2002 HONDA PASSPORT Owners Manual

Crossing a Stream

Before driving through water, stop
and
make sure that:
The water is never deep enough
to cover your wheel hubs, axles
or exhaust pipe. You could stall
, and not be able to restart
the engine. The water could
also

damage important vehicle
components. The water is not flowing too
fast. Deep rushing water can
sweep

you downstream. Even
very

shallow rushing water
can wash the ground from under

your tires and cause you
to lose traction and possibly
roll
over. The banks are sloped so you
can

drive out.
The

banks and surface under
the water provide good
traction.
The water may hide

hazards such as rocks, holes, or
mud.

If you decide it's safe to drive
through
water, choose a low gear
and suitable speed, then proceed
without shifting or changing
speed. At fast speeds, water can
more easily splash on your
ignition system, which could
make the engine stall.
After driving through water, test
your brakes. If the brakes got wet,
drive

slowly while gently
pumping

the brakes until they
operate

normally. Off-Road Driving Information

Driving in Bad Weather
Driving in light rain should cause
no special driving problems. But heavy

rain can impair visibility,
make off-road surfaces slippery,
swell streams and cause flooding.
Avoid

streambeds and canyons
whenever rain is heavy or there are

thunderstorms in flash-flood
areas. Find a safe place to stop if
you can't continue driving safely. Driving
in snow can also impair
visibility. As snow covers the
ground, it can conceal rocks, ruts,
ditches

and other hazards. Snow
can make it impossible to follow a trail
or choose a safe path. If snow
threatens
to become heavy, we
recommend

that you leave the
area

as soon as possible and return
to pavement. Should you need to
stop

while it's snowing, do not let
the engine idle for a prolonged
time

unless you have good
ventilation.
Carbon monoxide can
collect in the vehicle and cause illness

or death. Off-Road Driving Information

If you Get Stuck
If you ever get stuck off-road, stop,

assess the situation, consider
all

your options, then choose a
safe and appropriate course of
action.
Alway

s put your safety and your
passengers' safety first. There may be times when quick action is
necessary,

but it's generally best if
you do not over-react. Trying to
muscle

your way out by
continuing

to spin the wheels
rarely helps, and it can make it
even

harder to get out. Other
things you should not do
are:
Do not use a jack. A jack only
works

on firm, level terrain.
Also, your vehicle could easily slip off the jack and hurt you or
someone
else.
Do not "rock" the vehicle
forward

and backward by
shifting back and forth between
First

and Reverse. This can
damage your transmission.
Following are a few tips on how
you

might deal with three
different

situations. Stuck in Mud or Loose

Terrain

Here are some options for you to
consider if you get stuck in softsand,

loose soil or gravel, or deep

mud:

Shift into 4-wheel drive if you
have 4-wheel drive and aren't
already in it. If you aren't in
too

deep, this may be all you
need

to get going.
Letting some air out of the tires may help you get better
traction.
Yo

u may want to use a shovel
to dig out some soil around the
tires.
If you do, keep a safe
distance from the vehicle in
case

it moves. Off-Road Driving Information

Get a tow from another vehicle
by using a towing rope, strap or
chain.
To be successful, the
pulling vehicle will need adequate

power and traction.
Be sure the rope, strap or chain is attached to the frames (not
bumpers
) of both vehicles, and
keep

people away in case the
connecting device breaks. Use a winch. If you have a
winch, you might be able to
attach it to another vehicle or a
sturdy, fixed object (such as a
tree).

Or another vehicle with a
winch may be able to attach it to your vehicle and pull you

out
.

Get experienced help. This is
often
the best solution,
especially if you have dug in deep, are stuck in mud or on
sloped terrain. Grounded
on a Bump or Log
You have fewer options if you bottom

out (or high-center) on a
bump,

log, or other raised

obstacle. You can try getting a
tow

(forward or backward) from
another vehicle, use a winch (see
above

for additional tips), or get
experienced help.
Flat Tire
Change a flat tire only if the vehicle

is on firm, level ground
that can safely support the jack. If

this is not the case, your options
are:

drive slowly and carefully
until you reach firm, level ground;
get a tow from another vehicle (as
described
above); or send for
experienced help. Off-Road Driving Information

Parking

When you decide to stop off-road,
whether for a brief rest or to
spend the night, choose a firm,
level

place to park. Do not park
on a soft surface, on damp,
marshy
land, or in streambeds or
gullies in flash-flood areas. If the
ground

is not level, you should
block the wheels to prevent the
vehicle

from rolling. Off-Road Driving Information

Inspection and Cleaning

Check the condition of your
tires. Damaged tires are more
likely to fail and should not be

used on pavement.

If you let air out of your tires,inflate them to the
recommended
levels before
going

any distance on
pavement.
If you must drive
wit

h underinflated tires, do not
exceed
30 mph. Remove
any mud that may
have

stuck to the tires, wheels,
or driveshafts. Mud can cause
imbalance
and damage
important vehicle components.
Remove any twigs, rocks or
other objects you might have
picked up along the way.
Follow

all procedures for
shifting back to 2-wheel drive
if you've been traveling in
4-wheel
drive.
When you get home, thoroughly wash your vehicle and inspect it
closely

for signs of damage. Give
special attention to the tires, rims,
suspension and other Underbody
components, and correct any
problem you find. Also make sure all

nuts, bolts and other critical
fasteners

are properly secured. Driving off-road causes more
wear-and-tear

on the paint and
exterior trim. Stones and other debris

thrown up by your tires,
and

the tires of other off-road
vehicles you are following, can
chip

the paint and chrome. Bushes
and tree branches can cause
hairline

scratches. Although there
are some protective devices available
(mud guards, etc.) a
vehicle that is driven off-road will
incur

more damage than one that
is not. Frequent washing and
waxing may help to minimize the
damage caused by off-road
driving.
Befor

e returning to pavement:
Off-Road Driving Information