brakes HONDA CIVIC SEDAN 2001 Owner's Manual (in English)

This light has two f unctions:This light normally comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II), and when
the ignition switch is turned to
START (III). If this light comes on at
any other time, there is a problem in
theABS.If thishappens,takethe
cartoyourdealertohaveitchecked.
With the light on, your car still has
normal braking ability but no anti-
lock. For complete inf ormation, see
page .
If this light comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged. For complete
inf ormation, see page .
The engine can be severely damaged
if this light f lashes or stays on when
the engine is running. For complete
inf ormation, see page .
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch ON (II). It
is a reminder to check the parking
brake. Driving with the parking
brake not f ully released can
damage the brakes and tires.
If the indicator remains lit after
you have f ully released the
parking brake while the engine is
running, or if it comes on while
driving, it can indicate a problem
in the brake system. For complete
inf ormation, see page .
1.
2.
276
275 279187
Only on models equipped with ABS (see
page ) 185
Parking Brake
and Brake
System
Indicator Anti-lock Brake
System (A BS)
Indicator
Charging System
Indicator
L ow Oil Pressure
Indicator
Indicator L ights
Inst rument s and Cont rols62
U.S. Canada
U.S. Canada

CONT INUED
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.
Press and release the SET/decel
buttononthesteeringwheel.The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on to
show the system is now activated. Thecruisecontrolmaynotholdthe
set speed when you are going up 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 cruise control. To
resume the set speed, press the
RESUME/accel button. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on.
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshif t to hold the set speed.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
accel button repeatedly. Each time
you do this, your car will speed up
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Push on the accelerator pedal. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel
button.
3.
Steering Wheel Controls
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Changing t he Set Speed
77
R RE
ES
SU UM M E
E/
/
a
ac ccceel l
S
SE ET
T/
/d
d e
ecceel l

To apply the parking brake, pull the
lever up f ully. To release it, pull up
slightly, push the button, and lower
the lever. The parking brake light on
the instrument panel should go out
when the parking brake is f ully
released (see page ).
The outside mirrors are heated to re-
move fog and frost. With the ignition
switchON(II),turnontheheaters
by pressing the button. The light in
the button comes on as a reminder.
Press the button again to turn the
heaters off.
62On Canadian LX model
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Mirrors, Parking Brake
Parking Brake
99
P P
A
A R
RKKIINNG G B
BRRAA K
KEE L
LEE V
V E
ER
R
Driving the car with the parking brake
applied can damage the rear brakes
and axles.

During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbraking.Newbrakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use f or the f irst 200 miles (300
km). Your Honda is designed to operate
on 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.
We recommend gasolines containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits.
In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emission control system
perf ormance may deteriorate and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on.
If this happens, contact your
authorized Honda dealer f or service.
Help assure your car’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your car’s emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
Youshouldfollowthesesamere-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are relined. Do not change the oil until the
recommended time or mileage
intervalshowninthemaintenance
schedule.
Break-in Period, Gasoline
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period
Gasoline
160

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.
Such modif ications can adversely
af f ect handling, and interf ere with
the operation of the car’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 car and hurt
someone. If a side airbag
inflates,acupholderorotherhard
object attached on or near the
door could be propelled inside the
car and hurt someone.
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.Only on models equipped with side
airbagsModif ications
Additional Saf ety Precaution
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving
Do not at t ach or place object s onthe airbag covers. Do not at t ach hard object s on or
near a f ront door.
Do not place any object s over t heoutsideedgeof afront seat-back.
168

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes impor-
tant inf ormation on parking your car,
and the braking system.........................
Preparing to Drive .174
.......................
Starting the Engine .175
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude .175
....
5-speed Manual Transmission . 176
.....
Recommended Shif t Points . 177
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 177
..............
Automatic Transmission . 178
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 178
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 179
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 181
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 182
...........................................
Parking .183
..............................
Parking Tips .183
.....................
The Braking System .184
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 184
...............
Brake System Design . 185
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes .185
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders .186
........................
ABS Indicator .187
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 188
...........................
Towing a Trailer .189
Driving
Driving173

The manual transmission is syn-
chronizedinallforwardgearsfor
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth
to Reverse. When shif ting up or
down,makesureyoupushtheclutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shif ting,
do not rest your f oot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster.Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shift into
Reverse with the car moving. Push
down the clutch pedal, and pause f or
a f ew seconds bef ore shif ting into
Reverse, or shif t into one of the
f orward gears f or a moment. This
stops the gears so they won’t ‘‘grind.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking f rom the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure the vehicle speed is low
enough that you will not activate the
engine speed limiter in the lower
gear. On EX and LX models, make
sure the engine speed will not go into
the tachometer’s red zone in the
lower gear bef ore downshif ting.
5-speed Manual T ransmission
Driving176
Rapid slowing or speeding-up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.

µMake sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Make sure the parking brake is f ully
released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes. Turn of f the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you.
Lockthedoorswiththekeyorthe
remote transmitter.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire.
Always use the parking brake when
you park your car. The indicator on
the instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not f ully released; it
does not indicate that the parking
brakeisfirmlyset.Makesurethe
parking brake is set f irmly or your
car may roll if it is parked on an
incline.
If your car has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park.Thiskeepsthecarfrom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission making it easier to
move the shift lever out of Park
when you want to drive away. If the car is f acing uphill, turn the
f ront wheels away f rom the curb. If
you have a manual transmission, put
it in f irst gear.
If the car is f acing downhill, turn the
f ront wheels toward the curb. If you
have a manual transmission, put it in
reverse gear.
Parking
Parking T ips
Driving183

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. 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.
All Civics are equipped with f ront
disc brakes. The brakes on the rear
wheels are drum. A power assist
helps reduce the ef f ort needed on
the brake pedal.
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. 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 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.’’ The f ront disc brakes on all models
have audible brake wear indicators. Brake Wear Indicators
The Braking System
Driving184

CONT INUED
ABS helps to prevent the wheels
f rom locking up and skidding during
hard braking, allowing you to retain
steering control.
The hydraulic system that operates
the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (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.
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.
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. The U.S. EX model has an Anti-lock
Brake System (ABS) as standard
equipment. It is optional on Canadian
LX model.
‘‘stomp and steer.’’
Brake System Design
A nti-lock BrakesYou should never pump the
brake pedal,
Driving
The Braking System
185
F Fr roo n
nt
t