2001 HONDA PASSPORT wheel

Tes
t you r brake s fro m tim e t o
tim e to mak e sur e the y ar e
operatin g properly . Thi s wil l als o
giv e yo u a fee l fo r ho w muc h
tractio n yo u hav e o n a give n

surface .
Controllin
g Steerin g
Unlik
e drivin g o n pavement ,
off-roa d terrai n ha s a wa y o f
"kickin g back. " I f yo u hi t a rock ,
pothol e o r a sudde n chang e in
surface , i t ca n mak e th e steerin g
whee l tur n rapidl y an d
unexpectedly . T o maintai n
control , hol d th e outsid e o f th e
steerin g whee l firml y wit h bot h
hands . Don' t hol d th e spoke s o r
hoo k you r thumb s insid e th e
wheel . Yo u coul d hur t you r hand s
a s wel l a s los e control .
Off-Roa d Drivin g Informatio n

I
f yo u don' t kno w th e answer s t o

thes e question s befor e beginnin g

a n ascent , stop , wal k u p th e hil l
an d fin d out .

I f yo u decid e tha t i t i s saf e t o

driv e u p a hill :
Select a suitable low gear and
firmly grip the steering wheel.

Approach th e hil l wit h
enoug
h

spee d t o smoothl y star t u p th e

hill .

Maintai n a steady speed as yo u
clim b th e

hill .
Reduc e spee d
a
s yo u approach
th e top , an d watc h fo r othe r
vehicle s tha t ma y b e
approachin g th e to p fro m th e
othe r sid e o f th e hill .

If You Stall Going Up a Hill

I f a hil l i s steeper than yo u
expected , tractio n is poorer ,
o r yo u don' t maintai n sufficien t
speed, you ma y begi n t o stall . I f
tha t happens:
Conside r downshiftin g i f yo u
ar e jus t beginnin g t o slo w

down .
I
f yo u can' t downshift , o r i f
downshiftin g doesn' t help , sto p
th e vehicl e an d se t th e parkin g

brake .

I f yo u hav e passengers, you
ma y wan t t o hav e the m ge t ou t
an d mov e awa y fro m th e

vehicle.

I f yo u ar e headed straight u p
th e hill , shif t int o reverse ,
releas e th e parkin g brake , an d
slowl y bac k straight down th e
hill , usin g th e brak e peda l t o
contro l speed .
I f yo u ar e no t heade d straigh t
uphil l o r yo u don' t fee l
comfortabl e backin g down ,
don't . I f th e engin e i s stil l
running , leav e th e parkin g
brak e on , shif t t o Par k
(automatic transmission ) o r
Off-Roa d Drivin g Informatio n
Driving
Up a Hill

efficiently
, whic h ma y increas e

you r stoppin g distance .

Driving Across Slopes

Ther e ma y b e time s whe n yo u
notic e a trai l begi n t o slop e t o on e
sid e o r another . O r yo u ma y b e
drivin g in ope n countr y an d se e a
hil l o r slop e yo u wan t t o conside r
crossin g a t a n angle . Crossin g o r
drivin g o n a smooth , low-angl e dir t slop
e o r trai l ma y b e n o problem .
Bu t befor e yo u driv e o n an y slope d
terrain , conside r thes e facts :
A slop e tha t yo u ca n driv e
straigh t u p o r dow n ca n b e to o
stee p to driv e across .
Whe n yo u driv e straigh t u p o r
dow n a slope , th e lengt h o f th e
whee l bas e reduce s th e chanc e
o f you r vehicl e tippin g ove r
backwar d o r forward . Whe
n yo u driv e acros s a slope ,
you r vehicle' s highe r cente r o f
gravit y an d narrowe r trac k
increase s th e chanc e o f tippin g
o r rollin g over .
Drivin g acros s a slop e put s
mor e weigh t o n th e downhil l
wheels , whic h increase s th e
chanc e o f tipping . I
f yo u driv e acros s a slop e an d
a n uphil l whee l hit s a bump , o r
i f a downhil l whee l drop s int o a
ru t o r hole , you r vehicl e wil l
ti p downwar d eve n more .
I f yo u can' t clearl y se e al l terrai n
condition s (goo d traction , n o
bumps , hole s o r othe r obstacles , a
saf e wa y dow n an d out , etc.) , sto p
an d wal k th e slop e o r trai l befor e
yo u driv e o n it . I f yo u hav e an y
doub t whethe r yo u ca n safel y
driv e acros s a slop e o r slopin g
trail , don't do it. Fin d anothe r

route .

Off-Roa d Drivin g Informatio n

I
f yo u Ge t Stuc k

I f yo u eve r ge t stuc k off-road ,
stop , asses s th e situation , conside r
al l you r options , the n choos e a
saf e an d appropriat e cours e o f

action .

Alway s pu t you r safet y an d you r
passengers ' safet y first . Ther e
ma y b e time s whe n quic k actio n is
necessary , bu t it' s generall y bes t i f
yo u d o no t over-react . Tryin g t o
muscl e you r wa y ou t b y
continuin g t o spi n th e wheel s
rarel y helps , an d it ca n mak e it
eve n harder to ge t out . Othe
r thing s yo u shoul d no t d o

are:
D
o no t us e a jack . A jac k onl y
work s o n firm , leve l terrain .
Also , you r vehicl e coul d easil y
sli p of f th e jac k an d hur t yo u o r
someon e else . D
o no t "rock " th e vehicl e
forwar d an d backwar d b y
shiftin g bac k an d fort h betwee n
Firs t an d Reverse . Thi s ca n
damag e you r transmission .
Followin g ar e a fe w tip s o n ho w
yo u migh t dea l wit h thre e
differen t situations . Stuc
k in Mud or Loose

Terrai n

Her e ar e som e option s fo r yo u t o
conside r i f yo u ge t stuc k i n sof t
sand , loos e soi l o r gravel , o r dee p

mud :
Shif
t int o 4-whee l driv e i f yo u
hav e 4-wheel drive an d aren' t
alread y i n it . I f yo u aren' t i n
to o deep , thi s ma y b e al l yo u
nee d t o ge t going . Lettin
g som e ai r ou t o f th e tire s
ma y hel p yo u ge t bette r

traction .
Yo
u ma y wan t t o use a shove l
t o di g ou t som e soi l aroun d th e
tires. If yo u do , kee p a safe
distanc e fro m th e vehicl e i n
case it moves .
Off-Roa d Drivin g Informatio n

Whe
n yo u decid e t o sto p off-road ,
whether for a brief rest or to
spend the night, choose a firm,
leve l plac e t o park . D o no t par k
on a soft surface, on damp,
marshy land, or in streambeds or
gullies in flash-flood areas. If the
ground is not level, you should
block the wheels to prevent the
vehicle from rolling.
Off-Road Drivin g Informatio n
Parking

Befor
e returnin g t o pavement :
Chec k th e conditio n o f you r
tires . Damage d tire s ar e mor e
likel y t o fai l an d shoul d no t b e
use d o n pavement .
I f yo u le t ai r ou t o f you r tires ,
inflat e the m to th e
recommende d level s befor e
goin g an y distanc e o n
pavement . I f yo u must drive
wit h underinflate d tires , d o no t
excee d 3 0 mph . Remov
e an y mu d tha t ma y
hav e stuc k t o th e tires , wheels ,
o r driveshafts . Mu d ca n caus e
imbalanc e an d damag e
importan t vehicl e components .
Remov e an y twigs , rock s o r
othe r object s yo u migh t hav e
picke d u p alon g th e way . Follo
w al l procedure s fo r
shiftin g bac k t o 2-whee l driv e
i f you'v e been travelin g i n
4-whee l drive .
Whe n yo u ge t home , thoroughl y
was h you r vehicl e an d inspec t i t
closel y fo r sign s o f damage . Giv e
specia l attentio n t o th e tires , rims ,
suspensio n an d othe r underbod y
components , an d correc t an y
proble m yo u find . Als o mak e sur e
al l nuts , bolt s an d othe r critica l
fastener s ar e properl y secured . Drivin
g off-roa d cause s mor e
wear-and-tea r o n th e pain t an d
exterio r trim . Stones and other
debri s throw n u p b y you r tires ,
an d th e tire s o f othe r off-roa d
vehicle s yo u ar e following , ca n
chi p th e pain t an d chrome . Bushe s
an d tre e branche s ca n cause
hairlin e scratches . Althoug h ther e
ar e som e protectiv e device s
availabl e (mu d guards , etc. ) a
vehicl e tha t i s drive n off-roa d will
incu r mor e damag e tha n on e tha t
i s not . Frequen t washin g an d
waxin g ma y hel p t o minimiz e th e
damage caused b y off-roa d

driving .

Off-Roa d Drivin g Informatio n
Inspectio
n an d Cleanin g

By now you know that airbags are designed to

deploy i n a sever e fronta l collisio n wit h
another vehicle or a solid object. But did you
know you r airbag s ca n
als
o deplo y i f yo u hi t a pothol
e o r a raise d object , the y migh t o r
migh t no t deplo y i f yo u cras h int o a pol e o r
tree , an d the y rarel y deplo y i f yo u underrid e
anothe r vehicle ?

If a wheel drops into a deep pothole, or you
strike a hard, raised object such as a curb or
speed bump, a brief high rate of deceleration
may cause the airbags to deploy.
Colliding
head-on with a pole or tree is less

likely to cause airbag deployment than if you

strike the object off-center near harder, more

rigid structural pans.
When
a car underrides another vehicle at
relatively low speed, the impact usually involves
only crushable body pans, and the airbags

rarely deploy.

T
o d o thei r job , airbag s inflat e wit h
tremendou s speed—ove r 10 0 mph . S o whil e
airbag s ca n sav e you r lif e an d reduc e th e
severit y o f injuries , the y ca n als o caus e
abrasion s an d bruises . An d i f yo u si t to o
close , or don' t wea r a sea t belt , or don' t si t in
a prope r position , a n inflatin g airba g ca n
caus e broke n bone s o r mor e seriou s injuries .

Wearing a seat belt, and sitting up, well back

from the steering wheel or dashboard, reduces

the chance of injuries caused by a crash or an

inflating airbag.