maintenance HONDA PRELUDE 1998 Workshop Manual

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
ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

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
CONTINUED

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
inflation and maintenance.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

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
ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

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
NOTICEProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

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
Tires and Wheels)ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

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
ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Tires

Snow Tires

If you mount snow tires on your
Honda, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as the original tires. Mount snow
tires on all four wheels to balance
your vehicle's handling in all weather conditions. Keep in mind the traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
may not be as high as your vehicle's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads
are clear. Check with the tire dealer
for maximum speed recommenda-
tions.
Tire Chains

Mount snow chains on your vehicle
when warranted by driving condi- tions or required by local laws. Makesure the chains are the correct size
for your tires. Install them only on
the front tires. If metal chains are used, they must be SAE class "S".
Cable type traction devices can also
be used.
When installing chains, follow the manufacturer's instructions and
mount them as tightly as you can.
Drive slowly with chains installed. If
you hear the chains contacting the body or chassis, stop and investigate.
Make sure the chains are installed
tightly, and that they are not
contacting the brake lines orsuspension. Remove the chains as
soon as you begin driving on cleared

roads.
Chains of the wrong size or that are
improperly installed can damage your
vehicle's brake lines, suspension, body,
and wheels. Stop driving if you hear the chains hitting any part of thevehicle.

Maintenance
NOTICEProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Lights

Check the operation of your vehicle's
exterior lights at least once a month.
A burned out bulb can create an unsafe condition by reducing your
vehicle's visibility and the ability to signal your intentions to other
drivers.

CONTINUED

Maintenance
PARKING LIGHT
HEADLIGHT LOW BEAM
SIDE MARKER LIGHT
HEADLIGHT HIGH BEAM
TURN SIGNALProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Lights

Check the following:
Headlights (low and high beam)
Parking lights Taillights
Brake lights
High-mount brake light
Turn signals
Back-up lights
Hazard light function
License plate light
Side marker lights
Daytime running lights
(Canadian models)
If you find any bulbs are burned out,

replace them as soon as possible.
Refer to the chart on page 255 to

determine what type of replacement

bulb is needed.

Maintenance TAILLIGHT/BRAKE LIGHT
HIGH-MOUNT BRAKE LIGHT

TAILLIGHT

BACK-UP LIGHT
LICENSE PLATE LIGHT
TURN SIGNAL
SIDE MARKER LIGHTProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Lights

Headlight Aiming
The headlights were properly aimed
when your vehicle was new. You should check their aim if you
regularly carry heavy items in the
trunk or pull a trailer. Each headlight
assembly has horizontal and vertical
adjustment indicators. These are set to their "0" positions after the
headlights are aimed at the factory.
To check these settings:
1. Make sure the fuel tank is full. Park the vehicle on level ground.
2. The driver or someone who weighs the same should be sitting
in the driver's seat for all checks
and adjustments.Load the trunk with the items you
normally carry. If you usually pull a trailer, load it as
you would normally and attach it to the vehicle. Push down on the frontand rear bumpers several times tomake sure the vehicle is sitting
normally.
3. Open the hood.
4. Check the horizontal angle gauge. The line on the adjustment screwindicator should line up with the"0" mark on the gauge. 5. Check the vertical angle gauge.
The bubble should be centeredunderneath the longest scribe
mark on the gauge.

CONTINUED

Maintenance
HORIZONTAL ANGLE GAUGE

BUBBLE

VERTICAL ANGLE GAUGEProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t