Page 145 of 274

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:
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced.
Do not tow a trailer.
Your vehicle is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 87 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise that can lead to engine damage.
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.
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 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.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
.
Break-in Period Fuel Recommendation
Quick Start Guide
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
142
Page 147 of 274
Reach in between the hood and
the f ront grille with your f ingers.
The hood latch handle is above
the ‘‘H’’ logo. Push this handle up
until it releases the hood. Lif t 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.
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.
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches. Screw the fuel fill cap back on
until it clicks at least once. If you
do not properly tighten the cap,
the malf unction indicator lamp
maycomeon(seepage ).
1. 2.
5.
6.
234
Service Station Procedures
Opening and Closing the Hood
144
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
LATCH
Page 151 of 274

Modif ying your vehicle, or installing
some non-Honda accessories, can
make it unsaf e. Bef ore you make any
modif ications or add any accessories,
be sure to read the f ollowing
inf ormation.When properly installed, cellular
phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems should
not interf ere with your vehicle’s
computer controlled systems, such
as your airbags and anti-lock brakes.Bef ore installing any accessory:
Make sure the accessory does not
obscure any lights, or interf ere
with proper vehicle operation or
perf ormance.
Bef ore installing any electronic
accessory, have the installer
contact your dealer for assistance.
If possible, have your dealer
inspect the f inal installation.
Do not install accessories on the
side pillars or across the rear
windows. In these areas,
accessories may interf ere with
proper operation of the side
curtain airbags.
Your dealer has Honda accessories
that allow you to personalize your
vehicle. These accessories have
been designed and approved f or your
vehicle, and are covered by warranty.
Although non-Honda accessories
may f it on your vehicle, they may not
meet f actory specif ications, and
could adversely af f ect your vehicle’s
handling and stability.
Be sure electronic accessories do
not overload electrical circuits
(see page ) or interf ere with
proper operation of your vehicle.
237
A ccessories and Modif ications
A ccessories
148
Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
vehicle’s handling, stability, and
performance, and cause a
crash in which you can be hurt
or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding
accessories and modifications.
Page 152 of 274
Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interf ere with the operation of
your vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and
other systems.
If you plan to modif y your vehicle,
consult your dealer.
Modif ying your steering wheel or
any other part of your vehicle’s
safety features can make the
systems inef f ective.
Lowering your vehicle with a
non-Honda 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.
Raising your vehicle with a
non-Honda suspension kit can
af f ect the handling and stability.
Non-Honda wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components.
Removing parts f rom your vehicle,
or replacing components, with
non-Honda components could
seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability.
Some examples are
A ccessories and Modif ications
Modif ying Your Vehicle
Bef ore Driving
149
Page 158 of 274

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual and automatic transmissions.
It also includes important
information on parking your vehicle,
the braking system, the vehicle
stability assist (VSA) system, and
f acts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer or drive off-highway.........................
Driving Guidelines .156
....................
Preparing to Drive .157
.......................
Starting the Engine .158
...................
Manual Transmission . 159
..............
Automatic Transmission . 161
...........................................
Parking .166
.............................
Braking System .167
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 168
Vehicle Stability Assist ............................
(VSA) System .170
...........................
Towing a Trailer .172
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a ................................
Motorhome .177
Of f -Highway Driving ..................................
Guidelines .179
Driving
Driving
155
Page 161 of 274

Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in the START (III)
position f or more than 15 seconds
at a time. If the engine does not
start right away, pause for at least
10 seconds bef ore trying again.
Push the clutch pedal down all the
way. START (III) does not
f unction unless the clutch pedal is
depressed.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal. If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
down, and hold it there while
starting to clear flooding. If the
engine still does not start, return
to step 5.
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.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.6.
Manual Transmission:
Automatic Transmission: 71
Starting the Engine
158
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.
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page .
Page 162 of 274

The manual transmission is
synchronized in all f orward gears f or
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from fifth to
reverse. When shif ting up or down,
make sure you push the clutch pedal
down all the way, shift to the next
gear, and let the pedal up gradually.
Do not skip gears. When you are not
shif ting, do not rest your f oot on the
clutch pedal. This can cause your
clutch to wear out f aster.
Come to a full stop before you shift
into reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shift 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. To prevent serious engine
and transmission damage, do not
skip gears when downshif ting, and
do not let the engine speed go into
the red zone of the tachometer.
Manual T ransmission
Driving
159
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.
Page 164 of 274
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 the ON (II)
position. If it f lashes while driving (in
any shif t position), it indicates a
possible problem in the transmission.
If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem in the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
To shif t f rom any position, press
f irmly on the brake pedal and pull
the lever toward you. You cannot
shif t out of Park when the ignition
switch is in the LOCK (0) or the
ACCESSORY (I) position.
CONT INUED
Shif t L ever Position Indicators Shif ting
Automatic Transmission
Driving
161
SHIFT LEVER