2003 HONDA ELEMENT Owners Manual

µAs required by the FCC:This device complies with Part 15 of theFCC rules. Operation is subject to thef ollowing two conditions: (1) This devicemay not cause harmf ul interf erence, and(2) this device must accept anyinterf erence received, includinginterf erence that may cause undesiredoperation.
Changes or modif ications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible f orcompliance could void the user’sauthority to operate the equipment.
This device complies with IndustryCanada Standard RSS-210.Operation is subject to the f ollowing twoconditions: (1) this device may not causeinterf erence, and (2) this device mustaccept any interf erence that may causeundesired operation of the device.
The ignition switch is on the right
side of the steering column. It has
f our positions:
LOCK(0)
 ACCESSORY (I)
 ON (II)
 START (III) You can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
To switch f rom ACCESSORY to
LOCK, you must push the key in
slightly as you turn it. If your vehicle
has an automatic transmission, the
shif t lever must also be in Park. The
anti-thef t lock will lock the steering
column when you remove the key.
CONT INUED
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Keys and Locks
Ignition Switch L OCK (0)
85

µ
µ
µ Use this position
only to start the engine. The switch
returns to ON (II) when you let go of
the key.
You will hear a reminder beeper if
you leave the key in the ignition
switch in the LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I) position and open
the driver’s door. Remove the key to
turn of f the beeper. The engine will not start if the
Immobilizer System does not
recognize the key’s coding (see page ).
If the f ront wheels are turned, the
anti-thef t lock may sometimes make
it difficult to turn the key from
LOCK to ACCESSORY. Firmly turn
the steering wheel to the lef t or to
the right as you turn the key.
In this position,
you can operate the audio system
and the accessory power sockets.
This is the normal key
position when driving. All f eatures
and accessories on the vehicle are
usable. Several of the lights on the
instrument panel come on as a test
when you turn the ignition switch
f rom ACCESSORY to ON. 84
ST A RT (III)
A CCESSORY (I)
ON (II)
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols86
Removing the key from the
ignition switch while driving
locks the steering. This can
cause you to lose control.
Remove the key from the
ignition switch only when
parked.

The f ront doors can be locked and
unlocked f rom the outside with the
key.
The master door lock switch on the
driver’s door locks and unlocks all of
the doors and the hatch. Push the
switch down to lock all of the doors
and the hatch, and up to unlock them. To lock the f ront passenger’s door
when getting out the vehicle, push
the lock tab down and close the door.
To lock the driver’s door, remove the
key f rom the ignition switch, pull the
outside door handle and push the
locktabdownorpushthemaster
switch down. Release the handle,
then close the door.
Each f ront door has a lock tab at the
top of the door. When you push
down the lock tab on the driver’s
door, all doors and the hatch lock.
Pulling up the lock tab on the driver’s
door unlocks only that door. The
locktabonthefrontpassenger’s
door only locks and unlocks that
door.
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Power Door L ocks
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols87
MASTER DOOR LOCK SWITCH

All doors and the hatch lock when
youpushdownthelocktabonthe
driver’s door, or lock the driver’s
door from the outside with the key.
Only the driver’s door unlocks when
you use the key or the lock tab. To
unlock the f ront passenger’s door,
use the master door lock switch or
the lock tab on the f ront passenger’s
door.The Element has no center pillars
between front and rear seats, and
the rear doors pivot at the rear.
The rear door handle is located in
the rear door edge. The rear door
canbeopenedonlywhenthefront
door is open. Pull the handle to open
the rear door.
To close the doors when both f ront
and rear doors are open, close the
rear door first, then the front door.
The f ront door cannot be latched
without f irst closing the rear door.
Closing the rear door on the f ront
door will damage both doors.
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Rear Doors
88

CONT INUED
You can lock or unlock the hatch in
any of these ways:Useyourmasterkeytolockand
unlock the hatch.
Turnthekeyclockwisetolockthe
hatch, and counterclockwise to
unlock it. Lock the hatch by pushing down
the lock tab on the driver’s door
(see page ), or by using the
master key in the driver’s door
lock.
Lock or unlock the hatch with the
master door lock switch.
With the hatch unlocked, open it by
pulling the handle and lif ting up.
To close the hatch, lower it, then
press down on the back edge.
When both the hatch and tailgate are
open, the hatch cannot be latched
without f irst closing the tailgate.
87
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Hatch
89

See page for information on
cargo loading. Keep the hatch closed
at all times while driving to avoid
damaging the hatch, and to prevent
exhaust gas from getting into the
interior. Seeon page .
Youcanopenthetailgateonlywhen
the hatch is open. To open the
tailgate, slide the lock lever to the
lef t and swing down the tailgate. To
close the tailgate, lif t it up and push
it f irmly until it latches.
Bef ore closing the tailgate, make
sure the hatch is raised. Closing the
tailgate on the lowered hatch can
damage the hatch and the tailgate. See page for information on
cargo loading. Keep the tailgate and
the hatch closed at all times while
driving to avoid damaging them, and
to prevent exhaust gas f rom getting
into the interior. See
on page .
60 60
167
167
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Carbon Monoxide
Hazard Tailgate
Carbon
Monoxide Hazard
90

Open the glove box by pulling the
bottom of the handle. Close it with a
f irm push. Lock or unlock the glove
box with the master key. Glove Box
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols91
An open glove box can cause
serious injury to your passenger
inacrash,evenifthe
passenger is wearing the seat
belt.
Always keep the glove box
closed while driving.

µ
See pages f or important saf ety
inf ormation and warnings about how toproperly position seats and seat-backs. 13 15
Make all seat adjustments bef ore
you start driving.
To change the angle of the seat-back,
pull up on the lever on the outside of
the seat bottom. Move the seat-back
to the desired position and release
the lever. Let the seat-back latch into
the new position.
To adjust the seat forward and
backward, pull up on the bar under
the seat cushion’s f ront edge. Move
the seat to the desired position and
releasethebar.Trytomovetheseat
to make sure it is locked in position.
FrontSeatAdjustments
Seats
Inst rument s and Cont rols92