2003 HONDA PILOT maintenance

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 Safet y........................................................................\
.........................................ii
Important Handling Information........................................................................\
.............................iii
Your Vehicle at a Glanc e........................................................................\
............................................ .2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
..................................... .5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
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.
What gasoline to use, how to break -in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take you r vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Car e........................................................................\
..................................................... .267
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your\
vehicle ever needs body repairs.
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, an d how to handle them.
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
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.

Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................215
Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... .229
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................269
Taking Care of the Unexpecte d........................................................................\
..............................325
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................373
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................377 Technical Informatio n........................................................................\
............................................ .359
2003 Pilot Online Reference Owner's Manual
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
........................................ .59

Calif ornia Proposition 65 WarningThis product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of
Calif ornia to cause cancer and birth def ects or other reproductive harm. Congratulations! Your selection of a 2003 Honda Pilot was a wise investment.
It will give you years of driving pleasure.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Honda is to
read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Af terwards, keep this owner’s manual in your vehicle so
youcanrefertoitatanytime.
Several warranties protect your new Honda. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.
Maintaining your vehicle according to the schedules given in this manual
helps to keep your driving trouble-f ree while it preserves your investment.
When your vehicle needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Honda
dealer’s staf f is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to
your Honda. Your Honda dealer is dedicated to your satisf action and will be
pleased to answer any questions and concerns. As you read this manual, you will
f ind inf ormation that is preceded by
a
symbol. This
inf ormation is intended to help you
avoid damage to your Honda, other
property, or the environment.
Introduction
WARNING:
i

This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains your Supple-
mental Restraint System. And it tells
you how to properly restrain inf ants
and children in your vehicle..........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features . 7
.......................................
Seat Belts .8
...........................................
Airbags .9
.....................
Seats & Seat-Backs .10
..........................
Head Restraints .10
..................................
Door Locks .10
........
Pre-Drive Saf ety Checklist . 11
............................
Protecting Adults .12 .....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 12
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 12
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 13
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 14
5. Fasten and Position the Seat .....................................
Belts .15
....
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel . 18
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .18
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 19
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 19
........................
Protecting Children .21
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .21
Children Should Sit in the Back ...........................................
Seat .22
The Passenger’s Airbag Poses ......
Serious Risks to Children . 23
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .25
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .25
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 25
General Guidelines f or Using ...............................
Child Seats .26
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .30 .........
Protecting Small Children . 35
.......
Protecting Larger Children . 38
Using Child Seats with .....................................
Tethers .42
.............................
Using LATCH .44
Additional Inf ormation About Your .................................
Seat Belts .46
..
Seat Belt System Components . 46
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .46
Automatic Seat Belt ...............................
Tensioners .48
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 49
Additional Inf ormation About Your .....................................
Airbags .50
........................
SRS Components .50
How Your Front Airbags .........................................
Work .50
...
How Your Side Airbags Work . 52
How the SRS Indicator Light .......................................
Works .53
How The Side Airbag Cutof f ...........
Indicator Light Works . 54
.............................
Airbag Service .55
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 55
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 56
...................................
Saf ety Labels .57
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety5

You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the
risk, but serious accidents can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page
.)
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page .)
Children are saf est when they are
properly restrained in a back seat,
notthefrontseat.Achildwhoistoo
smallforaseatbeltmustbeproperly
restrained in a child saf ety seat. (See
page .) Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe f rontal collision.
So even though your vehicle is
equipped with airbags, make sure
you and your passengers always
wear your seat belts, and wear them
properly. (See page .)
15 9
21 272
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat BeltBe Aware of Airbag Hazards Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Restrain All Children Don’t Drink and Drive
6

For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out f ully and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retract
easily. Any belt not in good condition
or not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page . Automatic seat belt tensioners that
deployed during a crash must be
replaced. If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by the dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed.
Honda provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts. Honda will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
f ails to f unction properly during
normal use. Please see your
booklet f or
details.
329
Honda
Warranty Inf ormation
Seat Belt Maintenance
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
U.S. Models
49
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly when
needed.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.

Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
If rain or spilled water
soaks into a seat-back, it can
prevent the side airbag system
f rom working properly. See page f or f urther inf ormation
and precautions relating to your
airbags.
Your f ront and side airbag systems
are virtually maintenance-f ree, and
there are no parts you can saf ely
service. However, you must have
your vehicle serviced if :
Any
airbag that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit, automatic seat belt
tensioners, and other related parts.
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by a Honda dealer or a
knowledgeable body shop.
Take your vehicle to
an authorized Honda dealer as
soon as possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inf late when you need them. Improperly
replacing or covering f ront seat-
back covers can prevent your side
airbags f rom inf lating during a
collision.
224
Airbag Service
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason.
Do not expose t he f ront seat -backsto water.
Your airbags ever inf late.
T he SRS indicat or light alert s yout o a problem. Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ing aHonda dealer.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety55

Î
ÎÎ
The U.S. instrument panel is shown. Dif f erences f or the Canadian models are noted in the text.
CONT INUED
Indicator L ights
Inst rument s and Cont rols61
PARKING BRAKE
AND BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATOR(P.63)
SIDE AIRBAG
CUTOFF INDICATOR
(P.62)
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR
LAMP
LOW OIL PRESSURE
INDICATOR (P.62)
CHARGING SYSTEM
INDICATOR (P.62)
DOOR AND TAILGATE
OPEN MONITOR (P.64)
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM INDICATOR (P.62)
VTM- 4INDICATOR
(P.66)
IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM
INDICATOR(P.63)HIGH BEAM
INDICATOR
(P.65)
A/T TEMPERATURE
INDICATOR (P.66) ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATOR
(P.
63)
MAINTENANCE
REQUIRED
INDICATOR
(P.
69)
LOW FUEL
INDICATOR
(P.
65)
CRUISE CONTROL
INDICATOR
(P.
65)
BRAKE LAMP INDICATOR (P.64)
SEAT BELT REMINDER LIGHT
(P. 62)
(P.349)

U.S. ModelsCanadian Models
This shows your speed in miles per
hour (mph). The smaller inner
numbers are the speed in kilometers
per hour (km/h).
This shows your speed in kilometers
per hour (km/h). The smaller inner
numbers are the speed in miles per
hour (mph). The tachometer shows the engine
speed in revolutions per minute
(rpm). To protect the engine f rom
damage, never drive with the
tachometer needle in the red zone.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.
Speedometer Odometer
T achometer
Gauges
Inst rument s and Cont rols67
TACHOMETER SPEEDOMETER FUEL GAUGE TEMPERATURE
GAUGE
MAINTENANCE
REQUIRED INDICATOR TRIP METER
SELECT/RESET
BUTTON
TRIP METER
ODOMETER