2002 HONDA PASSPORT Owners Manual

Off-Road Precautions
For your safety and the safety of your passengers, please follow
these precautions:
Don't
Modify Your Vehicle
We urge you not to install aftermarket

"lift kits," oversize
wheels and tires, or alter your
vehicle

in any other way that
would

change the vehicle's
suspension

or ride height. Such
modifications can make handling
difficult and unpredictable, and
they could cause you to lose
control, roll over and be seriously hurt

or killed. Wear Seat Belts
Seat belts are just as important
off-road as on pavement. Seat belts can hold you in position onrough
and bumpy trails and when
driving on hills. If you don't wear
your seat belt, you could bounce
around

and strike the interior of
the

vehicle, or even lose control
and crash. Whenever you drive,
make
sure you and your passengers always wear seat belts.
If

children or infants are along for
th

e ride, see that they are properly
secured,

and never let a passenger
ride in the cargo compartment. In a rollover crash, an unbelted
person
is more likely to die than a
person

wearing a seat belt.
Drive

Smart
Off-road surfaces and conditions
can change quickly and
unexpectedly.
It takes time to
learn

how to read the terrain and
develo

p off-road driving skills. So
always use good judgment. Don't drive faster than conditions
warrant,

and if you ever feel
uncomfortable about a given
situation,

don't do it. Off-Road Driving Information

Don't Drink and Drive
Alcohol is a leading cause of
death and injury off-road as well
as on-road. Alcohol reduces your
ability
to think clearly and react
quickly. Fatigue and drugs, legal
or illegal, can have similar effects. If you aren't sober or in good
physical
and mental condition,
don't drive. Getting
Ready to Drive Off-Road
Before

leaving on a brief off-road
excursion or an extended
overnight trip, you need to make sure you and your vehicle are both
prepared.
Planning a Trip
When making your plans,
remember that it's best to travel with

at least one other vehicle in case you have trouble, and always
let someone else know where
you're

going and when you
expect to return.
Whatever

your destination, we
recommend that you get maps of
your

route so you can study the
terrain, talk with other drivers
who are familiar with the location,and find out in advance if you
need any special permits. Then,
shortly

before you leave, get the
latest weather predictions for your
destination,

and check on any
closures that could affect your

plans.

There are many sources that can
help

you plan a trip. The U.S.
Forest

Service, Bureau of Land
Management, motor vehicle
bureaus, and park and recreation
departments can provide maps Off-Road Driving Information

and other useful information.
Recreational
vehicle clubs can put
you in touch with other drivers,
and

off-road magazines publish
first-hand

descriptions of driving

locations.

To help keep off-road driving areas open, stay on roads, trails
and open areas approved for
off-highway

vehicles (OHVs).
Please respect no trespassing
signs, and don't drive on private

property

without permission. Check Out Your Vehicle
Off-road driving can be hard on a
vehicle, requiring extra attention to maintenance. Before driving
off-road,
be sure all scheduled
maintenance

and service has been
done, and that you have also inspected

your vehicle. Pay
special

attention to the condition
of the tires and use a gauge to
check

the tire pressures. Improperly
inflated tires can be
more

easily damaged by rocks
and

other hard or sharp objects.
Do not let air out of your tires unless

you can reinflate them
soon after returning to pavement,
and remember to periodically
inspect the tires for signs of
damage

, especially if you hit a
large or sharp rock. Off-Road Driving Information

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

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

It's always wise to take along
water,
food, blankets, a flashlight,
and

matches. You may also want
to take:
A towin
g rope, strap or chain -
in case you or someone you're
with

gets stuck.
Wheel chocks - to help keep your vehicle from rolling when
you

park.
First aid kit - a good idea whenever you travel far from
medical

support.
Flag - to help others see you
(except

in forests or areas with
tall bushes).
Portable phone or citizens band (CB

) radio - should you need
to

call for help.
Shovel

- in case you need to
dig yourself out. Off-Road Driving Information

Off-Road Driving Considerations
When
you leave paved roads, you
leave a generally predictable and
orderly world behind. You won't
find lane markers or traffic
signals. No one will be there to
warn

you of trouble ahead. It's up
to you to assess situations and
drive

within limits. The terrain
has limits (some hills are too steep,

for example). You have
limits (in skills and comfort
level).

And off-road vehicles also
have limits (traction, stability, and
power,

for instance).
Following
are some important tips
on

how to deal with some of the
challenges
of driving off-road.
Using
Your Senses

You need to use your senses a
little
differently off-road. Keep
your eyes moving, constantly
watching

for obstacles and
evaluating the terrain. Check your
gauges frequently. Listen for unusual sounds from your engine
and tires. Pay attention to the
smell

of overheated brakes. And
when you feel excessive
vibrations or bouncing, the terrain is telling you to slow down. Off-Road Driving Information

Reading the Terrain

In nature, visual information comes in unpredictable ways. That means
you need to stay alert, constantly
survey

the terrain, and go slow
enough to analyze situations and make good decisions.
As your eyes search the terrainahead, watch for changes in
surface conditions. Surfaces can
vary

widely, and traction can
change quite suddenly. One
minute

you can be on firm soil
and

the next minute in soft sand
or deep mud. A trail or road can
quickly
change from level to
bumpy.

It can suddenly slope at a
dangerou

s angle, or even
disappear in an unexpected
drop-off. Road

s and trails aren't banked for
turns, and the edges can be steep
berms or drop-offs. When you
drive

down a graded road, watch
ahead for ruts, potholes and washouts.
Some trails can offer
more surprises. A smooth, inviting
trail can suddenly twist
up or down, become very narrow,
be blocked by a fallen tree,
tangled
with roots, or dwindle to a
tight dead-end.
Some areas don't have roads or
trails - just wide open spaces
where

you must carefully choose
your path.
Controlling Speed

Off-road, the general rule is to
keep your speed low. Of course,
you'll need enough spee
d to keep
moving
forward, especially on
sand,

mud, soft snow, and when
starting

up a hill. But too much
speed leads to problems.
At higher speeds you have less
time
to read the terrain and make
good

decisions. You'll also
bounce

more, which makes
controlling the vehicle more
difficult. And there's a greater
chance of sliding if you brake or turn quickly on wet soil, gravel orice

. In any situation, never go
faster
than conditions allow. Off-Road Driving Information