1995 Honda Civic Owner's Manual - Page 84

5-Speed Manual Transmission 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 engine speed will not go into the red zone in the lower gear. Refer to the Maximum Speeds chart. 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. Come to a full stop before you shift into reverse. You can damage the transmission by trying to shift into reverse with the car moving. Depress 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 down to a lower gear. Recommended Shift Points 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. 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. Driving Drive in the highest gear that lets the engine run and accelerate smoothly. This will give you the best fuel economy and effective emissions control. The following shift points are recommended: