2003 HONDA PILOT open hood

To jump start your vehicle, f ollow
these directions closely:
If your vehicle’s battery has run
down,youmaybeabletostartthe
engine by using a booster battery.
Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake. Open the hood and check the
physical condition of the battery
(see page ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy
or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, climate
control, stereo system, lights, etc.
Your vehicle has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page . You cannot start your Honda by
pushing or pulling it. 1.
2.
80
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CONT INUED
Jump Starting
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Won’t Start, Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed343
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery. If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine.
If you do not see steam or spray,
leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading
(climbing a long, steep hill on a
hot day with the A/C running, for
example), the engine should start
to cool down almost immediately.
If it does, wait until the tempera-
ture gauge comes down to the mid-
point then continue driving. Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.
Turn of f the heating and cooling/
climate control system and all
otheraccessories.Turnonthe
hazard warning indicators.
Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the vehicle until all are
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short.
The pointer of your vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange under most conditions.
Itmaygohigherif youaredrivingup
a long steep hill on a very hot day. If
it climbs to the red mark, you should
determine the reason. Your vehicle can overheat for several
reasons, such as lack of coolant or a
mechanical problem. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming f rom under the hood.
In either case, you should take
immediate action.
1.
2. 3.
CONT INUED
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Jump Starting, If Your Engine Overheats
If Your Engine Overheats
345
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to your engine.

If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.
Wait until you see no more signs
of steam or spray, then open the
hood.
If you don’t f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
between the MIN and MAX marks.
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, bef ore check-
ing the radiator.
Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the f irst stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes
off.
Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (see
on page ). Start the engine and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum (climate control to
FULL AUTO at 90°F/32°C). Add
coolant to the radiator up to the
base of the f iller neck. If you do
not have the proper coolant
mixture available, you can add
plain water. Remember to have
the cooling system drained and
ref illed with the proper mixture as
soon as you can.
If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly. Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair. (See
on page .)
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. 9.10.
11.
12.
358
221 358
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
If Your Engine Overheats
Emergency
Towing
Emergency
Towing
346
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.

This indicator should light when the
ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
af ter the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing, it
indicates that the oil pressure
dropped very low f or a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure
and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action.Saf ely pull of f the road and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ). Let the vehicle sit f or a minute.
Open the hood and check the oil
level (see page ). Although oil
levelandoilpressurearenot
directly connected, an engine that
is very low on oil can lose pressure
during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the light
does not go out within ten seconds,
turn of f the engine. There is a
mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired bef ore you can
continue driving. (See
on page .)
1.
2.
3. 4.
220 283 358
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Emergency
Towing
347
LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn of f
the engine as soon as you can saf ely get
the vehicle stopped.

If something electrical in your
vehicle stops working, the first thing
youshouldcheckforisablownfuse.
Determine f rom the chart on pagesand , or the diagram on the
f use box lid (the diagram f or the
driver’s side interior f use box is on
the kick panel below the f use box),
which f use or f uses control that
component. Check those f uses f irst,
but check all the f uses bef ore
deciding that a blown f use is not the
cause. Replace any blown f uses and
check the component’s operation.
Turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(0). Make sure the headlights and
all other accessories are off.
Remove the cover f rom the f use
box.
The secondary f use box is in the
engine compartment next to the
battery.
The primary under-hood f use box is
locatedonthepassenger’ssideof
the engine compartment. To open it,
pushthetabsasshown.
1.
2.356 357
CONT INUED
Checking and Replacing Fuses
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed353
UNDER-HOOD
UNDER-HOOD

...............
Gas Mileage, Improving . 222
..........................................
Gasohol .366
.........................................
Gasoline .216
...............
Fuel Reserve Indicator . 65
...........................................
Gauge .68
................
Octane Requirement . 216
........................
Tank, Filling the .217
................
Gas Station Procedures . 217
Gauges ...
Engine Coolant Temperature . 68
...............................................
Fuel .68
...............................
Speedometer .67
.................................
Tachometer .67
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight .......................................
Rating) .248
GCWR (Gross Combined Weight .......................................
Rating) .248
............
Gearshif t Lever Positions . 234
..............................
Glass Cleaning .330
........................................
Glove Box .88
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight .......................................
Rating) .248 .............
Halogen Headlight Bulbs . 317
..............
Hazard Warning Flashers . 76
........................................
Headlights .72
........................................
Aiming .317
..............
Automatic Lighting Off . 73
............
Daytime Running Lights . 73
..................
High Beam Indicator . 65
...........
High Beams, Turning on . 72
............
Low Beams, Turning on . 72
.........................
Reminder Chime .72
........
Replacing Halogen Bulbs . 317
...................................
Turning on .72
..............................
Head Restraints .93
...............................
Heated Mirror .104
.....................
Heating and Cooling .118
.............
High Altitude, Starting at . 232
.................
High-Low Beam Switch . 72
HomeLink Universal ...............................
Transmitter .210
....................................
Hood Latch .298
.......................
Hood, Opening the .218
..................................................
Horn .71
.................................
Hydroplaning .246 ...
Identif ication Number, Vehicle . 360
Ignition ..............................................
Keys .79
...........................................
Switch .81
............
Timing Control System . 369
........................
Immobilizer System .80
.........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.........
Indicators, Instrument Panel . 61
..................
Individual Map Lights . 114
.........................
Inf ant Restraint .26, 30
................................
Inf ant Seats .26, 30
...................
Inf lation, Proper Tire . 308
.................................
Inside Mirror .102
.............................
Inspection, Tire .310
........................
Instrument Panel .2 ,60
........
Instrument Panel Brightness . 73
...........................
Interior Cleaning .328
...............................
Interior Lights .112
........................................
Introduction .i
.................
Jacking up the Vehicle . 338
.......................................
Jack, Tire .335
Index
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