tailgate HONDA ELEMENT 2003 1.G Owners Manual

To make sure you and your
passengers get the maximum
protection f rom your vehicle’s saf ety
f eatures, check the f ollowing each
time before you drive away:All adults, and children who have
outgrown child saf ety seats, are
wearing their seat belts and
wearingthemproperly(seepage ).
Any inf ant or small child is
properly restrained in a child seat
inthebackseat(seepage ).
Frontseatoccupantsaresitting
upright and as f ar back as possible
f rom the steering wheel and
dashboard (see page ).
Seat-backs are upright (see page ). Head restraints are properly
adjusted (see page ).
Alldoorsandthetailgateare
closed and locked (see page ).
All cargo is properly stored or
secured (see page ).
The rest of this section gives more
detailed inf ormation about how you
can maximize your saf ety.
Remember, however, that no saf ety
system can prevent all injuries or
deaths that can occur in severe
crashes, even when seat belts are
properly worn and the airbags deploy.
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24
13
15 16
13
167
Pre-Drive Saf ety Checklist
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
Driver and Passenger Saf ety12

The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to properly
protect the driver and other adult
occupants.
These instructions also apply to
children who have outgrown child
seats and are large enough to wear
lap/shoulder belts. (See page f or
important additional guidelines on
how to properly protect larger
children.)
Af ter everyone has entered the
vehicle, be sure the doors and
tailgate (including the hatch glass)
are closed.Your vehicle has a door
monitor light on the
instrument panel to indicate when
any door is not tightly closed. Any driver who sits too close to the
steering wheel is at risk of being
seriously injured or killed by striking
the steering wheel or f rom being
struck by an inflating front airbag
during a crash.
Your vehicle also has a
tailgate and hatch open
indicator light on the instrument
panel to indicate when the tailgate or
the hatch is not tightly closed.
For saf ety, locking the doors reduces
the chance that a passenger,
especially a child, will open a door
while the vehicle is moving and
accidentally f all out. It also reduces
the chance of someone being thrown
out of the vehicle during a crash.
For security, locked doors can
prevent an outsider f rom
unexpectedly opening a door when
you come to a stop.
See page f or how to lock the
doors.
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87
CONT INUED
Introduction
Close and L ock the Doors Adjust the Front Seats
1. 2.
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety13

CONT INUED
The f ollowing pages give general
guidelines f or selecting and installing
child seats f or inf ants and small
children.
Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition,
and open the tailgate or hatch,
which can lead to accidental injury
or death. Children
who play in vehicles can
accidentally get trapped inside the
vehicle. Teach your children not to
play in or around vehicles.
Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states and Canadian provinces,
and can be very hazardous. For
example, inf ants and small
childrenleftinavehicleonahot
day can die f rom heatstroke. And
children lef t alone with the key in
the ignition can accidentally set
the vehicle in motion, possibly
injuring themselves or others.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Children
General Guidelines f or Using
Child Seats
Additional Saf ety Precautions
K eep vehicle keys out of t he reach
of children.
L ock all doors and t he hat ch when
your vehicle is not in use.
Do not leave children alone in your
vehicle.
29

Your vehicle’s exhaust contains
carbon monoxide gas. You should
have no problem with carbon
monoxide entering the vehicle in
normal driving if you maintain your
vehicle properly.High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage.
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:
The vehicle is raised f or an oil
change.
You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust.
The vehicle was in an accident
that may have damaged the under-
side. If you must sit in your parked vehicle,
even in an unconf ined area, with the
engine running, adjust the heating
and cooling system as f ollows:
Select the Fresh Air mode.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
With the tailgate/hatch open, air
f low can pull exhaust gas into your
vehicle’s interior and create a
hazardous condition. If you must
drive with the tailgate/hatch open,
openallthewindowsandsetthe
heating and cooling system as shown
below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Driver and Passenger Saf ety60
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.

This section gives inf ormation about
the controls and displays that
contribute to the daily operation of
your Honda. All the essential
controls are within easy reach............................
Control Locations .64
...............................
Indicator Lights .65
.............................................
Gauges .72
...............................
Speedometer .72 .................................
Tachometer .72
..............
Odometer/Trip Meter . 73
..................................
Fuel Gauge .73
...................
Temperature Gauge . 74
Controls Near the Steering .......................................
Wheel .75
...................................
Headlights .76
............
Daytime Running Lights . 77
....
Instrument Panel Brightness . 77
................................
Turn Signals .77
.....................
Windshield Wipers .78
..................
Windshield Washers . 79
Rear Window Wiper and .....................................
Washer .80
..........................
Hazard Warning .81
.............
Rear Window Def ogger . 81
......
Steering Wheel Adjustment . 82
...............................
Keys and Locks .83
..............................................
Keys .83
....................
Immobilizer System . 84
............................
Ignition Switch .85
......................
Power Door Locks .87
..................................
Rear Doors .88
............................................
Hatch .89
........................................
Tailgate .90
....................................
Glove Box .91 .................................................
Seats .92
.............
Front Seat Adjustments . 92
Driver’s Seat Height ..............................
Adjustment .93
................
Driver’s Seat Armrest . 93
..........................
Head Restraints .94
........................
Rear Seat Access .95
.......
Rear Seat-back Adjustment . 96
..........
Reclining the Front Seats . 97
...............
Folding the Rear Seats . 99
........
Removing the Rear Seats . 101
............................
Power Windows .103
...............................
Rear Windows .105
...........................................
Mirrors .106
..
Adjusting the Power Mirrors . 106
..........................................
Skylight .107
.........................
Beverage Holders .110
...............................
Parking Brake .111
...............................
Ceiling Pocket .112
.......................................
Coin Tray .112
............
Accessory Power Sockets . 113
...............................
Interior Lights .114
..............................
Ceiling Light .114
...................................
Spotlights .114
......................
Cargo Area Light .115
................
Ignition Switch Light . 115
Instruments and Controls
Inst rument s and Cont rols63

Î
Î
The U.S. instrument panel is shown. Dif f erences f or the Canadian models are noted in the text.
Indicator L ights
Inst rument s and Cont rols65
IMMOBILIZER
SYSTEM
INDICATOR
(P.68)
MAINTENANCE
REQUIRED INDICATOR
(P.70) (P.67)
DOOR-OPEN
INDICATOR
(P.70)
CRUISE CONTROL
INDICATOR (P. 69) SIDE AIRBAG CUTOFF
INDICATOR
(P.67)
LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR
PARKING BRAKE AND
BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATOR
CHARGING SYSTEM
INDICATOR
(P.66,
290)
(P.66, 291) (P.69) LOW FUEL INDICATOR
HIGH BEAM INDICATOR
SEAT BELT
REMINDER LIGHT
(P.67)TAILGATE AND HATCH
OPEN INDICATOR
(P.70)
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM INDICATOR
(P.69)
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE
SYSTEM INDICATOR
(P.68)
(P.66,
292)
(P.66, 294)

µBetween 8,000 miles (12,800 km)
and 10,000 miles (16,000 km), this
indicator will light f or two seconds
when you f irst turn the ignition
switch to ON (II), and then flash for
ten seconds.
If you exceed 10,000 miles (16,000
km) without having the scheduled
maintenance perf ormed, this
indicator will remain on as a constant
reminder.
This light comes on if any door is not
closed tightly.
For the f irst 8,000 miles (12,800 km)
af ter the Maintenance Required
Indicator is reset, it will come on f or
two seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II). Ref er to the Maintenance Schedules
f or Normal and Severe Driving
Conditions on pages.
This indicator reminds you that it is
time to take your vehicle in for
scheduled maintenance.
This light comes on if the tailgate or
the hatch is not closed tightly.
212 216
Indicator L ights
Maintenance Required
Indicator
Door-open Indicator Tailgate and Hatch Open
Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols70

CONT INUED
You can lock or unlock the hatch in
any of these ways:Useyourmasterkeytolockand
unlock the hatch.
Turnthekeyclockwisetolockthe
hatch, and counterclockwise to
unlock it. Lock the hatch by pushing down
the lock tab on the driver’s door
(see page ), or by using the
master key in the driver’s door
lock.
Lock or unlock the hatch with the
master door lock switch.
With the hatch unlocked, open it by
pulling the handle and lif ting up.
To close the hatch, lower it, then
press down on the back edge.
When both the hatch and tailgate are
open, the hatch cannot be latched
without f irst closing the tailgate.
87
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Hatch
89

See page for information on
cargo loading. Keep the hatch closed
at all times while driving to avoid
damaging the hatch, and to prevent
exhaust gas from getting into the
interior. Seeon page .
Youcanopenthetailgateonlywhen
the hatch is open. To open the
tailgate, slide the lock lever to the
lef t and swing down the tailgate. To
close the tailgate, lif t it up and push
it f irmly until it latches.
Bef ore closing the tailgate, make
sure the hatch is raised. Closing the
tailgate on the lowered hatch can
damage the hatch and the tailgate. See page for information on
cargo loading. Keep the tailgate and
the hatch closed at all times while
driving to avoid damaging them, and
to prevent exhaust gas f rom getting
into the interior. See
on page .
60 60
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167
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Carbon Monoxide
Hazard Tailgate
Carbon
Monoxide Hazard
90

To remove the skylight:
Turn of f the engine, and set the
parkingbrake.Thenpulldownthe
lever, squeeze both sides of the pivot
while pushing up the red tab in the
lever, and pull the lever assembly
away from the ceiling.Push up the rear of the skylight.
Standing on the tailgate with the
hatch down, hold both sides of the
skylight and pull it toward you to
remove it f rom the vehicle roof .
With the rear seats in their upright
position, store the skylight, f ace
down in its bag in the cargo area.
Secure the bag with four hooks on
the cargo area f loor. Do not store
anything on top of the skylight.
Removing and Storing the
Skylight
Skylight
Inst rument s and Cont rols108
The maximum weight on the tailgate is
440 lbs (200 kg).