towing HONDA ELEMENT 2003 1.G User Guide

When purchasing a tow bar, make
sure you select a reputable
manuf acturer and installer. Follow
the manufacturer’s attachment
instructions caref ully. Your Element can be towed behind a
motorhome at legal highway speeds
up to 65 mph(100 km/h). Do not
exceed 65 mph (100km/h).
Otherwise, severe transmission
damage will occur. To avoid damage
to the 4WD system, it must be towed
with all f our wheels on the ground
(f lat towing).
After attaching the tow bar to your
motorhome, do the following to
prepare your Element f or ‘‘f lat
towing’’:When preparing to tow your
Element, make sure the
transmission is f illed to the correct
level (see page ). Do not
overf ill.
When preparing to tow your Element,
make sure the transmission is f ull of
fluid (see page ). Maintaining
the correct level is very important.
Do not overf ill. Do the f ollowing
Follow the procedure exactly.
Otherwise, severe automatic
transmission damage will occur.
Release the parking brake.
Shif t the transmission to Neutral.
Leave the key in the ignition
switch and the ignition switch in
ACCESSORY (I) so the steering
wheel does not lock. Make sure
the radio and any items plugged
into the accessory power sockets
are turned of f so you do not run
down the battery. 232
231
every day immediately bef ore you begin
towing.
5-speed Manual T ransmission A ut omat ic T ransmission
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a Motorhome
Driving198

Start the engine.
Press on the brake pedal. Shif t the
lever through all the positions (P,
R, N, D, 2, 1)
ShifttoD,thentoN.Letthe
engine run f or three minutes, then
turn of f the engine.
Release the parking brake.
Leave the ignition switch in
ACCESSORY (I) so the steering
wheel does not lock. Make sure
the radio and any items plugged
into the accessory power sockets
are turned of f so you do not run
down the battery.If you tow more than 8 hours in one
day, you should repeat the above
procedure at least every 8 hours.
(when you stop f or f uel, etc.)
If you tow a 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.Ext ended T owing
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a Motorhome
Driving199
Failure to f ollow the above instructions
exactly will result in severe automatic
transmission damage. If you cannot
shif t the transmission or start the
engine, your vehicle must be
transported on a f lat-bed truck or
trailer. The steering system can be damaged if
the steering wheel is locked. Leave the
ignition switch in Accessory (I), and
make sure the steering wheel turns
f reely bef ore you begin towing.Severe automatic transmission damage
will occur if the vehicle is shif ted f rom
reverse to neutral and then towed with
the drive wheels on the ground.

µ
The services and time or distance
intervals shown in the maintenance
schedule assume you will use your
vehicle as normal transportation f or
passengers and their possessions.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations:
The Maintenance Schedule specif ies
how of ten you should have your
vehicle serviced and what things
need attention. It is essential that
you have your vehicle serviced as
scheduled to retain its high level of
saf ety, dependability, and emissions
control perf ormance.
Avoid exceeding your vehicle’s
load limit. This puts excess stress
on the engine, brakes, and many
other parts of your vehicle. The
load limit is shown on the label on
the driver’s doorjamb.
Operate your vehicle on
reasonable roads within the legal
speed limit.
Drive your vehicle regularly over a
distance of several miles
(kilometers).
Always use unleaded gasoline with
theproperoctanerating(seepage). Service your vehicle according to the
time and mileage periods on one of
the Maintenance Schedules on the
f ollowing pages.
Follow the
Maintenance Schedule f or Severe
Conditions 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.
Extensive idling or long periods of
stop-and-go driving.
Trailer towing, driving with a roof
rack, or driving in mountainous
conditions.
158
Maintenance Schedule
Maint enance
Which Schedule to Follow:
U.S. Owners
210

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 .276
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .277
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start . 283
Nothing Happens or the Starter Motor Operates Very .....................................
Slowly .283
The Starter Operates ................................
Normally .284
................................
Jump Starting .285
............
If Your Engine Overheats . 288
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 290
..........
Charging System Indicator . 291
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 292
.......................
Readiness Codes .293
...............
Brake System Indicator . 294
..............................................
Fuses .295
..........
Checking and Replacing . 296
......................
Emergency Towing .301
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed275

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.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.
Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces than the regular tire. Use
greater caution while driving on
this tire. Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
under any circumstances.
Follow these precautions whenever
you are using the compact spare tire: Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare.
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.
Compact Spare Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed276
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)

If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Stopping in traf f ic or on the shoulder
of a busy road is dangerous. Drive
slowly along the shoulder until you
gettoanexitoranareatostopthat
is far away from the traffic lanes.Park the vehicle on f irm, level and
non-slippery ground, away f rom
traffic. Put the transmission in
Park (automatic) or Reverse
(manual). Apply the parking brake.
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. If you are towing a trailer, unhitch
the trailer.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 ed277
JACK SPARE TIRETOOLS
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 the
jack.

If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of the
battery and terminal connections
(see page ). You can then try
jump starting the vehicle from a
booster battery (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 . 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 .
Your vehicle has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly. Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank.
240
285 84
174 296
301
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed284

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 ). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
between the MIN and MAX marks. Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the f irst stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After 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.
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, bef ore check-
ing the radiator. 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.
10.
9.
8. 7.
6.
11.
12.301
301
163 Emergency
Towing
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed289
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.

Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the light
does not go out within ten seconds,
turn of f the engine. There is a
mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired bef ore you can
continue driving. (Seeon page .)
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ).
This indicator should light when the
ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
af ter the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing, it
indicates that the oil pressure
dropped very low f or a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure
and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action. Saf ely pull of f the road and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
Let the vehicle sit f or a minute.
Open the hood and check the oil
level (see page ). Although oil
levelandoilpressurearenot
directly connected, an engine that
is very low on oil can lose pressure
during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
1.
2.
4.
3.
162 221
301 Emergency
Towing
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed290
LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR
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.

Î
Î
If you must drive the vehicle a short
distance in this condition, drive
slowly and cautiously.
If it comes on at any other time, it
indicates a problem with the vehicle’s
brake system. In most cases, the
problem is a low f luid level in the
brake f luid reservoir. Press lightly on
the brake pedal to see if it f eels
normal. If it does, 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 the vehicle to
your dealer and have the brake
system inspected f or leaks or worn
brake pads.
However, if the brake pedal does not
f eel normal, you should take
immediate action. Because of the
brake system’s dual-circuit design, a
problem in one part of the system
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. The distance needed to stop
will be much longer. 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
longer 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 .)
The Brake System Indicator
normallycomesonwhenyouturn
the ignition switch ON (II). It is a
reminder to check the parking brake.
It comes on and stays lit if you do not
f ully release the parking brake. If the ABS indicator comes on with
this indicator, have the vehicle
inspected by your Honda dealer
immediately.
234
301
On models equipped with ABS
Emergency
Towing
Brake System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed294
BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR
U.S. indicator shown