2004 HONDA ELEMENT automatic transmission

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 . 122
........................
Preparing to Drive . 123
.......................
Starting the Engine . 124
....
5-speed Manual Transmission . 125
..............
Automatic Transmission . 127
..................................
Parking Tips . 131
.............................
Braking System . 132
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 133
...........................
Towing a Trailer . 135
......................
Trailer Driving Tips . 139
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a
................................
Motorhome . 141
Of f -Highway Driving ..................................
Guidelines . 143
Driving
Driving121
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Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Push the clutch pedal down all the
way.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in START for more than
15 seconds at a time. If the engine
does not start right away, pause
f or at least 10 seconds bef ore
trying again.
If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.If the engine still does not start,
press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while
starting in order to clear f looding.
If the engine still does not start,
return to step 5.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.6.
Manual Transmission:
Automatic Transmission:
Starting the Engine
Driving124
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
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These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shif t
lever is in.
The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II). If it
f lashes while driving (in any shif t
position), it indicates a possible
problem in the transmission. To shif t f rom any position, press
f irmly on the brake pedal, push the
release button, and pull the lever
toward you. You cannot shif t out of
Park when the ignition switch is in
LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I).
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page . 130
CONT INUED
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoN
NtoD Dto2 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoN NtoR RtoP Do this:
Press the brake pedal and
press the release button.
Press the release button.
Move the lever.Shif t L ever Position Indicators Shif ting
Park (P)Shif t L ock Release
Automatic Transmission
Driving127
SHIFT LEVER
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You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a
complete stop bef ore shif ting into
Park. The shif t lever must be in Park
bef ore you can remove the key f rom
the ignition switch.
Press the brake
pedal and press the release button to
shif t f rom Park to Reverse. To shif t
from Reverse to Neutral, come to a
completestopandthenshift. If there is a problem in the reverse
lockout system, or your vehicle’s
battery is disconnected or goes dead,
you cannot shif t to Reverse. (Ref er
to Shif t Lock Release on page ).
Your vehicle has a reverse lockout so
you cannot accidentally shif t to
Reverse when the vehicle speed
exceeds 5 mph (8 km/h).
If you cannot shif t to Reverse when
the vehicle is stopped, press the
brake pedal and slowly shift to
Neutral. Then press the release
button, and shift to reverse.
Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason.
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear for the vehicle speed
and acceleration. You may notice the
transmission shif ting up at higher
speeds when the engine is cold. This
helps the engine warm up f aster. 130
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Reverse (R)
Neutral (N)
Drive (D)
128
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The overdrive (O/D) is on whenever
you turn the ignition to ON (II).
Pressing the O/D switch on the end
of the shift lever to turn it off; the
O/D OFF indicator comes on.
Overdrive can be turned on or of f
only when the ignition switch is in
the ON (II) position and the shif t
lever is in any position. When the overdrive is of f , the
transmission selects only the f irst
three gears. Use it to provide engine
braking when going down a steep hill,
or keep the transmission f rom
cycling between third and f ourth
gear in stop-and -go driving.
To shif t to Second
press the release button. This
position locks the transmission in
second gear. It does not downshif t to
f irst gear when you come to a stop.
Use Second gear:
For more power when climbing.
To increase engine braking when
going down steep hills.
For starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow.
When driving downhill with a
trailer.
To help reduce wheel spin. If you shif t into First position when
the vehicle speed is above 31 mph
(50 km/h), the transmission shif ts
into Second gear f irst to avoid
sudden engine braking.To shif t f rom Second to
First, press the release button. This
position locks the transmission in
First gear. By upshif ting and
downshif ting through 1, 2, and D,
you can operate this transmission
much like a manual transmission
without a clutch pedal.
If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Overdrive (O/D) Mode
Second (2) First (1)
Engine Speed L imiter
129
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Do this if pushing on the brake pedal
and pulling the shif t lever does not
shif t the transmission out of Park:Set the Parking brake.
Make sure the ignition switch is in
the LOCK (0) position.
To release the reverse lockout,
make sure the ignition switch is in
the ACCESSORY(I) position.
Put a cloth on the edge of the shif t
lock release slot cover next to the
shif t lever. Using a f lathead
screwdriver, caref ully pry on the
edge of the cover to remove it. Insert the f lathead screwdriver
into the shif t lock release slot.
Push down on the screwdriver
while you press the release button
and move the shif t lever out of
Park to Neutral.
To release the reverse lockout,
move the shift lever from Neutral
to Reverse, then to Park.Remove the screwdriver f rom the
shif t lock release slot, then replace
thecover.Makesurethenotchon
the cover is on the right side.
Press the brake pedal and restart
the engine.
If you need to use the shif t lock
release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have it
checked by a Honda dealer.
1. 2. 3.
4. 5.6.
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Shif t L ock Release
130
COVER
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
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Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. Make sure
the parking brake is set f irmly or
your vehicle may roll if it is parked
on an incline.
If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park. This keeps the vehicle f rom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission.If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the f ront wheels away f rom the
curb.
If the vehicle is f acing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb.
Make sure the parking brake is
f ully released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or
damage the rear brakes.
Make sure the windows are closed.
Turn of f the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.
in the cargo area, or take them
with you.
Lock the doors and the hatch with
the key.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The hot three way
catalytic converter could cause
these materials to catch on fire.
Parking T ips
Parking T ips
Driving131
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CONT INUED
The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.Make turns more slowly and wider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
If youmuststopwhenfacinguphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
discussed below. Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
If you have an automatic
transmission, use overdrive (O/D)
when towing a trailer on level roads.
Turn of f the overdrive (O/D) mode
when towing a trailer in hilly terrain.
(see ‘‘ ’’ in the next
column f or additional gear
inf ormation.)
If the automatic transmission shif ts
f requently between 3rd and 4th
gears while going up a hill, turn of f
the overdrive (O/D) mode (see page
).
129
Trailer Driving Tips
Driving
Driving Saf ely With a T railerT owing Speeds and Gears
Making T urns and Braking Driving on Hills
Driving on Hills
139
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