2005 HONDA ELEMENT steering

2005 Element Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through\
this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.h\
elminc.com. Contents


Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety........................................................................\
........................................ .ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
............................................ .4
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
..................................... .7
Seat belts, SRS, and child protection
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
........................................ .51
Indicators, gauges, dashboard, and steering column
Features ........................................................................\
...................................................................... 89
Climate, audio, steering wheel, security, cruise control, and HomeLink
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................121
Fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading
Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... .135
Engine and transmission operation
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................161
Schedules, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
..............................195
Flat tire, dead battery, overheating, fuses
Technical Information........................................................................\
............................................ .219
Vehicle specifications, tires, fuels, and emissions controls
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................233
Warranty and contact information
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................237
How to order
Index........................................................................\
........................................................................\
...... I
Service Information Summary
Fluid capacities and tire pressures
Owner's Identification Form

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To use the horn, press the center pad of the steering wheel.
:
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Your Vehicle at a Glance
5
HEADLIGHTS/TURN SIGNALS
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER
A/T model is shown. HORN
HAZARD WARNING
BUTTON
STEERING WHEEL ADJUSTMENT AUDIO SYSTEM
WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS
DIGITAL CLOCK
(P.64) (P.63)
(P.63)
(P.94)
(P.61)
(P.62)
(P.117)
CRUISE CONTROL BUTTONS
CRUISE CONTROL
MASTER BUTTON
(P.119)
(P.119)

Your vehicle is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passengers
during a crash.
Some f eatures do not require any
action on your part. These include a
strong steel f ramework that f orms a
saf ety cage around the passenger
compartment; front and rear crush
zones; a collapsible steering column;
and tensioners that tighten the f ront
seat belts in a crash.
However, you and your passengers
can’t take f ull advantage of these
f eatures unless you remain sitting in
a proper position and. In fact, some safety
f eatures can contribute to injuries if
they are not used properly.
The f ollowing pages explain how you
cantakeanactiveroleinprotecting
yourself and your passengers.
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
always wear
your seat belt s
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
9
(9) (2)
(6)
(4)
(3)
(1)
(7)
(5)
(2)
(10) (8)
(8)
(1) Safety Cage
(2) Crush Zones
(3) Seats and Seat-Backs
(4) Head Restraints
(5) Collapsible Steering Column
(6) Seat Belts
(7) Front Airbags
(8) Side Airbags(standard on EX model)
(9)Front Seat Belt Tensioners
(10) Door Locks

The most important things you need
to know about your airbags are:
Your vehicle also has side airbags to
help protect the upper torso of the
driver or a f ront seat passenger
during a moderate to severe side
impact (see page f or more
information on how your side airbags
work). Always wear
your seat belt properly, and sit
upright, and as f ar back f rom the
steering wheel while allowing f ull
control of the vehicle. A f ront
passenger should move their seat as
f ar back f rom the dashboard as
possible. To do
their job, airbags must inf late with
tremendous f orce. So while
airbags help save lives, they can
cause minor injuries or more
serious or even fatal injuries if
occupants are not properly
restrained or sitting properly. They are designed to supplement
the seat belts.
Your vehicle has a supplemental
restraint system (SRS) with f ront
airbags to help protect the heads and
chests of the driver and a front seat
passenger during a moderate to
severe f rontal collision (see page f or more inf ormation on how
your f ront airbags work). 24 26
Standard on EX models
Airbags
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
What you should do:
A irbags can pose hazards.
A irbags of f er no prot ect ion in rear
impact s, or minor f ront al or sidecollisions.
Airbags do not replace seat belts.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
11

µ
The rest of this section gives more
detailed inf ormation about how you
can maximize your saf ety.
Af ter everyone has entered the
vehicle, be sure the doors are closed
and locked.
Adjust the driver’s seat as far to the
rear as possible while allowing you to
maintain f ull control of the vehicle.
Have a front passenger adjust their
seat as far to the rear as possible.
If you sit too close to the steering
wheel or dashboard, you can be
seriously injured by an inf lating f ront
airbag, or by striking the steering
wheel or dashboard.
See pages f or important
guidelines on how to properly
protect inf ants, small children, and
larger children who ride in your
vehicle. The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to properly
protect the driver, adult passengers,
and teenage children who are large
enough and mature enough to drive
or ride in the f ront.
See page f or how to lock the
doors, and page f or how the door
monitor indicator works. Locking the doors also helps prevent
an outsider f rom unexpectedly
opening a door when you come to a
stop.Your vehicle
has a door
monitor indicator on the instrument
panel to indicate when a specif ic
door or the tailgate or the hatch is
not tightly closed.
Locking the doors reduces the
chance of someone being thrown out
of the vehicle during a crash and it
helps prevent passengers f rom
accidentally opening and f alling out.
Remember, however, that no saf ety
system can prevent all injuries or
deaths that can occur in a severe
crash, even when seat belts are
properly worn and the airbags deploy.
30 46 7057
Close and L ock the Doors
A djust the Front Seats
Introduction 1.
2.
Protecting A dults and Teens
12

The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that drivers
allow at least 10 inches (25 cm)
between the center of the steering
wheel and the chest.
If you cannot get f ar enough away
f rom the steering wheel and still
reach the controls, we recommend
that you investigate whether some
type of adaptive equipment may help.Once your seat is adjusted correctly,
rock it back and f orth to make sure
the seat is locked into position. See
page f or how to adjust the f ront
seats.
73
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
13
Sitting too close to a front
airbag can result in serious
injury or death if the front
airbags inflate.
Always sit as far back from the
front airbags as possible.

Adjust the driver’s seat-back to a
comf ortable, upright position,
leaving ample space between your
chest and the airbag cover in the
center of the steering wheel.
Passengers with adjustable seat-
backs should also adjust their seat-
back to a comf ortable, upright
position.Reclining a seat-back so that the
shoulder part of the belt no longer
rests against the occupant’s chest
reduces the protective capability of
the belt. It also increases the chance
of sliding under the belt in a crash
and being seriously injured. The
farther a seat-back is reclined, the
greater the risk of injury.
See page f or how to adjust the
seat-backs.73
Adjust the Seat-Backs
3.
Protecting A dults and Teens
14
Reclining the seat-back too far
can result in serious injury or
death in a crash.
Adjust the seat-back to an
upright position, and sit well
back in the seat.

Your airbag system includes:Automatic seat belt tensioners
(see page ). In models with side airbags, one
for the driver and one for a front
passenger. The airbags are stored
in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked ‘‘SIDE
AIRBAG’’ (see page ).
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe front impact,
or side impact in models with side
airbags. an
indicator on the dashboard that
alerts you that the passenger’s
side airbag has been turned of f
(see page ).
Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you to a possible
problem with your airbags,
sensors, or seat belt tensioners
(see page ). In models with side airbags,
sensors that can detect whether
a child is in the passenger’s side
airbag path and automatically
turn the airbag off (see page ).
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records inf ormation about the
sensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, the seat belt
tensioners, and driver and f ront
passenger seat belt use when the
ignition is in ON (II).
Two SRS (supplemental restraint
system) f ront airbags. The driver’s
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the f ront
passenger’sairbagisstoredinthe
dashboard. Both are marked ‘‘SRS
AIRBAG.’’
21 26
27 28
26
In models with side airbags,A irbag System Components
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
23