lock HONDA CIVIC COUPE 1998 Service Manual

Automatic Transmission

Your Honda's transmission has fourforward speeds, and is electronicallycontrolled for smoother shifting. It
also has a "lock-up" torque converter
for better fuel economy. You may
feel what seems like another shift
when the converter locks.

On cars with Continuously Variable

Transmission (CVT):

To operate your Honda's
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT), refer to the page 109.
Driving dealer as soon as possible.
This indicator on the instrument
panel shows which position the shift
lever is in.
The "D4" indicator comes on for a few seconds when you turn theignition switch ON (II). If it flashes
while driving (in any shift position), it indicates a possible problem in the
transmission. Avoid rapid acceler-
ation and have the transmission
checked by an authorized HondaShift Lever Position IndicatorMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Automatic Transmission

Driving
CONTINUED

Park (P) — This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning off or
starting the engine. To shift out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your foot off the
accelerator pedal. Press the release
button on the side of the shift lever to move it.
The shift lever has six positions. It
must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped in
D4, D3, 2, N or R, press firmly on the
brake pedal, and keep your foot off the accelerator pedal. SHIFT LEVER
Shift Lever PositionsMain 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
Second (2) — To shift to Second,
press the release button on the side of the shift lever. This position locks
the transmission in second gear. It does not downshift to first gear
when you come to a stop. Second gives you more power when climbing,and increased engine braking when
going down steep hills. Use second
gear when starting out on a slippery surface or in deep snow. It will help
reduce wheelspin. Maximum Speeds
The speeds in this table are the
maximums for the given position. If
you exceed these speeds, the engine speed will enter into the tachometer's
red zone. If this occurs, you will feel the engine cut in and out. This iscaused by a limiter in the engine's
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
Before downshifting, make sure the
vehicle will not exceed the maximumspeed in the chart in the lower gear to
avoid engine damage.
(DX) (U.S.: EX, Canada: Si)

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

The Braking System

Brake System Design
The hydraulic system that operates the brakes has two separate circuits.Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (the left-front brake is connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have brakingat two wheels.
Anti-lock Brakes

(Optional)

ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) helps to prevent the wheels from locking
up and skidding during hard braking,allowing you to retain steering
control. When the front tires skid, you lose
steering control; the vehicle
continues straight ahead even
though you turn the steering wheel.
The ABS helps to prevent lock-up and helps you retain steering control
by pumping the brakes rapidly; much
faster than a person can do it.
You should never pump the brake pedal, this defeats thepurpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work for you by always keeping firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes referred to as
"stomp and steer."

CONTINUED

Driving

FrontMain Menu Table of Contents s t

The Braking System

You will feel a pulsation in the brakepedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is normal, it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of traction your tires have. On drypavement, you will need to press on
the brake pedal very hard before you activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
Important Safety Reminders

ABS does not reduce the time or distance it takes to stop the
vehicle, it only helps with steering control during braking. You shouldalways maintain a safe following
distance from other vehicles.
ABS will not prevent a skid that results from changing direction
abruptly, such as trying to take acorner too fast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed for the road and
weather conditions.
ABS cannot prevent a loss of stability. Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your vehicle to veer
into oncoming traffic or off the road. A vehicle with ABS may require a
longer distance to stop on loose or
uneven surfaces, such as gravel orsnow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater distance between vehicles under
those conditions.

DrivingMain Menu Table of Contents s t

The Braking System

ABS Indicator

The ABS is self-checking. It also checks itself whenever you use the
brakes.
If anything goes wrong, the ABS
indicator on the instrument panel comes on (see page 53). This means
the anti-lock function of the braking system has shut down. The brakesstill work like a conventional system
without anti-lock, providing normal stopping ability. You should have the dealer inspect your vehicle as soon
as possible if this light stays on after
you start the engine, or comes on
while driving.

Driving

ABS INDICATOR*

*U.S. indicator shownMain Menu Table of Contents s t