2003 HONDA PILOT brake

Unlock the seat-back by pulling
the handle. Push the seat-back
forward.Make sure you clip the small latch
plate of each outer shoulder belt to
the seat belt webbing whenever the
third seat is f olded.
Reverse this procedure to return the
seat to the upright position. Make
sure the seat is locked securely
bef ore driving.
Reinstall the head restraints.
Reconnect the seat belts to the
detachable anchors.
Make sure all items in the cargo area
are secured. Loose items can f ly
f orward and cause injury if you have
to brake hard. See
on page .
4.
225
Seats
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Carrying Cargo
96
HANDLE

To apply the parking brake, push the
parking brake pedal down with your
f oot. To release the parking brake,
push on the pedal again. The parking
brake light on the instrument panel
should go out when the parking
brake is f ully released with the
engine running. (see page .)63
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Parking Brake
104
PARKING BRAKE PEDAL
Driving the vehicle with the parking
brake applied can damage the rear
brakes and axles.

You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
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. 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
RESUME/ACCEL button. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on. Press and hold the RESUME/
ACCEL button. The vehicle will
accelerate. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.
Push on the accelerator pedal.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/DECEL
button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
ACCEL button repeatedly. Each
time you do this, your vehicle will
speed up about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).Press and hold the SET/DECEL
button. The vehicle will decelerate.
Release the button when you
reach the desired speed.
To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/DECEL
button repeatedly. Each time you
do this, your vehicle will slow
down about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Tap the brake pedal lightly with
your f oot. The CRUISE
CONTROL light on the instru-
ment panel will go out. When the
vehicle slows to the desired speed,
press the SET/DECEL button.
The vehicle will then maintain the
desired speed.Changing t he Set Speed
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures208

Youcancancelthecruisecontrolin
any of these ways:Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel.
Press the Cruise Control Master
Switch.
Even with the cruise control turned
on, you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up f or passing. Af ter
completing the pass, take your foot
of f the accelerator pedal. The vehicle
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your f oot on the brake pedal
will cause the cruise control to
cancel.
Tap the brake pedal.Pressing the Cruise Control Master
Switch turns the system completely
of f and erases the previous cruising
speed f rom memory. To use the
system again, ref er to
.
When you push the CANCEL button,
or tap the brake pedal, the CRUISE
CONTROL light on the instrument
panel will go out and the vehicle will
begin to slow down. You can use the
accelerator pedal in the normal way.
The system remembers the
previously-set cruising speed. To
return to that speed, accelerate to
above25mph(40km/h)andthen
press and release the RESUME/
ACCEL button. The CRUISE
CONTROL light comes on. The
vehicle will accelerate to the same
cruising speed as bef ore.
Cancelling t he Cruise Cont rol
Using t he
Cruise Cont rol
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures209
CANCEL
BUTTON

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration. Youshouldfollowthesesamere-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are replaced.
Do not change the oil until the
recommended time or mileage
intervalshowninthemaintenance
schedule.
Avoidhardbraking.Newbrakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use f or the f irst 200 miles (300
km). We also recommend that you do not
tow a trailer during the f irst 500
miles (800 km).
Your Honda is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise in the engine that can lead to
mechanical damage.
We recommend gasolines containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your vehicle’s emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
Premium f uel is recommended when
towing in certain conditions (see
page ).
256
Break-in Period, Gasoline
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period Gasoline
216

Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top off’’ the tank, leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.Shift to Park or Neutral and set
the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
Screw the f uel f ill cap back on,
tighten it until it clicks several
times. If you do not properly
tighten the cap, the Malfunction
Indicator Lamp may come on (see
page ).
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.
Your vehicle has an on-board
ref ueling vapor recovery system to
help keep f uel vapors f rom going
into the atmosphere. If the fuel
nozzle keeps clicking of f even
though the tank is not full, there
maybeaproblemwiththissystem.
Consult your dealer. 1.
3.
4.
5.
6.
349
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
Opening the Hood
218
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE

However, if electronic accessories
are improperly installed, or exceed
your vehicle’s electrical system
capacity, they can interf ere with theoperation of your vehicle, or even
cause the airbags to deploy.
Make sure the accessory does not
obscure any lights, or interf ere
with proper vehicle operation or
perf ormance.
Be sure electronic accessories do
not overload electrical circuits
(see page ).
Bef ore installing any accessory:
When properly installed, cellular
phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems should
not interf ere with your vehicle’s
computer-controlled systems, such
as the SRS and anti-lock brake
system.
Modif ying your vehicle, or installing
some non-Honda accessories, can
make your vehicle unsaf e. Bef ore
you make any modif ications or add
anyaccessories,besuretoreadthe
f ollowing inf ormation.
Your dealer has genuine Honda
accessories that allow you to
personalize your vehicle. These
accessories have been designed and
approved f or your vehicle, and are
covered by warranty.
Non-Honda accessories are usually
designed f or universal applications.
Although aftermarket accessories
may f it on your vehicle, they may not
meet f actory specif ications, and
could adversely af f ect your vehicle’s
handling and stability. (See
‘‘Modif ications’’ on page f or
additional information.)
Have the installer contact your
Honda dealer f or assistance bef ore
installing any electronic accessory.
If possible, have your Honda dealer
inspect the f inal installation. 356
224
A ccessories
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving223
Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
vehicle’s handling, stability and
performance, and cause a
crash in which you can be hurt
or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding
accessories and modifications.

Any object
attached to or placed on the covers
marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG,’’ in the
center of the steering wheel and
on top of the dashboard, could
interf ere with the proper operation
of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inf late, the objects could be
propelled inside the vehicle and
hurt someone.
If a side airbag
inflates,acupholderorotherhard
object attached on or near the
door could be propelled inside the
vehicle and hurt someone.
Covering the outside edge of a
f ront seat-back, with a non-Honda
seat cover for example, could
prevent the airbag from inflating
properly.
Some examples are:
Lowering the vehicle with an
aftermarket suspension kit that
signif icantly reduces ground
clearance can allow the
undercarriage to impact speed
bumps or other raised objects,
which could cause the airbags to
deploy.
Raising the vehicle with an
af termarket suspension kit can
af f ect the handling and stability.
Af termarket wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components. Do not modif y your steering wheel
or any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.
Modif ications could make the
system inef f ective.
If you plan to modif y your vehicle,
consult with your Honda dealer.
Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interf ere with the operation of
your vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and
other systems.
Removing parts f rom your vehicle,
or replacing components with non-
Honda (af termarket) components
could seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability. Modif ications
Additional Saf ety Precaution
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving
Do not at t ach or place object s on
the airbag covers.
Do not at t ach hard object s on ornear a f ront door.
Do not place any object s over t heoutsideedgeof afront seat-back.
224