weight HONDA ELEMENT 2003 1.G User Guide

If you can carry any items on a
roof rack, be sure the total weight
of the rack and the items does not
exceed the maximum allowable
weight. Please contact your Honda
dealer f or f urther inf ormation.
If you use an accessory roof rack,
the roof rack weight limit may be
lower. Ref er to the inf ormation that
came with your roof rack.
Distribute cargo evenly on the
f loor of the cargo area, placing the
heaviest items on the bottom and
as f ar f orward as possible. Tie
down items that could be thrown
about the vehicle during a crash or
sudden stop.
If you carry large items that
prevent you f rom closing the
tailgate or the hatch, exhaust gas
can enter the passenger area. To
avoid the possibility of
, f ollow the
instructions on page .
Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurt
someone during a crash.
Be sure items placed on the f loor
behind the f ront seats cannot roll
under the seats and interf ere with
the driver’s ability to operate the
pedals, or with the proper
operation of the seats.
Keep the glove box closed while
driving. If it is open, a passenger
could injure their knees during a
crash or sudden stop.
60
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving
Carrying Cargo in the Cargo A rea
or on a Roof Rack
carbon
monoxide poisoning
Carrying Items in the Passenger
Compartment
169

Your Honda has been designed
primarily to 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.The weight that
the tongue of a f ully-loaded trailer
puts on the hitch should be
approximately 10 percent of the
trailer weight. Too little tongue
load can make the trailer unstable
and cause it to sway. Too much
tongue load reduces f ront-tire
traction and steering control.
The total
weight of the trailer and
everything loaded in it must not
exceed 1,500 lbs (680 kg). Towing
a load that is too heavy can
seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling and perf ormance. It can
also damage the engine and
drivetrain.
CONT INUED
Tongue Load:
Load Limits
T otal T railer Weight:
Towing a Trailer
Driving191

To achieve a proper tongue load,
start by loading 60 percent of the
load toward the front of the trailer
and 40 percent toward the rear, then
re-adjust the load as needed.The total weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, all cargo, the
tongue load must not exceed: The total weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, all cargo, and the
tongue load must not exceed:
on the f ront axle
on the rear axle
and
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR):
Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GA WR):
Towing a Trailer
Driving192
4,450 lbs (2,020 kg)
2,300 lbs (1,045 kg)
2,205 lbs (1,000 kg)Exceeding load limits or
improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously
injured or killed.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully
beforestartingtodrive.

The best way to conf irm that vehicle
and trailer weights are within limits
is to have them checked at a public
scale.
Using a suitable scale or a special
tongue load gauge, check the tongue
load the f irst time you set up a
towing combination (a f ully-loaded
vehicle and trailer), then recheck the
tongue load whenever the conditions
change.Towing can require a variety of
equipment, depending on the size of
your trailer, how it will be used, and
how much load you are towing.
Discuss your needs with your trailer
sales or rental agency, and f ollow the
guidelines in the rest of this section.
Also make sure that all equipment is
properly installed and that it meets
f ederal, state, province, and local
regulations.Any hitch used on your vehicle must
be properly bolted to the underbody.
Always use saf ety chains. Make sure
they are secured to both the trailer
and hitch, and that they cross under
the tongue so they can catch the
trailer if it becomes unhitched.
Leave enough slack to allow the
trailer to turn corners easily, but do
not let the chains drag on the ground.
CONT INUED
Checking L oads
T owing Equipment and
A ccessoriesHitches
Saf et y Chains
Towing a Trailer
Driving193

Honda recommends that any trailer
having a total weight of 1,000 lbs
(450 kg) or more be equipped with
its own electric or surge-type brakes.
If you choose electric brakes, be
sure they are electronically actuated.
Do not attempt to tap into your
vehicle’s hydraulic system. No
matter how successf ul it may seem,
any attempt to attach trailer brakes
to your vehicle’s hydraulic system
will lower braking ef f ectiveness and
create a potential hazard.All states and Canadian provinces
require some type of trailer lights.
Check requirements f or the areas
where you plan to tow. If you use a converter, you can get
the connector and pins that mate
with the connector in your vehicle
f rom your Honda dealer.
Since lighting and wiring vary in
trailer type and brand, you should
also have a qualif ied mechanic install
a suitable connector between the
vehicle and the trailer.
Your vehicle has a trailer lighting
connector located behind the right
side panel in the cargo area. Ref er to
thedrawingaboveforthewiring
color code and purpose of each pin.
Trailer Brakes
Trailer Lights
Towing a Trailer
Driving194
GROUND
(BLACK)BACK-UP LIGHT
(GREEN/BLACK) LEFT TURN SIGNAL
(GREEN/RED)
TAILLIGHT
(RED/YELLOW)
BRAKE LIGHT
(WHITE/BLACK)
RIGHT TURN SIGNAL
(GREEN/YELLOW)

Many states and Canadian provinces
require special outside mirrors when
towing a trailer. Even if they don’t,
you should install special mirrors if
you cannot clearly see behind you, or
if the trailer creates a blind spot.
Askyourtrailersalesorrental
agency if any other items are
recommended or required f or your
towing situation.When preparing to tow, and bef ore
driving away, be sure to check the
f ollowing:
The vehicle has been properly
serviced, and the tires, brakes,
suspension, and cooling system
are in good operating condition. The lights and brakes on your
vehicle and the trailer are working
properly.
The trailer has been properly
serviced and is in good condition.
Allitemsonandinthetrailerare
properly secured and cannot shif t
while you drive. Thehitch,safetychains,andany
other attachments are secure. Your vehicle tires and spare are
properly inf lated (see page ),
and the trailer tires and spare are
inflated as recommended by the
trailer maker.
All weights and loads are within
limits (see pages and ). If you tow f requently, f ollow the
Severe Conditions maintenance
schedule. 192
191 250
Additional Trailer EquipmentPre-T ow Checklist
Towing a Trailer
Driving195

The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
discussed below.When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
Make turns more slowly and wider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over. If youmuststopwhenfacinguphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
If you have an automatic
transmission, use the overdrive
(O/D) mode when towing a trailer
on level roads. Turn of f the
overdrive (O/D) mode when towing
a trailer in hilly terrain (see page
). (See ‘‘ ’’ in the
next column f or additional gear
inf ormation.) If the automatic transmission shif ts
f requently between 3rd and 4th
gears while going up a hill, turn of f
the overdrive (O/D) mode (see page
).
181
181
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
Towing a Trailer
Driving
Driving on Hills
Making T urns and Braking
T owing Speeds and Gears
Driving on Hills
196

The oil’s viscosity or weight is
provided on the container’s label.
Select the oil f or your vehicle
according to this chart.You may use a synthetic motor oil if
it meets the same requirements
given f or a conventional motor oil: it
displays the API Certif ication Seal,
and it is the proper weight as shown
on the chart. When using synthetic
oil, you must f ollow the oil and f ilter
change intervals given in the
maintenance schedule.
Your Honda does not require any oil
additives. Additives may adversely
af f ect your engine’s or transmission’s
perf ormance and durability.
5W-20 oil is f ormulated f or year-
round protection of your Honda, to
improve cold weather starting, and
to help your engine use less f uel.
Engine Oil
Maint enance
Synthetic Oil
A dditives
222
Ambient Temperature

When shopping f or replacement
tires, you may find that some tires
are ‘‘directional.’’ This means they
are designed to rotate only in one
direction. If you use directional tires,
they should be rotated only front-to-
back.
Make sure the installer balances the
wheels when you have new tires
installed. This increases riding
comf ort and tire lif e. Your vehicle’s
original tires were dynamic or ‘‘spin’’
balanced at the f actory. For best
results, have the installer perf orm a
dynamic balance.
To help increase tire lif e and
distribute wear more evenly, you
should have the tires rotated every
10,000 miles (16,000 km). Move the
tires to the positions shown in the
chart each time they are rotated.
(Only on vehicles equipped withaluminum wheels)
Tire Rotation
Tires
Maint enance252
Front Front
(For Non-directional
Tires and Wheels) (For Directional
Tires and Wheels)
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle’s aluminum wheels. Use
only genuine Honda wheel weights f or
balancing.

ÎÎ
ÎÎ
Î
Specif ications
T echnical Inf ormation306
Dimensions
Weights
Capacities Engine
169.3 in (4,300 mm)
71.5 in (1,815 mm)
70.4 in (1,788 mm)
101.4 in (2,575 mm)
62.1 in (1,577 mm)
62.3 in (1,582 mm)
1.88 US gal (7.1
)
1.90 US gal (7.2
)
3.3 US qt (3.1
)
7.6 US qt (7.2
)
2.0 US qt (1.9
)
Length
Width
Height
Wheelbase
Track
Gross vehicle weight rating
1.43 US gal (5.4
)
3.1 US qt (2.9
)
1.45 US gal (5.5
)
6.9 US qt (6.5
)
5.6 US qt (5.3
)
4.2 US qt (4.0)
4.4 US qt (4.2)
15.9 US gal (60
)
Fuel tank
Engine oil Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs 9.7 : 1
144 cu-in (2,354 cm
)
3.43 x 3.90 in (87.0 x 99.0 mm) Water cooled 4-stroke DOHC
VTEC 4-cylinder gasoline engine
See the certification label attached
to the driver’s doorjamb (front
edge of rear door).
See spark plug maintenance
section page 239 .
0.145 US gal (0.55
)
Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in the
engine.
Reserve tank capacity: Excluding the oil remaining in the engine.
Engine
coolant
Automatic
transmission
fluid
Manual
transmission
fluid
Rear
differential
fluid (4WD)
Windshield
washer
reservoir
4.8 US qt (4.5
)
2.6 US qt (2.5)
1.3 US qt (1.2
)
1.1 US qt (1.0)
2.4 US qt (2.3
)
2.3 US qt (2.2)
Approx.
Front
Rear
Change
Without filter
Total 1:
2:Change
Total
Change
Total
Change
4WD
2WD
Total 4WD
2WD
Change
Total 4WD
2WD
Change
Total
U.S. Vehicles
Canada
Vehicles
Automatic Transmission
Manual Transmission
1 2
2
Including filter