flat tire HONDA PASSPORT 2002 2.G Owners Manual

4Driver and Passenger Safety
Yo u
’ll find many safety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this
manual. The recommendations on
this page are the ones we consider
to be the most important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
A seat belt is your best protection
in all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inflate only in a
moderate to severe frontal
collision. So even though your
vehicle is equipped with airbags,
make sure you and your
passengers always wear your seat
belts, and wear them properly.
(See page 13.)
Restrain All Children
Children are safest when they are
properly restrained in the back
seat, not the front seat. A child
who is too small for a seat belt must be properly restrained in a
child safety seat. (See page 18.)
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
While airbags save lives, they can
cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to
them, or are not properly
restrained. Infants, young
children, and short adults are at
the greatest risk. Be sure to follow
all instructions and warnings in
this manual. (See page 7.)
Don’t Drink and Drive
Alcohol and driving don
’t mix.
Even one drink can reduce your
ability to respond to changing
conditions, and your reaction time
gets worse with every additional
drink. So don’ t drink and drive,
and don’ t let your friends drink
and drive either. Control Your Speed
Excessive speed is a major factor
in crash injuries and deaths.
Generally, the higher the speed
the greater the risk, but serious
accidents can also occur at lower
speeds. Never drive faster than is
safe for current conditions,
regardless of the maximum speed
posted.
Keep Your Vehicle in Safe
Condition
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical failure can be
extremely hazardous. To reduce
the possibility of such problems,
check your tire pressure and
condition frequently, and perform
all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page 204.)
Important Safety Precautions

155Driving Tips
Before Driving156
. . . . . . . . . . .
Starting the Engine157 . . . . .
New Vehicle Break-In 158 . . . . .
Parking 158 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brakes 159 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tires 163 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inflation 164 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inspection 165 . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maintenance 166 . . . . . . . . . .
Tire Rotation 166 . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing Tires
and Wheels 166 . . . . . . . . . .
Wheels and Tires 167 . . . . . .
Traction 168 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tire Chains 168 . . . . . . . . .
Wheel Replacement
Considerations 169 . . . . . . .
Fuel Economy 170 . . . . . . . . . . .
Three-Way Catalytic
Converter 172 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operation in
Foreign Countries 173
. . . . . . .
Accessories & Modifications173
Carrying Cargo175 . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer Towing 178 . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer Hitches 180 . . . . . . . .
Safety Chain181 . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer Lights181 . . . . . . . . . .
Tires181 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer Brakes181 . . . . . . . . .
Equipment Check182 . . . . . .
Limited Slip Differential 182 . . .
Driving Tips

156 Driving Tips
Driving Guidelines
Your Honda has higher ground
clearance than a passenger car
designed for use only on
pavement. Higher ground
clearance has many advantages
for off-road driving. It allows you
to travel over bumps, obstacles,
and rough terrain. It also provides
good visibility so you can
anticipate problems earlier.
These advantages come at some
cost. Because your vehicle is
taller and rides higher off the
ground, it has a high center of
gravity. This means that your
vehicle can tip or roll over if you
make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other
types of vehicles. To prevent rollover or loss of
control:
•
Take corners at slower speeds
than you would with a
passenger car.
• Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers whenever possible.
• Do not modify your vehicle in
any way that would raise the
center of gravity (see page 174).
•Do not carry heavy cargo on
the roof (see page 177).
For off-road driving guidelines,
see the Off-Road Driving
Information booklet that came
with your vehicle.
Before Entering the Vehicle
1. Check that the windows, mirrors, lights and reflectors
are clean and unobstructed. 2. Check the tires to see if they
are low or flat. You will need
a pressure gauge to tell if tires
are properly inflated.
3. Check that all lights work.
4. Check for fluid leaks.
5. Be sure everything is properly stowed.
6. Check the area behind the vehicle if you are about to
back up.
Before Driving the Vehicle
1. Lock all doors.
2. Adjust the seat and anymovable head restraints.
3. Adjust the inside and outside mirrors.
4. Check that all the indicator lights work when the key
Before Driving

163Driving Tips
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.
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.
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.
Using tires that are excessively
worn 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.
Tires

164Driving Tips
Inflation
Keeping the tires properly inflated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread life, and riding
comfort. Underinflated tires wear
unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more
likely to fail from being overheated.
Overinflated tires can make your
vehicle ride more harshly, are
more prone to damage from road
hazards, and wear unevenly.
We recommend that you visually
check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.
Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month.
Even tires that are in good
condition may lose one to two psi
per month. Remember to check
the spare tire at the same time you
check all the other tires.Check the pressure in the tires
when they are cold. This means
the vehicle has been parked for at
least three hours. If you have to
drive the vehicle before checking
the tire pressure, the tires can still
be considered “cold” if you drive
less than 1 mile (1.6 km).
If you check the pressure when
the tires are hot (the vehicle has
been driven several miles), you
will see readings 4 to 6 psi (28 to
41 kPa, 0.3 to 0.4 kg/cm
2) higher
than the cold reading. This is
normal. Do not let air out to
match the specified cold pressure.
The tire will be underinflated.
You should get your own tire
pressure gauge and use it at all
times. That makes it easier for
you to tell if a pressure loss is
caused by a tire problem and not a
variation between gauges. Recommended Tire Pressures for
Normal Driving
The following chart shows the
recommended cold tire pressures
for most normal driving
conditions and speeds.
Tire SizeCold Tire Pressure for
Normal Driving
225/75R1629psi (200 kPa)225/75R1629 psi (200 kPa)
245/70R1626 psi (180 kPa)

165Driving Tips
These pressures are also given on
the tire information label on the
driver ’
s doorjamb.
LABEL
Tubeless tires have some ability to
self-seal if they are punctured.
However, because leakage is often
very slow, you should look
closely for punctures if a tire
starts losing pressure.
Inspection
Every time you check inflation,
you should also examine the tires
for damage, foreign objects, and
wear.
You should look for:
•Bumps or bulges in the tread or
side of the tire. Replace the tire
if you find either of these
conditions.
•Cuts, splits, or cracks in the
side of the tire. Replace the tire
if you can see fabric.
•Excessive tread wear. Your vehicle
’s tires have wear
indicators molded into the tread.
TREAD
WEAR
INDICATORS
When the tread wears down to that
point, you will see a 1/2 inch (12.7
mm) wide band running across the
tread. This shows that there is less
than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread
left on the tire. A tire that is this
worn gives very little traction on
wet roads. You should replace the
tire if you can see the tread wear

166Driving Tips
indicator in three or more places
around the tire.
Maintenance
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 from
the 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.
Tire Rotation
To help increase tire life and
distribute wear more evenly, you
should have the tires rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km).
FRONT
4 WHEEL 5 WHEEL
Move the tires to the positions
shown in the diagram each time
they are rotated.
Replacing Tires and Wheels
The tires that came with your
vehicle were selected to match its
performance capabilities while
providing the best combination of
handling, ride comfort, and long
life. 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.

168Driving Tips
Traction
A decrease in driving, cornering,
and braking traction occurs when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
materials are on the road. Vehicle
speed should be adjusted to the
road conditions.
When driving on wet or slushy
roads, a wedge of water can build
up between the tire and road. This
is known as hydroplaning and
may cause partial or complete loss
of traction, vehicle control, and
stopping ability. To reduce the
chance of traction loss, follow
these tips:
1. Slow down during rainstormsor when roads are slushy.
2. Slow down if the road has standing water or puddles. 3. Replace tires when they are
worn to a point where 1/16
inch (1.6 mm) or less tread
remains, or cord or fabric
can be seen.
4. Keep the tires properly inflated.
If your vehicle has snow tires, be
sure they are the same size, load
range and construction type as your
other tires. Vehicle speed should be
limited to a maximum of 75 mph
(120 km/h) when equipped with
either passenger vehicle-type or
truck-type snow tires.
Tire Chains
To prevent tire chains from
damaging your vehicle:
•Install the chains on the rear
tires as tightly as possible. Tighten them again after
driving 1/4 to 1/2 mile (0.4 to
0.8 kilometer). Using chains on
the front tires is not
recommended. They may
contact the body and possibly
damage the vehicle. If you
intend to use chains on the
front tires, be sure there is
enough clearance.
•Do not exceed 45 mph
(70 km/h) or the chain
manufacturer ’
s suggested speed
limit if it is lower.
•Drive in a restrained manner
and avoid large bumps,
potholes, severe turns or other
maneuvers that could cause the
vehicle to bounce up and down.
•Follow the chain
manufacturer ’ s instructions.

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.

171Driving Tips
air cleaner, so it’
s important to
replace the air cleaner filter at
required intervals. See “Care and
Maintenance.” A dirty air cleaner
filter reduces engine performance
and can waste fuel.
Air Conditioning
Turn off the air conditioning when
it is not needed. The air
conditioning compressor is not on
in this position and the reduced
engine load can improve fuel
economy.
Tuned Engine
An engine that is properly
maintained will provide better
fuel economy than one that is not.
One misfiring spark plug will cut
fuel economy significantly, and
will make a difference in the
amount of pollution emitted from
your vehicle. Excessive Weight
Fuel economy is related to the
work the engine must do. The
heavier the load, the more fuel it
takes to run your vehicle. Keep
weight to a minimum by removing
unnecessary luggage or cargo.
Tire Inflation
Underinflation not only causes
needless tire wear but can also
waste fuel. It’
s a good idea to
check tire pressure often and keep
your tires inflated to the pressures
shown on the tire placard located
on the driver ’s doorjamb. Wheel Alignment
Improper alignment will cause the
front tires to roll at an angle that
will result in faster tire wear. It
takes power to overcome this
improper alignment, which, in
turn, wastes fuel.
Use of 4-Wheel Drive
In normal driving, put the
4WD-2WD switch in the 2WD
position.