gas HONDA ELEMENT 2008 1.G Owners Manual

How to operate the heating and air
conditioning system, the audio
system, and other conveniencef eatures.
A convenient ref erence to the
sections in this manual.
A quick ref erence to the main
controls in your vehicle.
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and gauge,
and how to use the controls on the
dashboard and steering column. ID numbers, dimensions, capacities,
and technical information.
How to order manuals and other
technical literature.
A summary of the inf ormation you
need when you pull up to the f uel
pump.
What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
The proper way to start the engine,
shif t the transmission, and park; plus
what you need to know if you’re
planning to tow a trailer.
Important inf ormation about the
proper use and care of your vehicle’s
seat belts, an overview of the
supplemental restraint system, and
valuable inf ormation on how to
protect children with child restraints. A summary of the warranties
covering your new vehicle, and how
to contact us for any reason. Refer to
your warranty manual f or detailed
inf ormation.
The maintenance minder shows you
when you need to take your vehicle
to the dealer for maintenance service.
There is also a list of things to check
and instructions on how to check
them.
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience,
and details how to handle them.
Overview of Contents
Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Instruments and Controls
Features T echnical Inf ormation
Warranty and Customer
Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only)
Index
Service Inf ormation Summary
Bef ore Driving
Maintenance
Driving
T aking Care of the Unexpected
3
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Your vehicle’s exhaust contains
carbon monoxide gas. Carbon
monoxide should not enter the
vehicle in normal driving if you
maintain your vehicle properly and
f ollow the inf ormation on this page.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
underside. Select the f resh air mode.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
If you must sit in your parked vehicle
with the engine running, even in an
unconf ined area, adjust the heating
and cooling system as f ollows:
With the tailgate or 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 or hatch open,
openallthewindowsandsetthe
heating and cooling system as shown
below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
54
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.
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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. 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.
When both the hatch and tailgate are
open, the hatch cannot be latched
without f irst closing the tailgate.
To close the hatch, lower it, then
press down on the back edge.
With the hatch unlocked, open it by
pulling the handle and lif ting up. 54
152
Door L ocks
Carbon
Monoxide Hazard
Tailgate
82
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Bef ore you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use and how to check the
levels of important f luids. You also
need to know how to properly store
luggage or packages. The
inf ormation in this section will help
you. If you plan to add any
accessories to your vehicle, please
read the information in this section
first..............................
Break-in Period .140
.................
Fuel Recommendation .140
.........
Service Station Procedures .141
....................................
Ref ueling .141
Opening and Closing the
.......................................
Hood .142
...................................
Oil Check .143
.............
Engine Coolant Check .143
...............................
Fuel Economy .144
...
Accessories and Modif ications .147
.............................
Carrying Cargo .149
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
139
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Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Your vehicle is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 87 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise that can lead to engine damage.
You may hear a knocking noise from
the engine if you drive the vehicle at
low engine speed (below about 1,000
rpm) in a higher gear. To stop this,
raise the engine speed by shif ting to
a lower gear.
We recommend quality gasoline
containing detergent additives that
help prevent f uel system and engine
deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your authorized dealer f or service.
Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 % ethanol by
volume and up to 15 % MTBE by
volume. Do not use gasoline
containing methanol.
On vehicles with manual transmission
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period Fuel Recommendation
140
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Close the f uel f ill door.
Screw the f uel f ill cap back on
until it clicks at least once. If you
do not properly tighten the cap,
the malf unction indicator lamp
maycomeon(seepage).You
will also see a ‘‘CHECK FUEL
CAP’’ message on the inf ormation
display.
even though the tank is not f ull,
there may be a problem with your
vehicle’s fuel vapor recovery
system. The system helps keep
f uel vapor f rom going into the
atmosphere. Try f illing at another
pump. If this does not f ix the
problem, consult your dealer.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top of f ’’ the tank. Leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.
Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.
Park with the driver’s side closest
to the service station pump.
Outside of the vehicle, open the
f uel f ill door by pulling its notched
edge.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
1.
2.
3.4.
5.
6.
236
If the f uel nozzle keeps clicking of f
Ref ueling
Quick Start Guide
Fuel Recommendation, Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
141
Stop the engine, and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.
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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 pedals, the seat operation, or
the proper operation of the
sensors under 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.If youfoldtherearseatsdownor
up,orremovethem,tiedown
items that could be thrown about
the vehicle during a crash or
sudden stop. Also, keep all cargo
below the bottom of the windows.
If it is higher, it could interf ere
with the proper operation of the
side curtain airbags.
Distribute cargo evenly on the
f loor of the cargo area, placing the
heaviest items on the bottom and
as far forward as possible. Tie
down items that could be thrown
about the vehicle during a crash or
sudden stop.
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.
If you carry any items on a roof
rack,besurethetotalweightof
the rack and the items does not
exceed 165 lbs (75 kg).
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
,followthe
instructions on page . 54
Carrying Cargo
Carrying Items in the Passenger
Compartment
Carrying Cargo in the Cargo A rea
or on a Roof Rack carbon
monoxide poisoning
152
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To eliminate potential hazards, read
the instructions bef ore you begin,
and make sure you have the tools
and skills required.To clean parts, use a commercially
available degreaser or parts
cleaner, not gasoline.
To reduce the possibility of f ire or
explosion, keep cigarettes, sparks,
and flames away from the battery
and all f uel-related parts.
Make sure your vehicle is parked
on level ground, the parking brake
is set, and the engine is of f .
All service items not detailed in this
section should be perf ormed by a
certif ied technician or other qualif ied
mechanic.
Wear eye protection and
protective clothing when working
with the battery or compressed air.
Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
down bef ore touching any parts.
Do
not run the engine unless
instructed to do so.
Some of the most important saf ety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every
conceivable hazard that can arise in
perf orming maintenance. Only you
can decide whether or not you
should perf orm a given task.
Be sure there is
adequate ventilation whenever you
operate the engine.
Maintenance Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions Burns f rom hot parts.
Injury f rom moving parts.
Carbon Monoxide poison f rom
engine exhaust.
Potential Vehicle Hazards
184
Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures
and precautions in this owner’s
manual.
Improperly maintaining this
vehicle, or failing to correct a
problem before driving can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection
and maintenance
recommendations and
schedules in this owner’s
manual.
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The oil viscosity or weight is
provided on the container’s label.
5W-20 oil is f ormulated f or year-
round protection of your vehicle to
improve cold weather starting and
f uel economy.
Unscrew and remove the engine oil
fill cap on top of the valve cover.
Pour in the oil slowly and caref ully so
you do not spill. Clean up any spills
immediately. Spilled oil could
damage components in the engine
compartment. Install the engine oil
f ill cap, and tighten it securely. Wait
a f ew minutes, and recheck the oil
level. Do not f ill above the upper
mark; you could damage the engine. Oil is a major contributor to your
engine’s perf ormance and longevity.
Always use a premium-grade 5W-20
detergent oil displaying the API
certif ication seal. This seal indicates
the oil is energy conserving, and that
it meets the American Petroleum
Institute’s latest requirements.
Honda motor oil is the pref erred
5W-20 lubricant f or your vehicle. It is
highly recommended that you use
Honda motor oil in your vehicle f or
optimum engine protection. Make
sure the API certif ication seal says
‘‘For Gasoline Engines.’’
Recommended Engine Oil
A dding Engine Oil
Maint enance
193
ENGINE OIL FILL CAP
API CERTIFICATION SEALAmbient Temperature
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Remove the oil f ilter and let the
remaining oil drain. A special
wrench (available from your
dealer) is required.Install a new oil f ilter according to
the instructions that come with it.
Turn of f the engine and let it sit
f or several minutes, then check
the oil level on the dipstick. If
necessary, add more oil.
Let the engine run f or several
minutes, then check the drain bolt
and oil f ilter f or leaks.
Replace the engine oil f ill cap.
Start the engine. The oil pressure
indicator should go out within 5
seconds. If it does not, turn of f the
engine, and check your work.
Refill the engine with the recom-
mended oil.
Engine oil change capacity
(including f ilter):
Put a new washer on the drain bolt,
then reinstall the drain bolt.
Tighten the drain bolt to:
Make sure the oil f ilter gasket is
not stuck to the engine block. If it
is, remove it bef ore installing a
new oil f ilter. 4.
3. 5.
6.
7.
8.9.
Changing the Engine Oil and Filter
Maint enance
195
OIL FILTER
4.4 US qt (4.2)
33 lbf·ft (44 N·m , 4.5 kgf·m)
Improper disposal of engine oil can be
harmf ul to the environment. If you
change your own oil, please dispose of
the used oil properly. Put it in a sealed
container, and take it to a recycling
center. Do not discard it in a trash bin
or dump it on the ground.
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