HONDA ELEMENT 2010 1.G Owners Manual

Resting your foot on the brake or
clutch pedal causes the cruise
control to cancel.Canceling Cruise Control
You can cancel cruise control in any
of these ways:
● Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
● Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel.
● Push the CRUISE button on the
steering wheel. Resuming the Set Speed
When you push the CANCEL button,
or tap the brake or clutch pedal, the
system will remember the previously
set cruising speed. To return to that
speed, accelerate to above 25 mph
(40 km/h) then press and release the
RES/ACCEL button. The CRUISE
CONTROL indicator will come on.
The vehicle will accelerate to the
same cruising speed as before.
Pressing the CRUISE button turns
the system completely off and erases
the previous cruising speed.
RES/ACCEL
BUTTON
CANCELBUTTON
SET/DECELBUTTON
Cruise Control
195
Features
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On vehicles with navigation system
Whenever you shift to reverse (R)
with the ignition switch in the ON
(II) position, the rear view is shown
on the navigation system screen.
For the best picture, always keep the
rearview camera clean, and do not
cover the camera lens. To avoid
scratching the lens when you clean
it, use a moist, soft cloth.When in reverse, the touch screen
and navigation system
‘‘hard ’’
buttons are locked out, except the‘‘ ZOOM ’’button. Touching the ‘‘
’’
or ‘‘
’’button allows you to adjust
the brightness of the rearview
camera image.
The camera brightness cannot be
adjusted by voice control.
Since the rearview camera display
area is limited, you should always
back up slowly and carefully, and
look behind you for obstacles.
Rearview Camera and Monitor
196
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Before you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use and how to check the
levels of important fluids. You also
need to know how to properly store
luggage or packages. The
information 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........................... 198
Fuel Recommendation ................
198
Service Station Procedures .........199
Refueling .................................
199
Opening and Closing the Hood ................................... 200
Oil Check ................................ 201
Engine Coolant Check ............201
Fuel Economy .............................
202
Accessories and Modifications .......................... 205
Carrying Cargo ........................... 207
Before Driving
197
Before Driving

Break-in Period
Help assure your vehicle's future
reliability and performance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:● Avoid full-throttle starts and rapidacceleration.
● Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
● Avoid hard braking for the first 200
miles (300 km).
● Do not tow a trailer.
You should also follow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Fuel Recommendation
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 enginedamage.
On vehicles with manual transmission
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 shifting to
a lower gear.
We recommend using quality
gasoline containing detergent
additives that help prevent fuel
system and engine deposits.In addition, in order to maintain good
performance, fuel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
fuel additives such as MMT.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely affect performance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your authorized dealer for 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.
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
198
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If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
For further important fuel-related
information for your vehicle, or
information on gasoline that does not
contain MMT, visit Owner Link at
owners.honda.com. In Canada, visit
www.honda.cafor additional
information on gasoline. Refueling
1. Park with the driver's side closest to
the service station pump.
2. Outside of the vehicle, open the fuel fill door by pulling its notched edge.
Gasoline is highly flammable and
explosive. You can be burned or
seriously injured when handling fuel.
● Stop the engine and keep heat,
sparks, and flame away.
● Handle fuel only outdoors.
● Wipe up spills immediately.
3. Remove the fuel fill 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. 4. Stop filling the tank after the fuel
nozzle automatically clicks off. Do
not try to ‘‘top off ’’the tank. This
leaves some room in the fuel tank for
the fuel to expand with temperature changes.
If the fuel nozzle keeps clicking offeven though the tank is not full,
there may be a problem with your
vehicle's fuel vapor recovery system.
The system helps keep fuel vapor
from going into the atmosphere. Try
filling at another pump. If this does
not fix the problem, consult your dealer.
5. Screw the fuel fill cap back on until it clicks at least once. If you do not
properly tighten the cap, the
malfunction indicator lamp may
come on (see page 296). You will
also see a ‘‘CHECK FUEL CAP ’’
message on the information display.
6. Close the fuel fill door.
Fuel Recommendation, Service Station Procedures
199
Before Driving
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Opening and Closing the Hood
1. Park the vehicle, and set theparking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
2. Put your fingers under the frontedge of the hood near the center.
The hood latch handle is above the‘‘H ’’logo. Push this handle up to
release it. Lift up the hood.
If the hood latch handle moves
stiffly, or if you can open the hood
without lifting the handle, the
mechanism should be cleaned andlubricated.3. Pull the support rod out of its clip and insert the end into the
designated hole in the hood.
To close the hood, lift it up slightly to
remove the support rod from the
hole. Put the support rod back into
its holding clip. Lower the hood to
about a foot (30 cm) above the
fender, then let it drop. Make sure it
is securely latched.
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
LATCH
SUPPORT ROD
CLIP
Service Station Procedures
200
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Oil Check
Wait a few minutes after turning the
engine off before you check the oil.1. Remove the dipstick (orange tab).
2. Wipe the dipstick with a clean cloth or paper towel.
3. Insert it all the way back in its tube.
4. Remove the dipstick again, andcheck the level. It should be
between the upper and lowermarks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,see Adding Engine Oil on page 251.Engine Coolant Check
Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
Adding
Engine Coolant on page 254 for
information on adding the propercoolant.
Refer to Owner's Maintenance
Checks on page 248 for information
about checking other items on your vehicle.
DIPSTICK
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
MIN
MAX RESERVE TANK
Service Station Procedures
201
Before Driving
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Actual Mileage and EPA Fuel
Economy Estimates Comparison.
Fuel economy is not a fixed number.
It varies based on driving conditions,
driving habits and vehicle condition.
Therefore, it is not possible for one
set of estimates to predict fuel
economy precisely for all drivers in
all environments.
The EPA fuel economy estimates
shown in the example to the right are
a useful tool for comparison when
buying a vehicle. EPA estimates include:
City MPG－Represents urban
driving in a vehicle in light traffic. A
range of miles per gallon achieved is
also provided.
Highway MPG －Represents a
mixture of rural and interstate
driving, in a warmed-up vehicle,
typical of longer trips in free-flowing
traffic. A range of miles per gallon
achieved is also provided.
Combined Fuel Economy －
Represents a combination of city and
highway driving. The scale
represents the range of combined
fuel economy for other vehicles in
the class. Estimated Annual Fuel Cost
－
Provides an estimated annual fuel
cost, based on 15,000 miles (20,000
km) per year multiplied by the cost
per gallon (based on EPA fuel cost
data) divided by the combined fueleconomy.
For more information on fuel
economy ratings and factors that
affect fuel economy, visit
www.
fueleconomy.gov
(Canada: Visit
www.vehicles.gc.ca)
City MPG
Combined Fuel Economy Highway MPG
Estimated Annual
Fuel Cost
(Sample U.S. EPA label shown)
Fuel Economy
202
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Fuel Economy Factors
The following factors can lower your
vehicle's fuel economy:● Aggressive driving (hard
acceleration and braking)
● Excessive idling, accelerating and
braking in stop-and-go traffic
● Cold engine operation (engines are
more efficient when warmed up)
● Driving with a heavy load or the air
conditioner running
● Improperly inflated tires
Improving Fuel Economy
Vehicle MaintenanceA properly maintained vehicle
maximizes fuel economy. Poor
maintenance can significantly reduce
fuel economy. Always maintain your
vehicle according to the maintenance
messages displayed on the
information display (see Owner's
Maintenance Checks on page 248).
For example: ●
Use the recommended viscosity
motor oil, displaying the API
Certification Seal (see page 251).
● Maintain proper tire inflation －
An underinflated tire increases ‘‘ rolling resistance, ’’which reduces
fuel economy.
● Avoid carrying excess weight in
your vehicle －It puts a heavier
load on the engine, increasing fuel consumption.
● Keep your vehicle clean －In
particular, a build-up of snow or
mud on your vehicle's underside
adds weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your fuel economy.
Drive Efficiently● Drive moderately －Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering, and
hard braking increase fuelconsumption.
● Observe the speed limit －
Aerodynamic drag has a big effect
on fuel economy at speeds above
45 mph (75 km/h). Reduce your
speed and you reduce the drag.
Trailers, car top carriers, roof
racks and bike racks are also big
contributors to increased drag.
● Always drive in the highest gearpossible －If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, you can
boost your fuel economy by up
shifting as early as possible.
● Avoid excessive idling －Idling
results in 0 miles per gallon (0 kms
per liter).
CONTINUED
Fuel Economy
203
Before Driving
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●Minimize the use of the air
conditioning system －The A/C
puts an extra load on the engine
which makes it use more fuel. Use
the fresh-air ventilation when possible.
● Plan and combine trips －
Combine several short trips into
one. A warmed-up engine is more
fuel efficient than a cold one.
Calculating Fuel Economy
Measuring Techniques
Direct calculation is the
recommended source of information
about your actual fuel economy.
Using frequency of fill-ups or taking
fuel gauge readings are NOT
accurate measures of fuel economy.
Fuel economy may improve over the
first several thousand miles.
Checking Your Fuel Economy
1) Fill the fuel tank until the nozzle automatically clicks off.
2) Reset trip counter to zero.
3) Record the total gallons (liters) needed to refill.
4) Follow one of the simple calculations above.
100 Liter Kilometers L per
100 km
Miles
driven Gallons
of fuel Miles per
Gallon
Fuel Economy
204
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