Honda ACCORD Owner's Manual page 249

Automatic Transmission
Neutral (N) − Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the car for
any reason. Press on the brake pedal
when you are moving the shift lever
from Neutral to another gear.
Drive (D) − Use this position for
your normal driving. The transmis-
sion automatically selects a suitable
gear (1 through 5) for your speed
and acceleration. You may notice the
transmission shifting up at higher
speeds when the engine is cold. This
helps the engine warm up faster.
250
Driving
Drive (D ) − This position is similar
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to D, except only the first three
gears are selected instead of all five.
Use D when towing a trailer in hilly
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terrain, or to provide engine braking
when going down a steep hill. D can
also keep the transmission from
cycling between third and fourth
gears in stop-and-go driving.
For faster acceleration when in D or
D, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshift by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shift down one,
two or three gears, depending on
your speed.
Second (2) − To shift to Second,
press the release button on the side
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. Second
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gives you more power when climbing,
and increased engine braking when
going down steep hills. Use second
gear when starting out on a slippery
surface or in deep snow. It will help
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reduce wheelspin.
First (1) To shift from Second to
−
First, press the release button on the
side of the shift lever. With the lever
in this position, the transmission
locks in First gear. By upshifting and
downshifting through 1, 2, D , and D,
you can operate this transmission
much like a manual transmission
without a clutch pedal.
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