2003 HONDA ELEMENT instrument panel

2003 Element Online Reference Owner's Manual Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through\
this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.h\
elminc.com.
Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety........................................................................\
.........................................ii
Important Handling Information........................................................................\
.............................iii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
.............................................2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
......................................5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
.........................................63
Instrume nt panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
......................117
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................157
What gasoline to use, how to break -in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
......................................................................171
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................207
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take you r vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
......................................................267
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your\
vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
..............................275
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, an d how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
.............................................303
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................319
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................323
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index........................................................................\
.............................................................................. I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

These saf ety f eatures are designed
to reduce the severity of injuries in a
crash. However, you and your
passengers can’t take f ull advantage
of these saf ety f eatures unless you
remain sitting in a proper position
andIn f act, some saf ety
f eatures can contribute to injuries if
they are not used properly. Seat belts are the single most
ef f ective saf ety device f or adults and
larger children. (Inf ants and smaller
children must be properly restrained
in child seats.)
In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.
Foryoursafety,andthesafetyof
your passengers, your vehicle is
equipped with seat belts in all seating
positions.
Your seat belt system also
includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passengers to f asten your seat
belts. Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Seat Belts
always wear your seat belts
properly. Why Wear Seat Belt s
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
8

The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to properly
protect the driver and other adult
occupants.
These instructions also apply to
children who have outgrown child
seats and are large enough to wear
lap/shoulder belts. (See page f or
important additional guidelines on
how to properly protect larger
children.)
Af ter everyone has entered the
vehicle, be sure the doors and
tailgate (including the hatch glass)
are closed.Your vehicle has a door
monitor light on the
instrument panel to indicate when
any door is not tightly closed. Any driver who sits too close to the
steering wheel is at risk of being
seriously injured or killed by striking
the steering wheel or f rom being
struck by an inflating front airbag
during a crash.
Your vehicle also has a
tailgate and hatch open
indicator light on the instrument
panel to indicate when the tailgate or
the hatch is not tightly closed.
For saf ety, locking the doors reduces
the chance that a passenger,
especially a child, will open a door
while the vehicle is moving and
accidentally f all out. It also reduces
the chance of someone being thrown
out of the vehicle during a crash.
For security, locked doors can
prevent an outsider f rom
unexpectedly opening a door when
you come to a stop.
See page f or how to lock the
doors.
42
87
CONT INUED
Introduction
Close and L ock the Doors Adjust the Front Seats
1. 2.
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety13

To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched.
To unlock the belt, push the red
PRESSbuttononthebuckle.
Guide the belt across your body to
the door pillar. Af ter exiting the
vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the
way and will not get closed in the
door.
All seat belts have an emergency
locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move f reely in
your seat while it keeps some
tension on the belt. During a collision
or sudden stop, the retractor
automatically locks the belt to help
restrain your body.
The seat belt system also
includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passengers to f asten your belts.
If the driver’s seat belt is not
fastened before the ignition is turned
ON (II), the light will come on and a
beeper will also sound. The beeper
will stop af ter a f ew seconds, but the
light will stay on until the driver’s
seat belt is f astened. The lap/shoulder belt goes over
your shoulder, across your chest,
and across your hips.
Your seat belt system includes lap/
shoulder belts in all f our seating
positions. The f ront seat belts are
also equipped with automatic seat
belt tensioners. Seat Belt System Components L ap/Shoulder Belt
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety50

Your Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) includes:An indicator light on the
instrument panel that alerts you to
a possible problem with the
system (see page ).
Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
Two f ront airbags. The driver’s
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the f ront
passenger’sairbagisstoredinthe
dashboard. Both are marked ‘‘SRS
AIRBAG.’’
Automatic seat belt tensioners
(see page ).
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records inf ormation about the
sensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, and driver and
passenger seat belt use when the
ignition is ON (II). If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, the sensors
will detect the vehicle’s rapid
deceleration If the rate of
deceleration is high enough, the
control unit will instantly inf late the
front airbags and activate the
automatic seat belt tensioners. Your vehicle is equipped with dual-
stage, dual-threshold airbags to help
reduce the chance of airbag-caused
injuries.
52 57
SRS Components
How Your Front A irbags Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety54

This section gives inf ormation about
the controls and displays that
contribute to the daily operation of
your Honda. All the essential
controls are within easy reach............................
Control Locations .64
...............................
Indicator Lights .65
.............................................
Gauges .72
...............................
Speedometer .72 .................................
Tachometer .72
..............
Odometer/Trip Meter . 73
..................................
Fuel Gauge .73
...................
Temperature Gauge . 74
Controls Near the Steering .......................................
Wheel .75
...................................
Headlights .76
............
Daytime Running Lights . 77
....
Instrument Panel Brightness . 77
................................
Turn Signals .77
.....................
Windshield Wipers .78
..................
Windshield Washers . 79
Rear Window Wiper and .....................................
Washer .80
..........................
Hazard Warning .81
.............
Rear Window Def ogger . 81
......
Steering Wheel Adjustment . 82
...............................
Keys and Locks .83
..............................................
Keys .83
....................
Immobilizer System . 84
............................
Ignition Switch .85
......................
Power Door Locks .87
..................................
Rear Doors .88
............................................
Hatch .89
........................................
Tailgate .90
....................................
Glove Box .91 .................................................
Seats .92
.............
Front Seat Adjustments . 92
Driver’s Seat Height ..............................
Adjustment .93
................
Driver’s Seat Armrest . 93
..........................
Head Restraints .94
........................
Rear Seat Access .95
.......
Rear Seat-back Adjustment . 96
..........
Reclining the Front Seats . 97
...............
Folding the Rear Seats . 99
........
Removing the Rear Seats . 101
............................
Power Windows .103
...............................
Rear Windows .105
...........................................
Mirrors .106
..
Adjusting the Power Mirrors . 106
..........................................
Skylight .107
.........................
Beverage Holders .110
...............................
Parking Brake .111
...............................
Ceiling Pocket .112
.......................................
Coin Tray .112
............
Accessory Power Sockets . 113
...............................
Interior Lights .114
..............................
Ceiling Light .114
...................................
Spotlights .114
......................
Cargo Area Light .115
................
Ignition Switch Light . 115
Instruments and Controls
Inst rument s and Cont rols63

Î
Î
The U.S. instrument panel is shown. Dif f erences f or the Canadian models are noted in the text.
Indicator L ights
Inst rument s and Cont rols65
IMMOBILIZER
SYSTEM
INDICATOR
(P.68)
MAINTENANCE
REQUIRED INDICATOR
(P.70) (P.67)
DOOR-OPEN
INDICATOR
(P.70)
CRUISE CONTROL
INDICATOR (P. 69) SIDE AIRBAG CUTOFF
INDICATOR
(P.67)
LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR
PARKING BRAKE AND
BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATOR
CHARGING SYSTEM
INDICATOR
(P.66,
290)
(P.66, 291) (P.69) LOW FUEL INDICATOR
HIGH BEAM INDICATOR
SEAT BELT
REMINDER LIGHT
(P.67)TAILGATE AND HATCH
OPEN INDICATOR
(P.70)
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM INDICATOR
(P.69)
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE
SYSTEM INDICATOR
(P.68)
(P.66,
292)
(P.66, 294)

See page .
The instrument panel has many
indicators to give you important
inf ormation about your vehicle.
This light has two f unctions:
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch ON (II). It
is a reminder to check the parking
brake. Driving with the parking
brake not f ully released can
damage the brakes and tires.
If the indicator remains lit after
you have f ully released the
parking brake while the engine is
running, or if it comes on while
driving, it can indicate a problem
in the brake system. For complete
inf ormation, see page .
The engine can be severely damaged
if this light f lashes or stays on when
the engine is running. For complete
inf ormation, see page .
If this light comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged. For complete
inf ormation, see page .
2. 1.
292
290
291 294
Indicator L ights
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Malf unction Indicator
Lamp Parking Brake and
Brake System
Indicator
L ow Oil Pressure
Indicator
Charging System
Indicator
66
U.S. Canada