HONDA S2000 2004 2.G Owners Manual

98

Bef ore you begin driving your Honda,
youshouldknowwhatgasolineto
use, and how to check the levels of
important f luids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggage
or packages. The inf ormation in this
section will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your vehicle,
please read the inf ormation in this
section f irst..............................
Break-in Period .100
...............................
Gasoline Type .100
.........
Service Station Procedures . 101
...............................
Fuel Economy .104
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 105
.............................
Carrying Cargo .107
.....................
General Precautions .110
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving99

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration. Do not exceed 5,500
rpm f or the f irst 600 miles (1,000
km) of operation. Your Honda is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 91 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
occasional metallic knocking noises
in the engine and will result in
decreased engine perf ormance.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT. Use of
gasoline with these additives may
adversely affect performance, and
cause the Malf unction Indicator
Lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your authorized Honda dealer f or
service. For f urther important f uel-
related information, please refer to
your Quick Start Guide. Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 percent ethanol
by volume and up to 15 percent
MTBE by volume. Do not use
gasoline containing methanol.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
You should also f ollow these re-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are replaced.
Break-in Period, Gasoline T ype
Break-in Period Gasoline Type
Bef ore Driving100

Open the f uel f ill door by pulling
on the knob on the driver’s door
jamb.Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top off’’ the tank. Leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes. Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.even though the tank is not f ull,
there may be a problem with your
vehicle’s fuel vapor recovery
system. The system helps keep
f uel vapors f rom going into the
atmosphere. Consult your dealer.
Screw the f uel f ill cap back on
until it clicks at least three times.
If you do not properly tighten the
cap, the Malfunction Indicator
Lampmaycomeon(seepage
).
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.
Park with the driver’s side closest
to the service station pump.
1.
2. 3.
4.5.
6.
167
If the f uel nozzle keeps clicking of f
CONT INUED
Service Station Procedure
Bef ore Driving
Ref ueling
101
Pull
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.
Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flames
away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.

Park the vehicle, and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.Lif t it up slightly to remove the
support rod f rom the hole. Put the
support rod back into its holding clip.
Lower the hood to about a f oot (30
cm) above the f ender, then let it
drop. Make sure it is securely
latched.
Put your f ingers under the f ront
edge of the hood to the right of
center. Slide your hand to the lef t
until you f eel the hood latch
handle. Push this handle to the lef t
until it releases the hood. Lif t the hood.
If the hood latch handle moves
stif f ly, or if you can open the hood
without lifting the handle, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated.
Pull the support rod out of its clip
and insert the end into the hole on
the f ront of the hood around the
center.
1.
2.
3.
Service Station Procedure
Opening the Hood T o Close the Hood
Bef ore Driving102
RELEASE HANDLE

Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.Remove the dipstick (black
handle).
Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert it all the way back in its hole. Remove the dipstick again and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page . Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
on page f or
inf ormation on adding the proper
coolant.
Refer to on page f or inf ormation
on checking other items in your
Honda.
3. 4.
1.
2. 129132
122
Service Station Procedure
Oil Check
A dding OilEngine Coolant Check
A dding
Engine Coolant
Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
Bef ore Driving103
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
DIPSTICK
RESERVE TANK
MAX MIN

Try to maintain a constant speed.
Everytimeyouslowdownand
speed up, your vehicle uses extra
fuel.Usethecruisecontrolwhen
appropriate.
Combine several short trips into
one.
The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Usethefresh-air
ventilation when possible.
Always maintain your vehicle
according to the maintenance
schedule. See
on page
.
an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses f uel.
The build-up of snow or mud on
your vehicle’s underside adds
weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
mileage and reduces the chance of
corrosion.
Drive moderately. Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking use more f uel.
Always drive in the highest gear
possible.122
For example,
Fuel Economy
Improving Fuel Economy
Owner’s
Maintenance Checks
Bef ore Driving104

Modif ying your vehicle, or installing
some non-Honda accessories, can
make your vehicle unsaf e. Bef ore
you make any modif ications or add
anyaccessories,besuretoreadthe
f ollowing inf ormation.
Your dealer has Honda accessories
that allow you to personalize your
vehicle. These accessories have
been designed and approved f or your
vehicle, and are covered by warranty.When properly installed, cellular
phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems should
not interf ere with your vehicle’s
computer controlled systems, such
as the SRS and anti-lock brake
system.Bef ore installing any accessory:
Make sure the accessory does not
obscure any lights, or interf ere
with proper vehicle operation or
perf ormance.
Be sure electronic accessories do
not overload electrical circuits
(see page ) or interf ere with
proper operation.
Have the installer contact your
Honda dealer f or assistance bef ore
installing any electronic accessory.
Although aftermarket accessories
may f it on your vehicle, they may not
meet f actory specif ications, and
could adversely af f ect your vehicle’s
handling and stability. (See
‘‘Modif ying Your Vehicle’’ on page f or additional inf ormation.) 170
106
Bef ore Driving
A ccessories
A ccessories and Modif ications
105
Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
vehicle’s handling, stability, and
performance, and cause a
crash in which you can be hurt
or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding
accessories and modifications.

Removing parts f rom your vehicle,
or replacing components with non-
Honda (af termarket) components
could seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability.
Some examples are:Lowering the vehicle with an
aftermarket suspension kit that
signif icantly reduces ground
clearance can allow the
undercarriage to hit speed bumps
or other raised objects, which
could cause the airbags to deploy. Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interf ere with the operation of
your vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and
other systems.
Do not modif y your steering wheel
or any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.
Modif ications could make the
system inef f ective. See the saf ety
precautions on page .
If you plan to modif y your vehicle,
consult your Honda dealer.
Af termarket wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components. Raising your vehicle with an
af termarket suspension kit can
af f ect handling and stability. 15
Bef ore Driving
Modif ying Your Vehicle
A ccessories and Modif ications
106

Your vehicle has several convenient
storage areas:Door pockets
ConsoleSideNets
However, carrying too much cargo,
or improperly storing it, can af f ect
your vehicle’s handling, stability,
stopping distance, and tires, and
make it unsaf e. Bef ore carrying any
type of cargo, be sure to read the
f ollowing pages. Upper and lower console
compartments
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving107
UPPER AND LOWER CONSOLE
COMPARTMENTS
TRUNK DOOR POCKET
CONSOLE SIDE NETS