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

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Quality grades can be f ound where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and the
maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conf orm
to Federal Saf ety Requirements in
addition to these grades. The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied 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 perf ormance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart signif icantly f rom the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices, and dif f erences in
road characteristics and climate.
The traction grades, f rom highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specif ied government test surf aces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
perf ormance.
Warning: The traction grade
assignedtothistireisbasedon
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
The tires on your vehicle meet all
U.S. Federal Saf ety Requirements.
All tires are also graded f or
treadwear, traction, and temperature
perf ormance according to
Department of Transportation
(DOT) standards. The f ollowing
explains these gradings.
Unif orm T ire Quality Grading
T readwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A Treadwear
Traction AA, A, B, C
DOT T ire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
210

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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 specif ied indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire f ailure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
perf ormance, which all passenger
vehicle tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Saf ety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of
perf ormance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by
law. Warning: The temperature grade f or
this tire is established f or a tire that
is properly inf lated and not over-
loaded. Excessive speed, underinf la-
tion, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire
f ailure.
Temperature A,B,C
DOT T ire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
T echnical Inf ormation
211

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The tires that came on your vehicle
have a number of markings. Those
you should be aware of are described
below.
Whenever tires are replaced, they
should be replaced with tires of the
same size. Following is an example
of tire size with an explanation of
what each component means.
Vehicletype(Pindicates
passenger vehicle).
Tire width in millimeters.
Aspect ratio (the tire’s section
height as a percentage of its
width).
Tire construction code (R
indicates radial).
Rim diameter in inches. Load index (a numerical code
associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry).
Speed symbol (an
alphabetical code indicating
the maximum speed rating).
Tire Identif ication Number (TIN) is
a group of numbers and letters that
look like the f ollowing example TIN.
This indicates that the tire
meets all requirements of
the U.S. Department of
Transportation.
Manuf acturer’s
identification mark.
Tire type code.
Date of manufacture. The maximum air
pressurethetirecan
hold.
The maximum load the
tire can carry at
maximum air pressure.
P
225
55
R
16 94
V
DOT
B97R
FW6X
2202
Max Press
Max Load
Tire Labeling
Tire Labeling
Tire Size
T ire Ident if icat ion NumberMaximum T ire Pressure
Maximum T ire L oad
212
P225/55R 16 94V DOT B97R FW6X 2202

Some gasolines are being blended
with alcohol or an ether compound.
These gasolines, or oxygenated f uels
are used to meet clean air standards
in the United States and Canada to
help reduce emissions.
If you use an oxygenated f uel, be
sure it is unleaded and meets the
minimum octane rating requirement.
Trytoconfirmthefuel’scontents.
Some states/provinces require this
informationtobepostedonthe
pump.The f ollowing are the U.S. EPA and
Canadian CGSB approved
percentages of oxygenates:
(Methyl Tertiary Butyl
Ether)
You may use gasoline containing up
to 15 percent MTBE by volume. If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
Fuel system damage or perf ormance
problems resulting f rom the use of
an oxygenated f uel containing more
than the percentages of oxygenates
given above are not covered under
warranty.
(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.’’
(methyl or wood
alcohol)
Your vehicle was not designed to use
fuel that contains methanol.
Methanol can corrode metal parts in
the fuel system, and also damage
plastic and rubber components. This
damage would not be covered by
your warranties. MT BE ET HA NOL
MET HA NOL
Oxygenated Fuels
T echnical Inf ormation
213

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 f ind
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 af f ect perf or-
mance and fuel mileage, and damage
its emissions controls. It will no
longer comply with U.S. and
Canadian emissions regulations, and
will be illegal to operate in North
America. To bring your vehicle back
into compliance will require the re-
placement of several components,
such as the oxygen sensors and the
three way catalytic converter. These
replacements are not covered under
warranty.
Driving in Foreign Countries
214

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ÎThe United States Clean Air Act
sets standards f or automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
workandwhattodotomaintain
them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.
Scheduled maintenance is on page . As gasoline evaporates in the f uel
tank, an evaporative emissions
control canister f illed with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is of f . Af ter
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine
and burned during driving.
The onboard ref ueling vapor
recovery (ORVR) system captures
the f uel vapors during ref ueling. The
vapors are adsorbed in a canister
f illed with activated carbon. While
driving, the f uel vapors are drawn
into the engine and burned of f .
In Canada, Honda vehicles comply
with the Canadian Motor Vehicle
Saf ety Standards (CMVSS) f or
Emissions valid at the time they are
manuf actured.
The burning of gasoline in your
vehicle’s engine produces several by-
products. Some of these are carbon
monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen
(NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC).
Gasoline evaporating f rom the tank
also produces hydrocarbons. Con-
trolling the production of NOx, CO,
and HC is important to the environ-
ment. Under certain conditions of
sunlight and climate, NOx and HC
react to f orm photochemical ‘‘smog.’’
Carbon monoxide does not contri-
bute to smog creation, but it is a
poisonous gas.
Your vehicle has a positive
crankcase ventilation system. This
keeps gasses that build up in the
engine’s crankcase f rom going into
the atmosphere. The positive
crankcase ventilation valve routesthem from the crankcase back to the
intake manif old. They are then
drawn into the engine and burned.
147
Crankcase Emissions Control
System Evaporative Emissions Control
System
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
Recovery
The Clean Air Act
Emissions Cont rols
T echnical Inf ormation
215

The exhaust emissions controls
include three or f our systems: PGM-
FI, ignition timing control, exhaust
gas recirculation (SOHC VTEC
engine only), and three way catalytic
converter. These three or f our
systems work together to control the
engine’s combustion and minimize
the amount of HC, CO, and NOx that
comes out the tailpipe. The exhaust
emissions control systems are
separate f rom the crankcase and
evaporative emissions control
systems.
The PGM-FI System uses sequential
multiport f uel injection.
It has three subsystems: air intake,
engine control, and f uel control. The
powertrain control module (PCM) in
automatic transmission vehicles or
the engine control module (ECM) in
manual transmission vehicles uses
various sensors to determine howmuch air is going into the engine. It
then controls how much f uel to inject
under all operating conditions.
The emissions control systems are
designed and certif ied to work to-
gether in reducing emissions to
levels that comply with the Clean Air
Act. To make sure the emissions
remain low, you should use only new
Honda replacement parts or their
equivalent f or repairs. Using lower
qualitypartsmayincreasethe
emissions f rom your vehicle.
The emissions control systems are
covered by warranties separate from
the rest of your vehicle. Read your
warranty manual f or more informa-
tion.
The three way catalytic converter is
in the exhaust system. Through
chemical reactions, it converts HC,
CO, and NOx in the engine’s exhaust
to carbon dioxide (CO ), nitrogen
(N ), and water vapor. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)
system takes some of the exhaust
gas and routes it back into the intake
manif old. Adding exhaust gas to the
air/f uel mixture reduces the amount
of NOx produced when the f uel is
burned. This system constantly adjusts the
ignition timing, reducing the amount
of HC, CO, and NOx produced.
2
2
Exhaust Emissions Controls Replacement Parts
PGM-FI Syst em
Three Way Catalytic Converter
Exhaust Gas Recirculat ion (EGR)
Syst em
Ignit ion T iming Cont rol Syst em
Emissions Cont rols
216

The three way catalytic converter
contains precious metals that serve
as catalysts, promoting chemical
reactions to convert the exhaust
gasses without af f ecting the metals.
The catalytic converter is ref erred to
as a three-way catalyst, since it acts
on HC, CO, and NOx. A replacement
unit must be an original Honda part
or its equivalent.Always use unleaded gasoline.
Even a small amount of leaded
gasoline can contaminate the
catalyst metals, making the three
way catalytic converter inef f ective.Keep the engine tuned-up.
The three way catalytic converter
must operate at a high temperature
for the chemical reactions to take
place. It can set on f ire any com-
bustible materials that come near it.
Parkyourvehicleawayfromhigh
grass, dry leaves, or other f lamma-
bles. A defective three way catalytic
converter contributes to air pollution,
and can impair your engine’s per-
f ormance. Follow these guidelines to
protect your vehicle’s three way
catalytic converter.
Have your vehicle diagnosed and
repaired if it is misf iring, back-
f iring, stalling, or otherwise not
running properly.
(DX, LX models)
(EX, Canadian Si models)
Three Way Catalytic Converter
T echnical Inf ormation
217
THREE WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTER THREE WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTER

Make sure the gas tank is nearly,
but not completely, f ull (around
3/4).
Make sure the ambient
temperature is between 20° and
95°F.Without touching the accelerator
pedal, start the engine, and let it
idle f or 20 seconds.
If you take your vehicle f or a state
emissions test shortly af ter the
battery has been disconnected or
gone dead, it may not pass the test.
This is because of certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that must be set in the on-
board diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. These codes are erased
when the battery is disconnected,
and set again only after several days
of driving under a variety of
conditions. If the testing f acility determines that
the readiness codes are not set, you
will be requested to return at a later
date to complete the test. If you must
get the vehicle re-tested within the
next two or three days, you can
condition the vehicle f or retesting by
doing the f ollowing.
Make sure the vehicle has been
parked with the engine of f f or 8
hours or more. Keep the vehicle in Park
(automatic transmission) or
Neutral (manual transmission).
Increase the engine speed to 2,000
rpm,andholditthereuntilthe
temperature gauge rises to at least
1/4of thescale(about3minutes).
T esting of Readiness Codes
St at e Emissions T est ing
218

Select a nearby lightly traveled
major highway where you can
maintain a speed of 50 to 60 mph
(80to97km/h)foratleast20
minutes. Drive on the highway in
D (A/T) or 5th (M/T). Do not use
thecruisecontrol.Whentraffic
allows, drive f or 90 seconds
without moving the accelerator
pedal. (Vehicle speed may vary
slightly; this is okay.) If you cannot
do this f or a continuous 90
seconds because of traf f ic
conditions, drive f or at least 30
seconds, then repeat it two more
times (for a total of 90 seconds).Then drive in city/suburban
traffic for at least 10 minutes.
When traf f ic conditions allow, let
the vehicle coast f or several
seconds without using the
accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal.
If the testing f acility determines the
readiness codes are still not set, see
your dealer.
St at e Emissions T est ing
T echnical Inf ormation
219