2004 HONDA ELEMENT Owners Manual

You can quickly set the time to the
nearest hour. If the displayed time is
bef ore the half hour, press the R
(RESET) button to set the clock
back to the previous hour. If the
displayed time is af ter the half hour,
pressing R sets the clock f orward to
the beginning of the next hour.
For example:
1:06 will reset to 1:00
1:53 will reset to 2:00
When you are f inished, press the
CLOCK button again.Your audio system will accept
auxiliary inputs f rom a portable
cassette player, CD changer, MP3
player, etc. To use the jack, turn
down the volume of the audio unit
and the portable unit. Then pivot the
cover up, plug in a mini-jack cable
between the portable unit and the
jack, and press the AUX button on
the audio unit.
An auxiliary input jack is located on
the dashboard next to the accessory
power socket.
On EX models
Setting the Clock, Auxiliary Input Jack
Auxiliary Input Jack
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures106
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Push in the Cruise Control Master
Switch. The indicator in the switch
will come on.
Cruise control allows you to maintain
asetspeedabove25mph(40km/h)
without keeping your f oot on the
accelerator pedal. It should be used
f or cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended f or
city driving, winding roads, slippery
roads, heavy rain, or bad weather.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speedabove25mph(40km/h).
Press and release the SET/
DECELbuttononthesteering
wheel. The CRUISE CONTROL
light on the instrument panel
comes on to show the system is
now activated.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 RES/ACCEL button.
The CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will come back on.
1. 2. 3.
On EX modelsUsing the Cruise Control
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures107
CANCEL
BUTTON
RES/ACCEL
SET/DECEL
Improper use of the cruise
control can lead to a crash.
Use the cruise control only
when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
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You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:Press and hold the RES/ACCEL
button. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RES/
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.
Even with the cruise control turned
on, you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up f or passing. Af ter
completing the pass, take your foot
of f the accelerator pedal. The vehicle
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your f oot on the brake or
clutch pedal will cause the cruise
control to cancel. Youcancancelthecruisecontrolin
any of these ways:
Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
PresstheCANCELbuttononthe
steering wheel.
Press the Cruise Control Master
Switch.
When you push the CANCEL button,
or tap the brake or clutch pedal, the
system remembers the previously-
set cruising speed. To return to that
speed, accelerate to above 25 mph
(40 km/h) and then press and
release the RES/ACCEL button. The
CRUISE CONTROL light comes on.
The vehicle will accelerate to the
same cruising speed as bef ore.
Pressing the Cruise Control Master
Switch turns the system of f and
erases the previous cruising speed.
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Changing the Set Speed Cancelling the Cruise Control
Resuming the Set Speed
108
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Bef ore you begin driving your Honda,
youshouldknowwhatgasolineto
use, and how to check the levels of
important f luids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggage
or packages. The inf ormation in this
section will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your vehicle,
please read the inf ormation in this
section f irst..............................
Break-in Period . 110
...............................
Gasoline Type . 110
...........
Service Station Procedure . 111
...............................
Fuel Economy . 114
....................................
Accessories . 115
.................................
Modif ications . 116
.............................
Carrying Cargo . 117
.........................
Seat-Back Bungee . 119
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
109
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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 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.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Do not tow a trailer.
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, contact
your authorized Honda dealer f or
service.
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.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
Premium f uel is recommended when
towing in certain conditions (see
page ).
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
.
139
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period Gasoline Type
Quick Start Guide
Break-in Period, Gasoline T ype
110
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Screw the f uel f ill cap back on
until it clicks at least three times.
If you do not properly tighten the
cap, the Malfunction Indicator
Lampmaycomeon(seepage).
even though the tank is not f ull,
there may be a problem with your
vehicle’s fuel vapor recovery
system. The system helps keep
f uel vapors f rom going into the
atmosphere. Consult your dealer.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top off’’ the tank. Leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.
Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.
Push the f uel f ill door closed.
Park with the driver’s side closest
to the gas pump.
Open the f uel f ill door by pulling
on the notched edge.
1. 2.
3. 4.5. 6.
193
If the f uel nozzle keeps clicking of f
Service Station Procedure
Bef ore Driving
Ref ueling
111
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.
Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flamesaway.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.
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To Open the Hood:To Close the Hood:
Park the vehicle, and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.Pull the support rod out of its clip
and insert the end into the hole in
the hood.
If the hood latch handle moves
stif f ly, or if you can open the hood
without lifting the handle, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated.
Lif t it up slightly to remove the
support rod f rom the hole. Put the
support rod back into its holding clip.
Lower the hood to the fender, then
let it drop. Make sure it is securely
latched.
Put your f ingers under the f ront
edge of the hood. The hood latch
handle is above the ‘‘H’’ logo. Push
this handle up to release it. Lif t up
the hood.
1. 2.
3.
Service Station Procedure
Bef ore Driving
Opening and Closing the Hood
112
LATCH
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
SUPPORT ROD
CLIP
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Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.Remove the dipstick (orange tab).
Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert it all the way back in its tube. Remove the dipstick again and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page . Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
on page f or
inf ormation on adding the proper
coolant.
Refer to on page f or inf ormation
on checking other items in your
Honda.
1. 2. 3.
157
151160
4.
Service Station Procedure
Bef ore Driving
Oil Check
A dding OilEngine Coolant Check
A dding
Engine Coolant
Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
113
DIPSTICK
UPPER MARKLOWER MARK RESERVE TANK
MAX
MIN
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