traction control HONDA CIVIC COUPE 1998 Owners Manual

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.

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Driving in Bad Weather

Rain, fog, and snow conditions re-
quire a different driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your vehicle well- maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control should not be used in these condi-
tions. Driving Technique — Always drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your vehicle longer
to react, even in conditions that may seem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss of
control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious for the first few miles (kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in snow. A person can forget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills.
Exercise extra caution when driving
in rain after a long dry spell. After
months of dry weather, the first
rains bring oil to the surface of the
roadway, making it slippery. Visibility — Being able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important in all weather conditions. This ismore difficult in bad weather. To beseen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers frequently. Keep the wind- shield washer reservoir full of the
proper fluid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the defrosters and air
conditioning to keep the windows
from fogging up on the inside (see

page 91).

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Driving in Bad Weather, Towing a Trailer

Traction — Check your tires frequently for wear and proper
pressure. Both are important in
preventing "hydroplaning" (loss oftraction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all four
wheels for the best handling.
Watch road conditions carefully, they can change from moment to
moment. Wet leaves can be as slip-
pery as ice. "Clear" roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditions
can be very hazardous when theoutside temperature is near freezing.
The road surface can become covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be careful when downshifting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the drive wheels for a moment and cause

a skid.
Be very cautious when passing, or
being passed by other vehicles. The
spray from large vehicles reduces
your visibility, and the wind buffeting can cause you to lose control.
Towing a Trailer

Your vehicle is not designed to tow atrailer. Attempting to do so can void
your warranties.

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Technical Information

The diagrams in this section give you the dimensions and capacities of
your Honda, and the locations of theidentification numbers. The expla-
nations of several electronic and
mechanical systems on your Hondaare for the more technically-oriented
owner. Identification Numbers................. 230
Specifications................................. 232
Tire Information............................ 235 Tire Size Designation................ 235
Wheel Size Designation............ 235
Tire Speed Ratings.................... 235
Tire Pressure Adjustment For High Speed Driving............... 236
DOT Tire Quality Grading....... 236 Treadwear.............................. 236Traction.................................. 237
Temperature.......................... 237
Oxygenated Fuels.......................... 238
Driving In Foreign Countries....... 239 Emissions Controls........................ 240
The Clean Air Act...................... 240Crankcase Emissions Control
System.....................................240

Evaporative Emissions Control
System.....................................240

Exhaust Emissions Controls.... 241 PGM-FI System..................... 241
Ignition Timing Control System................................. 241
Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) System.................... 241
Three Way Catalytic Converter............................ 241
Replacement Parts..................... 241
Three Way Catalytic Converter... 242

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Tire Information
Tire Pressure Adjustment For
High Speed Driving
Honda strongly recommends that
you not drive faster than posted speed limits and conditions allow. If
you decide it is safe to drive at high speeds, be sure to adjust the cold tire
pressures as shown below. If you do
not adjust the tire pressure, exces- sive heat can build up and cause
sudden tire failure.

Be sure to readjust the pressure for

normal driving speeds. You should

wait until the tires are cold before
adjusting the tire pressure (see page
180).
DOT Tire Quality Grading
(U.S. Cars)

The tires on your car meet all U.S. Federal Safety Requirements. All
tires are also graded for treadwear, traction, and temperature perform-ance according to Department of
Transportation (DOT) standards.
The following explains these gradings.
Treadwear

The treadwear grade is a compara- tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlledconditions on a specified government
test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one
half (1-1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the normdue to variations in driving habits,
service practices, and differences in
road characteristics and climate.

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Tire Information

Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and C, and they
represent the tire's ability to stop on
wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphaltand concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade as- signed to this tire is based on brak-
ing (straight ahead) traction tests
and does not include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature

The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the
tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law. Warning: The temperature grade for

this tire is established for a tire that

is properly inflated and not over-

loaded. Excessive speed, underinfla- tion, or excessive loading eitherseparately or in combination, can

cause heat build-up and possible tire

failure.

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