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Honda Accord Coupe L4 (2011 year). Manual - part 20

Optional

The cargo net can be used to help
hold down items stored in the trunk.

Carrying Cargo

Cargo Net

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Main Menu

302

Main Menu

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual and automatic transmissions.
It also includes important
information on parking your vehicle,
the braking system, the vehicle
stability assist (VSA ) system, the
tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS), and facts you need if you
are planning to tow a trailer.

........................

Preparing to Drive

. 304

.......................

Starting the Engine

. 305

...................

Manual Transmission

. 306

..............

Automatic Transmission

. 309

Driving with the Paddle

.......................................

Shifters

. 315

...........................................

Parking

. 320

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Braking System

. 321

...............

Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)

. 322

Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA ),

aka Electronic Stability Control

.......................

(ESC), System

. 324

Tire Pressure Monitoring

........................

System (TPMS)

. 326

...........................

Towing a Trailer

. 329

Driving

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Main Menu

You should do the following checks
and adjustments before you drive
your vehicle.

Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost, snow,
or ice.

Check that the hood is fully closed.

Check that the trunk is fully
closed.

Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
fastened down securely.

Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.

When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicators in the
instrument panel (see page

Check the seat adjustment (see
page

Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page

Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page

Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.

Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page

10.

11.

106

On vehicles with power adjustable
seats

On vehicles with manual adjustable
seats

Preparing to Drive

304

Main Menu

Apply the parking brake.

In cold weather, turn off all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.

Press the clutch pedal down all the
way. The START (III) position
does not function unless the clutch
pedal is pressed.

Make sure the shift lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.

Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in the START (III)
position for more than 15 seconds
at a time. If the engine does not
start right away, pause for at least
10 seconds before trying again.

Manual transmission:

Automatic transmission:

Starting the Engine

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The immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page

The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.

Main Menu

Come to a full stop before you shift
into reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shift into
reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause for a few seconds before
shifting into reverse, or shift into one
of the forward gears for a moment.
This stops the gears so they won’t
‘‘grind.’’

When slowing down, you can get
extra braking from the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes from
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Before downshifting,
make sure the engine speed will not
go into the tachometer’s red zone in
the lower gear.

The manual transmission is
synchronized in all forward gears for
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from fifth to
reverse.

On vehicles with 6-speed manual
transmission, the lockout system
prevents you from shifting directly
from any forward gear to reverse

while the vehicle is moving at a
certain speed (see page

When shifting up or down, make
sure you push the clutch pedal down
all the way, shift to the next gear,
and let the pedal up gradually. When
you are not shifting, do not rest your
foot on the clutch pedal. This can
cause your clutch to wear out faster.

308

On models with 5-speed manual
transmission, or models
with 6-speed manual transmission

Manual Transmission

306

5-speed M/T

6-speed M/T

Main Menu

Drive in the highest gear that lets
the engine run and accelerate
smoothly. This will give you good
fuel economy and effective
emissions control. The following
shift points are recommended:

Shift up

1st to 2nd

2nd to 3rd

3rd to 4th
4th to 5th

Normal acceleration

15 mph (25 km/h)
25 mph (40 km/h)
40 mph (65 km/h)
50 mph (80 km/h)

Normal acceleration

15 mph (24 km/h)
17 mph (27 km/h)
27 mph (43 km/h)
36 mph (58 km/h)
41 mph (66 km/h)

Shift up

1st to 2nd

2nd to 3rd

3rd to 4th
4th to 5th
5th to 6th

On models with 5-speed manual
transmission

On models with 6-speed manual
transmission

Recommended Shift Points

Manual Transmission

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Rapid slowing or speeding up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.

Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.

Main Menu

If you exceed the maximum speed
for the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may feel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
rpm below the red zone.

Before downshifting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer’s red zone.

Press the clutch pedal, and shift to
reverse.

With the clutch pedal still pressed,
start the engine.

If you are still unable to shift to
reverse, apply the parking brake,
and turn the ignition key to the
ACCESSORY (I) or LOCK (0)
position.

If you need to use this procedure to
shift to reverse, your vehicle may be
developing a problem. Have it
checked by your dealer.

The manual transmission has a
lockout so you cannot accidentally
shift from any forward gear to
reverse while the vehicle is moving
at a certain speed. If you cannot shift
to reverse when the vehicle is
stopped, do the following:

With the clutch pedal pressed,
move the shift lever to the first/
second gear side of the neutral
gate, then shift to reverse.

6-speed manual transmission only

Engine Speed Limiter

Reverse Lockout

Manual Transmission

308

Move the shift lever in sequence.

Main Menu

These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shift
lever is in.

The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on for a
few seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it flashes while driving (in
any shift position), it indicates a
possible problem in the transmission.

If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem with the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.

Using a paddle shift mode, the gear
position indicator shows you the
selected gear number (see page

315

Shift Lever Position Indicators

Automatic Transmission

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4-cylinder models

SHIFT LEVER POSITION INDICATORS

GEAR POSITION INDICATOR

V6 models

Main Menu

Do this:

Press the brake pedal and

press the shift lever release

button.

Press the shift lever release

button.

Move the shift lever.

To shift from:

P to R

R to P

N to R

D to S

S to D

D to N

N to D

R to N

To shift from:

P to R

R to P

N to R

D to D3

D3 to 2

2 to 1

1 to 2

2 to D3

D3 to D

D to N

N to D

R to N

Do this:

Press the brake pedal and

press the shift lever release

button.

Press the shift lever release

button.

Move the shift lever.

To shift from Park to any position,
press firmly on the brake pedal, and
press the release button on the front
of the shift lever, then move the
lever. You cannot shift out of Park
when the ignition switch is in the
LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I)
position.

4-cylinder models

V6 models

Automatic Transmission

Shifting

310

SHIFT LEVER

RELEASE BUTTON

4-cylinder model is shown.

Main Menu

−

CONTINUED

To shift from D to D3,

press the shift lever release button.
This position is similar to D, except
only the first three gears are
selected. Use D3 when towing a
trailer in hilly terrain, or to provide
engine braking when going down a
steep hill. D3 can also keep the
transmission from cycling between
third and fourth gears in stop-and-go
driving.

Use this position for

your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear (1 through 5) for your
speed and acceleration. You may
notice the transmission shifting up at
higher engine speeds when the
engine is cold. This helps the engine
warm up faster.

Press the brake

pedal and the release button on the
front of the shift lever to shift from
Park to reverse. To shift from
reverse to neutral, come to a
complete stop, and then shift. Press
the release button before shifting
into reverse from neutral.

Use neutral if you

need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from neutral to
another gear.

This position mechani-

cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning off or
starting the engine. To shift out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your foot off the
accelerator pedal. Press the release
button on the front of the shift lever
to move it.

If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see

page

To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop before shifting
into Park. You must also press the
release button to shift into Park. The
shift lever must be in Park before
you can remove the key from the
ignition switch.

313

4-cylinder models

Automatic Transmission

Drive (D3)

Drive (D)

Reverse (R)

Neutral (N)

Park (P)

Shift Lock Release

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Main Menu

−

To shift into the S

position, press the release button on
the front of the shift lever, and move
the lever to S. This position is similar
to D, except only gears from first to
fourth are selected. The S position
keeps the transmission from cycling
between fourth and fifth gears in
stop-and-go driving.

To shift to second,

press the release button on the front
of the shift lever. This position locks
the transmission in second gear. It
does not downshift to first gear
when you come to a stop.

Use second gear:

To shift from second to

first, press the release button on the
front of the shift lever. This position
locks the transmission in first gear.
By upshifting and downshifting
through 1, 2, D3, and D, you can
operate this transmission much like
a manual transmission without a
clutch pedal.

For more power when climbing.

To increase engine braking when
going down steep hills.

For starting out on a slippery
surface or in deep snow.

To help reduce wheel spin.

When driving downhill with a
trailer.

With the shift lever in D or S, you
can also use the paddle shifters to
shift the transmission up or down.
With the paddle shifters, you can
operate the transmission much like a
manual transmission without a
clutch pedal. For more information
on driving with the paddle shifters,
see page

315

V6 models

4-cylinder models

Automatic Transmission

S Position (S)

Second (2)

First (1)

312

Main Menu

Put a cloth on the edge of the shift
lock release slot cover to prevent
scratches. Use a small flat-tip
screwdriver or metal fingernail file
to carefully pry up the edge of the
cover and remove it from the slot.

Insert the key in the shift lock
release slot.

This allows you to move the shift
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release
button does not work.

Set the parking brake.

Remove the key from the ignition
switch.

CONTINUED

Shift Lock Release

Engine Speed Limiter

Automatic Transmission

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COVER

4-cylinder model is shown.

Main Menu

Remove the key from the shift
lock release slot, then reinstall the
cover. Make sure the notch on the
cover is on the right side. Insert
the key into the ignition switch,
press the brake pedal, and restart
the engine.

Push down on the key while you
press the release button on the
front of the shift lever and move
the shift lever out of Park to
neutral.

If you need to use the shift lock
release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have it
checked by your dealer.

Automatic Transmission

314

RELEASE BUTTON

SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT

Main Menu

＋

−

＋

−

CONTINUED

Each time you pull

(right), the

transmission shifts to a higher gear.
Pull

(left) to downshift. You will

see the selected gear number on the
instrument panel.

Downshifting with the paddle shifter
allows you to increase the engine
braking when going down steep or
long hills, and provides more power
when climbing uphills. You can
upshift the transmission manually to
reduce the rpm.

When you pull either paddle shifter,
the gear position indicator shows you
the selected gear number.

To shift up or down, use the
(right) or

(left) paddle shifter on

either side of the steering wheel.

When you are driving in the D
position, you can shift the
transmission up or down manually
with the paddle shifters.

V6 models only

Using the Paddle Shifters in the
D position (D-Paddle Shift Mode)

Driving with the Paddle Shifters (Automatic Transmission Only)

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GEAR POSITION INDICATOR

Main Menu

＋

The transmission control system
monitors the accelerator pedal use
and your driving conditions. When
you press the accelerator pedal as in
normal driving, the system judges
that you are driving at a constant
cruising speed without using the
paddle shifters. Under these
conditions, D-paddle shift mode is
canceled, and the transmission
automatically returns to drive mode
(D).

Each time you pull either paddle
shifter, the transmission shifts one
gear up or down. If you want to shift
up or down more than two gears, pull
the paddle shifter twice, pause, and
then pull it again.

The transmission remains in the
selected gear if you do not accelerate.

When the transmission returns to
drive mode (D), the displayed gear
number disappears.

Hold the

paddle shifter for 2

seconds to return to drive mode (D).

The automatic transmission will not
allow you to shift up or down if:

You downshift before the engine
speed reaches the highest
threshold of the lower gear.

If you try to do this, the gear
position indicator will flash the
number of the lower gear several
times, then return to a higher gear.

You upshift before the engine
speed reaches the lowest
threshold of the higher gear.

You pull both paddle shifters at
the same time.

Driving with the Paddle Shifters (Automatic Transmission Only)

316

Main Menu

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