towing HONDA ELEMENT 2004 1.G User Guide

Only remove the fuse after you have
perf ormed the transmission shif ting
procedure, and the key is in the
ACCESSORY (I) position. Store the
f use in an obvious location (center
tray, coin pockets, etc) as a reminder
to re-install the fuse before driving
the vehicle.
When towing your Element f or long
periods, remove the 7.5A Accessory/
Radio f use to reduce the drain on the
battery. This fuse is located in the
interior f use box and is shown as
number 8 below.
If you tow an Element with an
automatic transmission, the
transmission f luid must be changed
every two years or 30,000 miles
(48,000 km), whichever comes f irst.
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a Motorhome
Driving
Automatic Transmission
Ext ended T owing
142
INTERIOR FUSE BOX
ACC/RADIO FUSE
This f use MUST be re-installed bef ore
driving the vehicle. Failure to re-install
the f use may allow you to remove the
key with the transmission in gear.
Severe automatic transmission damage
will occur if the vehicle is not started
or shif ted f rom reverse to neutral and
then towed with the drive wheels on the
ground.
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Trailer towing, driving with a roof
top carrier, or driving in
mountainous conditions.
Driving on muddy, dusty, or de-
iced roads.
Follow the
Maintenance Schedule f or Severe
Conditions. Your authorized Honda dealer
knows your vehicle best and can
provide competent, ef f icient service.
However, service at a dealer is not
mandatory to keep your warranties
in effect. Maintenance may be done
by any qualif ied service f acility or
skilled person to keep all the receipts
as proof of completion, and have the
person who does the work f ill out the
Maintenance Record. Check your
warranty booklet f or more
inf ormation.
We recommend the use of Honda
parts and f luids whenever you have
maintenance done.
If you only OCCASIONALLY
drive under ‘‘severe’’ conditions, you
should f ollow the Maintenance
Schedule f or Normal Conditions. According to state and federal
regulations, f ailure to perf orm
maintenance on the items marked
with will not void your emissions
warranties. However, Honda
recommends that all maintenance
services be perf ormed at the
recommended time or mileage
period to ensure long-term reliability.
U.S. Vehicles:
Maintenance Schedule
Maint enance
Canadian Owners
Servicing Your Vehicle
Maintenance, replacement, or
repair of emissions control
devices and systems may be done
by any automotive repair
establishment or individual using
parts that are ‘‘certif ied’’ to EPA
standards.
150
NOTE:
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Follow the Severe Maintenance
Schedule if you drive your vehicle
MAINLY under one or more of the
f ollowing conditions:Driving less than 5 miles (8 km) per
trip or, in f reezing temperatures,
driving less than 10 miles (16 km)
per trip.
Driving in extremely hot [over 90°F
(32°C)] conditions.
Driving on muddy, dusty, or de-iced
roads.
T railer towing, driving with a roof
rack, or driving in mountainous
conditions.
Follow the
Maintenance Schedule f or Severe
Conditions. Extensive idling or long periods of
stop and go driving, such as a taxi or
a commercial delivery vehicle.
Maint enance
For Canadian Owners
153
miles x 1,000
km x 1,000
Every 3 years (independent of mileage)
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10 16508070
112
Check oil and coolant at each fuel stop 150240
Service the items listed at the indicated distance (or time, if given).
Every 10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Check inflation and condition once a month
Every 5,000 miles (8,000 km) or every 6 months, whichever comes first
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40 64
2032 609680
128
3048
Every 160,000 miles (256,000 km)
At 120,000 miles (192,000 km) or 10 years, then
every 60,000 miles (96,000 km) or 5 years
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Replace at 60,000 miles (96,000 km) or 3
years, then every 30,000 miles (48,000
km) or 2 years.
90
144 100 160 140224
130208
120192
110176
See dust and pollen filter on page for
replacement information under special
driving conditions.
Every 15,000 miles (24,000 km)
(Use normal schedule except in dusty condition)
See information on maintenance and
emissions warranty, last column, page.
Check engine oil and coolant
Check tires
Replace engine oil
Rotate tires (follow pattern on page 175 )
Replace engine oil filter
Check front and rear brakes
Lubricate all hinges, locks and latches
Inspect the following items:
Tie rod ends, steering gearbox, and boots
Suspension components, Driveshaft boots
Check parking brake adjustment
Inspect the following items: Brake hoses and lines (including ABS)
All fluid levels and condition of fluids
Exhaust system , Fuel lines and connections
Lights and controls/vehicle underbody
Inspect drive belts
Replace dust and pollen filter
Replace air cleaner element
Replace spark plugs
Inspect valve clearance
Replace automatic transmission fluid
Replace manual transmission fluid
Replace rear differential fluid
Inspect idle speed
Replace engine coolant
Replace brake fluid 1: 2:
: 150 170
1
2
Maintenance Schedule for Severe Conditions
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This section covers the more
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your vehicle towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire . 180
....................
Changing a Flat Tire . 181
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start . 186
................................
Jump Starting . 188
..............
If the Engine Overheats . 190
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 192
..........
Charging System Indicator . 192
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 193
...............
Brake System Indicator . 194
......................
Emergency Towing . 195
..............................................
Fuses . 196
..............................
Fuse Locations . 199
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed179
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Your vehicle has a compact spare
tire that takes up less space. Use this
sparetireasatemporaryreplace-
ment only. Get your regular tire
repaired or replaced and put it back
on your vehicle as soon as you can.
Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
Follow these precautions whenever
you are using the compact spare tire:Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
under any circumstances.
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road
surfaces than the regular tire. Use
greater caution while driving on
this tire. Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare tire.
Do not use the compact spare tire
if you are towing a trailer.
The wheel of the compact spare
tire is designed especially to f it
your vehicle. Do not use your
sparetireonanothervehicle
unlessitisthesamemakeand
model.
Thecompactsparetirehasashorter
tread lif e than a regular tire. Replace
it when you can see the tread wear
indicator bars. The replacement
should be the same size and design
tire, mounted on the same wheel.
Thecompactsparetireisnot
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the compact wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Compact Spare Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed180
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
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If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Drive slowly along the shoulder until
you get to an exit or an area to stop
that is far away from the traffic lanes.Park the vehicle on f irm, level and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park (automatic)
or Reverse (manual). Apply the
parking brake.
If you are towing a trailer, unhitch
the trailer.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire.
Open the hatch and the tailgate.
The spare tire, jack, and tools are
under the cargo area f loor.
1. 2.
3. 4.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed181
TOOLS
SPARE TIRE
JACK
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by thejack.
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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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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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However, if the brake pedal does not
f eel normal, you should take
immediate action. A problem in one
part of the system’s dual circuit
design will still give you braking at
two wheels. You will f eel the brake
pedal go down much f arther bef ore
the vehicle begins to slow down, and
you will have to press harder on the
pedal.
If you must drive the vehicle a short
distance in this condition, drive
slowly and caref ully.
Slow down by shif ting to a lower
gear, and pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e. Because of the long
distance needed to stop, it is
hazardous to drive the vehicle. You
should have it towed and repaired as
soon as possible (see
on page ).
If the brake system
indicator comes on while
driving, the brake f luid
level is probably low. Press
lightly on the brake pedal if
it f eels normal. If it does
not, check the brake f luid
level the next time you stop
at a service station (see
page ).
If the f luid level is low, take your
vehicle to a dealer and have the
brake system inspected f or leaks or
worn brake pads. 164
195Emergency
Towing
Brake System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed194
Canada U.S.
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If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a prof essional towing service or
an organization. Never tow your
vehicle with just a rope or chain. It is
very dangerous.The operator will load
your vehicle on the back of a truck.
Any other method of towing will
damage the drive system. When you
contact the towing agency, inf orm
them a f lat-bed is required. Refer to
on page
for non-emergency towing
inf ormation. 141
The only way you can saf ely tow
your vehicle is with f lat-bed
equipment. Towing Your Vehicle
Behind a Motorhome
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed195
Towing with only two tires on the
ground will damage parts of the 4WD
system. It should be transported on a
f lat-bed truck or trailer.
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