air conditioning HONDA PILOT 2003 1.G Owners Manual

Proper use of the Heating and
Cooling system can make the
interior dry and comf ortable, and
keep the windows clear f or best
visibility.
Turning this dial clockwise increases
the f an’s speed, which increases air
flow.
Turning this dial clockwise increases
the temperature of the air flow.
This button turns the air condi-
tioning ON and OFF. The indicator
in the button lights when the A/C is
on.
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Heating and Cooling
What Each Control Does
Fan Control Dial
T emperature Control Dial
Air Conditioning (A/C) Button
On L X model
118
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIALRECIRCULATION
BUTTON
FAN CONTROL
DIAL
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER BUTTON
AIR CONDITIONING
BUTTON MODE CONTROL DIAL

This section covers how to set up the
system controls f or ventilation,
heating, cooling, dehumidif ying, and
def rosting.
The engine must be running f or the
heater and air conditioning to
generate hot and cold air. The heater
uses engine coolant to warm the air.
If the engine is cold, it will be several
minutes bef ore you f eel warm air
coming from the system.
The air conditioning does not rely on
engine temperature.
It is best to leave the system in Fresh
Air mode under almost all conditions.
Keeping the system in Recirculation
mode, particularly with the A/C of f ,
can cause the windows to fog up.
Switch to Recirculation mode when
you are driving through smoky or
dusty conditions, then switch back to
Fresh Air mode when the condition
clears.The outside air intakes f or the
heating and cooling system are at
the base of the windshield. Keep
these clear of leaves and other
debris.
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Heating and Cooling
How to Use the System
122
RECIRCULATION
BUTTON
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER BUTTON FAN CONTROL
DIAL
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL
MODE CONTROL DIAL
AIR CONDITIONING BUTTON

The f low-through ventilation system
draws in outside air, circulates it
through the interior, then exhausts it
through vents near the rear side
panels.Turn the temperature control dial
all the way to the lef t.
Make sure the A/C is of f .
Select and Fresh Air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed. If the interior is very warm f rom
beingparkedinthesun,youcancool
it down more rapidly by setting up
the controls this way: When the interior has cooled down
to a more comf ortable temperature,
close the windows and set the
controls as described f or normal
cooling.
Air conditioning places an extra load
on the engine. Watch the engine
coolant temperature gauge (see page
) when driving in stop-and-go
traf f ic or climbing a long, steep hill.
If it moves near the red zone, turn
of f the A/C until the gauge reads
normally.
Turn on the A/C by pressing the
button. The light in the button
comesonwhenafanspeedis
selected.
Make sure the temperature
control dial is all the way to the left.
Select .
If the outside air is humid, select
Recirculation mode. If the outside
air is dry, select Fresh Air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
Start the engine.
Turn on the A/C by pressing the
button. Make sure the tempera-
ture control dial is turned all the
way to the left.
Set the f an to maximum speed.
Open the windows partially. Select
and Fresh Air mode.
1.
2.
3.
4. 1.
2.
3.
5. 4.
1.
2.
3. 68
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Heating and Cooling
Vent ilat ion
T o Cool wit h A /C
123

To warm the interior:Start the engine.
Select and Fresh Air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
Adjust the warmth of the air with
the temperature control dial.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Heating and Cooling
To Heat
124
MODE CONTROL DIAL
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL
RECIRCULATION
BUTTON REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER BUTTON
FAN CONTROL
DIAL
AIR CONDITIONING
BUTTON

Air conditioning, as it cools, removes
moisture from the air. When used in
combination with the heater, it
makes the interior warm and dry.
This setting is suitable f or all driving
conditions whenever the outside
temperature is above 32°F (0°C).To remove f og f rom the inside of the
windows:
To remove exterior f rost or ice f rom
the windshield and side windows
after the vehicle has been sitting out
in cold weather:
Switch the f an on.
Turn on the air conditioning
Select and Fresh Air mode.
Adjust the temperature control
dial so the mixture of heated and
cooled air f eels comf ortable. Set the f an to the desired speed.
Select .
When you select , the
system automatically switches to
Fresh Air mode and turns on the
A/C.
Adjust the temperature control
dial so the air f low f rom the
def roster vents f eels warm.
Turn on the rear window def ogger
to help clear the rear window.
When you switch to another mode
f rom , the A/C stays on.
Press the A/C button to turn it of f .Start the engine.
Select .
When you select , the
system automatically switches to
Fresh Air mode and turns on the
A/C.
Set the f an and temperature
controls to maximum.
To rapidly remove exterior f rost or
ice f rom the windshield (on very cold
days), f irst select the Recirculation
mode. Once the windshield is clear,
select the Fresh Air mode to avoid
f ogging the windows.
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
4.1.
2.
3.
CONT INUED
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Heating and Cooling
T o Heat and Dehumidif y wit h A ir
Condit ioning T o Def og and Def rost
125

These settings direct all the air f low
to the defroster vents at the base of
the windshield and the side window
def roster vents. The air f low will get
warmer and clear the windows faster
as the engine warms up. You can
close the corner vents with the dial
underneath each vent. This will send
more warm air to the windshield
defroster vents.
For saf ety, make sure you have a
clear view through all the windows
bef ore driving.
Heating and Cooling
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures126
MODE CONTROL DIAL
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL
RECIRCULATION
BUTTON REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER BUTTON
FAN CONTROL
DIAL
AIR CONDITIONING
BUTTON

To put the Automatic Climate
Control in f ully-automatic mode,
press the AUTO button and set the
desired temperature by turning the
temperature control dial. You will
see FULL AUTO in the system’s
display. The light above thebutton also show you which
mode, Recirculation or Fresh Air, is
selected.
The system automatically selects the
proper mix of conditioned and/or
heated air that will, as quickly as
possible, raise or lower the interior
temperature f rom its current level to
the set temperature. Pressing the OFF button shuts the
climate control system completely
of f . Keep the system completely of f
only f or short periods. To keep stale
air and mustiness f rom collecting,
you should have the f an running at
all times.
When you set the temperature to its
lower limit (60°F/18°C) or its upper
limit (90°F/32°C), the system runs
at f ull cooling or heating only. It does
not regulate the interior temperature. When the temperature is set
between the lower and upper limits,
the system regulates the interior
temperature to the set value.
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Climat e Cont rol Syst em
Fully-automatic Operation
130
RECIRCULATION
BUTTON
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER BUTTON
FAN CONTROL
BUTTONS
OFF BUTTON
AUTO BUTTON TEMPERATURE CONTROL DIAL
MODE BUTTON
AIR CONDITIONING BUTTON

Û
You can manually select various
f unctions of the Climate Control
system when it is in FULL AUTO.
All other f eatures remain auto-
matically controlled. Making any
manual selection causes the word
FULL to go out.
Press the A/C button to turn the air
conditioningonandoff.Youwillsee
A/C ON or A/C OFF in the display.
When you turn the A/C of f , the sys-
tem cannot regulate the inside tem-
perature if you set the dial below the
outside temperature. With the A/C
on, use the temperature control dial
to adjust the temperature of the air
flow to a comfortable setting. This button controls the source of
the air going into the system. When
the indicator above this button is lit,
air f rom the vehicle’s interior is sent
through the system again (Recircula-
tion mode). When the indicator is off,
air is brought in f rom outside the
vehicle (Fresh Air mode).
You can, f or example, manually put
the system in recirculation mode
when driving through an area of
smoke or f umes.
You can manually select the f an
speed by pressing the f an control
buttons. When you press either
button, the fan is taken out of
automatic mode and starts to run at
its lowest speed. Pressing the
button repeatedly makes the fan run
f aster. The f an speed is shown by
vertical bars in the display.
CONT INUED
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Climat e Cont rol Syst em
Semi-automatic Operation
A ir Condit ioning (A /C) But t on
Recirculation Button
Fan Control Buttons
131

The condition of your vehicle and
your driving habits are the two most
important things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Always maintain your vehicle accord-
ing to the maintenance schedule.
This will keep it in top operating
condition.A cold engine uses more f uel than a
warm engine. It is not necessary to
‘‘warm-up’’ a cold engine by letting it
idle f or a long time. You can drive
away in about a minute, no matter
how cold it is outside. The engine
will warm up f aster, and you get
better f uel economy. To cut down on
the number of ‘‘cold starts,’’ try to
combine several short trips into one.
You can improve f uel economy by
driving moderately. Rapid acceler-
ation, abrupt cornering, and hard
braking use more f uel.
Always drive in the highest gear that
allows the engine to run and acceler-
ate smoothly.
Depending on traf f ic conditions, try
to maintain a constant speed. Every
time you slow down and speed up,
your vehicle uses extra f uel. Use the
cruise control, when appropriate, to
increase f uel economy.
The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Turnoff theA/Cto
cut down on air conditioning use.
Use the f low-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is
moderate.
In winter, the build-up of snow on
your vehicle’s underside adds weight
and rolling resistance. Frequent
cleaning helps your f uel mileage and
reduces the chance of corrosion. An important part of that mainte-
nance is the (see page ). For
example, an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses f uel. It also wears out
f aster, so check the tire pressure at
least monthly. 281
Vehicle Condition
Driving Habits
Owner Maintenance
Checks
Bef ore Driving
Fuel Economy
222

µµAlways drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your vehicle longer
to react, even in conditions that may
seem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss of
control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious f or the f irst f ew miles
(kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in
snow. A person can f orget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills.
Exercise extra caution when driving
in rain af ter a long dry spell. Af ter
months of dry weather, the f irst
rains bring oil to the surf ace of the
roadway, making it slippery.
Rain, f og, and snow conditions re-
quire a dif f erent driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your vehicle well-
maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control
should not be used in these condi-
tions. Being able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important
in all weather conditions. This is
more dif f icult in bad weather. To be
seen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers f requently. Keep the wind-
shield washer reservoir f ull of the
proper f luid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to
streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the def rosters and air
conditioning to keep the windows
f rom f ogging up on the inside (see
page ). 125
CONT INUED
Driving T echnique Visibility
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving245