps to optimize fuel
economy and effective emissions control. The
following shift points are recommended:
If you exceed the maximum speed for the gear you
are in, the engine speed will enter into the
tachometer's red zone. When this happens, you may
experience a slight jolt. Shift Up Normal Acceleration
1st to 2nd15 mph (24 km/h)
2nd to 3rd 27 mph (43 km/h)
3rd to 4th39 mph (63 km/h)
4th to 5th 53 mph (85 km/h)
Shift Up Normal Acceleration
1st to 2nd17 mph (27 km/h)
2nd to 3rd 29 mph (46 km/h)
3rd to 4th37 mph (59 km/h)
4th to 5th 43 mph (69 km/h)
5th to 6th49 mph (79 km/h)
5-speed manual transmission models
6-speed manual transmission models
6-speed manual
transmission
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220
uuWhen Driving uCruise Control*
Driving
Cruise Control*
Maintains a constant vehicle speed without having to keep your foot on the
accelerator. Use cruise control on freeways or open roads where you can travel at a
constant speed with little acceleration or deceleration.1Cruise Control
It may not be possible to maintain a constant speed
when driving uphill or downhill.
When not using cruise control:
Turn off cruise control by pressing the CRUISE
button.
While in the ECON mode, it may take relatively more
time to accelerate to maintain the set speed.
3WARNING
Improper use of the cruise control can lead
to a crash.
Use the cruise control only when traveling
on open highways in good weather.
1.8 ℓ engine models
■Shift positions fo r cruise control:
In ( D or (d
When to use
Always keep sufficient distance
between you and the vehicle in
front of you.
Automatic transmission models
■Vehicle speed for cruise control:
Desired speed in a range above
roughly 25 mph (40 km/h) ~
How to use CRUISE MAIN is on in the
instrument panel.
Cruise control is ready to use.■Press the CRUISE button on
the steering wheel.
* Not available on all models
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uuWhen Driving uCruise Control*
222
Driving
Increase or decrease the vehicle speed using the or buttons on the
steering wheel.
• Each time you press the button, the vehicl e speed is increased or decreased by
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
• If you keep the button pressed, the vehicl e speed increases or decreases until you
release it. This speed is then set.
To cancel cruise control, do any of the
following:
•Press the CANCEL button.
• Press the CRUISE button.
• Depress the brake pedal.
• Depress the clutch pedal for five seconds
The CRUISE CONTROL indicator goes off.
■To Adjust the Vehicle Speed1To Adjust the Vehicle Speed
You can set the vehicle speed using the button
on the steering wheel when adjusting the speed with
the accelerator and brake pedals.
–/SETRES/+–/SET
■To Cancel
To decrease speed
To increase speed
1To Cancel
Resuming the prior set speed:
After cruise control has be en canceled, you can still
resume the prior set speed by pressing the
button while driving at a speed of at least 25 mph (40
km/h) or more.
You cannot set or resume in the following situations:
•When vehicle speed is less than 25 mph (40 km/h)
•When the CRUISE button is turned off
At vehicle speeds of 22 m ph (35 km/h) or less, cruise
control is canceled automatically.
RES/+
CRUISE
Button
CANCEL
Button
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* Not available on all models
or more.

uuWhen Driving uVSA® (Vehicle Stability Assist), aka ESC (Electronic Stability Control), System
224
Driving
This button is on the driver side control panel.
To turn the VSA® system on and off, press and
hold it until you hear a beep.
VSA
® will stop and the indicator will come on.
To turn it on again, press the (VSA
® OFF)
button until you hear a beep.
VSA
® is turned on every time you start the
engine, even if you turned it off the last time
you drove the vehicle.
■VSA® On and Off1 VSA® (Vehicle Stability Assist), aka ESC (Electronic Stability
Control), System
Without VSA
®, your vehicle will have normal braking
and cornering ability, bu t it will not have VSA®
traction and stability enhancement.
In certain unusual conditions when your vehicle gets
stuck in shallow mud or fr esh snow, it may be easier
to free it with the VSA
® temporarily switched off.
When the VSA
® system is off, the traction control
system is also off. You should only atte mpt to free
your vehicle with the VSA
® off if you are not able to
free it when the VSA® is on.
Immediately after freeing your vehicle, be sure to
switch VSA
® on again. We do not recommend driving
your vehicle with the VSA® and traction control
systems switched off.
If the low tire pressure/TPMS
*, low tire pressure*, or
TPMS indicator* comes on or blinks, the VSA® system
comes on automatically. In this case, you cannot turn
the system off by pressing the button.
You may hear a motor sound coming from the
engine compartment while system checks are being
performed immediately after starting the engine or
while driving. This is normal.
VSA® OFF
Indicator
1.8 ℓ engine models
VSA® OFF
Indicator
2.4 ℓ engine models
* Not available on all models
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