2003 HONDA ELEMENT transmission

µ
µ Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the vehicle
f or any reason. Press on the brake pe-
dal when you are moving the shif t
lever from Neutral to another gear.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shif t Lock Release on page
. Your vehicle has a reverse lockout so
you cannot accidentally shif t to
Reverse when the vehicle speed
exceeds 5 mph (8 km/h).
You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a
complete stop bef ore shif ting into
Park. The shif t lever must be in Park
bef ore you can remove the key f rom
the ignition switch. To shif t to Reverse
f rom Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shif t to Reverse f rom
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Press the release button
bef ore shif ting into Reverse f rom
Neutral. If you cannot shif t to Reverse when
the vehicle is stopped, press the
brake pedal, and slowly shift to
Neutral. Then press the release
button, and shift to Reverse.
If there is a problem in the reverse
lockout system, or your vehicle’s
battery is disconnected or goes dead,
you cannot shif t to Reverse. (Ref er
to Shif t Lock Release on page ).
183
183
Neutral (N)
Reverse (R)
Automatic Transmission
Driving180

µUse this position f or
your normal driving. The transmis-
sion automatically selects a suitable
gear f or your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission
shif ting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps the
engine warm up f aster.
For f aster acceleration, you can get
the transmission to automatically
downshif t by pushing the accelerator
pedal to the f loor. The transmission
will shif t down one or two gears,
depending on your speed. Overdrive (O/D) is on whenever you
turn the ignition ON (II). You can
turn it of f by pressing the O/D
switch on the end of the shif t lever.
The O/D OFF indicator on the
instrument panel next to the shif t
lever ‘‘D’’ position indicator will come
on. Pressing the O/D switch again turns
the overdrive mode back on.
Overdrive can be turned on or of f
only when the ignition switch is ON
(II) and the shif t lever is in the D
position. Overdrive mode turns on
every time you start the engine, even
if you turned it of f the last time you
drove the vehicle.
CONT INUED
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Drive (D)Overdrive (O/D) Mode
181
OVERDRIVE OFF INDICATOR

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The O/D OFF indicator also comes
on f or a f ew seconds when you turn
the ignition switch to ON(II). When overdrive is of f , the
transmission selects only the f irst
three gears. Turn the O/D of f to
provide engine braking when going
down a steep hill. You can also avoid
the transmission f rom cycling
between third and f ourth gears in
stop-and-go driving. To shif t to Second,
pressthereleasebuttonontheside
of the shif t lever. This position locks
the transmission in second gear. It
does not downshif t to f irst gear
when you come to a stop. Second
gives you more power when climbing,
and increased engine braking when
going down steep hills. Use second
gear when starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow. It will help
reduce wheelspin. If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
To shif t f rom Second to
First, press the release button on the
side of the shift lever. With the lever
in this position, the transmission
locks in f irst gear. By upshif ting and
downshif ting through 1, 2, and D,
you can operate this transmission
much like a manual transmission
without a clutch pedal.
If you shif t into First when the
vehiclespeedisabove31mph(50
km/h), the transmission shifts into
second gear f irst to avoid sudden
engine braking.
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Second (2) Engine Speed L imiter
First (1)
182

This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal does not work. This procedure
is also used to release the Reverse
Lockout.Put a cloth on the edge of the Shif t
Lock Release slot cover next to
theshiftlever.Useasmallflat-
tipped screwdriver or small metal
plate (neither are included in the
tool kit) to remove the cover.
Caref ully pry on the edge of the
cover. To release the Reverse Lockout,
make sure the ignition switch is in
the ACCESSORY(I) position. Make sure the ignition switch is in
the LOCK (0) position. Set the Parking brake. Insert a screwdriver in the Shif t
Lock Release slot.
If you need to use the Shif t Lock
Release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by your Honda
dealer.
Push down on the screwdriver
while you press the release button
on the side of the shif t lever and
move the shift lever out of Park to
Neutral.
To release the Reverse Lockout,
move the shift lever from Neutral
to Reverse, then to Park. Remove the screwdriver f rom the
Shif t Lock Release slot, then
install a new cover. Make sure the
notchonthecoverisontheright
side. Press the brake pedal, and
restart the engine.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Shif t L ock Release
Automatic Transmission
Driving183
COVER
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT

µ
Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. The indicator
on the instrument panel shows that
the parking brake is not f ully
released; it does not indicate that the
parking brake is f irmly set. Make
sure the parking brake is set f irmly
or your vehicle may roll if it is
parked on an incline.
If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park. This keeps the vehicle f rom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission making it easier to
move the shift lever out of Park
when you want to drive away. If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the f ront wheels away f rom the curb.
If you have a manual transmission,
putitinfirstgear.
If the vehicle is f acing downhill, turn
the f ront wheels toward the curb. If
you have a manual transmission, put
it in reverse gear.
Make sure the parking brake is f ully
released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the cargo area or take them
with you. Turn of f the lights.
Lock the doors and the hatch with
the key.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire. Make sure the skylight and the
windows are closed.
Parking T ips
Driving
Parking
184

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

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