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182Driving Tips
There are no provisions in your
vehicle to tap into its hydraulic
braking system. Any attempt to
attach the trailer
’s brakes to your
vehicle’ s hydraulic braking
system, no matter how successful
it may seem, will lower braking
effectiveness and create a
potential hazard.
Equipment Check
Before operating your vehicle,
check all safety equipment to
ensure safe operation. Be sure
your vehicle is properly serviced
to avoid mechanical failure.
Check that your vehicle remains
level when the loaded or unloaded
trailer is hitched. Do not drive if
the rear end of your vehicle is
abnormally higher or lower.
Check for proper tongue weight,
overload, improper weight distribution, worn suspension, or
other possible causes.
Make sure the trailer load is
properly positioned and secured
so its does not shift around while
driving.
Check if your rearview mirrors
comply with federal, state and
local regulations. If not, confirm
the proper mirrors required for
towing and have them installed.
Perform an equipment check of
all braking, lighting and safety
equipment to ensure they are
working properly.
Your safety depends on proper
operation and installation of
equipment. Never operate a
vehicle with faulty equipment.
Standard on 4WD models
The limited slip differential is
designed to improve traction by
limiting wheelspin. If one rear
wheel begins to spin on a slippery
surface, the limited slip
differential will automatically
transmit driving force to the other
rear wheel.
Limited Slip Differential
Page 194 of 294

191In Case of Emergency
find a leak, it must be repaired
before you can continue
driving. (See Towing on page
191.)
•If you don’
t find an obvious
leak, check the coolant level in
the radiator reserve tank. If the
level is below the
MIN mark, add
coolant to halfway between the
MIN and MAX marks.
•If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may also
have to add coolant to the
radiator.
Let the engine cool down until
the pointer reaches the middle
of the temperature gauge, or
lower, before checking the
radiator.
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray
out, seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.
•
If needed, add coolant to the
radiator to bring the level up to
the filler neck, and to the
reservoir up to the level
indicated on the reservoir tank. Proper equipment must be used to
prevent damage to vehicles during
any towing. State and local laws
that apply to vehicles in tow must
be followed. Get detailed towing
instructions from your Honda
dealer.
Should it become necessary to
tow your vehicle, follow these
directions.Precautions
•Before towing, make sure that
the power train, axle,
transmission, wheels and
steering system are in good
condition.
If any of these items are
damaged, a flatbed trailer must
be used.
Towing
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•
•Repeated short trips in cold weather
• Driving in dusty areas •
Frequent idling and/or frequent low-speed operation
• Towing a trailer Change engine oil and filter
–Every 3,750 miles (6,000 km)
or 3 months
Change rear axle oil –Every 15,000 miles (24,000 km)
205Care and Maintenance
R – Replace L – Lube I – Inspect After inspection, clean, adjust, repair or replace if necessary.
Service at the interval listed x1 000 il ( k ) ft th tx 1,000 miles7.51522.53037.54552.56067.57582.59097.5105Service at the interval listed x1,000 miles (or km) or after thatnumber of months whicheverx 1,000 km1224364860728496108120132144156168number of months, whichever
comes first.months612182430364248546066727884
Steering and suspension, miscellaneousFront and rear axle oilRRRRPropeller shaft flange torqueIIIIIII
Front and rear propeller shaftsLLLLLLLLLL
Body and chassisLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Front wheel bearingsRepack bearings when replacing front brake pads.Power steering fluidRRR
Tires (inspect and rotate)IIIIIIIIIIIIII
Suspension and steeringIIIIIIIIIIIIIIBrakes/ClutchBrake discs; calipers and padsIIIIIII
Brake drums, wheel cylinders and liningsIIIIIIIBrake lines and hosesIIIIIIIIIIIIIIParking brakeIIIIIIIBrake pedal playIIIIIIIClutch pedal playIIIIIIIClutch pedal spring, bushing and clevis pinLLLLLLL
Clutch lines and hosesIII
Check oil and coolant level at each fuel stop.
Under severe driving conditions, service these items more often. These c\
onditions are: Service for severe driving conditions
Page 215 of 294

212Care and Maintenance
Change the oil and oil filter every
3,750 miles (6,000 kilometers) or
every three months if you drive
under one or more of these
“severe driving” conditions:
•Driving in dusty areas
•Towing a trailer
•Frequent idling or idling for
long periods
•Frequent short trips (4 miles [6
kilometers] or less) in cold or
freezing weather, where the
engine does not thoroughly
warm up.
•Change the oil and oil filter as
soon as possible after driving in
a dust storm.
Oil Change
Changing the oil and filter requires
special tools and access from
underneath the vehicle. The vehicle
should be raised on a service
station-type hydraulic lift for this
service. Unless you have the
knowledge and proper equipment,
you should have this maintenance
done by a skilled mechanic.
1. Warm up the engine. This
makes the oil drain faster and
more thoroughly.
2. Remove the oil filler cap.
3. Remove the drain plug and drain oil fully.
4. Install the drain plug, with a new gasket, and tighten it.
5. Fill the engine with the proper amount of new oil (see
“Specifications”). Oil Filter Installation
1. Remove the old oil filter with
the filter wrench.
2. Apply a light coat of engine oil to the oil filter gasket.
3. Hand-tighten the filter until the gasket contacts the sealing
face.
4. Using the filter wrench, tighten the filter one full turn.
5. Run the engine and inspect for leaks.
6. Shut off the engine. After a couple of minutes, check the
oil level. If necessary, add oil
to bring it to the
FULL mark.
An improperly installed oil filter
can result in severe engine
damage.
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265
Replacing166. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rotation
166. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Snow
168. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Spare
189. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specifications
239. . . . . . . . . .
Wear Indicators
165. . . . . . . . .
Tire Wrench
188. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tools, Tire Changing
188. . . . . . .
Towing
191. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Emergency Wrecker (Tow Truck)
192. . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer
178. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Transfer Control Lever Automatic Transmission
80. .
5-Speed Manual Transmission
84. . .
Transmission Checking Fluid Level5-Speed Manual Transmission
215. . . . . . Fluid Selection
216. . . . . . . . . .
Shifting the Automatic
77. . .
Shifting the 5-Speed Manual
83
Tread Wear165. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trip Meter. See Trip Odometer
Trip Odometer
58. . . . . . . . . . . .
Turn Signal Indicators
64. . . . . .
U
Underside, Cleaning225. . . . . . . .
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
251
Unleaded Gasoline198 \b#. . . . .
Upholstery Cleaning
226. . . . . . .
Upshift Indicator
66. . . . . . . . . .
V
Vanity Mirror106. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vehicle Dimensions
243. . . . . . . . Vehicle Identification
232. . . . . . .
Vehicle Loading Information
233.
Ventilation
122. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
VIN
232. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vinyl, Cleaning
229. . . . . . . . . . .
Viscosity, Oil
213. . . . . . . . . . . . .
W
WARNING, Explanation ofiv. . .
Warning Labels, Location of
48.
Warranty Coverages
247. . . . . . . .
Washer, Rear Window
74. . . . . .
Washer, Windshield Checking the Fluid Level
71, 198. . . . . . . .
Operation
71. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Washing
224. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Waxing and Polishing
224. . . . . .
Page 276 of 294
Carrying Cargo
You'll probably take a cooler,
picnic supplies or other cargo on an
off-road
trip. Since some bouncing
is almost inevitable when driving
off-road
, it's very important to store
and secure cargo
properly. Follow
these guidelines and limits:
The
maximum load you can
carry in and on your vehicle
can
be found on the chart
opposite.
These figures include the
weight of all occupants, cargo, accessories, and the tongue
weight if you are towing a
trailer (see next page).
Distribute cargo evenly on the
floor of the cargo area, placing the heaviest items on thebottom
and as far forward as
possible. Off-Road Driving Information
Page 277 of 294

Secure all items so they cannot
fly
forward and injure you or
you
r passengers if you brake
hard,
hit an obstacle, or are
involved
in a collision.
If you want to put cargo on the
roof,
use a roof rack, secure all
items,
and make sure the cargo
does
not exceed 200 pounds. Towing a Trailer
You may be able to safely tow a
lightweight
trailer (such as a
motorcycle trailer or small tent
trailer)
off-road if you follow
these guidelines:
Do not exceed a trailer weight
of 1,000 pounds (including
cargo) or a tongue weight of 100
pounds. (Tongue weight should be about 10% of the
trailer weight.)
Try
to stay on smooth, level
dirt
roads, and avoid driving in
hilly terrain.
Allow extra room for starting,stopping,
and turning.
Slow down if you encounter
bumps
or other obstacles.
Extr
a Equipment and Supplies
We strongly recommend that you
DO NOT carry extra fuel. Gasoline is highly flammable and
explosive.
It cannot be safely
carried
inside the vehicle or
strapped to the top or rear. The
best thing to do is fill up your tank
before
you leave pavement. Off-Road Driving Information