warning HONDA PRELUDE 1998 Owners Manual

A Few Words About Safety
Your safety, and the safety of others,is very important. And operating this
vehicle safely is an important responsibility.
To help you make informed decisions about safety, we have
provided operating procedures and other information on labels and in
this manual. This information alerts
you to potential hazards that could
hurt you or others.
Of course, it is not practical or
possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or
maintaining your vehicle. You must
use your own good judgement. You will find this important safety information in a variety of forms,
including:
Safety Labels — on the vehicle. Safety Messages — preceded by a safety alert symbol and one of
three signal words: DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION.
These signal words mean:
You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLYHURT if you don't follow instructions.
You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if you don't follow instructions.
You CAN be HURT if you don't follow instructions.
Safety Headings — such as Important Safety Reminders or Important Safety Precautions.
Safety Section — such as Driver and Passenger Safety. Instructions — how to use this vehicle correctly and safely.
This entire book is filled with important safety information — please read it carefully.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Important Safety Precautions

You'll find many safety recommendations throughout thissection, and throughout this manual.
Following are a few
recommendations we consider most
important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbagssupplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inflate only in a
severe frontal collision. So even with
airbags, make sure you and your
passengers always wear your seat
belts, and wear them properly. (See
page 14.)
Restrain All Children Children are safest when they are
properly restrained in the back seat,
not the front seat. A child who is too small for a seat belt must be properly
restrained in a child safety seat. (See
page 19.) Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
While airbags save lives, they can
cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Infants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page 5.)

Don't Drink and Drive

Alcohol and driving don't mix. Even one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions.
Reaction time gets worse with every
additional drink. So don't drink and
drive, and don't let your friends drink
and drive, either. Control Your Speed
Excessive speed is a major factor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the risk, but serious accidents can alsooccur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Keep Your Vehicle in SafeCondition
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical failure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition frequently, and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page 162.)
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Protecting Children
U.S. Models
To remind you of the passenger's airbag hazards, and that children
must be properly restrained in the
back seat, your vehicle has warning
labels on the dashboard and on the driver's and front passenger's visors.
Please read and follow the
instructions on these labels. If You Must Drive with Several
Children
Your vehicle has two seating positions in the back seat where
children can be properly restrained.
If you ever have to carry more than
two children in your vehicle: Place the largest child in the front
seat, provided the child is large
enough to wear a seat belt
properly (see page 35).
Move the vehicle seat as far to the
rear as possible (see page 11).
Have the child sit upright and well
back in the seat (see page 16).
Make sure the seat belt is properly
positioned and secured (see page
14).
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Instruments and Controls

This section gives information about the controls and displays that
contribute to the daily operation of
your Honda. All the essential controls are within easy reach.

Control Locations............................ 50

Indicator Lights................................ 51

Gauges.............................................. 56
Speedometer................................ 56
Tachometer.................................. 56

Odometer...................................... 56

Trip Meter.................................... 56

Fuel Gauge................................... 57
Temperature Gauge.................... 57 Maintenance Required Indicator.................................... 58
Controls Near the Steering

Wheel........................................ 59

Headlights.................................... 60
Daytime Running Lights............. 60
Instrument Panel Brightness..... 61
Turn Signals................................. 61
Windshield Wipers...................... 62
Windshield Washers................... 63
Hazard Warning........................... 63

Rear Window Defogger.............. 63
Steering Wheel Adjustment....... 64

Steering Wheel Controls ................ 65

Cruise Control.............................. 65
Keys and Locks................................ 68

Keys...............................................68

Learning Key................................ 69
Immobilizer System..................... 69
Ignition Switch............................. 70
Power Door Locks....................... 72
Lockout Prevention..................... 73

Trunk............................................73
Glove Box.....................................74
Seat Adjustments............................. 75 Front Seat Adjustments.............. 75Driver's Seat Height Adjustment............................... 76

Rear Seat Access .........................
76

Head Restraints...........................
77
Seat Heaters..................................... 78
Folding Rear Seat............................ 79
Power Windows............................... 80

Moonroof..........................................82

Mirrors.............................................. 83
Adjusting the Power Mirrors.....

83

Parking Brake..................................
84

Digital Clock..................................... 85
Beverage Holder.............................. 86 Console Compartment.................... 87
Coin Box........................................... 88
Accessory Power Socket................ 88
Ashtrays............................................ 89
Interior Lights.................................. 89 Ceiling Lights............................... 89
Courtesy Lights........................... 90
Instruments and ControlsProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Indicator Lights

Anti-lock BrakeSystem (ABS)
Indicator
This light normally comes on for a few seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II), and when
the ignition switch is turned to
START (III). If this light comes on at
any other time, there is a problem in
the ABS. If this happens, take the
vehicle to your dealer to have it checked. With the light on, your
vehicle still has normal braking ability but no anti-lock. Active Torque Transfer
System (ATTS) Indicator

Type SH only

This indicator normally comes on for a few seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II).
If it comes on at any other time,
there is a problem in the Active
Torque Transfer System (ATTS). If this happens, take the vehicle to
your dealer to have it checked. With the indicator on, your vehicle willcorner normally, but you will not
have active torque transfer. Turn Signal and
Hazard Warning
Indicators
The left or right turn signal light blinks when you signal a lane changeor turn. If the light does not blink or
blinks rapidly, it usually means one of the turn signal bulbs is burned out (see page 210). Replace the bulb as
soon as possible, since other drivers
cannot see that you are signalling.
When you turn on the Hazard Warning switch, both turn signallights blink. All turn signals on the
outside of the vehicle should flash.
Instruments and Controls

ABS

ATTS

U.S.


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Controls Near the Steering Wheel
The two levers on the steering column contain controls for driving
features you use most often. The left
lever controls the turn signals,
headlights, and high beams. The
right lever controls the windshield
washers and wipers.
The controls under the left air vent are for the moonroof, cruise controland instrument panel brightness.
The switches for the hazard warning lights and rear window defogger are
to the right of the steering column.
The tilt adjustment lever on the underside of the steering columnallows you to tilt the steering wheel.

Instruments and Controls

CRUISE
CONTROL
INSTRUMENT PANEL
BRIGHTNESS HAZARD WARNING
LIGHTS
WINDSHIELD

WIPERS/WASHERS

REAR WINDOW

DEFOGGER

HORN

BUTTONS

TILT

ADJUSTMENT

HEADLIGHTS/
TURN SIGNALS

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Controls Near the Steering Wheel

Windshield Washers
To clean the windshield, pull back on the wiper control lever. The washersspray until you release the lever.
The wipers run at low speed while you're pulling the lever, thencomplete one more sweep of the
windshield after you release it.
Hazard Warning

Push the red button to the left of the
clock to turn on the hazard warning
lights (four-way flashers). This causes all four outside turn signals
and both indicators in the instrument
panel to flash. Use the hazard
warning lights if you need to park in a dangerous area near heavy traffic,
or if your vehicle is disabled. Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger will clear fog, frost, and thin ice from the
window. Push the defogger button to turn it on and off. The light in the
button lights to show the defogger ison. If you do not turn it off, thedefogger will shut itself off after
about 25 minutes. It also shuts off
when you turn off the ignition. You
have to turn it on again when you restart the vehicle.
Instruments and Controls
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Seat Adjustments

Front Seat Adjustments
See pages 11 — 12 for important safety
information and warnings about how to
properly position seats and seat-backs.
Make all seat adjustments before
you start driving.
To adjust the seat forward and backward, pull up on the lever under
the seat cushion's front edge. Move
the seat to the desired position andrelease the lever. Try to move the
seat to make sure it is locked in

position.
To change the angle of the seat-back,
pull up on the lever on the outside of
the seat bottom. Move the seat-back
to the desired position and release the lever. Let the seat-back latch in

the new position.

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Seat Adjustments

Driver's Seat Height Adjustment

See pages 11 — 12 for important safety

information and warnings about how to

properly position seats and seat-backs.

To adjust the height of the driver's seat, turn the dial on the outside of
the seat bottom.
Rear Seat Access

To get into the back seat on the driver's side, pull up on the seat-back
adjustment lever.
To get into the back seat on thepassenger's side, push forward on
the release lever at the base of the seat-back. The seat-back will tilt
forward and the entire seat will move
forward to allow easier entry to the back seat. After you return the seat-
back to the upright position, push
the whole seat backwards until it
latches. Make sure the seat is fully
latched before sitting in it.

Instruments and Controls
RELEASE

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Seat Adjustments

Head Restraints

See page 13 for important safety
information and a warning about how to
properly position the head restraints.

The front head restraints helpprotect you and your passenger from
whiplash and other injuries. They are most effective when you adjust them so the back of the occupant's head
rests against the center of the
restraint. A taller person should adjust the restraint as high as

possible.
The front head restraints adjust for
height. You need both hands toadjust the restraint. Do not attempt
to adjust it while driving. To raise it,
pull upward. To lower the restraint, push the release button sidewaysand push the restraint down.
To remove a head restraint for cleaning or repair, pull it up as far as
it will go. Push the release button and pull the restraint out of the seat-

back.

Instruments and Controls

RELEASE

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