2003 HONDA ELEMENT automatic transmission

µAs required by the FCC:This device complies with Part 15 of theFCC rules. Operation is subject to thef ollowing two conditions: (1) This devicemay not cause harmf ul interf erence, and(2) this device must accept anyinterf erence received, includinginterf erence that may cause undesiredoperation.
Changes or modif ications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible f orcompliance could void the user’sauthority to operate the equipment.
This device complies with IndustryCanada Standard RSS-210.Operation is subject to the f ollowing twoconditions: (1) this device may not causeinterf erence, and (2) this device mustaccept any interf erence that may causeundesired operation of the device.
The ignition switch is on the right
side of the steering column. It has
f our positions:
LOCK(0)
 ACCESSORY (I)
 ON (II)
 START (III) You can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
To switch f rom ACCESSORY to
LOCK, you must push the key in
slightly as you turn it. If your vehicle
has an automatic transmission, the
shif t lever must also be in Park. The
anti-thef t lock will lock the steering
column when you remove the key.
CONT INUED
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Keys and Locks
Ignition Switch L OCK (0)
85

You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshif t to hold the set speed.
Press and release the SET/
DECELbuttononthesteering
wheel. The CRUISE CONTROL
light on the instrument panel
comes on to show the system is
now activated. Thecruisecontrolmaynotholdthe
set speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down to the desired speed. This
will cancel the cruise control. To
resume the set speed, press the
RES/ACCEL button. The CRUISE
CONTROL light on the instrument
panel comes on.
Press and hold the RES/ACCEL
button. The vehicle will accelerate.
When you reach the desired
cruising speed, release the button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RES/
ACCEL button repeatedly. Each
time you do this, your vehicle will
speed up about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Push on the accelerator pedal.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/DECEL
button.
3.
Changing t he Set Speed
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Cruise Control
154
RESUME/ACCEL
SET/DECEL

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes
important inf ormation on parking
your vehicle, the braking system,
and f acts you need if you are plan-
ning to tow a trailer or drive off-
highway.........................
Driving Guidelines .172
........................
Preparing to Drive .173
.......................
Starting the Engine .174
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude .175
....
5-speed Manual Transmission . 176
.....
Recommended Shif t Points . 177
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 177
..............
Automatic Transmission . 178
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 178
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 179
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 182
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 183
...........................................
Parking .184
.....................
The Braking System .185
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 185
...............
Brake System Design . 186
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes .186
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders .187
........................
ABS Indicator .188
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 189
...........................
Towing a Trailer .191
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a ................................
Motorhome .198 ..............
Of f -Highway Guidelines . 200
.................
General Inf ormation . 200
Important Saf ety ............................
Precautions .201
...............................
Driving Tips .202
Driving
Driving171

If the engine still does not start,
press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while
starting in order to clear f looding.
As bef ore, keep the ignition key in
the START (III) position f or no
more than 15 seconds. Return to
step 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lif t your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal so the engine
does not race.
If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed half-way
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race. Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the engine
does not start right away, do not
hold the key in START (III) f or
more than 15 seconds at a time.
Pause f or at least 10 seconds
bef ore trying again.
Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal. Push the clutch pedal down all the
way. START (III) does not
f unction unless the clutch pedal is
pressed.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.6.
Manual Transmission:
Automatic Transmission:
Driving
Starting the Engine
174

Your Honda’s transmission has f our
f orward speeds, and is electronically
controlled f or smoother shif ting. It
also has a ‘‘lock-up’’ torque converter
forbetterfueleconomy.Youmay
f eel what seems like another shif t
when the converter locks.This indicator on the instrument
panel shows which position the shif t
lever is in.The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II). If it
f lashes while driving (in any shif t
position), it indicates a possible
problem in the transmission. Avoid
rapid acceleration and have the trans-
missioncheckedbyanauthorized
Honda dealer as soon as possible.
Shif t L ever Position Indicator
Driving
Automatic Transmission
178

µ
CONT INUED
The shif t lever has six positions. It
must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped in
D, 2, 1, N, or R, press f irmly on the
brake pedal, and keep your f oot of f
the accelerator pedal.YoucannotshiftoutofParkwiththe
brake pedal pressed when the
ignition switch is in LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I).
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Press the release
button on the side of the shift lever
to move it out of park.
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoN
NtoD Dto2 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoN NtoR RtoP Do this:
Press the brake pedal and
press the release button.
Press the release button.
Move the lever.
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Shif t L ever Positions
Park (P)
179
SHIFT LEVER

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