maintenance HONDA S2000 2003 1.G Owner's Guide

Put a new washer on the f iller bolt,
then reinstall the f iller bolt. Tighten
it securely. Tightening torque:
The dif f erential should be drained
and ref illed with new f luid according
to the time and distance
recommendations in the
maintenance schedule.
Check the f luid level with the
dif f erential at normal operating
temperature and the vehicle sitting
on level ground. Remove the
dif f erential f luid f iller bolt and
washer and caref ully f eel inside the
bolt hole with your f inger. The f luid
level should be up to the edge of the
bolt hole. If it is not, slowly add f luid
until it starts to run out of the hole. Use an SAE 90 viscosity hypoid gear
oil, API service classif ied GL5 or
GL6 only, in the dif f erential.
Maint enance
Dif f erential Fluid
173
CORRECT LEVEL
FILLER BOLT
33 lbf·ft (45 N·m , 4.6 kgf·m)

The f luid level should be between
theMINandMAXmarksontheside
of the reservoir. If the level is at or
below the MIN mark, your brake
system needs attention. Have the
brake system inspected f or leaks or
worn brake pads.
Check the f luid level in the reser-
voirs monthly. There are two reser-
voirs. They are:
Brake f luid reservoir
Clutch f luid reservoir
The brake f luid should be replaced
according to the time recommenda-
tion in the maintenance schedule. Always use Honda Heavy Duty
Brake Fluid DOT 3. If it is not
available, you should use only DOT 3
or DOT 4 f luid, f rom a sealed
container, as a temporary
replacement. However, the use of
any non-Honda brake fluid can cause
corrosion and decrease the lif e of the
system. Have the brake system
f lushed and ref illed with Honda
Heavy Duty Brake Fluid DOT 3 as
soon as possible.
Brake f luid marked DOT 5 is not
compatible with your car’s braking
system and can cause extensive
damage.Brake System
Brake and Clutch Fluid
Maint enance174
MAX
MIN

To replace it:
Follow the replacement procedure
for removal and reinstallation.
Unsnap the six clamps holding the
air cleaner housing cover.
Remove the air cleaner housing
cover. Disconnect the air intake
duct f rom the air cleaner element.Remove the old air cleaner
element.
Caref ully clean the inside of the
air cleaner housing with a damp
rag.
The air cleaner element should be
replaced according to the time and
distance recommendations in the
maintenance schedule.
1.
2.3.
4.
Replacement
A ir Cleaner Element
Maint enance176
CLAMPS
AIR CLEANER ELEMENT

The spark plugs in your car are a
special platinum-tipped design f or
longer lif e. They only need to be
replaced every 7 years or 105,000
miles (168,000 km), whichever
comes f irst.
Clean the hood latch assembly with a
mild cleaner, then lubricate it with a
multipurpose grease. Lubricate all
the moving parts (as shown),
including the pivot. Follow the time
and distance recommendations in
the Maintenance Schedule. If you
are not sure how to clean and grease
the latch, contact your Honda dealer. Clean off any dirt and oil that have
collected around the ignition coils. Remove the four hexagon socket
head cap bolts holding the ignition
coil cover.
1.
2.
ReplacementSpark Plugs
Hood L atch
Maint enance
Hood L at ch, Spark Plugs
178
PIVOTS

µ
If the terminals are severely cor-
roded, clean them with baking soda
and water. Then use a wrench to
loosen and remove the cables f rom
the terminals. Always disconnect the
negative ( ) cable f irst and recon-
nect it last. Clean the battery termi-
nals with a terminal cleaning tool or
wire brush. Reconnect and tighten
the cables, then coat the terminals
with grease. If you need to connect the battery to
a charger, disconnect both cables to
prevent damage to the car’s
electrical system.
Battery
Maint enance182
The battery gives off explosive
hydrogen gas during normal
operation.
A spark or flame can cause the
battery to explode with enough
force to kill or seriously hurt you.
Wear protective clothing and a
face shield, or have a skilled
mechanic do the battery
maintenance.

Run the air conditioning at least once
a week during the cold weather
months. Run it f or at least ten
minutes while you are driving at a
steady speed with the engine at
normal operating temperature. This
circulates the lubricating oil con-
tained in the ref rigerant.If the air conditioning does not get as
cold as before, have your dealer
check the system. Recharge the
system with Ref rigerant HFC-134a
(R-134a). (See Specif ications on page
.)
Your car’s air conditioning is a sealed
system. Any major maintenance,
such as recharging, should be done
by a qualif ied mechanic. You can do
a couple of things to make sure the
air conditioning works ef f iciently.
Periodically check the engine’s
radiator and air conditioning
condenser f or leaves, insects, and
dirt stuck to the f ront surf ace. These
block the air f low and reduce cooling
ef f iciency. Use a light spray f rom a
hose or a sof t brush to remove them. 251
A ir Condit ioning Syst em
Maint enance186
AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER
Whenever you have the air conditioning
system serviced, make sure the service
f acility uses a ref rigerant recycling
system. This system captures the
ref rigerant f or reuse. Releasing
ref rigerant into the atmosphere can
damage the environment.
The condenser and radiator f ins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure spray
or sof t-bristle brush to clean them.

Open the hood. Unclip the
windshield base by pulling it up.Put the pins on the windshield
base into their mating holes on the
support, and push the base down
until the pins snap in. Remove the old f ilter. Put a new
f ilter in the holder and push it in
until it locks.
The dust and pollen f ilter is located
in the engine compartment on the
passenger’s side near the base of the
windshield.
Push the tab on the dust and
pollen f ilter to unlock it f rom the
holder.
This f ilter should be replaced every
30,000 miles (48,000 km) under
normal conditions. It should be
replaced every 15,000 miles (24,000
km) if you drive primarily in urban
areas that have high concentrations
of soot in the air f rom industry and
diesel-powered vehicles. Replace it
more of ten if air f low f rom the
climate control system becomes less
than usual. Have the dust and pollen
f ilter replaced by your Honda dealer. The dust and pollen f ilter removes
pollen and dust f rom the outside air,
The heating and cooling system
brings air into the interior. It should
be replaced according to the time
and distance recommendations in
the maintenance schedule.
1.2.
3.
4.
Maint enance
Replacement
Dust and Pollen Filter
187

CONT INUED
Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort. Underinf lated tires wear
unevenly, adversely affect handling
and f uel economy, and are more
likely to f ail f rom being overheated.
Overinf lated tires can make your car
ride more harshly, are more prone to
damage f rom road hazards, and wear
unevenly.
To saf ely operate your car, your tires
must be the proper type and size, in
good condition with adequate tread,
and correctly inf lated. The f ollowing
pages give more detailed inf ormation
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.
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. Inf lation
Maint enance
Tires
189
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.

In addition to proper inf lation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you f ind 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 bef ore they
are worn out. Have your dealer
check the tires if you f eel a consis-
tent vibration while driving. A tire
should always be rebalanced if it is
removed f rom the wheel f or repair.Make sure the installer balances the
wheels when you have new tires
installed. This increases riding
comf ort and tire lif e. Your car’s
original tires were dynamic or ‘‘spin’’
balanced at the f actory. For best
results, have the installer perf orm a
dynamic balance.
You should not rotate your Honda’s
tires. The f ront and rear tires are
dif f erent sizes, so they cannot be
rotated f ront-to-rear. The original-
equipment tires on your Honda have
a unidirectional tread pattern, so
they cannot be rotated side-to-side.
The tires that came on your car were
designed and constructed to provide
superior grip during acceleration,
braking, and cornering. As a trade-
of f , they will wear more rapidly than
tiresusedonordinarypassenger
cars. Because of the car’s weight
distribution, and the f act that they
are the driving wheels, you may
expect the rear tires to wear more
rapidly than the f ront tires.
Maintenance
T ire Rotation
Tire Wear
Tires
Maint enance192
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle’s aluminum wheels. Use
only genuine Honda wheel weights f or
balancing.

Block the rear wheels.
Disconnect the battery.If possible, run the engine f or a
while periodically (pref erably once
amonth).
Support the f ront wiper blade
arms with a f olded towel or rag so
they do not touch the windshield.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and trunk seals. Also, apply a
vehiclebodywaxtothepainted
surfaces that mate with the door
and trunk seals.
Fill the f uel tank.
Change the engine oil and f ilter
(see page ).
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry.
If you need to park your car f or an
extended period (more than one
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your car back on the road. If
possible, store your car indoors.
If the car is to be stored for a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Leave one window open slightly (if
the car is being stored indoors).Coverthecarwitha‘‘breathable’’
cover, one made f rom a porous
material such as cotton.
Nonporous materials, such as
plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
If you store your car f or 12 months
or longer, have your Honda dealer
perf orm the inspections called f or in
the 24 months/30,000 miles (48,000
km) maintenance schedule as soon
as you take it out of storage (see
page ). The replacements called
f or in the maintenance schedule are
not needed unless the car has
actually reached that time or mileage.
Raise the convertible top cover.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Reverse. 163
152
Maint enance
St oring Your Car
206