2003 HONDA ELEMENT maintenance

To replace it:
The air cleaner element should be
replaced according to the distance
recommendation in the maintenance
schedule.
The air cleaner element is inside the
air cleaner housing on the lef t side of
the engine compartment. Remove the old air cleaner
element.
Caref ully clean the inside of the
air cleaner housing with a damp
rag.
Loosen the f our bolts with a
Phillips-head screwdriver or a
wrench, then lif t up the air cleaner
housing cover.
1. 2.
3.
Replacement
A ir Cleaner Element
Maint enance236
BOLTS
AIR CLEANER ELEMENT
BOLTS

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

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 drive belt.
Examine the edges of the belt f or
cracks or fraying.An auto-tensioner adjusts the tension
of the drive belt. The pointer on the
auto-tensioner should be in the
proper range. It should be checked
accordingtothetimeanddistance
recommendations in the
maintenance schedule.If the pointer is out of this range or
you see signs of wear, have the drive
belt replaced by your Honda dealer
as soon as possible.
Drive Belt
Maint enance248
Proper range
POINTER

To saf ely operate your vehicle, your
tires must be the proper type and
size, in good condition with adequate
tread, and correctly inf lated. The
f ollowing pages give more detailed
informationonhowandwhento
check air pressure, how to inspect
your tires f or damage and wear, and
what to do when your tires need to
be replaced.Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort. Underinf lated tires wear
unevenly, adversely af f ect handling
and f uel economy, and are more
likely to f ail f rom being overheated.
Overinf lated tires can make your
vehicleridemoreharshly,aremore
prone to damage from road hazards,
and wear unevenly.
We recommend that you visually
check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month. Even
tires that are in good condition may
lose one to two psi (10 to 20 kPa, 0.1
to 0.2 kgf /cm ) per month.
Remember to check the spare tire at
thesametimeyoucheckallthe
other tires.
Check the pressure in the tires when
they are cold. This means the vehicle
has been parked f or at least three
hours. If you have to drive the
vehicle bef ore checking the tire
pressure, the tires can still be
considered ‘‘cold’’ if you drive less
than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Add or release air, if needed, to
match the recommended cold tire
pressures on page .
250
Inf lation
Tires
Maint enance249
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.

Every time you check inf lation, you
should also examine the tires f or
damage, f oreign objects, and wear.
Youshouldlookfor:Bumps or bulges in the tread or
side of the tire. Replace the tire if
youfindeitherof theseconditions.
Excessive tread wear. In addition to proper inf lation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you f ind a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side
of the tire. Replace the tire if you
can see f abric or cord. The tires were properly balanced by
the factory. They may need to be
rebalanced at some time bef ore they
are worn out. Have your dealer
check the tires if you f eel a consis-
tent vibration while driving. A tire
should always be rebalanced if it is
removed f rom the wheel f or repair.
Your vehicle’s tires have wear indica-
tors molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down to that point, you
will see a 5/16 inch (7.9 mm) wide
band running across the tread. This
shows there is less than 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) of tread lef t on the tire. A
tire that is this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see the
tread wear indicator in three or more
places around the tire.
CONT INUED
Inspection
Maintenance
Tires
Maint enance251
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS

If you need to park your vehicle f or
an extended period (more than one
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your vehicle back on the road. If
possible, store your vehicle indoors.Block the rear wheels.
If the vehicle is to be stored f or a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Leave one window open slightly (if
the vehicle is being stored
indoors).Cover the vehicle with a
‘‘breathable’’ cover, one made
f rom a porous material such as
cotton. Nonporous materials, such
as plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
Fill the f uel tank.
Change the engine oil and f ilter
(see page ).
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry. To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and tailgate seals. Also, apply a
vehiclebodywaxtothepainted
surfaces that mate with the door
and tailgate seals. Support the f ront and rear wiper
blade arms with a f olded towel or
ragsotheydonottouchthe
windshield. Disconnect the battery.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Reverse
(5-speed manual) or Park
(automatic). If possible, run the engine f or a
while periodically (pref erably once
amonth).
If you store your vehicle f or 12
months or longer, have your Honda
dealer perf orm the inspections called
f or in the 24 months maintenance
schedule (Normal Conditions) as
soon as you take it out of storage
(see page ). The replacements
called f or in the maintenance
schedule are not needed unless the
vehicle has actually reached that
time or mileage.
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212
St oring Your Vehicle
Maint enance266