HONDA RIDGELINE 2009 1.G Owners Manual

Bef ore you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use and how to check the
levels of important f luids. You also
need to know how to properly store
luggage or packages. The
inf ormation in this section will help
you. If you plan to add any
accessories to your vehicle, please
read the information in this section
first..............................
Break-in Period .248
.................
Fuel Recommendation .248
.........
Service Station Procedures .249
....................................
Ref ueling .249
Opening and Closing the .......................................
Hood .252
...................................
Oil Check .253
.............
Engine Coolant Check .253
...............................
Fuel Economy .254
...
Accessories and Modif ications .257
.............................
Carrying Cargo .259
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
247
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Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Your vehicle is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 87 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise that can lead to engine damage.
We recommended using a quality
gasoline containing detergent
additives that help prevent fuel
system and engine deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contactyour authorized dealer f or service.
Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10% ethanol by
volume and up to 15% MTBE by
volume. Do not use gasoline
containing methanol.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
Premium f uel is recommended when
towing in certain conditions (see
page ).
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
.
303
Break-in Period
Fuel Recommendation
Quick Start Guide
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
248
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CONT INUED
Open the f uel f ill door by pulling
onthehandletotheleftof the
driver’s seat.
Park with the driver’s side closest
to the service station pump.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top of f ’’ the tank. Leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.
Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
The fuel fill cap is attached to the
f uel f iller with a tether. Insert the
attachment on the fuel fill cap into
the slit on the f uel f ill door.
even though the tank is not f ull,
there may be a problem with your
vehicle’s fuel vapor recovery
system. The system helps keep
f uel vapor f rom going into the
atmosphere. Try f illing at another
pump. If this does not f ix the
problem, consult your dealer.
1.
2.
3.
4.
If the f uel nozzle keeps clicking of f
Ref ueling
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
249
Pull
FUEL FILL CAPATTACHMENT
TETHER
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.
Stop the engine, and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.
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Screw the fuel fill cap back on
until it clicks at least once.
If you do not properly tighten the
cap, you will see a ‘‘CHECK FUEL
CAP’’ message on the inf ormation
display (see page ).If the system still detects a leak in
the vehicle’s evaporative emissions
system, the malf unction indicator
lamp (MIL) comes on. If the f uel f ill
cap was not already tightened, turn
the engine of f , and check or
retighten the f uel f ill cap until it
clicks at least once. The MIL should
go off after several days of normal
driving once the cap is tightened or
replaced. If the MIL does not go of f ,
have your vehicle inspected by a
dealer. For more inf ormation, see
page .
Your vehicle’s on board diagnostic
system will detect a loose or missing
f uel f ill cap as an evaporative system
leak. The f irst time a leak is detected
a ‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL CAP’’ message
appears on the multi-inf ormation
display. Turn the engine of f , and
conf irm the f uel f ill cap is installed. If
it is, loosen it, then retighten it until
it clicks at least once. The message
should go of f af ter several days of normal driving once you tighten or
replace the f uel f ill cap. To scroll to
another message, press the INFO
button. The ‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL CAP’’
message will appear each time you
restart the engine until the system
turns the message of f .
If you do not properly tighten the
cap, you will see a ‘‘TIGHTEN
FUEL CAP’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display.
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.
5.
6.
81
375
On models without navigation systemOn models with navigation system On models with navigation system
Tighten Fuel Cap Message
Service Station Procedures
250
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Whenever f illing a f uel container,
use an approved f uel container, and
place it on the ground. Do not f ill the
f uel container in the vehicle,
including the pickup bed and the
In-Bed Trunk. Make sure to put the
f uel pump nozzle in the f uel f iller of
the container securely and to handle
it properly.
Gasoline or f uel vapors are
extremely f lammable and explosive.
Improperly handling f uel can cause
anexplosioninwhichyoucanbe
seriously injured.
Before placing the fuel container in
the vehicle, wipe up any spill
completely.
Your vehicle has a warning label f or
f illing a portable f uel container on
the lef t rear side of the pickup bed.
Filling a Port able Fuel Cont ainer
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
251
Do not fill a portable fuel
container in the pickup bed.
Static electricity can ignite gas
vapors and you can be burned.
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Put your f ingers under the f ront
edge of the hood. The hood latch
handle is above the ‘‘H’’ logo. Pull
this handle until it releases the
hood, then lif t the hood.To close the hood, lif t it up slightly to
remove the support rod f rom the
hole. Put the support rod back into
its holding clip. Lower the hood to
about a f oot (30 cm) above the
f ender, then let it drop. Make sure it
is securely latched.
If the hood latch handle moves
stif f ly, or you can open the hood
without lifting the handle, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated.
Park the vehicle, and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle under the lower lef t
corner of the dashboard. The
hood will pop up slightly.
Holding the grip, pull the support
rod out of its clip. Insert the end
into the designated hole in the
hood marked by an arrow.
1.
2.3.
Opening and Closing the Hood
Service Station Procedures
252
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
LATCH SUPPORT ROD
GRIP
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Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.Remove the dipstick (orange loop).
Wipe of f the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert the dipstick all the way back
into its hole. Remove the dipstick again, and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page .Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
on page f or
inf ormation on adding the proper
coolant.
Refer to on page f or inf ormation
about checking other items on your
vehicle.
1.
2.
3. 4.
326 329
323
A dding Engine Oil Engine Coolant Check
Oil Check
A dding
Engine Coolant
Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
253
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK MAX
MIN
RESERVE TANK
DIPSTICK
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Fuel economy is not a f ixed number.
It varies based on driving conditions,
driving habits and vehicle condition.
Theref ore, it is not possible f or one
set of estimates to predict f uel
economy precisely f or all drivers in
all environments.
Provides an estimated annual f uel
cost, based on 15,000 miles (20,000
km) per year multiplied by the cost
pergallon(basedonEPAfuelcost
data) divided by the combined f uel
economy.
For more inf ormation on f uel
economy ratings and factors that
af f ect f uel economy, visit(Canada: Visit
)
Represents urban
driving in a vehicle in light traf f ic. A
range of miles per gallon achieved is
also provided.
The EPA f uel economy estimates
shownintheexampletotheright
are a usef ul tool f or comparison
when buying a vehicle. EPA
estimates include:
Represents a
mixture of rural and interstate
driving, in a warmed-up vehicle,
typical of longer trips in f ree-f lowing
traf f ic. A range of miles per gallon achieved is also provided.
Represents a combination of city and
highway driving. The scale
represents the range of combined
f uel economy f or other vehicles in
the class.
www.
fueleconomy.gov www.
vehicles.gc.ca
Actual Mileage and EPA Fuel
Economy Estimates Comparison.
Estimated Annual Fuel Cost
City MPG
Highway MPG Combined Fuel Economy
Fuel Economy
254
Combined Fuel
Economy
(Sample U.S. EPA label shown) Estimated Annual
Fuel Cost
City MPG
Highway MPG
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The f ollowing f actors can lower your
vehicle’s f uel economy:
Aggressive driving (hard
acceleration and braking)
Excessive idling, accelerating and
braking in stop-and-go traf f ic
Cold engine operation (engines
aremoreefficientwhenwarmed
up)
Driving with a heavy load or the
air conditioner running
Improperly inf lated tires
A properly maintained vehicle
maximizes f uel economy. Poor
maintenance can signif icantly reduce
f uel economy. Always maintain your
vehicle according to the maintenance
messages displayed on the
inf ormation display (see on page ).
For example: Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking increase fuel
consumption.
If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, you can
boost your f uel economy by up
shif ting as early as possible.
Aerodynamic drag has a big ef f ect
on f uel mileage at speeds above 45
mph (75 km/h). Reduce your
speed and you reduce the drag.
Trailers, car top carriers, roof
racks and bike racks are also big
contributors to increased drag.
Idling
results in 0 miles per gallon.
An underinf lated tire increases
‘‘rolling resistance,’’ which reduces
f uel economy.
It puts a heavier
load on the engine, increasing f uel
consumption.
In
particular, a build-up of snow or
mud on your vehicle’s underside
adds weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
economy.
323
CONT INUED
Fuel Economy Factors
Improving Fuel Economy
Owner’s
Maintenance Checks Use the recommended viscosity
motor oil, displaying the A PI
Certif ication Seal (see page
). Drive moderately
Always drive in the highest gear
possible
Observe the speed limit
Avoid excessive idling
Maintain proper tire inf lation
A void carrying excess weight in
your vehicle
K eep your vehicle clean
326
Vehicle Maint enance Drive Ef f icient ly
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
255
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Fill the f uel tank until the nozzle automatically clicks of f .
Reset trip counter to zero.
Record the total gallons (liters) needed to ref ill.
Follow one of the simple calculations above.
The A/C
puts an extra load on the engine
which makes it use more f uel. Use
the f resh-air ventilation when
possible.
Combine several short trips into
one. A warmed-up engine is more
f uel ef f icient than a cold one.
Direct calculation is the
recommended source of inf ormation
about your actual f uel economy.
Using f requency of f ill-ups or taking
f uel gauge readings are NOT
accurate measures of f uel economy.
Fuel economy may improve over the
f irst several thousand miles. 1.
2.
3.
4.
Checking Your Fuel Economy
Measuring T echniques
Fuel Economy
Minimize the use of the air
conditioning system
Plan and combine trips
Calculating Fuel Economy
256
Miles driven Gallons of
fuel Miles per
Gallon
100 KilometersL per 100 km
Liter
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