2003 HONDA ELEMENT lock

If you need to park your vehicle f or
an extended period (more than one
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your vehicle back on the road. If
possible, store your vehicle indoors.Block the rear wheels.
If the vehicle is to be stored f or a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Leave one window open slightly (if
the vehicle is being stored
indoors).Cover the vehicle with a
‘‘breathable’’ cover, one made
f rom a porous material such as
cotton. Nonporous materials, such
as plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
Fill the f uel tank.
Change the engine oil and f ilter
(see page ).
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry. To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and tailgate seals. Also, apply a
vehiclebodywaxtothepainted
surfaces that mate with the door
and tailgate seals. Support the f ront and rear wiper
blade arms with a f olded towel or
ragsotheydonottouchthe
windshield. Disconnect the battery.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Reverse
(5-speed manual) or Park
(automatic). If possible, run the engine f or a
while periodically (pref erably once
amonth).
If you store your vehicle f or 12
months or longer, have your Honda
dealer perf orm the inspections called
f or in the 24 months maintenance
schedule (Normal Conditions) as
soon as you take it out of storage
(see page ). The replacements
called f or in the maintenance
schedule are not needed unless the
vehicle has actually reached that
time or mileage.
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212
St oring Your Vehicle
Maint enance266

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 hatch and the tailgate.
The spare tire, jack, and tools are
under the cargo area f loor.
1.
2. 3.
4.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed277
JACK SPARE TIRETOOLS
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.

Push the rear edge of the handle
to raise the handle loop and pull up
the loop to raise the cargo area
f loor.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of the cargo area.Remove the tools and the jack. To
remove the jack, turn the jack’s
end bracket counterclockwise to
loosen it.
Loosen the f ive wheel nuts 1/2
turn with the wheel wrench.
8.
7.
6. 5.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed278
JACK WHEEL NUTS

CONT INUED
Locate the jacking point nearest
thetireyouneedtochange.Itis
pointed to by an arrow molded into
the underside of the body. Place
the jack under the jacking point.
Turn the end bracket clockwise
until the top of the jack contacts
the jacking point. Make sure the
jacking point tab is resting in the
jack notch.Use the extension and wheel
wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.
Remove the wheel nuts and f lat
tire. Temporarily place the f lat tire
on the ground with the outside
surf ace of the wheel f acing up.
Placing the wheel face down could
mar its f inish.
9.
10. 11.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed279
EXTENSION
WHEEL WRENCH
JACKING POINTS

CONT INUED
Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:Store the jack in its holder. Turn
the jack’s end bracket to lock it in
place. Store the tools.
Remove the center cap from the
f lat tire, and store it in the spare
tire well.
Removethewingboltonthespare
tire mount, and pivot the arm 90°
to the upright position. Then
tighten the wing bolt securely.
15. 16.
17.
18.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed281
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m)Loose items can fly around the
interior in a crash and could
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.

Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See
on page .
When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
the f uses are OK, there is proba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit f or the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. (See on page .)
Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or Neutral. 285
301
CONT INUED
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly Jump Starting
Emergency T owing
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed283

Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (seeon page ).
If you don’t f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page ). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
between the MIN and MAX marks. Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the f irst stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes
off.Start the engine and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the f iller
neck. If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water.
Remember to have the cooling
system drained and ref illed with
the proper mixture as soon as you
can.
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, bef ore check-
ing the radiator. Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair. (See
on page .)
If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
10.
9.
8. 7.
6.
11.
12.301
301
163 Emergency
Towing
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed289
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.

All the electrical circuits in your
vehicle have fuses to protect them
f rom a short circuit or overload.
These f uses are located in two f use
boxes.The under-hood f use box is located
in the engine compartment on the
driver’s side. To open it, push the
tabs as shown.The interior f use box is underneath
the steering column. To remove the
f use box lid, turn the knobs
counterclockwise and pull the lid out
of its hinges.
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed295
UNDER-HOOD
TAB INTERIOR