steering HONDA PASSPORT 2000 2.G Owner's Manual

hazard. This is sometimes referred
to as "stomp and steer."
You will feel a pulsation in the
brake pedal when the ABS activates, and you may hear some
noise. This is normal, it is theABS rapidly pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount
of traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on the brake pedal very hard
before you activate the ABS. However, you may feel the ABSactivate immediately if you are
trying to stop on snow or ice.
Important Safety Reminders AB S doe s no t reduc e th e tim e
o r distanc e it take s t o sto p th e
vehicle , it only helps with steering
control during braking. You
should always maintain a safe following distance from other
vehicles.
AB
S wil l no t preven t a ski d tha t

result s fro m changin g directio n

abruptly , such as trying to take a
corner too fast or making a sudden lane change. Always drive
at a safe, prudent speed for the
road and weather conditions.
AB S canno t preven t a los s o f
stability . Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe or sharp steering wheel
movement can still cause your
vehicle to veer into oncoming traffic or off the road.
A vehicl e wit h AB S ma y requir e
a longe r distanc e t o sto p o n
loose or uneven surfaces, such as
gravel or snow, than a vehicle
without anti-lock. Slow down and allow a greater distance between
vehicles under those conditions.
AB S Indicato r
The ABS is self-checking. You may feel a slight movement of the
brake pedal just after you start the engine. This is the ABS performing
a check. It also checks itself
whenever you use the brakes.
Drivin g Tip s

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

distances will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with
reduced traction, avoid maneuvers involving sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking (including
engine braking due to shifting to
lower gear), that could cause the
tires to skid.
Drivers may not realize the surface is slippery until the
vehicle is skidding.
Learn to recognize warning
clues — such as enough water or ice on the road to make a
"mirrored surface"— and slow
down when there is any doubt.
Also see "Traction" under "Tires" in this section. To safely operate your vehicle,
your tires must be the proper type
and size, in good condition with
adequate tread, and correctly
inflated. The following pages give
more detailed information on how
and when to check air pressure,
how to inspect your tires for damage and wear, and what to do
when your tires need to be

replaced.

Driving Tip s

Rapid slowing down or

speeding-up can cause loss
of control on slippery
surfaces. If you crash, you

can be injured.

Use extra care when driving

on slippery surfaces.
Using tires that are excessivelyworn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you
can be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner's manual regarding tire inflation and maintenance.

Tire
s

indicator in three or more places

around the tire.

Maintenanc e

In addition to proper inflation,
correct wheel alignment helps to decrease tire wear. You should get
your vehicle's suspension parts inspected often, and aligned when

needed.

The tires were properly balanced at the factory. They may need to
be rebalanced at some time before they are worn out. Have your
dealer check the tires if you feel a consistent vibration while driving.
A tire should always be
rebalanced if it is removed fromthe wheel for repair.
Make sure the installer balances
the wheels when you have new
tires installed. This increases riding comfort and tire life. Your
vehicle's original tires were
dynamic or "spin" balanced at the
factory. For best results, have the installer perform a dynamic

balance.

Tir e Rotatio n

To help increase tire life and
distribute wear more evenly, you should have the tires rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km).
Move the tires to the positions

shown in the diagram each time

they are rotated.

Replacin g Tire s an d Wheel s

The tires that came with your
vehicle were selected to match its
performance capabilities while
providing the best combination of handling, ride comfort, and longlife. You should replace them with
radial tires of the same size, load
range, speed rating, and maximum
cold tire pressure rating (as shown on the tire's sidewall). Mixing
radial and bias-ply tires on your vehicle can reduce its braking
ability, traction, and steering
accuracy.

Drivin g Tip s
FRON
T

4 WHEE L

5 WHEE L

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

Traile
r Towin g

Your Honda vehicle is designed
for passenger and cargo transportation. With the proper
equipment installed, your vehicle
can also tow a trailer under certain
conditions, as detailed in this section. Be sure to read this entire
section and follow all
requirements.
Towing a trailer will have an
effect on handling, performance,
braking, durability and fuel
consumption.
Honda recommends that you do
not tow a trailer with a new Honda vehicle or one with a new
powertrain component (engine, transmission, differential) for the
first 500 miles. For your safety and the safety
of others, use equipment
specifically designed for your
vehicle. Improper towing
equipment and improper installation of same can cause
damage to your vehicle and may also result in personal injury.
Additional care and cautious
driving habits are essential to trailer towing.
Do not exceed 45 mph or the
posted towing speed limit, whichever is lower. Higher speed
may cause loss of vehicle control.
Drivin g Tip s
Improperly loading your
vehicle and trailer can seriously affect the steering
and braking performance,
causing a crash in which you
can be seriously injured.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully before starting to drive.

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.

Rear 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 need to tow your vehicle by
this method, secure the steering
wheel to keep the front wheels
pointed straight ahead. Do not
rely on the steering column lock; it is not strong enough to hold the
front wheels straight while
towing. The ignition switch must
be in the OFF position.
Inoperativ
e Electrica l Device s

If you have electrical problems without extreme damage to any
electrical parts, check for burned out fuses, broken wires, poor
connections or poor grounding. Correct as necessary.
The fuse boxes are located under
the left hand side of theinstrument panel and in the right
hand side of the engine compartment. (See "Fuses" on
page 236.)
Replacing a fuse with one that has

a higher rating greatly increases
the chances of damaging the
electrical system. If you do not

have a replacement fuse with the

proper rating for the circuit,
install one with a lower rating.

In Cas e o f Emergenc y

NOTIC
E

Front (4WD Only) and
Rear Propeller Shaft ... 218
Exhaust System ....... 218 Fuel Line and Fuel Tank/Cap ............ 218
Drive Belt ............ 218
Timing Belt ........... 218 Valve Clearance ........ 218SparkPlugs ........... 219
Clutch ............... 219
Fluid or Lubricant Levels 219
Power Steering ........ 219 Accelerator Pedal Linkage 220
Wheel Alignment ...... 220
Exterior ................ 220 Washing Your Vehicle . . 220
Polishing and Waxing Your Vehicle ......... 220
Protection of Exterior Bright Metal Parts ..... 220
Care of Aluminum Wheels 220 Foreign Material Deposits 220
Finish Damage ........ 221
Corrosion Protection .... 221
Sheet Metal Damage .... 221
Underbody Maintenance 221
Interior ................ 222 Basic StepsBefore Cleaning ...... 222
Cleaning Fabric ........ 223 Cleaning General Soilageor Water Spots From
Fabric Trim ........ 223
Spot Cleaning Fabric With Solvent Cleaner 223
Removal of Specific Stains ...... 224
Cleaning Vinyl or Leather Trim ....... 225
Seat Belt Care ......... 225
Cleaning Glass Surfaces . 226
Car e an d Maintenanc e