2005 HONDA ELEMENT steering

This section gives inf ormation about
the controls and displays that
contribute to the daily operation of
your vehicle. All the essential
controls are within easy reach............................
Control Locations .52
............................
Instrument Panel .53
..........
Instrument Panel Indicators . 54
.............................................
Gauges .58
...................................
Trip Meter .58
.....................................
Odometer .58
..................................
Fuel Gauge .58
..........
Check Fuel Cap Indicator . 59
...................
Temperature Gauge . 59
Controls Near the Steering .......................................
Wheel .60
.
Windshield Wipers and Washers . 61
...........
Turn Signal and Headlights . 62
........
Instrument Panel Brightness . 63
.................
Hazard Warning Button . 63
.................
Rear Window Def ogger . 63
..........
Steering Wheel Adjustment . 64
...............................
Keys and Locks .65
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Immobilizer System .66
.......................
Remote Transmitter .67
................................
Ignition Switch .69
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Door Locks .70
......................
Power Door Locks .70
..................................
Rear Doors .70
............................................
Hatch .71
........................................
Tailgate .72 .................................................
Seats .73
........................
Seat Adjustments .73
Driver’s Seat Height ..............................
Adjustment .74
...................
FrontSeatArmrests . 74
..........................
Head Restraints .75
........................
Rear Seat Access .75
..........
Reclining the Front Seats . 76
...............
Folding the Rear Seats . 77
..........
Removing the Rear Seats . 79
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Power Windows .81
.............................................
Mirrors .82
....
Adjusting the Power Mirrors . 82
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Rear Windows .83
.................................
Parking Brake .83
............................................
Skylight .83
...........
Interior Convenience Items . 86
.......................
Beverage Holders .87
..........
Accessory Power Sockets . 87
....................................
Glove Box .87
.................................
Interior Lights .88
................................
Ceiling Light .88
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Cargo Area Light .88
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Spotlights .88
..................
Ignition Switch Light . 88
Instruments and Controls
Inst rument s and Cont rols
51

Î
Î
To use the horn, press the center pad of the steering wheel.
:
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
60
HEADLIGHTS/TURN SIGNALS
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER
SHIFT LEVER (A/T)
STEERING WHEEL ADJUSTMENT HAZARD WARNING BUTTON
HORN
(P.62)
(P.64)(P.
61)
(P.63)
(P.63)
WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS
(P.141)
A/T model is shown. (P.119)
CRUISE CONTROL
MASTER BUTTON
CRUISE CONTROL BUTTONS
(P.119)

Make sure the rear window is clear
and you have good visibility bef ore
starting to drive.
Thedefoggerwiresontheinsideof
the rear window can be accidentally
damaged. When cleaning the glass,
always wipe side-to-side.Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position.
Make sure you have securely
locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up and down.
Make any steering wheel adjustment
bef ore you start driving. Push the lever under the lef t side
of the steering column all the way
down.
To adjust the steering wheel upward
or downward:
Move the steering wheel up or
down to the desired position.
Make sure you can see the
instrument panel gauges and the
indicators.
1.
2. 3.
4.
Steering Wheel A djustment
Rear Window Def ogger, Steering Wheel A djustment
64
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle and be seriously injured
inacrash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the vehicle is stopped.

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The ignition switch has f our
positions: LOCK (0), ACCESSORY
(I), ON (II), and START (III).
You can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
To turn the key, push it in slightly. If
your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, the shif t lever must
also be in park. If the f ront wheels are turned, the
anti-theft lock may make it difficult
to turn the key. Firmly turn the
steering wheel to the lef t or right as
you turn the key.
You can
operate the audio system and the
accessory power sockets in this
position.
This is the normal key
position when driving. Several of the
indicators on the instrument panel
come on as a test when you turn the
ignition switch f rom ACCESSORY
(I) to ON (II).
Use this position
only to start the engine. The switch
returns to ON (II) when you let go of
the key. You will hear a reminder beeper if
you leave the key in the ignition
switch in the LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I) position and open
the driver’s door. Remove the key to
turn of f the beeper.
If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, the shif t lever must be
in Park bef ore you can remove the
key f rom the ignition switch.
Ignition Switch
LOCK (0)
A CCESSORY (I)
ON (II)
ST A RT (III)
Inst rument s and Cont rols
69
Removing the key from the
ignition switch while driving
locks the steering. This can
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle.
Remove the key from the
ignition switch only when
parked.

Accelerate to the desired cruising
speedabove25mph(40km/h).
Press and release the SET/
DECELbuttononthesteering
wheel. The indicator on the
instrument panel comes on to
show the system is now activated.Cruise control may not hold the set
speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down. This will cancel cruise
control. To resume the set speed,
press the RES/ACCEL button. The
indicator on the instrument panel will
come back on.
Cruise control allows you to maintain
asetspeedabove25mph(40km/h)
without keeping your f oot on the
accelerator pedal. It should be used
f or cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended f or
city driving, winding roads, slippery
roads, heavy rain, or bad weather.
Push in the cruise control master
button. The indicator in the button
come on.
1.
2.
3.
If equipped
Cruise Control
Using Cruise Control
Features
119
CANCEL
BUTTON
RES/ACCEL BUTTON
SET/DECEL BUTTON
Improper use of the cruise
control can lead to a crash.
Use the cruise control only
when traveling on open
highways in good weather.

You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:Press and hold the RES/ACCEL
button. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.
Push on the accelerator pedal.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed, and press the SET/DECEL
button.
You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways: Press and hold the SET/DECEL
button. Release the button when
you reach the desired speed. To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/DECEL
button. Each time you do this,
your vehicle will slow down about
1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel.
Pushthecruisecontrolmaster
button.
To increase the speed in very
small amounts, tap the RES/
ACCEL button. Each time you do
this, your vehicle speeds up about
1 mph (1.6 km/h). Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your f oot. The
CRUISE CONTROL indicator on
the instrument panel goes out.
When the vehicle slows to the
desired speed, press the SET/
DECEL button.
Even with cruise control turned on,
you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up f or passing. Af ter
completing the pass, take your foot
of f the accelerator pedal. The vehicle
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your f oot on the brake or
clutch pedal causes cruise control to
cancel. You can cancel cruise control in any
of these ways:
When you push the CANCEL button,
or tap the brake or clutch pedal, the
system remembers the previously
set cruising speed. To return to that
speed, accelerate to above 25 mph
(40 km/h), then press and release
the RES/ACCEL button. The
indicator comes on, and the vehicle
accelerates to the same cruising
speed as bef ore.
Pressingthecruisecontrolmaster
button turns the system off and
erases the previous cruising speed.
Changing the Set Speed
Resuming the Set Speed Cancelling Cruise Control
Cruise Control
120

Some examples are: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.
Removing parts f rom your vehicle,
or replacing components with some
non-Honda components could
seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability.
Lowering the 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 can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components.
Modif ying Your Vehicle
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving
129

Because your vehicle rides higher
of f the ground, it has a high center
of gravity that can cause it to roll
over if you make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicles have a signif icantly higher
roll over rate than other types of
vehicles.
To prevent rollovers or loss of
control:Take corners at slower speeds
than you would with a passenger
vehicle.
Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers whenever possible. Do not carry heavy cargo on the
roof . Do not modif y your vehicle in any
way that would raise the center of
gravity.
Your vehicle is equipped with a f our-
wheel drive (
4WD) system. When
the system senses a loss of front-
wheel traction, it automatically
transf ers some power to the rear
wheels. This gives you better
traction and mobility.
You still need to exercise the same
care when accelerating, steering, and
brakingthatyouwouldinatwo-
wheel drive vehicle.
Your vehicle has a higher ground
clearance that allows you to travel
over bumps, obstacles, and rough
terrain. It also provides good
visibility so you can anticipate
problems earlier.
Four-wheel Drive Models
See page f or additional guidelinesf or driving of f -highway. 159
Driving Guidelines
136