tow HONDA CR-V 2004 RD4-RD7 / 2.G Owners Manual

If a seat belt does not seem to work
as it should, it may not protect the
occupant in a crash.Using a seat
belt that is not working properly can
result in serious injury or death.
Have your Honda dealer check the
belt as soon as possible.
See page f or additional
inf ormation about your seat belts
and how to take care of them. Adjust the steering wheel, if needed,
so that the wheel points toward your
chest, not toward your f ace. This
provides optimal protection f rom the
f ront airbag.
See page f or how to adjust the
steering wheel.After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and put on seat belts, it is
very important that they continue to
sit upright, well back in their seats,
with their feet on the floor, until the
vehicle is parked and the engine is
of f .
Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches,
lies down, turns sideways, sits
forward, leans forward or sideways,
or puts one or both f eet up, the
chance of injury during a crash is
greatly increased.
20
68
CONT INUED
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
No one should sit in a seat wit h aninoperat ive seat belt .
Adjust the Steering Wheel Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
6.
7.
17

To release the parking brake, push
andholdthereleasebuttononthe
side of the parking brake lever, pull
the lever toward you slightly, then
push the lever f orward.
To apply the parking brake, f irmly
pull the parking brake lever toward
you.
Make sure the rear window is clear
and you have good visibility bef ore
starting to drive.
Thedefoggerwiresontheinsideof
the rear window can be accidentally
damaged. When cleaning the glass,
always wipe side-to-side.
The parking brake light on the
instrument panel should go out.
Parking Brake
Rear Window Def ogger, Parking Brake
Inst rument s and Cont rols67
NOTICE:
PARKING BRAKE
LEVER
RELEASE BUTTON
Driving the vehicle with the
parking brake applied can damage the
rear brakes and axles.

See page f or important saf etyinf ormation about how to properlyposition the steering wheel. 17
Make any steering wheel adjustment
bef ore you start driving.
Push the lever under the steering
column all the way down.
Move the steering wheel so it
points to your chest, not toward
your f ace. Make sure you can see
the instrument panel gauges and
lights.Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position.
Make sure you have securely
locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up and down.
4. 3.
1.
2.
Steering Wheel A djustment
Inst rument s and Cont rols68
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle and be seriously injured
inacrash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the vehicle is stopped.

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).Avoid full throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
During this period:
Your Honda is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy, metallic rapping
noise in the engine that can lead to
mechanical f ailure.
We recommend using a gasoline
containing detergent additives that
help prevent f uel system and engine
deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the Malfunction Indicator
Lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contactyour authorized Honda dealer f or
service.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
Quick Start Guide.
You should also f ollow these re-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are replaced. Do not tow a trailer. Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 percent ethanol
by volume and up to 15 percent
MTBE by volume. Do not use
gasoline containing methanol.
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period
Gasoline Type
Break-in Period, Gasoline T ype
124

To Close the Hood:
Lif t it up slightly to remove the
support rod f rom the hole. Put the
support rod back into its holding clip.
Lowerthefender,thenletitdrop.
Make sure it is securely latched.Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.Remove the dipstick (orange
handle). Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert it all the way back in its tube.
1. 2.
3.
CONT INUED
Service Station Procedure
Bef ore Driving
Oil Check
127
DIPSTICK

·µ Determine the combined weight
of accessories, luggage, and cargo
beingloadedinthevehicle.The
weight may not saf ely exceed the
available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in step 4 [250
lbs(115kg)inthisexample].
The resulting f igure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers f rom
850 lbs (395 kg). Determine the combined weight
of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in the vehicle.
(Five is seating capacity of your
vehicle.)
For example, if there will be f our 150
lbs (70 kg) occupants in your vehicle,
the amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 250 lbs (115
kg).
4 150 lbs (70 kg) = 600 lbs (280
kg)
850 lbs (395 kg) 600 lbs (280 kg) =
250 lbs (115 kg) If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, the load f rom your trailer
will be transf erred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
The total weight must not exceed
theGrossVehicleWeightRating
(GVWR). The load f or the f ront and
rear axles also must not exceed the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
(see page ).
The maximum load f or your vehicle
is 850 lbs (395 kg). This f igure
includes the total weight of all
occupants, cargo, accessories, and
the tongue weight if you are towing a
trailer.
To determine the correct cargo and
luggage load limit:
Locate the statement, ‘‘the
combined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed 850 lbs
(395 kg)’’ on your vehicle’s placard
(on the driver’s doorjamb).
1. 2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
150
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving133
Overloading or improper
loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in
which you can be hurt or killed.
Follow all load limits and other
loading guidelines in this
manual.

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes
important inf ormation on parking
your vehicle, the braking system,
and f acts you need if you are plan-
ning to tow a trailer or drive off-
highway.........................
Driving Guidelines .136
........................
Preparing to Drive .137
.......................
Starting the Engine .138
....
5-speed Manual Transmission . 139
..............
Automatic Transmission . 141
..................................
Parking Tips .146
.............................
Braking System .147
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 148
.................
Towing Weight Limits . 150
...........................
Towing a Trailer .152
......................
Trailer Driving Tips .155
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a ................................
Motorhome .157
Of f -Highway Driving ..................................
Guidelines .159
Driving
Driving135

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 ON (II). If it
f lashes while driving (in any shif t
position), it indicates a possible
problem in the transmission.
If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem in the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration and
havethetransmissioncheckedbya
Honda dealer as soon as possible.
To shif t f rom any position, press
f irmly on the brake pedal and pull
the lever toward you. You cannot
shif t out of Park when the ignition
switch is in LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I).
CONT INUED
Shif t L ever Position Indicators Shif ting
Automatic Transmission
Driving141
SHIFT LEVER

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 moonroof 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 and the tailgate.
Make sure the hatch glass is
closed securely.
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 f ront wheels away f rom the
curb.
If the vehicle is f acing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb.
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.
Parking T ips
Driving
Parking T ips
146

µµ The maximum
allowable weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, all cargo and the tongue
load is 4,320 lbs (1,960 kg).
The maximum
allowable weight on the vehicle axles
are 2,160 lbs (980 kg) on the f ront
axle, and 2,250 lbs (1,020 kg) on the
rear axle.
Your vehicle has been designed to
primarily carry passengers and their
cargo. You can use it to tow a trailer
if you caref ully observe the load
limits, use the proper equipment, and
f ollow the guidelines in this section.
Be sure to read the
on page
if you plan to tow of f paved
surf aces.
Thebestwaytoconfirmthatall
loads are within limits is to check
them at a public scale.
159
Driving Of f -
Highway Guidelines section
Towing Weight Limits
Driving
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR)
Gross Axle Weight Ratings
(GA WR)
150
Exceeding any load limit or
improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously hurt
or killed.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully
beforestartingtodrive.