2003 HONDA ELEMENT trailer

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.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. 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.
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 overdrive
(O/D) mode when towing a trailer
on level roads. Turn of f the
overdrive (O/D) mode when towing
a trailer in hilly terrain (see page
). (See ‘‘ ’’ in the
next column f or additional gear
inf ormation.) If the automatic transmission shif ts
f requently between 3rd and 4th
gears while going up a hill, turn of f
the overdrive (O/D) mode (see page
).
181
181
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
Towing a Trailer
Driving
Driving on Hills
Making T urns and Braking
T owing Speeds and Gears
Driving on Hills
196

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.
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. When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shif t down to 3rd
gear on the manual transmission,
and turn off the overdrive (O/D)
mode on the automatic transmission.
Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember, it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
bottom
Parking
Backing Up
Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ing
Driving
Towing a Trailer
197

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.

Utility vehicles have a signif icantly
higher rollover rate than other types
of vehicles. To avoid loss of control
or rollover, be sure to f ollow all
recommendations and precautions
on page and in this section.
Seat belts are just as important of f -
road as on paved roads. Wherever
you drive, make sure you and your
passengers always wear seat belts. If
children or inf ants are along f or the
ride, see that they are properly
secured. In a rollover crash, an
unbelted person is more likely to die
than a person wearing a seat belt.On many unpaved roads, you won’t
f ind lane markers, traf f ic signals, or
signs to warn you of possible trouble
ahead. It’s up to you to continually
assess the situation and drive within
limits.The route presents limits (some
roads are too steep and bumpy f or
example). You have limits (in driving
skills and comf ort). And your vehicle
also has limits (traction, stability, and
power, f or instance).
Driving of f -highway can be
hazardous if you f ail to recognize
limits and take proper precautions.
For example, you can have an
accident or rollover during
maneuvers such as turning, driving
on hills, or over large obstacles.
Remember that your Element has
higher ground clearance and a
higher center of gravity than
passenger vehicles designed f or use
only on pavement. This means your
vehicle can more easily tip or roll
over if you make abrupt turns or
drive on slopes.
Be sure to store cargo properly, and
do not exceed your Element’s cargo
or trailer load limits (see pagesand ).
172
168 191
Important Saf ety Precautions
Off-Highway Guidelines
Driving201
Improperly operating this
vehicle on or off-pavement can
cause an accident or rollover in
which you and your passengers
could be seriously injured or
killed.
Follow all instructions and
guidelines in the owner’s
manual.
Keep your speed low and
don’t drive faster than
conditions permit.

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.
158
Maintenance Schedule
Maint enance
Which Schedule to Follow:
U.S. Owners
210

Theheadlightswereproperlyaimed
when your vehicle was new. If you
regularly carry heavy items in the
cargo area or pull a trailer,
readjustment may be required.
Adjustment of the headlights should
be perf ormed by a Honda technician
or other qualif ied mechanic.Your vehicle has halogen headlight
bulbs, one on each side. When
replacing a bulb, handle it by its steel
base and protect the glass from
contactwithyourskinorhard
objects. If you touch the glass, clean
it with denatured alcohol and a clean
cloth.
Open the hood.
If you need to change the
headlight bulb on the driver’s side,
remove the f ront end of the air
intake duct by pulling it out.
1.
Lights
Maint enance
Headlight A iming
Replacing a Headlight Bulb
258
Halogen headlight bulbs get very hot
when lit. Oil, perspiration, or a scratch
on the glass can cause the bulb to
overheat and shatter.

Your vehicle has a compact spare
tire that takes up less space. Use this
sparetireasatemporaryreplace-
ment only. Get your regular tire
repaired or replaced and put it back
on your vehicle as soon as you can.Thecompactsparetirehasashorter
tread lif e than a regular tire. Replace
it when you can see the tread wear
indicator bars. The replacement
should be the same size and design
tire, mounted on the same wheel.
Thecompactsparetireisnot
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the compact wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces than the regular tire. Use
greater caution while driving on
this tire. Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
under any circumstances.
Follow these precautions whenever
you are using the compact spare tire: Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare.
Do not use the compact spare tire
if you are towing a trailer.
The wheel of the compact spare
tire is designed especially to f it
your vehicle. Do not use your
sparetireonanothervehicle
unlessitisthesamemakeand
model.
Compact Spare Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed276
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)

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.