brake HONDA PASSPORT 2000 2.G Owner's Manual

If anything goes wrong, the ABS
indicator on the instrument panel
comes on (see page 65). This
means th
e anti-lock function of
the braking system has shut down.
The brakes still work like a conventional system without
anti-lock, providing normal stopping ability. You should have
the dealer inspect your vehicle as soon as possible if this light stays
on after you start the engine, or
comes on while driving. Drivin
g Wit h We t Brake s
Driving through deep water may get the brakes wet and reduce
their effectiveness. As a result, the
vehicle may not slow down
normally or may pull in one direction or the other.
If you drive through deep water,apply the brakes lightly to see if
the water has affected them. To
dry the brakes quickly, press
lightly on the brake pedal while
maintaining the same speed with the accelerator pedal. Continue
this until the brakes operate
normally.
Powe
r Brake s

The braking system uses engine vacuum to provide power assist. If
the power assist fails because of astalled engine or other reason, the
reserve vacuum in the system will usually allow you to apply the
brakes at least one time.
The reserve vacuum is partly used up each time the brake pedal isapplied and released. Do not
pump the brakes when the power assist has been lost, except when
needed to maintain steering
control on slippery surfaces.
You can still stop the vehicle
without the power assist by pushing
harder on the brake pedal.
However, the stopping distance
may be longer, even though the
brakes themselves remain fully
operational.

Driving Tip s

Self-Adjustin
g Brake s

The brakes on this vehicle are self-adjusting. They have been
designed so that periodic brake
adjustment is not needed.
The brakes adjust themselves each time you firmly apply them.
Thus, if the brake pedal goes down
farther than normal due to a lack of adjustment, drive backward and
forward a few times. Apply the
brakes intermittently.
See your Honda dealer if the
brake pedal height does not return
to normal or if there is a rapidincrease in pedal travel. Either is a
sign of other brake trouble. Also,
see your Honda dealer if the
parking brake needs adjustment.
Brakin
g Tip s

Control your vehicle's speed on a steep or long downhill grade by
shifting the transmission to a
lower gear. Constantly using the
brakes can cause them to overheat
and lose effectiveness.
Resting your foot on the brake
pedal when you are not intending to brake ("riding the brakes") can
cause them to overheat. This
reduces their effectiveness, wears them out faster, and can reduce
fuel mileage. It also causes your
brake lights to stay on all the time, confusing drivers behind you.

Brak e Wea r Indicator s

The front and rear brakes have built-in wear indicators. These make a high-pitched squealing or
cricket-like warning sound when the brake pads or linings are worn
to the point of replacement. Thesound may come and go or be
heard all the time when the vehicle is moving, but may stop when the
brake pedal is pushed down firmly.
Expensive damage can result if
pads or linings are not replaced immediately when needed.

Drivin g o n Slipper y Surface s

Driving, steering, and braking
traction are reduced when the
road is coated with water, snow, ice, gravel, or other materials.
Slow down and adjust your
driving to such conditions. It is important to slow down when it is
slippery because stopping

Drivin g Tip s

Whee
l Replacemen t

Consideration s

Damaged wheels must be

replaced. For example, replace
wheels if they are bent, cracked or

heavily rusted, or if wheel nuts
often become loose. Also replace

wheels that leak air (except some
aluminum wheels that can be

repaired). See your Honda dealer.

Do not use bent wheels that have

been straightened, and do not use
tubes in leaking wheels designed

for tubeless tires. Such wheels

may have structural damage and
could fail without warning.

Maximum loads, maximum

inflation pressures, wheel

identification codes, and wheel

sizes are stamped on each wheel.

Service-tested and approved
wheels are available from your
Honda dealer.
When obtaining wheels for any
reason from any other source, the
replacement wheels should be
equal in load capacity, inflation
pressure capacity, diameter, width, offset and mounting configuration
to those originally installed on
your vehicle. A wheel of the
wrong size or type may adversely
affect load carrying capacity, wheel
and bearing life, brake cooling,
speedometer/odometer calibration,
stopping ability, headlight aim,
bumper height, vehicle ground clearance, and tire or tire chain
clearance to the body and chassis.
Replacement with used wheels is
not advised: They may have been subjected to harsh treatment or very high mileage and could fail
without warning.
Installing wheels and/or tires that
have a higher load carrying limit
than those that originally came on
your vehicle does not increase the
GAWR or GVWR of the vehicle.
Driving Tip s

systems, such as the SRS and
anti-lock brake system.
However, if electronic accessories
are improperly installed, or
exceed your vehicle's electrical
system capacity, they can interfere with the operation of your vehicle,
or even cause the airbags to
deploy.
Before installing any accessory: Make sure the accessory does
not obscure any lights, or interfere with proper vehicle
operation or performance. Be sure electronic accessories
do not overload electrical
circuits (see page 236). Have the installer contact your
Honda dealer for assistance
before installing any electronic
accessory.
If possible, have your dealer
inspect the final installation.

Modification s

Do not remove any original
equipment or modify your vehicle in any way that would alter its
design or operation. This could
make your vehicle unsafe and illegal to drive.
For example, do not make any modifications that would change
the ride height of your vehicle, or
install wheels and tires with a
different overall diameter.
Such modifications can adversely
affect handling, and interfere with
the operation of the vehicle's
anti-lock brakes and other

systems.

In addition, any modifications that
decrease ground clearance increase the chance of
undercarriage parts striking a
curb, speed bump, or other raised object, which could cause your
airbags to deploy.
Do not modify your steering wheel or any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.Modifications could make the
system ineffective.

Additiona l Safet y Precautio n

Do not attach or place objects on
the airbag covers. Any object
attached to, or placed on, the
covers marked "SRS," in the
center of the steering wheel and on top of the dashboard, could
interfere with the proper operation
of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inflate, the objects could be
propelled inside the vehicle and hurt someone.
Drivin g Tip s

Tongue load should be between
9 percent and 11 percent of the
total trailer weight. However, itshould never exceed 450 pounds. Never load a trailer with more
weight in the rear than in the
front. The front should be
loaded with approximately
60 percent and the rear with
approximately 40 percent of
the total trailer load. Never exceed the maximum
weight limits of the trailer
or trailer towing equipment.
Improper loading can result in damage to your vehicle and
possible personal injury. Check the vehicle and trailer
loading and the weights on
each axle at a commercial scale
or a highway patrol office
equipped with a scale.
Traile
r Hitche s

A Class 3 hitch kit (up to 4,500 Ib) is available from your
Honda dealer.
Use a trailer equipped with
electric brakes and a "Weight
Distributing Hitch Attachment" when the gross trailer weight
exceeds 3,500 pounds.

A special attachment that replaces the draw bar/ball assembly is used
to distribute the proper weight to
the front axle. It uses a pair ofspring bars that are adjusted to
accomplish the distribution of the weight.
Consult your trailer's
manufacturer for assistance withselecting the proper weight
distributing hitch attachment. Check with a recreational vehicle
dealer for additional required
equipment. Have this equipment installed by a trained mechanic.
Improper equipment or installation
can damage your vehicle and cause
personal injury.
Do not use axle-mounted hitches
or equipment not designed for
your vehicle.
Do not make any modifications to
the vehicle's exhaust, braking, or
electrical system other than those
that are shown in the instructions
for the Honda Trailer Hitch Kit.
Improper modifications can affect
vehicle durability.
Periodic inspection of all added-on trailer towing equipment is
necessary to assure continued safe
operation.
Drivin g Tip s

Safet
y Chai n

Always use a suitable safety chain

between your vehicle and the

trailer.

Check with your trailer

manufacturer for the required

equipment. Cross the safety

chains under the hitch and attach

them to the trailer hitch hardware.

This will prevent the trailer from

dropping to the ground in the

event the hitch disengages. For
proper use and installation,
consult your trailer manufacturer.

Traile r Light s
Trailer lights and equipment must
comply with federal, state and local regulations. Check with your
local recreational vehicle dealer
for the requirements in your area. Use only equipment designed for
your vehicle.
Improper equipment or installation can cause damage to
your vehicle's electrical system and affect your vehicle warranty.
Consult your Honda dealer for installation.

Tire s

Always check the condition of
your vehicle's tires and trailer's
tires before operation. Replace
worn or damaged tires before

operation.

Inflate tire pressure to the
recommended cold tire pressure indicated in the tire
manufacturer's warranty booklet in the glove box packet.
Check the tire manufacturer's

requirements when replacement

tires are installed on your vehicle.

Trailer tire condition, size, load

rating, and proper inflation

pressure should be in accordance

with the tire manufacturer's

specifications. Improper tire size

and inflation can cause tire

failure, possibly resulting in

vehicle damage and personal
injury.

Traile r Brake s
Trailers with a total weight of
1,000 pounds or more require trailer brakes. If your trailer is
equipped with a braking system,
make sure it conforms to federal,state, and local equipment
regulations.
Driving Tip s

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

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

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.

Use only towing equipment
specifically designed for this
purpose, following the instructions of the equipment
manufacturer. A separate safety
chain system must be used.
For such towing, the parking
brake must be released, thetransmission must be in neutraland the key switch turned to
the "OFF" position (not

"LOCK").

Towing attachments must be made to main structural
members of the vehicle. Do not attach to bumpers or associated

brackets.

Remember that the power brake assist will not beavailable when the engine is

inoperative.
Towin
g Tip s

All Four Wheels on the Ground
1. Transfer case in 2H (4WD model only).
2. Transmission in Neutral
position.

3. Maximum speed 30 mph (50 km/h).
4. Maximum distance 50 miles (80 kilometers).
If you are towing the vehicle at distances and speeds greater thanshown, disconnect the propeller
shaft from the rear axle carrier.
On 4WD models, also disconnect
the front propeller shaft. Safely
secure the propeller shafts so they
will not fall and scrape the

ground.
Front Wheels off the Ground
1. Transfer case in 2H (4WD model only).
2. Transmission in Neutral position.
3. Maximum speed 30 mph (50 km/h).
4. Maximum distance 50 miles (80 kilometers).
If you are towing the vehicle at
distances and speeds greater than shown, disconnect the propeller
shaft from the rear axle carrier.
Safely secure the propeller shaft so it will not fall and scrape the
ground.
I n Cas e o f Emergenc y