key HONDA ELEMENT 2008 1.G User Guide

The ceiling light has a three-position
switch: ON, Door Activated, and
OFF.
In the Door Activated (center)
position, the light comes on when
you:Open any door.
Remove the key from the ignition.
If you do not open a door, the light
f ades out in about 30 seconds.
Unlock the doors with the key or
remote transmitter. Turn on the spotlight by pushing the
lens. Push the lens again to turn it
of f . You can use the spotlights at all
times. The cargo area light has a three-
position switch. In the center
position, the light comes on when
you open the hatch.
The ignition switch light comes on
when you unlock the driver’s door,
and f ades out about 30 seconds af ter
you close the door.
On EX and SC models
Interior Lights
Ceiling L ight Spotlights Cargo A rea L ight
Ignition Switch L ight
96
ON
OFF DOOR ACTIVATED
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Be caref ul when you are using the
beverage holders. A spilled liquid
that is very hot can scald you or your
passengers. Spilled liquids can also
damage the upholstery, and
electrical components in the interior.Your vehicle has one, two, or three
accessory power sockets, depending
on the model. All models have a
f ront accessory power socket on the
dashboard above the glove box.
EX and SC models have an accessory
power socket in the cargo area on
the passenger’s side.
The SC model has one additional
socket in the center console.
The f ront beverage holder is
removable. To remove it, push the
tab and pull it up. These sockets are intended to supply
power f or 12 volt DC accessories
that are rated 120 watts or less (10
amps). None of the sockets will
power an automotive type cigarette
lighter element. When more than
one socket is being used, the
combined power rating of the
accessories should be 120 watts or
less (10 amps).Open the glove box by pulling the
bottom of the handle. Close it with a
f irm push. Lock or unlock the glove
box with the master key.
On SC model
Beverage Holders A ccessory Power Sockets Glove Box
Interior Convenience Items
98
An open glove box can cause
serious injury to your passenger
inacrash,evenifthe
passenger is wearing the seat
belt.
Always keep the glove box
closed while driving.
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Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
down, and hold it there while
starting to clear flooding. If the
engine still does not start, return
to step 5.
If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
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. Do not hold
the key in the START (III)
position f or more than 15 seconds
at a time. If the engine does not
start right away, pause for at least
10 seconds bef ore trying again.
Press the clutch pedal down all the
way. The START (III) position
does not f unction unless the clutch
pedal is pressed.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
1.
2.
3.
4. 6.
5.
Manual transmission:
Automatic transmission:
Starting the Engine
158
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page .
76
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µ
µ 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 the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from neutral to
another gear.
Press the brake
pedal and press the release button to
shif t f rom Park to reverse. To shif t
f rom reverse to neutral, come to a
completestop,andthenshift.
To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop bef ore shif ting
into Park. You must also press the
release button to shift into Park. The
shif t lever must be in Park bef ore
you can remove the key f rom the
ignition switch.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page . Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear (1 through 5) f or your
speed and acceleration. You may
notice the transmission shifting up at
higher engine speeds when the
engine is cold. This helps the engine
warm up f aster.
To use D , press the
D buttonwhentheshiftleverisin
the ‘‘D’’ position. This position is simi-
lartoD,exceptonlythefirstthree
gears are selected instead of all f ive.
Use D when towing a trailer in hilly
terrain, or to provide engine braking
when going down a steep hill. D can
also keep the transmission f rom
cycling between third and f ourth
gears in stop-and-go driving.
163
3
3
3 3
Automatic Transmission
Neutral (N)
Reverse (R) Shif t L ock Release
Drive (D)
Drive (D )
3
162
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µµThis position locks
the transmission in second gear. It
does not downshif t to f irst gear
when you come to a stop.
Use second gear:
To increase engine braking when
going down steep hills.
For starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow.
To help reduce wheel spin.
When driving downhill with a
trailer. This position locks the
transmission in f irst gear. By
upshif ting and downshif ting through
1, 2, D , and D, you can operate the
transmission much like a manual
transmission without a clutch pedal.
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. This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release
button does not work.
For more power when climbing. Set the parking brake. Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
1.
2.
3
CONT INUED
Second (2) First (1)
Engine Speed L imiterShif t L ock Release
Automatic Transmission
Driving
163
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Insert the key in the shift lock
release slot.
Push down on the key while you
pressthereleasebuttononthe
shif t lever and move the shif t lever
out of Park to neutral.
Put a cloth on the edge of the shif t
lock release slot cover next to the
shif t lever. Using a f lat-tip
screwdriver, caref ully pry on the
edge of the cover to remove it. Remove the key from the shift
lock release slot, then reinstall the
cover. Make sure the notch on the
cover is on the right side. Press
the brake pedal, and restart the
engine.
If you need to use the shif t lock
release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have it
checked by your dealer.
3. 4. 5.6.
Automatic Transmission
164
COVER
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
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Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. Make sure
the parking brake is set f irmly, or
your vehicle may roll if it is parked
on an incline.
If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park. This keeps the vehicle f rom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission.Make sure the windows are closed.
Turn of f the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.
in the cargo area or take them
with you.
Lock the doors and the hatch with
the key.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The hot three way
catalytic converter could cause
these materials to catch on fire.If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb. If you have a manual
transmission, put it in f irst gear.
Make sure the parking brake is
f ully released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or
damage the rear brakes.
If the vehicle is f acing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb. If you have a manual
transmission, put it in reverse gear.
Parking T ips
Parking
Driving
165
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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 the START (III)
position, 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 ).
62
158 238
243
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing
If theEngineWon’tStart
230
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CONT INUED
....................................
Accessories .147
ACCESSORY (Ignition Key
.......................................
Position) .79
..............
Accessory Power Sockets .98
....................
Additives, Engine Oil .194
.........
Advice f or Pregnant Women .18
.............................
Airbag (SRS) .11,24
...
Airbags, Additional Information .24
...
Additional Safety Precautions .36
.............................
Airbag Service .35
How the Passenger Airbag Of f
......................
Indicator Works .34
How the Side Airbag Of f ......................
Indicator Works .34
..
How the SRS Indicator Works .33
How Your Front Airbags
.........................................
Work .27
...
How Your Side Airbags Work .30
How Your Side Curtain Airbags
.........................................
Work .32
........................
SRS Components .24
..............
Air Conditioning System .102
.........................................
Usage .103
.......................
Air Pressure, Tires .213 ......................................
Alignment .250
......................................
Antif reeze .196
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
...............................
Indicator .61,168
...................................
Operation .167
..............
Anti-thef t, Audio System .131
.
Anti-thef t Steering Column Lock .79
......................
Armrests, Front Seat .84
................................
Audio System .107
...
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners .22
.............
Automatic Speed Control .135
..............
Automatic Transmission .161
..........................
Capacity, Fluid .249
...............
Checking Fluid Level .198
.......................................
Shif ting .161
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator .161
................
Shif t Lever Positions .161
....................
Shif t Lock Release .163
......................
Auxiliary Input Jack .125
Battery
Charging System ...........................
Indicator .60,235
............................
Jump Starting .231 ..............................
Maintenance .218
............................
Specif ications .250
..............................
Bef ore Driving .139
..................................
Belts, Seat .10,20
...........................
Beverage Holders .98
...................................
Body Panels .201
..................................
Booster Seats .52
Brakes
...........
Anti-lock System (ABS) .167
.............
Break-in, New Linings .140
....................
Bulb Replacement .207
...........................................
Fluid .200
.........................................
Parking .93
.................
System Indicator .60,237
........................
Wear Indicators .167
.............................
Braking System .166
.................
Break-in, New Vehicle .140
..
Brightness Control, Instruments .72
........................
Brights, Headlights .71
Index
A
B
INDEX
I
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ÎÎ
..........................
Four-wheel Drive .156
............................
Front Airbags .11,27
Front Seat
......................................
Adjusting .13
...................................
Airbags .11,27
.................................................
Fuel .140
......................
Fill Door and Cap .141
...........................................
Gauge .67
................
Octane Requirement .140
........................
Reserve Indicator .63
........................
Tank, Filling the .141
.....................
Fuses, Checking the .238 .............
Halogen Headlight Bulbs .202
................................................
Hatch .81
..............
Hazard Warning Flashers .73
Headlights
........................................
Aiming .202
.......
Daytime Running Lights .72
..................
High Beam Indicator .63
........................
Reminder Beeper .71
........
Replacing Halogen Bulbs .202
...................................
Turning on .71
..............................
Head Restraints .85
......................
Safety Information .15
.....................
Heating and Cooling .102
.............
High Altitude, Starting at .158
.................
High-Low Beam Switch .71
..
Hood, Opening and Closing the .142
..............................................
Horn .5,69
...........................
Hydraulic Clutch .201 ...
Identif ication Number, Vehicle .246
Ignition
..............................................
Keys .75
.............................................
Light .96
...........................................
Switch .79
............
Timing Control System .257
........................
Immobilizer System .76
.......
Immobilizer System Indicator .62
...
Important Handling Inf ormation .iv
.........
Important Safety Precautions .8
.........
Indicators, Instrument Panel .60
...............................
Inf ant Restraint .42
......................................
Inf ant Seats .42
......
LATCH Anchorage System .46
...........................
Lower Anchors .46
..........
Tether Anchorage Points .50
...................
Inf lation, Proper Tire .212
...................................
Inside Mirror .92
.............................
Inspection, Tire .214
............................
Instrument Panel .59
........
Instrument Panel Brightness .72
..........
Instrument Panel Indicators .60
.................................
Interior Lights .96
........................................
Introduction .i
...............
Gas Mileage, Improving .144
.........................................
Gasoline .140
...............
Fuel Reserve Indicator .63
...........................................
Gauge .67
................
Octane Requirement .140
........................
Tank, Filling the .141
................
Gas Station Procedures .141
.............................................
Gauges .66
...
Engine Coolant Temperature .68
...............................................
Fuel .67 Gearshif t Lever Positions
..........
Automatic Transmission .161
..............
Manual Transmission .159
........................................
Glove Box .98
Index
I
H
G
IV
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