towing HONDA S2000 2002 1.G Owners Manual

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual transmission. It also includes
important inf ormation on parking
your car, and the braking system.........................
Preparing to Drive . 136
.......................
Starting the Engine . 137
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude . 138
....
6-speed Manual Transmission . 139
.....
Recommended Shif t Points . 140
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 140
.......................
Reverse Lockout . 140
...........................................
Parking . 141
.....................
The Braking System . 142
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 142
...............
Brake System Design . 143
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes . 143
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders . 144
........................
ABS Indicator . 145
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 146
...........................
Towing a Trailer . 147
Driving
Driving 135

µCheck your tires
f requently f or 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 f our
wheels f or the best handling.
Watch road conditions caref ully,
they can change f rom moment to
moment. 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 f reezing.
The road surf ace can become
covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be caref ul when downshif ting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the
drive wheels f or a moment and cause
askid. Be very cautious when passing, or
beingpassedbyothercars.The
spray f rom large cars reduces your
visibility, and the wind buf f eting can
cause you to lose control.Your car is not designed to tow a
trailer. Attempting to do so can void
your warranties.
Driving
Traction
Towing a Trailer
Driving in Bad Weather, Towing a Trailer
147

This section covers the more-
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your car towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire . 220
....................
Changing a Flat Tire . 221
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start . 226
Nothing Happens or theStarter Motor Operates ........................
Very Slowly . 226
The Starter Operates ................................
Normally . 227
................................
Jump Starting . 228
............
If Your Engine Overheats . 231
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 234
..........
Charging System Indicator . 235
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 236
...............
Brake System Indicator . 238
.......
Closing the Convertible Top . 239
..............................................
Fuses . 240
..........
Checking and Replacing . 241
.................
If Your Car Gets Stuck . 245
......................
Emergency Towing . 247
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed 219

You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
Check these things:
Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you press
the ENGINE START button.
When you press the ENGINE
START button, you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all. Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See
on page .
Press the ENGINE START button,
then release it. If the headlights do
not dim, check the condition of the
fuses.If thefusesareOK,thereis
probably something wrong with
the electrical circuit f or the
ignition switch or starter motor.
You will need a qualif ied
technician to determine the
problem. (See on page .)
57 228
247
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
226

There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page .
Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank.
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to
on page .
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of the
battery and terminal connections
(see page ). You can then try
jump starting the car from a booster
battery (see page ).
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you press the
ENGINE START button, but the
engine does not run.
183
228 241
247
137
T he Starter Operates Normally
Emergency
Towing
Starting the
Engine
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed 227

Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (seeon page ). If you don’t f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page
). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
between the MIN and MAX marks. Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the f irst stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes
off.
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the reading
reaches the middle of the
temperature gauge, or lower,
bef ore checking the radiator.
6.
7.9.
8.
247 126
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
232 Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.

Start the engine and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the f iller
neck. If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water.
Remember to have the cooling
system drained and ref illed with
the proper mixture as soon as you
can.Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair. (See
on page .) If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
10.
12.
11.
247Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed 233

This indicator should light when the
ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
af ter the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing, it
indicates that the oil pressure
dropped very low f or a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure
and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action.Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the light
does not go out within ten seconds,
turn of f the engine. There is a
mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired bef ore you can
continue driving. (See
on page .)
Saf ely pull of f the road and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ).
Letthecarsitforaminute.Open
the hood and check the oil level
(see page ). Although oil level
and oil pressure are not directly
connected, an engine that is very
low on oil can lose pressure during
cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
1. 2. 3. 4.
125 163 247
Emergency
Towing
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
234
LLOOWWOOIILLPPRREESSSSUURREEIINNDDIICCAATTOORR
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn of f
the engine as soon as you can saf ely get
the car stopped.

For very short distances, such as
freeing the car, you can use the
detachable towing hook that mounts
on the anchors in the front and rear
bumpers.Remove the cover f rom the
bumper.
To use the towing hook: Remove the towing hook, hook
extension, and wheel wrench f rom
the tool box.
Using the wheel wrench, f asten
the extension into the bolt hole in
the anchor.
If your car gets stuck in sand, mud,
or snow, call a towing service to pull
it out (see page ).
1.2. 3.
247
CONT INUED
If Your Car Gets Stuck
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
245

Screw the towing hook into the
extension and tighten it securely
by hand.
4.
If Your Car Gets Stuck
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
246
To avoid damage to your car, use the
towing hook f or straight, f lat ground
towing only. Do not tow at an angle.
The tow hook should not be used to tow
the vehicle onto a f lat bed. Do not use
it as a tie down.