HONDA CIVIC COUPE 1999 Owners Manual

1999 Civic Coupe Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com.

Contents
Introduction........................................................................\
............................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety ........................................................................\
.................................................. ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance ........................................................................\
....................................................... 2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
............................................... 5
Pr op

er use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
...................................................51
Instrument panel in

dicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
.................................87
How to op

erate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
.....................................................................123
What gasoli n
e to u

se, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
...................................................................................135
The proper way t o

start the engine, shift the tr ansmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.........................................................................157
T h
e Ma

intenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
.................................................................213
T i
ps on cl

eaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your car ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................219
This section covers sever
a

l problems motorists someti mes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
.......................................................243
ID numbers, dimens ions, capacities, and techn

ical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)......................................................................257
A summary of th
e warr

anties covering your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
.......................................263
How t o
order

manuals and other technical literature.
Index ........................................................................\
......................................................................................... I
Servic e Inf

ormation Summary
A summary of informa

tion you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.


Owner's Identification

Introduction

Congratulations ! Your selection of a 1999 Honda Civic was a wise
investment. It will give you years of driving pleasure.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Honda is to
read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Afterwards, keep this owner's manual in your car so you
can refer to it at any time.
Several warranties protect your new Honda. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights and responsibilities.
Maintaining your car according to the schedules given in this manual helps
to keep your driving trouble-free while it preserves your investment. When
your car needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Honda dealer's staff is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to your Honda. Your
Honda dealer is dedicated to your satisfaction and will be pleased to answer
any questions and concerns. As you read this manual, you will
find information that is preceded by symbol. This
information is intended to help you
avoid damage to your Honda, other
property, or the environment.
a NOTICEMain Menu s t

A Few Words About Safety
Your safety, and the safety of others, is very important. And operating this
car safely is an important
responsibility.
To help you make informed decisions about safety, we have
provided operating procedures and other information on labels and in
this manual. This information alerts
you to potential hazards that could hurt you or others.
Of course, it is not practical or
possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or
maintaining your car. You must use
your own good judgement. You will find this important safety information in a variety of forms,

including:

Safety Labels — on the car. Safety Messages — preceded by a safety alert symbol and one of
three signal words: DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION.

These signal words mean:

You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLYHURT if you don't follow instructions.

You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don't follow instructions.
You CAN be HURT if you don't follow
instructions.

Safety Headings — such as Important Safety Reminders or Important Safety Precautions.
Safety Section — such as Driver and Passenger Safety. Instructions — how to use this car correctly and safely.
This entire book is filled with important safety information — please read it carefully.Main Menu s t

Your Car at a Glance
DOOR LOCK
SWITCHES
(P.
70) MIRROR
CONTROLS
(P.
81)
HEATING/COOLING

CONTROLS

(P.
88)
AUDIO SYSTEM,
DIGITAL CLOCK
(P. 108)

POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES

(P.
79)
FUEL FILL
DOOR RELEASE
(P. 125)

TRUNK RELEASEHANDLE
(P.
75) HOOD RELEASE
HANDLE

(P. 126)Main Menu s t

Your Car at a Glance

CRUISE
CONTROL
(P.
66)
INSTRUMENT PANEL

BRIGHTNESS

(P.
62)
WINDSHIELD WIPERS/

WASHERS

HAZARD WARNING

LIGHTS

(P.
64) REAR WINDOW

DEFOGGER

(P.
64)
MOONROOF (P 81)

MIRROR

CONTROLS
(P.
82)
HEADLIGHTS/
TURN SIGNALS
(P.
61) TILT ADJUSTMENT

(P.
18)
HORNMain Menu s t

Driver and Passenger Safety

This section gives you important
information about how to protect

yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts

properly. It explains your Supple-

mental Restraint System. And it tells

you how to properly restrain infants

mid children in your car.

Important Safety Precautions.......... 6

Your Car's Safety Features.............. 7
Seat Belts........................................ 8
Airbags............................................ 9

Seats & Seat-Backs...................... 10Head Restraints........................... 10
Door Locks................................... 11
Pre-Drive Safety Checklist......... 11

Protecting Adults............................. 12
1. Close and Lock the Doors...... 12
2. Adjust the Front Seats............ 12 3. Adjust the Seat-Backs............. 13
4. Adjust the Head Restraints.... 145. Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts...................................... 15

6. Adjust the Steering Wheel..... 18
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position................................. 18

Advice for Pregnant Women...... 19

Additional Safety Precautions.... 19

Protecting Children......................... 21
All Children Must Be

Restrained................................ 21
Children Should Sit in the Back
Seat............................................ 22

The Passenger's Airbag Poses Serious Risks to Children....... 22
If You Must Drive with Several Children.................................... 24 If a Child Requires Close
Attention................................... 24
Additional Safety Precaution...... 24 General Guidelines for Using
Child Seats................................ 25

Protecting Infants........................ 29 Protecting Small Children.......... 33
Protecting Larger Children........ 37
Using Child Seats with Tethers...................................... 40
Additional Information About Your
Seat Belts.................................. 42

Seat Belt System Components... 42
Lap/Shoulder Belt....................... 42
Lap Belt......................................... 43
Seat Belt Maintenance................ 44
Additional Information About Your
SRS............................................ 45

SRS Components......................... 45

How Your Airbags Work............ 45
How the SRS Indicator Light
Works........................................ 47

SRS Service................................... 47

Additional Safety Precautions.... 48

Carbon Monoxide Hazard.............. 49

Safety Labels.................................... 50

Driver and Passenger SafetyMain Menu s t

Important Safety Precautions

You'll find many safety recommendations throughout thissection, and throughout this manual.
The recommendations on this page are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
A seat bel
t is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inflate only in a
moderate to severe frontal collision. So even though your car is equipped
with airbags, make sure you and
your passengers always wear your seat belts, and wear them properly. (See page 15.)
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 21.) 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. Be sure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page 7.)

Don't Drink and Drive

Alcohol and driving don't mix. Even one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your 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 Car in Safe Condition
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical failure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibilityof such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition frequently, and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page 162.)

Driver and Passenger SafetyMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Your Car's Safety Features

Your car is equipped with many features that work together to
protect you and your passengersduring a crash.
Some safety features do not require
any action on your part. These
include a strong steel framework
that forms a safety cage around the
passenger compartment; front and rear crush zones that are designed to
crumple and absorb energy during a
crash; and a collapsible steering

column.

These safety features are designed to reduce the severity of injuries in a
crash. However, you and your
passengers can't take full advantageof these safety features unless you
remain sitting in a proper position
and always wear your seat belts

properly. In fact, some safety
features can contribute to injuries if they are not used properly.
Driver and Passenger Safety
(1) Safety Cage
(2) Crush Zones
(3) Seats & Seats-Backs
(4) Head Restraints
(5) Collapsible Steering Column
(6) Seat Belts
(7) Airbags
(8) Door LocksMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Your Car's Safety Features

Seat Belts
For your safety, and the safety of
your passengers, your car is equipped with seat belts in all seating
positions.
Your seat belt system alsoincludes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passengers to fasten your seat belts.

Why Wear Seat Belts

Seat belts are the single most
effective safety device for adults and
larger children. (Infants and smaller children must be properly restrained
in child seats.)
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your car has airbags. In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.
When properly worn, seat belts:
Keep you connected to the vehicleso you can take advantage of the
car's built-in safety features. Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including side and
rear impacts and rollovers. (Your
airbag can only be helpful in a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.)

Help keep you from being thrown
against the inside of the vehicle
and against other occupants.
Keep you from being thrown out
of the vehicle. Help keep you in a good position
should the airbags ever deploy. A
good position reduces the risk of injury from an inflating airbag, and
allows you to get the best
advantage from the airbag.
Of course, seat belts cannot
completely protect you in every
crash. But in most cases, seat belts can reduce your risk of serious
injury.

What you should do: Always wear
your sea t
belt, and make sure you
wear it properly.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Not wearing a seat belt properly

increases the chance of serious

injury or death in a crash, even

if you have airbags.

Be sure you and your

passengers always wear seat

belts and wear them properly.Main Menu Table of Contents s t

Your Car's Safety Features

Airbags

Yqur car has a SupplementalRestraint System (SRS) with frontal
airbags to help protect the driver and
a front seat passenger.
This system also includesan indicator light on the
instrument panel to alert you to a
possible problem with the system. The most important things you need
to know about your airbags are:
Airbags do not replace seat belts.

The seat belts are the occupants' primary protection in all types ofcollisions. The airbags supplement
the seat belts by providing extra
protection for the head and chestof each front seat occupant in a
moderate to severe frontal

collision.
Airbags offer no protection in side

impacts, rear impacts, rollovers,
or minor collisions. Airbags are

designed to deploy only during a
moderate to severe frontal

collision.
Airbags can pose serious hazards.

To do their job, airbags must inflate with tremendous force and
speed. So while airbags save lives,
they can cause serious injuries to adults and larger children who are not wearing seat belts, are not
wearing them properly, are sitting too close to the airbag, or are notsitting in a proper position. Infants
and small children are at an even
greater risk of injury or death.

What you should do: Always wear

your seat belt properly, and sit upright and as far back as possible
from the steering wheel or
dashboard.

Driver and Passenger Safety

SRSMain Menu Table of Contents s t