Drive Belts, Tires
Drive Belts The belts should have the following Tires "play" or deflection. To safely operate your car, your tires POWER STEERING BELT Alternator belt: must be the proper type and size, in (With air conditioning) good condition with adequate tread, 10.0 — 12.0 mm (0.39 — 0.47 in) and correctly inflated. The following (Without air conditioning) pages give more detailed information 10.5 — 12.5 mm (0.41 — 0.49 in) on how and when to check air Power steering belt: pressure, how to inspect your tires 13.5 — 16.5 mm (0.53 — 0.65 in) for damage, and what to do when your tires need to be replaced. If you see signs of wear or looseness, have your dealer adjust or replace ALTERNATOR the belts. BELT Using tires that are excessively Check the condition of the two drive worn or improperly inflated can belts. Examine the edges of each cause a crash in which you can belt for cracks or fraying. be seriously hurt or killed. Check the tension of each belt by pushing on it with your thumb Follow all instructions in this midway between the pulleys. owner's manual regarding tire inflation and maintenance.
Maintenance Tires
Inflation before checking the tire pressure, Keeping the tires properly inflated the tires can still be considered provides the best combination of "cold" if you drive less than 1.6 km handling, tread life and riding (1 mile). comfort. Underinflated tires wear unevenly, adversely affect handling If you check the pressure when the and fuel economy, and are more tires are hot (the car has been driven likely to fail from being overheated. several miles), you will see readings Overinflated tires can make your car 28 to 41 kPa (0.3 to 0.4 kg/cm2, 4 to ride more harshly, are more prone to 6 psi) higher than the cold reading. damage from road hazards, and wear This is normal. Do not let air out to unevenly. match the specified cold pressure. The tire will be underinflated. The compact spare tire pressure is: We recommend that you visually 415 kPa (4.15 kg/cm2 , 60 psi) check your tires every day and use a Recommended Tire Pressures for gauge to measure the air pressure at Normal Driving The pressures are also given on the least once a month. If you think a tire The following chart shows the tire information label on the driver's might be low, check it immediately. recommended cold tire pressures for doorjamb. Remember to check the spare tire at most normal driving conditions and the same time you check all the speeds. Tire pressures for high other tires. speed driving are shown on page 219. Check the pressure in the tires when they are cold. This means the car has been parked for at least three hours. If you have to drive the car
Maintenance Tires
You should get your own tire You should look for: Your car's tires have wear indicators pressure gauge and use it whenever molded into the tread. When the you check your tire pressures. This Bumps or bulges in the tread or tread wears down to that point, you will make it easier for you to tell if a side of the tire. Replace the tire if will see a 12.7 mm (1/2 inch) wide pressure loss is due to a tire problem you find either of these conditions. band running across the tread. This and not due to a variation between shows there is less than 1.6 mm gauges. Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side (1/16 inch) of tread left on the tire. of the tire. Replace the tire if you A tire that is this worn gives very Tubeless tires have some ability to can see fabric or tread. little traction on wet roads. You self-seal if they are punctured. should replace the tire if you can see However, because leakage is often Excessive tread wear. the tread wear indicator in three or very slow, you should look closely more places around the tire. for punctures if a tire starts losing INDICATOR LOCATION pressure. MARKS Maintenance In addition to proper inflation, Inspection correct wheel alignment helps to Every time you check inflation, you decrease tire wear. If you find a tire should also examine the tires for is worn unevenly, have your dealer damage, foreign objects, and wear. check the wheel alignment.
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS
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Maintenance Tires
The tires were properly balanced by Tire Rotation You may find tires designated as the factory. They may need to be "Directional Tires" on the market. rebalanced at some time before they Front Front Those tires are designed to turn are worn out. Have your dealer only in one direction. This check the tires if you feel a consis- direction is indicated on the tent vibration while driving. A tire sidewall of the tire by the turning should always be rebalanced if it is direction indicator. removed from the wheel for repair. Replacing Tires and Wheels Make sure the installer balances the The tires that came with your car wheels when you have new tires were selected to match the perform- installed. This increases riding (For Non- (For Directional ance capabilities of the car while comfort and tire life. Your car's directional Tires Tires and Wheels) providing the best combination of and Wheels) original tires were dynamic or "spin" handling, ride comfort, and long life. balanced at the factory. For best To help increase tire life and You should replace them with radial results, have the installer perform a distribute wear more evenly, you tires of the same size, load range, dynamic balance. should have the tires rotated every speed rating, and maximum cold tire 12,000 km (7,500 miles). Move the pressure rating (as shown on the NOTICE tires to the positions shown in the tire's sidewall). Mixing radial and chart each time they are rotated. bias-ply tires on your car can reduce (Except S) its braking ability, traction, and Improper wheel weights can damage steering accuracy. your car's aluminum wheels. Use only genuine Honda wheel weights for balancing.
Maintenance Tires
If you ever need to replace a wheel, Winter Driving make sure the wheel's specifications Tires that are marked "M + S" or Installing improper tires on your match those of the original wheel "All Season" on the sidewall have an car can affect handling and that came on your car. Replacement all-weather tread design. They stability. This can cause a crash wheels are available at your Honda should be suitable for most winter in which you can be seriously dealer. driving conditions. Tires without hurt or killed. these markings are designed for Wheels and Tires optimum traction in dry conditions. Always use the size and type of Wheel: They may not provide adequate tires recommended in this (S) performance in winter driving. owner's manual. 14 x 5 1/2 JJ For the best performance in snowy (Except S) or icy conditions, you should install It is best to replace all four tires at 15 x 6 1/2 JJ snow tires or tire chains. They may the same time. If that is not possible Tire: be required by local laws under or necessary, then replace the two (S) certain conditions. front tires or the two rear tires as a 185/70R14 87H pair. Replacing just one tire can (Except S) seriously affect your car's handling. 205/55R15 87V
The ABS works by comparing the See Tire Information on page 218 for speed of the wheels. When replacing additional information about tire and tires, use the same size originally wheel size designations. See page supplied with the car. Tire size and 219 for information about DOT Tire construction can affect wheel speed Quality Grading. and may cause the system to work in- consistently. CONTINUED
Maintenance Tires
Snow Tires Tire Chains NOTICE If you mount snow tires on your Mount snow chains on your car Honda, make sure they are radial when warranted by driving condi- Chains of the wrong size or that are tires of the same size and load range tions or required by local laws. Make improperly installed can damage your as the original tires. Mount snow sure the chains are the correct size car's brake lines, suspension, body, and tires on all four wheels to balance for your tires. Install them only on wheels. Stop driving if you hear the your car's handling in all weather the front tires. If metal chains are chains hitting any part of the car. conditions. Keep in mind the traction used, they must be SAE class "S". provided by snow tires on dry roads Cable type traction devices can also may not be as high as your car's be used. original equipment tires. You should drive cautiously even when the roads When installing chains, follow the are clear. Check with the tire dealer manufacturer's instructions and for maximum speed recommenda- mount them as tightly as you can. tions. Drive slowly with chains installed. If you hear the chains contacting the body or chassis, stop and tighten them. If they still make contact, slow down until it stops. Remove the chains as soon as you begin driving on cleared roads.
Maintenance