light HONDA CIVIC 1991 Owner's Guide

Brakes

Brake System Design

The diagonally-separated dual serv-
ice brake system is designed so half
the system will still provide braking action if the other half fails.
Stopping the car after losing the brake fluid from half the system will
require more pedal pressure and pedal travel than normal. Also, the
distance required to stop will be longer using only half the brake
system. If the brakes fail suddenly, downshift to a lower gear for increased engine braking, and pull off the road as soon as possible.
It is dangerous to drive your car with a problem in either thebrake electrical or hydraulic system; have your dealer check
both systems if you suspect brake trouble.
Driving through deep water may affect the brakes.Check their effectiveness by pressing the brake pedal gently.
If the car does not slow down at the normal rate, continue
gently applying the brakes, while maintaining a safe speed, until
they dry out and normal performance returns. Do not ride the brakes. In other words, don't put your foot on
the brake pedal unless you intend to brake. This causes excessive brake wear and can damage, or lead to loss of braking
effectiveness through overheating. Your brake lights may also
confuse drivers behind you.
Brake Wear Both front and rear brakes should be inspected for wear at the
intervals shown in the Maintenance Schedule on page 70.
When the brakes require maintenance, use only genuine Honda
replacement parts or their equivalent.

(cont'd)ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Power Steering
The Sedan (except DX with manual transmission) and DX Hatch- back with automatic transmission are equipped with power steering.
The power steering on your car provides easy handling while parking and maneuvering in traffic, without loss of road "feel" at
highway speeds. An engine-driven hydraulic pump provides full
power assist at low speeds and decreasing assist as the car goes

faster.

CAUTION:

If the power steering system should fail, or if the engine should
stall, the car can still be steered. However, much greater effort
will be required, particularly in sharp turns at low speed.

NOTE:

You may feel a slight clunk or knock when turning the wheel with
the engine off. This is a normal condition due to the design of the

system.

RESERVOIR CAP

UPPER
LOWER

Power Steering Fluid
Check the power steering fluid level
with the engine cold and the car
parked on level ground. Make sure
the fluid level is between the upper and lower marks on the reservoir. If
the level has dropped close to or below the lower mark, check for
leaks before adding fluid to theupper mark. Do not overfill.

CAUTION:

Use only genuine Honda power steering fluid. The use of other
fluids such as A.T.F. or other manufacturer's power steering fluid will damage the system.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Fuse Replacement
The fuse box is located under the dashboard on the driver's side.
The circuits protected by each fuse are listed inside the box.
Hatchback

Sedan

(Sedan)

The fuses for automatic shoulder belt buckle motor are installed on the terminal of the battery.
If any of your car's lights, accessories, or controls don't work,
check their fuses. If a fuse has blown, the wire inside it will be burned through.
BLOWN FUSE
REMOVER

Pull downProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Checking the fuses:
1 .Turn off the ignition and all other switches.
2. If you find a blown or possibly faulty fuse, use the fuse remover, stored beside the spare fuse to pull the blown fuse out of its clips.
3. Check all other fuses as well as the one you suspect.
4. Push in a new fuse of the same rating, and make sure it fits tightly in the clips. If it fits loosely, have your dealer fix it.If you don't have a spare, take a fuse of the same rating (or lower)
out of a circuit you may not need, like the radio or cigarette lighter.
Remember to replace the borrowed fuse and the missing spares.

CAUTION:

A blown fuse may be just a symptom of some other problem. If a new fuse blows right away, the cause should be diagnosed and
corrected by a qualified Honda technician. Never replace a fuse with anything but another fuse of the same or lower rating. A
higher capacity fuse could cause damage and even start a fire.

The main fuse and some primary fuses are installed on the right

front fender beside the battery.
If the circuits from the battery are ever overloaded (by a short in
the system drawing too much current for example) the main or a primary fuse will blow, preventing damage to the entire wiring
harness. If the main fuse blows, have a Honda dealer check the
system, repair the cause, and replace the fuse.

CAUTION:
The electrical system is protected by fuses that are designed to
fail and prevent damage to the wire harness. Always replaceblown fuses with the same rating as specified to prevent wiring
damage that can result in a possible fire.For proper electrical contact after replacing these fuses, make
sure all screws are tight.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Bulb Replacement

NOTE:

See pages 117 and 120 for bulb specifications.
Front turn signal lights
Front side marker and turn signal lights/position lightsLicense plate lights Back-up lights (Sedan)ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Rear side marker, turn signal, brake/taillights and back-up lights
(Back-up lights: Hatchback only)

(Hatchback)

(Sedan)

Interior light
Luggage area light

(except for STD Hatchback)

(Hatchback)
(Sedan)

High-mount brake lightProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

To reduce the possibility of injury, be sure to use the jack provided
with the car and the correct jacking points; never use any otherpart of the car for jack support.
6. Set the jack handle extension in the connector on the end of the jack and install the lug wrench/jack handle. Turn the lug wrench/
jack handle clockwise until the tire is slightly off the ground.
JACK HANDLE EXTENSION
LUG WRENCH/JACK HANDLE
7. Remove the center cap by turning
the lock to 90°.
(Center cap: EX Sedan)
8. Remove the lug nuts, wheel cover and wheel.
(Wheel cover: Si/DX Hatchback
and LX/EX Sedan)
(cont'd)

VALVE

LUG NUTS
WHEEL COVERProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Jump Starting

To start a car with a dead battery, use another battery of the samevoltage, and the proper jumper cables.
Procedures other than those below could cause injury or
damage from battery acid spray, explosion or charging system

overload.

Never connect the jumper cable directly to the negative post of
the "dead" battery.
Never allow the two cars to touch each other. Never allow the jumper cable clamps to touch each other.
Never lean over the battery when making connections.
Never attempt to jump start a vehicle with a frozen battery. The
battery could rupture and explode. If you suspect a frozenbattery, remove the vent caps and check the fluid. If there
seems to be no fluid, or if you see ice, do not attempt a jump
start until the fluid thaws.

CAUTION:

If jumper cables are connected backwards, the car's main fuse
may blow.
1.Turn off all lights, heater and other electrical loads, set parking brake, and shift the transmission to Neutral or Park.
2. Use one cable to connect the positive terminal of the booster
battery to the positive terminal of the "dead" battery.

3. Use the other cable to connect
the negative terminal of the

booster battery to the engine at
the ground cable as shown.
4. To remove the cables, reverse the above procedures exactly.
DO NOT push or tow a car to start
it. The forward surge when the en- gine starts could cause a collision.
Also, under some conditions, the catalytic converter could be dam- aged. A car equipped with an auto-matic transmission cannot be
started by pushing or towing.
DEAD

BATTERY
Negative to the
engine at the

ground cable, not

to the battery

Do not attach

cable here
Positive to

positive
BOOSTER

BATTERYProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

5. Set the wrench extension into the wrench grip (both provided in
the tool bag) then insert the wrench into the socket and turn it
counterclockwise until the shoulder belt buckle reaches its rear locked position.

WRENCHEXTENSION WRENCH

NOTE:

After the manual operation, make sure that the seat belt warning light is off and the shoulder belt buckle is seated properly in its
locked position.
6. Replace the cover on the center pillar.7. Reinstall the fuse, the fuse remover and both fuse box covers.

Shoulder Belt Buckle (cont'd) (Sedan)

4. Remove the cover located on the center pillar.

COVER

WRENCH GRIPProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Emission Controls

Sources of Emissions
The combustion process produces carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and hydrocarbons. The evaporation of fuel in the fuel tank
also produces hydrocarbons. Control of oxides of nitrogen andhydrocarbons is very important since, under certain conditions,
when subjected to sunlight, they react to form photochemical smog. Carbon monoxide does not react to form smog, but it is toxic.Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has developed a number of systems which
are highly effective in reducing carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen
and hydrocarbons.
The Clean Air Act The Clean Air Act requires all vehicle manufacturers to explain in
writing, the operation and maintenance of their emission control

systems.

Maintenance instructions are included on pages 68 — 73 ; the
operation of each system is explained on the following.

Replacement Parts

The emission control systems on your new Honda were designed, built and certified to conform with the Federal regulations
implementing the Clean Air Act. Honda recommends only the use of
new, genuine Honda parts or their equivalent. The use of otherreplacement parts which are not of equivalent quality may impair
the effectiveness of your car's emission control systems.

Crankcase Emission Control System

To prevent crankcase emissions, your car is equipped with a Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) System which routes blowby
gases from the crankcase, through the PCV valve and intakemanifold, into the combustion chamber.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t