traction control HONDA CIVIC COUPE 1999 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 dry
pavement, you will need to press on
the brake pedal very hard before youactivate 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 car, it
only helps with steering controlduring braking. You should always
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 a
corner 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 car to veer intooncoming 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 car 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 car longer to
react, even in conditions that may seem just barely damp. Applysmooth, 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 be seen 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 93).

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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 of
traction 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 conditionscan be very hazardous when the
outside temperature is near freezing.
The road surface can become covered with areas of water puddlesmixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be careful when downshifting. If
traction is low, you can lock up thedrive 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 the identification numbers. The expla-
nations of several electronic and
mechanical systems on your Honda
are for the more technically-oriented
owner. Identification Numbers................. 244
Specifications................................. 246
Tire Information............................ 249 Tire Size Designation................ 249
Wheel Size Designation............ 249
Tire Speed Ratings.................... 249
Tire Pressure Adjustment For High Speed Driving............... 250
DOT Tire Quality Grading....... 250
Treadwear.............................. 250
Traction.................................. 251Temperature.......................... 251
Oxygenated Fuels.......................... 252
Driving in Foreign Countries....... 253 Emissions Controls........................ 254
The Clean Air Act...................... 254Crankcase Emissions Control System..................................... 254
Evaporative Emissions Control System..................................... 254
Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery................................. 254
Exhaust Emissions Controls.... 255 PGM-FI System..................... 255
Ignition Timing ControlSystem................................. 255
Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) System.................... 255
Three Way Catalytic Converter............................ 255
Replacement Parts..................... 255
Three Way Catalytic Converter... 256

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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 causesudden 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
196).

DOT Tire Quality Grading
(U.S. Vehicles)

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 norm
due 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 materialof 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 either
separately or in combination, can

cause heat build-up and possible tire

failure.

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