ECU HONDA CIVIC COUPE 1998 User Guide

Protecting Children
If it is necessary to put a forward-
facing child seat in the front, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as possible, be sure the child seat is
firmly secured to the car, and that
the child is properly strapped in the
seat.
Installing a Child Seat With a Lap/
Shoulder Belt

The lap/shoulder belts in the back
and front passenger seating positions
have a locking mechanism that must be activated to secure a child seat.
The following pages provide instructions on how to secure a
forward-facing child seat with this
type of seat belt.
See page 34 for how to secure a
forward-facing child seat in the center back seat with the lap belt. 1. With the child seat in the desired
seating position, route the belt
through the child seat according
to the seat maker's instructions, then insert the latch plate into the
buckle.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Improperly placing a forward-
facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious injury
or death if the airbags inflate.
If you must place a forward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as possible and properly restrain
the child.Main Menu Table of Contents s t

Protecting Children

2. To activate the lockable retractor, slowly pull the shoulder part of the
belt all the way out until it stops,
then let the belt feed back into the
retractor (you might hear a clicking noise as the belt retracts).
3. After the belt has retracted, tug on it. If the belt is locked, you will not
be able to pull it out. If you can pull the belt out, it is not locked and
you will need to repeat these steps.
4. After confirming that the belt is

locked, grab the shoulder part of
the belt near the buckle and pull
up to remove any slack from the

lap part of the belt. Remember, if
the lap part of the belt is not tight,

the child seat will not be secure. It
may help to put weight on the

child seat, or push on the back of

the seat while pulling up on the
belt.
5. Push and pull the child seat
forward and from side to side to
verify that it is secure enough tostay upright during normal driving
maneuvers. If the child seat is not secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to
retract fully, then repeat these

steps.

CONTINUED

Driver and Passenger SafetyMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Protecting Children

To deactivate the locking mechanism in order to remove a

child seat, unlatch the buckle,

unroute the seat belt, and let the belt

fully retract.
Installing a Child Seat With the Lap

Belt

To install a forward-facing child seat in the center back seat with the lap
belt, follow instruction number 1 on
page 32 for routing and latching the seat belt. Then pull hard on the loose
end of the belt to remove any slack (it may help to put weight on the
child seat while pulling on the belt).
Finally, follow instruction number 5
on page 33 to verify that the child
seat is secure.
Additional Precautions for Small
Children
Never
hold a small ch \
ild on your

lap. If you are not wearing a seat
belt in a crash, you could be thrown forward into thedashboard and crush the child.
If you are wearing a seat belt, the
child can be torn from your arms during a crash. For example, if the
vehicle crashes into a parked
vehicle at 30 mph (48 km/h), a 30 Ib (14 kg) child will become a
900-lb (410-kg) force, and you will
not be able to hold it.
Never put a seat belt over yourself

and a child. During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child and cause very serious injuries.
Driver and Passenger SafetyMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Protecting Children

Physical Size
Physically, a child must be large
enough for the lap/shoulder belt to
properly fit over their hips, chest, and shoulder (see page 13). If theseat belt does not fit properly, the
child should not sit in the front.

Maturity

To safely ride in front, a child must be able to follow the rules, includingsitting properly and wearing their
seat belt properly throughout a ride. If you decide that a child can safely
ride up front, be sure to: Read the owner's manual, and
make sure you both understand all seat belt instructions and all safety
information. Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight with
their back against the seat and
their feet on or near the floor.
Check that the child's seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
Closely supervise the child. Even
mature children sometimes need
to be reminded to fasten their seat
belt or sit properly. Using Child Seats with Tethers
Your car has three attachment points on the rear shelf for securing a
tether-style child seat to the car.
Since a tether can provide additionalsecurity, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or available. (Tethers are required in
Canada. U.S. owners may check with
the child seat maker to determine
whether a tether is available for a
particular child seat.)
Driver and Passenger SafetyMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Additional Information About Your Seat Belts
Seat Belt System Components

Your seat belt system includes lap/ shoulder belts in the front seats and
the outer back seats, and a lap belt in
the center back seat.
The system also includes alight on the instrument
panel to remind you and your passengers to fasten your belts. If
the driver's seat belt is not fastened
before the ignition is turned ON (II),
the light will come on and a beeper
will also sound. The beeper will stop after a few seconds, but the light willstay on until the driver's seat belt is

fastened.
Lap/Shoulder Belt
This seat belt has a single belt that goes over your shoulder, across yourchest and across your hips.
To fasten the belt, insert the latch plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched.

To unlock the belt, push the red PRESS button on the buckle.Guide the belt across your body to
the door pillar. After exiting the
vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the way and will not get closed in the

door.

All lap/shoulder belts have an emergency locking retractor.
In normal driving, the retractor lets
you move freely in your seat while it keeps some tension on the belt.
During a collision or sudden stop,
the retractor automatically locks the
belt to help restrain your body.
The lap/shoulder belts in all seating positions except the driver's have anadditional locking mechanism that
can be activated to secure a child seat. (See pages 28 and 32 for
instructions on how to secure childseats with this type of seat belt.)
If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the locking
mechanism will activate. The belt
will retract, but it will not allow a passenger to move freely.
Driver and Passenger SafetyMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Controls Near the Steering Wheel

Steering Wheel Adjustment
See page 16 for important safety

information about how to properly

position the steering wheel.

You can adjust the steering wheel height to suit your preference. Dothis before you begin driving.
1. The lever to tilt the steering wheelis under the steering column to
the left. Push this lever all the way
down.

2. Move the steering wheel to the desired position, making sure the
wheel points toward your chest, not toward your face. Make sure
you can see the instrument panel gauges and the indicator lights. 3. Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position.
4. Make sure you have securely locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up and down.

Instruments and Controls

Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle and be seriously injured in a crash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the vehicle is stopped.Main Menu Table of Contents s t

Audio System

To store a frequency: 1. Select the desired band, AM or FM. FM1 and FM2 let you store
two frequencies with each Preset

button.

2. Use the TUNE or SEEK function to tune the radio to a desired
station.

3. Pick the Preset button you want for that station. Press the buttonand hold it until you hear a beep.
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 to store a total of six stations on AM and twelve
on
FM.
Once a station's frequency is stored,

simply press and release the proper
Preset button to tune to it.
The preset frequencies will be lost if your vehicle's battery goes dead, is disconnected or the radio fuse is

removed.
* Security system is optional

equipment.

Comfort and Convenience Features
PWR/VOL KNOB

STEREO INDICATOR
AM/FM BUTTON

TUNE/SEEK BAR
PRESET BUTTONS

SECURITY SYSTEMINDICATOR*Main Menu Table of Contents s t

Service Station Procedures

Opening the Hood
1. Shift to Park or Neutral and set the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly. 2. Standing in front of the vehicle,
put your fingers under the front
edge of the hood to the right of
center. Slide your hand to the left
until you feel the hood latch handle. Push this handle to the left
until it releases the hood. Lift the

hood.
3. Pull the support rod out of its clip
and insert the end into the hole on
the left side of the hood.
To close the hood, lift it up slightly to remove the support rod from the
hole. Put the support rod back intoits holding clip. Lower the hood to
about a foot (30 cm) above the
fender, then let it drop.
After closing the hood, make sure it is securely latched.

Before Driving
LATCH

HOOD

RELEASE

HANDLE
CLIP
SUPPORT RODMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Carrying Cargo

Load Limit

The maximum load for your vehicle
is
850
Ib
(395 kg).
This figure includes the total weight of all occupants, cargo and

accessories.

To figure out how much cargo you can carry:
Add up the weight of all occupants. Subtract the total from 850 Ib (395
kg).

The final number is the total weight
of cargo you can carry. Carrying Items in the Passenger
Compartment Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurt someone during a crash.
Do not put any items on top of the
rear shelf. They can block your
view and be thrown around the vehicle during a crash.
Be sure items placed on the floor
behind the front seats cannot roll
under the seats and interfere with
the driver's ability to operate the pedals, or with the proper
operation of the seats. Keep the glove box closed while
driving. If the lid is open, a
passenger could injure their knees during a crash or sudden stop.

Before Driving

Overloading or improper
loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in
which you can be hurt or killed.

Follow all load limits and other

loading guidelines in this
manual.Main Menu Table of Contents s t

Preparing to Drive

You should do the following checks and adjustments every day before
you drive your vehicle.
1. Make sure all windows, mirrors, and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost, snow, or ice.
2. Check that the hood and trunk are fully closed.
3. Visually check the tires. If a tire looks low, use a gauge to check its

pressure.
4. Check that any items you may be
carrying with you inside are stored
properly or fastened down
securely.

5. Check the adjustment of the seat (see page 74).
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and outside mirrors (see
page 79).
7. Check the adjustment of the steering wheel (see page 63).
8. Make sure the doors are securely closed and locked. 9. Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page 7).
10. Turn the ignition switch ON (II). Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
11. Start the engine (see page 121).
12. Check the gauges and indicator lights in the instrument panel (see
page 33).

DrivingMain Menu Table of Contents s t