air conditioning HONDA ACCORD SEDAN 2003 Owner's Manual (in English)

This button controls the source of air
going into the system. When the
indicator above this button is lit, air
from the car’s interior is sent
through the system again (Recircula-
tion mode). When the indicator is off,
air is brought in f rom outside the car
(Fresh Air mode).
This button turns the air condi-
tioning ON and OFF. The indicator
above the button lights when the
A/C is on. Air Conditioning is optional on the
U.S. DX model.
Turning this dial clockwise increases
the temperature of the air flow. Turning this dial clockwise increases
the f an’s speed, which increases air
flow. If your car does not have air
conditioning, it can be installed at
any time. Your dealer can install a
genuine Honda air conditioning
system that meets Honda’s high
quality standards and is designed to
exactly f it your car. Please contact
your dealer f or more inf ormation. This button turns the rear window
def ogger on and of f (see page ).
Proper use of the Heating and
Cooling system can make the
interior dry and comf ortable, and
keep the windows clear f or the best
visibility.
72
On all models except EX-L and EX-V6
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Heating and Cooling
Air Conditioning (A/C) Button Recirculation Button
Rear Window Def ogger Button
T emperature Control Dials Fan Control Dial What Each Control Does
112
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL
FAN CONTROL DIAL RECIRCULATION BUTTON
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER
BUTTON
MODE BUTTONS
AIR CONDITIONING
(A/C) BUTTON

CONT INUED
The f low-through ventilation system
draws in outside air, circulates it
through the interior, then exhausts it
through vents near the rear window.Turn the temperature control dial
all the way to the lef t.
Make sure the A/C is of f .
Select and Fresh Air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
The outside air intakes f or the
heating and cooling system are at
the base of the windshield. Keep
these clear of leaves and other
debris.
This section covers how to set up the
system controls f or ventilation,
heating, cooling, dehumidif ying, and
def rosting.
The engine must be running f or the
heater and air conditioning to
generate hot and cold air. The heater
uses engine coolant to warm the air.
If the engine is cold, it will be several
minutes bef ore you f eel warm air
coming from the system.
It is best to leave the system in Fresh
Air mode under almost all conditions.
Keeping the system in Recirculation
mode, particularly with the A/C of f ,
can cause the windows to fog up.
Switch to Recirculation mode when
you are driving through smoky or
dusty conditions, then switch back to
Fresh Air mode when the condition
clears. The air conditioning does not rely on
engine temperature.
1.
2.
3.
Heating and Cooling
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Vent ilat ion
How to Use the System
115
RECIRCULATION BUTTONTEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL
FAN CONTROL
DIAL
MODE BUTTONS
AIR CONDITIONING
(A/C) BUTTON

Air conditioning places an extra load
on the engine. Watch the engine
coolant temperature gauge (see page) when driving in stop-and-go
traf f ic or climbing a long, steep hill.
If it moves near the red zone, turn
of f the A/C until the gauge reads
normally.
When the interior has cooled down
to a more comf ortable temperature,
close the windows and set the
controls as described f or normal
cooling.
If the interior is very warm f rom
beingparkedinthesun,youcancool
it down more rapidly by setting up
the controls this way: Turn on the A/C by pressing the
A/C button. The light above the
buttonshouldcomeonwhenafan
speed is selected.
Make sure the temperature
controldialissettomaximumcool.
Select .
If the outside air is humid, select
Recirculation mode. If the outside
air is dry, select Fresh Air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
Start the engine.
Turn on the A/C by pressing the
A/C button. Make sure the tem-
perature control dial is set to
maximum cool.
Set the f an to maximum speed.
Open the windows partially. Select
and Fresh Air mode.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
3. 4.
64
On cars with manual air conditioningsystem
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Heating and Cooling
T o Cool wit h A /C
116
RECIRCULATION BUTTON
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL
AIR CONDITIONING
(A/C) BUTTON
FAN CONTROL
DIAL
MODE BUTTONS

To warm the interior:Air conditioning, as it cools, removes
moisture from the air. When used in
combination with the heater, it
makes the interior warm and dry.To remove f og f rom the inside of the
windows:
Set the f an to the desired speed.
Turn on the air conditioning.
Select and Fresh Air mode.
Adjust the temperature control
dial so the mixture of heated and
cooled air f eels comf ortable.
Start the engine.
Select and Fresh Air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
Adjust the warmth of the air with
the temperature control dial.
Once the engine is warmed up, this
setting is suitable f or all driving
conditions. Set the f an to the desired speed.
Select .
When you select , the
system automatically switches to
Fresh Air mode and turns on the
A/C. (The indicator above the
A/C button stays off.)
Adjust the temperature control
dial so the air flow from the
def roster vents f eels warm.
Turn on the rear window def ogger
to help clear the rear window.
When you switch to another mode
f rom , the A/C turns of f .
Butifitwasontostartwith,it
stays on.
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
4.1.
2.
3.
4.
CONT INUED
Heating and Cooling
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
T o Heat
T o Heat and Dehumidif y wit h A ir
Condit ioning T o Def og and Def rost
117

Press the A/C button to turn the air
conditioningonandoff.Youwillsee
A/C ON or A/C OFF in the display. You can manually select various
f unctions of the Climate Control
system when it is in f ully automatic
mode. All other f eatures remain
automatically controlled. Making any
manual selection causes the word
AUTO in the display to go out.
When you turn the A/C of f , the sys-
tem cannot regulate the inside tem-
perature if you set the dial below the
outside temperature. With the A/C
of f , use the temperature control dial
to adjust the temperature of the air
flow to a comfortable setting. Semi-automatic Operation
A ir Condit ioning (A /C) But t on
Climat e Cont rol Syst em
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures122
RECIRCULATION BUTTON
DRIVER’S SIDE
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL
PASSENGER’S SIDE
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL
AIR CONDITIONING
(A/C) BUTTON

Touching ‘‘ON’’ or ‘‘OFF’’ in the
display turns the air conditioning on
andoff.YouwillseeA/CONorA/C
OFF in the display. You can manually select various
f unctions of the Climate Control
system when it is in f ully automatic
mode. All other f eatures remain
automatically controlled. Some of
these f unctions appear in the A/C
display. Press the A/C button next to
the display to show these functions.
Making any manual selection causes
the indicator in the AUTO button to
go out.
When you turn the A/C of f , the sys-
tem cannot regulate the inside tem-
perature if you set the temperature
control buttons below the outside
temperature. With the A/C off, use
the temperature control buttons to
adjust the temperature of the air
flow to a comfortable setting.
Climat e Cont rol Syst em
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Manual Operation
A ir Condit ioning (A /C) Icons
128
PASSENGER’S SIDE
TEMPERATURE DISPLAY
DRIVER’S SIDE
TEMPERATURE DISPLAY
AIR CONDITIONING
(A/C) ICONS
MODE ICONS
FAN CONTROL
ICONS A/C BUTTON

A cold engine uses more f uel than a
warm engine. It is not necessary to
‘‘warm-up’’ a cold engine by letting it
idle f or a long time. You can drive
away in about a minute, no matter
how cold it is outside. The engine
will warm up f aster, and you get
better f uel economy. To cut down on
the number of ‘‘cold starts,’’ try to
combine several short trips into one.
You can improve f uel economy by
driving moderately. Rapid acceler-
ation, abrupt cornering, and hard
braking use more f uel.
Always drive in the highest gear that
allows the engine to run and acceler-
ate smoothly.
The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Turnoff theA/Cto
cut down on air conditioning use.
Use the f low-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is
moderate.
The condition of your car and your
driving habits are the two most
important things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Always maintain your car according
to the maintenance schedule. This
will keep it in top operating condition.
Depending on traf f ic conditions, try
to maintain a constant speed. Every
time you slow down and speed up,
your car uses extra f uel. Use the
cruise control, when appropriate, to
increase f uel economy.
An important part of that mainte-
nance is the
(see page ). For
example, an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses f uel. It also wears out
f aster, so check the tire pressure at
least monthly.
In winter, the build-up of snow on
your car’s underside adds weight and
rolling resistance. Frequent cleaning
helps your f uel mileage and reduces
thechanceof corrosion. 265 Driving Habits
Owner Maintenance
Checks Car Condition
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving211

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. 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.
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 ).
131
125
Visibility
Traction
Driving
Driving in Bad Weather
236

When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shif t down to 2nd
gear. Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red (Hot) mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your car’s
handling and perf ormance, so
driving with a trailer requires some
special driving skills and techniques.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
discussed below.
Make turns more slowly and wider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your car, and it can
hit or run over something the car
misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.
If youmuststopwhenfacinguphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the car in place by
pressing on the accelerator, as this
can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or cars with trailers. If
you have an automatic transmission,
use D position when towing a trailer
on level roads. D is the proper shif t
lever position to use when towing a
trailer in hilly terrain. (See ‘‘ ’’ in the next column f or
additional gear information.) If the automatic transmission shif ts
f requently while going up a hill, shif t
to D .
3
3
Driving Saf ely With a T railerMaking T urns and Braking
Driving on Hills
T owing Speeds and Gears
Driving
on Hills
Towing a Trailer
Driving242

This section also includes
Maintenance Schedules f or normal
driving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions f or simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of
yourself .
If you have the skills and tools to per-
f orm more complex maintenance
tasks on your Honda, you may want
to purchase the Service Manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your Honda
dealer. This section explains why it is
important to keep your car well
maintained and how to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.......................
Maintenance Saf ety .246
.
Important Safety Precautions . 247
.................
Maintenance Schedule . 248
...
Required Maintenance Record . 260
.......
Owner Maintenance Checks . 265
..............................
Fluid Locations .266
......................................
Engine Oil .268
..................................
Adding Oil .268
....................
Recommended Oil .268
..............................
Synthetic Oil .269
....................................
Additives .270
.....
Changing the Oil and Filter . 270
.............................
Cooling System .272
............
Adding Engine Coolant . 272
.......
Replacing Engine Coolant . 275
....................
Windshield Washers .279
.......................
Transmission Fluid .280
Automatic .........................
Transmission .280
5-speed Manual .........................
Transmission .283
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid . 284
............................
Brake System .284
...........................
Clutch System .285
..............................
Power Steering .285
.....................
Air Cleaner Element .286 ....................................
Hood Latch .289
....................................
Spark Plugs .289
..............................
Replacement .289
............................
Specif ications .291
...........................................
Battery .294
.................................
Wiper Blades .297
..............
Air Conditioning System . 299
..................
Dust and Pollen Filter . 300
.......................................
Drive Belt .302
....................................
Timing Belt .302
...............................................
Tires .303
......................................
Inf lation .303
..................................
Inspection .305
..............................
Maintenance .305
.............................
Tire Rotation .306
...
Replacing Tires and Wheels . 306
......................
Wheels and Tires .307
..........................
Winter Driving .308
.............................
Snow Tires .308
............................
Tire Chains .308
.............................................
Lights .310
........................
Replacing Bulbs .312
...........................
Storing Your Car .323
381
Maintenance
Maint enance245