wheel HONDA PASSPORT 2000 2.G Owner's Manual

Key
s an d Ignitio n

Your Passport comes with two

keys.

The key code number is stamped
on the metal plate attached to the
key ring.
For vehicle security: Record the key code number.
Keep the key code number
plate in a safe place, NOT IN
THE VEHICLE. If the original keys are lost,
duplicates can be made using the
key code number. Contact any
Honda dealer or a locksmith.

Steerin g Colum n

Lock/Ignitio n Switc h

The ignition switch, on the right side of the steering column, has
five positions: LOC
K — The normal parking
position. This locks the steering and prevents normal use of the
steering wheel.
The key can be removed only when the ignition is in this
position. On automatic transmission models, the ignition
switch cannot be turned to the
"LOCK" position unless the shift lever has first been placed in the
"P" position. The shift lever is
then locked.
ACC (Accessory) — In this

position, yo

u can use some
electrical accessories when the
engine is not running.
O N — The normal driving

position.

STAR T — This position starts the
engine. The switch returns to ON when you release the key.
Interior Feature s

META
L PLAT E

WIT H KE Y COD E

The anti-theft steering column
lock is not interconnected with the
parking brake. You must alwaysset the parking brake when
leaving the vehicle.
To prevent discharging the battery, avoid use of electrical accessories
with the engine shut off.
For easier key operation when
unlocking, rotate the steering
wheel slightly to relieve pressure
on the steering lock.

Ke y Remova l

Manual Transmission With the vehicle fully stopped,remove the key from the switch
by turning it to the "LOCK"
position and removing it. Automatic Transmission

With the vehicle fully stopped, place
the automatic transmission shift

lever in "P" (Park) position. Turn

the key to the "LOCK" position.

Ke y Reminde r
The key reminder circuit causes a beeper to sound when the door is
held open with the key left in theignition switch. This is to help
prevent accidentally locking the
key inside the vehicle.
The beeper stops when the door is

closed or when the key is removed.

Guar d Agains t Thef t
Your new Passport has features to
help prevent theft of the vehicle, its equipment, and its contents.
These anti-theft features work
depending on how well you use

them.

Park in a well-lighted areawhenever possible.
Lock the steering column and
take the key with you.
— Turn the ignition switch to "LOCK" and remove the key.
This locks both the ignition switch and steering control.
Interio r Feature s
Removing the key from the
ignition switch while driving
locks the steering. This can
cause you to lose control.
Remove the key from the
ignition switch only when
parked.

Assis
t Gri p
An assist grip is located above
each window. Hor
n Butto n
To sound the horn, press the
center of the steering wheel
airbag.
Til
t Steerin g Whee l
See page 15 for important information about how to properly
position the steering wheel.
The release lever for the tiltsteering wheel is on the left side
of the steering column.
To adjust the height of the
steering wheel, push up on the lever. The steering wheel has six
Interior Feature s

HOR
N ARE A

positions. Move the steering
wheel to the desired position, then
release the lever. Try to move the steering wheel up and down to
make sure it is locked in position.
Make sure the steering wheel does
not block your view of any of the instrument panel gauges or
indicators.
Cigarett
e Lighte r

The cigarette lighter is on the instrument panel. The ignition
switch must be in ACCESSORY
or ON for the cigarette lighter to
work. To operate, push it in.
When it heats, it automatically
pops out ready for use. Avoid
holding the lighter in by handwhile it is heating, as damage to
the heating element may result.
Ashtray
s

To open either ashtray, pull it out.
To remove the front ashtray for
cleaning, open it, then remove the inner part of the ashtray by lifting
up on both sides near the front.

Interio r Feature s

Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of
the vehicle and be seriously injured in a crash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the vehicle is stopped.

Drivin
g Tip s
Before Driving ........... 152Starting the Engine ..... 153
New Vehicle Break-In ..... 154
Parking ................ 154 Brakes ................. 155
Tires .................. 159 Inflation ............. 160
Inspection ............ 161
Maintenance .......... 162
Tire Rotation .......... 162
Replacing Tires and Wheels .......... 162
Wheels and Tires ...... 163
Traction .............. 164 Tire Chains ......... 164
Wheel Replacement
Considerations ....... 165
Fuel Economy ........... 166
Three-Way Catalytic Converter ............. 168 Operation in
Foreign Countries ....... 169
Accessories & Modifications 169
Carrying Cargo ........... 171
Trailer Towing ........... 174 Trailer Hitches ........ 176Safety Chain .......... 177
Trailer Lights .......... 177
Tires ................. 177 Trailer Brakes ......... 177
Equipment Check ...... 178
Limited Slip Differential ... 178
Driving Tip s

If your vehicle is equipped with
an automatic transmission, set
the parking brake before you
leave the driver's seat. If the
vehicle is parked on a grade and the transmission shift leveris placed in "P" (Park) position
before you set the parking
brake, the weight of the vehicle may exert so much force on the
transmission that you may have
difficulty moving the shift
lever out of "P" (Park)
position. To prevent this, apply the parking brake BEFORE
moving the shift lever to "P" (Park). When you want to drive
away, move the shift lever out
of the "P" (Park) position
BEFORE releasing the parking
brake. It is good driving
practice to set the parking
brake first, then place the
transmission in "PARK"
position, even on level

surfaces.

If the parking brake does not
seem to hold the vehicle as

well as before, have the vehicle
serviced by your Honda dealer.
Do not park your vehicle over
high grass, dry leaves or other

combustible materials. The
catalytic converter gets very

hot and could set fire to these

materials.
Anti-Loc
k Brake s

Your vehicle has an Anti-lock
Brake System (ABS) as standard
equipment. ABS helps to prevent
the wheels from locking up and skidding during hard braking,
allowing you to retain steering

control.

When the front tires skid, you lose steering control; the vehicle
continues straight ahead even
though you turn the steering
wheel. The ABS helps to prevent
lock-up and retain steering control
by pumping the brakes rapidly;
much faster than a person can do it.

Yo u shoul d neve r pum p th e

brak e pedal , this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS work for you by always keeping
firm, steady pressure on the brake
pedal as you steer away from the
Driving Tip s

Brake
s

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

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

We urge you not to install
oversize tires and wheels that
would change your vehicle's
ride height and possibly affect
handling and stability. It is best to replace all four tires at
the same time. If that is not
possible or necessary, then replace the two front tires or the two rear
tires as a pair. Replacing just one
tire can seriously affect your
vehicle's handling.
The ABS works by comparing the speed of the wheels. When
replacing tires, use the same size originally supplied with the
vehicle. Tire size and construction
can affect wheel speed and may
cause the system to work inconsistently.
If you ever need to replace a
wheel, make sure the
replacement's specifications
match the wheels that originally
came on your Honda. Replacement wheels are available
at your Honda dealer.

Wheel
s an d Tire s

Wheels:
16 x 7 JJ

Tires:
Standard on LX 2WD 225/75R16
Standard on all other models 245/70R16
See page 247 for information
about DOT Tire Quality Grading.
Driving Tip s
Installing improper tires on
your vehicle can affect handling and stability. This
can cause a crash in which
you can be seriously hurt or

killed.

Always use the size and type
of tires recommended in this
owner's manual.

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