HONDA CIVIC 2011 8.G Owners Manual

This section covers the more
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely 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 vehicle towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire . 328
....................
Changing a Flat Tire . 329
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start . 334
................................
Jump Starting . 336
..............
If the Engine Overheats . 338
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 340
..........
Charging System Indicator . 340
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 341
...............
Brake System Indicator . 342
..............................................
Fuses . 343
..............................
Fuse Locations . 347
......................
Emergency Towing . 349
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
327
Main Menu

Check the air pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced,
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement should be the same size
and design tire, mounted on the
same wheel. The spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Follow these precautions:
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road
surf aces. Use greater caution
while driving.
Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
Do not mount tire chains on the
compact spare tire. Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
On vehicles with the TPMS
system, the low tire pressure
indicator comes on and stays on
after you replace the flat tire with
the compact spare tire. Af ter
several miles (kilometers) driving
with the compact spare tire, the
TPMS indicator comes on and the
low tire pressure indicator goes of f .
Do not use a compact spare tire
mounted on a f ront wheel; it will
damage the limited slip dif f erential
(see page ).
329
On Si model
Compact Spare Tire
328
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
Main Menu

Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position. Have all
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire.
Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park (automatic)
or reverse (manual). Apply the
parking brake.
Open the trunk. Raise the trunk
f loor by lif ting up on the back edge.
Take the tool case out of the spare
tire.
Unscrew the wing bolt, and take
the spare tire out of its well.
If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Drive slowly along the shoulder until
you get to an exit or an area to stop
that is far away from the traffic lanes.
Thecompactsparetireissmaller
than a standard tire, and it will affect
the vehicle’s handling. Drive
cautiously when the spare is
mounted on your vehicle.
Thesizedifferencemayalsocause
damage to the dif f erential, so do not
mount the compact spare on the
f ront. If either f ront tire goes f lat,
removethereartireonthatsame
side, mount the compact spare tire
on the rear, then mount the rear tire
on the f ront.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
CONT INUED
On Si model only
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
329
SPARE TIRE
TRUNK FLOOR JACK TOOL CASE
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by thejack.
Main Menu

Placethejackunderthejacking
point. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch.
Loosen each wheel nut 1/2 turn
with the wheel nut wrench.
Remove the center cap from the
wheel with the extension. 6.
7.Canadian DX-G model
Changing a Flat T ire
330
JACKING POINTS
WHEEL NUT WRENCH
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CONT INUED
Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipe any dirt of f the mounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.
Do not attempt to forcibly pry the
wheel cover of f with a screwdriver or
other tool. The wheel cover cannot
be removed without f irst removing
the wheel nuts.
Use the extension and the wheel
nut wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.
Remove the wheel nuts, then
remove the f lat tire. Handle the
wheel nuts caref ully; they may be
hot f rom driving. Place the f lat tire
on the ground with the outside
surface facing up. 10.
8. 9.DX and U.S. LX models:
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
331
WHEEL NUTS WHEEL COVER
EXTENSION WHEEL NUTS
WHEEL NUT WRENCH BRAKE HUB
Main Menu

Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten the
wheel nuts f ully.
Lower the vehicle to the ground,
and remove the jack.
Remove the center cap before
storing the f lat tire in the trunk
well.
13.
11. 12.
14.On EX-L, Si, U.S. EX, LX-S, andCanadian SE models
Changing a Flat T ire
332
CENTER CAP
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m)
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Place the flat tire face down in the
spare tire well.
Remove the spacer cone f rom the
wing bolt, turn it over, and put it
back on the bolt.
Securetheflattirebyscrewing
the wing bolt back into its hole.Lower the trunk f loor, and close
the trunk lid.
Store the jack and tools in the tool
case. Place the tool case in the
center of the f lat tire.
Store the wheel cover or center
cap in the trunk. Make sure it does
not get scratched or damaged.
Your vehicle’s original tire has a
tire pressure monitoring system
sensor. To replace a tire, ref er to
(see
page ).
15. 16. 17. 18. 19.
20. 21.
272
CONT INUED
On U.S. models
Changing a Flat T ire
Changing a T ire with T PMS
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
333
WING BOLT SPACER CONE
For normaltire For sparetire
Loose items can fly around the
interiorinacrashandcould
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.
Main Menu

Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position:You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. When you turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, you do not
hear the normal noise of the engine
trying to start. You may hear a
clicking sound, a series of clicks, or
nothing at all.
Check these things:
Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or neutral. Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Turn on the
headlights, and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or do not come on at all,
the battery is discharged. See
on page .
Turn the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the f uses. If the f uses
areOK,thereisprobably
something wrong with the
electrical circuit f or the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. See on page .336
349
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting
Emergency T owing
If theEngineWon’tStart
334
Main Menu

If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. Seeon page .
Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the low f uel indicator may
not be working.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the instrument panel
to blink rapidly (see page ).
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to
on page .
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position, but the engine does not run.
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is
discharged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
f rom a booster battery (see page
).
79
322
256
336
343
349Emergency
Towing
Starting the
Engine
T he Starter Operates Normally
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
335
Main Menu

Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.To jump start your vehicle:
The numbers in the illustrations
show you the order to connect the
jumper cables.
Turn of f all the electrical
accessories: heater, A/C, audio
system, lights, etc. Put the
transmission in neutral (manual)
or Park (automatic), and set the
parking brake.
Open the hood, and check the
physical condition of the battery.
In very cold weather, check the
condition of the electrolyte. If it
seems slushy or f rozen, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.
You cannot start a vehicle with an
automatic transmission by pushing
or pulling it. 1. 2.
Jump Starting
336
Except Si
BOOSTER BATTERY
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyonenearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery. If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.
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