steering HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK 2003 7.G Owner's Manual

Make sure the rear window is clear
and you have good visibility bef ore
starting to drive.Make any steering wheel adjustment
bef ore you start driving.
To adjust the steering wheel upward
or downward:Push the lever under the steering
column all the way down.
Thedefoggerwiresontheinsideof
the rear window can be accidentally
damaged. When cleaning the glass,
always wipe side to side.
Move the steering wheel to the
desired position, making sure the
wheel points toward your chest,
not toward your f ace. Make sure
you can see the instrument panel
gauges and the indicator lights.
Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position.
Make sure you have securely
locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up and down.
1.
4.
3.
2.
See page f or important saf ety
inf ormation about how to properlyposition the steering wheel. 17
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Steering Wheel A djustment
71
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle and be seriously injured
inacrash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the vehicle is stopped.

Youshouldhavereceivedakey
number plate with your set of keys.
You will need this key number if you
ever have to get a lost key replaced.
Keep the plate stored in a saf e place.
When replacing keys, use only
Honda-approved key blanks.The ignition switch is on the right
side of the steering column. It has
f our positions:
LOCK(0)
 ACCESSORY (I)
 ON (II)
 START (III)
Your car comes with two identicalkeys.
Your car also comes with two remote
transmitters; see page for an
explanation of the operation.
They f it all the locks on your car:
 Ignition
 Doors
Hatch 76
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Keys and Locks
Keys Ignition Switch
Remote Transmitter
72KEY
NUMBER
PLATE
MASTER
KEYS
VALET
KEY

µ
µ
µµ Use this position
only to start the engine. The switch
returns to ON (II) when you let go of
the key.
The engine will not start if the
Immobilizer System does not
recognize the key’s coding (see page ).
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
thedriver’sdoor.Removethekeyto
turn of f the beeper.
You can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
To switch f rom ACCESSORY to
LOCK, you must push the key in
slightly as you turn it. The anti-thef t
lock will lock the steering column
when you remove the key.
If the f ront wheels are turned, the
anti-thef t lock may sometimes make
it difficult to turn the key from
LOCK to ACCESSORY. Firmly turn
the steering wheel to the lef t or to
the right as you turn the key.
This is the normal key
position when driving. All f eatures
and accessories on the vehicle are
usable. Several of the lights on the
instrument panel come on as a test
when you turn the ignition switch
f rom ACCESSORY to ON. In this position,
you can operate the audio system
and the accessory power socket. 74
ST A RT (III)
LOCK (0)
ON (II)
A CCESSORY (I)
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols
73
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 whenparked.

Cruise control allows you to maintain
asetspeedabove25mph(40km/h)
without keeping your f oot on the
accelerator pedal. It should be used
f or cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended f or
conditions such as city driving,
winding roads, slippery roads, heavy
rain, or bad weather. You should
have f ull control of the car under
those conditions.Push in the Cruise Control Master
Switch to the lef t of the steering
column. The indicator in the
switch will light.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speedabove25mph(40km/h).Press and release the SET/decel
buttononthesteeringwheel.The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on to
show the system is now activated.
1. 2. 3.Using t he Cruise Cont rol
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
124 RESUME/ accel
BUTTON
SET/decel
BUTTON
Improper use of the cruise
control can lead to a crash.
Use the cruise control only
when traveling on open
highways in good weather.

Even with the cruise control turned
on, you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up f or passing. Af ter
completing the pass, take your foot
of f the accelerator pedal. The car
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your f oot on the brake or
clutch pedal will cause the cruise
control to cancel.Youcancancelthecruisecontrolin
any of these ways:Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
Press the Cruise Control Master
Switch.
Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel. When you push the CANCEL
button, or tap the brake or clutch
pedal, the CRUISE CONTROL
light on the instrument panel will
go out and the car will begin to
slow down. You can use the
accelerator pedal in the normal
way.
The system remembers the
previously-set cruising speed. To
return to that speed, accelerate to
above25mph(40km/h),then
press the RESUME/accel button.
The CRUISE CONTROL light
comes on, and the car will
accelerate to the same cruising
speed as bef ore.
Pressing the Cruise Control Master
Switch turns the system completely
of f and erases the previous cruising
speed f rom memory. To use the
system again, ref er to
.
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Cancelling t he Cruise Cont rol
Using t he
Cruise Cont rol
126 CANCEL
BUTTON

In addition, any modif ications that
decrease ground clearance increase
the chance of undercarriage parts
striking a curb, speed bump, or other
raised object, which could cause
your airbags to deploy.
Do not modif y your steering wheel
or any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.
Modif ications could make the
system inef f ective.
Do not remove any original
equipment or modif y your car in any
way that would alter its design or
operation. This could make your car
unsaf e and illegal to drive.
For example, do not make any
modif ications that would change the
ride height of your car, or install
wheels and tires with a dif f erent
overall diameter.
Covering the outside edge of a
f ront seat-back, with a non-Honda
seat cover for example, could
prevent the airbag from inflating
properly.
Such modif ications can adversely
af f ect handling, and interf ere with
the operation of the vehicle’s anti-
lock brakes and other systems. Any object attached to
or placed on the covers marked ‘‘SRS
AIRBAG,’’ in the center of the
steering wheel and on top of the
dashboard, could interf ere with the
proper operation of the airbags. Or,
if the airbags inf late, the objects
could be propelled inside the vehicle
and hurt someone. If a side airbag
inflates,acupholderorotherhard
object attached on or near the
door could be propelled inside the
vehicle and hurt someone.Only when equipped with side airbagsModif ications
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Bef ore Driving
A ccessories and Modif ications
Do not place any object s over t he outsideedgeof afront seat-back.
Do not at t ach or place object s on t he airbag covers. Do not at t ach hard object s on or
near a f ront door.
136

Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
Start the engine (see page ).
Check the gauges and indicator
lights in the instrument panel (see
page ).
Check that any items you may be
carrying with you inside are stored
properly or f astened down
securely.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Check that the hood and hatch are
f ully closed. Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Check the adjustment of the
steering wheel (see page ).
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments every day bef ore
you drive your car. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.9.
10. 11. 12.
15
81
88 71 57 143
Preparing to Drive
Driving
142

Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds
up heat and reduces their ef f ective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by downshif ting to a lower
gear and taking your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal.
Check your brakes af ter driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they f eel
normal. If not, apply them gently and
f requently until they do. Since a
longer distance is needed to stop
with wet brakes, be extra cautious
and alert in your driving.Your brakes may sometimes squeal
or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not conf use this with the
brake wear indicators. They make a
very audible ‘‘screeching.’’
When the brake pads need replacing,
you will hear a distinctive metallic
‘‘screeching’’ sound when you apply
the brakes. If you do not have the
brake pads replaced, they will begin
screeching all the time.
Your Honda is equipped with disc
brakes at all f our wheels. A power
assist helps reduce the ef f ort needed
on the brake pedal. The ABS helps
you retain steering control when
braking very hard.
Put your f oot on the brake pedal only
when you intend to brake. Resting
your f oot on the pedal keeps the
brakes applied lightly, causing them
to build up heat. Heat build-up can
reduce how well your brakes work. It
also keeps your brake lights on all
the time, conf using drivers behind
you. All f our brakes have audible brake
wear indicators.
Brake Wear Indicators
The Braking System
Driving
147

The hydraulic system that operates
the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the car (the lef t-f ront brake is
connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking
at two wheels.Your car has an Anti-lock Brake
System (ABS) as standard
equipment. ABS helps to prevent the
wheels f rom locking up and skidding
during hard braking, allowing you to
retain steering control.
When the f ront tires skid, you lose
steering control; the car continues
straightaheadeventhoughyouturn
the steering wheel. The ABS helps to
prevent lock-up and helps you retain
steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly; much f aster than a
person can do it.
Brake System Design A nti-lock Brakes
Driving
The Braking System
148Front

this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work f or you by always keeping f irm,
steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes ref erred to as
You will f eel a pulsation in the brake
pedal 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
thebrakepedalveryhardbeforeyou
activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice. such as trying to take a
corner too f ast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed f or the road and
weather conditions. it
only helps with steering control
during braking. You should always
maintain a saf e f ollowing distance
f rom other vehicles.
Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe
or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your car to veer into
oncoming traffic or off the road. on loose or
uneven surfaces, such as gravel or
snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater
distance between vehicles under
those conditions.
‘‘stomp and steer.’’
CONT INUED
You should never pump the
brake pedal;
A BS will not prevent a skid that
results f rom changing direction
abruptly,
A BS does not reduce the time or
distance it takes to stop the car;
A BS cannot prevent a loss of
stability. A vehicle with A BS may require a
longer distance to stopImport ant Saf et y Reminders
The Braking System
Driving
149