traction control HONDA ACCORD 2001 CF / 6.G Owners Manual

The lef t or right turn signal light
blinks when you signal a lane change
or turn. If the light does not blink or
blinks rapidly, it usually means one
of the turn signal bulbs is burned out
(see page ). Replace the bulb as
soon as possible, since other drivers
cannot see that you are signalling.
WhenyouturnontheHazard
Warning switch, both turn signal
lights blink. All turn signals on the
outside of the car should f lash.
The appropriate light comes on in
this display if the trunk or any door
is not closed tightly. If a brake light
does not work, the
indicator comes on when you push
the brake pedal with the ignition
switch ON (II).
A burned out brake light is a hazard
when drivers behind you cannot tell
you are braking. Have your brake
lights repaired right away.
All the lights in the monitor display
come on f or a f ew seconds when you
turn the ignition switch ON (II).
This indicator has three f unctions:
Itcomesonasareminderthatyou
have turned off the Traction
Control System.
It f lashes when the TCS is
regulating wheelspin.
If itcomesonandstaysonwhen
the Traction Control System is on,
it indicates that there is a problem
in the TCS.
This light also comes on when you
turn the ignition ON (II) and goes off
af ter the engine starts. See page f or more inf ormation on the
TCS.
1. 2. 3.
206 277
On all V6 models
Indicator L ights
Inst rument s and Cont rols Turn Signal and
Hazard Warning
Indicators
Door and Brake L amp Monitor
Traction Control System
(T CS) Indicator
56 BRAKE LAMP

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes
important inf ormation on parking
your car, the braking system, and
f acts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive . 192
.......................
Starting the Engine . 193
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude . 194
....
5-speed Manual Transmission . 195
.....
Recommended Shif t Points . 196
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 196
..............
Automatic Transmission . 196
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 197
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 197
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 200
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 200
...........................................
Parking . 202
.....................
The Braking System . 203
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 203
...............
Brake System Design . 204
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes . 204
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders . 205
........................
ABS Indicator . 205
..............
Traction Control System . 206
...............
TCS ON/OFF Switch . 207
............................
TCS Indicator . 207
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 209
...........................
Towing a Trailer . 211
Driving
Driving 191

this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work f or you by always keeping f irm,
steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes ref erred to as
You will f eel a pulsation in the brake
pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is
normal, it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of
traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on
thebrakepedalveryhardbeforeyou
activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
The hydraulic system that operates
the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (the lef t-f ront brake is
connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking
at two wheels.
LX with ABS, EX and all V6 models
have an Anti-lock Brake System
(ABS) as standard equipment. It is
optional on other models.
ABS helps to prevent the wheels
f rom locking up and skidding during
hard braking, allowing you to retain
steering control.
When the f ront tires skid, you lose
steering control; the car continues
straightaheadeventhoughyouturn
the steering wheel. The ABS helps to
prevent lock-up and helps you retain
steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly; much f aster than a
person can do it.
‘‘stomp and steer.’’
A nti-lock Brakes You should never pump the
brake pedal,
Brake System Design
The Braking System
Driving
204
FFrroonntt

You should still install winter tires on
your vehicle during the winter. Make
sure to use the same size originally
supplied with vehicle. Exercise the
samecautioninwinterdrivingasyou
would if your vehicle was not
equipped with TCS.
When starting out or driving at low
speeds on a loose or slippery road
surface, you may notice that the
vehicle does not respond to the
accelerator in the same way it does
at other times. This is a sign the TCS
is activating. You will see the TCS
indicator light f lash. Driving with the compact spare tire
installed (see page ) may
activate the TCS. You should turn of f
the system.
If the brakes overheat while the TCS
is activating, the TCS indicator will
stop flashing and stay on temporarily.
This indicates that the TCS system
has turned of f . Af ter the brakes have
cooled down (usually f or about 10
minutes), the TCS will turn back on
and the indicator will turn of f .
Driving with TCS requires no special
skills or technique. The TCS does
not control your vehicle’s whole
braking system and cannot prevent
skidding if you enter a corner too
f ast. It is still your responsibility to
drive at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety.
The TCS monitors the speed of all
f our wheels. When it senses a f ront
wheel losing traction, it applies
braking to that wheel. The TCS
indicator f lashes when this occurs.
Your Honda is equipped with a
Traction Control System (TCS) to
assist you in maintaining traction
while driving slowly on loose or
slippery surf aces. The TCS assists
only in low-speed, low-traction
conditions; up to approximately 18
mph (30 km/h).
296On LX V6 and EX V6 models
Traction Control System
Driving
206
TTCCSSIINNDDIICCAATTOORR

The Traction Control System turns
on every time you start the engine,
even if you turned it of f the last time
you drove the vehicle.
This switch is under the side vent. It
letsyouturntheTractionControl
System on and of f . You cannot turn
of f the TCS while the TCS indicator
light is f lashing. Deactivate the system by pressing
the TCS On/Off switch. The TCS
indicator light comes on as a
reminder. Pressing the switch again
turns the system back on.
The TCS indicator comes on or
f lashes under the f ollowing condi-
tions:
When you turn the ignition switch
to ON (II).
When you manually turn of f the
TCS.
It f lashes when the TCS is
regulating wheelspin.
If the system’s diagnostics senses
a problem in the TCS, the indica-
tor will come on and stay on.
If the brakes overheat, the
indicator will come on.
CONT INUED
TCS ON/OFF Switch TCS Indicator
Traction Control System
Driving207

The TCS indicator may occasionally
come on f or one or two seconds and
then go out. This is normal.This indicator will come on along
with the ABS indicator if there is a
problem in the anti-lock brake
system (see on page
).
If the TCS indicator comes on along
with the Brake System indicator, it
indicates a problem in the brake
system (see on page ).
If the TCS 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 re-
starting the engine, and watch the
TCS indicator. If the indicator
remains on, or comes back on while
driving, have the TCS inspected by
your Honda dealer. You can still
drive the vehicle without TCS.
54
205
ABS Indicator
Brake System
Indicator
Traction Control System
Driving
208

µ
Exercise extra caution when driving
in rain af ter a long dry spell. Af ter
months of dry weather, the f irst
rains bring oil to the surf ace of the
roadway, making it slippery. 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 f or the f irst f ew miles
(kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in
snow. A person can f orget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills.
Rain, f og, and snow conditions
require a dif f erent driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your car well-
maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control
should not be used in these
conditions.
CONT INUED
Driving T echnique
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving
209

µµBeing able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important
in all weather conditions. This is
more dif f icult in bad weather. To be
seen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights. Check your tires
f requently f or 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 f our
wheels f or the best handling.
Watch road conditions caref ully,
they can change f rom 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 f reezing.
The road surf ace can become
covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers f requently. Keep the wind-
shield washer reservoir f ull of the
proper f luid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to
streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the def rosters and air
conditioning to keep the windows
f rom f ogging up on the inside (see
page ).
Be caref ul when downshif ting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the
drive wheels f or a moment and cause
askid.Be very cautious when passing, or
beingpassedbyothervehicles.The
spray f rom large vehicles reduces
your visibility, and the wind buf f eting
can cause you to lose control.
115
Visibility Traction
Driving
Driving in Bad Weather
210

Your Honda has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and
their cargo. You can 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.The weight that
the tongue of a f ully-loaded trailer
puts on the hitch should be
approximately 10 percent of the
trailer weight. Too little tongue
load can make the trailer unstable
and cause it to sway. Too much
tongue load reduces f ront-tire
traction and steering control.
The total
weight of the trailer and
everything loaded in 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. Tongue Load:
T otal T railer Weight:
Load Limits
Towing a Trailer
Driving
211

Thediagramsinthissectiongive
you the dimensions and capacities of
your Honda, and the locations of the
identif ication numbers. It also
includes inf ormation you should
know about your vehicle’s tires and
emissions control systems.................
Identif ication Numbers . 324
................................
Specif ications . 326
..........
DOT Tire Quality Grading . 329
.................................
Treadwear . 329
......................................
Traction . 329
.............................
Temperature . 330 .........................
Oxygenated Fuels . 331
......
Driving in Foreign Countries . 332
.......................
Emissions Controls . 333
.....................
The Clean Air Act . 333
Crankcase Emissions Control
....................................
System . 333
Evaporative Emissions Control
....................................
System . 333
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor ................................
Recovery . 333
...
Exhaust Emissions Controls . 334
....................
PGM-FI System . 334
Ignition Timing Control
................................
System . 334
Three Way Catalytic ...........................
Converter . 334
....................
Replacement Parts . 334
..
Three Way Catalytic Converter . 335
..............
State Emissions Testing . 336
T echnical Inf ormat ion
T echnical Inf ormation 323