instrument panel HONDA ELEMENT 2011 1.G Owner's Manual

To adjust the steering wheel upward
or downward:1. Push the lever under the left side of the steering column all the way
down.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down to the desired position.
Make sure you can see the
instrument panel gauges and the
indicators. 3. Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position.
4. Make sure you have securely locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up and down. Keys and Locks
The master key fits all the locks on
your vehicle. The valet key works
only in the ignition and the door
locks. You can keep the glove box
and hatch locked when you leave
your vehicle and the valet key at a
parking facility.
KEY
NUMBER
TAG
MASTER
KEYS
(BLACK)VALET
KEY
(LIGHT
GRAY)
CONTINUED
Steering Wheel Adjustment, Keys and Locks
75
Instruments and Controls
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If the front wheels are turned, the
anti-theft lock may make it difficult to
turn the key. Firmly turn the steering
wheel to the left or right as you turn
the key.
ACCESSORY (I)－You can operate
the audio system and the accessory
power sockets in this position.
ON (II) －This is the normal key
position when driving. Several of the
indicators on the instrument panel
come on as a test when you turn the
ignition switch from the
ACCESSORY (I) to the ON (II)
position.
START (III) －Use this position
only to start the engine. The switch
returns to the ON (II) position when
you let go of the key. You will hear a reminder beeper if
you leave the key in the LOCK (0) or
the ACCESSORY (I) position and
open the driver's door. Remove the
key to turn off the beeper.
The shift lever must be in Park
before you can remove the key from
the ignition switch.
Removing the key from the
ignition switch while driving
locks the steering. This can
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle.
Remove the key from the
ignition switch only when
parked.Power Door Locks
To lock all of the doors and hatch,
press the door lock switch on the
driver's door, or press the lock tab
down on the driver's door, or use the
key on the outside lock. Pressing up
on the door lock switch will unlock
all of the doors and the hatch.
LOCK TAB
DOOR LOCK SWITCH
Ignition Switch, Door Locks8010/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

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 page 58).
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
Rear Windows, Parking Brake9410/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

Cruise control allows you to maintain
a set speed above 25 mph (40 km/h)
without keeping your foot on the
accelerator pedal. It should be used
for cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended for
city driving, winding roads, slippery
roads, heavy rain, or bad weather.
Improper use of the cruise
control can lead to a crash.
Use the cruise control only
when traveling on open
highways in good weather.Using Cruise Control
1. Push the CRUISE button on the
steering wheel. The CRUISE
MAIN indicator on the instrument
panel comes on.
The cruise control system can be left
on, even when it is not in use. 2. Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed above 25 mph (40 km/h).
3. Press and release the SET/ DECEL button on the steering
wheel. The CRUISE CONTROL
indicator on the instrument panel
comes on to show the system is
now activated.
RES/ACCEL
BUTTON
CANCEL
BUTTON
SET/DECEL
BUTTON
CRUISE BUTTON
CONTINUED
Cruise Control
137
Features
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Cruise control may not hold the set
speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down. This will cancel cruise
control. To resume the set speed,
press the RES/ACCEL button. The
CRUISE CONTROL indicator on the
instrument panel will come back on.Changing the Set Speed
You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
●Press and hold the RES/ACCEL
button. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.●To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RES/
ACCEL button. Each time you do
this, the vehicle will speed up
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).●Push on the accelerator pedal.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed, then press the SET/
DECEL button.
You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
NOTE: If you need to decrease your
speed quickly, use the brakes as you
normally would.
●Press and hold the SET/DECEL
button. Release the button when
you reach the desired speed.●To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/DECEL
button. Each time you do this,
your vehicle will slow down about
1 mph (1.6 km/h).●Tap the brake pedal lightly with
your foot. The CRUISE CONTROL
indicator on the instrument panel
will go out. When the vehicle
slows to the desired speed, press
the SET/DECEL button.
Even with the cruise control turned
on, you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up for passing. After
completing the pass, take your foot
off the accelerator pedal. The vehicle
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal
causes the cruise control to cancel.
RES/ACCEL
BUTTON
CANCEL
BUTTON
SET/DECEL
BUTTON
Cruise Control13810/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

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 rapid
acceleration.●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 engine
damage.
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 Recommendation14210/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu

You should do the following checks
and adjustments before you drive
your vehicle.1. Make sure all windows, mirrors, and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost, snow,
or ice.
2. Check that the hood is fully closed.
3. Visually check the tires. If a tire looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
4. Check that any items you may be carrying are stored properly or
fastened down securely. 5. Check the seat adjustment (see
page 83).
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and outside mirrors (see page 93).
7. Check the steering wheel adjustment (see page 74). 8. Make sure the doors, the hatch,
and the tailgate are securely
closed and locked.
9. Fasten your seat belt. Check that your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page 14).
10. When you start the engine, check the gauges and indicators in the
instrument panel (see page 57).
Preparing to Drive
159
Driving
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Shift Lever Position IndicatorsThese indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shift
lever is in.
The‘‘D ’’indicator comes on for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position. If it
flashes while driving (in any shift
position), it indicates a possible
problem in the transmission. Avoid
rapid acceleration, and have the
transmission checked by your dealer
as soon as possible. Shifting
To shift from any position, press
firmly on the brake pedal, push the
release button, and pull the lever
toward you. You cannot shift out of
Park when the ignition switch is in
the LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I)
position.
To shift from:
Do this:
PtoR Press the brake pedal, and
press the shift lever release
button.
RtoP
Press the shift lever release
button.
NtoR
Dto2 2to1
1to2
Move the shift lever.
2toD
DtoN
NtoD RtoN
D3 to D Press the D
3button.
DtoD3
Park (P) －This position
mechanically locks the transmission.
Use Park whenever you are turning
off or starting the engine. To shift out
of Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and press the release button on
the shift lever. Make sure your foot is
off the accelerator pedal.
RELEASE BUTTON
D3 BUTTON SHIFT LEVER
CONTINUED
Automatic Transmission
161
Driving
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The maintenance item code or codes
indicate the main and sub items
required at the time of the oil change
(see page 188).
You can switch the information
display from the engine oil life
display to the odometer or the trip
meter. Press and release the select/
reset knob on the instrument panel.
When the engine oil life is 15 to 1
percent, the Maintenance Minder
indicator (
) comes on every time
you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position, then it goes out if
you switch the information display.
When you see this message, have
the indicated maintenance performed
by your dealer as soon as possible.
When the remaining engine oil life is
0 percent, the engine oil life indicator
will blink. The display comes on
every time you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position. The
Maintenance Minder indicator (
)
also comes on and remains on in the
instrument panel. When you see this
message, immediately have the
indicated maintenance done by your
dealer.
If you do not perform the indicated
maintenance, negative distance
traveled is displayed and begins to
blink after the vehicle has been
driven 10 miles or more.
Negative distance traveled means
your vehicle has passed the
maintenance required point.
Immediately have the indicated
maintenance done by your dealer.
NEGATIVE DISTANCE TRAVELED
CONTINUED
Maintenance Minder
TM187
Maintenance
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The Starter Operates Normally
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 a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the instrument panel
to blink rapidly (see page 60).●Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer toStarting the
Engine on page 160.
●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 239).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find the
problem (see Emergency Towing
on page 244).
If the Engine Won't Start23010/08/06 08:34:41 11 ELEMENT MMC North America Owner's Man 50 31SCV680 enu