HONDA PRELUDE 1998 Owners Manual

Driving in Bad Weather

Traction — Check your tires frequently for wear and proper
pressure. Both are important in
preventing "hydroplaning" (loss of
traction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all four
wheels for the best handling.
Watch road conditions carefully,they can change from moment tomoment. Wet leaves can be as slip-
pery as ice. "Clear" roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditions can be very hazardous when the
outside temperature is near freezing.
The road surface can become covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be careful when downshifting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the drive wheels for a moment and cause

a skid.
Be very cautious when passing, or
being passed by other vehicles. The spray from large vehicles reduces
your visibility, and the wind buffeting can cause you to lose control.

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Towing a Trailer

Your Honda is designed primarily to carry passengers and their cargo.
You can use it to tow a trailer if you carefully observe some general rules. The total weight of the trailer and
everything loaded in it must not
exceed 1,000 Ibs (450 kg). The "tongue load" should never
exceed 110 Ibs (50 kg). This is the
amount of weight the trailer puts
on the hitch when it is fully-loaded.
As a rule of thumb, the tongue load should be 10 percent of the
total trailer package. For example,
if the trailer and its load weigh 500
Ibs (225 kg), the tongue load should be 50 Ibs (22.5 kg). Adjust
the trailer's cargo to change the
tongue load. Start by putting approximately 60 percent of the
cargo toward the front and 40
percent toward the rear. Never
load the trailer so the back is
heavier than the front. This takes
weight off your vehicle's rear axle and reduces traction.
The combined weight of the
vehicle, all passengers and theirluggage, and tongue load must notexceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating. The GVWR is printed on
the Certification label attached to
the driver's doorjamb (see page
252).
The combined weight of the
vehicle, all passengers and theirluggage, and tongue load also
must not exceed the Gross Axle
Weight Rating. The GAWR is also shown on the Certification label. It
tells you the maximum load for the
front and rear axles. It is possible
that your towing package does not exceed the GVWR but does
exceed the GAWR. Improper
trailer loading, and/or too much
luggage in the trunk can overload
the rear axle. Redistribute the load and check the axle weights again.

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Towing a Trailer
The best way to confirm that your total towing package is within thesespecifications is to get it weighed.
Load the vehicle and trailer as you
normally would while towing, and
take them to a public scale. Have
them check the total weight and the
weight at each axle, then compare the weights to the specifications.
Trailer Hitches

The trailer hitch must be the proper size and construction for your
vehicle and the trailer you intend to tow. Consult with an expert before
you purchase a trailer hitch, andhave it installed by a qualifiedmechanic.
The hitch should bolt to the underbody of the vehicle, anddistribute the load over a wide area.
Never use a hitch that mounts only
to the rear bumper. The bumper is
not designed to handle that type of

load.

A trailer hitch that is not adequate for the size of the trailer, or a hitch that is
improperly installed, can cause damage

to the underside of your vehicle.
Driving

Improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can seriously affect
its steering and braking

performance, causing a crash
in which you can be seriously
injured.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully before starting to drive.
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Towing a Trailer

Mirrors
Many states and provinces have laws
requiring special outside mirrors
when you are towing a trailer. Check
the laws in your area. You may want
to install mirrors, even if they are not required. Hook up the trailer and see
how much it obscures your ability to see behind you with the standard
mirrors. If you cannot see directly
behind you, or have a large blind spot next to the trailer or the vehicle,
you should install mirrors intended for towing. Connecting the Trailer
Most trailers that have a gross
weight of 1,000 Ibs (450 kg) do not have their own braking system. If
you are thinking of getting a trailer that does have brakes, make surethey are electrically-operated. There
are no provisions in your vehicle to
tap into its hydraulic braking system.
Any attempt to attach the trailer's brakes to your vehicle's hydraulicsystem, no matter how successful it
may seem, will lower braking effectiveness and create a potential

hazard.
Always use a safety chain when
towing a trailer. Connect the safetychain securely at both ends. Makesure the chain crosses under the
tongue so it will catch the trailer if it
becomes unhitched. Leave enough slack in the chain so it can't bind in a
sharp turn. Do not let it drag on the

ground.

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Towing a Trailer

Your vehicle has a trailer lighting connector in the trunk by the left tail-
light. To use the connector, undo the
fastener on the left side of the trunk

lining. Refer to the drawing above

for the wiring color code and pur-
pose of each connector pin.
Since the lighting and wiring can be
different for various brands of
trailers, have a technician who is
familiar with your trailer modify its
lighting plug. A converter may be required between the vehicle and
trailer for the lights to work correctly. Before Starting Out
As you are preparing to tow your trailer, do the following: Measure the trailer's tongue load.
You can do this with a bathroom
scale.
Verify that the hitch and safety
chain are securely fastened. Check the condition and air
pressure of all tires on the trailer
and your vehicle. Low tire
pressure can seriously affect the
handling. Also check the spare tire. With everything loaded and the
trailer connected, check that therear of the vehicle is not sagging.
If so, redistribute the load in the
vehicle. Check that all lights on the vehicle
and trailer are working properly.

Driving

GROUND

(BLACK)
BACK-UP LIGHT

(GREEN/BLACK)

RIGHT TURN SIGNAL

(GREEN/YELLOW)
LEFT TURN SIGNAL

(GREEN/BLUE)

BRAKE LIGHT

(WHITE/BLACK) TAILLIGHT

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Towing a Trailer

Towing Safety

Your vehicle will not stop as quickly
with a trailer in tow. Leave extra distance between your vehicle and
other vehicles. Avoid braking or
turning suddenly. This could cause
the trailer to jackknife or possibly
turn over.
Keep in mind that your total vehicle
is now much longer. Leave more
room when making turns. The trailer
tracks a smaller arc than the vehicle
and can hit or run over something
that the vehicle misses. When
passing another vehicle, make sure
the trailer is clear before changing

lanes.
The vehicle/trailer combination is
more affected by crosswinds andbuffeting. When being passed by a
large vehicle, keep a constant speed and steer straight ahead. If there is
too much wind buffeting, slow down
to get out of the other vehicle's air

turbulence.

Towing a trailer puts an extra load on your vehicle. You should have
your vehicle serviced according to the "Maintenance Schedule undersevere driving conditions" on page 166. This extra load is magnified when
you are driving in hilly terrain.
Watch the temperature gauge closely when climbing hills. If it gets
near the hot area, turn off the airconditioning (if it is on). If this does
not reduce the heat, it may be
necessary to pull to the side of the
road and wait for the engine to cool. If the automatic transmission shifts
frequently between 3rd and 4th
gears, put it in D3. This will help prevent the transmission from
overheating. Help keep the brakes
from overheating by shifting to a
lower gear when going downhill.
If you have to stop while going uphill,do not hold the vehicle in place by
pressing on the accelerator. This can cause the automatic transmission to
overheat. Use the parking brake or
footbrake.

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Towing a Trailer

When towing a trailer in the Sequential SportShift mode, select
Third, Second, or First gear; depending on the vehicle speeds and
road condition. Do not use Fourth
gear. The recommended speed
range for each gear position is shown in the table. When parking your vehicle and
trailer, especially on a hill, be sure to
follow all the normal precautions.
Turn your front wheels into the curb, set the parking brake firmly, and put
the transmission in 1st or Reverse (manual) or Park (automatic). In
addition, place wheel chocks at each
of the trailer's tires.
Backing up with a trailer is difficult and takes practice. Drive slowly,
make small movements with thesteering wheel, and have someone
stand outside to guide you. Grip the
steering wheel on the bottom (rather
than the usual position near the top). Move your hand to the left to get the
trailer to move to the left, and right
to move the trailer right.

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Maintenance

This section explains why it is important to keep your vehicle wellmaintained and to follow basic
maintenance safety precautions.
This section also includes Maintenance Schedules for normaldriving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions for simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of
yourself.
If you have the skills and tools to per-
form more complex maintenance
tasks on your Honda, you may want to purchase the Service Manual. See
page 271 for information on how toobtain a copy, or see your Honda

dealer.
Maintenance Safety....................... 160
Important Safety Precautions ..161
Maintenance Schedule.................. 162
Required Maintenance Record.... 169 Owner Maintenance Checks........ 171
Fluid Locations............................... 172
Engine Oil.......................................173

Adding Oil................................... 173Recommended Oil..................... 173Synthetic Oil............................... 174

Additives..................................... 174
Changing the Oil and Filter...... 175
Cooling System.............................. 177
Adding Engine Coolant............. 177Replacing Engine Coolant........ 179
Windshield Washers..................... 182
Transmission Fluid........................ 183 AutomaticTransmission.......................... 183
5-speed Manual Transmission.......................... 184
Brake and Clutch Fluid................. 185 Brake System............................. 185
Clutch System............................ 186
Power Steering............................... 186
Air Cleaner Element...................... 187 Spark Plugs..................................... 188
Replacement............................... 188
Specifications............................. 190
Battery............................................ 190
Wiper Blades.................................. 193
Air Conditioning System............... 195 Drive Belts...................................... 196
Timing Belt..................................... 196

Tires................................................ 197
Inflation....................................... 197

Inspection................................... 198

Maintenance............................... 199

Tire Rotation.............................. 200 Replacing Tires and Wheels .... 200
Wheels and Tires....................... 201

Winter Driving...........................201
Snow Tires.............................. 202

Tire Chains............................. 202

Lights.............................................. 203

Headlight Aimimg..................... 205

Replacing Bulbs......................... 206

Storing Your Vehicle..................... 217

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Maintenance Safety
Regularly maintaining your vehicle is
the best way to protect your investment. Proper maintenance is
essential to your safety and thesafety of your passengers. It will also
reward you with more economical,
trouble-free driving and help reduce air pollution. This section includes instructions for
simple maintenance tasks, such as
checking and adding oil. Any service
items not detailed in this section should be performed by a Honda
technician or other qualified mechanic. Some of the most important safety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every conceivable hazard that can arise in
performing maintenance. Only you can decide whether or not youshould perform a given task.

Maintenance
Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures and precautions in this owner'smanual.
Improperly maintaining this
vehicle or failing to correct a problem before driving can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection and maintenancerecommendations and
schedules in this owner's
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Maintenance Safety

Important Safety Precautions
Before you begin any maintenance,
make sure your vehicle is parked on
level ground and that the parking
brake is set. Also, be sure the engine is off. This will help to eliminateseveral potential hazards: Carbon monoxide poisoning
from engine exhaust. Be sure
there is adequate ventilation
whenever you operate the engine.
Burns from hot parts. Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
before touching any parts.
Injury from moving parts. Do
not run the engine unless in-
structed to do so. Read the instructions before you
begin, and make sure you have the
tools and skills required.
To reduce the possibility of fire or explosion, be careful when working
around gasoline or batteries. Use a
nonflammable solvent, not gasoline,
to clean parts. Keep cigarettes, sparks, and flames away from the
battery and all fuel-related parts.
You should wear eye protection and protective clothing when workingnear the battery or when using
compressed air.

Maintenance
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