2005 HONDA ELEMENT spare tire

When preparing to tow, and bef ore
driving away, be sure to check the
f ollowing:The vehicle has been properly
serviced, and the tires, brakes,
suspension, cooling system, and
lights are in good operating
condition.
The lights and brakes on your
vehicle and the trailer are working
properly. All items in or on the trailer are
properly secured and cannot shif t
while you drive. Thehitch,safetychains,andany
other attachments are secure. All weights and loads are within
limits (see pages and ). Your vehicle tires and spare are
properly inf lated (see page ),
and the trailer tires and spare are
inflated as recommended by the
trailer maker.
The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
below.
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
If you have an automatic
transmission, use overdrive (O/D)
when towing a trailer on level roads.
Turn of f the overdrive (O/D) when
towing a trailer in hilly terrain. (see
‘‘
’’ in the next column
f or additional gear inf ormation.)
149 150 187
CONT INUED
Pre-T ow Checklist
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
Towing a Trailer
T owing Speeds and Gears
Driving on Hills
Driving
153

Youshouldgetyourowntire
pressure gauge and use it whenever
you check your tire pressures. This
will make it easier f or you to tell if a
pressure loss is due to a tire problem
and not due to a variation between
gauges.
Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure in each tire at least once a
month. Even tires that are in good
condition may lose 1 to 2 psi (10 to
20 kPa, 0.1 to 0.2 kgf /cm ) per
month. Remember to check the
sparetireatthesametime.
If you check air pressures when the
tires are hot (driven f or several
miles), you will see readings 4 to 6
psi (30 to 40 kPa, 0.3 to 0.4 kgf /cm )
higher than the cold readings. This
is normal. Do not let air out to match
the recommended cold air pressure.
The tire will be underinf lated.
While tubeless tires have some
ability to self -seal if they are
punctured, you should look closely
for punctures if a tire starts losing
pressure.
Check the air pressures when the
tires are cold. This means the
vehicle has been parked f or at least 3
hours, or driven less than 1 mile (1.6
km). Add or release air, if needed, to
match the recommended cold tire
pressures.
The following chart shows the
recommended cold tire pressures f or
most normal driving conditions and
speed.
Thecompactsparetirepressureis:
For convenience, the recommended
tire sizes and cold air pressures are
on a label on the driver’s doorjamb.
For additional technical information
about your tires, see page .
223
Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving
Front:
Rear:
Recommended T ire Pressures f orNormal Driving
Tires
188
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
P215/70R16 99S 32 psi (220 kPa ,
2.2 kgf/cm)
34 psi (235 kPa , 2.4 kgf/cm
)

This section covers the more
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your vehicle towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire .196
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .197
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start . 203
................................
Jump Starting .205
..............
If the Engine Overheats . 207
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 209
..........
Charging System Indicator . 209
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 210
...............
Brake System Indicator . 211
..............................................
Fuses .212
..............................
Fuse Locations .215
......................
Emergency Towing .217
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
195

Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:Follow these precautions:
Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces. Use greater caution while
driving.
Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced,
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement should be the same size
and design tire, mounted on the
same wheel. The spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare tire.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
On models with manual
transmission, do not drive f or a
long period with the compact
spare tire mounted on a f ront
wheel; it will damage the limited
slip dif f erential.
Compact Spare Tire
196
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)

If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Drive slowly along the shoulder until
you get to an exit or an area to stop
that is far away from the traffic lanes.Open the hatch and the tailgate.
The spare tire, jack, and tools are
under the cargo area f loor.
Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park (automatic)
or reverse (manual). Apply the
parking brake.
If you are towing a trailer, unhitch
it.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire.
1.
2.
3.
4.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
197
TOOLS
SPARE TIRE
JACK
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.

Push the rear edge of the handle
to raise the handle loop and pull up
the loop to raise the cargo area
f loor.Unscrew the wing bolt, and take
the spare tire out of the cargo area.
Remove the tools and the jack. To
remove the jack, turn the jack’s
end bracket counterclockwise to
loosen it.Loosen the f ive wheel nuts 1/2
turn with the wheel nut wrench.
8.
7. 6.
5.
Changing a Flat T ire
198
WHEEL NUTS
JACK
WHEEL NUT WRENCH

Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipeanydirtoff themounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten
them f ully.
Remove the wheel nuts and the
flat tire. Temporarily place the flat
tire on the ground with the outside
surf ace of the wheel f acing up. 13.
12.
11.
Changing a Flat T ire
200
BRAKE HUB

Store the jack in its holder. Turn
the jack’s end bracket to lock it in
place. Store the tools.
Remove the center cap from the
f lat tire, and store it in the spare
tire well.Removethewingboltonthespare
tire mount, and pivot the arm 90°
to the upright position. Then
tighten the wing bolt securely.
Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to: Lower the vehicle to the ground
and remove the jack. 18.
16.
17.
14.
15.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
201
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m) Loose items can fly around the
interiorinacrashandcould
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.