automatic transmission HONDA PRELUDE 1992 User Guide

Periodic Checks

You should check the following items at the specified intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perform
any check, turn to the page given. Engine oil level — Check every
time you fill the gas tank. See
page 102.

Engine coolant level — Check

the radiator reserve tank every
time you fill the gas tank. See

page 103.

Windshield washer fluid —
Check the level in the reservoir
monthly. If weather conditions
cause you to use the washers
frequently, check the reservoir each time you stop for gas. See

page 143 .

Automatic transmission — Check the fluid level monthly.
See page 144. Brakes, clutch and power
steering — Check the fluid level
monthly. See page 146.Tires — Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread for
wear and foreign objects. See
page 159.
Battery — Check its condition
and the terminals for corrosion
monthly. See page 152.
Air conditioner — Check its operation weekly. See page 157.
Lights — Check the operation of
the headlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
turn signals, brake lights, and
license plate lights monthly. See
page 164.

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Fluid Locations

Maintenance
BRAKE FLUID
(Gray cap)
(5-M/T only)
CLUTCH FLUID (Gray cap)
ENGINE OIL
FILLER CAP
POWER STEERING
FLUID (Red cap)
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE
RESERVOIR
(Gray cap)
COOLANT

RESERVOIR

AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION FLUID DIPSTICK
(Yellow loop)

ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK
(Orange loop)WASHER FLUID
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Cooling System

6. Mix the recommended antifreeze with an equal amount of purifiedor distilled water in a clean
container. The cooling system
capacity is:

With 5-speed transmission:

(US: S, Canada: S)
3.5
(0.92 US gal, 0.77 Imp gal)

(US: Si, Si 4WS, Canada: SR, SR 4WS)

3.8
(1.00 US gal, 0.84 Imp gal)
With automatic transmission:
(US: S, Canada: S)
3.4
(0.90 US gal, 0.75 Imp gal)

(US: Si, Si 4WS, Canada: SR, SR 4WS)
3.7
(0.98 US gal, 0.81 Imp gal)

7. Pour coolant into the radiator up to the base of the filler neck.
8. Loosen the bleeder bolt on top ofthe engine. Tighten it again
when coolant comes out in asteady stream with no bubbles.
9. Refill the radiator to the base of the filler neck. Put the cap on the
radiator, only tighten it to the
first stop. Start the engine and
let it run until it warms up (the
radiator cooling fan comes on at
least twice).

Maintenance

FILLER NECK
Fill up to here
BLEEDER
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Transmission Oil

Automatic Transmission

Check the fluid level with the
engine at normal operating tempe-
rature.
1. Park the car on level ground. Shut off the engine.
2. Remove the dipstick (yellow loop) from the transmission and
wipe it with a clean cloth. 3. Insert the dipstick into the

transmission.

4. Remove the dipstick and check the fluid level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
5. If the level is below the lower
mark, add fluid into the tube to
bring it to the upper mark. Use
Honda Premium Formula
Automatic Transmission Fluid or an equivalent DEXRON ®
II
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) only.
6. Insert the dipstick back in the transmission.
The transmission should be drained
and refilled with new fluid every 24
months or 48,000 km (30,000 miles),
whichever comes first.
Maintenance
DIPSTICK

UPPER MARK
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Power Steering

You should check the fluid level in
the power steering reservoir
monthly. Check the level when the
engine is cold. Look at the side of
the reservoir. The fluid should be
between the UPPER LEVEL and LOWER LEVEL. If it is below the
LOWER LEVEL, add power
steering fluid to the UPPER

LEVEL.
Using automatic transmission fluid
or another brand of power steering
fluid will damage the system. Use
only genuine Honda power steering

fluid.

A low power steering fluid levelcan indicate a leak in the system.
Check the fluid level frequently
and have the system inspected as
soon as possible.

Maintenance
UPPER
LEVEL

LOWER
LEVEL
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Storing Your Car
If you need to park your car for an
extended period (more than 1
month), there are several things
you should do to prepare it for
storage. Proper preparation helps
prevent deterioration and makes it
easier to get your car back on the
road. It is best to store your car indoors if at all possible. Fill the gas tank.
Change the engine oil and filter

(see page 137).

Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Clean the interior. Make sure the
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Reverse (5-
speed) or Park (automatic). Block the rear wheels.
If the car is to be stored for a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are off the ground.
Leave one window open slightly
(if the car is being stored indoors).
Disconnect the battery.
Cover the car with a "breathable" car cover, one made
from a porous material such as
cotton. Nonporous materials,
such as plastic sheeting, trap
moisture which can damage the
paint. If possible, run the engine for a
while periodically (preferably once a month). If you store your car for 12 months
or longer, have your Honda dealer
perform the inspections called for
in the 24 months/48,000 km (30,000
miles) maintenance schedule as
soon as you take it out of storage
(see page 133). The replacements
called for in the maintenance
schedule are not needed unless the
car has actually reached that time or mileage.

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Changing a Flat Tire
If you
have a flat tire while driving,
stop in a safe place to change it.
Stopping in traffic or on the shoul-
der of a busy road is dangerous.
Drive slowly along the shoulder
until you get to an exit or an area to stop that is far away from the traf-
fic lanes.
1. Park the car on firm, level ground away from traffic. Turnon the hazard warning lights and
turn the ignition to LOCK (0). 2. Put the transmission in Park
(automatic) or Reverse (5-speed).
Set the parking brake.
3. Open the trunk. Raise the trunk floor by lifting up on the back

edge.

4. Take the tool kit out of the trunk. 5. Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of the trunk.

Taking Care of the Unexpected
CONTINUED

The car can easily roll off the

jack, seriously injuring anyone
underneath.

Follow the directions for chang-

ing a tire exactly, and never

get under the car when it is

supported only by the jack.
TRUNK FLOOR

JACK

SPARE TIRE

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If Your Engine Won't Start

Diagnosing why your engine won't
start falls 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, but the
engine does not start up and run. Nothing Happens or the
Starter Motor Operates Very
Slowly
When you turn the ignition switchto 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 these things:
Check the

transmission interlock.
If you have a 5-speed, the clutch
pedal must be pushed all the way
to the floor or the starter will not operate. With an automatic
transmission, it must be in Park
or Neutral.
Turn the ignition switch to ON
(II). Turn on the headlights and
check their brightness. If the
headlights are very dim or don't
light at all, the battery is dis-
charged.
See Jump Starting on

page 191
.
Turn the ignition switch to

START (III). If the headlights do

not dim, check the condition of

the fuses. If the fuses are OK,

there is probably something
wrong with the electrical circuit

for the ignition switch or starter
motor. You will need a qualified

technician to determine the

problem. (See Towing on page
202.)

If the headlights dim noticeably
or go out when you try to start
the engine, either the battery is

discharged or the connections

are corroded. Check the condi-

tion of the battery and terminal
connections (see page 153 ). You

can then try jump starting the

car from a booster battery (see
page 191).

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If Your Engine Won't Start, Jump Starting

The Starter Operates
Normally

In this case, the starter motor
sounds normal when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run. Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer to Starting
the Engine on page 109 . Do you have gas? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the fuel gauge.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses
(see page 199 ).

If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Towing on page
202.
Jump Starting

If your car's battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine
by using a booster battery. Although this seems like a simple
procedure, there are several precau-
tions you should take. Follow the
directions closely.
You cannot start a Honda with an
automatic transmision by pushingor pulling it. To jump start your car:
1. Open the hood and check the physical condition of the battery
(see page 152 ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of the electrolyte. If it seems slushy
or like ice, do not try jump
starting until it thaws.
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can freeze.
Attempting to jump start with a frozen battery can cause it to
rupture or explode.
2. Turn off all the electrical acces- sories: heater, A/C, stereo system,
lights, etc. Put the transmission in Neutral
or Park and set the parking
brake.

Taking Care of the Unexpected
CONTINUED
A battery can explode if you
do not follow the correct

procedure, seriously injuring

anyone nearby.

Keep all sparks, open flames,

and smoking materials away

from the battery.
NOTICE
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Towing

If your car needs to be towed, call a
professional towing service or, if
you belong to one, an organization
that provides roadside assistance.
Never tow your car behind another car with just a rope or chain. It is
very dangerous.

Emergency Towing

There are three popular methods of
towing a car:
Flat-bed Equipment — The

operator loads your car on the back

of a truck. This is the best way

of transporting your Honda.

Wheel Lift Equipment — The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that
go under the tires (front or rear)
and lift them off the ground. The
other two wheels remain on the

ground.
Sling-type Equipment — The tow
truck uses metal cables with hooks

on th
e
ends. These hooks go around

parts of the frame or suspension

and the cables lift that end of the

car off the ground. Your car's sus-

pension and body can be seriously

damaged if this method
of towing

is attempted.
If your Honda cannot be trans-
ported by flat-bed, it should be

towed with the front wheels off the

ground. If due to damage, your car

must be towed with the front

wheels on the ground, do the
following:

5-Speed Transmission
Release the parking brake.
Shift the transmission to Neutral.

Automatic Transmission
Release the parking brake.
Start the engine.
Shift to D4, then to N.
Turn off the engine. Improper towing preparation will
damage the transmission. Follow
the above procedure exactly. If you
cannot shift the transmission or
start the engine (automatic trans-
mission), your car must be trans-
ported on a flat-bed. It is best to tow the car no far-
ther than 80 km (50 miles), and
keep the speed below 35 mph (55
km/h).

Trying to lift or tow your car by
the bumpers will cause serious
damage. The bumpers are not

designed to support the car's

weight.

Taking Care
of the Unexpected NOTICE
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