2001 HONDA PASSPORT automatic transmission

Depending
on the type of problem,
the "CHECK TRANS" light will
flash but the transmission may
continue to shift automatically. If
the transmission is shifting
normally, you do not have to
choose gears with the shift lever.
However, continued operation of
the vehicle with this light flashing
can cause serious mechanical
damage. You should have the
vehicle serviced by your Honda
dealer as soon as possible.
Winte r Driv e Indicato r
Automatic Transmission only

Th e "Winte r Drive " ligh t wil l

come on whe n yo u pus h th e

Winte r Driv e butto n wit h th e
engin e runnin g an d th e
transmissio n leve r i n th e "D "

range .
I
t als o come s o n fo r a fe w second s
whe n yo u tur n th e ignitio n switc h
t o th e "ON " position .
Refe r t o "Drivin g Patter n
Selector " late r i n thi s section .
Powe r Driv e Indicato r
Automatic Transmission only

Th e "Powe r Drive " ligh t wil l

com e o n whe n yo u pus h th e
Powe
r Driv e butto n wit h th e
engin e running .
I t als o come s o n fo r a fe w second s
whe n yo u tur n th e ignitio n switc h
t o th e "ON " position .
Refe r t o "Drivin g Pattern
Selector " late r i n thi s section .

Instrument s an d Control s

NOTIC
E

Automati
c Transmissio n
Flui d Temperatur e Indicato r

Th e "A/ T OI L TEMP " indicato r
ligh t warn s tha t th e automati c
transmissio n flui d temperatur e is

high .

Th e indicato r ligh t shoul d tur n o n
whe n th e ignitio n switc h is turne d
t o th e "ON " position , bu t shoul d
g o ou t afte r a fe w seconds . I
f thi s ligh t come s o n whil e yo u are
driving , slo w dow n an d pul l of f th e
road . Sto p th e vehicl e a t a safe
plac e an d pu t th e shif t leve r i n "P "
position . Wit h th e engin e idling ,
wai t unti l th e ligh t goes off. I f th e
ligh t goes off, yo u ca n driv e th e
vehicl e again . I f th e ligh t doe s no t
go off , hav e th e automati c
transmissio n lubricatin g syste m
checke d a s soo n a s possibl e b y
you r Hond a dealer.
Driving with the "A/TOIL TEMP"
light constantly on will cause
serious mechanical damage to the
automatic transmission.
Switche
s
Windshiel d Wiper/Washe r

Th e leve r o n th e righ t sid e o f th e
steerin g colum n control s th e
windshiel d wipers . Mov e th e leve r
dow n t o selec t th e variou s
windshiel d wipe r speeds .
I n INT , th e wiper s operat e ever y
fe w seconds . I n L O an d HIGH , th e
wiper s ra n continuously .
I n INT , yo u ca n var y ho w ofte n th e
Instrument s an d Control s
NOTIC
E

3
(Third ) — Whe n operatin g you r
vehicl e o n slipper y roads , o n a
lon g descendin g slope , o r o n a
roa d wit h man y shar p curves , yo u
wil l wan t t o us e engin e braking .
A t thi s time , pu t th e shif t leve r
int o thi s range .
2 (Second ) — Yo u ma y choos e thi s
positio n whe n travelin g dow n a
moderat e grad e wher e yo u wan t t o
slo w dow n a littl e withou t usin g
th e brak e itself . Chang e bac k t o
th e "D " positio n to retur n to
norma l driving . Wit h th e shif t
leve r i n "2, " th e vehicl e wil l star t
i n firs t gea r an d automaticall y shif t
t o secon d gear .
L (First) — This position may be

selecte d fo r maximu m brakin g
dow n sever e grades . Retur n th e
selecto r leve r t o th e "D " positio n
t o resum e norma l driving . I t i s
possibl e t o mov e th e leve r int o firs
t gea r a t an y speed . However ,
th e transmissio n wil l no t actuall y
shif t t o firs t gea r unti l vehicl e
spee d is belo w 3 5 mp h (Powe r
Mode ) o r 2 5 mp h (Norma l Mode) .
Whe n startin g ou t i n "L, " th e
transmissio n wil l no t upshift .
Startin g — Star t th e engin e wit h
th e leve r i n th e "P " o r "N "
position . I t wil l no t star t i n an y
othe r position . I f i t does , hav e
you r vehicl e checke d b y you r
Hond a dealer .
Alway s appl y th e foo t brak e
befor e shiftin g int o an y drivin g
position . Thi s prevent s th e vehicl e
fro m creeping .
D o no t pres s th e accelerato r peda l
whil e shiftin g fro m "P " o r "N " t o
an y drivin g position . Shif
t Loc k — As a safet y measur e
fo r vehicle s wit h a n automati c
transmission , yo u canno t shif t
fro m "P " (Park ) positio n int o an y
othe r positio n unles s th e brak e
peda l i s depresse d whe n th e ke y
switc h is i n th e "ON " positio n o r
th e engin e is running .
Th e shif t leve r ma y no t mov e i f
th e pushbutto n o n th e shif t leve r i s
presse d befor e th e brak e peda l i s
depressed . I n thi s case , releas e
th e pushbutton , pres s th e brake
peda l an d tr y again .
I f th e shif t leve r won' t mov e fro m
th e "P " positio n eve n whe n thes e
instruction s ar e followed , perfor m
th e followin g steps :
Instrument s an d Control s

Th
e anti-thef t steerin g colum n
loc k i s no t interconnecte d wit h th e
parkin g brake . Yo u mus t alway s
se t th e parkin g brak e whe n
leavin g th e vehicle .
T o preven t dischargin g th e battery ,
avoi d us e o f electrica l accessorie s
wit h th e engin e shu t off .
Fo r easie r ke y operatio n whe n
unlocking , rotat e th e steerin g
whee l slightl y t o reliev e pressur e
o n th e steerin g lock .

Ke y Remova l

Manual Transmission
Wit h th e vehicl e full y stopped ,
remov e th e ke y fro m th e switc h
b y turnin g i t t o th e "LOCK "
positio n an d removin g it . Automatic
Transmission

Wit h th e vehicl e full y stopped , plac e

th e automati c transmissio n shif t

leve r i n "P " (Park ) position . Tur n

th e ke y t o th e "LOCK " position .

Ke y Reminde r

Th e ke y reminde r circui t cause s a
beepe r t o soun d whe n th e doo r i s
hel d ope n wit h th e ke y lef t i n th e
ignitio n switch . Thi s i s t o hel p
preven t accidentall y lockin g th e
ke y insid e th e vehicle .
Th
e beepe r stop s whe n th e doo r i s

close d o r whe n th e ke y i s removed .

Guar d Agains t Thef t

You r ne w Passpor t ha s feature s t o
hel p preven t thef t o f th e vehicle ,
it s equipment , an d it s contents .
Thes e anti-thef t feature s wor k
dependin g o n ho w wel l yo u us e

them .

Par k i n a well-lighte d are a
wheneve r possible .
Loc k th e steerin g colum n an d
tak e th e ke y wit h you .
- Tur n th e ignitio n switc h t o
"LOCK " an d remov e th e key .
Thi s lock s bot h th e ignitio n
switc h an d steerin g control .
Interio r Feature s Removin
g th e ke y fro m th e

ignitio n switc h whil e drivin g

lock s th e steering . Thi s ca n
caus e yo u to los e control .
Remov e th e ke y fro m th e
ignitio n switc h onl y whe n

parked .

switc
h is turne d t o th e "ON "
o r "START " position .
5 . Chec k al l gauges (includin g
th e fue l gauge) .
6 . Release th e parkin g brak e
(an d mak e sur e th e "BRAKE "
ligh t turn s off) .
Se e relate d topic s i n thi s manua l i f
yo u fin d an y problems .

Startin g th e Engin e

1 . Appl y th e parkin g brake .
2 . Manual Transmission: Press
th e clutc h peda l t o th e floo r
an d shif t th e transmissio n t o
th e Neutra l position . Hol d th e
clutc h peda l t o th e floo r whil e
yo u ar e startin g th e engine . A
starte r safet y switc h keep s th e
starte r fro m operatin g i f th e
clutc h peda l i s no t full y

depressed .
Automatic
Transmission:
Plac e th e shif t leve r i n "P "
o r "N " positio n ("P " i s
preferred) . A starte r safet y
switc h prevent s th e starte r
fro m operatin g i f th e shif t
leve r i s i n an y driv e position .
I f i t i s necessary to restar t th e
engin e wit h th e vehicl e
moving , plac e th e shif t leve r
i n "N " (neve r i n "P") .
3 . D o no t touc h th e accelerato r
pedal . Star t th e engin e b y
turnin g th e ignitio n switc h t o
"START. "
I f th e engin e doe s no t star t i n
1 0 seconds , wai t 1 5 seconds to le t
th e starte r coo l down . The n cran k
th e engin e a t wid e ope n throttl e
fo r a maximu m o f 1 0 seconds . I f
th e engin e stil l doe s no t start , wai t
anothe r 1 5 seconds an d repeat th e
entir e procedure . D
o no t cran k th e engin e fo r mor e
tha n 1 0 second s a t a time . Wai t 1 5
second s befor e tryin g again .
4 . Retur n th e ignitio n switc h t o
th e "ON " positio n a s soo n a s
th e engin e starts .
5 . Appl y th e regula r brake s an d
shif t int o th e prope r gear .
Releas e th e parkin g brak e an d
brak e peda l an d driv e off .
I n model s wit h a n automati c
transmission , yo u canno t shif t
fro m "P " (Park ) positio n t o
an y othe r positio n unles s th e
brak e peda l i s applied .
Drivin g Tip s

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