2003 HONDA CR-V towing

The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
discussed below.If the automatic transmission shif ts
f requently between 3rd and 4th
gears while going up a hill, turn of f
the Over drive (O/D) mode (see
page ). When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
Make turns more slowly and wider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over. Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
If you have an automatic
transmission, use the Over drive
(O/D) mode when towing a trailer
on level roads. Turn of f the Over
drive (O/D) mode when towing a
trailer in hilly terrain (see page ).
(See ‘‘ ’’ in the next
column f or additional gear
inf ormation.)
If youmuststopwhenfacinguphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
207
207
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
Towing a Trailer
Driving
Driving on Hills
Making T urns and Braking Driving on Hills
T owing Speeds and Gears
222

Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including f irmly setting the
parking brake and putting the
transmission in Park (automatic) or
in 1st or Reverse (manual). Also,
place wheel chocks at each of the
trailer’s tires. Always drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the lef t
to get the trailer to move to the lef t,
andturnthewheelrighttomovethe
trailer to the right.
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shif t down to 3rd
gear on the manual transmission,
and turn off the Over drive (O/D)
mode on the automatic transmission.
Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause trailer
swaying. When being passed by a
large vehicle, keep a constant speed
and steer straight ahead. Do not try
to make quick steering or braking
corrections.
bottom
Parking
Backing Up
Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ing
Driving
Towing a Trailer
223

When preparing to tow your CR-V,
make sure the transmission is
f illed to the correct level (see page). Do not overf ill.
Leave the key in the ignition
switch and the ignition switch in
ACCESSORY (I) so the steering
wheel does not lock. Make sure
the radio and any items plugged
into the accessory power sockets
are turned of f so you do not run
down the battery. Shif t the transmission to Neutral. Release the parking brake.
After attaching the tow bar to your
motorhome, do the following to
prepare your CR-V f or ‘‘f lat towing’’: When purchasing a tow bar, make
sure you select a reputable
manuf acturer and installer. Follow
the manufacturer’s attachment
instructions caref ully. Your CR-V can be towed behind a
motorhome at legal highway speeds
up to 65 mph(100 km/h). Do not
exceed 65 mph(100km/h).
Otherwise, severe transmission
damage will occur. To avoid damage
to the 4WD system, it must be towed
with all f our wheels on the ground
(f lat towing). When preparing to tow your CR-V,
make sure the transmission is f ull of
fluid (see page ). Maintaining
the correct level is very important.
Do not overf ill. Do the f ollowing
Follow the procedure exactly.
Otherwise, severe automatic
transmission damage will occur.
261
260
every day immediately bef ore you begin
towing.
5-speed Manual T ransmission A ut omat ic T ransmission
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a Motorhome
Driving224

Start the engine.
Press on the brake pedal. Shif t the
lever through all the positions (P,
R, N, D, 2, 1)
ShifttoD,thentoN.Letthe
engine run f or three minutes, then
turn of f the engine.
Release the parking brake.
Leave the ignition switch in
ACCESSORY (I) so the steering
wheel does not lock. Make sure
the radio and any items plugged
into the accessory power sockets
are turned of f so you do not run
down the battery.If you tow more than 8 hours in one
day, you should repeat the above
procedure at least every 8 hours.
(when you stop f or f uel, etc.)
If youtowaCR-Vwithanautomatic
transmission, the transmission f luid
must be changed every two years or
30,000 miles (48,000 km), whichever
comes f irst.Ext ended T owing
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a Motorhome
Driving225
Failure to f ollow the above instructions
exactly will result in severe automatic
transmission damage. If you cannot
shif t the transmission or start the
engine, your vehicle must be
transported on a f lat-bed truck or
trailer. The steering system can be damaged if
the steering wheel is locked. Leave the
ignition switch in Accessory (I), and
make sure the steering wheel turns
f reely bef ore you begin towing.Severe automatic transmission damage
will occur if the vehicle is shif ted f rom
reverse to neutral and then towed with
the drive wheels on the ground.

µ
The services and time or distance
intervals shown in the maintenance
schedule assume you will use your
vehicle as normal transportation f or
passengers and their possessions.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations:
The Maintenance Schedule specif ies
how of ten you should have your
vehicle serviced and what things
need attention. It is essential that
you have your vehicle serviced as
scheduled to retain its high level of
saf ety, dependability, and emissions
control perf ormance.
Avoid exceeding your vehicle’s
load limit. This puts excess stress
on the engine, brakes, and many
other parts of your vehicle. The
load limit is shown on the label on
the driver’s doorjamb.
Operate your vehicle on
reasonable roads within the legal
speed limit.
Drive your vehicle regularly over a
distance of several miles
(kilometers).
Always use unleaded gasoline with
theproperoctanerating(seepage). Service your vehicle according to the
time and mileage periods on one of
the Maintenance Schedules on the
f ollowing pages.
Follow the
Maintenance Schedule f or Severe
Conditions if you drive your vehicle
MAINLY under one or more of the
f ollowing conditions.
Driving less than 5 miles (8 km)
per trip or, in f reezing
temperatures, driving less than 10
miles (16 km) per trip.
Driving in extremely hot [over
90°F (32°C)] conditions.
Extensive idling or long periods of
stop-and-go driving.
Trailer towing, driving with a roof
rack, or driving in mountainous
conditions.
184
Maintenance Schedule
Maint enance
Which Schedule to Follow:
U.S. Owners
236

This section covers the more-
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your vehicle towed.....................
Changing a Flat Tire .308
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start . 318
Nothing Happens or the Starter Motor Operates Very .................................
Slowly .318
The Starter Operates ................................
Normally .319
................................
Jump Starting .320
............
If Your Engine Overheats . 323
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 325
..........
Charging System Indicator . 326
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 327
.......................
Readiness Codes .328
...............
Brake System Indicator . 329
..................
Closing the Moonroof . 330
..............................................
Fuses .331
..........
Checking and Replacing . 332
......................
Emergency Towing .337
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed307

If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Stopping in traf f ic or on the shoulder
of a busy road is dangerous. Drive
slowly along the shoulder until you
gettoanexitoranareatostopthat
is far away from the traffic lanes.Park the vehicle on f irm, level and
non-slippery ground away f rom
traffic. Put the transmission in
Park (automatic) or Reverse
(manual). Apply the parking brake.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire. If you are towing a trailer, unhitch
the trailer.Open the tailgate.
1.
2. 3.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Changing a Flat T ire
308
JACK SPARE TIRE
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.

If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of the
battery and terminal connections
(see page ). You can then try
jump starting the vehicle from a
booster battery (see page ).In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page . There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page .
Your vehicle has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly. Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank.
269
320
200 331
337
85
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed319