Honda Prelude (2000 year). Instruction - part 1

2000 Prelude Online Reference Owner's Manual

Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com.

Contents

Owner's Identification Form

Introduction .........................................................................................................................................

A Few Words About Safety.................................................................................................................

Your Vehicle at a Glance.....................................................................................................................

Driver and Passenger Safety ..............................................................................................................

Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Controls.................................................................................................................

Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ................................................................................................

How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving..................................................................................................................................

125

What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ..............................................................................................................................................

139

The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance .....................................................................................................................................

167

The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care..............................................................................................................................

227

Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected ......................................................................................................

235

This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information.....................................................................................................................

261

ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada) ................................................................

273

A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)......................................................................................................

279

How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index......................................................................................................................................................

Service Information Summary

A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

Owner's Identification

This Owner's Manual should be considered

a permanent part of the car, and should
remain with the car when it is sold.

The information and specifications included

in this publication were in affect at the time

of approval for printing. Honda Motor Co.,

Ltd. reserves the right, however, to

discontinue or change specifications or
design at any time without notice and

with out incurring any obligation whatsoever.

OWNER

ADDRESS

STREET

CITY

STATE/PROVINCE

ZIP CODE /

POSTAL CODE

V. I. N.

DELIVERY DATE

(Date sold to original retail purchaser)

DEALER NAME

DEALER NO.

ADDRESS

STREET

CITY

STATE/PROVINCE

ZIP CODE/

POSTAL CODE

OWNER'S SIGNATURE

DEALER'S SIGNATURE

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Introduction

Congratulations ! Your selection of a 2000 Honda Prelude was a wise
investment. It will give you years of driving pleasure.

One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Honda is to

read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Afterwards, keep this owner's manual in your car so you
can refer to it at any time.

Several warranties protect your new Honda. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.

Maintaining your car according to the schedules given in this manual helps
to keep your driving trouble-free while it preserves your investment. When

your car needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Honda dealer's staff is

specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to your Honda. Your
Honda dealer is dedicated to your satisfaction and will be pleased to answer
any questions and concerns.

As you read this manual, you will
find information that is preceded by

symbol. This

information is intended to help you
avoid damage to your Honda, other
property, or the environment.

NOTICE

Main Menu

A Few Words About Safety

Your safety, and the safety of others,
is very important. And operating this
car 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 car. You must use
your own good judgement.

You will find this important safety information in a variety of forms,

including:

Safety Labels — on the car.

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 SERIOUSLY

HURT 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 car correctly and safely.

This entire book is filled with important safety information — please read it

carefully.

−

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:

on the vehicle.

preceded by a safety alert symbol

and one of

three signal words:

, or

such as Important Safety Reminders or Important

Safety Precautions.

such as Driver and Passenger Safety.

how to use this vehicle correctly and safely.

This entire book is filled with important safety information

please read it

carefully.

These signal words mean:

A Few Words About Safety

Saf ety Labels
Saf ety Messages

Saf ety Headings

Saf ety Section
Instructions

DANGER WARNING

CAUTION

You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT 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.

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▲

▼

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Your Car at a Glance

DOOR LOCK

SWITCHES

(P.

)

DIGITAL CLOCK

(P.

)

MIRROR

CONTROLS

(P.

)

POWER

WINDOW

SWITCHES

(P.

)

FUEL FILL

DOOR RELEASE

(P.

)

TRUNK RELEASE

HANDLE

(P.

)

HOOD RELEASE

HANDLE

(P.

128

)

HEATING/

COOLING

CONTROLS

AUDIO SYSTEM

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Your Car at a Glance

CRUISE

CONTROL

(P.

)

INSTRUMENT PANEL

BRIGHTNESS

(P.

)

HAZARD WARNING

LIGHTS

(P.

)

WINDSHIELD

WIPERS/WASHERS

(P.

)

MOONROOF

(P.

)

HEADLIGHTS/

TURN SIGNALS

(P.

)

TILT

ADJUSTMENT

(P.

)

HORN

BUTTONS

REAR WINDOW

DEFOGGER

(P.

)

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Main Menu

Driver and Passenger Safety

This section gives you important

information about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts

properly. It explains your Supple-
mental Restraint System. And it tells
you how to properly restrain infants
and children in your car.

Important Safety Precautions ..........

Your Car's Safety Features ..............

Seat Belts........................................

Airbags...........................................

. 9

Seats & Seat-Backs......................

Head Restraints...........................

Door Locks...................................

Pre-Drive Safety Checklist.........

Protecting Adults.............................

1. Close and Lock the Doors......

2. Adjust the Front Seats............

3. Adjust the Seat-Backs.............

4. Adjust the Head Restraints....

5. Fasten and Position the Seat

Belts......................................

6. Adjust the Steering Wheel.....

7. Maintain a Proper Sitting

Position.................................

Advice for Pregnant Women......

Additional Safety Precautions....

Protecting Children.........................

All Children Must Be

Restrained................................

Children Should Sit in the Back

Seat............................................

The Passenger's Airbag Poses

Serious Risks to Children.......

If You Must Drive with Several

Children....................................

If a Child Requires Close

Attention...................................

Additional Safety Precaution......

General Guidelines for Using

Child

Seats................................

Protecting Infants........................

Protecting Small Children..........

Protecting Larger Children........

Using Child Seats with

Tethers......................................

Additional Information About Your

Seat Belts..................................

Seat Belt System Components...

Lap/Shoulder Belt.......................

Seat Belt Maintenance................

Additional Information About Your

SRS............................................

SRS Components.........................

How Your Airbags Work............

How the SRS Indicator Light

Works........................................

SRS Service...................................

Additional Safety Precautions....

Carbon Monoxide Hazard..............

Safety Labels....................................

Driver and Passenger Safety

Main Menu

Important Safety Precautions

You'll find many safety
recommendations throughout this

section, and throughout this manual.

The recommendations on this page

are the ones we consider to be the
most important.

Always Wear Your Seat Belt
A seat belt is your best protection in

all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inflate only in a
moderate to severe frontal collision.
So even though your car is equipped

with airbags, make sure you and
your passengers always wear your

seat belts, and wear them properly.

(See page

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

Be Aware of Airbag Hazards

While airbags can 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

Don't Drink and Drive

Alcohol and driving don't mix. Even

one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and

your 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 also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.

Keep Your Car in Safe Condition
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

170

Driver and Passenger Safety

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Table of Contents

Your Car's Safety Features

(1) Safety Cage

(2) Crush Zones

(3) Seats & Seat-Backs

(4) Head Restraints

(5) Collapsible Steering Column

(6) Seat Belts

(7) Airbags

(8) Door Locks

Your car is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passengers

during a crash.

Some safety features do not require
any action on your part. These
include a strong steel framework
that forms a safety cage around the
passenger compartment; front and
rear crush zones that are designed to
crumple and absorb energy during a

crash; and a collapsible steering
column.

These safety features are designed

to reduce the severity of injuries in a
crash. However, you and your
passengers can't take full advantage

of these safety features unless you
remain sitting in a proper position
and always wear your seat belts

properly. In fact, some safety
features can contribute to injuries if
they are not used properly.

Driver and Passenger Safety

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Table of Contents

Your Car's Safety Features

Seat Belts
For your safety, and the safety of

your passengers, your car is

equipped with seat belts in all seating
positions.

Your seat belt system also
includes a light on the

instrument panel to remind you and

your passengers to fasten your seat
belts.

Why Wear Seat Belts

Seat belts are the single most
effective safety device for adults and
larger children. (Infants and smaller
children must be properly restrained
in child seats.)

Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even

though your car has airbags.

In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.

When properly worn, seat belts:

Keep you connected to the vehicle
so you can take advantage of the
car's built-in safety features.

Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including side and
rear impacts and rollovers. (Your
airbag can only be helpful in a
moderate to severe frontal

collision.)

Help keep you from being thrown
against the inside of the vehicle
and against other occupants.

Keep you from being thrown out
of the vehicle.

Help keep you in a good position
should the airbags ever deploy. A
good position reduces the risk of
injury from an inflating airbag, and
allows you to get the best
advantage from the airbag.

Of course, seat belts cannot
completely protect you in every
crash. But in most cases, seat belts
can reduce your risk of serious
injury.

What you should do: Always wear

your seat belt, and make sure you
wear it properly.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
if you have airbags.

Be sure you and your
passengers always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.

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Table of Contents

Your Car's Safety Features

Airbags

Your car has a Supplemental

Restraint System (SRS) with frontal
airbags to help protect the driver and
a front seat passenger.

This system also includes

an indicator light on the

instrument panel to alert you to a
possible problem with the system.

The most important things you need

to know about your airbags are:

Airbags do not replace seat belts.
The seat belts are the occupants'

primary protection in all types of
collisions. The airbags supplement
the seat belts by providing extra
protection for the head and chest
of each front seat occupant in a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.

Airbags offer no protection in side

impacts, rear impacts, rollovers,
or minor collisions. Airbags are

designed to deploy only during a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.

Airbags can pose serious hazards.

To do their job, airbags must

inflate with tremendous force and
speed. So while airbags save lives,

they can cause serious injuries to

adults and larger children who are
not wearing seat belts, are not
wearing them properly, are sitting
too close to the airbag, or are not
sitting in a proper position. Infants
and small children are at an even
greater risk of injury or death.

What you should do: Always wear

your seat belt properly, and sit
upright and as far back as possible
from the steering wheel or

dashboard.

Driver and Passenger Safety

SRS

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Table of Contents

Your Car's Safety Features

Seats & Seat-Backs

Your car's seats are designed to keep
you in a comfortable, upright

position so you can take full
advantage of the protection offered
by seat belts and the energy
absorbing materials in the seats.

How you adjust your seats and seat-
backs can also affect your safety. For
example, sitting too close to the
steering wheel or dashboard
increases the risk of you or your

passenger being injured by striking
the inside of the car, or by an
inflating airbag.

Reclining a seat-back too far reduces
the seat belt's effectiveness and
increases the chance that the seat's
occupant will slide under the seat

belt in a crash and be seriously
injured.

What you should do: Move the front

seats as far back as possible, and

keep adjustable seat-backs in an
upright position whenever the car is
moving.

Head Restraints
Head restraints can help protect you
from whiplash and other injuries. For
maximum protection, the back of
your head should rest against the
center of the head restraint.

Driver and Passenger Safety

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Table of Contents

Your Car's Safety Features

Door Locks
Keeping your doors locked reduces
the chance of being thrown out of
the car during a crash. It also helps

prevent occupants from accidentally

opening a door and falling out, and
outsiders from unexpectedly opening

your doors.

Pre-Drive Safety Checklist

To make sure you and your

passengers get the maximum
protection from your car's safety
features, check the following each
time before you drive away:

All adults, and children who have

outgrown child safety seats, are

wearing their seat belts and
wearing them properly (see page

Any infant or small child is

properly restrained in a child seat
in the back seat (see page

Front seat occupants are sitting
upright and as far back as possible
from the steering wheel and
dashboard (see page

Seat-backs are upright (see page

Head restraints are properly
adjusted (see page

Both doors are closed and locked

(see page

All cargo is properly stored or

secured (see page

135

The rest of this section gives more

detailed information about how you
can maximize your safety.

Remember, however, that no safety
system can prevent all injuries or
deaths that can occur in severe
crashes, even when seat belts are
properly worn and the airbags deploy.

Driver and Passenger Safety

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Table of Contents

Protecting Adults

Introduction

The following pages provide

instructions on how to properly
protect the driver and other adult
occupants.

These instructions also apply to

children who have outgrown child
seats and are large enough to wear
lap/shoulder belts. (See page

for

important additional guidelines on
how to properly protect larger
children.)

1. Close and Lock the Doors
After everyone has entered the car,

be sure the doors are closed and
locked.

Your car has a door

monitor light on the

instrument panel to indicate when a
specific door is not tightly closed.

For safety, locking the doors reduces
the chance that a passenger,
especially a child, will open a door

while the car is moving and

accidentally fall out. It also reduces
the chance of someone being thrown
out of the car during a crash.

For security, locked doors can
prevent an outsider from
unexpectedly opening a door when

you come to a stop.

See page

for how to lock the

doors.

Driver and Passenger Safety

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Table of Contents

Protecting Adults

2. Adjust the Front Seats

Any driver who sits too close to the

steering wheel is at risk of being
seriously injured or killed by striking
the steering wheel, or from being
struck by an inflating airbag during a
crash.

To reduce the chance of injury, wear

your seat belt properly, sit upright
with your back against the seat, and
move the seat as far back as possible
from the steering wheel while still
maintaining full control of the car.
Also make sure your front seat
passenger moves the seat as far to
the rear as possible.

Most shorter drivers can get far
enough away from the steering

wheel and still reach the pedals.

However, if you are concerned about
sitting too close, we recommend that
you investigate whether some type
of adaptive equipment may help.

Once your seat is adjusted correctly,

rock it back and forth to make sure
the seat is locked in position.

See page

for how to adjust the

front seats.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Sitting too close to an airbag
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags inflate.

Always sit as far back from the
airbags as possible.

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