HONDA RIDGELINE 2006 1.G Owners Manual

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This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the VTM-4system, the VSA
system, the tire pressure monitoring
system, and f acts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer.........................
Driving Guidelines .190
........................
Preparing to Drive .191
.......................
Starting the Engine .192
..............
Automatic Transmission .193
Variable Torque Management
.........
4WD (VTM-4) System .198
..............................
VTM-4Lock .198
Tire Pressure Monitoring System ......................................
(TPMS) .199
...........................................
Parking .201
.............................
Braking System .202
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .203
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
........................................
System .205
.................
Towing Weight Limits .207
..........
Towing Weight Guidelines .209
...........................
Towing a Trailer .210
Of f -Highway Driving
..................................
Guidelines .219
Driving
Driving
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Your vehicle has higher ground
clearance that allows you to travel
over bumps, obstacles, and rough
terrain. It also provides good
visibility so you can anticipate
problems earlier.With heavy cargo on the pickup bed,
your vehicle has a higher center of
gravity. Drive slowly and cautiously,
and allow more time and distance f or
braking. Loading heavy cargo could
af f ect your vehicle’s handling and
perf ormance.
To prevent rollovers or loss of
control:
Take corners at slower speeds
than you would with a passenger
vehicle.
Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers whenever possible.
Make sure the cargo is properly
loaded and all items are secured so
they will not shif t while driving.
Do not modif y your vehicle in any
way that would raise the center of
gravity.
Do not carry heavy cargo on the
roof .
Your vehicle allows you to carry
more cargo than a typical passenger
vehicle.
Because your vehicle rides higher
of f the ground, it has a high center
of gravity that can cause it to roll
over if you make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicles have a signif icantly higher
roll over rate than other types of
vehicles.
See page f or of f -highway driving
guidelines. 219
Driving Guidelines
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Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments bef ore you drive
your vehicle.Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Check that the hood is f ully closed.
Check that the tailgate is f ully
closed when it is not used as an
extended pickup bed.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
f astened down securely. Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page ).
Make sure the doors and In-Bed
Trunk are securely closed and
locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).
When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicators in the
instrument panel (see page ).
Check the seat adjustment (see
pages and ).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
8. 7.
9.
10.
11. 14
57
107
76
95 97
Preparing to Drive
Driving
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Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in START (III) f or more
than 15 seconds at a time. If the
engine does not start right away,
pause f or at least 10 seconds
bef ore trying again.If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
down, and hold it there while
starting to clear flooding. If the
engine still does not start, return
to step 5.
5.
6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Starting the Engine
192
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page .
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
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These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shif t
lever is in.The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II). If it
f lashes while driving (in any shif t
position), it indicates a possible
problem in the transmission.
If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem in the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
To shif t f rom Park to any position,
pressfirmlyonthebrakepedal,and
pull the shif t lever toward you. You
cannot shif t out of Park when the
ignition switch is in the LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I) position.
CONT INUED
Shif t L ever Position Indicators Shif ting
Automatic Transmission
Driving
193
SHIFT LEVER
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This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Pull the shif t lever
towards you, then move it out of
Park.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page .
You must also pull the shif t lever
towards you to shift into Park. To
avoid transmission damage, come to
a complete stop bef ore shif ting into
Park. The shif t lever must be in Park
for you to remove the key from the
ignition switch. Press the brake
pedal and pull the shif t lever towards
you to shif t f rom Park to reverse. To
shif t f rom reverse to neutral, come
to a complete stop, and then shif t.
Pull the shif t lever towards you
bef ore shif ting into reverse f rom
neutral.
Use neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from neutral to
another gear.
197
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR Dto2 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoN
NtoD RtoN Do this:
Press the brake pedal, and
pull the shift lever towards
you.
Pull the shift lever towards
you.
Move the shift lever.
Automatic Transmission
Park (P)
Shif t L ock Release Reverse (R)
Neutral (N)
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µ
CONT INUED
Af ter you stop in D, 2, 1, N, or R
position with the ignition switch in
ACCESSORY (I) f or an extended
period, you may not be able to move
the shift lever from neutral to
reverse or Park. In this case, press
the brake pedal, and turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position, then
shif t out of neutral.Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear (1 through 5) f or your
speed and acceleration. You may
notice the transmission shif ting up at
higher engine speeds when the
engine is cold. This helps the engine
warm up f aster. When D3 is on, the transmission
selects only the f irst three gears.
Use D3 f or engine braking when
going down a steep hill.
Press the D3 switch on the end of
the shif t lever to turn this mode on
or of f ; the D3 indicator comes on
whenever D3 is selected.
TheD3switchcanbeoperatedonly
when the ignition switch is in the ON
(II) position and the shif t lever is in
the D position.
Automatic Transmission
Drive (D)
D3
Driving
195
D3 SWITCH
D3 INDICATOR
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µ
µ To shif t f rom second to
first, pull the shift lever towards you,
then shif t to the lower gear. This
position locks the transmission in
f irst gear. By upshif ting and
downshif ting through 1, 2, and D,
you can operate the transmission
much like a manual transmission
without a clutch pedal.
To shif t to second,
pull the shif t lever towards you, then
shif t to the lower gear. This position
locks the transmission in second
gear. It does not downshif t to f irst
gear when you come to a stop.
Use second gear: For more power when climbing.
To increase engine braking when
going down steep hills.
For starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow.
To help reduce wheel spin.
When driving downhill with a
trailer.
When towing a trailer on level roads
under normal driving conditions, do
not use D3. This will increase the
automatic transmission fluid
temperature and may cause
overheating.
Shif ting out of the D position will
cancel D3, and cause the D3
indicator to go out. Selecting the D
position again will resume D3, and
the indicator will come on.
Turning the ignition switch to LOCK
(0) turns D3 of f . To use D3 when
you restart the engine, select the D
position and press the D3 switch
again.
TheD3indicatoralsocomesonfora
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II).
If you shif t into f irst position when
the vehicle speed is above 28 mph
(45 km/h), the transmission shif ts
into second gear first to avoid
sudden engine braking.
If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
rpm below the red zone.
Automatic Transmission
First (1)
Engine Speed L imiter
Second (2)
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This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pulling the shif t lever does
not work.Push down on the key while you
pull the shif t lever towards you
and move it out of Park to neutral.Remove the key from the shift
lock release slot, then reinstall the
cover. Make sure the notch on the
cover is on the instrument panel
side. Press the brake pedal, and
restart the engine.
Set the parking brake.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
Put a cloth on the edge of the shif t
lock release slot cover. Using a
small f lat-tipped screwdriver or a
metal f ingernail f ile, caref ully pry
on the edge of the cover to remove
it.
Insert a key into the shift lock
release slot.
If you need to use the shif t lock
release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have it
checked by your dealer. 6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ock Release
Driving
197
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
COVER
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