HONDA PRELUDE 1998 Owners Manual

Battery

If your vehicle's battery is discon-
nected or goes dead, the audio system will disable itself. The next
time you turn on the radio you will see "Code" in the frequency display.Use the Preset buttons to enter the
five-digit code (see page 117).

Charging the battery with the cables
connected can seriously damage your vehicle's electronic controls. Detach
the battery cables before connecting
the battery to a charger.

Maintenance

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Wiper Blades
Check the condition of the wiper
blades at least every six months. Look for signs of cracking in the
rubber, or areas that are getting
hard. Replace the blades if you find
these signs, or they leave streaks and unwiped areas when used.
To replace the blade:1. Raise the wiper arm off the windshield.
Raise the driver's side first, then
the passenger's side. 2. Disconnect the blade assembly
from the wiper arm by pushing inthe lock tab. Hold it in while you
push the blade assembly toward
the base of the arm.

CONTINUED

Maintenance

WIPER ARMS

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Wiper Blades
3. Remove the blade from its holder by grasping the tabbed end of the
blade. Pull firmly until the tabscome out of the holder. 4. Examine the new wiper blades. If
they have no plastic or metal rein-
forcement along the back edge,
remove the metal reinforcementstrips from the old wiper blade and
install them in the slots along the
edge of the new blade. 5. Slide the new wiper blade into the
holder until the tabs lock.
6. Slide the wiper blade assembly onto the wiper arm. Make sure it
locks in place.
7. Lower the wiper arm down against the windshield.Lower the passenger's side first,
then the driver's side.
Maintenance
BLADE
BLADE

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Air Conditioning System
Your vehicle's air conditioning is a sealed system. Any major mainte-
nance, such as recharging, should be
done by a qualified mechanic. You
can do a couple of things to make
sure the air conditioning works
efficiently. Periodically check the engine's
radiator and air conditioning
condenser for leaves, insects, and
dirt stuck to the front surface. These
block the air flow and reduce cooling
efficiency. Use a light spray from a
hose or a soft brush to remove them.

The condenser and radiator fins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure spray
or soft-bristle brush to clean them.

Run the air conditioning at least once
a week during the cold weather
months. Run it for at least ten
minutes while you are driving at a steady speed with the engine at
normal operating temperature. This
circulates the lubricating oil con-
tained in the refrigerant. If the air conditioning does not get as
cold as before, have your dealer
check the system. Recharge the system with Refrigerant HFC-134a (R-134a). (See Specifications on page 255.)

Whenever you have the air conditioning

system serviced, make sure the service

facility uses a refrigerant recycling
system. This system captures the
refrigerant for reuse. Releasing
refrigerant into the atmosphere can

damage the environment.

Maintenance

AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER

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Drive Belts, Timing Belt

Drive Belts
Check the condition of the two drive
belts. Examine the edges of each belt for cracks or fraying.
Check the tension of each belt by
pushing on it with your thumb
midway between the pulleys. The belts should have the following
"play" or deflection.
Alternator belt:
0.37-0.49 in (9.5-12.5 mm)

Power steering belt:

0.53-0.65 in (13.5-16.5 mm)

If you see signs of wear or looseness,
have your dealer adjust or replace
the belts. Timing Belt
The timing belt and balancer belt should normally be replaced at the
intervals shown in the maintenance
schedule.

Replace these belts at 60,000 miles
(U.S.) or 100,000 km (Canada) if you
regularly drive your vehicle in one or
more of these conditions:
In very high temperatures
(over110°F,43°C).
In very low temperatures

(under — 20°F, — 29°C).

Maintenance
POWER STEERING BELT

ALTERNATOR BELT
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Tires

To safely operate your vehicle, your tires must be the proper type and
size, in good condition with adequate

tread, and correctly inflated. The

following pages give more detailed information on how and when to

check air pressure, how to inspect
your tires for damage and wear, and
what to do when your tires need to
be replaced.
Inflation
Keeping the tires properly inflated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread life and riding comfort. Underinflated tires wear
unevenly, adversely affect handlingand fuel economy, and are more
likely to fail from being overheated. Overinflated tires can make your
vehicle ride more harshly, are more prone to damage from road hazards,and wear unevenly.
We recommend that you visually check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it immediately with a tire gauge.
Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month. Even
tires that are in good condition may
lose one to two psi (10 to 20 kPa, 0.1
to 0.2 kgf/cm2) per month. Remember to check the spare tire at
the same time you check all the other tires. Check the pressure in the tires when
they are cold. This means the vehicle
has been parked for at least three
hours. If you have to drive the
vehicle before checking the tire pressure, the tires can still be
considered "cold" if you drive less
than 1 mile (1.6km).
If you check the pressure when the
tires are hot (the vehicle has been driven several miles), you will see
readings 4 to 6 psi (30 to 40 kPa, 0.3
to 0.4 kgf/cm2) higher than the cold
reading. This is normal. Do not let air out to match the specified cold
pressure. The tire will be
underinflated.
You should get your own tire pressure gauge and use it whenever
you check your tire pressures. This
will make it easier for you to tell if a pressure loss is due to a tire problemand not due to a variation between

gauges.

Maintenance
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Using tires that are excessively

worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.

Follow all instructions in this
owner's manual regarding tire
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Tires

Recommended Tire Pressures for

Normal Driving

The following chart shows the recommended cold tire pressures for
most normal driving conditions andspeeds. Tire pressures for high
speed driving are shown on page 257.
The compact spare tire pressure is:
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm 2
)

These pressures are also given on
the tire information label on thedriver's doorjamb. Tubeless tires have some ability to
self-seal if they are punctured.
However, because leakage is often
very slow, you should look closely for punctures if a tire starts losing

pressure.
Inspection
Every time you check inflation, you
should also examine the tires for
damage, foreign objects, and wear.
You should look for: Bumps or bulges in the tread or
side of the tire. Replace the tire if
you find either of these conditions. Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side
of the tire. Replace the tire if you
can see fabric or cord.
Excessive tread wear.

Maintenance
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Tires

Your vehicle's tires have wear indica- tors molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down to that point, you
will see a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide
band running across the tread. This shows there is less than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread left on the tire. A
tire that is this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see the
tread wear indicator in three or more places around the tire. Maintenance
In addition to proper inflation,
correct wheel alignment helps todecrease tire wear. If you find a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer check the wheel alignment.
The tires were properly balanced by the factory. They may need to be
rebalanced at some time before theyare worn out. Have your dealer
check the tires if you feel a consis-
tent vibration while driving. A tire should always be rebalanced if it is
removed from the wheel for repair.
Make sure the installer balances the
wheels when you have new tires installed. This increases ridingcomfort and tire life. Your vehicle's
original tires were dynamic or "spin"
balanced at the factory. For best results, have the installer perform adynamic balance.
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle's aluminum wheels. Use only Genuine Honda wheel weights for
balancing.

Maintenance

INDICATOR

LOCATION

MARKS

TREAD WEAR
INDICATORS
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Tires

Tire Rotation
To help increase tire life and distribute wear more evenly, you
should have the tires rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km). Move the
tires to the positions shown in the
chart each time they are rotated. When shopping for replacement
tires, you may find that some tires are "directional." This means they
are designed to rotate only in one
direction. If you use directional
tires, they should be rotated only

front-to-back.

Replacing Tires and Wheels
The tires that came with your vehicle were selected to match the performance capabilities of the
vehicle while providing the best combination of handling, ride
comfort, and long life. You should
replace them with radial tires of thesame size, load range, speed rating,
and maximum cold tire pressure
rating (as shown on the tire's sidewall). Mixing radial and bias-ply
tires on your vehicle can reduce its braking ability, traction, and steering

accuracy.
It is best to replace all four tires at
the same time. If that is not possible or necessary, then replace the two
front tires or the two rear tires as a pair. Replacing just one tire canseriously affect your vehicle's han-
dling.
Maintenance Installing improper tires on your
vehicle can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this owner's manual.
Front
Front
(For Non-directional
Tires and Wheels) (For Directional
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Tires

The ABS works by comparing the speed of the wheels. When replacing
tires, use the same size originally supplied with the vehicle. Tire size
and construction can affect wheel speed and may cause the system to
work inconsistently.
If you ever need to replace a wheel,
make sure the wheel's specifications
match those of the original wheel
that came on your vehicle. Re-
placement wheels are available at
your Honda dealer. Wheels and Tires

Wheel:
16x61/2 JJ

Tire:

205/50R1687V

See Tire Information on page 256 for
additional information about tire and
wheel size designations. See page 257 for information about DOT Tire
Quality Grading.
Winter Driving

Tires that are marked "M + S" or "All Season" on the sidewall have an
all-weather tread design. They
should be suitable for most winterdriving conditions. Tires without
these markings are designed for optimum traction in dry conditions.
They may not provide adequate performance in winter driving.
For the best performance in snowyor icy conditions, you should installsnow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under certain conditions.
CONTINUED

Maintenance
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