Page 69 of 227

To lock the driver’s door, remove the
key f rom the ignition switch, pull the
outside door handle and push the
lock tab down or push the door lock
switch down. Release the handle,
then close the door.
To lock all of the doors and hatch,
press the door lock switch on either
f ront door, or press the lock tab
down on the driver’s door, or use the
keyontheoutsidelock.
Pressing up on the door lock switch
will unlock all of the doors and the
hatch.
The lock tab on the passenger’s door
lock and unlock only that door.
Pulling up on the driver’s door lock
tab only unlocks the driver’s door. To unlock the driver’s door f rom the
outside, turn the key and release it.
To open the rear door, pull the rear
door handle located in the rear door
edge. The rear door can be opened
only when the f ront door is open.
To close the doors, close the rear
door first, then the front door. The
f ront door cannot be latched without
f irst closing the rear door. Closing
the rear door on the f ront door will
damage both doors.
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Power Door L ocks Rear Doors
Door L ocks
70
DOOR LOCK SWITCH
LOCK TAB
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Page 70 of 227
To lock or unlock the hatch.Lock the hatch by pushing down
the lock tab on the driver’s door
(see page ), or by using the
master key in the driver’s door
lock.
Lock or unlock the hatch with the
master door lock switch.
With the hatch unlocked, open it by
pulling the handle and lif ting up.
To close the hatch, lower it, then
press down on the back edge.
When both the hatch and tailgate are
open, the hatch cannot be latched
without f irst closing the tailgate.
Useyourmasterkeytolockand
unlock the hatch. Turn the key
clockwise to lock the hatch, and
counterclockwise to unlock it. 70
CONT INUED
Door L ocks
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Hatch
71
UNLOCK
LOCK
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Page 86 of 227

These sockets are intended to supply
power f or 12 volt DC accessories
that are rated 120 watts or less (10
amps).
To power an accessory, the ignition
switch must be in the ACCESSORY
(I) or ON (II) position.
When both sockets are begin used,
the combined power rating of each
accessory should be 120 watts or less
(10 amps).
These sockets will not power an
automotive type cigarette lighter
element.Open the glove box by pulling the
bottom of the handle. Close it with a
f irm push. Lock or unlock the glove
box with the master key.
Be caref ul when you are using the
beverage holders. A spilled liquid
that is very hot can scald you or your
passengers. Spilled liquids can also
damage the upholstery, and
electrical components in the interior.
Your vehicle has one or two
accessory power sockets, depending
on the model. All models have a
f ront accessory power socket on the
dashboard above the glove box.
The EX model has another
accessory power socket in the cargo
area on the passenger’s side.
On EX models
Interior Convenience Items
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Beverage Holders
Glove Box
A ccessory Power Sockets
87
An open glove box can cause
serious injury to your passenger
inacrash,evenifthe
passenger is wearing the seatbelt.
Always keep the glove box
closed while driving.
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Page 87 of 227
The ceiling light has a three-position
switch: ON, Door Activated, and
OFF.
In the Door Activated (center)
position, the light comes on when
you:Open any door.
Remove the key from the ignition.
If you do not open a door, the light
f ades out in about 30 seconds.
Unlock the doors with the key or
remote transmitter. The cargo area light has a three-
position switch. In the center
position, the light comes on when
you open the hatch.
Turn on the spotlight by pushing the
lens. Push the lens again to turn it
of f . You can use the spotlights at all
times.
The ignition switch light comes on
when you unlock the driver’s door,
and f ades out about 30 seconds af ter
you close the door.
On EX models
Interior Lights
Ceiling L ight
Spotlights
Cargo Area Light
Ignition Switch L ight
Inst rument s and Cont rols88
ON
OFF DOOR ACTIVATED
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Page 123 of 227

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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Page 127 of 227

µµ
µ
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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Page 130 of 227

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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Page 141 of 227

Only remove the fuse after you have
perf ormed the transmission shif ting
procedure, and the key is in the
ACCESSORY (I) position. Store the
f use in an obvious location (center
tray, coin pockets, etc) as a reminder
to re-install the fuse before driving
the vehicle.
When towing your Element f or long
periods, remove the 7.5A Accessory/
Radio f use to reduce the drain on the
battery. This fuse is located in the
interior f use box and is shown as
number 8 below.
If you tow an Element with an
automatic transmission, the
transmission f luid must be changed
every two years or 30,000 miles
(48,000 km), whichever comes f irst.
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a Motorhome
Driving
Automatic Transmission
Ext ended T owing
142
INTERIOR FUSE BOX
ACC/RADIO FUSE
This f use MUST be re-installed bef ore
driving the vehicle. Failure to re-install
the f use may allow you to remove the
key with the transmission in gear.
Severe automatic transmission damage
will occur if the vehicle is not started
or shif ted f rom reverse to neutral and
then towed with the drive wheels on the
ground.
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