tow HONDA PASSPORT 2002 2.G Owners Manual

15Driver and Passenger Safety
into the buckle, and tug on the
belt to make sure the belt is
securely latched.
Position the belt as low as
possible across your hips. This
lets your strong pelvic bones take
the force of a crash and reduces
the chance of internal injuries.
Pull on the loose end of the belt
for a snug but comfortable fit.
If a Seat Belt Doesn’t Work
Properly
If a seat belt does not seem to
work as it should, it may not
protect the occupant in a crash.
No one should sit in a seat with
an inoperative seat belt.
Anyone
using a seat belt that is not
working properly can be seriously
injured or killed. Have your
Honda dealer check the belt as
soon as possible.
See page 41 for additional
information about your seat belt
system and how to take care of
your belts.
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel
Adjust the steering wheel, if
needed, so that the wheel points
toward your chest, not toward
your face.
Pointing the steering wheel
toward your chest provides
optimal protection from the
airbag.
See page 115 for how to adjust the
steering wheel.

Driver and Passenger Safety31
Rear-Facing Seat Installation
Tips
For proper protection, an infant
must ride in a reclined, or
semi-reclined position. To
determine the proper reclining
angle, check with the baby’s
doctor, or follow the seat maker’s
recommendations.
To achieve the desired reclining
angle, it may help to put a rolled-
up towel under the toe of the child
seat, as shown.
Protecting Small Children
Child Seat Type
A child who can sit up without
support, and who fits within the
child seat maker ’s weight and
height limits, should be restrained
in a forward-facing, upright child
seat. Of the different seats available,
we recommend those that have a
five-point harness system as
shown.
We also recommend that a small
child stay in the child seat as long
as possible, until the child reaches
the weight or height limit for the
seat.
Child Seat Placement
In this vehicle, the best place to
install a forward-facing child seat
is in one of the seating positions
in the back seat.
Placing a forward-facing child
seat in the front seat of a vehicle
equipped with a passenger
’s
airbag can be hazardous. If the
vehicle seat is too far forward, or
the child’ s head is thrown forward
during a collision, an inflating
passenger ’ s airbag can strike the

62Instruments and Controls
the system repaired if the light
does not come on when the key is
turned to the “
ON” position
without the engine running or
when the parking brake is set.
This light does not eliminate the
need for brake inspection and
maintenance. The brake fluid
level must be checked regularly.
See the maintenance section of
this manual for other brake
checks.
If the light remains on after
engine start up with the parking
brake released, or comes on
during operation of the vehicle, it
may mean that there is something
wrong with the brake system.
What to do?
1. Check to see if the parking brake has been fully released. 2. If it has, pull off the road and
stop carefully. Remember that:
•Stopping distances may be
longer.
•You may have to push
harder on the pedal.
•The pedal may go down
farther than normal.
3. Have the vehicle towed to the nearest Honda dealer for
repair.
Do not continue to drive with the
brake system light on. There may
be a serious problem with the
braking system. Driving under
this condition is hazardous and
could lead to an accident.
The brake system light does not
indicate that the parking brake is
fully set. When applying the
parking brake, always pull it up as
far as possible.
High Beam
The headlight high beam indicator
lights up when the headlights are
on high beam.
Charging System
This light should come on when
the key is turned to the “
ON”
position and the alternator is not
charging. The light may stay on at
engine idle; however, it should go
off and stay off above the normal
engine idle speed. If the light
comes on while driving, the
charging system should be
checked at once so the battery will
not completely discharge. Stop the
engine, and check for a broken
drive belt. If it is broken, or if the
drive belt is not responsible for
the trouble, have your Honda
dealer inspect and correct the
fault. If the drive belt is broken,

64Instruments and Controls
and the engine. Stop as soon as it
is safe, turn off the engine, and
call for assistance.

If you keep driving with the
malfunction indicator lamp on,
you can damage your vehicle ’s
emissions controls and engine.
Those repairs may not be covered
by your vehicle’ s warranties.
Reduced Power
Indicator
This light comes on for a few
seconds when you turn the key to
the “ON” position
If it comes on at any other time, it
indicates that there is a problem in
the throttle “drive-by-wire”
system. With the light on, your
vehicle goes into “limp home” mode — the engine runs on three
cylinders, and the accelerator
pedal no longer controls engine
speed.
As soon as it is safe, pull off the
road and turn off the engine.
Restart the engine to reset the
system. If the light remains on, or
comes on again while driving,
have the vehicle towed to your
Honda dealer for repair.
Turn Signal
Indicators
A green light flashing on the
instrument panel lets you know
that the front and rear turn signal
lights are working. If the light
stays on and does not flash, check
for a burned out bulb. If there is
no light when the lever is moved,
check the fuse and bulb.
Whenever the Hazard Warning Flasher Switch is on, both turn
signals will flash.
Low Fuel Indicator
This light comes on when the tank
becomes nearly empty. Fill up the
tank as soon as possible.
If the low fuel indicator light
comes on when the fuel tank is
not nearly empty, have the fuel
tank sensing unit and related
components inspected and
repaired by your Honda dealer.
Driving on a road with many
sharp curves may cause the fuel
indicator light to blink
intermittently. This is normal.

68Instruments and Controls
Check Automatic
Transmission Indicator
The indicator light comes on for a
few seconds when the ignition
switch is turned to the “
ON”
position.
If the light flashes, it means the
computer controlling the
transmission has found a problem.
Have the automatic transmission checked by your Honda dealer as
soon as possible. You can safely
drive the vehicle while the light is
flashing, but the computer may
put the transmission into its
“backup mode.”
In the backup mode, the
transmission may not shift
automatically. If the transmission
does not shift automatically, you
must move the shift lever to
change gears. This chart shows
the shift lever position and the
gear range that will result.
“L” position
First gear
“2” position
Third gear
“3” position
Fourth gear
“
D” position
Fourth gear When the transmission is in
backup mode and does not shift
automatically, you should move
the selector lever to the
appropriate position for your
driving needs, as follows:
Select “
3” or “D” for high speed
driving (over 50 mph, 80 km/h).
Select “2” for moderate speed
driving (between 15 mph [25
km/h] and 50 mph [80 km/h]).
Select “L” when starting from a
stop, driving up or down a steep
hill, or for engine braking when
towing a trailer downhill.
Do not exceed 65 mph (45 mph if
towing a trailer).

77Instruments and Controls
and the forward driving ranges.
The shift lever can be shifted
freely into any position indicated
by the arrow “
”. The lever
cannot be shifted into any position
indicated by the arrow “
”
without pushing the button
located on the end of the shift
lever.
PARK
REV
NEUT
DRIVE
3RD
2ND
1ST
In this 4-speed automatic
transmission, the following three
modes can be selected by pressing
the “
POWER” or “WINTER”
switch on the floor console, with
the key switch in the “
ON”
position:
•NORMAL mode
•POWER mode
•WINTER mode
P (Park)
— Used to lock the
transmission when the vehicle is
parked or while starting the
engine. Never move the shift lever
to Park until your vehicle is fully
stopped. Use this position
together with the parking brake.
The shift lever can be moved from
PARK position if the regular brake
is applied.
Refer to “Starting” in this section. R (Reverse)
— Used for backing
the vehicle. Bring your vehicle to
a complete stop before shifting to
Reverse.
N (Neutral) — The out-of-gear
position. You may restart a stalled
engine while the vehicle is still
moving with the selector in
Neutral. Refer to “Starting” in this
section. This position is also used
when towing the vehicle. See “In
Case of Emergency ” for towing
information.
D (Drive) (First to Fourth
Gear)
— This position is for all
normal forward driving. For
normal driving, we recommend
that you put the shift lever in the
“
D” range. This will reduce
vehicle noise and improve fuel
economy.

79Instruments and Controls
1. Check that the parking brake
is fully applied.
2. Turn the key switch to “
ACC”
position.
3. Move the shift lever from “P”
to “
N” position, depress the
brake pedal, and start the
engine again.
4. Operate the shift lever.
Have the transmission checked by
your Honda dealer as soon as
possible.
Driving Tips
Before going down a steep or long
grade, reduce speed and shift the
transmission into a lower gear or
range to control the vehicle ’s
speed. This will provide engine
braking to help slow the vehicle.
Try not to hold the brake pedal
down too long or too often. This
could cause the brakes to get hot
and not work properly.
Downshifting to a lower gear is
especially important when towing
a trailer in mountainous terrain.
Do not hold the vehicle on a hill
by pressing on the accelerator. Do
not press on the accelerator pedal
and brake pedal at the same time.
Either of these actions can
overheat the automatic
transmission and cause damage. Always keep your foot off the
accelerator pedal when shifting
from “P” or “N” to another gear.
Do not shift to “P” (Park) when
the vehicle is moving; you could
damage the automatic
transmission. Always come to a
complete stop.
Be careful that you do not exceed
the following maximum allowable
speeds when accelerating. mph (km/h)
RangeAutomatic TransmissionRange“L”“2”“3”
“2H”35 (56)65
(105)–
“4H”35 (56)65
(105)65
(105)
“4L”15 (24)30 (48)50 (81)

94Seats
Head restraints are designed to
help reduce the risk of neck
injuries.
They are most effective when you
adjust them so the back of the
occupant’
s head rests against the
center of the restraint. A taller
person should adjust the restraint
as high as possible. Push the lock knob to unlock the
head restraint. Move the restraint
up or down as required.
Push to
release
the lock.
Adjust the head restraint before
you start driving. Trying to adjust
it while driving could cause you
to lose control of the vehicle.
To remove a head restraint for
cleaning or repair, push the
release button and pull the
restraint out of the seat-back. The rear seat can be folded
forward to provide additional
cargo area.
Folding
1. Pull the strap toward the
outside of the seat and fold the
seat cushion up.
Pull the
strap.
Rear Seat

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