air condition HONDA CIVIC COUPE 1998 Owners Manual

Important Safety Precautions
You'll find many safety recommendations throughout thissection, and throughout this manual.
Following are a few
recommendations we consider most important.

Always Wear Your Seat Belt

A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inflate only in a
severe frontal collision. So even with
airbags, make sure you and your
passengers always wear your seat
belts, and wear them properly. (See
page 13.)
Restrain All Children Children are safest when they are
properly restrained in the back seat,
not the front seat. A child who is too small for a seat belt must be properly
restrained in a child safety seat. (See
page 19.) Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
While airbags save lives, they can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,or are not properly restrained.
Infants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Besure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page 5.)

Don't Drink and Drive

Alcohol and driving don't mix. Even one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions. Reaction time gets worse with every
additional drink. So don't drink and
drive, and don't let your friends drink
and drive, either. Control Your Speed
Excessive speed is a major factor in
crash injuries and deaths, Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the
risk, but serious accidents can also occur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Keep Your Vehicle in Safe
Condition
Having a
tire blowout or a
mechanical failure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition frequently, and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page 146.)

Driver and Passenger SafetyMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Additional Information About Your Seat Belts
Seat Belt Maintenance
For safety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out fully and look for
frays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retract
easily. Any belt not in good condition or not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.
U.S. Owners
Honda provides a lifetime warranty
on seat belts. Honda will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
fails to function properly during normal use.
Pleas
e
see your Honda Warranty

Information booklet fo
r details.If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
you should have your dealer inspect
the belt, and replace it if necessary.
A belt that has been worn during a crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the anchors for damage and replace
them if needed.
For information on how to clean your

sea
t
belts, see page 202.

Driver and
Passenger Safety
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly when needed.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.Main Menu Table of Contents s t

Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Your vehicle's exhaust contains carbon monoxide gas. You should
have no problem with carbon
monoxide entering the vehicle in
normal driving if you maintain your
vehicle properly.
Have the exhaust system inspected
for leaks whenever:
The vehicle is raised for an oilchange.
You notice a change in the sound of the exhaust. The vehicle was in an accident
that may have damaged the under-
side.
High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage. With the trunk lid open, air flow can
pull exhaust gas into your vehicle'sinterior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
trunk lid open, open all the windows and set the heating and coolingsystem as shown below.
If you must sit in your parked vehicle,
even in an unconfined area, with the
engine running, adjust the heating and cooling system as follows:
1. Select the Fresh Air mode. 2. Select the mode.
3. Turn the fan on high speed.
4. Set the temperature control to a comfortable setting.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas oractivities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.Main Menu Table of Contents s t

Comfort and Convenience Features

The heating and air conditioning* systems in your Honda provide a
comfortable driving environment in
all weather conditions.
The standard audio system has many features. This section de-
scribes those features and how to
use them. (If you selected an optional audio system, refer to the
operating instructions that came
with it.)
* Air conditioning is standard on the
EX model in the U.S. It is optional on
other models.
Heating and Cooling........................ 86
What Each Control Does............ 86How to Use the System............... 88
To Turn Everything Off............. 93
Audio System................................... 94 Operating the Radio.................... 94
Adjusting the Sound.................... 96 Radio Frequencies....................... 97
Radio Reception........................... 97
Digital Clock................................. 99Operating the Cassette Player...................................... 100
Tape Search Functions............. 100 Caring for the Cassette Player...................................... 102
Operating the Optional
CD Player/Changer.............. 103
Protecting Compact Discs........ 105
CD Changer Error Indications.............................. 106
Comfort and Convenience FeaturesMain Menu s t

Heating and Cooling

Proper use of the Heating and
Cooling system can make the

interior dry and comfortable, and

keep the windows clear for best

visibility.

If your vehicle does not have air

conditioning, it can be installed at

any time. Your dealer will install a
Genuine Honda air conditioning

system that meets Honda's high

quality standards and is designed to

exactly fit your vehicle. Please

contact your dealer for more

information.
What Each Control Does Fan Control Lever
Sliding this lever to the right
increases the fan's speed, which
increases air flow.
Comfort and Convenience Features MODE BUTTONS
RECIRCULATION
BUTTON AIR CONDITIONING
BUTTON

TEMPERATURE
CONTROL LEVER FAN CONTROL

LEVER

Temperature Control Lever
Sliding this lever to the right
increases the temperature of the air

flow.

Air Conditioning (A/C) Button
This button turns the air condi- tioning ON and OFF. The indicatorin the button lights when the A/C is

on.
Recirculation Button
This button controls the source of the air going into the system. When
the indicator in this button is lit, air
from the vehicle's interior is sent through the system again (Recircula-
tion mode). When the indicator is off,air is brought in from outside the
vehicle (Fresh Air mode).Main Menu Table of Contents s t

Heating and Cooling

Vent Controls
You can adjust the direction of the air coming from the dashboard vents
by moving the tab in the center of
each vent up-and-down and side-to-

side.
The vents in the corners of the
dashboard can be opened and closed
with the dials next to them. How to Use the System
This section covers how to set up the system controls for ventilation,
heating, cooling, dehumidifying, and defrosting.
The engine must be running for the heater and air conditioning to
generate hot and cold air. The heater uses engine coolant to warm the air.
If the engine is cold, it will be several
minutes before you feel warm air
coming from the system.
The air conditioning does not rely on engine temperature.
Comfort and Convenience Features
CENTER VENT
SIDE VENT
Open

CloseMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Heating and Cooling

It is best to leave the system in Fresh
Air mode under almost all conditions. Keeping the system in Recirculation
mode, particularly with the A/C off,
can cause the windows to fog up.
Switch to Recirculation mode when
you are driving through smoky or dusty conditions, then switch back toFresh Air mode when the condition

clears.

The outside air intakes for the heating and cooling system are at
the base of the windshield. Keep
these clear of leaves and other
debris.
Ventilation

The flow-through ventilation system draws in outside air, circulates it
through the interior, then exhausts it
through vents near the rear window. 1. Slide the temperature control lever
all the way to the left.
Make sure the A/C is off. 2. Select and Fresh Air mode.
3. Set the fan to the desired speed.
CONTINUED
Comfort and Convenience Features
MODE BUTTONS


RECIRCULATION

BUTTON
AIR CONDITIONING

BUTTON

TEMPERATURE CONTROL LEVER
FAN CONTROL

LEVERMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Heating and Cooling

To Cool with A/C

1. Turn on the A/C by pressing the button. The light in the buttonshould come on.
2. Make sure the temperature control lever is all the way to the

left.
3. Select
4. If the outside air is humid, select Recirculation mode. If the outside
air is dry, select Fresh Air mode.
5. Set the fan to the desired speed.
If the interior is very warm from
being parked in the sun, you can cool it down more rapidly by setting up
the controls this way:
1. Start the engine.
2. Turn on the A/C by pressing the button. Make sure the tempera-
ture control lever is all the way to
the left.
3. Set the fan to maximum speed.
4. Open the windows partially. Select and Fresh Air mode. When the interior has cooled down
to a more comfortable temperature,close the windows and set the
controls as described for normal

cooling.
Air conditioning places an extra load
on the engine. Watch the engine
coolant temperature gauge (see page 56) when driving in stop-and-go
traffic or climbing a long, steep hill. If it moves near the red zone, turn
off the A/C until the gauge reads
normally.
Comfort and Convenience Features MODE BUTTONS


RECIRCULATION

BUTTON AIR CONDITIONING
BUTTON

TEMPERATURE CONTROL LEVER
FAN CONTROL

LEVERMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Heating and Cooling

To Heat

To warm the interior:
1. Start the engine. 2. Select and Fresh Air mode.
3. Set the fan to the desired speed.
4. Adjust the warmth of the air with
the temperature control lever.
To Heat and Dehumidify with Air
Conditioning

Air conditioning, as it cools, removes moisture from the air. When used in
combination with the heater, it
makes the interior warm and dry.
1. Switch the fan on.
2. Turn on the air conditioning. 3. Select and Fresh Air mode.
4. Adjust the temperature control lever so the mixture of heated and
cooled air feels comfortable.
This setting is suitable for all driving conditions whenever the outside
temperature is above 32° F (0°C).
To Defog and Defrost

To remove fog from the inside of the windows:
1. Switch the fan on. 2. Select
When you select , the
system automatically switches to
Fresh Air mode and turns on the
A/C.
3. Adjust the temperature control lever so the air flow from thedefroster vents feels warm.
4. Turn on the rear window defogger to help clear the rear window.
When you switch to another mode
from , the A/C stays on. Press the A/C button to turn it off.

CONTINUED

Comfort and Convenience FeaturesMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Heating and Cooling

To remove exterior frost or ice from the windshield and side windowsafter the vehicle has been sitting out
in cold weather:
1. Start the engine. 2. Select
When you select the
system automatically switches to
Fresh Air mode and turns on the
A/C.
3. Switch the fan and temperature controls to maximum.
To rapidly remove exterior frost or ice from the windshield (on very cold
days), first select the Recirculation
mode. Once the windshield is clear, select the Fresh Air mode to avoid
fogging the windows.

Comfort and Convenience Features
MODE BUTTONS


RECIRCULATION

BUTTON
AIR CONDITIONING

BUTTON

TEMPERATURE
CONTROL LEVER
FAN CONTROL
LEVERMain Menu Table of Contents s t