steering HONDA CIVIC 2001 7.G Owner's Manual

CONT INUED
You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. The car will acceler-
ate. When you reach the desired
cruising speed, release the button.
Press and release the SET/decel
buttononthesteeringwheel.The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on to
show the system is now activated. Thecruisecontrolmaynotholdthe
set speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down to the desired speed. This
will cancel the cruise control. To
resume the set speed, press the
RESUME/accel button. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on.
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshif t to hold the set speed.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
accel button repeatedly. Each time
you do this, your car will speed up
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Push on the accelerator pedal. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel
button.
3.
Steering Wheel Controls
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Changing t he Set Speed
77
RREESSUUMMEE//aacccceell
SSEETT//ddeecceell

Even with the cruise control turned
on, you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up f or passing. Af ter
completing the pass, take your foot
of f the accelerator pedal. The car
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your f oot on the brake or
clutch pedal will cause the cruise
control to cancel.
You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the SET/decel
button. The car will decelerate.
Release the button when you
reach the desired speed.
To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/decel
button repeatedly. Each time you
do this, your car will slow down
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your f oot. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out.
When the car slows to the desired
speed, press the SET/decel button.
The car will then maintain the
desired speed. Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
Youcancancelthecruisecontrolin
any of these ways:
Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel.
Press the Cruise Control Master
Switch.
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Steering Wheel Controls
Cancelling t he Cruise Cont rol
78
CCAANNCCEELLBBUUTTTTOONN

The valet key works only in the
ignition and the door locks. You can
keep the trunk, trunk release handle
and rear seat trunk access locked
when you leave your car and the
valet key at a parking f acility. (See
Trunk, page .)
Youshouldhavereceivedakey
number plate with your set of keys.
You will need this key number if you
ever have to get a lost key replaced.
Keep the plate stored in a saf e place.
When replacing keys, use only
Honda-approved key blanks.
Your car comes with two master
keys and a valet key.
The master key fits all the locks on
your car:
 Ignition
 Doors
 Trunk
 Trunk release handle
 Rear seat trunk access
When you push the CANCEL button,
or tap the brake or clutch pedal, the
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out and the
car will begin to slow down. You can
use the accelerator pedal in the
normal way.
The system remembers the
previously-set cruising speed. To
return to that speed, accelerate to
above25mph(40km/h),thenpress
the RESUME/accel button. The
CRUISE CONTROL light comes on,
and the car will accelerate to the
same cruising speed as bef ore.
Pressing the Cruise Control Master
Switch turns the system completely
of f and erases the previous cruising
speed f rom memory. To use the
system again, ref er to
. 89
CONT INUED
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Steering Wheel Controls, K eys and L ocks
Keys
Using t he
Cruise Cont rol
79
KKEEYYNNUUMMBBEERRPPLLAATTEE
MMAASSTTEERRKKEEYYSSVVAALLEETTKKEEYY

µYou can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
To switch f rom ACCESSORY to
LOCK, you must push the key in
slightly as you turn it. If your car has
an automatic transmission, the shif t
lever must also be in Park. The anti-
thef t lock will lock the steering
column when you remove the key.
If the f ront wheels are turned, the
anti-thef t lock may sometimes make
it difficult to turn the key from
LOCK to ACCESSORY. Firmly turn
the steering wheel to the lef t or to
the right as you turn the key.
The ignition switch is on the right
side of the steering column. It has
f our positions:
LOCK(0)
 ACCESSORY (I)
 ON (II)
 START (III)
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Keys and Locks
LOCK (0)
Ignition Switch 82 Removing the key from the
ignition switch while driving
locks the steering. This can
cause you to lose control.
Remove the key from the
ignition switch only whenparked.

In addition, any modif ications that
decrease ground clearance increase
the chance of undercarriage parts
striking a curb, speed bump, or other
raised object, which could cause
your airbags to deploy.
Do not modif y your steering wheel
or any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.
Modif ications could make the
system inef f ective.
Do not remove any original
equipment or modif y your car in any
way that would alter its design or
operation. This could make your car
unsaf e and illegal to drive.
For example, do not make any
modif ications that would change the
ride height of your car, or install
wheels and tires with a dif f erent
overall diameter.
Such modif ications can adversely
af f ect handling, and interf ere with
the operation of the car’s anti-lock
brakes and other systems.
Do not attach or place objects on
the airbag covers. Any object
attached to or placed on the covers
marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG,’’ in the
center of the steering wheel and
on top of the dashboard, could
interf ere with the proper operation
of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inf late, the objects could be
propelled inside the car and hurt
someone. If a side airbag
inflates,acupholderorotherhard
object attached on or near the
door could be propelled inside the
car and hurt someone.
Covering the outside edge of a
f ront seat-back, with a non-Honda
seat cover for example, could
prevent the airbag from inflating
properly.Only on models equipped with side
airbagsModif ications
Additional Saf ety Precaution
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving
Do not at t ach hard object s on ornear a f ront door.
Do not place any object s over t heoutsideedgeof afront seat-back.
168

Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Check that the hood and trunk are
f ully closed.Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Check that any items you may be
carrying with you inside are stored
properly or f astened down
securely.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure. Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the adjustment of the
steering wheel (see page ).Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
Start the engine (see page ).
Check the gauges and indicator
lights in the instrument panel (see
page ).
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments every day bef ore
you drive your car. 1. 2. 3. 4.
9.
10.
8.
7.
6.
5.
11.
12.
98 90
75 16
175
59
Preparing to Drive
Driving
174

CONT INUED
ABS helps to prevent the wheels
f rom locking up and skidding during
hard braking, allowing you to retain
steering control.
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.
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.
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.
The U.S. EX model has an Anti-lock
Brake System (ABS) as standard
equipment. It is optional on Canadian
LX model.
‘‘stomp and steer.’’
Brake System Design A nti-lock Brakes You should never pump the
brake pedal,
Driving
The Braking System
185
FFrroonntt

on loose or
uneven surfaces, such as gravel or
snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater
distance between vehicles under
those conditions.
it
only helps with steering control
during braking. You should always
maintain a saf e f ollowing distance
f rom other vehicles.
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.
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.
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 Braking System
Driving 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 will not prevent a skid that
results f rom changing direction
abruptly,
A BS cannot prevent a loss of
stability.
Import ant Saf et y Reminders
186

µ
µ Being able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important
in all weather conditions. This is
more difficult in bad weather. To be
seen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights.
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 ).
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. 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. 111
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving Visibility
Driving T echnique
188

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 to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.
......................
Maintenance Saf ety . 192
.
Important Safety Precautions . 193
.................
Maintenance Schedule . 194 ....................
Maintenance Record . 201
.......
Owner Maintenance Checks . 203
..............................
Fluid Locations . 204
......................................
Engine Oil . 205
..................................
Adding Oil . 205
....................
Recommended Oil . 205
..............................
Synthetic Oil . 205
....................................
Additives . 205
.....
Changing the Oil and Filter . 207
.............................
Cooling System . 209
............
Adding Engine Coolant . 209
.......
Replacing Engine Coolant . 211
....................
Windshield Washers . 215
.......................
Transmission Fluid . 216
Automatic .........................
Transmission . 216
5-speed Manual
.........................
Transmission . 217
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid . 218
............................
Brake System . 218
...........................
Clutch System . 219
..............................
Power Steering . 220
.....................
Air Cleaner Element . 221
....................................
Hood Latch . 222
....................................
Spark Plugs . 223
..............................
Replacement . 223 ............................
Specif ications . 225
...........................................
Battery . 226
.................................
Wiper Blades . 228
..............
Air Conditioning System . 230
.................
Air Conditioning Filter . 231
.....................................
Drive Belts . 233
....................................
Timing Belt . 233
...............................................
Tires . 234
......................................
Inf lation . 234
Recommended Tire Pressures ...........
f or Normal Driving . 235
Tire Pressure Adjustment f or ..........
High Speed Driving . 235
..................................
Inspection . 236
..............................
Maintenance . 236
.............................
Tire Rotation . 237
...
Replacing Tires and Wheels . 238
......................
Wheels and Tires . 239
..........................
Winter Driving . 239
.............................
Snow Tires . 239
...................
Traction Devices . 240
.............................................
Lights . 241
.....................
Headlight Aiming . 243
........................
Replacing Bulbs . 243
...........................
Storing Your Car . 251
309
Maintenance
Maint enance
191