ESP HONDA RIDGELINE 2021 Owner's Manual (in English)

A Few Words About Safety
Your safety, and the safety of others, is very important. And
operating this vehicle safely is an important responsibility.
To help you make informed decisions about safety, we have
provided operating procedures and other information on labels and
in this manual. This information al erts you to potential hazards that
could hurt you or others.
Of course, it is not practical or possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or maintaining your vehicle. You
must use your own good judgment. You will find this important safety
information in a variety of forms,
including:●Safety Labels - on the vehicle.
●Safety Messages - preceded by a safety alert symbol 3 and
one of three signal words: DANGER, WARNING , or CAUTION .
These signal words mean:
●Safety Headings - such as Important Safety Precautions.
●Safety Section - such as Safe Driving.
●Instructions - how to use this vehicle correctly and safely.
This entire book is filled with important safety information - please
read it carefully.
3 DANGERYou WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if
you don't follow instructions.
3 WARNINGYou CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if
you don't follow instructions.
3CAUTIONYou CAN be HURT if you don't follow
instructions.

Contents
Child Safety P. 59Exhaust Gas Hazard P. 74Safety Labels P. 75
Tailgate P. 131 Opening and Closing the Trunk P. 133
Moonroof* P. 143 Operating the Switches Around the Steering Wheel P. 145
Interior/Exterior Convenience Items P. 175Climate Control System P. 195
Audio System Basic Operation P. 211 Audio Error Messages P. 278
Customized Features P. 298
Off-Highway Driving Guidelines P. 383 When Driving P. 385 Honda Sensing® P. 423
Multi-View Rear Camera P. 481 Refueling P. 483 Fuel Economy and CO
2 Emissions P. 486
Maintenance Under the Hood P. 496 Replacing Light Bulbs P. 508
Checking and Maintaining Tires P. 516 Battery P. 525 Remote Transmitter Care P. 527
Cleaning P. 529 Accessories and Modifications P. 535
Engine Does Not Start P. 549If the Battery Is Dead P. 552
Fuses P. 562 Emergency Towing P. 568
If You Cannot Unlock the Tailgate P. 570 Refueling P. 571
Devices that Emit Radio Waves P. 577 Reporting Safety Defects P. 578
Authorized Manuals P. 584 Customer Service Information P. 585
Quick Reference GuideP. 6
Safe DrivingP. 31
Instrument PanelP. 77
ControlsP. 115
FeaturesP. 203
DrivingP. 363
MaintenanceP. 487
Handling the UnexpectedP. 537
InformationP. 573
IndexP. 587

14
Quick Reference Guide
Instrument Panel (P77)
System Indicators
Malfunction Indicator
Lamp
Low Oil Pressure
Indicator
Charging System
IndicatorAnti-lock Brake System
(
ABS ) Indicator
Vehicle Stability Assist
TM
(VSA® ) System Indicator
VSA ® OFF Indicator
Electric Power Steering
(EPS) System Indicator
Lights Indicators
Lights On Indicator
High Beam Indicator
Immobilizer System
Indicator
Seat Belt Reminder
Indicator
System Indicators
System Message
IndicatorParking Brake and
Brake System
Indicator (Red)Supplemental
Restraint System
Indicator
Low Fuel Indicator
Gauges (P110)/Multi-Information Display (P111)/System Indicators (P78)
Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator Turn Signal and
Hazard Warning
Indicators
Smart Entry System
Indicator Ambient Meter
Shift Position Indicator/
Transmission System
Indicator Fuel Gauge
TachometerTemperature
GaugeSpeedometer
Multi-Information
Display
Brake System
Indicator (Amber)
All-wheel drive (AWD)
Indicator*
Blind spot information
System Indicator*
System Indicators
Collision Mitigation Braking
SystemTM (CMBSTM) Indicator
Road Departure Mitigation
Indicator
Security System Alarm
Indicator
U.S.
Canada U.S.
Canada
Fog Light Indicator
ECON Mode Indicator
Auto High-Beam
Indicator
Lane Keeping Assist
System (
LKAS) Indicator
(Green/Amber)
Adaptive Cruise
Control ( ACC)
Indicator (Green/
Amber)
Intelligent Traction
Management Indicator
Bed Lights On Indicator
Auto Idle Stop System
Indicator (Amber)/
Auto Idle Stop
Indicator (Green)
M (Sequential mode)
Indicator/Sequential Mode
Gear Selection Indicator

32
Safe Driving
For Safe Driving
The following pages explain your vehicle’s safety features and how to use them
properly. The safety precautions below are ones that we consider to be among the
most important.
Important Safety Precautions
■Always wear your seat belt
A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbags are designed to
supplement seat belts, not replace them. So even though your vehicle is equipped
with airbags, make sure you and your passengers always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly.
■Restrain all children
Children ages 12 and under should ride properly restrained in a back seat, not the
front seat. Infants and small children shoul d be restrained in a child seat. Larger
children should use a booster seat and a lap/shoulder seat belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat.
■Be aware of airbag hazards
While airbags can save lives, they can cause serious or fatal injuries to occupants
who sit too close to them, or are not prop erly restrained. Infants, young children,
and short adults are at the greatest risk. Be sure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
■Don’t drink and drive
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even one dr ink can reduce your ability to respond to
changing conditions, and your reaction time gets worse with every additional drink.
So don’t drink and drive, and don’t let your friends drink and drive, either.
1Important Safety Precautions
Some states, provinces and te rritories prohibit the use
of cell phones other than hands-free devices by the
driver while driving.

47
uuAirbags uTypes of Airbags
Continued
Safe Driving
Types of Airbags
Your vehicle is equipped wi th three types of airbags:
• Front airbags: Airbags in front of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats.
• Side airbags: Airbags in the driver’s and front passenger’s seat-backs.
• Side curtain airbags: Airbags above the side windows.
Each is discussed in the following pages.
Front Airbags (SRS)
The front SRS airbags inflate in a moderate-to-severe frontal collision to help protect
the head and chest of the driver and/or front passenger.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) indica tes that the airbags are designed to
supplement seat belts, not replace them . Seat belts are the occupant’s primary
restraint system.
The front airbags are housed in the center of the steering wheel for the driver, and
in the dashboard for the front pass enger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG.
■Housing Locations
1Types of Airbags
The airbags can inflate whenever the power mode is
in ON.
After an airbag inflates in a crash, you may see a
small amount of smoke. This is from the combustion
process of the infl ator material and is not harmful.
People with respiratory pr oblems may experience
some temporary discomfort. If this occurs, get out of
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
1 Front Airbags (SRS)
During a frontal crash severe enough to cause one or
both front airbags to deploy, the airbags can inflate
at different rates, dependi ng on the severity of the
crash, whether or not the se at belts are latched, and/
or other factors. Frontal airbags are designed to
supplement the seat belts to help reduce the
likelihood of head and chest injuries in frontal
crashes.

uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
50
Safe DrivingThe airbags have advanced features to help reduce the likelihood of airbag related
injuries to smaller occupants.
The driver’s advanced airbag system includes a
seat position sensor.
Based on information from this sensor and the
severity of the impact, the advanced airbag
system determines the optimal deployment of
the driver’s airbag.
The front passenger’s advanced airbag system
has weight sensors. The sensors are used for
occupant classification to activate or
deactivate the front passenger’s airbag.
For adult size occupants, the system will
automatically activate the front passenger’s
airbag. If a small adult sits in the front
passenger seat and the system does not
recognize him/her as an adult, see
2Passenger Airbag Off Indicator P. 56
■Advanced Airbags1Advanced Airbags
If there is a problem with the driver’s seat position
sensor or the passenger’s s eat weight sensors, the
SRS indicator will come on, and in the event of a
crash, the airbag will deploy (regardless of the driver’s
seating position or passenger’s occupant
classification) with a force corresponding to the
severity of the impact. 2 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Indicator P. 55
For the advanced front airbags to work properly,
confirm that:
•The occupant is sitting in an upright position,
wearing the seat belt prope rly and the seat back is
not excessively reclined.
•The occupant is not leaning against the door or
center console.
•The occupant’s feet are plac ed on the floor in front
of them.
•There are no objects ha nging from the front
passenger’s seat.
•Only small, lightweight objec ts are in the seat back
pocket.
•The steering wheel and passenger’s side dashboard
are not obstructed by any object.
•No liquid has been spille d on or under the seat.
Driver’s
Seat
Position
Sensor
Passenger’s
Seat
Weight
Sensors

uuChild Safety uProtecting Child Passengers
60
Safe Driving
• Never hold a child on your lap because it is impossible to protect them in the
event of a collision.
• Never put a seat belt over yourself and a child. During a crash, the belt would
likely press deep into the child an d cause serious or fatal injuries.
• Never let two children use the same seat belt. Both children could be very
seriously injured in a crash.
• Any child who is too small to wear a seat belt correctly must be restrained in an
approved child seat that is properly secu red to the vehicle using either the seat
belt or the lower anchor s of the LATCH system.
• Do not allow children to operate the doors, windows or seat adjustments.
• Do not leave children in the vehicle unattended, especially in hot weather when
the inside of the vehicle can get hot enough to kill them. They could also activate
vehicle controls causing it to move unexpectedly.1 Protecting Child Passengers
To deactivate a lockable retractor, release the buckle
and allow the seat belt to wind up all the way.
To remind you of the pa ssenger’s front airbag
hazards and child safety, your vehicle has warning
labels on the dashboard (U.S. models) and on the
front visors. Please read and follow the instructions
on these labels. 2 Safety Labels P. 75
3WARNING
Allowing a child to play with a seat belt or
wrap one around their neck can result in
serious injury or death.
Instruct children not to play with any seat
belt and make sure any unused seat belt a
child can reach is buckled, fully retracted,
and locked.
3WARNING
Allowing a child to play on the pickup bed
can result in serious injury or death by
opening or closing the tailgate.

87
uuIndicators u
Continued
Instrument Panel
IndicatorNameOn/BlinkingExplanationMessage
Security System
Alarm Indicator
●Blinks when the security system
alarm has been set.
2Security System Alarm P. 136—
System Message
Indicator
●Comes on along with a beep
when a problem is detected. A
system message on the multi-
information display appears at
the same time.●While the indicator is on, press the
(information) button to see the message
again.
●Refer to the Indicators information in this
chapter when a system message appears on
the multi-information display. Respond to
the message accordingly.
●The multi-information display does not
return to the normal screen unless the
warning is canceled, or the button
is pressed.
—
Indicator

Continued121
uuLocking and Unlocking the Doors uLocking/Unlocking the Doors from the Outside
Controls
■Locking the doors
Press the door lock button on the front door. u Some exterior lights flash; the beeper
sounds; all the doors lock; and the
security system sets.1Using the Smart Entry System
•Do not leave the smart entry remote in the vehicle
when you get out. Carry it with you.
•Even if you are not carrying the smart entry remote,
you can lock/unlock the doors or open the trunk
while someone else with the remote is within
range.
•The door may be unlocked if the door handle is
covered with water in heavy rain or in a car wash if
the smart entry remote is within range.
•If you grip a door handle wearing gloves, the door
sensor may be slow to respond or may not respond
by unlocking the doors.
•After locking the door, yo u have up to two seconds
during which you can pull the door handle to
confirm whether the door is locked.
If you need to unlock the door immediately after
locking it, wait at l east two seconds before
gripping the handle, othe rwise the door will not
unlock.
•The door might not open if you pull it immediately
after gripping the door handle. Grip the handle
again and confirm that th e door is unlocked before
pulling the handle.
•Even within the 32 inches (80 cm) radius, you may
not be able to lock/unlock the doors with the smart
entry remote if it is a bove or below the outside
handle.
•The smart entry remote may not operate if it is too
close to the door and door glass.
Door Lock Button

Continued213
uuAudio System Basic Operation uAudio/Information Screen
Features
■Using the audio/in formation screen
Select to go to the home screen.
Select the following icons on the home screen.
■Phone
Displays the HFL information.
2 Bluetooth ® HandsFreeLink ® P. 329
1 Using the audio/in formation screen
Touchscreen Operation
•Use simple gestures - in cluding touching, swiping,
and scrolling - to operate certain audio functions.
•Some items may be grayed out during driving to
reduce the potential for distraction.
•You can select them when the vehicle is stopped or
use voice commands.
•Wearing gloves may limit or prevent touchscreen
response.
•You can use the microfiber cleaning cloth included
in your owner’s kit to remo ve dust or fingerprints
from the touchscreen.
You can change the touchs creen sensitivity setting.
2 Customized Features P. 298
Home Screen (Home) Icon