HONDA CR-V 2002 RD4-RD7 / 2.G Owners Manual

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes
important inf ormation on parking
your vehicle, the braking system,
and f acts you need if you are plan-
ning to tow a trailer or drive off-
highway.........................
Driving Guidelines .198
........................
Preparing to Drive .199
.......................
Starting the Engine .200
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude .201
....
5-speed Manual Transmission . 202
.....
Recommended Shif t Points . 203
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 203
..............
Automatic Transmission . 204
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 204
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 205
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 208
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 209
...........................................
Parking .210
.....................
The Braking System .211
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 211
...............
Brake System Design . 212
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes .212
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders .213
........................
ABS Indicator .214
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 215
...........................
Towing a Trailer .217
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a ................................
Motorhome .224 ..............
Of f -Highway Guidelines . 226
.................
General Inf ormation . 226
Important Saf ety ............................
Precautions .227
...............................
Driving Tips .228
Driving
Driving197

Your CR-V has higher ground
clearance than a passenger vehicle
designed only f or use on pavement.
Higher ground clearance has many
advantages for off-highway driving.
It allows you to travel over bumps
and unpaved roads. It also provides
good visibility so you can anticipate
problems earlier.
Theseadvantagescomeatsomecost.
Because your vehicle is taller and
rides higher of f the ground, it has a
high center of gravity. This means
that your vehicle can tip or roll over
if you make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicles have a signif icantly higher
rollover rate than other types of
vehicles.Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers whenever possible.
Do not modif y your vehicle in any
way that would raise the center of
gravity.
Do not carry heavy cargo on the
roof .
Your CR-V is equipped with a unique
f our-wheel drive (4WD) system.
Normally, power is delivered only to
the f ront wheels. When the system
senses a loss of f ront-wheel traction,
it automatically transfers some
power to the rear wheels. This gives
you better traction and mobility.
While this system can provide
increasedtractiononslippery
surf aces, you still need to exercise
thesamecarewhenaccelerating,
steering, and braking that you would
in a two-wheel drive vehicle.
To prevent the risk of rollover or
loss of control: Take corners at slower speeds
than you would with a passenger
vehicle.
See page f or additional guidelinesf or driving of f -highway.
Four-wheel Drive Models
226
Driving Guidelines
Driving198

Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments every day bef ore
you drive your vehicle.Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice. Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the adjustment of the
steering wheel (see page ).
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
Start the engine (see page ).
Check the gauges and indicator
lights in the instrument panel (see
page ).
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Check that any items you may be
carrying with you inside are stored
properly or f astened down
securely. Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Check that the hood, tailgate and
hatch glass are f ully closed.
1.
2.
3.
4. 5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
97
114 83
17 200
65
Driving
Preparing to Drive
199

If the engine still does not start,
press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while
starting in order to clear f looding.
As bef ore, keep the ignition key in
the START (III) position f or no
more than 15 seconds. Return to
step 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lif t your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal so the engine
does not race.
If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed half-way
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race. Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the engine
does not start right away, do not
hold the key in START (III) f or
more than 15 seconds at a time.
Pause f or at least 10 seconds
bef ore trying again.
Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Push the clutch pedal down all the
way. START (III) does not
f unction unless the clutch pedal is
depressed.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.6.
Manual Transmission:
Automatic Transmission:
Driving
Starting the Engine
200

An engine is harder to start in cold
weather. The thinner air f ound at
high altitude above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to the problem.
Use the f ollowing procedure:Turn of f all electrical accessories
to reduce the drain on the battery.
Push the accelerator pedal half-
way to the f loor and hold it there
while starting the engine. Do not
hold the ignition key in START
(III) f or more than 15 seconds.
When the engine starts, release
the accelerator pedal gradually as
the engine speeds up and smooths
out. If the engine fails to start in step 2,
push the accelerator pedal to the
f loor and hold it there while you
try to start the engine for no more
than 15 seconds. If the engine
does not start, return to step 2.
3.
2. 1. Starting in Cold Weather at High
A ltitude (A bove 8,000 f eet/
2,400 meters)
Starting the Engine
Driving201

The manual transmission is syn-
chronizedinallforwardgearsfor
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth
to Reverse. When shif ting up or
down,makesureyoupushtheclutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shif ting,
do not rest your f oot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster.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 f or a f ew seconds bef ore
shif ting into Reverse, or shif t into
one of the f orward gears f or a
moment. This stops the gears so
they won’t ‘‘grind.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking f rom the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure engine speed will not go
into the tachometer’s red zone in the
lower gear.
5-speed Manual T ransmission
Driving202
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.

Drive in the highest gear that lets
the engine run and accelerate
smoothly. This will give you the best
f uel economy and ef f ective emis-
sions control. The f ollowing shif t
points are recommended:Shif t up
1st to 2nd
2nd to 3rd 3rd to 4th4th to 5th Normal acceleration
15 mph (24 km/h)
25 mph (40 km/h)
40 mph (64 km/h)
48 mph (77 km/h) If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
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.
Bef ore downshif ting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer’s red zone.
Driving
Recommended Shif t Points Engine Speed L imiter
5-speed Manual T ransmission
203

Your Honda’s transmission has f our
f orward speeds, and is electronically
controlled f or smoother shif ting. It
also has a ‘‘lock-up’’ torque converter
forbetterfueleconomy.Youmay
f eel what seems like another shif t
when the converter locks.This indicator on the instrument
panel shows which position the shif t
lever is in.The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II). If it f lashes
while driving (in any shif t position),
it indicates a possible problem in the
transmission. Avoid rapid accelera-
tion and have the transmission
checkedbyanauthorizedHonda
dealer as soon as possible.
The malf unction indicator lamp may
come on along with the ‘‘D’’ indicator
if there is a problem in the automatic
transmission control system.
Shif t L ever Position Indicator
Driving
Automatic Transmission
204

µ
CONT INUED
The shif t lever has six positions. It
must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped in
D, 2, 1, N or R, press f irmly on the
brake pedal, and keep your f oot of f
the accelerator pedal.YoucannotshiftoutofParkwiththe
brake pedal depressed when the
ignition switch is in LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I).
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Move the shif t
lever to the lef t and down to shif t out
of the Park positon.
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoN
NtoD Dto2 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoN NtoR RtoP Do this:
Press the brake pedal, then
move the shift lever.
Move the lever.
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Shif t L ever Positions
Park (P)
205
S SHH I
IFFT T L
LEE V
V E
ER
R

µ
µ Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the vehicle
f or any reason. Press on the brake pe-
dal when you are moving the shif t
lever from Neutral to another gear.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shif t Lock Release on page
.
To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop bef ore shif ting
into Park. The shif t lever must be in
Park bef ore you can remove the key
from the ignition switch. To shif t to Reverse
f rom Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shif t to Reverse f rom
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Your vehicle has a reverse lockout so
you cannot accidentally shif t to
Reverse when the vehicle speed
exceeds 5 mph (8 km/h).
If you cannot shif t to Reverse when
the vehicle is stopped, press the
brake pedal and slowly shift to
Neutral, and then to Reverse.
If there is a problem in the reverse
lockout system, or your vehicle’s
battery is disconnected or goes dead,
you cannot shif t to Reverse. (Ref er
to Shif t Lock Release on page ).
209
209Neutral (N)
Reverse (R)
Automatic Transmission
Driving206