HONDA S2000 2003 1.G Owners Manual

You should check the condition of
the drive belt every 2 years. Examine
the edges of belt f or cracks or
f raying.An auto-tensioner adjusts the tension
of the drive belt. The pointer on the
auto-tensioner should be within the
recessed area of the indicator. If the
pointer is not within the recessed
area, contact your Honda dealer.
Maint enance
Drive Belt
A uto-tensioner
188
INDICATOR
AUTO-TENSIONER
POINTER

CONT INUED
Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort. Underinf lated tires wear
unevenly, adversely affect handling
and f uel economy, and are more
likely to f ail f rom being overheated.
Overinf lated tires can make your car
ride more harshly, are more prone to
damage f rom road hazards, and wear
unevenly.
To saf ely operate your car, your tires
must be the proper type and size, in
good condition with adequate tread,
and correctly inf lated. The f ollowing
pages give more detailed inf ormation
on how and when to check air
pressure, how to inspect your tires
for damage and wear, and what to do
when your tires need to be replaced.
We recommend that you visually
check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge. Inf lation
Maint enance
Tires
189
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.

Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month. Even
tires that are in good condition may
lose one to two psi (10 to 20 kPa, 0.1
to 0.2 kgf /cm ) per month.
Remember to check the spare tire at
thesametimeyoucheckallthe
other tires.Front:
Rear:
Check the pressure in the tires when
they are cold. This means the car
has been parked f or at least three
hours. If you have to drive the car
bef ore checking the tire pressure,
the tires can still be considered
‘‘cold’’ if you drive less than 1 mile
(1.6 km). If you check the pressure when the
tires are hot [the car has been driven
several miles (kilometers)], you will
see readings 4 to 6 psi (30 to 40 kPa,
0.3 to 0.4 kgf /cm ) higher than the
cold reading. This is normal. Do not
let air out to match the specif ied cold
pressure. The tire will be
underinf lated.
Thecompactsparetirepressureis:
Youshouldgetyourowntire
pressure gauge and use it whenever
you check your tire pressures. This
will make it easier f or you to tell if a
pressure loss is due to a tire problem
and not due to a variation between
gauges.
The following chart shows the
recommended cold tire pressures f or
most normal driving conditions and
speeds. Tire pressures f or high
speed driving are the same as f or
normal driving.
Add or release air, if needed, to
match the recommended cold tire
pressuresonthispage.
For convenience, the recommended
tire sizes and cold air pressures are
on a label on the driver’s doorjamb.
For additional technical information
about your tires, see page .
252Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving
Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving
Tires
Maint enance
Recommended T ire Pressures f or
Normal Driving
190
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
205/55R16 89W 32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2
kgf/cm
)
225/50R16 92W 32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
)

Tubeless tires have some ability to
self -seal if they are punctured.
However, because leakage is of ten
very slow, you should look closely
for punctures if a tire starts losing
pressure.Every time you check inf lation, you
should also examine the tires f or
damage, f oreign objects, and wear.
Youshouldlookfor:
Bumps or bulges in the tread or
side of the tire. Replace the tire if
youfindeitherof theseconditions.
Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side
of the tire. Replace the tire if you
can see f abric or cord.
Excessive tread wear. Your car’s tires have wear indicators
molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down to that point, you
will see a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide
band running across the tread. This
shows there is less than 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) of tread lef t on the tire. A
tire that is this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see the
tread wear indicator in three or more
places around the tire.
Inspection
Tires
Maint enance191
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS

In addition to proper inf lation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you f ind a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
The tires were properly balanced by
the factory. They may need to be
rebalanced at some time bef ore they
are worn out. Have your dealer
check the tires if you f eel a consis-
tent vibration while driving. A tire
should always be rebalanced if it is
removed f rom the wheel f or repair.Make sure the installer balances the
wheels when you have new tires
installed. This increases riding
comf ort and tire lif e. Your car’s
original tires were dynamic or ‘‘spin’’
balanced at the f actory. For best
results, have the installer perf orm a
dynamic balance.
You should not rotate your Honda’s
tires. The f ront and rear tires are
dif f erent sizes, so they cannot be
rotated f ront-to-rear. The original-
equipment tires on your Honda have
a unidirectional tread pattern, so
they cannot be rotated side-to-side.
The tires that came on your car were
designed and constructed to provide
superior grip during acceleration,
braking, and cornering. As a trade-
of f , they will wear more rapidly than
tiresusedonordinarypassenger
cars. Because of the car’s weight
distribution, and the f act that they
are the driving wheels, you may
expect the rear tires to wear more
rapidly than the f ront tires.
Maintenance
T ire Rotation
Tire Wear
Tires
Maint enance192
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle’s aluminum wheels. Use
only genuine Honda wheel weights f or
balancing.

CONT INUED
The tires that came with your car
were selected to match the perform-
ance capabilities of the car while
providing the best combination of
handling, ride comf ort, and long lif e.
Youshouldreplacethemwithradial
tires of the same size, load range,
speed rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire’s sidewall). Mixing radial and
bias-ply tires on your car can reduce
its braking ability, traction, and
steering accuracy.It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, then replace the two
f ront tires or the two rear tires as a
pair. Replacing just one tire can
seriously af f ect your car’s handling.
You should caref ully inspect your
car’s tires f or wear, damage, and
proper inf lation every 7,500 miles
(12,000 km) (see page ).
189Replacing T ires and Wheels
Tires
Maint enance193
Installing improper tires on your
car can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner’s manual.

´
Wheels:
Front:
Rear:
Tires: Front:
Rear:
TheABSworksbycomparingthe
speed of the wheels. When replacing
tires, use the same size originally
supplied with the car. Tire size and
construction can af f ect wheel speed
and may cause the system to work in-
consistently.
If you ever need to replace a wheel,
make sure the wheel’s specif ications
match those of the original wheel
that came on your car. Replacement
wheels are available at your Honda
dealer.
See page f or inf ormation about
DOT Tire Quality Grading.Tires that are marked ‘‘M S’’ on the
sidewall have an all-weather tread
design. They should be suitable f or
most winter driving conditions. Tires
without these markings are designed
f or optimum traction in dry
conditions. They may not provide
adequate perf ormance in winter
driving.
For the best perf ormance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under
certain conditions.
252 Winter Driving
Wheels and T ires
Tires
Maint enance194
16x71/2JJ 16x61/2JJ
205/55R16 89W
225/50R16 92W

If you mount snow tires on your
Honda, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as the original tires. Mount snow
tiresonallfourwheelstobalance
your vehicle’s handling in all weather
conditions. Keep in mind the traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
may not be as high as your vehicle’s
original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads
areclear.Checkwiththetiredealer
f or maximum speed recommenda-
tions.Because your Honda has limited tire
clearance, mount only SAE Class ‘‘S’’
cable-type traction devices on the
rear tires. Use traction devices only
when required by driving conditions
or local laws. Make sure they are the
correct size f or your tires.
Metal link-type ‘‘chains’’ should not
be used. No matter how tight they
seem to be installed, they can come
into contact with the body and
suspension, causing serious damage.
When installing cables, f ollow the
manuf acturer’s instructions and
mount them as tightly as you can.
Drive slowly with them installed. If
youhearthemcomingincontact
with the body or chassis, stop and
investigate. Make sure the cables are
installed tightly, and that they are
not contacting the brake lines or
suspension. Remove them as soon as
you begin driving on cleared roads.
Snow T ires
T ire Chains
Tires
Maint enance195
Cables that are the wrong size or
improperly installed can damage your
car’s brake lines, suspension, body, and
wheels. Stop driving if they are hitting
any part of the car.

Check the operation of your car’s
exterior lights at least once a month.
A burned out bulb can create an
unsaf e condition by reducing your
car’s visibility and the ability to
signal your intentions to other
drivers.
Maint enance
Lights
196
SIDE TURN SIGNAL LIGHT
TURN SIGNAL
FRONT PARKING AND
SIDE MARKER LIGHTLOW BEAM
HEADLIGHTHIGH BEAM
HEADLIGHT

Check the f ollowing:Headlights (low and high beam)
Parking lights
Taillights
Brake lights
Turn signals
Back-up lights
Hazard light f unction
License plate light
Side marker lights
Daytime running lights
(Canadian cars)
If you f ind any bulbs are burned out,
replace them as soon as possible.
Refer to the chart on page to
determine what type of replacement
bulb is needed. 251
Maint enance
Lights
197
TURN SIGNAL LIGHT
SIDE MARKER LIGHT STOP/TAILLIGHT
BACK-UP LIGHTLICENSE PLATE LIGHT