engine HONDA ACCORD SEDAN 2008 (in English) Service Manual
Page 296 of 420
The VSA system cannot enhance the 
vehicle’s driving stability in all
situations and does not control your 
vehicle’s entire braking system. It is 
still your responsibility to drive and
corner at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety.If the indicator does not come on 
when the ignition switch is turned to
the ON (II) position, there may be a
problem with the VSA system. Have
your dealer inspect your vehicle as
soon as possible.
The vehicle stability assist (VSA)
system helps to stabilize the vehicle
during cornering if the vehicle turns
more or less than desired. It also
assists you in maintaining traction
while accelerating on loose or
slippery road surf aces. It does this
by regulating the engine’s output and
by selectively applying the brakes. 
When VSA activates, you may notice 
that the engine does not respond to
the accelerator in the same way it
does at other times. There may also
be some noise f rom the VSA
hydraulic system. You will also see
the VSA activation indicator blink. When VSA activates, you will see the 
VSA activation indicator blink. 
If this indicator comes on while 
driving, pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e, and turn of f the
engine. Reset the system by 
restarting the engine. If the VSA
system indicator stays on or comes
back on while driving, have the VSA
system inspected by your dealer.
If the low tire pressure indicator or 
TPMS indicator comes on, the VSA
system automatically turns on even if
the VSA system is turned of f by 
pressing the VSA OFF switch (see
page ). If this happens, you
cannot turn the VSA system of f by
pressing the VSA of f switch again. 
Without VSA, your vehicle will have 
normal braking and cornering ability,
but it will not have VSA traction and
stability enhancement.294
VSA A ctivation Indicator 
Vehicle Stability Assist 
(VSA ) System Indicator
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
Driving
293
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Driving with varying tire or wheel 
sizes may cause the VSA to
malf unction. When replacing tires, 
make sure they are of the same size 
and type as your original tires (see
page ).
VSA is turned on every time you
start the engine, even if you turned it
off the last time you drove the 
vehicle.
If you install winter tires, make sure
they are the same size as those that
were originally supplied with your
vehicle. Exercise the same caution
during winter driving as you would if
your vehicle was not equipped with
VSA.
In certain unusual conditions when 
your vehicle gets stuck in shallow
mud or f resh snow, it may be easier
to free it with the VSA temporarily
switched of f . When the VSA system 
is of f , the traction control system is
alsooff.Youshouldonlyattemptto
f ree your vehicle with the VSA of f if
you are not able to f ree it when the
VSA is on. 
Immediately af ter f reeing your 
vehicle, be sure to switch the VSA on 
again. We do not recommend driving
your vehicle with the VSA and
traction control systems switched off.
This switch is under the driver’s side
vent. To turn the VSA system on and
of f , press and hold it until you hear a
beep. 
When VSA is off, the VSA activation 
indicator comes on as a reminder.
Press and hold the switch again. It
turns the system back on. 348
VSA and Tire Sizes
VSA Of f Switch
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
294
VSA OFF SWITCH
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Your vehicle is equipped with a tire 
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that turns on every time you start the 
engine and monitors the pressure in 
your tires while driving.When the low tire pressure indicator 
is on, one or more of your tires is 
signif icantly underinf lated. You
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inf late them to
the proper pressure as indicated on 
the vehicle’s tire inf ormation placard. 
If you think you can saf ely drive a 
short distance to a service station,
proceed slowly, and inf late the tire to
the recommended pressure shown
on the driver’s doorjamb. 
If the tire is f lat, or if the tire 
pressure is too low to continue
driving, replace the tire with the
compact spare tire (see page ). 
If you cannot make the low tire 
pressure indicator go out af ter
inf lating the tires to the specif ied
values, have your dealer check the
system as soon as possible.
Each tire has its own pressure 
sensor (not including the spare tire).
If the air pressure of a tire becomes 
signif icantly low while driving, the
sensor in that tire immediately sends
a signal that causes the low tire
pressure indicator to come on.
Driving on a signif icantly under- 
inf lated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. 
Under-inf lation also reduces f uel 
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
af f ect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability. 
Becausetirepressurevariesby 
temperature and other conditions,
the low tire pressure indicator may
come on unexpectedly.
356
CONT INUED
Low Tire Pressure 
Indicator
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Driving
295
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The
maximum allowable weight of the 
trailer and everything in or on it 
must not exceed 1,000 lbs (450 kg). 
Towing a load that is too heavy
can seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling and perf ormance. It can
also damage the engine and 
drivetrain.
Your vehicle has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and
their cargo. You can also use it to
tow a trailer if you caref ully observe
the load limits, use the proper
equipment, and f ollow the guidelines
in this section. 
Avoid towing a trailer during your 
vehicle’s f irst 600 miles (1,000 km)
(see page ).
260
Towing a Trailer
Load Limits 
T otal T railer Weight:
Break-In Period
298
Exceeding any load limit or 
improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in 
which you can be seriously hurt 
or killed. 
Check the loading of your 
vehicle and trailer carefully
beforestartingtodrive.
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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. 
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. 
If the automatic transmission shif ts 
f requently while going up a hill, shif t
to D3.
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.
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. 
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof 
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
in this section. 
Drive slower than normal in all 
driving situations, and obey posted 
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers. 
If you have an automatic
transmission, use 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.
(See ‘‘ ’’ in the next
column f or additional gear
inf ormation.)
CONT INUED
Making T urns and Braking
Driving on Hills
T owing Speeds and Gears
Driving on Hills
Towing a Trailer
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
Driving
303
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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 .306
....................
Maintenance Minder .307
..............................
Fluid Locations .314
........................
Adding Engine Oil .316 
Changing the Engine Oil and
...........................................
Filter .318
..............................
Engine Coolant .320
....................
Windshield Washers .322
.......................
Transmission Fluid .323
..........
Automatic Transmission .323
..............
Manual Transmission .325
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid .326
................................
Brake Fluid .326
...............................
Clutch Fluid .327
....................
Power Steering Fluid .327
....................................
Timing Belt .328
.............................................
Lights .329
................
Cleaning the Seat Belts .338
.....................................
Floor Mats .338
..................
Dust and Pollen Filter .339
.................................
Wiper Blades .340
...............................................
Tires .343
...................
Checking the Battery .351
.............................
Vehicle Storage .352
403
Maintenance
Maint enance
305
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All service items not detailed in this 
section should be perf ormed by a
certif ied technician or other qualif ied 
mechanic. 
To eliminate potential hazards, read 
the instructions bef ore you begin,
and make sure you have the tools 
and skills required.Make sure your vehicle is parked
on level ground, the parking brake
is set, and the engine is of f .
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.Do
not run the engine unless 
instructed to do so.
Let the
engine and exhaust system cool 
down bef ore touching any parts. Be sure
there is adequate ventilation
whenever you operate the
engine.
Wear eye protection and
protective clothing when working
with the battery or compressed air. 
To reduce the possibility of f ire or 
explosion, keep cigarettes, sparks,
and flames away from the battery
and all f uel-related parts. 
To clean parts, use a commercially 
available degreaser or parts
cleaner, not gasoline.
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
306
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.
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µ
µ 
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ µ
µ
CONT INUED
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. The remaining engine oil lif e is
shownonthedisplayaccordingto
this table:
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 ).
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.
64
Maintenance Minder
Engine Oil L if e Display
Maint enance
307
ENGINE OIL LIFE INDICATORSELECT/RESET KNOB
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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.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.
The 15 and 10 percent oil lif e
indicators remind you that your
vehicle will soon be due f or 
scheduled maintenance.
Maintenance Minder
308
MAINTENANCE MINDER INDICATOR
MAINTENANCE ITEM CODE(S) ENGINE OIL LIFE INDICATOR
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CONT INUED
If you do not perf orm the indicated 
maintenance, negative mileage is
displayed and begins to blink af ter 
the vehicle has been driven 10 miles 
(10 km) or more. 
Negative mileage means your 
vehicle has passed the maintenance
required point.
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.
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.
Immediately have the indicated 
maintenance done by your dealer.
313
Maintenance Minder
Maint enance
309
NEGATIVE MILEAGE
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