cooling HONDA ELEMENT 2003 1.G Owner's Manual

Run the air conditioning at least once
a week during the cold weather
months. Run it f or at least ten
minutes while you are driving at a
steady speed with the engine at
normal operating temperature. This
circulates the lubricating oil con-
tained in the ref rigerant.If the air conditioning does not get as
cold as before, have your dealer
check the system. Recharge the
system with Ref rigerant HFC-134a
(R-134a). (See Specif ications on page
.)
Your vehicle’s air conditioning is a
sealed system. Any major mainte-
nance, such as recharging, should be
done by a qualif ied mechanic. You
can do a couple of things to make
sure the air conditioning works
ef f iciently.
Periodically check the engine’s
radiator and air conditioning
condenser f or leaves, insects, and
dirt stuck to the f ront surf ace. These
block the air f low and reduce cooling
ef f iciency. Use a light spray f rom a
hose or a sof t brush to remove them. 307
On U.S. EX, and Canadian DX and EX
models
A ir Condit ioning Syst em
Maint enance245
AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER
Whenever you have the air conditioning
system serviced, make sure the service
f acility uses a ref rigerant recycling
system. This system captures the
ref rigerant f or reuse. Releasing
ref rigerant into the atmosphere can
damage the environment.
The condenser and radiator f ins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure spray
or sof t-bristle brush to clean them.

To replace it: The dust and pollen f ilter is located
behind the glove box.Remove the dust and pollen f ilter
cover by pushing in on the lock tab,
then pulling the cover toward you.
The dust and pollen f ilter removes
pollen and dust that is brought in
f rom the outside through the heating
andcoolingsystem.
This f ilter should be replaced every
30,000 miles (48,000 km) under
normal conditions. It should be
replaced every 15,000 miles (24,000
km) if you drive primarily in urban
areas that have high concentrations
of soot in the air f rom industry and
diesel-powered vehicles. Replace it
more of ten if air f low f rom the
heating and cooling system becomes
less than usual.
Open the glove box. Remove the
hooks on the side panels by
pushingontheendof eachhook
fromtheinsideof theglovebox.
Pivot the glove box out of the way.
1. 2.
Replacement
Dust and Pollen Filter
Maint enance246
HOOKS
TABCOVER

If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine.If you do not see steam or spray,
leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading
(climbing a long, steep hill on a
hot day with the A/C running, for
example), the engine should start
to cool down almost immediately.
If it does, wait until the tempera-
ture gauge comes down to the mid-
point, then continue driving.
The pointer of your vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange under most conditions.
Itmaygohigherif youaredrivingup
a long steep hill on a very hot day. If
it climbs to the red mark, you should
determine the reason.
Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
Turn of f the heating and cooling
system and all other accessories.
Turn on the hazard warning
indicators.If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.
Wait until you see no more signs
of steam or spray, then open the
hood.
Your vehicle can overheat for several
reasons, such as lack of coolant or a
mechanical problem. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming f rom under the hood.
In either case, you should take
immediate action. 1.
2.3.
4.
5.
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed288
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to your engine.

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.

µ
µ
µ
No.Circuits Protected
Amps.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 Condenser Fan
Small Light
Interior Light
Cooling Fan Motor
Hazard
IGP
Horn, Stop
Not Used
Back Up
ABS Motor
Rear Defroster
Heater Motor
Power Window
Option
Lef t Headlight
Door Lock
Right Headlight
ABS F/S
Battery
Ignition 1
Spare Fuses
30 A
15 A
7.5 A 20 A
15 A
15 A
15 A
10 A
30 A
20 A
40 A
40 A
40 A
15 A
20 A
15 A
30 A
100 A 50 A
21 257.5A 30A
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Fuses
300
UNDER-HOOD FUSE BOX

.............
Halogen Headlight Bulbs . 258
................................................
Hatch .89
..............
Hazard Warning Flashers . 81
Headlights ........................................
Aiming .258
............
Daytime Running Lights . 77
..................
High Beam Indicator . 69
........................
Reminder Beeper .76
........
Replacing Halogen Bulbs . 258
...................................
Turning on .76
..............................
Head Restraints .94
.....................
Heating and Cooling .118
.............
High Altitude, Starting at . 175
.................
High-Low Beam Switch . 76
..............
High-mount Brake Light . 263
....................................
Hood Latch .237
.......................
Hood, Opening the .160 ..............................................
Horn .3,75
...........................
Hydraulic Clutch .235
.................................
Hydroplaning .190
..........................
Four-way Flashers .81
............................
Front Airbags .10, 54
.................................................
Fuel .158
......................
Fill Door and Cap .159
...........................................
Gauge .73
................
Octane Requirement . 158
...............................
Oxygenated .311
........................
Reserve Indicator .69
........................
Tank, Filling the .159
.....................
Fuses, Checking the .296
...............
Gas Mileage, Improving . 164
..........................................
Gasohol .311
.........................................
Gasoline .158
...............
Fuel Reserve Indicator . 69
...........................................
Gauge .73
................
Octane Requirement . 158
........................
Tank, Filling the .159
................
Gas Station Procedures . 159
Gauges ...
Engine Coolant Temperature . 74
...............................................
Fuel .73
...............................
Speedometer .72
.................................
Tachometer .72 Gearshif t Lever Positions
..........
Automatic Transmission . 179
5-speed Manual .........................
Transmission .177
..............................
Glass Cleaning .272
........................................
Glove Box .91
...
Identif ication Number, Vehicle . 304
Ignition ..............................................
Keys .83
...........................................
Switch .85
............
Timing Control System . 314
........................
Immobilizer System .84
.........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.........
Indicators, Instrument Panel . 65
...............................
Inf ant Restraint .34
......................................
Inf ant Seats .34
......
LATCH Anchorage System . 47
...........................
Lower Anchors .47
..........
Tether Anchorage Points . 46
...................
Inf lation, Proper Tire . 249
.........................
Normal Driving .250
.................................
Inside Mirror .106
.............................
Inspection, Tire .251
............................
Instrument Panel .65
........
Instrument Panel Brightness . 77
...........................
Interior Cleaning .271
Index
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