octane HONDA CIVIC COUPE 1999 Owners Manual

Break-in Period, Gasoline

Break-in Period

Help assure your car's future
reliability and performance by paying extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period: Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid

acceleration.
Avoid hard braking. New brakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use for the first 200 miles (300

km).

You should follow these same re- commendations with an overhauledor exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are relined.
Gasoline

Your Honda is designed to operate on unleaded gasoline.
We recommend gasolines containing detergent additives that help prevent
fuel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your car's emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emission control system performance may deteriorate and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on. If this happens, contact your
authorized Honda dealer for service.
(U.S. DX, HX, EX models, and Canadian

DX and Si models)

Use an unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane number of 86 or higher. Use of a lower octane gasoline can
cause a persistent, heavy metallic
rapping noise in the engine that can
lead to mechanical damage.

(U.S. Si model and Canadian SiR model)

Use a premium unleaded gasoline
with a pump octane number of 91 or higher.
If you are unable to find premium
unleaded gasoline, you may substi-
tute an unleaded regular gasoline.
The engine will compensate for the lower octane, but you may notice aslight decrease in power as a result.

Before DrivingMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Maintenance Schedule

The Maintenance Schedule specifies how often you should have your carserviced and what things need
attention. It is essential that you have
your car serviced as scheduled to retain its high level of safety,dependability, and emissions control
performance.
The services and time or distance
intervals shown in the maintenanceschedule assume you will use your
car as normal transportation for
passengers and their possessions.
You should also follow these
recommendations:

Avoid exceeding your car's loadlimit. This puts excess stress onthe engine, brakes, and many
other parts of your car. The load
limit is shown on the label on thedriver's doorjamb.
Operate your car on reasonable
roads within the legal speed limit.
Drive your car regularly over adistance of several miles
(kilometers).
Always use unleaded gasoline with
the proper octane rating (see page
124). Which Schedule to Follow:
Service your car according to the
time and mileage periods on one of
the Maintenance Schedules on the
following pages. Select the schedule
for "Severe Conditions" if most of
your driving is done under one or more of the conditions listed on that
page. Otherwise, follow the schedule
for "Normal Conditions."

MaintenanceMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Oxygenated Fuels

Some conventional gasolines are

being blended with alcohol or an
ether compound. These gasolines

are collectively referred to as

oxygenated fuels. To meet clean air
standards, some areas of the United

States and Canada use oxygenated

fuels to help reduce emissions.

If you use an oxygenated fuel, be
sure it is unleaded and meets the

minimum octane rating requirement.

Before using an oxygenated fuel, try

to confirm the fuel's contents. Some
states/provinces require this

information to be posted on the

pump.
The following are the U.S. EPA and
Canada CGSB approved percentages
of oxygenates:
ETHANOL (ethyl or grain alcohol)
You may use gasoline containing up to 10 percent ethanol by volume. Gasoline containing ethanol may be
marketed under the name "Gasohol."
MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether)
You may use gasoline containing up to 15 percent MTBE by volume.
METHANOL (methyl or wood
alcohol)

You may use gasoline containing up to 5 percent methanol by volume as
long as it also contains cosolventsand corrosion inhibitors to protect
the fuel system. Gasoline containing
more than 5 percent methanol by
volume may cause starting and/or performance problems. It may alsodamage metal, rubber and plastic
parts of your fuel system. If you notice any undesirable

operating symptoms, try another

service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
Fuel system damage or performance
problems resulting from the use of
an oxygenated fuel containing more

than the percentages of oxygenates
given above are not covered under

warranty.

Technical InformationMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Driving in Foreign Countries

Technical Information

If you are planning to take your
Honda outside the U.S. or Canada,
contact the tourist bureaus in the
areas you will be traveling in to find
out about the availability of unleaded
gasoline with the proper octane
rating.

If unleaded gasoline is not available,
be aware that using leaded gasoline in your Honda will affect perfor-
mance and fuel mileage, and damage
its emissions controls. It will no
longer comply with U.S. andCanadian emissions regulations, and
will be illegal to operate in North
America. To bring your car back into compliance will require the replace-
ment of several components, such as
the oxygen sensors and the three
way catalytic converter. These re- placements are not covered under
warranty.Main Menu Table of Contents s t

Index

Ethanol in Gasoline ....................... 252
Evaporative Emissions Controls.. 254

Exhaust Fumes................................ 49

Expectant Mothers, Use of Seat Belts by......................................... 19
Exterior, Cleaning the................... 214
Fabric, Cleaning............................. 216
Fan, Interior...................................... 88
Features, Comfort and Convenience................................. 87
Filling the Fuel Tank..................... 125
Filters Air................................................ 185

Oil................................................ 173

5-speed Manual Transmission
Checking Fluid Level................ 182
Shifting the................................. 138
Flashers, Hazard Warning.............. 64
Flat Tire, Changing a.................... 221
Fluids Automatic Transmission........... 180Brake........................................... 183Clutch.......................................... 183 Manual Transmission............... 182
Power Steering........................... 184
Windshield Washer................... 180
FM Stereo Radio Reception.................................... 120
Folding Rear Seat............................ 78
Foreign Countries, Driving in...... 253
Four-way Flashers........................... 64
Front End, Towing by Emergency Wrecker................. 241

Fuel.................................................. 124

Fill Door and Cap....................... 125Gauge............................................ 58
Octane Requirement................. 124
Oxygenated................................ 252
Reserve Indicator......................... 58
Tank, Filling the......................... 125
Fuses, Checking the...................... 236

Gas Mileage, Improving................ 129
Gasohol........................................... 252

Gasoline.......................................... 124
Fuel Reserve Indicator................ 58
Gauge............................................ 58
Octane Requirement................. 124

Tank, Filling the......................... 125

Gas Station Procedures................. 125

Gauges
Engine Coolant Temperature .... 58

Fuel................................................58
Gearshift Lever Positions
Automatic Transmission........... 140

5-speed Manual
Transmission.......................... 138

Glass Cleaning............................... 217

Glove Box......................................... 83

Halogen Headlight Bulbs.............. 204
Hazard Warning Flashers............... 64
Headlights
Daytime Running Lights............. 61
High Beam Indicator................... 55
High Beams, Turning on............ 61
Low Beams, Turning on............. 61
Reminder Beeper......................... 61
Replacing Halogen Bulbs ......... 204

Turning on.................................... 61

Head Restraints............................... 77Main Menu s t

Index

Maintenance

Safety........................................... 158

Schedule.............................. 162-166

Malfunction Indicator Lamp.. 55, 233

Manual Transmission.................... 138

Manual Transmission Fluid ......... 182

Meters, Gauges................................ 57

Methanol in Gasoline.................... 252

Mirrors, Adjusting........................... 81

Moonroof.......................................... 81
Closing Manually....................... 235Operation...................................... 81

Neutral Gear Position.................... 143

New Vehicle Break-in ................... 124
Normal Shift Speeds .............. 139-140
NOTICE, Explanation of.................... i

Numbers, Identification................ 244

Octane Requirement, Gasoline.... 124
Odometer.......................................... 57

Odometer, Trip................................ 57
Oil
Change, How to......................... 173

Change, When to....................... 162

Checking Engine....................... 127
Pressure Indicator............... 55, 231 Selecting Proper Viscosity Chart....................................... 172
ON (Ignition Key Position)............ 70
Opening the Hood......................... 126
Opening the Trunk.......................... 75 Operation in Foreign Countries... 253
Outside Mirrors............................... 81
Overheating, Engine..................... 229
Panel Brightness Control............... 62 Park Gear Position......................... 141

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

Parking Brake.................................. 82
Parking Lights.................................. 64
Parking Over Things that Burn... 255
PGM-FI System.............................. 255
Polishing and Waxing................... 214

Power
Door Locks................................... 70
Mirrors.......................................... 81

Steering....................................... 184
Windows....................................... 79
Pre-Drive Safety Checklist............. 11
Pregnancy, Using Seat Belts.......... 19

Protecting Adults............................. 12
Additional Safety Precautions.... 19
Advice for Pregnant Women...... 19
Protecting Children......................... 21 Protecting Infants........................ 29
Protecting Larger Children........ 37
Protecting Small Children.......... 33
Using Child Seats withTethers...................................... 40
Radiator Overheating.................... 229
Radio/Cassette Sound System....... 96
Rear End Towing........................... 241
Rear Lights, Bulb Replacement... 206
Rear Seat, Folding........................... 78
Rear View Mirror............................. 81
Rear Window .................. 64Main Menu s t

Service Information Summary

Gasoline:

U.S.: EX, DX, HX, Canada: DX, Si
Unleaded gasoline, pump octane

number of 86 or higher.

U.S.: Si, Canada: SiR

Premium unleaded gasoline,
pump octane number of 91 or

higher.

Fuel Tank Capacity:
11.9 US gal (45 l,9.9 Imp gal)
Recommended Engine Oil:
API Service SJ "Energy Conserving" oil, SAE 5W-30
viscosity (see page 155 ).
DX: 3.8 US qt (3.6 l,3.2 Imp qt)

U.S.:HX, EX, Canada: Si
3.5 US qt (3.3 l,2.9 Imp qt)
U.S.: Si, Canada: SiR 4.2 US qt (4.0 l,3.5 Imp qt) Automatic Transmission Fluid:
Honda Premium Formula Auto-
matic Transmission Fluid (ATF)

HX model (CVT) only:

Use Honda CVT Fluid only
5-speed Manual Transmission
Fluid:

Honda Manual TransmissionFluid preferred, or an API service

SG, SH or SJ, SAE 10W-30 or
10W-40 motor oil as a temporary
replacement (see page 166).
Capacity (including differential): U.S.: DX, EX and HX, Canada: DX
and Si
1.9 US qt (1.8 l,1.6 Imp qt)
U.S.: Si, Canada: SiR
2.3 US qt (2.2 l,1.9 lmp qt)
Power Steering Fluid:
Genuine Honda Power Steering Fluid preferred, or another brand
of power steering fluid as a
temporary replacement. Do not

use ATF (see page 184).

Brake Fluid:
Genuine Honda DOT 3 Brake Fluidpreferred, or a DOT 3 or DOT 4
brake fluid as a temporary
replacement (see page 183).
Tire Pressure (measured cold): U.S.: DX, EX and HX, Canada: DX
and Si
Front:
30 psi (210 kPa, 2.1 kgf/cm2)

Rear:

29 psi (200 kPa , 2.0 kgf/cm2)

U.S.: Si, Canada: SiR
Front:
35 psi (240 kPa , 2.4 kgf/cm2)

Rear:
33 psi (230 kPa , 2.3 kgf/cm2)

Spare Tire Pressure:
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm2)Main Menu s t