HONDA ELEMENT 2009 1.G Owners Manual

Reclining the Front SeatsYou can recline the seat-backs on the
front seats so they are level with the
rear seat cushions, making a large
cushioned area. To do this:
1. Remove the head restraints fromthe front seats (see page85),and
store them in the side pockets of
the cargo area. 2. Adjust the front seats forward as
far as possible. Pull up the seat-
back angle adjustment lever and
pivot the seat-back backward until
it is level with the rear seat
cushion.
3. Move the front seat backward until it touches the rear seat.
4. Adjust the rear seat-back to the desired position.
Reverse this procedure to return the
front and rear seats to the upright
position. Make sure you install the
head restraints and the seats are
locked securely before driving.
When you return the seat-back to its
upright position, hold the seat-back
to keep it from going up too quickly.
Seats
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2009 Element

Folding the Rear Seats
To create more cargo space, you can
fold up each rear seat to each side
wall separately.1. Lower the head restraint to its lowest position.
2. Pull the seat-back adjustment strapat the inside edge of the seat
cushion and push the seat-back
backward as far as it will go.
3. Pull the release strap on the seatsupport, and pivot the seat toward
the vehicle's side wall.
SEAT-BACK ADJUSTMENT STRAP
RELEASE STRAP
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2009 Element

4. A fastening strap is attached to theinside of the seat cushion. While
pushing the seat up and toward the
side wall, hook the fastening strap
to the grab rail.
5. Fold down the seat support. Reverse this procedure to return the
rear seat to the upright position.
When not in use, store the fastening
strap hook in the fabric pocket on the
bottom of the seat cushion. Make
sure the seat is locked securely.
GRAB RAIL
FASTENING STRAP
SEAT SUPPORT
Seats
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2009 Element

Removing the Rear SeatsBoth seats can be removed to give
more cargo capacity. To remove a
seat:1. Pull the release strap on the seat support to unlock the seat support.
2. Remove the cover between theseat cushion and the side wall by
pulling the tab and pulling the
cover straight up.
3. Push the lock lever forward tounlock the seat and fold down the
seat support.
RELEASE STRAP
TAB
COVER
LOCK LEVER STEEL HANDLE
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2009 Element

4. Hold the steel handle next to thelock lever and the handle strap at
the outside edge of the seat
cushion, and remove the entire
seat by pulling it up and backward. Reverse this procedure to reinstall
the seat. Make sure the seats are
securely locked in place before
driving.
Always remove an unsecured seat
from the vehicle before driving. A
seat that is not locked in place could
be thrown about and cause injury in a
sudden stop or crash.
STEEL HANDLE
HANDLE STRAP
Seats
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Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position to raise or lower either
window. To open a window, push the
switch down and hold it. Release the
switch when you want the window to
stop. Pull back on the switch and
hold it to close the window.
Closing a power window on
someone's hands or fingers can
cause serious injury.
Make sure your passengers are
away from the window before
closing them.
AUTO －To open/close the driver's
window, push the window switch
firmly down or up to the second
detent, and release it. The window
will automatically go up or down all
the way. To stop the window, pull/
push on the window switch briefly.
If the MAIN switch is OFF, the
passenger's window cannot be raised
or lowered. Keep the MAIN switch
off when you have children in the
vehicle so they do not injure
themselves by operating the
passenger's window unintentionally.
AUTO REVERSE －If the driver's
window senses any obstacle while it is
closing automatically, it will reverse
direction, and then stop. To close the
window, remove the obstacle, then use
the window switch again.
If your vehicle's battery is disconnected
or goes dead, or the driver's window
fuse is removed, the AUTO function
may be disabled. If this happens, the
power window system will need to be
reset after reconnecting the battery or
installing the fuse.
1. Start the engine. Push down and hold the driver's window switch until
the window is fully open.
2. Pull and hold the driver's window switch to close the window
completely, then hold the switch for
about 2 seconds.
If the power windows do not operate
properly after resetting, have your
vehicle checked by your dealer.
DRIVER'S WINDOW SWITCH
MAIN SWITCH
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2009 Element

Keep the inside and outside mirrors
clean and adjusted for best visibility.
Be sure to adjust the mirrors before
you start driving.
The inside mirror has day and night
positions. The night position reduces
glare from headlights behind you.
Flip the tab on the bottom edge of
the mirror to select the day or night
position.Adjusting the Power Mirrors
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position.
2. Move the selector switch to L (driver's side) or R (passenger's
side). 3. Push the appropriate edge of the
adjustment switch to move the
mirror right, left, up, or down.
4. When you finish, move the selector switch to the center (off)
position. This turns the adjustment
switch off to keep your settings.
TAB
SELECTOR SWITCH
ADJUSTMENT SWITCH
Mirrors
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Rear WindowsTo open a rear window, pull the lever
towards you, then push it out until it
locks. To close the rear window pull
the lever towards you, then push it
back. Make sure the window is fully
closed and locked.Parking Brake
To apply the parking brake, pull the lever
up fully. To release it, pull up slightly,
push the button, and lower the lever. The
parking brake indicator on the instrument
panel should go out when the parking
brake is fully released (see page58).
Driving the vehicle with the parking
brake applied can damage the rear
brakes and axles. A beeper will sound if
the vehicle is driven with the parking
brake on.
PARKING BRAKE LEVER
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2009 Element

Light Control SwitchOn EX and SC modelsThe light control switch has three
positions: OFF, Door Activated, and
ON.When the switch is in the OFFposition:●The individual map lights can be
turned on and off by pressing the
lenses.●The ceiling light cannot be turned
on.
When the switch is in the door
activated position:●The individual map lights come on
when any door is opened, or when
the remote transmitter is used to
unlock the doors (see page77).
When the doors are closed, each
light can be turned on and off by
pushing the lens.
After all doors are closed tightly, the
lights dim slightly, then fade out in
about 30 seconds.
With any door left open, the lights stay
on about 3 minutes, then go out.
The lights also come on when the key
is removed from the ignition switch.When the light control switch is in the ON position:●All the individual map lights and
ceiling light come on and stay on as
long as the switch remains in the ON
position.
Individual Map LightsOn EX and SC modelsTurn on the individual map lights by
pushing the lens. Push the lens again
to turn it off.
OFF ON
DOOR ACTIVATED POSITION
Interior Lights
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Courtesy LightOn vehicles with navigation systemThe courtesy light between the map
lights comes on when you turn the
parking lights on. To adjust its
brightness, turn the select/reset
knob on the instrument panel (see
page72).Ceiling Light
The ceiling light has a three-position
switch: ON, Door Activated, and OFF.
In the Door Activated (center)
position, the light comes on when you:●Open any door.●Remove the key from the ignition.
If you do not open a door, the light
fades out in about 30 seconds.●Unlock the doors with the key or
remote transmitter.
Cargo Area Light
The cargo area light has a three-
position switch. In the center
position, the light comes on when
you open the hatch.
Ignition Switch Light
The ignition switch light comes on
when you unlock the driver's door,
and fades out about 30 seconds after
you close the door.
COURTESY LIGHT
ON
OFF DOOR ACTIVATED
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2009 Element