battery HONDA CIVIC COUPE 1999 User Guide

Battery
If the terminals are severely cor-roded, clean them with baking soda
and water. Then use a wrench to
loosen and remove the cables from
the terminals. Always disconnect the negative ( — ) cable first and recon-
nect it last. Clean the battery termi-
nals with a terminal cleaning tool or
wire brush. Reconnect and tighten the cables, then coat the terminals
with grease. If you need to connect the battery to
a charger, disconnect both cables to
prevent damage to the car's electrical system.
Charging the battery with the cables
connected can seriously damage your
car's electronic controls Detach the
battery cables before connecting the battery to a charger
Maintenance
NOTICE

The battery gives off explosive hydrogen gas during normal
operation.
A spark or flame can cause the battery to explode with enough
force to kill or seriously hurt you.
Wear protective clothing and a
face shield, or have a skilled mechanic do the battery
maintenance.Main Menu Table of Contents s t

Storing Your Car

If you need to park your car for an

extended period (more than one

month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it for storage.

Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to

get your car back on the road. If possible, store your car indoors.

Fill the fuel tank.
Change the engine oil and filter
(see page 173).

Wash and dry the exterior
completely.

Clean the interior. Make sure the

carpeting, floor mats, etc. are

completely dry.
Leave the parking brake off. Put

the transmission in Reverse (5-
speed manual) or Park
(automatic). Block the rear wheels.
If the car is to be stored for a
longer period, it should be supported on jackstands so the
tires are off the ground.
Leave one window open slightly (if
the car is being stored indoors).
Disconnect the battery.
Support the front wiper blade
arms with a folded towel or rag so
they do not touch the windshield.
To minimize sticking, apply a silicone spray lubricant to all door
and trunk seals. Also, apply a
vehicle body wax to the painted surfaces that mate with the door
and trunk seals. Cover the car with a "breathable"
cover, one made from a porous
material such as cotton.
Nonporous materials, such as
plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
If possible, run the engine for a
while periodically (preferably once a month).
If you store your car for 12 months
or longer, have your Acura dealer
perform the inspections called for in the 24 months/30,000 miles (48,000
km) maintenance schedule as soos as you take it out of storage (see
page 162). The replacements called
for in the maintenance schedule are not needed unless the car has
actually reached that time or mileage.

MaintenanceMain 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, oroperates 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 thestarter 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 headlightsare very dim or don't light at all,
the battery is discharged. See

Jump Starting on page 227.
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 ignitionswitch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to
determine the problem. (See

Emergency Towing on page 241.)

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 189). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
from a booster battery (see page 227).

Taking Care of the UnexpectedMain Menu Table of Contents s t

If Your Engine Won't Start, Jump Starting
The Starter Operates Normally In this case, the starter motor's
speed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when you turn the ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.
Are you using the proper startingprocedure? Refer to Starting the
Engine on page 137.Do you have fuel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the fuel gauge.
The low fuel level warning light may not be working, so you were
not reminded to fill the tank.
There may be an electrical problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses (see page 237).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Emergency
Towing on page 241. Jump Starting
If your car's battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
you should take several precautions.
You cannot start a Honda with an automatic transmission by pushingor pulling it. To jump start your car, follow these
directions closely:
1. Open the hood and check the physical condition of the battery(see page 189). In very cold
weather, check the condition of the electrolyte. If it seems slushyor like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.

If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can freeze.

Attempting to jump start with a frozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

2. Turn off all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, stereo system,

lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or

Park and set the parking brake.

CONTINUED

Taking Care of the Unexpected

A battery can explode if you do

not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
NOTICEMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Jump Starting

3. Connect one jumper cable to the positive (+) terminal on the
booster battery. Connect the otherend to the positive (+) terminal
on your Honda's battery. 4. Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( — ) terminal onthe booster battery. Connect theother end to the grounding strap
as shown. Do not connect this
jumper cable to any other part of the engine.
5. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, have an assistant startthat vehicle and run it at a fast idle. 6. Start your car. If the starter motor
still operates slowly, check the
jumper cable connections to make sure they have good metal-to-
metal contact.
7. Once your car is running, discon- nect the negative cable from your
car, then from the booster battery.
Disconnect the positive cable from
your car, then the booster battery.

Taking Care of the Unexpected
BOOSTER BATTERYMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Charging System Indicator

This indicator should come on when
the ignition switch is ON (II), and go out after the engine starts. If it
comes on brightly when the engine is running, it indicates that thecharging system has stopped
charging the battery. Immediately turn off all electrical
accessories: radio, heater, A/C, rear
defogger, cruise control, etc. Try not
to use other electrically-operated controls such as the power windows.
Keep the engine running and takeextra care not to stall it. Starting the
engine will discharge the battery
rapidly. By eliminating as much of the
electrical load as possible, you can
drive several miles (kilometers)
before the battery is too discharged
to keep the engine running. Drive to a service station or garage where
you can get technical assistance.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
CHARGING SYSTEM INDICATORMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Fuses

All the electrical circuits in your car have fuses to protect them from ashort circuit or overload. These
fuses are located in three fuse boxes. INTERIOR
The interior fuse box is underneath the dashboard on the driver's side.Remove the fuse box lid by swinging
the lid down and pulling it straight
out of its hinges. The under-hood fuse box is located
in the engine compartment next to
the battery. To open it, push the tab
as shown.

Taking Care of the Unexpected
TAB

UNDER-HOODMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Emergency Towing

plugged into the accessory powersocket are turned off so they do not
run down the battery.
Trying to lift or tow your vehicle by
the bumpers will cause serious
damage. The bumpers are not designed to support the vehicle's

weight.

Taking Care of the Unexpected

The steering system can be
damaged if the steering wheel is locked. Leave the ignition switch in
Accessory (I), and make sure the steering wheel turns freely before
you begin towing.
NOTICE
NOTICEMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Warranty Coverages

U.S. Owners
Your new Honda is covered by these warranties:
New Car Limited Warranty — covers
your new vehicle, except for the battery, emissions control systemsand accessories, against defects in
materials and workmanship.

Emissions Control Systems Defects Warranty and Emissions

Performance Warranty — these two

warranties cover your vehicle's emis- sions control systems. Time, mileage,
and coverage are conditional. Please
read the warranty manual for exact information.

Original Equipment Battery Limited
Warranty — this warranty gives up
to 100 percent credit toward a
replacement battery. Seat Belt Limited Warranty — a seat
belt that fails to function properly is covered for the useful life of the
vehicle.
Rust Perforation Limited Warranty — all exterior body panels are
covered for rust-through from the
inside for the specified time period
with no mileage limit.

Accessory Limited Warranty —
Genuine Honda Accessories are
covered under this warranty. Time and mileage limits depend on the
type of accessory and other factors.
Please read your warranty manual
for details.

Replacement Parts Limited
Warranty — covers all Genuine
Honda replacement parts against
defects in materials and workman-

ship.
Replacement Battery Limited

Warranty — provides prorated
coverage for a replacement battery
purchased from a Honda dealer.
Replacement Muffler Lifetime
Limited Warranty — provides
coverage for as long as the pur- chaser of the muffler owns the car.
Restrictions and exclusions apply to
all these warranties. Please read the 1999 Honda Warranty Information
booklet that came with your car for precise information on warranty
coverages. Your Honda's original
tires are covered by their manufacturer. Tire warranty infor-
mation is in a separate booklet.
Canadian Owners
Please refer to the 1999 Warranty
Manual that came with your car.

Warranty and Customer RelationsMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Index

Accessories and Modifications.... 130 Accessories................................. 130Additional Safety Precaution.... 131 Modifications............................. 131
ACCESSORY (Ignition Key Position)........................................ 70
Accessory Power Socket................ 85
Adding Automatic Transmission

Fluid........................................ 180

Brake Fluid................................. 183 Clutch Fluid................................ 183
Engine Coolant........................... 175

Engine Oil................................... 171

Manual Transmission Fluid..... 182
Power Steering Fluid................. 184
Windshield Washer Fluid......... 180
Additional Information About Your Seat Belts........................ 42
Lap Belt......................................... 43
Lap/Shoulder Belt....................... 42
Seat Belt Maintenance................ 44
Seat Belt System Components... 42 Additional Information About
Your SRS................................... 45
Additional Safety Precautions.... 48 How Your Airbags Work............ 45
How Your SRS Indicator
Works........................................ 47

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

Additives, Engine Oil..................... 171

Adjustments
Head Restraints........................... 77

Mirrors.......................................... 81

Seats.............................................. 76

Steering Wheel............................ 65

Airbag (SRS)...................................... 9
Air Cleaner Element...................... 185 Air Conditioning............................... 88 Maintenance............................... 193
Usage............................................. 90
Air Outlets (Vents).......................... 90
Air Pressure, Tires........................ 196 High Speed Driving................... 250
Normal Driving.......................... 196
Alcohol in Gasoline........................ 252
Antifreeze....................................... 175
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) Indicator Light.................... 55, 153
Operation.................................... 152

Anti-theft Steering Column
Lock............................................... 70

Appearance Care........................... 213
Ashtrays (Optional)......................... 85

Audio System................................... 96

Automatic Speed Control................ 66
Automatic Transmission............... 140

Capacity, Fluid........................... 247

Checking Fluid Level................ 180

Shifting........................................ 141
Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 140
Shift Lever Positions................. 141
Shift Lock Release..................... 144
Battery Charging SystemIndicator............................ 55, 232
Jump Starting............................. 227 Maintenance............................... 189
Specifications............................. 248
CONTINUEDMain Menu s t