HONDA ELEMENT 2004 1.G Owners Manual

Push the rear edge of the handle
to raise the handle loop and pull up
the loop to raise the cargo area
f loor.Loosen the f ive wheel nuts 1/2
turn with the wheel wrench.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of the cargo area.
Remove the tools and the jack. To
remove the jack, turn the jack’s
end bracket counterclockwise to
loosen it. 8.
7.
6.
5.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed182
WHEEL NUTS
JACK
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Locate the jacking point nearest
thetireyouneedtochange.Itis
pointed to by an arrow molded into
the underside of the body. Place
the jack under the jacking point.
Turn the end bracket clockwise
until the top of the jack contacts
the jacking point. Make sure the
jacking point tab is resting in the
jack notch.Use the extension and wheel
wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.
Wipeanydirtoff themounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully,itmaybehotfrom
driving.
Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten
them f ully.
Remove the wheel nuts and f lat
tire. Temporarily place the f lat tire
on the ground with the outside
surf ace of the wheel f acing up.
9.
10. 12.
13.
11.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed183
EXTENSION
WHEEL WRENCH
JACKING POINTS BRAKE HUB
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Store the jack in its holder. Turn
the jack’s end bracket to lock it in
place. Store the tools.
Remove the center cap from the
f lat tire, and store it in the spare
tire well.Removethewingboltonthespare
tire mount, and pivot the arm 90°
to the upright position. Then
tighten the wing bolt securely.
Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
Lower the vehicle to the ground
and remove the jack.
18.
16. 17.
14.
15.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed184
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m) Loose items can fly around the
interior in a crash and could
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.
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Remove the small round plug f rom
the cargo area f loor by pushing it
fromthebacksidetomakeahole.
Storetheremovedpluginaplace
you can easily remember.Reinstall the cargo area f loor.
Place the flat tire face down on the
cargo area f loor.
Align the center of the f lat tire
with the hole in the cargo area
f loor. Remove the spacer cone
from the wing bolt, turn it over,
and put it back on the bolt.Secure the f lat tire by screwing
thewingbolttothesparetire
mount through the hole in the
cargo area f loor.
19. 20. 21.22.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed185
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Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or Neutral.
Check these things:
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights, and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See on page . Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
the f uses are OK, there is
probably something wrong with
the electrical circuit f or the
ignition switch or starter motor.
You will need a qualif ied
technician to determine the
problem (see
on page ).
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of the
battery and terminal connections
(see page ). You can then try
jump starting the vehicle from a
booster battery (see page ).
188 195
177 188
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting Emergency T owing
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed186
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Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the instrument panel
to blink rapidly (see page ).
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page . Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the low f uel indicator may
not be working.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page .
66
124 196
195
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed187
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Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
You cannot start a Honda with an
automatic transmission by pushing
or pulling it.Open the hood, and check the
physical condition of the battery.
In very cold weather, check the
condition of the electrolyte. If it
seems slushy or like ice, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.
Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, stereo system,
lights, etc. Put the transmission in
Neutral or Park, and set the
parking brake.
1.
2.To Jump Start Your Vehicle:
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed188
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyonenearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.
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µ
´
´ Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the grounding strap
as shown. Do not connect this
jumper cable to any other part of
the engine. If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle.
Start your vehicle. If the starter
motor still operates slowly, check
the jumper cable connections to
make sure they have good metal-
to-metal contact.
Once your vehicle is running,
disconnect the negative cable f rom
your vehicle, then f rom the
booster battery. Disconnect the
positive cable f rom your vehicle,
then from the booster battery.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
battery. Connect the other end to
the positive ( ) terminal on the
booster battery.
Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the vehicle until all are
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short.
3.
4. 5. 6. 7.
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed189
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If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine. Wait until you see
no more signs of steam or spray,
then open the hood.If you do not see steam or spray,
leave the engine running, and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading,
the engine should start to cool
down almost immediately. If it
does, wait until the temperature
gauge comes down to the midpoint,
then continue driving.
If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.
The pointer of the vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange. If it climbs to the red
mark, you should determine the
reason (hot day, driving up a steep
hill, etc.).
Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
Turn of f all accessories, and turn
on the hazard warning lights.
If the vehicle overheats, you should
take immediate action. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming f rom under the hood.
1. 2.3. 4.
If theEngineOverheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed190
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to your engine.
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Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (seeon page ).
If you don’t f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page ). Using gloves or large heavy cloth,
turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the f irst stop. Af ter the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap, and turn it until it comes
off. Start the engine, and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the f iller
neck. If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water.
Remember to have the cooling
system drained and ref illed with
the proper mixture as soon as you
can.
Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine, and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair (see
on page ).
If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may need to add
coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the
temperature gauge or lower
bef ore checking the radiator. 9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
11.
10.
195
113
195
Emergency
Towing
Emergency
Towing
If theEngineOverheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed191
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.
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