HONDA S2000 2001 1.G Owners Manual

Servic
e Statio n Procedure s

4 . Sto p fillin g th e tan k afte r th e fue l
nozzl e automaticall y click s off . D o
no t tr y t o "to p off " th e tank , leav e
som e roo m fo r th e fue l t o expan d
wit h temperatur e changes .
5 . Scre w th e fue l fil l ca p bac k on ,
tighte n i t unti l i t click s severa l
times . I f yo u d o no t properl y
tighte n th e cap , th e Malfunctio n
Indicato r Lam p ma y com e o n (se e
pag e 230 ).
6 . Pus h th e fue l fil l doo r close d unti l
i t latches . Openin
g th e Hoo d
1 . Shif t t o Neutra l an d se t th e
parkin g brake . Pul l th e hoo d
releas e handl e locate d unde r th e
lowe r lef t corne r o f th e dashboard .
Th e hoo d wil l po p u p slightly .
2 . Standin g in fron t o f th e car , pu t
you r finger s unde r th e fron t edg e
o f th e hoo d t o th e righ t o f center .
Slid e you r han d t o th e lef t unti l
yo u fee l th e hoo d latc h handle .
Pus h thi s handl e t o th e lef t unti l i t
release
s th e hood . Lif t th e hood .
I f yo u ca n ope n th e hoo d withou t
liftin g th e hoo d latc h handle , o r
th e hoo d latc h handl e move s
stiffl y o r doe s no t sprin g bac k a s
before , th e mechanis m shoul d b e
cleane d an d lubricate d (se e pag e

174 ).
Befor e Drivin g RELEAS
E HANDL E

Servic
e Statio n Procedure s

3 . Pul l th e suppor t ro d ou t o f it s cli p
an d inser t th e en d int o th e hol e o n
th e fron t o f th e hoo d aroun d th e
center .
T o clos e th e hood , lif t i t u p slightl y
t o remov e th e suppor t ro d fro m
th e hole . Pu t th e suppor t ro d bac k
int o it s holdin g clip . Lowe r th e
hoo d to abou t a foo t (3 0 cm ) abov e
th e fender , the n le t i t drop .
Afte r closin g th e hood , mak e sur e
i t i s securel y latched .
Oil Check

Chec k th e engin e oi l leve l ever y tim e
yo u fil l th e ca r wit h fuel . Wai t a fe w
minute s afte r turnin g th e engin e of f
befor e yo u chec k th e oil .
1 . Remov e th e dipstic k (blac k
handle) . 2
. Wip e th e dipstic k wit h a clea n
clot h o r pape r towel .
CONTINUED
Befor e Drivin g

DIPSTIC
K

Servic
e Statio n Procedure s

3 . Inser t i t al l th e wa y bac k in it s tube .
UPPE
R MAR K

4 . Remov e th e dipstic k agai n an d
chec k th e level . I t shoul d b e
betwee n th e uppe r an d lowe r
marks .
I f i t i s nea r o r belo w th e lowe r mark ,
se e Addin g Oi l o n pag e 157 .
Engine Coolant Check

Loo k a t th e coolan t leve l i n th e
radiato r reserv e tank . Mak e sur e i t i s
betwee n th e MA X an d MI N lines . I f
i t i s belo w th e MI N line , se e Addin g
Engin e Coolan t o n pag e 16 1 fo r
informatio n o n addin g th e prope r
coolant .
Refe r t o Owne r Maintenanc e
Check s o n pag e 15 5 fo r informatio n
o n checkin g othe r item s i n you r

Honda .

Befor e Drivin g
LOWE
R MAR K

Fue
l Econom y

Th e conditio n o f you r ca r an d you r
drivin g habit s ar e th e tw o mos t
importan t thing s tha t affec t th e fue l
mileag e yo u get .
Ca r Conditio n
Alway s maintai n you r ca r accordin g
t o th e maintenanc e schedule . Thi s
wil l kee p it i n to p operatin g condition .
A n importan t par t o f tha t mainte -
nanc e is th e Owne r Maintenanc e
Check s (se e pag e 15 5 ) . Fo r
example , a n underinflate d tir e
cause s mor e "rollin g resistance, "
whic h use s fuel . I t als o wear s ou t
faster , s o chec k th e tir e pressur e a t
leas t monthly .
I n winter , th e build-u p o f sno w o n
you r car' s undersid e add s weigh t an d
rollin g resistance . Frequen t cleanin g
help s you r fue l mileag e an d reduce s
th e chanc e o f corrosion . Drivin
g Habit s
Yo u ca n improv e fue l econom y b y
drivin g moderately . Rapi d acceler -
ation , abrup t cornering , an d har d
brakin g us e mor e fuel .
Alway s driv e i n th e highes t gea r tha t
allow s the engin e t o ru n an d acceler -
at e smoothly .
Dependin g o n traffi c conditions , tr y
t o maintai n a constan t speed . Ever y
tim e yo u slo w dow n an d spee d up ,
you r ca r use s extr a fuel . Us e th e
cruis e control , whe n appropriate , t o
increas e fue l economy .
A col d engin e use s mor e fue l tha n a
war m engine . I t i s no t necessar y t o
"warm-up " a col d engin e b y lettin g it
idl e fo r a lon g time . Yo u ca n driv e
awa y in abou t a minute , n o matte r
ho w col d it i s outside . Th e engin e
wil l war m u p faster , an d yo u ge t
bette r fue l economy . T o cu t dow n o n
th e numbe r o f "col d starts, " tr y t o combin
e severa l shor t trip s int o one .
Th e ai r conditionin g put s a n extr a
loa d o n th e engin e whic h make s i t
us e mor e fuel . Tur n of f th e A/ C to
cu t dow n o n ai r conditionin g use .
Us e th e flow-throug h ventilatio n
whe n th e outsid e ai r temperatur e is

moderate .

Before Drivin g

Accessorie
s an d Modification s

Modifyin g you r car , o r installin g
som e non-Hond a accessories , ca n
mak e you r ca r unsafe . Befor e yo u
mak e an y modification s o r ad d an y
accessories , b e sur e to rea d th e
followin g information .

Accessorie s

You r deale r ha s Genuin e Hond a
accessorie s tha t allo w yo u t o
personaliz e you r car . Thes e
accessorie s hav e bee n designe d an d
approve d fo r you r car , an d ar e
covere d b y warranty .
Non-Hond a accessorie s ar e usuall y
designe d fo r universa l applications .
Althoug h aftermarke t accessorie s
ma y fi t o n you r car , the y ma y no t
mee t factor y specifications , an d
coul d adversel y affec t you r car' s
handlin g an d stability . (Se e
"Modifications " o n th e pag e 123 for
additiona l information. ) Whe
n properl y installed , cellula r
phones , alarms , two-wa y radios , an d
low-powere d audi o system s shoul d
no t interfer e wit h you r car' s
computer-controlle d systems , suc h
a s th e SR S an d anti-loc k brak e

system .
However
, i f electroni c accessorie s
ar e improperl y installed , o r excee d
you r car' s electrica l syste m capacity ,
the y ca n interfer e wit h th e operatio n
o f you r car , o r eve n caus e th e
airbag s t o deploy .
Befor e installin g an y accessory : Mak
e sur e th e accessor y doe s no t
obscur e an y lights , o r interfer e
wit h prope r ca r operatio n o r
performance . B
e sur e electroni c accessorie s d o
no t overloa d electrica l circuit s
(se e pag e 235 ). Hav
e th e installe r contac t you r
Hond a deale r fo r assistanc e befor e
installin g an y electroni c accessory .
I f possible , hav e you r deale r inspec t
th e fina l installation .

Befor e Drivin g
Imprope
r accessorie s o r
modification s ca n affec t you r
car' s handling , stabilit y an d
performance , an d caus e a

cras h i n whic h yo u ca n b e hur t

o r killed .

Follo w al l instruction s i n thi s

owner' s manua l regardin g

accessorie s an d modifications .

Accessorie
s an d Modification s

Modification s
D o no t remov e an y origina l
equipmen t o r modif y you r ca r i n an y
wa y tha t woul d alte r it s desig n o r
operation . Thi s coul d mak e you r ca r
unsaf e an d illega l t o drive .
Fo r example , d o no t mak e an y
modification s tha t woul d chang e th e
rid e heigh t o f you r car , o r instal l
wheel s an d tire s wit h a differen t
overal l diameter .
Suc h modification s ca n adversel y
affec t handling , an d interfer e wit h
th e operatio n o f th e car' s anti-loc k
brake s an d othe r systems . I
n addition , an y modification s tha t
decreas e groun d clearanc e increas e
th e chanc e o f undercarriag e part s
strikin g a curb , spee d bump , o r othe r
raise d object , whic h coul d caus e
you r airbag s t o deploy .
D o no t modif y you r steerin g whee l
o r an y othe r par t o f you r
Supplementa l Restrain t System .
Modification s coul d mak e th e
syste m ineffective . Additiona
l Safet y Precautio n
D o no t attac h o r plac e object s o n th e
airba g covers . An y objec t attache d t o
o r place d o n th e cover s marke d "SR S
AIRBAG, " i n th e cente r o f th e
steerin g whee l an d o n to p o f th e
dashboard , coul d interfer e wit h th e
prope r operatio n o f th e airbags . Or ,
i f th e airbag s inflate , th e object s
coul d b e propelle d insid e th e ca r an d
hur t someone .

Befor e Drivin g

Carryin
g Carg o

UPPE R AN D LOWE R CONSOL E

COMPARTMENT S

TRUN K
You
r ca r ha s severa l convenien t
storag e area s s o yo u ca n sto w carg o

safely .

Th e uppe r an d lowe r consol e
compartment s ar e designe d fo r small ,
lightweigh t items . Th e trun k i s
intende d fo r larger , heavie r items .
However , carryin g to o muc h cargo ,
o r improperl y storin g it , ca n affec t
you r car' s handling , stabilit y an d
operatio n an d mak e it unsafe . Befor e
carryin g an y typ e o f cargo , b e sur e t o
rea d th e followin g pages .
Befor e Drivin g

Carryin
g Carg o

Loa d Limi t

Th e maximu m loa d fo r you r ca r i s

40 0 1b s (185kg) .

Thi s figur e include s th e tota l weigh t

o f al l occupants , cargo , an d

accessories .

T o figur e ou t ho w muc h carg o yo u

ca n cany :
Ad
d u p th e weigh t o f al l occupants .
Subtrac
t th e tota l fro m 40 0 1 b (18 5

kg) .

Th e fina l numbe r i s th e tota l weigh t

o f carg o yo u ca n carry . Carryin
g Item s i n th e Passenge r
Compartmen t Stor
e o r secur e al l item s tha t coul d
b e throw n aroun d an d hur t
someon e durin g a crash . B
e sur e item s place d o n th e floo r
behin d th e fron t seat s canno t rol l
unde r th e seat s an d interfer e wit h
th e driver' s abilit y t o operat e th e
pedals , o r wit h th e prope r
operatio n o f th e seats .

Befor e Drivin g

Overloadin
g o r imprope r
loadin g ca n affec t handlin g an d
stabilit y an d caus e a cras h i n
whic h yo u ca n b e hur t o r killed .
Follo w al l loa d limit s an d othe r
loadin g guideline s i n thi s
manual .

Carryin
g Carg o

Carryin g Carg o i n th e Trun k Distribut
e carg o evenl y o n th e
floo r o f th e trunk , placin g th e
heavies t item s o n th e botto m an d
a s fa r forwar d a s possible .

Befor e Drivin g

Genera
l Precaution s

You r Hond a i s designe d t o giv e yo u
optimu m handlin g an d performanc e
o n well-maintaine d roads . A s par t o f
thi s design , you r ca r ha s a minimu m
o f groun d clearanc e an d ver y low -
profil e tires . Us
e cautio n i f yo u shoul d driv e
you r ca r o n ver y roug h o r rutte d
roads . Yo u coul d damag e th e
suspensio n an d underbod y b y
bottomin g out . Goin g to o fas t ove r
parkin g lo t "spee d bumps " ca n
als o caus e damage . Curb
s an d stee p incline s coul d
damag e th e fron t an d rea r
bumpers . Lo w curb s tha t d o no t
affec t th e averag e ca r ma y b e hig h
enoug h t o hi t th e bumpe r o n you r
Honda . Th e fron t o r rea r bumpe r
ma y scrap e whe n tryin g t o driv e
ont o a n incline , suc h a s a stee p
drivewa y o r traile r ramps . Becaus
e o f th e low-profil e tire s
fitte d t o you r car , th e allo y wheel s
ar e close r t o th e ground . Drivin g
ove r a pothol e o r roa d debri s a t
to o hig h a spee d ca n seriousl y
damag e a wheel . Slo w dow n unde r
thes e conditions .
Befor e Drivin g