key HONDA CIVIC COUPE 1998 User Guide

Seat Adjustments, Folding Rear Seat

The front head restraints adjust for height. You need both hands to
adjust the restraint. Do not attempt
to adjust it while driving. To raise it, pull upward. To lower the restraint,
push the release button sideways and push the restraint down.
To remove a head restraint for cleaning or repair, pull it up as far as
it will go. Push the release buttonand pull the restraint out of the seat-
back. Folding Rear Seat
The back of the rear seat folds down to give you direct access to the
trunk. Each side folds down sepa-
rately. With only half the seat folded,
you can still carry a passenger in the
back seat.
To fold down either side of the seat-back from inside the vehicle, use themaster key in the lock on the rearshelf. To fold down the driver's side,
turn the key clockwise, fold down
the seat-back, then release the key.
To fold down the passenger's side, turn the key counterclockwise and
perform the same procedure.

Instruments and Controls
MASTER KEYMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Starting the Engine

1. Apply the parking brake.

2. In cold weather, turn off all electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.

3. Manual Transmission:
Push the clutch pedal down all the

way. START (III) does not

function unless the clutch pedal is
depressed.

Automatic Transmission (Including
CVT):

Make sure the shift lever is in Park. Press on the brake pedal.

4. Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the enginedoes not start right away, do not
hold the key in START (III) for
more than 15 seconds at a time.
Pause for at least 10 seconds

before trying again.
5. If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the accelerator pedal pressed half-way
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal so the engine does not race.
6. If the engine still does not start, press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while starting in order to clear flooding.
As before, keep the ignition key in the START (III) position for no
more than 15 seconds. Return to step 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lift your foot off theaccelerator pedal so the enginedoes not race.

Starting in Cold Weather at High
Altitud
e (Above 8,000 feet/
2,40
0 meters)

An engine is harder to start in cold
weather. The thinner air found athigh altitude above 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) adds to the problem.
Use the following procedure:
1. Turn off all electrical accessories to reduce the drain on the battery.
2. Push the accelerator pedal half- way to the floor and hold it there
while starting the engine. Do not
hold the ignition key in START(III) for more than 15 seconds.
When the engine starts, release the accelerator pedal gradually as

th
e
engine speeds up and smooths

out.
3. I
f the engine fails to start in step 2,
push the accelerator pedal to the
floor and hold it there while you
try to start the engine for no more
than 15 seconds. If the engine does not start, return to step 2.

DrivingMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Automatic Transmission

If you have done all of the above andstill cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on page
128.

You must also press the release button to shift into Park. To avoidtransmission damage, come to acomplete stop before shifting into
Park. The shift lever must be in Park
before you can remove the key from
the ignition switch. Reverse (R) — To shift to Reverse
from Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shift to Reverse from
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Press the release button before shifting into Reverse from
Neutral.

Neutral (N) — Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or ifit is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the vehicle
for any reason. Press on the brake pe- dal when you are moving the shift
lever from Neutral to another gear.
Drive (D4) — Use this position for
your normal driving. The transmis- sion automatically selects a suitable
gear for your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission shifting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps the
engine warm up faster. Drive (D3) —This position is similar
to D4, except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D3 to provide
engine brakin g
when going down a
steep hill. D3 can also keep the
transmission from cycling between
third and fourth gears in stop-and-go driving.
For faster acceleration when in D3 or
D4, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshift by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shift down one or two gears, depending on your

speed.

DrivingMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Automatic Transmission

Shift Lock Release
This allows you to move the shift lever out of Park if the normalmethod of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release
button does not work.
1. Set the Parking brake.
2. Remove the key from the ignition
switch.

3. Insert the key in the Shift LockRelease slot next to the shift lever.
4. Push down on the key while you press the release button and move
the shift lever out of Park to
Neutral.
5. Remove the key from the Shift
Lock Release slot. Depress the
brake pedal and restart the engine.
If you need to use the Shift Lock
Release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by your Honda dealer.

Driving
SHIFT LOCK
RELEASE SLOT
RELEASE BUTTONMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Automatic Transmission (CVT)

Park (P) — This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning off orstarting the engine. To shift out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal, have your foot off the accelera-
tor pedal, and press the release
button on the side of the shift lever. If you have done all of the above andstill cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on page
108.

You must also press the releasebutton to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a
complete stop before shifting intoPark. The shift lever must be in Park
before you can remove the key from
the ignition switch.

DrivingMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Parking

Always use the parking brake when you park your vehicle. The indicator on the instrument panel shows that
the parking brake is not fully
released; it does not indicate that the
parking brake is firmly set. Make sure the parking brake is set firmly
or your vehicle may roll if it is
parked on an incline.
If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
before you put the transmission in Park. This keeps the vehicle from
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission — making it easier to move the shift lever out of Park
when you want to drive away. If the vehicle is facing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the curb.
If you have a manual transmission,
put it in first gear.
If the vehicle is facing downhill, turn
the front wheels toward the curb. If
you have a manual transmission, put it in reverse gear.
Make sure the parking brake is fully
released before driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes. Parking Tips Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed. Turn off the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you. Lock the doors with the key or the
remote transmitter. Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other flammable materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on

fire.

DrivingMain Menu Table of Contents s t

If Your Engine Won't Start

Diagnosing why your engine won't
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):
You hear nothing, or almostnothing. 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
faster than normal, but the engine does not start up and run. Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
When you turn the ignition switch to START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or 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 floor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or Neutral.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don't light at all,
the battery is discharged. See

Jump Starting on page 213.
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the fuses. If
the fuses are OK, there is proba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to determine the problem. (See
Emergency Towing on page 227).

If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page 173). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
from a booster battery (see page 213).
Taking Care of the UnexpectedMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Index

Accessories and Modifications.... 114 Accessories................................. 114
Additional Safety Precaution.... 115Modifications............................. 115
ACCESSORY (Ignition Key Position)........................................ 68
Accessory Power Socket................ 83
Adding Automatic Transmission
Fluid........................................ 164
Brake Fluid................................. 167 Clutch Fluid................................ 167
Engine Coolant........................... 159
Engine Oil................................... 155
Manual Transmission Fluid..... 166Power Steering Fluid................. 168
Windshield Washer Fluid......... 164
Additional Information About Your Seat Belts........................ 40
Lap Belt......................................... 41
Lap/Shoulder Belt....................... 40
Seat Belt Maintenance................ 42
Seat Belt System Components... 40 Additional Information About

Your SRS................................... 43

Additional Safety Precautions.... 46 How Your Airbags Work............ 43
How Your SRS Indicator
Works........................................ 45

SRS Components......................... 43

Additives, Engine Oil..................... 156

Adjustments
Headlights.................................. 188

Head Restraints........................... 75

Mirrors.......................................... 79

Seats.............................................. 74

Steering Wheel............................ 63

Airbag (SRS)...................................... 7

Air Cleaner Element...................... 169
Air Conditioning............................... 86 Maintenance............................... 177
Usage............................................. 86
Air Outlets (Vents).......................... 88
Air Pressure, Tires........................ 180 High Speed Driving................... 236
Normal Driving.......................... 180
Alcohol in Gasoline........................ 238
Antifreeze....................................... 159
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)

Indicator Light.....................
53, 137

Operation.................................... 13 6

Anti-thef
t Steering Column

Lock...............................................68

Appearance Care........................... 199
Ashtrays (Optional)......................... 83
Audio System................................... 94
Automatic Speed Control................ 64
Automatic Transmission............... 124
Capacity, Fluid........................... 233

Checking Fluid Level................ 164

Shifting........................................ 125

Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 124
Shift Lever Positions................. 125
Shift Lock Release..................... 128
Battery Charging SystemIndicator............................ 53,

218

Jump Starting............................ .
213
Maintenance............................... 173
Specifications............................. 234
CONTINUEDMain Menu s t

Index
Head Restraints............................... 75
Heating and Cooling........................ 86 High Altitude, Starting at.............. 121
High-Low Beam Switch .................. 59
High-mount Brake Light............... 194
Hood, Opening the ........................ 110
Horn................................................... 58
Hot Coolant, Warning about........ 159
Hydraulic Clutch............................ 167
Hydroplaning.................................. 139
Identification Number, Vehicle.... 230
If Your Car Has to be Towed....... 227
Ignition
Keys............................................... 67

Switch............................................ 67

Timing Contro l
System............. 241
Important Safety Precautions .......... 4
Indicator Lights, Instrument
Panel..............................................51

Infant Restraint................................ 27
Inflation, Proper Tire .................... 179 High Speed Driving................... 236
Normal Driving.......................... 179
Inside Mirror.................................... 79

Inspection, Tire.............................. 181

Instrument Panel............................. 50

Instrument Panel Brightness......... 60

Interior Cleaning............................ 202

Interior Light.................................... 84

Introduction......................................... i

Jacking up the Car......................... 208

Jack, Tire........................................ 207

Jump Starting................................. 213

Keys................................................... 67
Label, Certification........................ 230
Lane Change, Signaling.................. 60
Lap Belt............................................. 41
Lap/Shoulder Belts......................... 40
Leaking of Exhaust into Car.......... 47 Lights
Bulb Replacement..................... 189
Indicator........................................ 51 Parking.......................................... 59
Turn Signal................................... 60
LOCK (Ignition Key Position)....... 68

Locks
Anti-theft Steering Column........ 68Fuel Fill Door............................. 109
Power Door.................................. 69

Trunk............................................ 73

Low Coolant Level......................... 112
Low Fuel Indicator .......................... 54

Lower Gear, Downshifting to a.... 122

Low Oil Pressure Indicator.... 53,
217

Lubricant Specification s
Chart.... 233

Luggage.......................................... 116

Maintenance................................... 141
Owner Maintenance Checks.... 153

Record.................................. 151-152

Required Indicator....................... 57

CONTINUEDMain Menu s t