Page 80 of 294

77Instruments and Controls
and the forward driving ranges.
The shift lever can be shifted
freely into any position indicated
by the arrow “
”. The lever
cannot be shifted into any position
indicated by the arrow “
”
without pushing the button
located on the end of the shift
lever.
PARK
REV
NEUT
DRIVE
3RD
2ND
1ST
In this 4-speed automatic
transmission, the following three
modes can be selected by pressing
the “
POWER” or “WINTER”
switch on the floor console, with
the key switch in the “
ON”
position:
•NORMAL mode
•POWER mode
•WINTER mode
P (Park)
— Used to lock the
transmission when the vehicle is
parked or while starting the
engine. Never move the shift lever
to Park until your vehicle is fully
stopped. Use this position
together with the parking brake.
The shift lever can be moved from
PARK position if the regular brake
is applied.
Refer to “Starting” in this section. R (Reverse)
— Used for backing
the vehicle. Bring your vehicle to
a complete stop before shifting to
Reverse.
N (Neutral) — The out-of-gear
position. You may restart a stalled
engine while the vehicle is still
moving with the selector in
Neutral. Refer to “Starting” in this
section. This position is also used
when towing the vehicle. See “In
Case of Emergency ” for towing
information.
D (Drive) (First to Fourth
Gear)
— This position is for all
normal forward driving. For
normal driving, we recommend
that you put the shift lever in the
“
D” range. This will reduce
vehicle noise and improve fuel
economy.
Page 84 of 294

81Instruments and Controls
Shifting the Transfer Control
Lever
4H
↔ 4L: Stop the vehicle. Place
the transmission lever in
“N” (Neutral) position.
Then move the transfer
control lever from 4H to
4L, or 4L to 4H.
Move the transfer control lever
quickly and securely between
positions. Do not stop midway.
The transfer gear box can be
damaged if the control lever is not
firmly in gear. Some noise is
normal when shifting.
Always stop the vehicle before
shifting between low and high
range (4H 4L or 4L 4H).
If the 4WD indicator continues to
blink rapidly, it indicates that the
system was shifted out of
sequence. Stop the vehicle, select
4WD with the 4WD-2WD switch, shift the lever from 4L to 4H, then
select 2WD. Drive in a straight
line to reset the system. If the
indicator continues to blink, see
your Honda dealer.
Do not use 4-wheel drive for
driving on dry pavement. This
causes noise and wear, and taking
tight turns can damage the
transfer case and driveshafts. It
also reduces fuel economy.
Be careful that you do not exceed
the following maximum allowable
speeds when accelerating.
mph (km/h)
RangeAutomatic TransmissionRange“L”“2”“3”
“2H”35 (56)65
(105)–
“4H”35 (56)65
(105)65
(105)
“4L”15 (24)30 (48)50 (81)
Driving Pattern Selector
You can select a driving pattern
suitable for existing driving
conditions.
When neither “POWER” nor
“
WINTER” lights are illuminated,
the normal driving program for
general driving conditions is
operative.
Page 87 of 294

MANUAL TRANSMISSION SHIFT SPEED CHART
Transmission Type
5-Speed Manual First to
Second Second to
Third Third to
Fourth Fourth to
Fifth
15 mph
(25 km/h) 25 mph
(40 km/h) 40 mph
(65 km/h) 45 mph
(70 km/h)
84Instruments and Controls
Shift Speed Chart
The lower gears of the
transmission are used for normal
acceleration of the vehicle to the
desired cruising speed. The
highest gear of the transmission is
used to maintain the desired
speed. The fifth gear is
recommended for use in
maintaining highway cruising
speeds. Use of the fifth gear in
city traffic is not recommended.
The shift speed chart shows the
speeds at which each upshift of
the transmission should be made
to get the best vehicle
performance and fuel economy. For cruising, choose the highest
gear for that speed (cruising speed
is defined as a relatively constant
speed operation).
The upshift indicator (
U/S) lights
to show recommended upshift
points. (Refer to “Indicator
Lights.”)
If the engine is “lugging” (the
speed you are traveling at is too
slow for the gear the transmission
is in), downshift to the next lower
gear. You may need to downshift
two or more gear positions to
keep the engine from “lugging” or
to keep the performance at a
satisfactory level.
Transfer Control
4WD Models
The “4WD” indicator light
illuminates when 4WD is engaged
with the 4WD-2WD switch.
“2H” (High Range, 2-Wheel
Drive)
Use this for normal driving on dry
pavement. This position gives
greater economy, quieter ride and
least drivetrain wear.
Page 103 of 294
TAILGATE OPERATION
HORNSUN VISORINTERIOR MIRROR
SUN VISOR
EXTERIOR MIRRORS GLOVE BOX
STEERING COLUMN
LOCK/IGNITION SWITCH
FUEL FILL CAP
VANITY MIRROR
100Interior Features
Page 123 of 294

FACEFOOT
DEFROST
FOOT/DEFROST
AIR SELECTOR KNOB
BI-LEVEL
AIR-SOURCE
OUTSIDE AIR
FAN CONTROL LEVER
AIR CONDITIONING BUTTON
TEMPERATURE
SELECTOR LEVER
USE BI-LEVEL IN THIS
RANGE FOR COOL
UPPER LEVEL AIR AND
WARM FLOOR LEVEL AIR
CONTROL KNOB
RECIRCULATED AIR
120Comfort and Convenience Features This system combines heating and
cooling capabilities for comfort in
all weather conditions.
During air conditioning operation,
slight increases and decreases in
engine speed/power may be
noticed. This is normal, as the
system is designed to cycle the
compressor
ON and OFF to
maintain desired cooling. The
reduced compressor operation
should benefit fuel economy.
Air Conditioning Switch
Push this switch to operate the air
conditioning system. The light-
emitting diode in this switch lights
to show the system is operating.
To turn off the air conditioning,
push this switch in again.
Air conditioning will not operate
without the fan control lever in
one of the “
ON” positions.
Heating and Cooling
Page 158 of 294

155Driving Tips
Before Driving156
. . . . . . . . . . .
Starting the Engine157 . . . . .
New Vehicle Break-In 158 . . . . .
Parking 158 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brakes 159 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tires 163 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inflation 164 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inspection 165 . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maintenance 166 . . . . . . . . . .
Tire Rotation 166 . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing Tires
and Wheels 166 . . . . . . . . . .
Wheels and Tires 167 . . . . . .
Traction 168 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tire Chains 168 . . . . . . . . .
Wheel Replacement
Considerations 169 . . . . . . .
Fuel Economy 170 . . . . . . . . . . .
Three-Way Catalytic
Converter 172 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operation in
Foreign Countries 173
. . . . . . .
Accessories & Modifications173
Carrying Cargo175 . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer Towing 178 . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer Hitches 180 . . . . . . . .
Safety Chain181 . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer Lights181 . . . . . . . . . .
Tires181 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer Brakes181 . . . . . . . . .
Equipment Check182 . . . . . .
Limited Slip Differential 182 . . .
Driving Tips
Page 160 of 294

157Driving Tips
switch is turned to the “
ON”
or “
START” position.
5. Check all gauges (including the fuel gauge).
6. Release the parking brake (and make sure the “
BRAKE”
light turns off).
See related topics in this manual if
you find any problems.
Starting the Engine
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Manual Transmission: Press
the clutch pedal to the floor
and shift the transmission to
the Neutral position. Hold the
clutch pedal to the floor while
you are starting the engine. A
starter safety switch keeps the
starter from operating if the
clutch pedal is not fully
depressed. Automatic Transmission:
Place the shift lever in “P”
or “N” position (“P” is
preferred). A starter safety
switch prevents the starter
from operating if the shift
lever is in any drive position.
If it is necessary to restart the
engine with the vehicle
moving, place the shift lever
in “N” (never in “P”).
3. Do not touch the accelerator pedal. Start the engine by
turning the ignition switch to
“
START.”
If the engine does not start in
10 seconds, wait 15 seconds to let
the starter cool down. Then crank
the engine at wide open throttle
for a maximum of 10 seconds. If
the engine still does not start, wait
another 15 seconds and repeat the
entire procedure. Do not crank the engine for more
than 10 seconds at a time. Wait 15
seconds before trying again.
4. Return the ignition switch to
the “
ON” position as soon as
the engine starts.
5. Apply the regular brakes and shift into the proper gear.
Release the parking brake and
brake pedal and drive off.
In models with an automatic
transmission, you cannot shift
from “P” (Park) position to
any other position unless the
brake pedal is applied.
Page 165 of 294

162Driving Tips
Self-Adjusting Brakes
The brakes on this vehicle are
self-adjusting. They have been
designed so that periodic brake
adjustment is not needed.
The brakes adjust themselves each
time you firmly apply them.
Thus, if the brake pedal goes down
farther than normal due to a lack of
adjustment, drive backward and
forward a few times. Apply the
brakes intermittently.
See your Honda dealer if the
brake pedal height does not return
to normal or if there is a rapid
increase in pedal travel. Either is a
sign of other brake trouble. Also,
see your Honda dealer if the
parking brake needs adjustment.
Braking Tips
Control your vehicle’s speed on a
steep or long downhill grade by
shifting the transmission to a
lower gear. Constantly using the
brakes can cause them to overheat
and lose effectiveness.
Resting your foot on the brake
pedal when you are not intending
to brake (“riding the brakes”) can cause them to overheat. This
reduces their effectiveness, wears
them out faster, and can reduce
fuel mileage. It also causes your
brake lights to stay on all the time,
confusing drivers behind you.
Brake Wear Indicators
The front and rear brakes have
built-in wear indicators. These make a high-pitched squealing or
cricket-like warning sound when
the brake pads or linings are worn
to the point of replacement. The
sound may come and go or be
heard all the time when the vehicle
is moving, but may stop when the
brake pedal is pushed down firmly.
Expensive damage can result if
pads or linings are not replaced
immediately when needed.
Driving on Slippery Surfaces
Driving, steering, and braking
traction are reduced when the
road is coated with water, snow,
ice, gravel, or other materials.
Slow down and adjust your
driving to such conditions. It is
important to slow down when it is
slippery because stopping