brake HONDA PASSPORT 2002 2.G Owner's Manual

157Driving Tips
switch is turned to the “
ON”
or “
START” position.
5. Check all gauges (including the fuel gauge).
6. Release the parking brake (and make sure the “
BRAKE”
light turns off).
See related topics in this manual if
you find any problems.
Starting the Engine
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Manual Transmission: Press
the clutch pedal to the floor
and shift the transmission to
the Neutral position. Hold the
clutch pedal to the floor while
you are starting the engine. A
starter safety switch keeps the
starter from operating if the
clutch pedal is not fully
depressed. Automatic Transmission:
Place the shift lever in “P”
or “N” position (“P” is
preferred). A starter safety
switch prevents the starter
from operating if the shift
lever is in any drive position.
If it is necessary to restart the
engine with the vehicle
moving, place the shift lever
in “N” (never in “P”).
3. Do not touch the accelerator pedal. Start the engine by
turning the ignition switch to
“
START.”
If the engine does not start in
10 seconds, wait 15 seconds to let
the starter cool down. Then crank
the engine at wide open throttle
for a maximum of 10 seconds. If
the engine still does not start, wait
another 15 seconds and repeat the
entire procedure. Do not crank the engine for more
than 10 seconds at a time. Wait 15
seconds before trying again.
4. Return the ignition switch to
the “
ON” position as soon as
the engine starts.
5. Apply the regular brakes and shift into the proper gear.
Release the parking brake and
brake pedal and drive off.
In models with an automatic
transmission, you cannot shift
from “P” (Park) position to
any other position unless the
brake pedal is applied.

158Driving Tips
You may drive your new vehicle
from its very first mile/kilometer
without following a formal
“break-in” schedule. However,
there are things you can do during
the first few hundred miles/
kilometers of driving that will add
to the future performance and
economy of your vehicle.
It is recommended that your speed
during the first 500 miles (800
kilometers) be limited to a
maximum of 55 mph (90 km/h)
and that you do not drive for long
periods at any one constant speed,
either fast or slow. During this
period, avoid full-throttle starts
and, if possible, avoid hard stops;
especially during the first 200
miles (320 kilometers) of driving.
Always drive at moderate speed
until the engine has completely
warmed up.
When leaving your vehicle
unattended:
•Set the parking brake.
•Place the shift lever in
“P”
(Park) position for automatic
transmission.
•When parking a vehicle equipped
with a manual transmission on an
upward slope, or on a level
surface, place the shift lever in
the “1st” position.
•When parking a vehicle
equipped with a manual
transmission on a downward
slope, place the shift lever in
the “
R” (Reverse) position.
•Turn the key to the “LOCK”
position.
•Remove the key. The beeper
will remind you.
•Close all windows and lock all
doors.
•Check to make certain the
lights are turned off. The
beeper will remind you.
•If your vehicle is equipped with
a transfer case (4
WD), make
sure the shift lever is in 4
H or
4
L.
Parking Tips
•Never drive the vehicle with
the parking brake set. This can
overheat the rear brakes,
reducing their effectiveness and
causing excessive wear or
damage.
•Always apply the parking brake
whenever you leave the vehicle,
whether it is equipped with a
manual or automatic transmission.
New Vehicle Break-InParking

159Driving Tips
•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 lever
is 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 “
PA R K” 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-Lock Brakes
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.
You should never pump the
brake 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
Brakes

160Driving Tips
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 the
ABS 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
ABS
activate immediately if you are
trying to stop on snow or ice.
Important Safety Reminders
ABS does not reduce the time
or distance it takes to stop the
vehicle, it only helps with steering
control during braking. You
should always maintain a safe following distance from other
vehicles.
ABS will not prevent a skid that
results from changing direction
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.
ABS cannot prevent a loss of
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 vehicle with
ABS may require
a longer distance to stop on
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.
ABS Indicator
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.

161Driving Tips
If anything goes wrong, the
ABS
indicator on the instrument panel
comes on (see page 67). This
means the 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.
Driving With Wet Brakes
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.
Power Brakes
The braking system uses engine
vacuum to provide power assist. If
the power assist fails because of a
stalled 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 is
applied 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.

162Driving Tips
Self-Adjusting Brakes
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 rapid
increase in pedal travel. Either is a
sign of other brake trouble. Also,
see your Honda dealer if the
parking brake needs adjustment.
Braking Tips
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.
Brake Wear Indicators
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. The
sound 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.
Driving on Slippery Surfaces
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

169Driving Tips
Wheel Replacement
Considerations
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 approvedwheels 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.

174 Driving Tips
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 240).
•Have the installer contact your
Honda dealer for assistance
before installing any electronic
accessory. If possible, have your dealer
inspect the final installation.
Modifications
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.
Additional Safety Precaution
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.

180Driving Tips
•Tongue load should be between
9 percent and 11 percent of the
total trailer weight. However, it
should 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.
Trailer Hitches
A Class 3 hitch kit (up to
4,500 lb) 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 of
spring bars that are adjusted to
accomplish the distribution of the
weight.
Consult your trailer’s
manufacturer for assistance with
selecting 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.

181Driving Tips
Safety Chain
Always use suitable safety chains
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.
Trailer Lights
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.
Tires
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.
Trailer Brakes
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.