2004 HONDA ELEMENT air condition

You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe f rontal collision.
So even though your vehicle is
equipped with airbags, make sure
you and your passengers always
wear your seat belts, and wear them
properly. (See page .)
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat. Infants and small children
should be restrained in a child seat.
Larger children should use a booster
and a lap/shoulder belt until theycanusethebeltproperlywithouta
booster (see page ). Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the
risk, but serious accidents can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
14 29
152
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Restrain All ChildrenBe Aware of Airbag Hazards
Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Don’t Drink and Drive
Driver and Passenger Saf ety6
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Your vehicle’s exhaust contains
carbon monoxide gas. You should
have no problem with carbon
monoxide entering the vehicle in
normal driving if you maintain your
vehicle properly.
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:The vehicle is raised f or an oil
change.
You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust.
The vehicle was in an accident
that may have damaged the under-
side. High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage. If you must sit in your parked vehicle,
even in an unconf ined area, with the
engine running, adjust the heating
and cooling system as f ollows:
Select the Fresh Air mode.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
With the tailgate/hatch open, air
f low can pull exhaust gas into your
vehicle’s interior and create a
hazardous condition. If you must
drive with the tailgate/hatch open,
openallthewindowsandsetthe
heating and cooling system as shown
below. 1. 2.3.4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Driver and Passenger Saf ety48
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even killyou.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.
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The heating and air conditioning
systems in your Honda provide a
comf ortable driving environment in
all weather conditions.
The standard audio system has
many f eatures. This section de-
scribes those f eatures and how to
use them. (If you selected an
optional audio system, ref er to the
operating instructions that came
with it.)
Your Honda has an anti-thef t audio
system that requires a code number
to enable it................
Vents, Heating, and A/C . 90
.........................
Air Flow Buttons . 91
............................
Playing the Radio . 94
..............................
Radio Reception . 97
....................................
Playing a CD . 99
....................
Protecting Your CDs . 101
.........
CD Player Error Messages . 102
.....
CD Changer Error Messages . 103
.................
Radio Thef t Protection . 104
..........................
Setting the Clock . 105
......................
Auxiliary Input Jack . 106
...............................
Cruise Control . 107
Comf ort and Convenience Features
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures89
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Vents, Heating, and A/C
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures90
FAN CONTROL DIALTEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIALMODE CONTROL DIAL
RECIRCULATION BUTTON AIR CONDITIONING
(A/C) BUTTONREAR WINDOW DEFOGGER
BUTTON
MAX A/C POSITION DEFROST POSITION
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Turn this dial clockwise to increase
fan speed and increase the airflow.
Turning this dial clockwise increases
the temperature of the airflow.The outside air intakes f or the
heating and cooling system are at
the base of the windshield. Keep this
area clear of leaves and other debris.
ThesystemshouldbeleftinFresh
Air mode under almost all conditions.
Keeping the system in Recirculation
mode, particularly with the A/C of f ,
can cause the windows to fog up.
Switch to Recirculation mode when
driving through dusty or smoky
conditions, then return to Fresh Air
mode.
This button turns the rear window
def ogger of f and on (see page ).
Use the mode control dial to select
the vents the air flows from. Some
air will f low f rom the dashboard
vents in all modes.
This button turns the air
conditioning on and of f . The light in
thebuttonisonwhentheA/Cison.
When the light in the button is on,
air f rom the vehicle’s interior is sent
throughout the system again. When
the light is of f , air is brought in f rom
the outside of the vehicle (Fresh Air
mode). The system automatically
turns on the A/C and switches to
Recirculation mode. Air f lows f rom
the center and side vents in the
dashboard.
Air flows from the center
and corner vents in the dashboard.
Air f low is divided between
the vents in the dashboard and the
f loor vents.
Air f lows f rom the f loor
vents. When you select , the
system automatically switches to
Fresh Air mode.
Air f low is divided between
the f loor vents and the def roster
vents at the base of the windshield.
63
If equipped If equipped
Fan Control Dial
T emperature Control Dial
Air Conditioning (A/C) Button
Rear Window Def ogger Button
Mode Control Dial
Recirculation Button
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Air Flow Buttons
91
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Air f lows f rom the def roster
vents at the base of the windshield.
When you select or ,
the system automatically switches to
Fresh Air mode and turns on the
A/C. The A/C indicator does not
come on. Select and Fresh Air mode. Set the f an to the desired speed.
Adjust the warmth of the air with
the temperature control dial.
The heater uses engine coolant to
warm the air. If the engine is cold, it
will be several minutes bef ore you
f eel warm air coming f rom the
system.
Air conditioning places an extra load
on the engine. Watch the engine
coolant temperature gauge (see page
). If it moves near the red zone,
turn of f the A/C until the gauge
reads normally. Set the mode control dial to MAX
A/C.
The system automatically turns on
the A/C, selects and
switches to Recirculation mode.
Make sure the temperature
control dial is all the way to the left.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
The f low-through ventilation system
draws in outside air, circulates it
through the interior, then exhausts it
through vents near the tailgate.
Turn the temperature control dial
all the way to the lef t.
Make sure the A/C is of f .
Select and Fresh Air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed. Turn on the A/C by pressing the
button. The light in the button
comesonwhenafanspeedis
selected.Make sure the temperature
control dial is all the way to the left.
Select .
If the outside air is humid, select
Recirculation mode. If the outside
air is dry, select Fresh Air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
1. 2. 3.4. 1.2.3.
1. 2. 3.
59
1. 2.3. 4. 5.
To cool the interior with MAX A/C:
If equipped
Vents, Heating, and A/C
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Using the A /C
Using the Heater
(Fresh A ir mode)
Ventilation
92
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Air conditioning, as it cools, removes
moisture from the air. When used in
combination with the heater, it
makes the interior warm and dry.Switch the f an on.
Turn on the air conditioning.
Select and Fresh Air mode.
Adjust the temperature control
dial to your pref erence.
This setting is suitable f or all driving
conditions whenever the outside
temperature is above 32°F (0°C). To clear the windows f aster, you can
close the dashboard corner vents by
rotating the wheel below it. This will
send more warm air to the
windshield def roster vents. Once the
windshield is clear, select the Fresh
Air mode to avoid f ogging the
windows.
For your saf ety, make sure you have
a clear view through all the windows
bef ore driving.Select . The system
automatically switches to Fresh
Air mode and turns on the A/C.
The A/C indicator does not comeon.
Select .
Set the f an and temperature
controls to maximum level.
Select to help clear the
rear window.
1.2.3.4. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Vents, Heating, and A/C
Dehumidif y the Interior T o Remove Exterior Frost or Ice
From the Windows
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures93
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Your Honda’s radio can receive the
complete AM and FM bands.
Those bands cover these f requen-
cies:
AM band:
530 to 1,710 kilohertz
FM band:
87.7 to 107.9 megahertz
Radio stations on the AM band are
assigned f requencies at least ten
kilohertz apart (530, 540, 550).
Stations on the FM band are
assigned f requencies at least 0.2
megahertz apart (87.9, 88.1, 88.3).
Stations must use these exact
f requencies. It is f airly common f or
stations to round-of f the f requency in
their advertising, so your radio could
display a f requency of 100.9 even
though the announcer may identif y
the station as ‘‘FM101.’’How well your Honda’s radio
receives stations is dependent on
many f actors, such as the distance
from the station’s transmitter,
nearby large objects, and atmos-
pheric conditions.
A radio station’s signal gets weaker
as you get f arther away f rom its
transmitter. If you are listening to an
AM station, you will notice the sound
volume becoming weaker, and the
stationdriftinginandout.If youare
listening to an FM station, you will
see the stereo indicator f lickering of f
and on as the signal weakens.
Eventually, the stereo indicator will
go of f and the sound will f ade
completely as you get out of range of
the station’s signal.
Driving very near the transmitter of
a station that is broadcasting on a
f requency close to the f requency of
the station you are listening to can
also af f ect your radio’s reception.
You may temporarily hear both
stations,orhearonlythestationyou
are close to.
CONT INUED
Radio Frequencies Radio Reception
Radio Reception
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures97
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