window HONDA PRELUDE 1992 User Guide

Heating and Cooling

To Heat

To warm the interior, press and select the Fresh Air
mode. Set the fan to the desired
speed. Adjust the warmth of the air
with the temperature control lever.
To warm the interior rapidly after
the car has been sitting out in cold
weather.
1. Start the engine.

2. Select
the Recirculation mode

and

3. Slide the temperature control

lever to maximum heat.

4. Leave
the fan OFF for the first

few minutes. When the tempera-
ture gauge rises above the bot-
tom white mark, set the fan to
medium speed.

5. Whe
n
the interior warms up,
switch to fresh air mode and
adjust the temperature control
lever to a comfortable setting.
To Defrost

To remove frost or ice from the
windshield and side windows after the car has been sitting out in cold
weather.

1. Start the engine.

2. Selec t
the Recirculation mode

and

3. Open

the side defroster vents.

4. Set the fan and temperature

controls to maximum.

These settings
direct all the air
flow to the defroster vents at the
base of the windshield and the side
window defroster vents. The air
flow will get warmer and clear the
windows faster as the engine
warms up. You can close the corner
vents with the dial beside each vent.
That will send more warm air to
the side defroster vents.
For safety, make sure you have a
clear view through all the windows
before driving away.
To Turn Everything Off

To shut off the system temporarily,
slide the fan speed and temperature
control levers all the way to the left.
You should only shut the system completely off for the first few
minutes of driving in cold weather,
until the engine coolant warms up
enough to operate the heater. Keep
the fan on at all other times so stale
air does not build up in the interior.
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Preparing to Drive
You should do the following checks and adjustments every day before
you drive your car.
1. Make sure all windows, mirrors, and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost,
snow, or ice.
2. Check that the hood and trunk are fully closed.
3. Check that any items you may be carrying with you inside are
stored properly or fastened down
securely. 4. Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page 51 ).
5. Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page 59 ).

6. Chec k
the adjustment of the
steering wheel (see page 43 ).
7. Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.

8. Fasten your seat belt. Check that your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page 7 ). 9. Turn the ignition ON (II). Check

the indicator lights in the instru-
ment panel.

10.Start th
e
engine.
11.Check the gauges and indicator

lights in the instrument panel
(see page 31 ).

Driving
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Driving in Bad Weather

Driving Technique — Always
drive slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your car longer to react, even in conditions that may
seem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss
of control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious for the first few miles of
driving while you adjust to the change in driving conditions. This
is especially true in snow. A person
can forget some snow-driving tech- niques during the summer months.
Practice is needed to relearn those

skills.

Exercise extra caution when
driving in rain after a long dry spell.
After months of dry weather, the
first rains bring oil to the surface of
the roadway, making it slippery. Visibility — Being able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are impor-
tant in all weather conditions. This is more difficult in bad weather. To
be seen more clearly during day-
light hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers frequently. Keep the wind- shield washer reservoir full of the

proper fluid. Replace the wind-

shield wiper blades if they start to
streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the defrosters and air conditioner to keep the windows
from fogging up on the inside (see
page 73).
Traction — Check your tires
frequently for wear and proper pressure. Both are important in
preventing "hydroplaning" (loss of
traction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all four
wheels for the best handling.
Watch road conditions carefully, they can change from moment to
moment. Wet leaves can be as slip-
pery as ice. "Clear" roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditions
can be very hazardous when the
outside temperature is near freez-
ing. The road surface can become
covered with areas of water pud-
dles mixed with areas of ice, so
your traction can change without

warning.

Be careful when downshifting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the
drive wheels for a moment and
cause a skid.

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Battery

Emergency Procedures
Eyes — Flush with water from a
cup or other container for at least
fifteen minutes. (Water under
pressure can damage the eye.)
Immediately call a physician or 911.
Skin — Remove contaminated
clothing. Flush the skin with large quantities of water. Call a physi-
cian immediately.
Swallowing — Drink water or
milk. Call your local Poison Control
Center or a physician immediately. Check the battery condition by
looking at the test indicator
window on the battery: Blue — Good condition
Red — Add distilled water
White — Charging necessary Check the battery terminals for
corrosion (a white or yellowish powder). To remove it, cover the
terminals with a solution of baking
soda and water. It will bubble up
and turn brown. When this stops,
wash it off with plain water. Dry off the battery with a cloth or paper
towel. Coat the terminals with
grease to help prevent future

corrosion.

CONTINUED

Maintenance

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Storing Your Car
If you need to park your car for an
extended period (more than 1
month), there are several things
you should do to prepare it for
storage. Proper preparation helps
prevent deterioration and makes it
easier to get your car back on the
road. It is best to store your car indoors if at all possible. Fill the gas tank.
Change the engine oil and filter

(see page 137).

Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Clean the interior. Make sure the
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Reverse (5-
speed) or Park (automatic). Block the rear wheels.
If the car is to be stored for a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are off the ground.
Leave one window open slightly
(if the car is being stored indoors).
Disconnect the battery.
Cover the car with a "breathable" car cover, one made
from a porous material such as
cotton. Nonporous materials,
such as plastic sheeting, trap
moisture which can damage the
paint. If possible, run the engine for a
while periodically (preferably once a month). If you store your car for 12 months
or longer, have your Honda dealer
perform the inspections called for
in the 24 months/48,000 km (30,000
miles) maintenance schedule as
soon as you take it out of storage
(see page 133). The replacements
called for in the maintenance
schedule are not needed unless the
car has actually reached that time or mileage.

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Appearance Care

Regular cleaning and polishing of
your Honda helps to keep it "new"
looking. This section gives you
hints on how to clean and preserve
your car's appearance: the paint,
brightwork, wheels and interior. Also included are several things
you can do to help prevent corro-

sion.

Exterior Care................................ 176 Washing..................................... 176
Waxing....................................... 177
Aluminum Wheels................... 177
Paint Touch-up......................... 178
Interior Care.................................. 179 Carpeting................................... 179
Fabric........................................ 179

Vinyl........................................... 179

Seat Belts.................................. 179

Windows..................................... 180

Air Fresheners.......................... 180
Corrosion Protection................... 180
Body Repairs................................. 181
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Interior Care, Corrosion Protection
Windows
Clean the windows, inside and out,
with a commercially-available glass
cleaner. You can also use a mixture of one part white vinegar to ten
parts water. This will remove the
haze that builds up on the inside of
the windows. Use a soft cloth or
paper towels to clean all glass and
clear plastic surfaces.
The rear window defogger wires
are bonded to the inside of the glass.
Wiping vigorously up-and-down
can dislodge and break the defog-
ger wires. When cleaning the rear
window, use gentle pressure and
wipe side-to-side.
Air Fresheners

If you want to use an air freshener/
deodorizer in the interior of your
car, it is best to use a solid type.
Some liquid air fresheners contain
chemicals that may cause parts of
the interior trim and fabric to crack or discolor.
If you use a liquid air freshener,
make sure you fasten it securely so
it does not spill as you drive.
Corrosion Protection

Two factors normally contribute to causing corrosion in your car:
1. Moisture trapped in body cavi-
ties. Dirt and road salt that col-
lects in hollows on th
e underside
of the car stays damp, promotin
g
corrosion in that area.

2. Remova l
of paint and protective

coatings from the exterior and
underside of the car.

Many corrosion-preventive mea
-
sures are built into your Honda.
You can help keep your car from
corroding by performing some
simple periodic maintenance: Repair chips and scratches in the
paint as soon as you discover
them.
Appearance Care

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Charging System Indication

The charging system light should
go out after the engine starts. If it
comes on brightly with the engine
running, the alternator is no longer
charging the battery. Immediately turn off all electrical
accessories: radio, heater, A/C, rear
defogger, cruise control, etc. Try
not to use other electrically-
operated controls such as the
power windows. Keep the engine
running and take extra care not to
stall it. Starting the engine will discharge the battery rapidly. By eliminating as much of the

electrical load as possible, you can

drive several miles before the
battery is too discharged to keep
the engine running. Drive to a
service station or garage where you
can get technical assistance.

Taking Care of the Unexpected
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Fuses

5. Look for a burned wire inside the fuse. If it is burned out, replace it
with one of the spare fuses of the
same rating or lower. If you cannot drive the car without
fixing the problem, and you do not
have a spare fuse, take a fuse of the
same rating or a lower rating from
one of the other circuits. Make sure
you can do without that circuit
temporarily (such as the rear
window defogger, or radio). If you replace the burned out fuse
with a spare fuse that has a lower
rating, it might blow out again.
This does not indicate anything
wrong. Replace the fuse with one
of the correct rating as soon as you

can.
Replacing a fuse with one that has
a higher rating greatly increases
the chances of damaging the
electrical system. If you do not
have a replacement fuse with the proper rating for the circuit, install
one with a lower rating.
6. If the replacement fuse of the same rating burns out in a short
time, there is probably a serious
electrical problem in your car.
Leave the burned out fuse in that
circuit and have your car check-
ed by a qualified technician.

Taking Care of the Unexpected

BLOWN

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Index

DANGER, Explanation of.............. ii

Dashboard........................................ 30

Daytime Running Lights.............. 40
Dead Battery, What to Do........... 191
Defects, Reporting Safety ............ 26
Defogger, Rear Window ............... 56
Defrosting the Windows............... 74
DEXRON ®
II Automatic
Transmission Fluid.................. 144

Dimensions.................................... 206

Dimming the Headlight
s .............. 40
Dipstick Automatic Transmission........
144

Engine Oil................................. .

135

Directional Signals........................
.
41
Disabled, Towing Your Car If ... 202
Disc Brake Wear Indicators.......
116
Disposal o f
Used Oil.....................
138

Doors

Locking an
d Unlocking ............ 48
Power Door Locks ..................... 48
DOT Tire Quality Grading......... 161
Downshifting,

5-speed Transmission.............. 111

Driving .......................................... .
107

Economy.................................... 104
In Bad Weather......................... 119
In Foreign Countries................. 99
Economy, Fuel.............................. 104
Emergencies on the Road........... 183 Battery, Jump Starting............ 191
Changing a Flat Tire............... 185
Charging System Light........... 196
Check Engine Light................. 197
Checking the Fuses.................
200
Low Oi l
Pressure Light........... 195
Manually Closing Sunroof...... 198
Overheated Engine.................. 193

Emergency Brake ......................... 61

Emergency Flashers...................... 56
Emission Controls......................... 211
Engine Check Light....................... 34, 197
Coolant Temperature Gauge... 38
Oil Pressure Light............. 33, 195
Oil, What Kind to Use .............
135
Overheating............................... 193

Specifications........................... 206

Ethano l
in Gasoline........................ 98
Evaporative Emission Controls......................................
211
Exhaust Fumes.............................. .
25
Expectant Mothers, Use of Seat Belts by.................................. 8
Exterior, Cleaning the.................
176

Fabric, Cleaning........................... 179

Fan, Interior.................................... 68

Fan, Radiator.................................. 27

Features, Comfort
and Convenience........................ 67

Filling the Gas Tank.................... 100

Filters

Air
............................................... 149

Fuel............................................. 150

Oil ............................................... 137

First Gear, Shifting...................... 111

5-Speed Transmissio n
Checkin
g Fluid Level..............
145

CONTINUED
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