HONDA ACCORD COUPE 2003 CL7 / 7.G Owners Manual

Vacuum the carpeting f requently to
remove dirt. Ground-in dirt will make
the carpet wear out f aster.
Periodically shampoo the carpet to
keep it looking new. Use one of the
foam-type carpet cleaners on the
market. Follow the instructions that
come with the cleaner, applying it
with a sponge or sof t brush. Keep
the carpeting as dry as possible by
not adding water to the f oam.If you replace it, use a Honda f loor
matthatisdesignedtobeusedwith
the f loor mat anchors in your car.
If you use a non-Honda f loor mat in
the driver’s f ootwell, make sure it
f its properly and that it can be used
with the floor mat anchor.
Do not put additional f loor mats on
top of the anchored mat, otherwise
the additional mats may slide
f orward and interf ere with the pedals.
The Honda driver’s f loor mat that
came with your car was designed to
be hooked over the f loor mat
anchors. This keeps the f loor mat
f rom sliding f orward and possibly
interf ering with the pedals.
If you remove the driver’s f loor mat,
make sure to re-anchor it when you
putitbackinyourcar.
Carpeting
Floor Mats
Interior Care
Appearance Care358

Vacuum dirt and dust out of the
material f requently. For general
cleaning, use a solution of mild soap
and lukewarm water, letting it air dry.
To clean of f stubborn spots, use a
commercially-available f abric cleaner.
Test it on a hidden area of the f abric
first, to make sure it does not bleach
or stain the f abric. Follow the
instructions that come with the
cleaner.
Remove dirt and dust with a vacuum
cleaner. Wipe the vinyl with a sof t
cloth dampened in a solution of mild
soap and water. Use the same
solution with a soft-bristle brush on
more dif f icult spots. You can also use
commercially-available spray or
f oam-type vinyl cleaners.If your seat belts get dirty, you can
use a sof t brush with a mixture of
mild soap and warm water to clean
them. Do not use bleach, dye, or
cleaning solvents. They can weaken
the belt material. Let the belts air-
drybeforeyouusethecar.
Vacuum dirt and dust f rom the
leather f requently. Pay particular
attention to the pleats and seams.
Clean the leather with a sof t cloth
dampened with clear water, then
buf f it with a clean, dry cloth. If
f urther cleaning is needed, use a
soap specif ically f or leather, such as
saddle soap. Apply this soap with a
damp,softcloth.Wipedownand
buf f as described above.
CONT INUED
On EX with leather interior and EX-V6
models
Fabric
Vinyl L eather
Seat Belts
Interior Care
Appearance Care359
LOOP

Dirt build-up in the loops of the seat
belt anchors can cause the belts to
retract slowly. Wipe the insides of
the loops with a clean cloth
dampened in mild soap and warm
water or isopropyl alcohol.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 sof t cloth or paper
towels to clean all glass and clear
plastic surf aces.If you want to use an air f reshener/
deodorizer in the interior of your car,
it is best to use a solid type. Some
liquid air f resheners contain chemi-
cals that may cause parts of the
interior trim and f abric to crack or
discolor.
If youusealiquidairfreshener,
make sure you f asten it securely so it
does not spill as you drive.
Interior Care
Appearance Care
Windows
A ir Fresheners
360
The rear window def ogger and
antenna wires are bonded to the inside
of the glass. Wiping vigorously up-and-
down can dislodge and break these
wires. When cleaning the rear window,
use gentle pressure and wipe side-to-
side.

Repair chips and scratches in the
paint as soon as you discover them.
Inspect and clean out the drain
holes in the bottom of the doors
and body.
Check the f loor coverings f or
dampness. Carpeting and f loor
mats may remain damp f or a long
time, especially in winter. This
dampness can eventually cause
the f loor panels to corrode.
Two f actors normally contribute to
causing corrosion in your car:
Moisture trapped in body cavities.
Dirtandroadsaltthatcollectsin
hollows on the underside of the
car stays damp, promoting
corrosion in that area.
Removal of paint and protective
coatings f rom the exterior and
underside of the car. Many corrosion-preventive measures
are built into your Honda. You can
help keep your car f rom corroding
by perf orming some simple periodic
maintenance:
Have the corrosion-preventive
coatings on the underside of your
car inspected and repaired
periodically. Use a high-pressure spray to clean
the underside of your car. This is
especially important in areas that
useroadsaltinwinter.Itisalsoa
good idea in humid climates and
areas subject to salt air. Be careful
not to damage the ABS wheel
sensors and wiring at each wheel.
1.
2.
Appearance Care
Corrosion Prot ect ion
361

Body repairs can af f ect your car’s
resistance to corrosion. If your car
needs repairs af ter a collision, pay
close attention to the parts used in
the repair and the quality of the
work.
Make sure the repair f acility uses
Honda replacement body parts.
Some companies make sheet metal
pieces that seem to duplicate the
original Honda body parts, but are
actually inf erior in f it, f inish, and
corrosion resistance. Once installed,
they do not give the same high-
quality appearance.When reporting your collision to the
insurance company, tell them you
want Honda parts used in the repair.
Although most insurers recognize
the quality of original parts, some
maytrytospecifythattherepairsbe
done with other available parts. You
should investigate this bef ore any
repairs have begun.
Takeyourcartoyourauthorized
Honda dealer f or inspection af ter the
repairs are completed. Your dealer
can make sure that quality materials
were used, and that corrosion-
preventive coatings were applied to
all repaired and replaced parts.
Body Repairs
Appearance Care362

This section covers the more-
common problems that motorists
experience with their cars. It gives
you inf ormation about how to saf ely
evaluate the problem and what to do
to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your car towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire .364
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .365
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start . 371
Nothing Happens or the Starter Motor Operates ........................
Very Slowly .371
The Starter Operates ................................
Normally .372
................................
Jump Starting .373
............
If Your Engine Overheats . 376
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 379
..........
Charging System Indicator . 380
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 381
.......................
Readiness Codes .382
...............
Brake System Indicator . 383
..................
Closing the Moonroof . 384
..............................................
Fuses .386
..........
Checking and Replacing . 386
......................
Emergency Towing .391
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed363

Thecompactsparetirehasashorter
tread lif e than a regular tire. Replace
it when you can see the tread wear
indicator bars. The replacement
should be the same size and design
tire, mounted on the same wheel.
Thecompactsparetireisnot
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the compact wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to: Your car has a compact spare tire
that takes up less space. Use this
sparetireasatemporaryreplace-
ment only. Get your regular tire
repaired or replaced and put it back
on your car as soon as you can.
Turn off the Traction Control
System (see page ). Driving
withthecompactsparetiremay
activate the TCS. The wheel of the compact spare
tire is designed especially to f it
your car. Do not use your spare
tire on another car unless it is the
same make and model. Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare. This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces than the regular tire. Use
greater caution while driving on
this tire.
Follow these precautions whenever
you are using the compact spare tire:
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
under any circumstances.
259
On all V6 models
Compact Spare Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed364
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKTREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)

If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Stopping in traf f ic or on the shoulder
of a busy road is dangerous. Drive
slowly along the shoulder until you
gettoanexitoranareatostopthat
is far away from the traffic lanes.Open the trunk. Raise the trunk
f loor by lif ting up on the back edge.
Take the tool kit out of the trunk.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.
If you are towing a trailer, unhitch
the trailer. Park the car on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground away f rom
traffic. Put the transmission in
Park (automatic) or Reverse
(manual). Apply the parking brake.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the car while
you change the tire. 5.
4.
3.
2. 1.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed365
TRUNK FLOOR
SPARE TIRE JACK
TOOL KIT
The car can easily roll off the
jack, seriously injuring anyone
underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the car when it
is supported only by the jack.

Turn the jack’s end bracket
counterclockwise to loosen it, then
remove the jack.Loosen the f ive wheel nuts 1/2
turn with the wheel wrench.
The jack is behind a cover in the
right f ender. Remove the cover by
turning the handle counterclock-
wise, then pulling on the cover.
6.
7.8.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Changing a Flat T ire
366
JACK
WHEEL WRENCHWHEEL NUT

CONT INUED
Use the extension and wheel
wrench as shown to raise the car
until the f lat tire is of f the ground.
Locate the jacking point nearest
thetireyouneedtochange.Place
the jack under the jacking point.
Turn the end bracket clockwise
until the top of the jack contacts
the jacking point. Make sure the
jacking point tab is resting in the
jack notch. Remove the wheel nuts, then
remove the f lat tire. Temporarily
place the f lat tire on the ground
with the outside surface of the
wheel f acing up. You could scratch
the wheel if you put it f ace down.
9.
10.
11.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed367
JACKING POINT WHEEL WRENCH
EXTENSION