automatic transmission HONDA CIVIC COUPE 1999 Owners Manual

Steering Wheel Controls

cruise control. To resume the set
speed, press and hold the

RESUME/accel button until the

CRUISE CONTROL light on the

instrument panel comes on. When

climbing a steep hill, the automatic

transmission may downshift to

hold the set speed.
Changing the Set Speed
You can increase the set cruising speed in any of these ways: Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. The car will acceler-
ate. When you reach the desired
cruising speed, release the button. Push on the accelerator pedal. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel

button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
accel button repeatedly. Each time you do this, your vehicle will go
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
You can decrease the set cruising speed in any of these ways: Press and hold the SET/decel
button. The car will decelerate. Release the button when you
reach the desired speed. To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/decel
button repeatedly. Each time you do this, your vehicle will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower. Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your foot. TheCRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out.
When the car slows to the desired speed, press the SET/decel button.
The car will then maintain the desired speed.
CONTINUED
Instruments and Controls
3. Press the SET/decel button on the

steering wheel. The CRUISE

CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on to
show the system is now activated.
The cruise control may not hold the set speed when you are goingup and down hills. If your speed

increases going down a hill, use

the brakes to slow down to the desired speed. This will cancel the
RESUME/

accel

SET/decelMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Keys and Locks

LOCK (0) — You can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
To switch from ACCESSORY to LOCK, you must push the key inslightly as you turn it. If your car has
an automatic transmission, the shift
lever must also be in Park. The anti-
theft lock will lock the steering column when you remove the key.
If the front wheels are turned, theanti-theft lock may sometimes make
it difficult to turn the key fromLOCK to ACCESSORY. Firmly turn
the steering wheel to the left or to
the right as you turn the key. ACCESSORY (I) — In this position,
you can operate the audio systemand the accessory power socket.
ON (II) — This is the normal key
position when driving. All features
and accessories on the car are usable.
Several of the lights on the instru-
ment panel come on as a test when
you turn the ignition switch from
ACCESSORY to ON.
START (III) — Use this position
only to start the engine. The switch
returns to ON (II) when you let go of
the key.
You will hear a reminder beeper if you leave the key in the ignition switch in the LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I) position and open the driver's door. Remove the key toturn off the beeper.
Door Locks

Each door has a lock tab next to the
inside door handle. Push the tab in to
lock the door and pull it out to unlock.
To lock any passenger's door when getting out of the car, push the lock
tab in and close the door. To lock thedriver's door, pull the outside door
handle and push the lock tab in or
push the master switch down. Release the handle, then close the
door.

Instruments and Controls

Removing the key from the
ignition switch while driving

locks the steering. This can

cause you to lose control.

Remove the key from the
ignition switch only when

parked.Main Menu Table of Contents s t

Driving

This section gives you tips on starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes impor-
tant information on parking your car,
and the braking system. Preparing to Drive......................... 136
Starting the Engine........................ 137
Starting in Cold Weatherat High Altitude ..................... 137
5-speed Manual Transmission..... 138 Recommended Shift Points...... 139
Engine Speed Limiter............... 139
Automatic Transmission............... 140 Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 141
Shift Lever Positions................. 141
Engine Speed Limiter............... 144
Shift Lock Release..................... 144Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)............. 145

Parking............................................ 149

Parking Tips............................... 149
The Braking System...................... 150 Brake Wear Indicators.............. 150
Brake System Design................ 151
Anti-lock Brakes........................ 151 Important SafetyReminders.......................... 152
ABS Indicator......................... 153
Driving in Bad Weather................ 154
Towing a Trailer............................ 155
DrivingMain Menu s t

Starting the Engine

1. Apply the parking brake.

2. In cold weather, turn off all
electrical accessories to reduce

the drain on the battery.

3. Manual Transmission:
Push the clutch pedal down all the
way. START (III) does not function unless the clutch pedal is
depressed.

Automatic Transmission (Including
CVT):

Make sure the shift lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.

4. Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the enginedoes not start right away, do not
hold the key in START (III) for
more than 15 seconds at a time.
Pause for at least 10 seconds

before trying again.
5. If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the accelerator pedal pressed half-way
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedalso the engine does not race.
6. If the engine still does not start, press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while starting in order to clear flooding.
As before, keep the ignition key in the START (III) position for nomore than 15 seconds. Return tostep 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lift your foot off the
accelerator pedal so the engine does not race.

Starting in Cold Weather at High

Altitude (Above 8,000 feet/
2,400 meters)

An engine is harder to start in cold weather. The thinner air found at
high altitude above 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) adds to the problem.
Use the following procedure:
1. Turn off all electrical accessories to reduce the drain on the battery.
2. Push the accelerator pedal half- way to the floor and hold it there
while starting the engine. Do nothold the ignition key in START (III) for more than 15 seconds.
When the engine starts, release the accelerator pedal gradually as
the engine speeds up and smoothsout.
3. If the engine fails to start in step 2, push the accelerator pedal to the
floor and hold it there while you try to start the engine for no more
than 15 seconds. If the enginedoes not start, return to step 2.
DrivingMain Menu Table of Contents s t

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 vehicles with Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT):

To operate your Honda's
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT), refer to the page 145 .

DrivingMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Automatic Transmission

Shift Lever Position Indicator
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 Honda dealer as soon as possible.Shift Lever Positions
The shift lever has six positions. It
must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped inD4, D3, 2, N or R, press firmly on the
brake pedal, and keep your foot off
the accelerator pedal.

CONTINUED

Driving

SHIFT LEVERMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Automatic Transmission

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 and have your foot off the
accelerator pedal. Press the release
button on the side of the shift lever
to move it.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on page
144.

You must also press the release button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission 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.
DrivingMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Automatic Transmission

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 youneed to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park posi- tion if you need to leave the car forany reason. Press on the brake pedal
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 braking 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.
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.

DrivingMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Automatic Transmission
Engine Speed Limiter
If you exceed the maximum speedfor the gear you are in, the enginespeed will enter into the tachometer's
red zone. If this occurs, you may
feel the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine's
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.

Driving
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. Put a cloth on the edge of the shift lock release slot cover next to theshift lever.
Use a small flat-tipped screwdriver or small metal plate (neither are
included in the tool kit) to remove
the cover. Carefully pry off the edge of the cover.Main Menu Table of Contents s t

Automatic Transmission (CVT)

4. Insert the key in the Shift Lock Release slot.
5. Push down on the key while you press the release button on theshift lever and move the shift lever
out of Park to Neutral. RELEASE BUTTON
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
6. Remove the key from the shift lock release slot, then reinstall the
cover.
Depress the brake pedal andrestart the engine.
If you need to use the Shift Lock Release, it means your car is
developing a problem. Have the car
checked by your Honda dealer. Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT)
On HX model

Honda's Continuously Variable
automatic transmission's unique design provides a smooth, constant
flow of power. It is electronically controlled for more precise operation
and better fuel economy.

DrivingMain Menu Table of Contents s t