HONDA PILOT 2003 1.G Owners Manual

µµ Your dealer has touch-up paint to
match your vehicle’s color. The color
code is printed on a sticker on the
driver’s doorjamb. Take this code to
your dealer so you are sure to get
the correct color.
Inspect your vehicle f requently f or
chips or scratches in the paint.
Repair them right away to prevent
corrosion of the metal underneath.
Use the touch-up paint only on small
chips and scratches. More extensive
paint damage should be repaired by
a prof essional.
Always wash and dry the whole
vehiclebeforewaxingit.Youshould
wax your vehicle, including the metal
trim, whenever water sits on the
surf ace in large patches. It should
formintobeadsordropletsafter
waxing.
Cleaning tar, insects, etc. with
removers also takes off the wax.
Remember to re-wax those areas,
even if the rest of the vehicle does
not need waxing.
You should use a quality liquid or
paste wax. Apply it according to the
instructions on the container. In
general, there are two types of
products:
The wheels have a protective clear-
coat that keeps the aluminum from
corroding and tarnishing. Using
harsh chemicals, including some
commercial wheel cleaners, or stif f
brushes can damage this clear-coat.
Only use a mild detergent and sof t
brush or sponge to clean the wheels.
Waxes A wax coats the finish and
protects it f rom damage by exposure
to sunlight, air pollution, etc. You
should use a wax on your Honda
when it is new.
Polishes Polishes and cleaner/
waxes can restore the shine to paint
that has oxidized and lost some of its
shine. They normally contain mild
abrasives and solvents that remove the top layer of the f inish. You
should use a polish on your Honda if
the f inish does not have its original
shine af ter using a wax.
Clean your Honda’s aluminum alloy
wheels as you do the rest of the
exterior.Washthemwiththesame
solution, and rinse them thoroughly.
Exterior Care
Appearance Care
Paint T ouch-up
Waxing
A luminum Wheels
327

Vacuum the carpeting f requently to
remove dirt. Ground-in dirt will make
the carpet wear out f aster.
Periodically shampoo the carpet to
keep it looking new. Use one of the
foam-type carpet cleaners on the
market. Follow the instructions that
come with the cleaner, applying it
with a sponge or sof t brush. Keep
the carpeting as dry as possible by
not adding water to the f oam.Do not put additional f loor mats on
top of the anchored mat, otherwise
the additional mats may slide
f orward and interf ere with the pedals.
The Genuine Honda driver’s f loor
mat that came with your vehicle was
designed to be hooked over the f loor
mat anchor. This keeps the f loor mat
f rom sliding f orward and possibly
interf ering with the pedals. If you remove the driver’s f loor mat,
make sure to re-anchor it when you
putitbackinyourvehicle.
If you replace it, use a genuine
Honda f loor mat that is designed to
be used with the f loor mat anchor in
your vehicle.
If you use a non-Honda f loor mat in
the driver’s f ootwell, make sure it
f its properly and that it can be used
with the floor mat anchor.
Carpeting
Floor Mats
Appearance Care
Interior Care
328

Remove dirt and dust with a vacuum
cleaner. Wipe the vinyl with a sof t
cloth dampened in a solution of mild
soap and water. Use the same
solution with a soft-bristle brush on
more dif f icult spots. You can also use
commercially-available spray or
f oam-type vinyl cleaners.If your seat belts get dirty, you can
use a sof t brush with a mixture of
mild soap and warm water to clean
them. Do not use bleach, dye, or
cleaning solvents. They can weaken
the belt material. Let the belts air-
drybeforeyouusethevehicle.
Vacuum dirt and dust out of the
material f requently. For general
cleaning, use a solution of mild soap
and lukewarm water, letting it air dry.
To clean of f stubborn spots, use a
commercially-available f abric cleaner.
Test it on a hidden area of the f abric
first, to make sure it does not bleach
or stain the f abric. Follow the
instructions that come with the
cleaner.
Vacuum dirt and dust f rom the
leather f requently. Pay particular
attention to the pleats and seams.
Clean the leather with a sof t cloth
dampened with clear water, then
buf f it with a clean, dry cloth. If
f urther cleaning is needed, use a
soap specif ically f or leather, such as
saddle soap. Apply this soap with a
damp,softcloth.Wipedownand
buf f as described above.
CONT INUED
VinylSeat Belts
Fabric
Leather
Interior Care
Appearance Care329
LOOP

Dirt build-up in the loops of the seat
belt anchors can cause the belts to
retract slowly. Wipe the insides of
the loops with a clean cloth
dampened in mild soap and warm
water or isopropyl alcohol.Clean the windows, inside and out,
with a commercially-available glass
cleaner. You can also use a mixture
of one part white vinegar to ten parts
water. This will remove the haze that
builds up on the inside of the
windows. Use a sof t cloth or paper
towels to clean all glass and clear
plastic surf aces.If you want to use an air f reshener/
deodorizer in the interior of your
vehicle, it is best to use a solid type.
Some liquid air f resheners contain
chemicals that may cause parts of
the interior trim and f abric to crack
or discolor.
If youusealiquidairfreshener,
make sure you f asten it securely so it
does not spill as you drive.
Windows
A ir Fresheners
Interior Care
Appearance Care330
The rear window def ogger wires are
bonded to the inside of the glass.
Wiping vigorously up-and-down can
dislodge and break the def ogger wires.
When cleaning the rear window, use
gentle pressure and wipe side-to-side.

Two f actors normally contribute to
causing corrosion in your vehicle:Moisture trapped in body cavities.
Dirtandroadsaltthatcollectsin
hollows on the underside of the
vehicle stays damp, promoting
corrosion in that area.
Removal of paint and protective
coatings f rom the exterior and
underside of the vehicle. Repair chips and scratches in the
paint as soon as you discover them.
Inspect and clean out the drain
holes in the bottom of the doors
and body.
Check the f loor coverings f or
dampness. Carpeting and f loor
mats may remain damp f or a long
time, especially in winter. This
dampness can eventually cause
the f loor panels to corrode.Use a high-pressure spray to clean
the underside of your vehicle. This
is especially important in areas
that use road salt in winter. It is
also a good idea in humid climates
and areas subject to salt air. Be
caref ul of the ABS wheel sensors
and wiring at each wheel.
Have the corrosion-preventive
coatings on the underside of your
vehicle inspected and repaired
periodically.
Many corrosion-preventive measures
are built into your Honda. You can
help keep your vehicle f rom
corroding by perf orming some
simple periodic maintenance:
1.
2.
Corrosion Prot ect ion
Appearance Care331

Body repairs can affect your vehicle’s
resistance to corrosion. If your
vehicle needs repairs af ter a collision,
pay close attention to the parts used
in the repair and the quality of the
work.
Make sure the repair f acility uses
genuine Honda replacement body
parts. Some companies make sheet
metal pieces that seem to duplicate
the original Honda body parts, but
are actually inf erior in f it, f inish, and
corrosion resistance. Once installed,
they do not give the same high-
quality appearance.When reporting your collision to the
insurance company, tell them you
want genuine Honda parts used in
the repair. Although most insurers
recognize the quality of original
parts, some may try to specif y that
the repairs be done with other
available parts. You should investi-
gate this before any repairs have
begun.
Take your vehicle to your authorized
Honda dealer f or inspection af ter the
repairs are completed. Your dealer
can make sure that quality materials
were used, and that corrosion-
preventive coatings were applied to
all repaired and replaced parts.
Body Repairs
Appearance Care332

This section covers the more-
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your vehicle towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire .334
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .335
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start . 342
Nothing Happens or the Starter Motor Operates ........................
Very Slowly .342
The Starter Operates ................................
Normally .342
................................
Jump Starting .343
............
If Your Engine Overheats . 345
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 347
..........
Charging System Indicator . 348
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 349
...............
Brake System Indicator . 351
..............................................
Fuses .352
..........
Checking and Replacing . 353
......................
Emergency Towing .358
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed333

Your vehicle has a compact spare
tire that takes up less space. Use this
sparetireasatemporaryreplace-
ment only. Get your regular tire
repaired or replaced and put it back
on your vehicle as soon as you can.Thecompactsparetirehasashorter
tread lif e than a regular tire. Replace
it when you can see the tread wear
indicator bars. The replacement
should be the same size and design
tire, mounted on the same wheel.
Thecompactsparetireisnot
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the compact wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces than the regular tire. Use
greater caution while driving on
this tire. Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
under any circumstances.
Follow these precautions whenever
you are using the compact spare tire: Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare.
Do not use the compact spare tire
if you are towing a trailer.
The wheel of the compact spare
tire is designed especially to f it
your vehicle. Do not use your
sparetireonanothervehicle
unlessitisthesamemakeand
model.
Compact Spare Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed334
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)

If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Stopping in traf f ic or on the shoulder
of a busy road is dangerous. Drive
slowly along the shoulder until you
gettoanexitoranareatostopthat
is far away from the traffic lanes.Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire.
Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground away f rom
traffic. Put the transmission in
Park. Apply the parking brake.
2.
1.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed335
JACK
SPARE TIRE
TOOLS
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.

Open the tailgate.Take the tools out of the storage
compartment.
Turn the jack’s end bracket
counterclockwise to loosen it, then
remove the jack.
Thetoolsandjackarebehinda
cover in the cargo area on the
driver’s side. Remove the cover by
pushing the top of the cover. The spare tire is stored
underneath the rear cargo area.
Remove the plastic cover on the
cargo area lining to access the
shaft for the spare tire hoist.
3.
4.
5.
6.7.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed336
COVER
COVER