tow HONDA PRELUDE 1998 Owners Manual

1998 Prelude Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through\
this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.h\
elminc.com.

Contents
Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safet y........................................................................\
.........................................ii
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
......................................3
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
Instruments and Control s........................................................................\
.........................................49
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
..................... 91
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................119
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
......................................................................131
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................159
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Car e........................................................................\
..................................................... .219
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your\
vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpecte d........................................................................\
..............................227
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Informatio n........................................................................\
.............................................251
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................265
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manu als (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................271
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index........................................................................\
.............................................................................. I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

Accord Value Package Audio System Owner's Identification Form

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Protecting Adults

If your seat belt does not seem to
work as it should, it may not protect you in a crash. Anyone using aninoperative seat belt can be seriously
injured or killed. No one should sit in
a seat with an inoperative seat belt.

Have your Honda dealer check the
belt as soon as possible. See page 40 for additional
information about your seat belt system and how to take care of your

belts.
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel
Adjust the steering wheel, if needed,
so that the wheel points toward your
chest, not toward your face.
Pointing the steering wheel toward
your face decreases the protective capability of the driver's airbag.
See page 64 for how to adjust the
steering wheel.
Driver and Passenger SafetyProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Protecting Children

Infant Seat Installation Tips

For proper protection, an infant must
ride in a reclined, or semi-reclined
position. To determine the proper reclining angle, check with the baby's
doctor or follow the seat maker's
recommendations.
To achieve the desired reclining angle, it may help to put a rolled up
towel under the toe of the child seat,
as shown above. When properly installed, a rear-
facing child seat may prevent the
driver or a front-seat passenger from
moving their seat as far back as
recommended (see page 11). Or it
may prevent the seat-back from
locking in the desired position (see
page 12).
In either case, we recommend that
you place the child seat directly behind the front passenger seat,move the front seat as far forward as
needed, and leave it unoccupied. You may also wish to get a smaller child
seat that allows you to safely carry a
front passenger.
Additional Precautions for Infants
Never hold a baby on your lap. If

you are not wearing a seat belt in a crash, you could be thrown
forward into the dashboard and crush the child.
If you are wearing a seat belt, the
baby can be torn from your arms. For example, if the vehicle crashes
into a parked vehicle at 30 mph (48 km/h), a 20 Ibs (9 kg) baby
will become a 600 Ibs (275 kg)
force, and you will not be able to hold it. Never put a seat belt over yourself
and a baby. During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child and cause very serious injuries.

Driver and Passenger SafetyProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Controls Near the Steering Wheel

Make sure the rear window is clear
and you have good visibility before
starting to drive.
The defogger and antenna wires on the inside of the rear window can beaccidentally damaged. When
cleaning the glass, always wipe side
to side.
Steering Wheel Adjustment

See page 15 for important safety

information about how to properly

position the steering wheel.
Make any steering wheel adjustment
before you start driving. To adjust the steering wheel upward
or downward.
1. The lever to tilt the steering wheel is under the steering column to
the left. Push this lever all the way
down.

2. Move the steering wheel to the desired position, making sure the
wheel points toward your chest, not toward your face. Make sure
you can see the instrument panel
gauges and the indicator lights. 3. Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position.
4. Make sure you have securely locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up and down.

Instruments and Controls
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle and be seriously injured in a crash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the vehicle is stopped.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Service Station Procedures

Oil Check
Check the engine oil level every time
you fill the vehicle with fuel. Wait a
few minutes after turning the engine off before you check the oil.
1. Remove the dipstick (orange handle). 2. Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel. 3. Insert it all the way back in its tube.

CONTINUED
Before Driving

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Carrying Cargo

Your vehicle has several convenientstorage areas so you can stow cargo

safely.

The glove box, and the pockets in the front doors and seat-back, aredesigned for small, lightweight items.
The trunk is intended for larger, heavier items. In addition, the backseat can be folded down to allow you
to carry more cargo or longer items.
However, carrying too much cargo,or improperly storing it, can affect
your vehicle's handling, stability and operation and make it unsafe. Before
carrying any type of cargo, be sure to
read the following pages.
Before Driving

CONSOLE COMPARTMENT

FRONT DOOR POCKET

TRUNK
SEAT-BACK POCKET
GLOVE BOXProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Carrying Cargo

Load Limit
The maximum load for your vehicle is 700 1b (325kg).
This figure includes the total weight of all occupants, cargo, accessories,
and the tongue weight if you are
towing a trailer.
To figure out how much cargo you can carry: Add up the weight of all occupants.
If you are towing a trailer, add the
tongue weight to the number
above.
Subtract the total from 700 Ib (325
kg).

The final number is the total weight
of cargo you can carry.
Carrying Items in the Passenger
Compartment Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurt someone during a crash. Do not put any items on top of the
rear shelf. They can block your
view and be thrown around the
vehicle during a crash. Be sure items placed on the floor
behind the front seats cannot roll under the seats and interfere with
the driver's ability to operate the pedals, or with the proper operation of the seats. Keep the glove box closed while
driving. If the lid is open, a
passenger could injure their knees during a crash or sudden stop.

Before Driving

Overloading or improper

loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in

which you can be hurt or killed.

Follow all load limits and other

loading guidelines in this

manual.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Driving

This section gives you tips on starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes important information on parking
your vehicle, the braking system, and facts you need if you are plan-
ning to tow a trailer. Preparing to Drive......................... 132
Starting the Engine........................ 133
Starting in Cold Weather at High Altitude ..................... 133
5-speed Manual Transmission..... 134 Recommended Shift Points...... 135
Maximum Allowable Speeds.... 135
Automatic Transmission............... 136
Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 136
Shift Lever Positions................. 137
Maximum Allowable Speeds.... 142
Shift Lock Release..................... 143
Parking............................................ 144
The Braking System...................... 145 Brake Wear Indicators.............. 145
Brake System Design................ 146
Anti-lock Brakes........................ 146 Important SafetyReminders.......................... 147
ABS Indicator......................... 148
Active Torque Transfer System ..149 Driving in Bad Weather................ 150
Towing a Trailer............................ 152

DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Automatic Transmission

Shift Lever Positions
The shift lever has eight positions. It must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped inD4, D3, 2, 1, N, R, or the Sequential
SportShift mode, press firmly on the
brake pedal and keep your foot off
the accelerator pedal. To select the Sequential SportShift
mode, slide the shift lever toward the
left from the "D4" position. In this mode the shift lever allows
you to shift up and down manually.
Whenever you move the shift lever,slide it along the guide on the

console.

You cannot shift out of Park with the brake pedal depressed when theignition switch is in LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I).

Driving

SHIFT LEVER

SEQUENTIAL
SPORTSHIFT

MODE

POSITION

CONTINUEDProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Automatic Transmission

If the vehicle speeds slows to below
the redline of the selected lower gear
position while the indicator is
flashing, the transmission downshifts and the display shows
the selected lower gear.
If the transmission temperature is
below 14°F(— 10°C), you may not be able to use the SequentialSportShift mode. The table shows the speed ranges

for upshifting and downshifting.
Drive (D3) — This position is similar
t

o
D4, except only the first three

gears are selected. Use D3 when
towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to
provide engine braking when going down a steep hill. D3 can also keep
the transmission from cycling
between third and fourth gears in stop-and-go driving.
For faster acceleration when in D3 or
D4, you can get the transmission toautomatically downshift by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shift down one or two gears, depending on your

speed.

Driving
CONTINUED
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