
Carryin
g Carg o
Carryin g Carg o i n th e Carg o Are a
o r o n a Roo f Rac k
Distribut e carg o evenl y o n th e
floo r o f th e carg o area , placin g th e
heavies t item s o n th e botto m an d
a s fa r forwar d a s possible . Ti e
dow n item s tha t coul d b e throw n
abou t th e vehicl e durin g a cras h o r
sudde n stop .
I f yo u carr y larg e item s tha t
preven t yo u fro m closin g th e
tailgate , exhaus t ga s ca n ente r th e
passenge r area . T o avoi d th e
possibilit y o f carbo n monoxid e
poisoning , follo w th e instruction s
o n pag e 4 9 . I
f yo u ca n carr y an y item s o n a
roo f rack , b e sur e th e tota l weigh t
o f th e rac k an d th e item s doe s no t
excee d th e maximu m allowabl e
weight . Pleas e contac t you r Hond a
deale r fo r furthe r information .
Befor e Drivin g

Towin
g a Traile r
You r Hond a ha s bee n designe d
primaril y t o carr y passenger s an d
thei r cargo . Yo u ca n us e it t o to w a
traile r i f yo u carefull y observ e th e
loa d limits , us e th e prope r equipment ,
an d follo w th e guideline s in thi s
section .
Loa
d Limit s Tota
l Traile r Weight : Th e tota l
weigh t o f th e traile r an d
everythin g loade d i n i t mus t no t
excee d 1,000Ib s (450kg).Towin g
a loa d tha t i s to o heav y ca n
seriousl y affec t you r vehicle' s
handlin g an d performance . I t ca n
als o damag e th e engin e an d
drivetrain . Tongu
e Load : Th e weigh t tha t
th e tongu e o f a fully-loade d traile r
put s o n th e hitc h shoul d b e
approximatel y 1 0 percen t o f th e
traile r weight . To o littl e tongu e
loa d ca n mak e th e traile r unstabl e
an d caus e it t o sway . To o muc h
tongu e loa d reduce s front-tir e
tractio n an d steerin g control .
Drivin g

Towin
g a Traile r
Checkin g Load s
Th e bes t wa y t o confir m tha t vehicl e
an d traile r weight s ar e withi n limit s
i s t o hav e the m checke d a t a publi c
scale .
Usin g a suitabl e scal e o r a specia l
tongu e loa d gauge , chec k th e tongu e
loa d th e firs t tim e yo u se t u p a
towin g combinatio n ( a fully-loade d
vehicl e an d trailer) , the n rechec k th e
tongu e loa d wheneve r th e condition s
change .
Towin
g Equipmen t an d
Accessorie s
Towin g ca n requir e a variet y o f
equipment , dependin g o n th e siz e o f
you r trailer , ho w it wil l b e used , an d
ho w muc h loa d yo u ar e towing .
Discus s you r need s wit h you r traile r
sale s o r renta l agency , an d follo w th e
guideline s i n th e res t o f thi s section .
Als o mak e sur e tha t al l equipmen t i s
properl y installe d an d tha t i t meet s
federal , state , province , an d loca l
regulations .
Hitches
An y hitc h use d o n you r vehicl e mus t
b e properl y bolte d t o th e underbody .
Safety Chains
Alway s us e safet y chains . Mak e sur e
the y ar e secure d t o bot h th e traile r
an d hitch , an d tha t the y cros s unde r
th e tongu e s o the y ca n catc h th e
traile r i f i t become s unhitched .
Leav e enoug h slac k t o allo w th e
traile r t o tur n corner s easily , bu t d o
no t le t th e chain s dra g o n th e ground .
Drivin g

Towin
g a Traile r
Additional Trailer Equipment
Man y state s an d Canadia n province s
requir e specia l outsid e mirror s whe n
towin g a trailer . Eve n if the y don't ,
yo u shoul d instal l specia l mirror s if
yo u canno t clearl y se e behin d you , o r
i f th e traile r create s a blin d spot .
As k you r traile r sale s o r renta l
agenc y i f an y othe r item s ar e
recommende d o r require d fo r you r
towin g situation . Pre-To
w Checklis t
Whe n preparin g to tow , an d befor e
drivin g away , b e sur e t o chec k th e
following : Th
e vehicl e ha s bee n properl y
serviced , an d th e tires , brakes ,
suspension , an d coolin g syste m
ar e in goo d operatin g condition . Al
l weight s an d load s ar e withi n
limit s (se e page s 18 2 an d 183 ). Th
e hitch , safet y chains , an d an y
othe r attachment s ar e secure . Al
l item s o n an d in th e traile r ar e
properl y secure d an d canno t shif t
whil e yo u drive . Th
e light s an d brake s o n you r
vehicl e an d th e traile r ar e workin g
properly . You
r vehicl e tire s an d spar e ar e
properl y inflate d (se e pag e 23 5),
an d th e traile r tire s an d spar e ar e
inflate d a s recommende d b y th e
traile r maker .
Drivin g

Towin
g a Traile r
Drivin g Safel y Wit h a Traile r
Th e adde d weight , length , an d
heigh t o f a traile r wil l affec t you r
vehicle' s handlin g an d performance ,
s o drivin g wit h a traile r require s
som e specia l drivin g skill s an d
techniques .
Fo r you r safet y an d th e safet y o f
others , tak e tim e t o practic e drivin g
maneuver s befor e headin g fo r th e
ope n road , an d follo w th e guideline s
discusse d below .
Towing Speeds and Gears
Driv e slowe r tha n norma l i n al l
drivin g situations , an d obe y poste d
spee d limit s fo r vehicle s wit h trailers .
I f yo u hav e a n automati c
transmission , us e th e Over-Driv e
(O/D ) mod e whe n towin g a traile r
o n leve l roads . Tur n of f th e Over -
Driv e (O/D ) mod e whe n towin g a
traile r in hill y terrai n (se e pag e 152 ).
(Se e "Driving on Hills" in th e nex t
colum n fo r additiona l gea r information.
)
Making Turns and Braking
Mak e turn s mor e slowl y an d wide r
tha n normal . Th e traile r track s a
smalle r ar c tha n you r vehicle , an d it
ca n hi t o r ru n ove r somethin g th e
vehicl e misses . Allo w mor e tim e an d
distanc e fo r braking . D o no t brak e o r
tur n suddenl y a s thi s coul d caus e th e
traile r t o jackknif e o r tur n over .
Driving on Hills
Whe n climbin g hills , closel y watc h
you r temperatur e gauge . I f i t near s
th e re d mark , tur n th e ai r
conditionin g off , reduc e spee d and , i f
necessary , pul l t o th e sid e o f th e
roa d to le t th e engin e cool .
I f th e automati c transmissio n shift s
frequentl y betwee n 3r d an d 4t h
gear s whil e goin g u p a hill , tur n of f
th e Over-Driv e (O/D ) mod e (se e
pag e 172 ). I
f yo u mus t sto p whe n facin g uphill ,
us e th e foo t brak e o r parkin g brake .
D o no t tr y t o hol d th e vehicl e i n
plac e b y pressin g o n th e accelerator ,
a s thi s ca n caus e th e automati c
transmissio n to overheat .
Whe n drivin g dow n hills , reduc e
you r spee d an d shif t dow n to 2n d
gear . D o no t "ride " th e brakes , an d
remembe r i t wil l tak e longe r t o slo w
dow n an d sto p whe n towin g a trailer .
CONTINUED
Drivin g

Engin
e Oi l
Th e number s o n th e container' s labe l
tel l yo u th e oil' s viscosit y o r weight .
Selec t th e oi l fo r you r ca r accordin g
t o thi s chart .
A n oi l wit h a viscosit y o f 5W-3 0 is
preferre d fo r improve d fue l econom y
an d year-roun d protectio n in you r
Honda . Yo u ma y us e a 10W-3 0 oi l i f
th e temperatur e in you r are a neve r
goe s belo w 20°F( —7°C) .
Syntheti
c Oi l
Yo u ma y us e a syntheti c moto r oi l i f
i t meet s th e sam e requirement s
give n fo r a conventiona l moto r oil : i t
display s th e AP I Certificatio n Seal ,
an d it i s th e prope r weigh t a s show n
o n th e chart . Whe n usin g syntheti c
oil , yo u mus t follo w th e oi l an d filte r
chang e interval s give n i n th e
maintenanc e schedule . Additive
s
You r Hond a doe s no t requir e an y oi l
additives . Additive s ma y adversel y
affec t you r engine' s o r transmission' s
performanc e an d durability .
Maintenanc e
Ambien
t Temperatur e

Tire
s
Mak e sur e th e installe r balance s th e
wheel s whe n yo u hav e ne w tire s
installed . Thi s increase s ridin g
comfor t an d tir e life . You r vehicle' s
origina l tire s wer e dynami c o r "spin "
balance d a t th e factory . Fo r bes t
results , hav e th e installe r perfor m a
dynami c balance .
(Only on vehicles equipped with
aluminum wheels)
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle's aluminum wheels. Use
onl y genuine Honda wheel weights for
balancing.
(Fo
r Non-directiona l (Fo r Directiona l
Tire s an d Wheels ) Tire s an d Wheels )
T o hel p increas e tir e lif e an d
distribut e wea r mor e evenly , yo u
shoul d hav e th e tire s rotate d ever y
7,50 0 mile s (12,00 0 km) . Mov e th e
tire s t o th e position s show n in th e
char t eac h tim e the y ar e rotated . Whe
n shoppin g fo r replacemen t
tires , yo u ma y fin d tha t som e tire s
ar e "directional. " Thi s mean s the y
ar e designe d t o rotat e onl y i n on e
direction . I f yo u us e directiona l tires ,
the y shoul d b e rotate d onl y front-to -
back .
Maintenanc e
Fron
t Front
Tir
e Rotatio n
NOTIC E