engine HONDA ELEMENT 2007 1.G Workshop Manual

A low power steering f luid level can
indicate a leak in the system. Check
the f luid level f requently, and have
the system inspected as soon as
possible.
To clean the gray composite body
panels, wash them with soap and
water only. Do not apply wax to the
panels; it will cause discoloration. Always use Honda Power Steering
Fluid. You may use another power
steering f luid as an emergency
replacement, but have the power
steering system f lushed and ref illed
with Honda PSF as soon as possible.
Check the level on the side of the
reservoir when the engine is cold.
The f luid should be between the
UPPER LEVEL and LOWER LEVEL.
If not, add power steering f luid to the
UPPER LEVEL.
Pour the f luid slowly and caref ully so
you do not spill any. Clean up any
spill immediately; it could damage
components in the engine
compartment.
The f luid level should be between
theMINandMAXmarksontheside
of the reservoir. If it is not, add
brake f luid to bring it up to that level.
Use the same fluid specified for the
brake system.
A low f luid level can indicate a leak
in the clutch system. Have this
system inspected as soon as possible.
If equipped with body panels
Manual Transmission only
Cleaning the Body Panels
Power Steering Fluid
Clutch Fluid
Brake and Clutch Fluid, Power Steering Fluid, Cleaning the Body Panels
Maint enance
197
UPPER LEVEL
LOWER LEVEL
MAX
MAX
Turning the steering wheel to f ull lef t
or right lock and holding it there can
damage the power steering pump.

Fill the f uel tank.
Change the engine oil and f ilter.
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc., are
completely dry.Block the rear wheels.
If the vehicle is to be stored f or a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Cover the vehicle with a
‘‘breathable’’ cover, one made
f rom a porous material such as
cotton. Non-porous materials, such
as plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
If you need to park your vehicle f or
an extended period (more than 1
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your vehicle back on the road. If
possible, store your vehicle indoors. Leave one window open slightly (if
the vehicle is being stored
indoors).
Disconnect the battery.
Support the f ront and rear wiper
blade arms with a f olded towel or
ragsotheydonottouchthe
windshield.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and tailgate seals. Also, apply a
vehiclebodywaxtothepainted
surfaces that mate with the door
and tailgate seals.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in reverse
(manual) or Park (automatic). If possible, periodically run the
engine until it reaches f ull
operating temperature (the
cooling f ans cycle on and of f
twice). Pref erably, do this once a
month.
Vehicle Storage
Maint enance
215

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 .218
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .219
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start .225
................................
Jump Starting .227
..............
If the Engine Overheats .229
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator .231
..........
Charging System Indicator .231
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp .232
...............
Brake System Indicator .233
..............................................
Fuses .234
..............................
Fuse Locations .237
......................
Emergency Towing .239
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
217

Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position: Wh
en you turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, you do not
hear the normal noise of the engine
trying to start. You may hear a
clicking sound, a series of clicks, or
nothing at all. Turn
the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the fuses. If the fuses
areOK,thereisprobably
something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to
determine the problem. See
on page .
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is
discharged 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 ).
You
hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
faster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Turn on the
headlights, and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or do not come on at all,
the battery is discharged (see on page ).
Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, the shif t
lever must be in Park or neutral.
Check these things:
227 227
214 239
CONT INUED
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Emergency T owing
Jump Starting
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
225

Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the instrument panel
to blink rapidly (see page ).
In
this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position, but the engine does not run.
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer to
on page . Do
you have fuel? Check the fuel
gauge; the low fuel indicator may
not be working.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses
(see page ).
Ifyoufindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualified technician to find
the problem (see
on page ).
62 234
239
152
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing
If theEngineWon’tStart
226

´´ µIf the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle.
Start your vehicle. If the starter
motor still operates slowly, check
that the jumper cables have good
metal-to-metal contact.
Once your vehicle is running,
disconnect the negative cable f rom
your vehicle, then f rom the
booster battery. Disconnect the
positive cable f rom your vehicle,
then from the booster battery.
Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the vehicle until everything is
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
battery. Connect the other end to
the positive ( ) terminal on the
booster battery.
Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the grounding strap
on your vehicle as shown. Do not
connect this jumper cable to any
other part of the engine.
4. 5.
6.
7.
3.
Jump Starting
228

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,
the engine should start to cool
down almost immediately. If it
does, wait until the temperature
gauge comes down to the midpoint,
then continue driving.
If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn off the engine.
The pointer of the vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange. If it climbs to the red
mark, you should determine the
reason (hot day, driving up a steep
hill, etc.).
If the vehicle overheats, you should
take immediate action. 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.
If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine. Wait until you see
no more signs of steam or spray,
then open the hood. Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in neutral
(M/T) or Park (A/T), and set the
parking brake. Turn of f all the
accessories, and turn on the
hazard indicator.
1.
2. 3.
4.
CONT INUED
If theEngineOverheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
229
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 the engine.

Look for any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you find a leak, it
must be repaired before you
continue driving (see
on page ).
Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the first stop. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap, and turn it until it comes
off. Put
the radiator cap back on
tightl y. Run the engine, and check
the temperatu re 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.
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may need to add
coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the
temperature gauge or lower
bef ore checking the radiator. Start the engine, and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum heat. 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 you don’t f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Add coolant
if the level is below the MIN mark. 9.
8.
7. 6. 5.
11. 10.
239
239
Emergency
Towing
Emergency
Towing
If theEngineOverheats
230
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.

Let the vehicle sit for a minute.
Op en the hood, and check the oil
level (see page ). An engine
very low on oil can lose pressure
during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipsti ck (see page ). If
the charging system
indicator comes on brightly
when the engine is running, the
battery is not being charged.
Immediately turn off all electri cal
accessories. Try not to use other
electrically operated controls such as
the power windows. Keep the engine
running; starting the engine will
discharge the battery rapidly.
Go to a service station or garage
where you can get technical
assistance.
Safely
pull off the road, and shut
off the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning lights.
Start the engine, and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If it does not go
out within 10 seconds, turn off the
engine. There is a mechanical
problem that needs to be repaired
bef ore you can continue driving
(see on page
).
This indicator should never
come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing or stays
on, the oil pressure has dropped very
low or lost pressure. Serious engine
damage is possible, and you should
take immediate action. 1.
2.
4. 3.
141
189
239
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
Charging System Indicator
Emergency T owing
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator, Charging System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
231
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.

If the indicator comes on repeatedly,
even though it may turn off as you
continue driving, have your vehicle
checked by your dealer as soon as
possible.
If
this indicator comes on
while driving, it means one
of the engine’s emissions control
systems may have a problem. Even
though you may feel no difference in
your vehicle’s performance, it can
reduce your fuel economy and cause
increased emissions. Continued
operation may cause serious damag e.
If you have recently refueled your
vehicle, the indicator coming on
could be due to a loose or missing
fu el fill cap. You will also see a
‘‘CHECK FUEL CAP’’ message on
the information display. Tighten the
cap until it clicks at least once.
Tightening the cap will not turn the
indicator off immediatel y; it can take
several days of normal driving. If
your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, the malfunction
indicator lamp may also come on
with the ‘‘D’’ indicator. Tocheckiftheyareset,turnthe
ignitionswitchtotheON(II)
position,wi
thoutstartingtheengine.
Them alfunctionindicato rlampwill
comeonfo r20seconds.Ifi tthen
goesoff,thereadinesscodesareset.
Ifitblinksfi vetimes,thereadiness
codesarenotset.Ifpossible,donot
take your vehicle for a state
emissions test until the readiness
codes are set. Ref er to for more information
(see page ). If your vehicle’s battery has been
disconnected or gone dead, these
codes are erased. It takes several
days of driving under various
conditions to set the codes again.
Your vehicle has certain " readiness
codes" that are part of the on-board
diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. In some states and
provinces, part of the emissions testing is to make sure these codes
are set. If they are not set, the test
cannot be completed.
254
Malf unction Indicator L amp
Emissions
T esting
R
ea
d ines
sC

odes
232
If you keep driving with the
malf unction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your vehicle’s emissions
controls and engine. Those repairs may
not be covered by your vehicle’s
warranties.