HONDA PILOT 2007 1.G Owners Manual

Your vehicle has a higher ground
clearance that allows you to travel
over bumps, obstacles, and rough
terrain. It also provides good
visibility so you can anticipate
problems earlier.
Because your vehicle rides higher
off the ground, it has a high center
of gravity that can cause it to roll
over if you make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicl es have a signifi cantly higher
roll over rate than other types of
ve hicles.
To prevent rollovers or loss of
control:
Take corners at slower speeds
than you would with a passenger
vehicle.
Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers whenever possible. Do
not carry heavy cargo on the
roof. Do not modify your vehicle in any
way that would raise the center of
gravity.
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check
the seat adjustment (see
page ).
Check
that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
fastened down securely.
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and
adjustmen ts before you drive
your vehicle.
Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost, snow,
or ice.
Vi sually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure (see page ).
Your
vehicle is equipped with a four-
wheel drive (4WD) system. When
the system senses a loss of front-
wheel traction, it automatically
transfers some power to the rear
wh eels. This gives you better
traction and mobility.
You still need to exercise the same
care when accelerating, steering, and
brakingthatyouwouldinatwo-
wheel drive vehicle. 3. 2. 1.
4.
5.
87
92 258
Four-wheel drive models
See page f or additional driving of f -highway guidelines. 222
Driving Guidelines
Preparing to Drive
198

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
pressu re on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
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.
Check
the steering wheel
ad justment (see page ).
Make sure the doors and the
tailgate are secu rely closed and
locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page ).
Wh en you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicato rs in the
instrument panel (see page ). Without
touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in the START (III)
position for more than 15 seconds
at a time. If the engine does not
start right away, pause for at least
10 seconds before trying again.
Make
sure the shift lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
In
cold weather, turn off all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Apply
the parking brake. 5.
6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
78
61
15
6.
7.
8.
9.
79
Driving
Guidelines, Starting the Engine
Starting theEngine
Driving
199
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air found at
altitudes above 8,000 feet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
The immobilizer system protects your
veh icle from theft. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page .

If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem with the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
These indicators on the instrument
panel show 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 to the ON (II)
position. If it f lashes while driving (in
any shif t position), it indicates a
possible problem in the transmission. To shif t f rom Park to any position,
pressfirmlyonthebrakepedal,and
pull the shif t lever toward you. You
cannot shif t out of Park when the
ignition switch is in the LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I) position.
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ever Position Indicators
Shif ting
200
SHIFT LEVER

µ
µ
µ
µTo shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR
Dto2 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoD DtoN
DtoD NtoDRtoN Do
this:
Press the brake pedal and
pull the shift lever towards
you.
Pull the shift lever towards
you.
Move the shift lever.
3
3
3
3
Use neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift 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.
Use this position for
your norm al driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear for the vehicle speed
and acceleration. You may notice the
transmission shifting up at higher
speeds when the engine is cold. This
helps the engine warm up faster.
This
position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning off or
starting the engine. To shift out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your foot off the
accelerator pedal. Pull the shift lever
to wards you, then move it out of
Park.
Press the brake
pedal and pull the shift lever towards
you to shift from Park to reverse. To
shif t f rom reverse to neutral, come
to a complete stop and then shift. If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see 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. 203
CONT INUED
Neutral (N)
Drive (D)
Park (P)
Reverse (R)
Shif t L ock Release
Automatic Transmission
Driving
201

µµ
µ
This position is similar
to D, except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D 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. 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 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.
This position locks
thetransmissioninsecondgear.It
does not downshif t to f irst gear
when you come to a stop.
Use second gear:
For more power when climbing.
To increase engine braking when
going down steep hills.
For starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow.
When driving downhill with a
trailer. To help reduce wheel spin.
3
3 3
Automatic Transmission
Drive (D )
Engine Speed L imiter First (1)
Second (2)3
202

Do this if pushing on the brake pedal
and pulling the shif t lever does not
shif t the transmission out of Park:Set the parking brake. Push down on the key while you
pull the shif t lever towards you
and move it out of Park to neutral.
Remove the key from the shift
lock release slot, then install the
cover. Press the brake pedal, and
restart the engine.
Put a cloth on the edge of the shif t
lock release slot cover. Using a
small f lat-tipped screwdriver or a
metal f ingernail f ile, caref ully pry
on the edge of the cover to remove
it.
Insert the key in the shift lock
release slot.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
If you need to use the shif t lock
release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by your dealer.
3.
4. 5.
6.
1.
2. Shif t L ock Release
Automatic Transmission
Driving
203

The vehicle must be stopped with
the engine running.do
any of the f ollowing: Press the VTM-4 LOCK button.
Move the shift lever to D or D .
Move the shift lever to first (1),
second (2), or reverse (R) gear.
Turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position.
Press the VTM-4 LOCK button.
The indicator in the button comes
on.
The VTM-4 Lock will temporarily
disengage when the vehicle speed
exceeds 18 mph (30 km/h). The
indicator in the button will remain on.
The variable torque management
4WD (VTM-4) system automatically
transf ers varying amounts of engine
torque to the rear wheels under
lower traction conditions.
If more traction is needed when your
vehicle is stuck, or is likely to
become stuck, you can use the
VTM-4 LOCK button to increase
torque to the rear wheels.
To get unstuck, apply light pressure
to the accelerator pedal. Do not spin
the f ront tires f or more than a f ew
seconds. Because of the amount of
torque applied to the rear tires, they
should not spin. This is normal. If
you are not able to move the vehicle,
stop and reverse direction. 1.
2.
3.
3
To Engage the VTM-4 Lock To Disengage the VTM-4 Lock,
VTM-4 System
204
Do not continuously spin the f ront tires
of your vehicle. Continuously spinning
the f ront tires can cause transmission
or rear dif f erential damage.
Do not use the VTM-4 LOCK button on
dry, paved roads. Driving on dry,
paved roads with VTM-4 Lock ON may
damage the rear dif f erential when
making a turn. Strange noise and
vibration can also result.

Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that turns on every time you start the
engine and monitors the pressure in
your tires while driving.
Each tire has its own pressure
sensor. If the air pressure of a tire
becomes significantly low, the
sensor in that tire immediately sends
a signal that causes the low tire
pressure indicator and the
appropriate tire on the tire pressu re
monitor to come on. Each
tire, including the spare, should
be checked monthly when cold and
set to the recommended inflation
pressure as specif ied in the vehicle
placard and this owner’s manual (see
page ).
Although your tire pressure is
monitored, you must manually check
thetirepressuresmonthly.
If you think you can saf ely drive a
short distance to a service station,
proceed slowly, and inf late the tire to
the recommended pressure shown
on the driver’s doorjamb.
When the tire pressure monitoring
system warning indicator is on, one
or more of your tires is signif icantly
under-inf lated. You should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible,
and inflate them to the proper
pressureasindicatedonthevehicle’s
tire inf ormation placard.
If the tire is f lat, or if the tire
pressure is too low to continue
driving, replace the tire with the
compact spare tire.
Driving on a signif icantly under-
inf lated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inf lation also reduces f uel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
af f ect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability. 289
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Low Tire Pressure
Indicator
Driving
205

The appropriate tire indicator and
low tire pressu re indicator comes on
if a tire becomes significantly
underinflated. See
on page .
This indicator comes on and stays on
if there is a problem with the tire
pressure monitoring system.
If you see this message, the system
is off and is not monitoring the tire
pressures. Have the system checked
by your dealer as soon as possible.
If you have a flat tire, the low tire
pressu re and tire monitor indicators
will come on. Replace the indicated
flat tire with the compact spare tire
(see page ). Each wheel is equipped with a tire
pressure sensor mounted inside the
tire behind the valve stem. You must
use TPMS specif ic wheels. It is
recommended that you always have
your tires serviced by your dealer or
qualif ied technician.
Af ter you replace the f lat tire, the
low tire pressure indicator stays on.
This is normal; the system is not
monitoring the spare tire pressure.
Manually check the spare tire
pressure to be sure it is correct.
Never use a puncture-repairing agent
in a f lat tire. If used, you will have to
replace the tire pressure sensor.
Havetheflattirerepairedbyyour
dealer as soon as possible.
266 205
As required by the FCC:
This device complies with Part 15 of theFCC rules. Operation is subject to thef ollowing two conditions: (1) This devicemay not cause harmf ul interf erence, and(2) this device must accept anyinterf erence received, includinginterf erence that may cause undesiredoperation.
Changes or modif ications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible f orcompliance could void the user’sauthority to operate the equipment.
This device complies with IndustryCanada Standard RSS-210.Operation is subject to the f ollowing twoconditions: (1) this device may not causeinterf erence, and (2) this device mustaccept any interf erence that may causeundesired operation of the device.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Tire Pressure Monitor
Low Tire
Pressure Indicator
Changing a T ire with T PMS Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (T PMS) Indicator
206

Set the parking brake bef ore you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the vehicle from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission.If the vehicle is f acing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb and set the parking brake. If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb and set the parking brake.
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 on an
incline. Make sure the moonroof (if
equipped) and 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.
Check the indicator on the driver’s
door to verify that the security
system is set.
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.
On vehicles with security system
Parking Tips
Driving
207