2003 HONDA PILOT Owners Manual

If the indicator remains on past three
driving trips, or the f uel cap was not
loose or missing, have the vehicle
checked by the dealer as soon as
possible. Drive moderately until the
dealer has inspected the problem.
Avoid full-throttle acceleration and
driving at high speed.
Youshouldalsohavethedealer
inspect your vehicle if this indicator
comes on repeatedly, even though it
may turn of f as you continue driving.
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch ON (II), and
goes of f af ter the engine starts. If it
comes on at any other time, it
indicates one of the engine’s
emissions control systems may have
a problem. Even though you may
f eel no dif f erence in your vehicle’s
perf ormance, it can reduce your f uel
economy and cause your vehicle to
put out excessive emissions.
Continued operation may cause
serious damage. If you have recently ref ueled your
vehicle, the cause of this indicator
coming on could be a loose or
missing f uel f ill cap. Check the cap
and tighten it until it clicks several
times. Replace the f uel f ill cap if it is
missing. Tightening the cap will not
make the indicator turn of f
immediately; it takes at least three
driving trips.
This indicator may also come on
along with the ‘‘D’’ indicator.
Malf unction Indicator L amp
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed349
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP
If you keep driving with the
malf unction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your vehicle’s emissions
controls and engine. Those repairs may
not be covered by your vehicle’s
warranties.

If possible, do not take your vehicle
f or a state emissions test until the
readiness codes are set. To check if
they are set, turn the ignition ON (II),
but do not start the engine. The
Malf unction Indicator Lamp will
come on f or 20 seconds. If it then
goes of f , the readiness codes are set.
If it blinks 5 times, the readiness
codes are not set. Ref er to State
Emissions Testing f or more
inf ormation.(See page .)
Your vehicle has certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that are part of the on-board
diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. In some states, part of the
emissions testing is to make sure
these codes are set. If they are not
set, the test cannot be completed.
If your vehicle’s battery has been
disconnected or gone dead, these
codes are erased. It takes several
days of driving under various
conditions to set the codes again.
371
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Malf unction Indicator L amp
Readiness Codes
350

However, if the brake pedal does not
f eel normal, you should take
immediate action. Because of the
brake system’s dual-circuit design, a
problem in one part of the system
will still give you braking at two
wheels. You will f eel the brake pedal
go down much f arther bef ore the
vehicle begins to slow down, and you
will have to press harder on the
pedal. The distance needed to stop
will be much longer. If it comes on at any other time, it
indicates a problem with the vehicle’s
brake system. In most cases, the
problem is a low f luid level in the
brake f luid reservoir. Press lightly on
the brake pedal to see if it f eels
normal. If it does, check the brake
f luid level the next time you stop at a
service station (see page ). If the
f luid level is low, take the vehicle to
your dealer and have the brake
system inspected f or leaks or worn
brake pads.Slow down by shif ting to a lower
gear, and pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e. Because of the
longer distance needed to stop, it is
hazardous to drive the vehicle. You
should have it towed, and repaired as
soon as possible. (See
on page .)
If you must drive the vehicle a short
distance in this condition, drive
slowly and cautiously.
The Brake System Indicator comes
on when you turn the ignition ON
(II). If the parking brake is not set, it
goes of f af ter you start the engine. If
the parking brake is set, it goes of f
when you f ully release the parking
brake with the engine running. 295
358Emergency
Towing
Brake System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed351
BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR
U. S. indicator shown

All the electrical circuits in your
vehicle have fuses to protect them
f rom a short circuit or overload.
These f uses are located in three f use
boxes.Theinteriorfuseboxesarelocated
underneath the dashboard on each
side.Toopenthefuseboxonthe
passenger’s side, pull the right edge
of the cover.
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed352
DRIVER’S SIDE INTERIOR
PASSENGER’S SIDE INTERIOR

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

Look f or a burned wire inside the
f use. If it is burned, replace it with
one of the spare f uses of the same
rating or lower.
Check each of the large f uses in
the primary under-hood f use box
by looking through the top at the
wire inside. Removing these f uses
requires a Phillips-head screw-
driver. Check the smaller f uses in the
under-hood f use box and all the
fuses in the interior fuse boxes by
pulling out each f use with the f use
puller provided in the primary
under-hood f use box.5.
4.
3.
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed354
BLOWN FUSE PULLER BLOWN

If the replacement fuse of the
same rating blows in a short time,
there is probably a serious
electrical problem in your vehicle.
Leave the blown fuse in that
circuit and have your vehicle
checked by a qualif ied mechanic.
If you cannot drive the vehicle
without f ixing the problem, and you
do not have a spare fuse, take a fuse
of the same rating or a lower rating
f rom one of the other circuits. Make
sureyoucandowithoutthatcircuit
temporarily (such as the accessory
power socket or radio).
If you replace the blown f use with a
spare f use that has a lower rating, it
might blow out again. This does not
indicate anything wrong. Replace the
f use with one of the correct rating as
soon as you can.
If the radio f use is removed, the
audio system will disable itself . The
nexttimeyouturnontheradioyou
will see ‘‘ ’’ in the f requency
display. Use the Preset buttons to
enter the f ive-digit code (see page
).
6. 189
CONT INUED
On EX model
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed355
Replacing a f use with one that has a
higher rating greatly increases the
chances of damaging the electrical
system. If you do not have a replace-
ment f use with the proper rating f or the
circuit, install one with a lower rating.

µµ
No.
No. Amps. Circuits ProtectedNo.
Amps. Circuits Protected Amps. Circuits Protected
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
1
2
3
4 40 A
20 A
20 A
20 A ABS Motor
ABS F/S
Rear ACC Socket
4WD 14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
20 A
30 A
20 A
15 A
15 A
20 A
20 A
20 A
40 A
40 A
30 A
40 A Spare Fuse
Spare Fuse
Right Headlight
ACG S
Hazard
Not used
Stop
Lef t Headlight
Radio
Power Window Motor
Power Seat
Rear Defroster
Back Up, ACC 30 A
40 A
30 A
7.5 A 10 A
15 A
120 A 30 A
7.5 A 50 A Rear A/C
Heater Motor
Cooling Fan
Spare Fuse
Spare Fuse
Spare Fuse
Battery
Condenser Fan
MG Clutch
IGI Main
Not used
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed356
PRIMARY UNDER-HOOD FUSE BOX
SECONDARY UNDER-HOOD FUSE BOX