2000 HONDA PASSPORT tires

Drivin
g Tip s
Before Driving ........... 152Starting the Engine ..... 153
New Vehicle Break-In ..... 154
Parking ................ 154 Brakes ................. 155
Tires .................. 159 Inflation ............. 160
Inspection ............ 161
Maintenance .......... 162
Tire Rotation .......... 162
Replacing Tires and Wheels .......... 162
Wheels and Tires ...... 163
Traction .............. 164 Tire Chains ......... 164
Wheel Replacement
Considerations ....... 165
Fuel Economy ........... 166
Three-Way Catalytic Converter ............. 168 Operation in
Foreign Countries ....... 169
Accessories & Modifications 169
Carrying Cargo ........... 171
Trailer Towing ........... 174 Trailer Hitches ........ 176Safety Chain .......... 177
Trailer Lights .......... 177
Tires ................. 177 Trailer Brakes ......... 177
Equipment Check ...... 178
Limited Slip Differential ... 178
Driving Tip s

Befor
e Drivin g

Drivin g Guideline s

Your Honda has higher ground
clearance than a passenger car
designed for use only on
pavement. Higher ground clearance has many advantages
for off-road driving. It allows you
to travel over bumps, obstacles,
and rough terrain. It also provides
good visibility so you can
anticipate problems earlier.
These advantages come at some
cost. Because your vehicle is
taller and rides higher off the
ground, it has a high center of
gravity. This means that your
vehicle can tip or roll over if you make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. To prevent rollover or loss of

control:
Take corners at slower speeds
than you would with a
passenger car. Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers whenever possible.
Do not modify your vehicle in
any way that would raise the
center of gravity (see page 170). Do not carry heavy cargo on
the roof (see page 173).
For off-road driving guidelines, see the Off-Road Driving
Information booklet that came with your vehicle.
Befor e Enterin g th e Vehicl e

1. Check that the windows,
mirrors, lights and reflectors

are clean and unobstructed.
2. Check the tires to see if they
are low or flat. You will need
a pressure gauge to tell if tires
are properly inflated.
3. Check that all lights work.
4. Check for fluid leaks.
5. Be sure everything is properly
stowed.

6. Check the area behind the vehicle if you are about to
back up.

Befor e Drivin g th e Vehicl e

1. Lock all doors.
2. Adjust the seat and any movable head restraints.
3. Adjust the inside and outside mirrors.
4. Check that all the indicator lights work when the key

Drivin g Tip s

If your vehicle is equipped with
an automatic transmission, set
the parking brake before you
leave the driver's seat. If the
vehicle is parked on a grade and the transmission shift leveris placed in "P" (Park) position
before you set the parking
brake, the weight of the vehicle may exert so much force on the
transmission that you may have
difficulty moving the shift
lever out of "P" (Park)
position. To prevent this, apply the parking brake BEFORE
moving the shift lever to "P" (Park). When you want to drive
away, move the shift lever out
of the "P" (Park) position
BEFORE releasing the parking
brake. It is good driving
practice to set the parking
brake first, then place the
transmission in "PARK"
position, even on level

surfaces.

If the parking brake does not
seem to hold the vehicle as

well as before, have the vehicle
serviced by your Honda dealer.
Do not park your vehicle over
high grass, dry leaves or other

combustible materials. The
catalytic converter gets very

hot and could set fire to these

materials.
Anti-Loc
k Brake s

Your vehicle has an Anti-lock
Brake System (ABS) as standard
equipment. ABS helps to prevent
the wheels from locking up and skidding during hard braking,
allowing you to retain steering

control.

When the front tires skid, you lose steering control; the vehicle
continues straight ahead even
though you turn the steering
wheel. The ABS helps to prevent
lock-up and retain steering control
by pumping the brakes rapidly;
much faster than a person can do it.

Yo u shoul d neve r pum p th e

brak e pedal , this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS work for you by always keeping
firm, steady pressure on the brake
pedal as you steer away from the
Driving Tip s

Brake
s

hazard. This is sometimes referred
to as "stomp and steer."
You will feel a pulsation in the
brake pedal when the ABS activates, and you may hear some
noise. This is normal, it is theABS rapidly pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount
of traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on the brake pedal very hard
before you activate the ABS. However, you may feel the ABSactivate immediately if you are
trying to stop on snow or ice.
Important Safety Reminders AB S doe s no t reduc e th e tim e
o r distanc e it take s t o sto p th e
vehicle , it only helps with steering
control during braking. You
should always maintain a safe following distance from other
vehicles.
AB
S wil l no t preven t a ski d tha t

result s fro m changin g directio n

abruptly , such as trying to take a
corner too fast or making a sudden lane change. Always drive
at a safe, prudent speed for the
road and weather conditions.
AB S canno t preven t a los s o f
stability . Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe or sharp steering wheel
movement can still cause your
vehicle to veer into oncoming traffic or off the road.
A vehicl e wit h AB S ma y requir e
a longe r distanc e t o sto p o n
loose or uneven surfaces, such as
gravel or snow, than a vehicle
without anti-lock. Slow down and allow a greater distance between
vehicles under those conditions.
AB S Indicato r
The ABS is self-checking. You may feel a slight movement of the
brake pedal just after you start the engine. This is the ABS performing
a check. It also checks itself
whenever you use the brakes.
Drivin g Tip s

distances will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with
reduced traction, avoid maneuvers involving sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking (including
engine braking due to shifting to
lower gear), that could cause the
tires to skid.
Drivers may not realize the surface is slippery until the
vehicle is skidding.
Learn to recognize warning
clues — such as enough water or ice on the road to make a
"mirrored surface"— and slow
down when there is any doubt.
Also see "Traction" under "Tires" in this section. To safely operate your vehicle,
your tires must be the proper type
and size, in good condition with
adequate tread, and correctly
inflated. The following pages give
more detailed information on how
and when to check air pressure,
how to inspect your tires for damage and wear, and what to do
when your tires need to be

replaced.

Driving Tip s

Rapid slowing down or

speeding-up can cause loss
of control on slippery
surfaces. If you crash, you

can be injured.

Use extra care when driving

on slippery surfaces.
Using tires that are excessivelyworn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you
can be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner's manual regarding tire inflation and maintenance.

Tire
s

Inflatio
n
Keeping the tires properly inflated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread life, and riding
comfort. Underinflated tires wear
unevenly, adversely affect handling and fuel economy, and are more
likely to fail from being overheated. Overinflated tires can make your
vehicle ride more harshly, are
more prone to damage from road
hazards, and wear unevenly.
We recommend that you visually check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.
Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month. Even tires that are in good
condition may lose one to two psi
per month. Remember to checkthe spare tire at the same time you
check all the other tires. Check the pressure in the tires
when they are cold. This means
the vehicle has been parked for at
least three hours. If you have to
drive the vehicle before checking
the tire pressure, the tires can still be considered "cold" if you drive
less than 1 mile (1.6 km).
If you check the pressure when the tires are hot (the vehicle has
been driven several miles), you will see readings 4 to 6 psi (28 to
41 kPa, 0.3 to 0.4 kg/cm2) higher
than the cold reading. This is
normal. Do not let air out to
match the specified cold pressure.
The tire will be underinflated.
You should get your own tire
pressure gauge and use it at all times. That makes it easier for
you to tell if a pressure loss is
caused by a tire problem and not a
variation between gauges.
Recommended Tire Pressures for
Normal Driving

The
following chart shows the
recommended cold tire pressures for most normal driving
conditions and speeds.

Drivin g Tip s

These pressures are also given on
the tire information label on the
driver's doorjamb.
Tubeless tires have some ability to
self-seal if they are punctured.
However, because leakage is often
very slow, you should look closely for punctures if a tire starts losing pressure.

Inspection

Every time you check inflation,
you should also examine the tires
for damage, foreign objects, and
wear.

You should look for: Bumps or bulges in the tread or
side of the tire. Replace the tire
if you find either of these
conditions.
Cuts, splits, or cracks in the
side of the tire. Replace the tireif you can see fabric. Excessive tread wear.Your vehicle's tires have wear
indicators molded into the tread.
When the tread wears down to that
point, you will see a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide band running across the
tread. This shows that there is less
than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread
left on the tire. A tire that is this
worn gives very little traction onwet roads. You should replace the
tire if you can see the tread wear
Driving Tip s

LABE
L
TREA
D

WEA R
INDICATOR S

indicator in three or more places

around the tire.

Maintenanc e

In addition to proper inflation,
correct wheel alignment helps to decrease tire wear. You should get
your vehicle's suspension parts inspected often, and aligned when

needed.

The tires were properly balanced at the factory. They may need to
be rebalanced at some time before they are worn out. Have your
dealer check the tires if you feel a consistent vibration while driving.
A tire should always be
rebalanced if it is removed fromthe wheel for repair.
Make sure the installer balances
the wheels when you have new
tires installed. This increases riding comfort and tire life. Your
vehicle's original tires were
dynamic or "spin" balanced at the
factory. For best results, have the installer perform a dynamic

balance.

Tir e Rotatio n

To help increase tire life and
distribute wear more evenly, you should have the tires rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km).
Move the tires to the positions

shown in the diagram each time

they are rotated.

Replacin g Tire s an d Wheel s

The tires that came with your
vehicle were selected to match its
performance capabilities while
providing the best combination of handling, ride comfort, and longlife. You should replace them with
radial tires of the same size, load
range, speed rating, and maximum
cold tire pressure rating (as shown on the tire's sidewall). Mixing
radial and bias-ply tires on your vehicle can reduce its braking
ability, traction, and steering
accuracy.

Drivin g Tip s
FRON
T

4 WHEE L

5 WHEE L