HONDA ACCORD COUPE 2002 CL7 / 7.G Owners Manual

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.
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. ABS helps to prevent the wheels
f rom locking up and skidding during
hard braking, allowing you to retain
steering control. The EX, and EX-V6 models, the U.S.
LX-V6, and the Canadian Special
Edition models have an Anti-lock
Brake System (ABS) as standard
equipment.
‘‘stomp and steer.’’
A nti-lock BrakesYou should never pump the
brake pedal,
Brake System Design
The Braking System
Driving218
F Fr
roo n
nt
t

Î
ÎÎ
Î
such as trying to take a
corner too f ast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed f or the road and
weather conditions. on loose or
uneven surf aces, such as gravel or
snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater
distance between vehicles under
those conditions.
The ABS is self -checking. If anything
goes wrong, the ABS indicator on
the instrument panel comes on (see
page ). This means the anti-lock
f unction of the braking system has
shut down. The brakes still work like
a conventional system without anti-
lock, providing normal stopping
ability. You should have the dealer
inspect your car as soon as possible.
it
only helps with steering control
during braking. You should always
maintain a saf e f ollowing distance
f rom other vehicles.
Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe
or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your car to veer into
oncoming traffic or off the road. 59
CONT INUED
Import ant Saf et y Reminders
A BS Indicat or
A BS will not prevent a skid that
results f rom changing direction
abruptly,A vehicle with A BS may require a
longer distance to stop
A BS does not reduce the time or
distance it takes to stop the car,
A BS cannot prevent a loss of
stability.
The Braking System
Driving219
U U. .SS. .i
inn d
di
icca at too r
r s
shh o
ow
wn nA
A
B
BSS I
INND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R

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.Driving with TCS requires no special
skills or technique. The TCS does
not control your car’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
suf f icient margin of saf ety.
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 25
mph (40 km/h).
The TCS indicator will come on
alongwiththeABSindicatorif there
is a problem with the anti-lock brake
system.
On all V6 models
On all V6 models
Driving
The Braking System, Traction Control System
Traction Control System
220
T TR
RA A C
CTTI
IOON N C
COON NTTR
RO OL L S
SYYSSTTE
EM
M
I
IN ND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R

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 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 TCS is
activating, the TCS indicator will
stop flashing and stay on temporarily.
This indicates that TCS has turned
off. After the brakes have cooled
down (usually f or about 10 minutes),
TCSwillturnbackonandthe
indicator will turn of f .
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.
You should still install winter tires on
your car during the winter. Make
sure to use the same size originally
supplied with vehicle. Exercise the
samecautioninwinterdrivingasyou
would if your car was not equipped
with TCS.
312
CONT INUED
TCS ON/OFF Switch
Traction Control System
Driving221
T TC
CS S O
ONN//O
OF FFF S
SWWI ITT C
CH H

This indicator will come on along
with the ABS indicator if there is a
problem in the anti-lock brake
system (seeon page
).
The TCS indicator may occasionally
come on f or one or two seconds and
then go out. This is normal.
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.
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 TCS. If the TCS indicator comes on and
stays on for more than 10 minutes
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, and watch the
TCS indicator. If the indicator
remains on, or comes back on while
driving, have the system inspected
by your Honda dealer. You can still
drive the vehicle without TCS.
It f lashes when TCS is regulating
wheelspin.
If the system’s diagnostics senses
a problem with TCS, the indicator
will come on and stay on.
If the brakes overheat, the
indicator will come on. 219
ABS Indicator
T CS Indicat or
Traction Control System
Driving222

µAlways 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. 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.
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
Driving223

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.
Be caref ul when downshif ting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the
drive wheels f or a moment and cause
askid.
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 roster and air
conditioning to keep the windows
f rom f ogging up on the inside (see
pages and ).
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.
113 121
Visibility
Traction
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving224

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 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. 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.
CONT INUED
T otal T railer Weight: T ongue L oad:
Load Limits
Towing a Trailer
Driving225

The total weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, all cargo, and the
tongue load must not exceed:
To achieve a proper tongue load,
start by loading 60 percent of the
load toward the front of the trailer
and 40 percent toward the rear, then
re-adjust the load as needed.
The total weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, all cargo, the
tongue load must not exceed:
(Special Edition and U.S. LX)
(EX)
(LX-V6, EX-V6) (Special Edition and U.S. LX)
(EX)
(Special Edition and U.S. LX-V6,
EX-V6)
on the f ront axle
(Special Edition and U.S. LX)
(EX)
(LX-V6, EX-V6)
on the rear axle
and
Towing a Trailer
Driving
Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GA WR):
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR):
226
3,990 lbs (1,810 kg)
4,035 lbs (1,830 kg)
4,235 lbs (1,920 kg) 2,160 lbs (980 kg)
2,185 lbs (990 kg)
2,315 lbs (1,050 kg)
1,895 lbs (860 kg)
1,920 lbs (870 kg)
1,940 lbs (880 kg)Exceeding load limits or
improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously
injured or killed.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully
beforestartingtodrive.

Towing can require a variety of
equipment, depending on the size of
your trailer, how it will be used, and
how much load you are towing.
Discuss your needs with your trailer
sales or rental agency, and f ollow the
guidelines in the rest of this section.
Also make sure that all equipment is
properly installed and that it meets
f ederal, state, province, and local
regulations.
Any hitch used on your vehicle must
be properly bolted to the underbody.
The best way to conf irm that vehicle
and trailer weights are within limits
is to have them checked at a public
scale.
Using a suitable scale or a special
tongue load gauge, check the tongue
load the f irst time you set up a
towing combination (a f ully-loaded
vehicle and trailer), then recheck the
tongue load whenever the conditions
change.
Always use saf ety chains. Make sure
they are secured to both the trailer
and hitch, and that they cross under
the tongue so they can catch the
trailer if it becomes unhitched.
Leave enough slack to allow the
trailer to turn corners easily, but do
not let the chains drag on the ground.
CONT INUED
T owing Equipment and
A ccessories
Checking L oads
Hitches Saf et y Chains
Towing a Trailer
Driving227