2003 HONDA ELEMENT Owners Manual

Place the new air cleaner element
in the air cleaner housing.Clean the hood latch assembly with a
mild cleaner, then lubricate it with a
multipurpose grease. Lubricate all
the moving parts (as shown),
including the pivot. Follow the time
and distance recommendations in
the Maintenance Schedule. If you
are not sure how to clean and grease
the latch, contact your Honda dealer.
Reinstall the air cleaner housing
cover, and tighten the four bolts.
4.
5.
Hood L atch
A ir Cleaner Element, Hood L atch
Maint enance237
LATCH ASSEMBLY

Clean off any dirt and oil that have
collected around the ignition coils.
Use a wrench to remove the bolt
holding the ignition coil. Pull the
ignition coil up slightly.
Disconnect the wire connector
f rom the ignition coil by pushing
on the lock tab and pulling on the
connector. Pull on the plastic
connector, not the wires.Remove the ignition coil.
Remove the spark plug with
a f ive-eighths inch (16 mm) spark
plug socket.
Put the new spark plug into the
socket, then screw it into the hole.
Screw it in by hand so you do not
crossthread it.
Remove the f our nuts with a
wrench, then remove the coil
cover.
The spark plugs in your vehicle are a
special iridium-tipped design f or
longer lif e. The spark plugs should
be replaced according to the distance
recommendation in the maintenance
schedule.
1.
6.
7. 5.
2.
4. 3.
Replacement
Spark Plugs
Maint enance238
NUTS
NUTSBOLT
CONNECTOR
IGNITION COIL LOCK TAB
COIL COVER

Torque the spark plug. (If you do
not have a torque wrench, tighten
the spark plug two-thirds of a turn
af ter it contacts the cylinder head.)
Tightening torque:Connect the wire connector to the
ignition coil. Make sure it locks in
place.
Push the ignition coil down all the
way. Install the bolt.
Repeat this procedure f or the
other three spark plugs.
Reinstall the coil cover, and
tighten the f our nuts. Install the ignition coil into the
hole.NGK:
DENSO:
8. 9.
10.
11.
12.
13. Specif ications:
Spark Plugs
Maint enance239
13 lbf·ft (18 N·m , 1.8 kgf·m)
IZFR6K-11
SKJ20DR-M11
Tighten the spark plugs caref ully. A
spark plug that is too loose can
overheat and damage the engine.
Overtightening can cause damage to
the threads in the cylinder head.

Check the battery terminals for
corrosion (a white or yellowish
powder). To remove it, cover the
terminals with a solution of baking
soda and water. It will bubble up and
turn brown. When this stops, wash it
of f with plain water. Dry of f the
battery with a cloth or paper towel.
Coat the terminals with grease to
help prevent f uture corrosion.
Check the battery condition by
looking at the test indicator window
on the battery. The label on the
battery explains the test indicator’s
colors. Battery posts,
terminals, and related accessories
contain lead and lead compounds.
Check the condition of your vehicle’s
battery monthly.
WARNING:
Wash hands af ter handling.
Battery
Maint enance240
TEST INDICATOR WINDOW

µIf you need to connect the battery to
a charger, disconnect both cables to
prevent damage to the vehicle’s
electrical system.
If the terminals are severely cor-
roded, clean them with baking soda
and water. Then use a wrench to
loosen and remove the cables f rom
the terminals. Always disconnect the
negative ( ) cable f irst and recon-
nect it last. Clean the battery termi-
nals with a terminal cleaning tool or
wire brush. Reconnect and tighten
the cables, then coat the terminals
with grease. If your vehicle’s battery is
disconnected or goes dead, the audio
system will disable itself . The next
timeyouturnontheradioyouwill
see ‘‘CODE’’ in the f requency display.
Use the preset buttons to enter the
f ive-digit code (see page ). You
will then have to set the clock and
enter your station presets.
152
On EX models
Battery
Maint enance241
The battery gives off explosive
hydrogen gas during normal
operation.
A spark or flame can cause the
battery to explode with enough
force to kill or seriously hurt you.
Wear protective clothing and a
face shield, or have a skilled
mechanic do the battery
maintenance. Charging the battery with the cables
connected can seriously damage your
vehicle’s electronic controls. Detach
the battery cables bef ore connecting
the battery to a charger.

Check the condition of the wiper
blades at least every six months.
Look f or signs of cracking in the
rubber, or areas that are getting
hard. Replace the blades if you f ind
these signs, or if they leave streaks
and unwiped areas when used.To replace a wiper blade:Front:
Raise the wiper arm of f the
windshield. Raise the wiper arm of f the hatch
glass and hold it. Rear:
1.
Wiper Blades
Maint enance242
FRONT REAR
WIPER ARMS
Do not open the hood when the wiper
arms are raised, or you will damage the
hood and the arms.

Examine the new wiper blades. If
they have no plastic or metal rein-
f orcement along the back edge,
remove the metal reinf orcement
strips f rom the old wiper blade and
install them in the slots along the
edge of the new blade.
Remove the blade f rom its holder
by grasping the tabbed end of the
blade. Pull f irmly until the tabs
come out of the holder.
Disconnect the blade assembly
fromthewiperarmbypushingin
the lock tab. Hold the lock tab in
while you push the blade assembly
toward the base of the arm.
If you are changing the rear wiper
blade, go to step 6. 4.
3.
2.
CONT INUED
Wiper Blades
Maint enance243
LOCK TAB BLADE
REINFORCEMENTBLADE

Slide the new wiper blade into the
holder until the tabs lock.
Slide the wiper blade assembly
onto the wiper arm. Make sure it
locks in place.
Lower the wiper arm down against
the windshield or the hatch glass.
5.
6.
7.
Wiper Blades
Maint enance244