engine HONDA ELEMENT 2008 1.G Repair Manual
Page 239 of 281
Let the vehicle sit f or a minute.
Open the hood, and check the oil
level (see page ). An engine
very low on oil can lose pressure
during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ).If the charging system
indicator comes on brightly
when the engine is running, the
battery is not being charged.
Immediately turn of f all electrical
accessories. Try not to use other
electrically operated controls such as
the power windows. Keep the engine
running; starting the engine will
discharge the battery rapidly.
Go to a service station or garage
where you can get technical
assistance.
Saf ely pull of f the road, and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning lights.
Start the engine, and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If it does not go
out within 10 seconds, turn of f the
engine. There is a mechanical
problem that needs to be repaired
bef ore you can continue driving
(see on page
).
This indicator should never
come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing or stays
on, the oil pressure has dropped very
low or lost pressure. Serious engine
damage is possible, and you should
take immediate action. 1.
2.
4.
3.
143
193
243
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator Charging System Indicator
Emergency T owing
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator, Charging System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
235
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn of f
the engine as soon as you can saf ely get
the vehicle stopped.
\f—\f—y
\fy
(+\fy\f\fy
2008 Element
Page 240 of 281
If the indicator comes on repeatedly,
even though it may turn of f as you
continue driving, have your vehicle
checked by your dealer as soon as
possible.
If this indicator comes on
while driving, it means one
of the engine’s emissions control
systems may have a problem. Even
though you may f eel no dif f erence in
your vehicle’s perf ormance, it can
reduce your f uel economy and cause
increased emissions. Continued
operation may cause serious damage.
If you have recently ref ueled your
vehicle, the indicator coming on
could be due to a loose or missing
f uel f ill cap. You will also see a
‘‘CHECK FUEL CAP’’ message on
the inf ormation display. Tighten the
cap until it clicks at least once.
Tightening the cap will not turn the
indicator of f immediately; it can take
several days of normal driving. If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, the malf unction
indicator lamp may also come on
with the ‘‘D’’ indicator.
Your vehicle has certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that are part of the on-board
diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. In some states, part of the
emissions testing is to make surethese codes are set. If they are not
set, the test cannot be completed.
If the battery in your vehicle has
been disconnected or gone dead,
these codes are erased. It takes at
least three days of driving under
various conditions to set the codes
again.
To check if they are set, turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position, without starting the engine.
The malf unction indicator lamp will
come on f or 20 seconds. If it then
goes of f , the readiness codes are set.
If it blinks f ive times, the readiness
codes are not set. If possible, do not
take your vehicle for a state
emissions test until the readiness
codes are set. Ref er to
f or more inf ormation (see
page ). 259
Malf unction Indicator L amp
Readiness Codes Emissions
Testing
236
If you keep driving with the
malf unction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your vehicle’s emissions
controls and engine. Those repairs may
not be covered by your vehicle’s
warranties.
\f—\f—y
\fy
(+\fy\f
y
2008 Element
Page 242 of 281
Turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position. Make sure the
headlights and all other
accessories are of f .
If something electrical in your
vehicle stops working, check f or a
blown f use f irst. Determine f rom the
chart on pages and , or the
diagram on the f use box lid, which
f use or f uses control that device.
Check those f uses f irst, but check all
the f uses bef ore deciding that a
blown f use is the cause. Replace any
blown f uses, and check if the device
works.
The interior f use box is underneath
the steering column. To remove the
f use box lid, turn the knobs
counterclockwise and pull the lid out
of its hinges.
The vehicle’s f uses are located in
two f use boxes. The under-hood f use
box is located in the engine
compartment on the driver’s side. To
open it, push the tabs as shown.
Remove the cover f rom the f use
box.
1.
2. 241242
Checking and Replacing Fuses
Fuses
238
TAB
UNDER-HOOD
INTERIOR
KNOBS
\f—\f—y
\fy
(+\fy\fy
2008 Element
Page 250 of 281
Your vehicle has several identif ying
numbers located in various places.
The vehicle identif ication number
(VIN) is the 17-digit number your
dealer uses to register your vehicle
f or warranty purposes. It is also
necessary f or licensing and insuring
your vehicle. The easiest place to
find the VIN is on a plate fastened to
the top of the dashboard. You can
seeitbylookingthroughthe
windshield on the driver’s side. It is
also on the certification label
attached to the driver’s doorjamb
(f ront edge of rear door), and is
stamped on the engine compartment
bulkhead. The VIN is also provided
in bar code on the certif ication label.
Identif ication Numbers
246
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERCERTIFICATION LABEL
\f—\f—y
\fy
(+\fy\f
y
2008 Element
Page 251 of 281
The transmission number is on a
label on top of the transmission.
The engine number is stamped into
the engine block.
Identif ication Numbers
Technical Inf ormation
247
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NUMBER
MANUAL TRANSMISSION NUMBER ENGINE NUMBER
\f—\f—y
\fy
(+\fy\fy
2008 Element
Page 252 of 281
ÎÎ
Î
ÎÎ
ÎÎ
Î
Î
ÎÎ
Î
Î
Î
Î
Specif ications
248
Dimensions Seating Capacities Engine
Weights 169.3 in (4,300 mm)
62.5 in (1,587 mm)
62.3 in (1,582 mm)
62.1 in (1,578 mm)
62.1 in (1,577 mm)
101.4 in (2,575 mm)
70.4 in (1,788 mm)
71.5 in (1,815 mm)
Length
Width
Height
Wheelbase
Track 170.9 in (4,341 mm)
170.3 in (4,326 mm)
69.4 in (1,763 mm)Total
Front
Rear
4
2
2
Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs Water cooled 4-stroke DOHC
i-VTEC 4-cylinder gasoline engine 3.43 x 3.90 in (87.0 x 99.0 mm) 144 cu-in (2,354 cm
)
9.7 : 1
IZFR6K-11
SKJ20DR-M11
Gross vehicle weight rating See the certification label attached to the driver’s doorjamb (front
edge of rear door). NGK:
DENSO:
Front
Rear
1:
2:
3:LX model
EX model
SC model
1, 2
3
1, 2
31
3
2
1, 2
3
\f—\f—y
\f
y
(+\fy\fy
2008 Element
Page 253 of 281
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Specif ications
Technical Inf ormation
249
Capacities
Fuel tank
Engine oil
15.9 US gal (60
)
5.6 US qt (5.3
)
4.2 US qt (4.0)
4.4 US qt (4.2) Engine
coolant
Automatic
transmission
fluid
Manual
transmission
fluid
Rear
differential
fluid (4WD)
Windshield washer reservoir 4.8 US qt (4.5
)
1.3 US qt (1.2
)
1.1 US qt (1.0)
2.3 US qt (2.2)
2.4 US qt (2.3)
2.0 US qt (1.9
)
7.4 US qt (7.0)
7.6 US qt (7.2)
2.7 US qt (2.6
)
1.93 US gal (7.3
)
1.37 US gal (5.2)
1.90 US gal (7.2
)
1.35 US gal (5.1)
2.6 US qt (2.5
)
Excluding the oil remaining in the engine
Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in the
engine
Reserve tank capacity:
0.16 US gal (0.6
)
Approx. Automatic
Transmission
Manual
Transmission
1:
2: Change
Total
Change
Total
Change
4WD
2WD
Total 4WD
2WD
Change
Total 4WD
2WD
Change
Total
Change
Including filter
Without filter
Total
2
2
1
\f—\f—y
\f\fy
(+\fy\fy
2008 Element
Page 260 of 281
Î
ÎThe burning of gasoline in your
vehicle’s engine produces several by-
products. Some of these are carbon
monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen
(NOx), and hydrocarbons (HC).
Gasoline evaporating f rom the tank
also produces hydrocarbons.
Controlling the production of NOx,
CO, and HC is important to the
environment. Under certain
conditions of sunlight and climate,
NOx and HC react to f orm
photochemical ‘‘smog.’’ Carbon
monoxide does not contribute to
smog creation, but it is a poisonous
gas. The United States Clean Air Act
sets standards f or automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
workandwhattodotomaintain
them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.
In Canada, Honda vehicles comply
with the Canadian emission
requirements, as specif ied in an
agreement with Environment
Canada, at the time they are
manuf actured.
Your vehicle has a positive
crankcase ventilation system. This
keeps gasses that build up in the
engine’s crankcase f rom going into
the atmosphere. The positive
crankcase ventilation valve routes
them from the crankcase back to the intake manif old. They are then
drawn into the engine and burned.
As gasoline evaporates in the f uel
tank, an evaporative emissions
control canister f illed with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is of f . Af ter
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine
and burned during driving.
The onboard ref ueling vapor
recovery (ORVR) system captures
the f uel vapors during ref ueling. The
vapors are adsorbed in a canister
f illed with activated carbon. While
driving, the f uel vapors are drawn
into the engine and burned of f .
The Clean Air Act
Crankcase Emissions Control
System
Evaporative Emissions Control
System
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
Recovery
Emissions Cont rols
256
\f—\f—y
\f
y
(+\fy\f
y
2008 Element
Page 261 of 281
The PGM-FI system uses sequential
multiport f uel injection. It has three
subsystems: air intake, engine
control, and f uel control. The
powertrain control module (PCM) in
automatic transmission vehicles or
the engine control module (ECM) in
manual transmission vehicles uses
various sensors to determine how
much air is going into the engine. It
then controls how much f uel to inject
under all operating conditions.The emissions control systems are
designed and certif ied to work to-
gether in reducing emissions to
levels that comply with the Clean Air
Act. To make sure the emissions
remain low, you should use only new
Honda replacement parts or their
equivalent f or repairs. Using lower
qualitypartsmayincreasethe
emissions f rom your vehicle.
The exhaust emissions controls
include three systems: PGM-FI,
ignition timing control, and three
way catalytic converter. These three
systems work together to control the
engine’s combustion and minimize
the amount of HC, CO, and NOx that
comes out the tailpipe. The exhaust
emissions control systems are
separate f rom the crankcase and
evaporative emissions control
systems. The emissions control systems are
covered by warranties separate from
the rest of your vehicle. Read your
warranty manual for more informa-
tion.
The three way catalytic converter is
in the exhaust system. Through
chemical reactions, it converts HC,
CO, and NOx in the engine’s exhaust
to carbon dioxide (CO ), nitrogen
(N ), and water vapor.
This system constantly adjusts the
ignition timing, reducing the amount
of HC, CO, and NOx produced.
2
2
Exhaust Emissions Controls Replacement PartsPGM-FI System
Three Way Catalytic Converter
Ignit ion T iming Cont rol Syst em
Emissions Cont rols
Technical Inf ormation
257
\f—\f—y
\fy
(+\fy\fy
2008 Element
Page 262 of 281
The three way catalytic converter
contains precious metals that serve
as catalysts, promoting chemical
reactions to convert the exhaust
gasses without af f ecting the metals.
The catalytic converter is ref erred to
as a three-way catalyst, since it acts
on HC, CO, and NOx. A replacement
unit must be an original Honda part
or its equivalent.Always use unleaded gasoline.
Even a small amount of leaded
gasoline can contaminate the
catalyst metals, making the three
way catalytic converter inef f ective.Keep the engine well maintained.
The three way catalytic converter
must operate at a high temperature
for the chemical reactions to take
place. It can set on f ire any
combustible materials that come
near it. Park your vehicle away from
high grass, dry leaves, or other
f lammables. A defective three way catalytic
converter contributes to air pollution,
and can impair your engine’s per-
f ormance. Follow these guidelines to
protect your vehicle’s three way
catalytic converter. Have your vehicle diagnosed and
repaired if it is misf iring, back-
f iring, stalling, or otherwise not
running properly.
Three Way Catalytic Converter
258
THREE WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTER
\f—\f—y
\fy
(+\fy\fy
2008 Element