HONDA PASSPORT 2000 2.G Owners Manual

There are no provisions in your
vehicle to tap into its hydraulic
braking system. Any attempt toattach the trailer's brakes to your
vehicle's hydraulic braking system, no matter how successfulit may seem, will lower braking
effectiveness and create a
potential hazard.

Equipmen t Chec k

Before operating your vehicle,
check all safety equipment to
ensure safe operation. Be sure
your vehicle is properly serviced
to avoid mechanical failure.
Check that your vehicle remains
level when the loaded or unloadedtrailer is hitched. Do not drive if
the rear end of your vehicle is abnormally higher or lower.
Check for proper tongue weight,
overload, improper weight
distribution, worn suspension, or

other possible causes.

Make sure the trailer load is

properly positione
d and secured

so its does not shift around whil
e

driving.

Chec k
if your rearview mirrors

comply with federal, state and

local regulations. If not, confirm
the proper mirrors required for

towing and have them installed.

Perform an equipment check of

all braking, lighting and safety

equipment to ensure they are working properly.
Your safety depends on proper
operation and installation of
equipment. Never operate a
vehicle with faulty equipment.
Limite
d Sli p Differentia l
Standard on 4WD models

The limited slip differential is
designed to improve traction by limiting wheelspin. If one rear
wheel begins to spin on a slipperysurface, the limited slip
differential will automatically
transmit driving force to the other
rear wheel.
Drivin g Tip s

I
n Cas e o f Emergenc y
This section covers the most
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you information on how tosafely evaluate those problems,
with tips to help get you going
again. Lastly, it tells you how to
have your vehicle towed. Jump Starting ............ 180
Changing a Tire .......... 182 Lifting Points .......... 183
Tool Locations ........... 184
Engine Overheating ....... 186
Towing ................ 187 Precautions ........... 187
Towing Tips ........... 188
All Four Wheelson the Ground ...... 188
Front Wheels off the Ground ...... 188
Rear Wheels off the Ground ...... 189
Inoperative Electrical Devices. ............... 189
In Cas e o f Emergenc y

Jum
p Startin g

Do not push or tow your vehicle to start it. Under some conditions
this may damage the three-way catalytic converter or other parts
of the vehicle.
If your vehicle has a discharged
battery, it can be started by using the battery in another vehicle; a
procedure called "jump starting." To jump start your vehicle:
1. Position the vehicle with the good (charged) battery so that
the jump-starting cables will
reach. Do not allow the vehiclesto touch. Check to see that the
bumpers do not touch.
2. Turn off all electric motors and accessories in both
vehicles. Turn off all lights
except hazard flashers and
lights needed to light up the
work area. Turn off theignition, apply the parking
brake firmly, and shift an automatic transmission to
"P" (Park) and a manual
transmission to "N" (Neutral)
in both vehicles.
3. Check fluid level of the battery before attempting to
charge or jump start. (Do not use an open flame to check,
and do not smoke.)CHARG ETEST
INDICATO R

BLUE

COLORLES S
If the battery is a sealed type
and if the fluid level is below
the lower level line on the side
of the battery, do not try to
jump start the vehicle or charge or test the battery. Do
not add fluid. Instead, install a new battery.
I n Cas e o f Emergenc y

A battery can explode if you

do not follow the correct
procedure, seriously injuring

anyone nearby.

Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
CHARGIN G
NECESSAR Y
LOWE
R
LEVE L
O K

UPPERLEVEL

If a battery sits in extreme cold,
the electrolyte inside can freeze.
Attempting to jump start a frozen battery can cause it to rupture.
4. Jumper Cable Connection Instructions:and Connect the first
jumper cable from the
positive "+" (red) terminal
on one battery to the
positive "+" (red) terminal
on the other battery. Never
connect"+" (red) to "— "
(black) or "— " to "+." Next, connect one end
of the second cable to the

grounded negative "— "

(black) terminal of the good
(charged) battery. Lastly, connect the other
end of the second, grounded
jumper cable to a solid,
stationary, metallic point on
the engine of the vehicle
with the discharged battery but at a point at least 18
inches (45 cm) away from
the battery. Do not connect it to pulleys, fans, or other
parts that move. Beware of touching hot manifolds that
can cause burns. (Themounting brackets for the
alternator or air
conditioning compressor generally make a good
point for this final ground attachment point. Take care
that the jumper cable does
not contact moving parts on
or near the alternator or

compressor.)

5. Start the engine on the vehicle with the good (charged) battery
and run the engine at moderate
speed.

I n Cas e o f Emergenc y

NOTIC
E
Do no t allo w th e

vehicle s to touch .

Mak
e las t connectio n
o n engin e awa y fro m
th e battery . Mak
e connection s
i n numerica l order .

DISCHARGE D
VEHICL E
CHARGED
VEHICL E
1st CABL E

2n d

CABL E

6. Start the engine of the vehicle
that has the discharged battery.
7. Remove the battery cables by reversing the above sequence
exactly. Start by removing thelast clamp first; that is,
remove the jumper cable from
the engine of the vehicle with
the discharged battery as the first step. Changin
g a Tir e
If you have a flat tire while driving, stop in a safe place to
change it. Stopping in traffic or on
the shoulder of a busy road is
dangerous. Drive slowly along the shoulder until you get to an exit or
an area to stop that is far away
from the traffic lanes. 1. Park on a level surface and set
the parking brake firmly. Turn
on the hazard warning flasher, and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK.
2. Set the automatic transmission in "Park" (the manual
transmission in "Reverse")
and transfer case in gear if it is a four-wheel drive vehicle.
3. Have your passengers get out
of th
e vehicle.
4. Remove the jacking tools (see page 184) and spare tire from
their stowage areas.
I n Cas e o f Emergenc y
The vehicle can easily roll off

the jack, seriously injuring

anyone underneath.

Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by
the jack.

5. Block the wheel that is
diagonally opposite the one to

be changed.

6. Loosen, but do not remove, the wheel nuts by turning the
wrench counterclockwise.
7. There are two jacking points on each side of the vehicle.Set the jack in position, as

shown.
REA
R
Unde r th e rea r axl e
housin g nea r th e wheel .

Position the jack at the correct
jack point as shown.
Make sure that the jack is
positioned on a level and solid
surface.
Do not position the jack at any
points other than those specified.

In Cas e o f Emergenc y
JAC K

JAC K BA R
JAC K

HANDL
E

FRON T

Bottom surfac e o f th e cros s
membe r a t th e concav e position .

8. Turn the jack handle
clockwise with a slow, smooth
motion to raise the vehicle sothe inflated spare tire will
clear the surface.
9. Remove the wheel nuts and the wheel.
10. Install the wheel and replace the whee
l nuts with the
cone-shaped end toward the
wheel, then hand-tighten each
nut. The wheel must be seated on the hub.
11.
Lower the vehicle by turning
the jac
k handle counter-
clockwise, then fully tighten the wheel nuts in a crisscrosssequence by turning the
wrench clockwise. Have the
wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service

facility.

87 lb-ft ( 118 N.m)
12.
Stow the jacking tools and flat
tire i
n their proper locations.

Too
l Location s

The jack is stored in a
compartment on the driver's side

rear wheel panel.

To remove the jack from itscompartment, turn the handle
counterclockwise. Disconnect the
hold-down strap.
I n Cas e o f Emergenc y
Loose items can fly around the
interior in a crash and could
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and
tools securely before driving.

The tire wrench and jack handle
are concealed under the right rear
seat cushion.
UNDERSIDE
O F RIGH T REA R
SEA T CUSHIO N
TIR E WRENC H AN D JAC K HANDL E Spar
e Tir e Remova l
LX model The spare tire is mounted on the
rear door. To remove it, unlockthe spare tire lock (if so
equipped). Use the wheel wrench
to remove the retaining bolts.
When replacing the spare tire,
make sure you put it on the carrier
with the outside of the wheel
facing out. Tighten the bolts securely. EX model
The spare tire is stored under the
cargo area floor. To lower it, open
the rear door. Insert the jack
handle between the body and the top of the rear bumper. Insert the
end of the jack handle into the slot in the tire winch, then turn the
handle counterclockwise to lower the tire. Lower the tire to the
ground, then remove the bracket
in the center of the wheel.
In Cas e o f Emergenc y

Reverse this procedure to store
the spare tire. Connect the spare
tire to the bracket with the outside
of the wheel facing up. Make sure
the tire does not catch on any part
of the underbody of the vehicle as
you are raising it, and that the spare tire is stored securely before

driving.
If the engine overheats:
The engine coolant temperaturegauge pointer will move up to
the "H" or higher. Engine "ping" will become

excessive.

Loss of engine power will be

noticed.
Either steam or boiling water
will squirt out of the radiator.
If you find that the engine is

overheating:
Stop the vehicle, and turn on
the hazard warning lights.
If you see or hear steam or
coolant coming from the
engine compartment, turn off the engine immediately. If you do not see or hear steam
or spray, turn off the A/C (if
on) and run the engine at a
speed slightly higher than idle
speed (about 1,500 rpm) for
several minutes. Watch the
coolant temperature gauge. If it
remains at the ''H" mark, turn
off the engine.
Open the hood only after all
signs of steam or hot coolant
spray have stopped. Look for
signs of an obvious leak, such
as a split radiator hose. If you
I n Cas e o f Emergenc y
Steam and spray from an

overheated engine can

seriously scald you.

Do not open the hood if steam

is coming out.
Engin
e Overheatin g

find a leak, it must be repaired
before you can continue
driving. (See
Towing on page
187.)
If you don't find an obvious leak, check the coolant level inthe radiator reserve tank. If the
level is below the MIN mark, add
coolant to halfway between the
MIN and MAX marks.
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may also
have to add coolant to the
radiator.
Let the engine cool down until
the pointer reaches the middle
of the temperature gauge, orlower, before checking the
radiator. If needed, add coolant to the
radiator to bring the level up to the filler neck, and to the
reservoir up to the level indicated on the reservoir tank. Proper equipment must be used to
prevent damage to vehicles during
any towing. State and local laws
that apply to vehicles in tow must
be followed. Get detailed towing
instructions from your Honda

dealer.

Should it become necessary to
tow your vehicle, follow these

directions.

Precaution s

Before towing, make sure that
the power train, axle,
transmission, wheels and steering system are in good
condition.
If any of these items are
damaged, a flatbed trailer must
be used.
In Cas e o f Emergenc y

Towin
g

Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out, seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine andradiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.