2003 HONDA ELEMENT radio

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You can use the instrument panel
brightness control knob to adjust the
illumination of the audio system (see
page ). The audio system
illuminates when the parking lights
are on, even if the radio is turned of f .
Your Honda’s radio can receive the
complete AM and FM bands.
Those bands cover these f requen-
cies:
AM band:
530 to 1,710 kilohertz
FM band:
87.7 to 107.9 megahertz
Radio stations on the AM band are
assigned f requencies at least ten
kilohertz apart (530, 540, 550).
Stations on the FM band are
assigned f requencies at least 0.2
megahertz apart (87.9, 88.1, 88.3).Stations must use these exact
f requencies. It is f airly common f or
stations to round-of f the f requency in
their advertising, so your radio could
display a f requency of 100.9 even
though the announcer may identif y
the station as ‘‘FM101.’’
How well your Honda’s radio
receives stations is dependent on
many f actors, such as the distance
from the station’s transmitter,
nearby large objects, and atmos-
pheric conditions.
A radio station’s signal gets weaker
as you get f arther away f rom its
transmitter. If you are listening to an
AM station, you will notice the sound
volume becoming weaker, and the
stationdriftinginandout.If youare
listening to an FM station, you will
see the stereo indicator f lickering of f
and on as the signal weakens.
Eventually, the stereo indicator willgo of f and the sound will f ade
completely as you get out of range of
the station’s signal.
Driving very near the transmitter of
a station that is broadcasting on a
f requency close to the f requency of
the station you are listening to can
also af f ect your radio’s reception.
You may temporarily hear both
stations,orhearonlythestationyou
are close to.
77
Audio System
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
A udio System L ighting
Radio Frequencies
Radio Reception
143

Radio signals, especially on the FM
band, are def lected by large objects
such as buildings and hills. Your
radio then receives both the direct
signal f rom the station’s transmitter,
and the def lected signal. This causes
the sound to distort or flutter. This is
a main cause of poor radio reception
in city driving.Radio reception can be af f ected by
atmospheric conditions such as
thunderstorms, high humidity, and
even sunspots. You may be able to
receive a distant radio station one
day and not receive it the next day
because of a change in conditions.
Electrical interf erence f rom passing
vehicles and stationary sources can
cause temporary reception problems.
As required by the FCC:
Changes or modif ications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible f orcompliance could void the user’sauthority to operate the equipment.
Audio System
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures144

You operate the CD player with the
same controls used f or the radio.
With the ignition switch in
ACCESSORY (I) or ON (II), insert
the disc into the CD slot. Push the
disc in half way, the drive will pull it
in the rest of the way and begin to
play. The number of the track that is
playing is shown in the display.
You can also play 3-inch (8-cm) discs
without using an adapter ring. In all
cases, play only standard round discs.
Odd-shaped CDs may jam in the
driveorcauseotherproblems.
For best results when using CD-R
discs, use only high quality discs
labeled f or audio use. When
recording a CD-R, the recording
must be closed in order f or the disc
to be used by CD players. CD-RW
discs will not work in this unit.
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Audio System
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Operating the CD Player
145
PWR/VOL KNOBSKIP BUTTONS
A.SEL/RDM BUTTON CD BUTTON
CD SLOT
EJECT BUTTON RANDOM INDICATOR

µµ
When the system reaches the end of
the disc, it will return to the begin-
ning and play the disc again.
If you turn the system of f while a CD
is playing, either with the PWR/VOL
knob or by turning off the ignition,
the disc will stay in the drive. When
youturnthesystembackon,theCD
will begin playing where it lef t of f .
Press the eject button to remove the
disc f rom the drive.
If you eject the disc, but do not
remove it from the slot, the system
will automatically reload the disc
af ter 15 seconds and put the CD
player in pause mode. To begin
playing the disc, press the CD button. To activate the Repeat
f eature, press and release the RPT
button. You will see RPT in the
display. The system continuously
replays the current track. Press the
RPT button again to turn it off.
This feature,
when activated, plays the tracks on
the CD in random order, rather than
in the order they are recorded on the
CD. To activate Random Play, press
and release the A. SEL/RDM button.
You will see RDM in the display. The
system will then select and play
tracks randomly. This continues
until you deactivate Random Play by
pressing A. SEL/RDM again.
You can switch to the radio while a
CD is playing by pressing the AM or
FM button. Press the CD button to
return to playing the CD. The CD
will begin playing where it lef t of f .
You can use the SKIP buttons while
a disc is playing to select passages
and change tracks.
To move rapidly within a track, press
and hold an appropriate SKIP button.
Press button to move f orward,
or the button to move backward.
Release the button when the system
reaches the point you want.
Each time you press the button
and release it, the system skips
f orward to the beginning of the next
track. Press and release the
buttontoskipbackwardtothe
beginning of the current track. Press
and release it again to skip to the
beginning of the previous track. REPEAT
RANDOM PLAY
Audio System
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures146

Youshouldhavereceivedacardthat
lists your audio system’s code
number and serial number. It is best
tostorethiscardinasafeplaceat
home. In addition, you should write
the audio system’s serial number in
this Owner’s Manual. If you should
happen to lose the card, you must
obtain the code number f rom your
Honda dealer. To do this, you will
need the system’s serial number.If your vehicle’s battery is discon-
nected or goes dead, or the radio
f use is removed, the audio system
will disable itself . If this happens,
you will see ‘‘CODE’’ in the
frequencydisplaythenexttimeyou
turn on the system. Use the preset
buttons to enter the five-digit code.
For example if your code is ‘‘1, 2, 3, 4,
5,’’ press the 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 preset
buttons. If the code is entered
correctly, the radio will start playing.
If you make a mistake entering the
code, do not start over or try to
correct your mistake. Complete the
f ive-digit sequence, then enter the
correct code. You have ten tries to
enter the correct code. If you are
unsuccessful in ten attempts, you
must then leave the system on for
one hour bef ore trying again.
You will have to store your favorite
stations in the preset buttons after
the system begins working. Your
original settings were lost when
power was disconnected.
Your vehicle’s audio system will
disable itself if it is disconnected
f rom electrical power f or any reason.
To make it work again, the user
must enter a specif ic f ive-digit code
in the preset buttons. Because there
are hundreds of number
combinations possible f rom f ive
digits, making the system work
without knowing the exact code is
nearly impossible.
On EX models
Thef t Protection
Audio System
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures152

Modif ying your vehicle, or installing
some non-Honda accessories, can
make your vehicle unsaf e. Bef ore
you make any modif ications or add
anyaccessories,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 vehicle’s
computer-controlled systems, such
as the SRS and anti-lock brake
system.
Your dealer has Honda accessories
that allow you to personalize your
vehicle. These accessories have
been designed and approved f or your
vehicle, and are covered by warranty.
Non-Honda accessories are usually
designed f or universal applications.
Although aftermarket accessories
may f it on your vehicle, they may not
meet f actory specif ications, and
could adversely af f ect your vehicle’s
handling and stability. (See
‘‘Modif ications’’ on page f or
additional inf ormation.)
If possible, have your dealer inspect
the f inal installation. Have the installer contact your
Honda dealer f or assistance bef ore
installing any electronic accessory. Be sure electronic accessories do
not overload electrical circuits
(see page ). Make sure the accessory does not
obscure any lights, or interf ere
with proper vehicle operation or
perf ormance.
Bef ore installing any accessory: However, if electronic accessories
are improperly installed, or exceed
your vehicle’s electrical system
capacity, they can interf ere with the
operation of your vehicle, or even
cause the airbags to deploy.
299
166
A ccessories
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving165
Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
vehicle’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.

When purchasing a tow bar, make
sure you select a reputable
manuf acturer and installer. Follow
the manufacturer’s attachment
instructions caref ully. Your Element 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).
After attaching the tow bar to your
motorhome, do the following to
prepare your Element f or ‘‘f lat
towing’’:When preparing to tow your
Element, make sure the
transmission is f illed to the correct
level (see page ). Do not
overf ill.
When preparing to tow your Element,
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.
Release the parking brake.
Shif t the transmission to Neutral.
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. 232
231
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
Driving198

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 you tow a Element with an
automatic 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
Driving199
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.