Thi
s sectio n include s instruction s
fo r simpl e maintenanc e tasks ,
suc h a s checkin g an d addin g oil .
An y servic e item s no t detaile d i n
thi s sectio n shoul d b e performe d
b y a Hond a technicia n o r othe r
qualifie d mechanic .
Som e o f th e mos t importan t safet y
precaution s ar e give n below .
However , w e canno t war n yo u o f
ever y conceivabl e hazar d tha t ca n
aris e i n performin g maintenance .
Onl y yo u ca n decid e whethe r o r
no t yo u shoul d perfor m a give n
task .
Importan
t Safet y Precaution s
Befor e yo u begi n an y
maintenance , mak e sur e you r
vehicl e i s parke d o n leve l groun d
an d tha t th e parkin g brak e is on .
Also , b e sur e th e engin e is off .
Thi s wil l hel p t o eliminat e severa l
potentia l hazards :
Carbo
n monoxid e poisonin g
fro m engin e exhaust . B e sur e
ther e is adequat e ventilatio n
wheneve r yo u operat e th e engine .
Burn
s fro m ho t parts . Le t th e
engin e an d exhaus t syste m coo l
befor e touchin g an y parts .
Injur
y fro m movin g parts . D o
no t ru n th e engin e unles s
instructe d t o d o so .
Rea d th e instruction s befor e yo u
begin , an d mak e sur e yo u hav e
th e tool s an d skill s required .
T o reduc e th e possibilit y o f fir e o r
explosion , b e carefu l whe n
workin g aroun d gasolin e o r
batteries . Us e a commerciall y
availabl e degrease r o r part s
cleaner , no t gasoline , t o clea n
parts . Kee p cigarettes , sparks , an d
flame s awa y fro m th e batter y an d
al l fuel-relate d parts .
Yo u shoul d wea r ey e protectio n
an d protectiv e clothin g whe n
workin g nea r th e batter y o r whe n
usin g compresse d air .
Car e an d Maintenanc e
Failur
e to properl y follo w
maintenanc e instruction s an d
precaution s ca n caus e yo u to
b e seriousl y hur t o r killed .
Alway s follo w th e procedure s
an d precaution s in thi s owner' s
manual .
Seat-bac
k latche s — Seat-bac k
latche s ar e designe d to preven t
forwar d motio n o f th e seat-bac k
whe n th e vehicl e stop s suddenly .
Chec k t o se e tha t th e seat-bac k
latche s ar e holdin g b y pullin g
forwar d o n th e top of th e foldin g
seat-back .
Als o chec k t o se e tha t th e
reclinin g seat s ar e operatin g
properly .
Light s an d beeper s — Chec k
pane l lighting , warnin g lights , an d
th e sea t bel t reminde r ligh t an d
beeper . Als o chec k th e ke y beepe r
an d interio r lights . O n th e outside ,
chec k th e licens e plat e light , sid e
marke r lights , headlights , parkin g
lights , taillights , brak e lights , tur n
signals , backu p light s an d hazar d
warnin g flashers . Hav e th e
headligh t ai m checke d promptl y i f th
e beam s see m to b e aime d
improperly .
Glass — Chec k fo r broken ,
scratche d o r damage d glas s tha t
coul d reduc e visibilit y o r caus e
injury .
Door latches — Chec k tha t th e
door s close , latc h an d loc k
securely .
Hoo d latc h — Chec k tha t th e
hoo d close s firmly . Chec k fo r
broken , damaged , o r missin g part s
tha t migh t preven t secur e
latching . Mak e sur e th e secondar y
latc h keep s th e hoo d fro m
openin g al l th e wa y whe n firs t
released .
Flui
d leaks — Chec k fo r fuel ,
water , oi l o r othe r flui d leak s b y
lookin g a t th e surfac e beneat h th e
vehicl e afte r i t ha s bee n parke d
fo r awhile . Wate r drippin g fro m
th e ai r conditionin g syste m afte r
us e i s normal . I f yo u notic e
gasolin e fume s o r flui d a t an y
time , locat e th e sourc e an d hav e it
correcte d a t once .
Spar e tir e an d jac k — Chec k tha t
th e spar e tir e an d al l jac k gea r ar e
securel y stowe d a t al l times .
Tailgat e latc h — Chec k tha t th e
tailgat e closes , latche s an d lock s
securely .
Car e an d Maintenanc e
Oi
l Viscosit y
Engin e oi l viscosit y (thickness ) ha s
a n effec t o n fue l economy . Lowe r
viscosit y engin e oil s ca n provid e
increase d fue l economy ; however ,
highe r temperatur e weathe r
condition s requir e highe r viscosit y
engin e oil s fo r satisfactor y
lubrication . T o ge t th e bes t fue l
econom y wit h you r vehicle , yo u
shoul d us e a fuel-savin g engin e oi l
o f th e prope r viscosity . Thes e oil s
ca n b e foun d in servic e station s an d othe
r retai l stores . The y ar e
identifie d b y word s suc h a s
"Energ y Saving, " "Conserve s
Gasoline, " "Ga s Saving, "
"Gasolin e Saving, " "Frictio n
Reducing, " "Improve d Gasolin e
Mileage " o r "Fue l Saving. "
Th e char t list s th e recommende d
engin e oi l viscositie s fo r th e
temperatur e rang e yo u expec t
befor e th e nex t oi l change . Fo r
temperature s abov e 0° F ( — 18°C) ,
SA E 10W-3 0 i s th e preferre d viscosit
y grade . I f cold-weathe r
startin g problem s ar e encountere d
a t temperature s belo w 0° F
( — 18°C) , SA E 5W-3 0 viscosit y
oil s ma y b e required .
Oi l Leve l Chec k
I t i s th e owner' s responsibilit y t o
kee p th e engin e oi l a t th e prope r
level . Chec k th e oi l leve l a t regula r
interval s (suc h a s ever y othe r fue l
stop ) an d kee p i t abov e th e
"minimum " leve l mark .
Remember , you r engin e ma y us e
mor e oi l whe n i t i s new .
Th e bes t tim e t o chec k the engin e
oi l leve l i s whe n the oi l i s warm ,
suc h a s durin g a fue l stop . Shu t of f
th e engin e and wai t about 5 minute s
fo r the oi l t o drai n bac k t o th e oi l
pan . Pul l ou t th e dipstick , wip e i t
clean , and pus h i t bac k dow n al l th e
way . No w pul l ou t th e dipstic k an d
Car e an d Maintenanc e
maintai
n them . Thi s sectio n
summarize s ho w th e emission s
control s work . Schedule d
maintenanc e is o n pag e 204 .
Crankcas e Emission s
Contro l Syste m
You r vehicl e ha s a Positiv e
Crankcas e Ventilatio n System .
Thi s keep s gasse s tha t buil d u p in
th e engine' s Crankcas e fro m goin g
int o th e atmosphere . Th e Positiv e
Crankcas e Ventilatio n valv e route s
the m fro m th e crankcas e bac k t o
th e intak e manifold . The y ar e the n
draw n int o th e engin e an d burned .
Evaporativ e Emission s
Contro l Syste m
A s gasolin e evaporate s i n th e fue l
tank , a n evaporativ e emissio n
contro l caniste r fille d wit h
charcoa l adsorb s th e vapor . I t i s
store d in thi s caniste r whil e th e engin
e i s off . Afte r th e engin e is
starte d an d warme d up , th e vapo r
i s draw n int o th e engin e an d
burne d durin g driving .
Onboar d Refuelin g Vapo r
Recover y
Th e Onboar d Refuelin g Vapo r
Recover y (ORVR ) syste m capture s
th e fue l vapor s durin g refueling .
Th e vapor s ar e adsorbe d in a
caniste r fille d wit h activate d
carbon . Whil e driving , th e fue l
vapor s ar e draw n int o th e engin e
an d burne d off .
Exhaus t Emission s Control s
Th e exhaus t emissio n control s
includ e fou r systems : Fue l
Injection , Ignitio n Timin g Control ,
Exhaus t Ga s Recirculation , an d
Three-Wa y Catalyti c Converter .
Thes e fou r system s wor k togethe r
t o contro l th e engine' s combustio nan
d minimiz e th e amoun t o f HC ,
CO , an d NO x tha t come s ou t th e
tailpipe . Th e exhaus t emissio n
contro l system s ar e separat e fro m
th e crankcase and evaporativ e
emissio n contro l systems .
Fuel Injection System
Th e Fue l Injectio n Syste m use s
sequentia l multipor t fue l injection .
I t ha s thre e subsystems : Ai r
Intake , Engin e Control , an d Fue l
Control . Th e Engin e Contro l
Modul e (ECM ) use s variou s
sensor s t o determin e ho w muc h
ai r i s goin g int o th e engine . I t the n
control s ho w muc h fue l t o injec t
unde r al l operatin g conditions .
Ignition Timing Control System
Thi s syste m constantl y adjust s th e
ignitio n timing , reducin g th e amoun t
o f HC , C O an d NO x produced .
Owne r Assistanc e
Secure all items so they cannot
fly forward and injure
you
or
your passengers if you brake
hard, hit an obstacle,
or
are
involved in a collision.
If yo u wan t t o
pu
t carg o o n th e
roof , us e a roo f rack , secur e al l
items , an d mak e sur e th e carg o
does not exceed 200 pounds.
Towing a Trailer
Yo u ma y
b
e abl e t o safel y to w a
lightweigh t traile r (suc h a s a
motorcycl e traile r o r smal l ten t
trailer ) off-roa d i f yo u follo w
thes e guidelines :
Do not exceed a trailer weight
of 1,00 0 pound s (includin g
cargo) or a tongue weight of
100 pounds. (Tongue weight shoul
d b e abou t 10 % o f th e
traile r weight. )
Tr y t o sta y o n smooth , leve l
dir t roads , an d avoi d drivin g i n
hill y terrain . Allo
w extr a roo m fo r starting ,
stopping , an d turning .
Slo w dow n i f yo u encounte r
bump s o r othe r obstacles .
Extra Equipment and Supplies
W e strongl y recommen d tha t yo u
D O NO T carr y extr a fuel . Gasolin e
i s highl y flammabl e an d
explosive . I t canno t b e safel y
carrie d insid e th e vehicl e o r
strappe d to th e to p o r rear . Th e
bes t thin g t o d o is fil l u p you r tan k
befor e yo u leav e pavement .
Off-Roa d Drivin g Informatio n