HONDA CIVIC SEDAN 2005 Owner's Manual (in English)

180

This section covers the more
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your vehicle towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire .182
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .183
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start . 188
................................
Jump Starting .190
............
If Your Engine Overheats . 191
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 194
..........
Charging System Indicator . 194
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 195
...............
Brake System Indicator . 196
..................
Closing the Moonroof . 196
..............................................
Fuses .198
..........................
Fuse Locations .200
......................
Emergency Towing .202
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
181

Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:Follow these precautions:
Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces. Use greater caution while
driving.
Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced,
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement should be the same size
and design tire, mounted on the
same wheel. The spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare tire.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
On models with manual
transmission, do not drive f or a
long period with the compact
spare tire mounted on a f ront
wheel; it will damage the limited
slip dif f erential.
Compact Spare Tire
182
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)

If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Drive slowly along the shoulder until
you get to an exit or an area to stop
that is far away from the traffic lanes.Open the trunk. Raise the trunk
f loor mat and the trunk f loor by
lif ting up on the back edge.
Take the tool kit out of the trunk.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire. Park the vehicle on f irm, level and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park (automatic)
or Reverse (manual). Apply the
parking brake.
5. 4. 3.
2. 1.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
183
SPARE TIRE TRUNK FLOOR
JACK
TOOL KIT
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.

Turn the jack’s end
counterclockwise to loosen it, then
remove the jack.Placethejackunderthejacking
point. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch.
Loosen each wheel nut 1/2 turn
with the wheel nut wrench.
6.
7.8.
Changing a Flat T ire
184
JACK JACKING POINTS
WHEEL NUT WRENCH

Remove the flat tire. Place the flat
tire on the ground with the outside
surface facing up.
Use the extension and the wheel
nut wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground. Remove the wheel nuts and wheel
cover. The wheel nuts will be very
hot if you were recently driving.
The wheel cover cannot be
removed without f irst removing
the wheel nuts. Do not attempt to
f orcibly pry the wheel cover of f
with a screwdriver or other tool.
9.
11.
10.DX and LX models:
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
185
WHEEL WRENCH WHEEL
NUTS
WHEEL NUTS WHEEL COVER
EXTENSION

Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipeanydirtoff themounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten
them f ully.Lower the vehicle to the ground
and remove the jack.
12.
13.
14.
Changing a Flat T ire
186
BRAKE HUB

Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:Place the flat tire face down in the
spare tire well.
Remove the spacer cone f rom the
wing bolt, turn it over, and put it
back on the bolt.
Securetheflattirebyscrewing
the wing bolt back into its hole.Store the jack in the trunk with the
end bracket on the lef t side. Turn
the jack’s end bracket to lock it in
place. Store the tool kit.
Store the wheel cover or center
cap in the trunk. Make sure it does
not get scratched or damaged.
Lower the trunk f loor and trunk
floor mat, then close the trunk lid.
Remove the center cap before
storing the f lat tire in the trunk
well.
15.
22. 21. 20.
17.
18.
19.
16.
U.S.EXandCanadianSimodels:
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
187
WING BOLT SPACER
CONE
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m) Loose items can fly around the
interiorinacrashandcould
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.

Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or Neutral. Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
the f uses are OK, there is
probably something wrong with
the electrical circuit f or the
ignition switch or starter motor.
You will need a qualif ied
technician to determine the
problem (see
on page ).
Check these things:
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
f rom a booster battery (see page).
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights, and check
their brightness. If the headlights
areverydimordonotcomeonat
all, the battery is discharged. See
on page .190 178
190 202
If theEngineWon’tStart
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Emergency T owing
Jump Starting
188

In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the instrument panel
to blink rapidly (see page ).
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page . Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the low f uel indicator may
not be working.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See
on page .
70
135 198
202
If theEngineWon’tStart
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
189