2003 HONDA ELEMENT catalytic converter

CONT INUED
The odometer shows the total dis-
tance your vehicle has been driven.
It measures miles in U.S. models and
kilometers in Canadian models.
It is illegal under U.S. f ederal law and
Canadian provincial regulations to
disconnect, reset, or alter the
odometer with the intent to change
the number of miles or kilometers
indicated.
The trip meter shows the number of
miles (U.S.) or kilometers (Canada)
driven since you last reset it. There
are two trip meters: Trip A and Trip
B. Switch between these displays
and the odometer by pressing the
Select/Reset button repeatedly.
Each trip meter works independently,
so you can keep track of two
dif f erent distances.To reset a trip meter, display it, and
then press and hold the Select/Reset
button until the number resets to
‘‘0.0’’.
This shows how much f uel you have.
It is most accurate when the vehicle
is on level ground. It may show
slightly more or less than the actual
amount when you are driving on
curvy or hilly roads.
The needle returns to the bottom
after you turn off the ignition. The
gauge shows the f uel level reading
immediately af ter you turn the
ignition switch back ON (II).
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Gauges
Odometer/T rip Meter
Fuel Gauge
73
Avoid driving with an extremely low
f uel level. Running out of f uel could
cause the engine to misf ire, damaging
the catalytic converter.

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

Thediagramsinthissectiongive
you the dimensions and capacities of
your Honda, and the locations of the
identif ication numbers. It also
includes inf ormation you should
know about your vehicle’s tires and
emissions control systems.................
Identif ication Numbers . 304
................................
Specif ications .306
DOT Tire Quality Grading ......................
(U.S. Vehicles) .308
Unif orm Tire Quality ..................................
Grading .308
.................................
Treadwear .308
......................................
Traction .308
.............................
Temperature .309
...........................
Tire Inf ormation .310
.........................
Oxygenated Fuels .311
......
Driving in Foreign Countries . 312.......................
Emissions Controls .313
.....................
The Clean Air Act .313
Crankcase Emissions Control ....................................
System .313
Evaporative Emissions Control ....................................
System .313
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor ................................
Recovery .313
...
Exhaust Emissions Controls . 314
....................
PGM-FI System .314
Ignition Timing Control ................................
System .314
Three Way Catalytic ...........................
Converter .314
....................
Replacement Parts . 314
..
Three Way Catalytic Converter . 315
..............
State Emissions Testing . 316
T echnical Inf ormat ion
T echnical Inf ormation303

If you are planning to take your
Honda outside the U.S. or Canada,
contact the tourist bureaus in the
areas you will be traveling in to f ind
out about the availability of unleaded
gasoline with the proper octane
rating.
If unleaded gasoline is not available,
be aware that using leaded gasoline
in your Honda will af f ect perf or-
mance and fuel mileage, and damage
its emissions controls. It will no
longer comply with U.S. and
Canadian emissions regulations, and
will be illegal to operate in North
America. To bring your vehicle back
into compliance will require the re-
placement of several components,
such as the oxygen sensors and the
three way catalytic converter. These
replacements are not covered under
warranty.
Driving in Foreign Countries
T echnical Inf ormation312

The exhaust emissions controls
include three systems: PGM-FI,
Ignition Timing Control, and Three
Way Catalytic Converter. These
three systems work together to
control the engine’s combustion and
minimize the amount of HC, CO, and
NOx that comes out the tailpipe. The
exhaust emissions control systems
are separate from the crankcase and
evaporative emissions control
systems.The emissions control systems are
covered by warranties separate from
the rest of your vehicle. Read your
warranty manual f or more informa-
tion. The emissions control systems are
designed and certif ied to work to-
gether in reducing emissions to
levels that comply with the Clean Air
Act. To make sure the emissions
remain low, you should use only new
genuine Honda replacement parts or
their equivalent f or repairs. Using
lowerqualitypartsmayincreasethe
emissions f rom your vehicle.
This system constantly adjusts the
ignition timing, reducing the amount
of HC, CO, and NOx produced. The PGM-FI System uses sequential
multiport f uel injection.
It has three subsystems: Air Intake,
Engine Control, and Fuel Control.
The Engine Control Module (ECM)
or the Powertrain Control Module
(PCM) uses various sensors to
determine how much air is going
into the engine. It then controls how
much f uel to inject under all operat-
ing conditions.
The three way catalytic converter is
in the exhaust system. Through
chemical reactions, it converts HC,
CO, and NOx in the engine’s exhaust
to carbon dioxide (CO ), nitrogen
(N ), and water vapor.
2
2
Replacement Parts
Exhaust Emissions ControlsPGM-FI Syst em
Ignit ion T iming Cont rol Syst emThree Way Catalytic Converter
Emissions Cont rols
T echnical Inf ormation314

The three way catalytic converter
contains precious metals that serve
as catalysts, promoting chemical
reactions to convert the exhaust
gasses without af f ecting the metals.
The catalytic converter is ref erred to
as a three-way catalyst, since it acts
on HC, CO, and NOx. A replacement
unit must be an original Honda part
or its equivalent.
The three way catalytic converter
must operate at a high temperature
for the chemical reactions to take
place. It can set on f ire any com-
bustible materials that come near it.
Parkyourvehicleawayfromhigh
grass, dry leaves, or other f lamma-
bles.A defective three way catalytic
converter contributes to air pollution,
and can impair your engine’s per-
f ormance. Follow these guidelines to
protect your vehicle’s three way
catalytic converter.
Always use unleaded gasoline.
Even a small amount of leaded
gasoline can contaminate the
catalyst metals, making the three
way catalytic converter inef f ective. Keep the engine tuned-up.
Have your vehicle diagnosed and
repaired if it is misf iring, back-
f iring, stalling, or otherwise not
running properly.
Three Way Catalytic Converter
T echnical Inf ormation315
THREE WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTER

Î
.................
Vehicle Capacity Load . 168
......................
Vehicle Dimensions .306
....
Vehicle Identif ication Number . 304
.............................
Vehicle Storage .266
.....................................
Ventilation .121
.................................................
VIN .304
...............................
Vinyl Cleaning .271
..................................
Viscosity, Oil .222
.....................
Underside, Cleaning .273
Unexpected, Taking Care ..........................................
of the .275
....
Unif orm Tire Quality Grading . 308
........................
Unleaded Gasoline .158
.....................
Upholstery Cleaning .271
.......
Used Oil, How to Dispose of . 224
.....................................
Tachometer .72
Tailgate ............................
Open Indicator .70
.................................
Opening the .90
..........
Taillights, Changing Bulbs . 261
.
Taking Care of the Unexpected . 275
Technical Descriptions ......
DOT Tire Quality Grading . 308
.....
Emissions Control Systems . 313
.....................
Oxygenated Fuels .311
Three Way Catalytic ...............................
Converter .315
.......................
Temperature Gauge .74
..............
Tether Anchorage Points . 46
............................
Thef t Protection .152
..
Three Way Catalytic Converter . 315
..................
Time, Setting the . 130,142
....................................
Tire Chains .255
.........
Tire, How to Change a Flat . 277
...........................
Tire Inf ormation .310
...............................................
Tires .249
..............................
Air Pressure .249
.........................
Checking Wear .251
......
DOT Tire Quality Grading . 308......................................
Inf lation .249
..................................
Inspection .251
..............................
Maintenance .251
...................................
Replacing .253
......................................
Rotating .252
...........................................
Snow .254
............................
Specif ications .307
................................
Tire Chains .255
...................
Tools, Tire Changing . 277
Towing .....................................
A Trailer .191
...............
Behind a Motorhome . 198
................................
Emergency .301
Transmission Checking Fluid Level, ..............................
Automatic .231
Checking Fluid Level, ...................................
Manual .232
..................
Fluid Selection . 231,232
..............
Identif ication Number . 304
.............
Shif ting the Automatic . 178
..................
Shif ting the Manual . 176
.....................................
Treadwear .308
.......................................
Trip Meter .73
....................................
Turn Signals .77 .............
WARNING, Explanation of . ii
.........
Warning Labels, Location of . 61
..................
Warranty Coverages .321
Index
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