2004 HONDA CR-V brakes

The instrument panel has many
indicators that give you important
inf ormation about your vehicle.
See page .
If this indicator comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged. For more inf ormation,
see page .Itcomesonwhenyouturnthe
ignition switch to 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.
This indicator has two f unctions:
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 . This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to ON (II). It
is a reminder you and your
passengers to protect yourselves by
f astening you seat belts. A beeper
also sounds if you have not f astened
your seat belt.
If you do not f asten your seat belt,
the beeper will stop af ter a f ew
seconds but the indicator stays on
until you do. Both the indicator and
the beeper stay of f if you f asten your
seat belt bef ore turning on the
ignition.
The engine can be severely damaged
if this indicator f lashes or stays on
when the engine is running. For
more inf ormation, see page .
2. 1.
213 213
215
214
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Instrument Panel
Malf unction Indicator
Lamp
L ow Oil Pressure
Indicator
Charging System
Indicator Parking Brake and
Brake System
Indicator
Seat Belt Reminder
Indicator
56
U.S. Canada

This indicator comes on f or a f ew
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch to ON (II). It will then go of f
if you have inserted a properly-coded
ignition key. If it is not a properly-
coded key, the indicator will blink
and the engine will not start (see
page ).
This indicator also blinks several
times when you turn the ignition
switch f rom ON (II) to ACCESSORY
(I) or LOCK (0).
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to ON (II). If
it comes on at any other time, it
indicates a potential problem with
your f ront airbags. This indicator will
also alert you to a potential problem
with your side airbags, passenger’s
side airbag automatic cutoff system
or automatic seat belt tensioners.
For complete inf ormation, see page
.
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to ON (II). If
it comes on at any other time, it
indicates that the passenger’s side
airbag has automatically shut off.
For more inf ormation, see page . This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II), and when
the ignition switch is turned to
START (III). If it comes on at any
other time, there is a problem with
theABS.If thishappens,haveyour
vehicle checked at a dealer. With
this on, your vehicle still has normal
braking ability but no anti-lock
brakes. For complete inf ormation,
see page .
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70
26 149
If equipped If equipped
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Supplemental Restraint
System Indicator
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Indicator Immobilizer System
Indicator
Side Airbag Of f Indicator
Instrument Panel
57
U.S Canada

To release the parking brake, push
andholdthereleasebuttononthe
side of the parking brake lever, pull
the lever toward you slightly, then
push the lever f orward.
To apply the parking brake, f irmly
pull the parking brake lever toward
you.
Make sure the rear window is clear
and you have good visibility bef ore
starting to drive.
Thedefoggerwiresontheinsideof
the rear window can be accidentally
damaged. When cleaning the glass,
always wipe side-to-side.
The parking brake light on the
instrument panel should go out.
Parking Brake
Rear Window Def ogger, Parking Brake
Inst rument s and Cont rols67
NOTICE:
PARKING BRAKE
LEVER
RELEASE BUTTON
Driving the vehicle with the
parking brake applied can damage the
rear brakes and axles.

Cruise control may not hold the set
speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down. This will cancel the
cruise control. To resume the set
speed, press the RESUME/accel
button. The CRUISE CONTROL
light on the instrument panel will
come back on.You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
accel button. Each time you do
this, your vehicle will speed up
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Push on the accelerator pedal.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel
button. You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the SET/decel
button. Release the button when
you reach the desired speed.
To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/decel
button. Each time you do this,
your vehicle will slow down about
1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your f oot. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out.
When the vehicle slows to the
desired speed, press the SET/
decel button.
Changing the Set Speed
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures120

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).Avoid full throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
During this period:
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 f ailure.
We recommend using a gasoline
containing detergent additives that
help prevent f uel system and engine
deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the Malfunction Indicator
Lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contactyour authorized Honda dealer f or
service.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
Quick Start Guide.
You should also f ollow these re-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are replaced. Do not tow a trailer. Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 percent ethanol
by volume and up to 15 percent
MTBE by volume. Do not use
gasoline containing methanol.
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period
Gasoline Type
Break-in Period, Gasoline T ype
124

Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interf ere with the operation of
your vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and
other systems.
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. See the saf ety
precautions on page .
If you plan to modif y your vehicle,
consult with your Honda dealer.
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.
Some examples are:
Lowering your vehicle with an
aftermarket suspension kit that
signif icantly reduces ground
clearance can allow the
undercarriage to hit speed bumps
or other raised objects, which
could cause the airbags to deploy.
Raising your 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. Improperly
replacing or covering f ront seat-
back covers can prevent your side
airbags f rom inf lating during a
collision. 29
Bef ore Driving
A ccessories and Modif ications
Additional Saf ety Precaution
Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ing aHonda dealer.
131

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes
important inf ormation on parking
your vehicle, the braking system,
and f acts you need if you are plan-
ning to tow a trailer or drive off-
highway.........................
Driving Guidelines .136
........................
Preparing to Drive .137
.......................
Starting the Engine .138
....
5-speed Manual Transmission . 139
..............
Automatic Transmission . 141
..................................
Parking Tips .146
.............................
Braking System .147
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 148
.................
Towing Weight Limits . 150
...........................
Towing a Trailer .152
......................
Trailer Driving Tips .155
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a ................................
Motorhome .157
Of f -Highway Driving ..................................
Guidelines .159
Driving
Driving135

The manual transmission is syn-
chronizedinallforwardgearsfor
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth
to Reverse. When shif ting up or
down,makesureyoupushtheclutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shif ting,
do not rest your f oot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster.Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t into
Reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause f or a f ew seconds bef ore
shif ting into Reverse, or shif t into
one of the f orward gears f or a
moment. This stops the gears so
they won’t ‘‘grind.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking f rom the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure engine speed will not go
into the tachometer’s red zone in the
lower gear.
5-speed Manual T ransmission
Driving139
Rapid slowing or speeding-up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.