Page 217 of 429

Accelerate to the desired cruising
speedabove25mph(40km/h). Push in the Cruise Control Master
Buttononthesteeringwheel.The
CRUISE MAIN light on the
instrument panel comes on.Press and release the DECEL/
SET button on the steering wheel.
The CRUISE CONTROL light on
the instrument panel comes on to
show the system is now activated.
Cruise control allows you to maintain
asetspeedabove25mph(40km/h)
without keeping your f oot on the
accelerator pedal. It should be used
f or cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended f or
conditions such as city driving,
winding roads, slippery roads, heavy
rain, or bad weather. You should
have f ull control of the car under
those conditions. The cruise control may not hold the
set speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down to the desired speed. This
will cancel the cruise control. To
resume the set speed, press the
RESUME/ACCEL button. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on.
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshifttoholdthesetspeed.
1.
2. 3.
Using the Cruise Control
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures214
CRUISE CONTROL MASTER BUTTON
CANCEL
BUTTON RES/ACCEL
BUTTON
DECEL/SET
BUTTON
Improper use of the cruise
control can lead to a crash.
Use the cruise control only
when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
Page 218 of 429

You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:Press and hold the RES/ACCEL
button. The car will accelerate.
When you reach the desired
cruising speed, release the button.
Push on the accelerator pedal. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the DECEL/SET
button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RES/
ACCEL button repeatedly. Each
time you do this, your car will
speed up about 1 mph (1.6 km/h). You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the DECEL/SET
button. The car will decelerate.
Release the button when you
reach the desired speed.
To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the DECEL/SET
button repeatedly. Each time you
do this, your car will slow down
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your f oot. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out.
When the car slows to the desired
speed, press the DECEL/SET
button. The car will then maintain
the desired speed. Even with the cruise control turned
on, you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up f or passing. Af ter
completing the pass, take your foot
of f the accelerator pedal. The car
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your f oot on the brake or
clutch pedal will cause the cruise
control to cancel.
Changing the Set Speed
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures215
Page 219 of 429
Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel. Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
Youcancancelthecruisecontrolin
any of these ways: When you push the CANCEL button,
or tap the brake or clutch pedal, the
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out and the
car will begin to slow down. You can
use the accelerator pedal in the
normal way.
The system remembers the
previously-set cruising speed. To
return to that speed, accelerate to
above25mph(40km/h),thenpress
and release the RES/ACCEL button.
The CRUISE CONTROL light comes
on, and the car will accelerate to the
same cruising speed as bef ore.
Press the Cruise Control Master
button on the steering wheel. Pressing the Cruise Control Master
button turns the system completely
of f and erases the previous cruising
speed f rom memory. To use the
system again, ref er to
.
Cancelling the Cruise Control
Using t he
Cruise Cont rol
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures216
CANCEL BUTTON
CRUISE CONTROL MASTER BUTTON
Page 229 of 429
Standing in f ront of the vehicle,
reach in between the hood and the
f ront grille with your f inger. The
hood latch handle is above and to
the lef t of the ‘‘H’’ logo. Push this
handle up until it releases the
hood. Lif t the hood.
Shift to Park or Neutral and set
the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
Screw the f uel f ill cap back on,
tighten it until it clicks several
times. If you do not properly
tighten the cap, the Malfunction
Indicator Lamp may come on (see
page ).
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.
1. 2.
5.
381
6.
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
Opening the Hood
226
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE LATCH
Page 235 of 429

Modif ying your car, or installing
some non-Honda accessories, can
make your car unsaf e. Bef ore you
make any modif ications or add any
accessories,besuretoreadthe
f ollowing inf ormation.When properly installed, cellular
phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems should
not interf ere with your car’s
computer-controlled systems, such
as the SRS and anti-lock brake
system.
Your dealer has Honda accessories
that allow you to personalize your car.
These accessories have been
designed and approved f or your car,
and are covered by warranty.
Non-Honda accessories are usually
designed f or universal applications.
Although aftermarket accessories
may f it on your car, they may not
meet f actory specif ications, and
could adversely af f ect your car’s
handling and stability. (See
‘‘Modif ications’’ on page f or
additional information.) However, if electronic accessories
are improperly installed, or exceed
your car’s electrical system capacity,
they can interfere with the operation
of your car, or even cause the
airbags to deploy.
If possible, have your dealer inspect
the f inal installation. Bef ore installing any accessory:
Make sure the accessory does not
obscure any lights, or interf ere
with proper car operation or
perf ormance.
Be sure electronic accessories do
not overload electrical circuits
(see page ).
Have the installer contact your
Honda dealer f or assistance bef ore
installing any electronic accessory.
233 386
A ccessories
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving232
Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
car’s handling, stability, and
performance, and cause a
crash in which you can be hurt
or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding
accessories and modifications.
Page 256 of 429

µMake sure the parking brake is f ully
released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes.
Always use the parking brake when
you park your car. The indicator on
the instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not f ully released; it
does not indicate that the parking
brakeisfirmlyset.Makesurethe
parking brake is set f irmly or your
car may roll if it is parked on an
incline.
If your car has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park.Thiskeepsthecarfrom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission making it easier to
move the shift lever out of Park
when you want to drive away. If the car is f acing uphill, turn the
f ront wheels away f rom the curb. If
you have a manual transmission, put
it in f irst gear.
If the car is f acing downhill, turn the
f ront wheels toward the curb. If you
have a manual transmission, put it in
reverse gear.
Make sure the moonroof (if
equipped) and the windows are
closed.
Lockthedoorswiththekeyorthe
remote transmitter. Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you. Turn of f the lights.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire. Check the indicator on the
instrument panel to verif y that the
security system is set.
On cars with security system
Parking T ips
Parking
Driving253
Page 257 of 429

Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds
up heat and reduces their ef f ective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by downshif ting to a lower
gear and taking your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal.
Check your brakes af ter driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they f eel
normal. If not, apply them gently and
f requently until they do. Since a
longer distance is needed to stop
with wet brakes, be extra cautious
and alert in your driving.
Your Honda is equipped with f ront
disc brakes. The brakes on the rear
wheels may be disc or drum,
depending on the model. A power
assist helps reduce the ef f ort needed
on the brake pedal. The ABS helps
you retain steering control when
braking very hard.
Put your f oot on the brake pedal only
when you intend to brake. Resting
your f oot on the pedal keeps the
brakes applied lightly, causing them
to build up heat. Heat build-up can
reduce how well your brakes work. It
also keeps your brake lights on all
the time, conf using drivers behind
you. The f ront and rear disc brakes on all
models have audible brake wear
indicators. All models except f or the
4-cylinder LX have rear disc brakes
as standard equipment.
When the brake pads need replacing,
you will hear a distinctive metallic
‘‘screeching’’ sound when you apply
the brakes. If you do not have the
brake pads replaced, they will begin
screeching all the time.
Your brakes may sometimes squeal
or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not conf use this with the
brake wear indicators. The
indicators make a very audible
‘‘screeching.’’ Brake Wear Indicators
The Braking System
Driving254
Page 269 of 429

Trailer lights and equipment must
comply with federal, state, and local
regulations. Check with your local
recreational vehicle dealer f or the
requirements in your area, and use
only equipment designed f or your
vehicle.
Since lighting and wiring vary by
trailer type and brand, you should
have a qualif ied technician install a
suitable connector between the
vehicle and the trailer. Improper
equipment or installation can cause
damage to your vehicle’ s electrical
system and af f ect your vehicle
warranty.
Always use saf ety chains. Make sure
they are secured to both the trailer
and hitch, and that they cross under
the tongue so they can catch the
trailer if it becomes unhitched.
Leave enough slack to allow the
trailer to turn corners easily, but do
not let the chains drag on the ground.
Honda recommends that any trailer
having a total weight of 1,000 lbs
(450 kg) or more be equipped with
its own electric or surge-type brakes.
If you choose electric brakes, be
sure they are electronically actuated.
Do not attempt to tap into your car’s
hydraulic system. No matter how
successf ul it may seem, any attempt
to attach trailer brakes to your car’s
hydraulic system will lower braking
ef f ectiveness and create a potential
hazard.
Seeyourtrailerdealerformore
inf ormation on installing electric
brakes.
Towing a Trailer
Driving
T railer L ights
Saf et y Chains T railer Brakes
266