2004 HONDA ELEMENT lock

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 your Honda dealer.
Af termarket wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components.
Raising your vehicle with an
af termarket suspension kit can
af f ect the handling and stability.
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.
Some examples are:
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.
Improperly
replacing or covering f ront seat-
back covers can prevent your side
airbags f rom inf lating during a
collision. 28
Modif ications
Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ing aHonda dealer.
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving116
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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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Check that any items you may be
carrying with you inside are stored
properly or f astened down
securely.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments bef ore you drive
your vehicle.
Check the seat adjustment (see
page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page ).
Check that the hood, tailgate and
hatch are f ully closed. Make sure the doors, hatch, and
tailgate are securely closed and
locked.
When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicator lights in
the instrument panel (see page
).
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
8.9.
10.
73
82 64 14
53
Driving Guidelines
Driving
Preparing to Drive
123
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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
Driving125
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.
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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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