traction control HONDA PRELUDE 2000 Owner's Manual (in English)

Th
e Brakin g Syste m

Brak e Syste m Desig n
The hydraulic system that operates the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (the left-front brake is
connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking at two wheels. Anti-loc
k Brake s
Your vehicle has an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) as standard
equipment. ABS helps to prevent the
wheels from locking up and skidding during hard braking, allowing you to
retain steering control.
When the front tires skid, you lose steering control; the car continues
straight ahead even though you turn
the steering wheel. The ABS helps to
prevent lock-up and helps you retain steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly; much faster than a
person can do it. Yo
u shoul d neve r pum p th e
brak e pedal , this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work for you by always keeping firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes referred to as
"stomp and steer."

You will feel a pulsation in the brake pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is normal, it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on
the brake pedal very hard before you
activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.

Drivin g

Fron
t

Drivin
g in Ba d Weathe r

Rain, fog, and snow conditions re-
quire a different driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your car well- maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control should not be used in these condi-
tions. Drivin
g Techniqu e — Always drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your car longer to react, even in conditions that mayseem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-

cation of the brakes can cause loss of

control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious for the first few miles (kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in
snow. A person can forget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills.
Exercise extra caution when driving
in rain after a long dry spell. After
months of dry weather, the first
rains bring oil to the surface of the
roadway, making it slippery.
Visibilit
y — Being able to see

clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important in all weather conditions. This is
more difficult in bad weather. To beseen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers frequently. Keep the wind-shield washer reservoir full of the
proper fluid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the defrosters and air
conditioning to keep the windows
from fogging up on the inside (see

page 104).

Drivin g

Drivin
g in Ba d Weathe r

Tractio n — 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.

Driving

Towin
g a Traile r

Your Honda has been designed primarily to carry passengers and
their cargo. You can use it to tow a
trailer if you carefully observe the
load limits, use the proper equipment,and follow the guidelines in this

section.

Loa d Limit s Tota
l Traile r Weight : The total
weight of the trailer and everything loaded in it must not
exceed 1,000 Ibs (450 kg). Towing
a load that is too heavy can
seriously affect your vehicle's
handling and performance. It can also damage the engine anddrivetrain. Tongu
e Load : The weight that
the tongue of a fully-loaded trailer
puts on the hitch should be
approximately 10 percent of the
trailer weight. Too little tongue
load can make the trailer unstable and cause it to sway. Too much
tongue load reduces front-tire
traction and steering control.
To achieve a proper tongue load, start by loading 60 percent of the
load toward the front of the trailer and 40 percent toward the rear, then
readjust the load as needed.
Gros
s Vehicl e Weigh t Ratin g

(GVWR) :

The total weight of the vehicle, all occupants, all cargo, and the
tongue load must not exceed: 3,835 Ibs (1,740 kg)
Gros
s Axl e Weigh t Ratin g

(GAWR) :

The total weight of the vehicle, all occupants, all cargo, and the
tongue load must not exceed:
2,160 Ibs (980 kg)
on the front axle
1,685 Ibs (765 kg)
on the rear axle

Drivin g
Exceeding load limits or
improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously injured or killed.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully before starting to drive.

Technica
l Informatio n

The diagrams in this section give you the dimensions and capacities ofyour Honda, and the locations of theidentification numbers. The expla-
nations of several electronic and
mechanical systems on your Honda are for the more technically-oriented
owner. Identification Numbers................. 262
Specifications................................. 264
DOT Tire Quality Grading........... 266 Treadwear.................................. 266
Traction....................................... 266
Temperature.............................. 26
7

Oxygenated Fuels.......................... 268
Driving i
n Foreign Countries....... 269
Emissions Controls........................ 270 The Clean Air Act...................... 270Crankcase Emissions Control System..................................... 270
Evaporative Emissions Control
System.....................................270

Exhaust Emissions Controls.... 271 PGM-FI System..................... 271
Ignition Timing Control
System.................................271

Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) System.................... 271
Three Way Catalytic Converter............................ 271
Replacement Parts..................... 271
Three Way Catalytic Converter... 272

Technical Informatio n

DO
T Tir e Qualit y Gradin g (U.S . Cars )

The tires on your car meet all U.S. Federal Safety Requirements. All
tires are also graded for treadwear,
traction, and temperature perform-
ance according to Department of
Transportation (DOT) standards. The following explains these
gradings.

Unifor m Tir e Qualit y Gradin g

Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and the maximum section width. For
example:

Treadwea r 20 0
Traction AA

Temperatur e A
Treadwea
r

The treadwear grade
is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one
half (1-1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual condi- tions of their use, however, and maydepart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,service practices, and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Tractio
n

The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire's ability tostop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.

Technica l Informatio n