
140Comfort and Convenience Features
FF/REW
– Fast Forward and
Rewind move the tape rapidly.
Press and release the REW side of
the TUNE bar to rewind, or the
FF side to fast forward. You will
see REW or FF in the display.
Press the same side of the tune bar
to return to PLAY mode.
If the system reaches the end of
the tape while in fast forward or
rewind, it automatically stops that
function, reverses direction, and
begins to play.
APS – The Automatic Program
Search (APS) function allows you
to find the beginning of a song or
passage. Use the
(preset 1) or
(preset 2) button to activate
APS.
For example, the first song on the
cassette is playing, and you want
to listen to the third song. Press
twice; you will see FF and 2 in
the display. The system will fast
forward the tape to the beginning of
the third song, then return to PLAY
mode.
To return to the beginning of the
current song or passage, press
once. To return to the beginning of
the previous song, press
twice.
If the system reaches the end of
the tape before finding the
selected song or passage, it
reverses direction and returns to
PLAY mode.
To cancel APS before it finds the
desired song, press the
or
button again.
REPEAT – The Repeat function
continuously repeats the current
song or passage. Press the RPT
(preset 5) button to activate it. You will see RPT in the display.
When the system reaches the end
of the current song or passage, it
automatically goes into rewind.
When it gets to the beginning of
the same song or passage, the
system returns to PLAY mode.
This continues until you
deactivate Repeat by pressing the
RPT button again.
SKIP
– The SKIP function fast
forwards over areas of blank tape.
Press the SKIP (preset 6) button
to activate it. You will see SKIP
in the display. After the system
finds approximately 15 seconds of
blank tape, it goes into fast
forward. When it senses the
beginning of the next song or
passage, or reaches the end of the
tape, it returns to PLAY mode.

141Comfort and Convenience Features
The APS, Repeat, and Skip
functions use silent periods on the
tape to find the end of a song or
passage. These features may not
work to your satisfaction if there
is almost no gap between
selections, a high noise level
between selections, or a silent
period in the middle of a
selection.
Caring for the Cassette Player
The cassette player picks up dirt
and oxides from the tape. This
contamination builds up over time
and causes the sound quality to
degrade. To prevent this, you
should clean the player after every
30 hours of use. Your dealer has a
cleaning kit available.
If you do not clean the cassette
player regularly, it may eventually
become impossible to remove the
contamination with a normal
cleaning kit.
Use 100-minute or shorter
cassettes. Cassettes longer than
that use thinner tape that may
break or jam the drive.
Look at a cassette before you
insert it. If the tape is loose,
tighten it by turning one of the
hubs with a pencil or your finger.
If the label is peeling off, remove
it from the cassette or it could
cause the cassette to jam in the
player. Never try to insert a
warped or damaged cassette in the
player.
The player automatically ejects
cassettes that do not play properly.
If it ejects a cassette before it
begins to play, it is probably
defective and should not be
inserted again. You may have a
cassette suddenly stop playing,
reverse directions once or twice,
and then eject. This is normally an
indication the tape is wound
unevenly. It should play after the
tape is manually rewound.
When they are not in use, store
cassettes in their cases to protect
them from dust and moisture.
Never place cassettes where they
will be exposed to direct sunlight,
high heat, or high humidity. If a
cassette is exposed to extreme
heat or cold, let it reach a
moderate temperature before
inserting it in the player.
Never try to insert foreign objects
into the cassette player.

151Comfort and Convenience Features
(Standard on the
EX model)
LOCK
UNLOCK
PANIC
You can lock and unlock your
vehicle with the remote
transmitter. When you push the
LOCK button, all the doors and
the tailgate lock. The parking
lights, taillights, and license plate
light will flash once. If you press
the LOCK button a second time,
the horn will honk to confirm that
everything locked. When you push the
UNLOCK
button once, only the driver
’s
door unlocks. Push the button a
second time, within three seconds,
to unlock the remaining doors and
the tailgate. The parking lights,
taillights, and license plate light
will flash twice when you push
the
UNLOCK button the first
time.
The dome light will come on (if
the dome light switch is in the
center position) when you press
the
UNLOCK button. If you do
not open any of the doors or the
hatch glass, the light will go out in
about 30 seconds, the doors and
tailgate automatically relock, and
the anti-theft system sets.
You cannot lock or unlock the
vehicle with the remote transmitter if any door, the
tailgate, or the hood is not fully
closed, or the key is in the ignition
switch. When you push the LOCK
button, the horn will beep six
times to notify you that something
is ajar.
You cannot lock or unlock the
vehicle with the remote
transmitter if the key is in the
ignition switch.Panic Mode
Panic mode allows you to
remotely sound the vehicle’
s horn
to attract attention. To activate
this mode, press and hold the
PA N I C button for about one
second. Your vehicle ’s horn will
sound for about 30 seconds.
Keyless Entry

152Comfort and Convenience Features
To cancel panic mode before 30
seconds, press any button on the
remote transmitter. You can also
turn the ignition switch to
ACCESSORY.
The anti-theft system is designed
to protect your vehicle and its
contents from theft. Any attempt
to forcibly open any door, the
tailgate, or the hood without using
the key or the remote transmitter
will cause the system to alarm.
The horn sounds and the
headlights flash for approximately
three minutes. The starter motor
circuit is disabled so the engine
cannot be started. After three
minutes, the system resets.Activating the System
The system activates
automatically when all the doors,
the tailgate, and the hood are fully
closed and locked.
Lock the doors with the key, the
remote transmitter, or the door
lock button/knob. The anti-theft
system indicator will come on to
show that it is activating. After
about 10 seconds, the light will
Anti-Theft System

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.

158Driving Tips
You may drive your new vehicle
from its very first mile/kilometer
without following a formal
“break-in” schedule. However,
there are things you can do during
the first few hundred miles/
kilometers of driving that will add
to the future performance and
economy of your vehicle.
It is recommended that your speed
during the first 500 miles (800
kilometers) be limited to a
maximum of 55 mph (90 km/h)
and that you do not drive for long
periods at any one constant speed,
either fast or slow. During this
period, avoid full-throttle starts
and, if possible, avoid hard stops;
especially during the first 200
miles (320 kilometers) of driving.
Always drive at moderate speed
until the engine has completely
warmed up.
When leaving your vehicle
unattended:
•Set the parking brake.
•Place the shift lever in
“P”
(Park) position for automatic
transmission.
•When parking a vehicle equipped
with a manual transmission on an
upward slope, or on a level
surface, place the shift lever in
the “1st” position.
•When parking a vehicle
equipped with a manual
transmission on a downward
slope, place the shift lever in
the “
R” (Reverse) position.
•Turn the key to the “LOCK”
position.
•Remove the key. The beeper
will remind you.
•Close all windows and lock all
doors.
•Check to make certain the
lights are turned off. The
beeper will remind you.
•If your vehicle is equipped with
a transfer case (4
WD), make
sure the shift lever is in 4
H or
4
L.
Parking Tips
•Never drive the vehicle with
the parking brake set. This can
overheat the rear brakes,
reducing their effectiveness and
causing excessive wear or
damage.
•Always apply the parking brake
whenever you leave the vehicle,
whether it is equipped with a
manual or automatic transmission.
New Vehicle Break-InParking

167Driving Tips
We urge you not to install
oversize tires and wheels that
would change your vehicle’s
ride height and possibly affect
handling and stability.
Installing improper tires on
your vehicle can affect
handling and stability. This
can cause a crash in which
you can be seriously hurt or
killed.
Always use the size and type
of tires recommended in this
owner’s manual.
It is best to replace all four tires at
the same time. If that is not
possible
or necessary, then replace
the two front tires or the two rear
tires as a pair. Replacing just one
tire can seriously affect your
vehicle’s handling.
The
ABS works by comparing the
speed of the wheels. When
replacing tires, use the same size
originally supplied with the
vehicle. Tire size and construction
can affect wheel speed and may
cause the system to work
inconsistently.
If you ever need to replace a
wheel, make sure the
replacement’s specifications
match the wheels that originally
came on your Honda. Replacement wheels are available
at your Honda dealer.
Wheels and Tires
Wheels:
16 x 7 JJ
Tires:
Standard on
LX 2WD
225/75R16
Standard on all other models
245/70R16
See page 250 for information
about DOT Tire Quality Grading.

179Driving Tips
Follow the recommendations in
this manual and ask your Honda
dealer for further details before
you tow a trailer with your
Passport.
Towing a trailer affects vehicle
maintenance requirements due
to the additional load. More
frequent maintenance intervals
will be required to assure
continued satisfaction with
your vehicle. Consult your
Honda dealer for recommended
maintenance and service.
The gross trailer weight (trailer
weight plus cargo load) must
never exceed 4,500 lb.
Additional equipment will be
required, depending on the
specific model/load combination.
See “Trailer Hitches” in this
section.
Exceeding the weight limit will
cause damage to your vehicle and
possibly result in personal injury.
•The Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (
GVWR) is the
combined weight of the
unloaded vehicle, passengers,
cargo, trailer hitch, trailer
tongue load, and optional
equipment. This value is
indicated on the
F.M.V.S.S.
Certification Label on the
driver ’ s doorjamb.
•The Gross Combined Weight
Rating (
GCWR) equals the
combined weight of your
vehicle (including passengers
and cargo) plus the total trailer
load. The following limits
apply.
2WD: 8,700 lb
4WD: 8,950 lb
•The Gross Axle Weight Rating
(
GAWR) is also indicated on
the Certification Label. The
load on either the front or rear
axle resulting from distribution
of the gross vehicle weight on
both axles must not exceed the
values listed. Remember to
account for additional
equipment and tongue load.