2005 HONDA ELEMENT service

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

µ
This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts. It
explains how your airbags work. And
it tells you how to properly restrain
inf ants and children in your vehicle.
.........
Important Safety Precautions . 8
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features . 9
.....................................
Seat Belts .10
.........................................
Airbags .11
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens . 12
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 12
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 12
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 14
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 15
5. Fasten and Position the ............................
Seat Belts .15
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .17
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 18 ...
Additional Safety Precautions . 19
Additional Inf ormation About Your .................................
Seat Belts .20
..
Seat Belt System Components . 20
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .20
Automatic Seat Belt ...............................
Tensioners .21
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 21
Additional Inf ormation About Your .....................................
Airbags .23
......
Airbag System Components . 23
How Your Front Airbags .........................................
Work .24
...
How Your Side Airbags Work . 26
How the SRS Indicator .......................................
Works .27
How the Side Airbag Cutof f ......................
Indicator Works .28
.............................
Airbag Service .28
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 29
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .30
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .30
All Children Should Sit in a .................................
Back Seat .31 The Passenger’s Front Airbag
...............
Poses Serious Risks . 31
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .33
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .33
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 34
Protecting Inf ants and .........................
Small Children .35
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .35
.........
Protecting Small Children . 36
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .37
....................
Installing a Child Seat .38
...............................
With LATCH .39
..........................
With a Seat Belt .41
..............................
With a Tether .43
...........
Protecting Larger Children . 44
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit . 44
..................
Using a Booster Seat . 45
When Can a Larger Child Sit in .........................................
Front .45
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 46
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 47
...................................
Saf ety Labels .48
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
7

Your airbag systems are virtually
maintenance f ree, and there are no
parts you can saf ely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:
This indicator alerts you that the
passenger’s side airbag has been
automatically shut off. It does
mean there is a problem with your
side airbags.
When you turn the ignition switch to
ON (II), the indicator should come
on brief ly and go of f (see page ).
If it doesn’t come on, stays on, or
comes on while driving without a
passenger in the f ront seat, have the
system checked. Any airbag
that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. If a
f ront airbag inf lates, the seat belt
tensioners must also be replaced.
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by a dealer or a
knowledgeable body shop. Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly.
55
Standard on EX models
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
How the Side Airbag Cutof f
Indicator Works Airbag Service
notAn airbag ever inf lates. T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o a
problem.
28
U.S. Canada

Depending on where you drive, you
may experience reception problems.
Interf erence can be caused by any of
these conditions:Drivingonaneast/westroadwith
a mountain on the south side of
the road.
Driving on a single lane road
alongside dense trees taller than
50 ft. (15 m) to the south of you. Driving on the lower level of a
multi-tiered road. Driving on a road beside a vertical
wall, steep clif f , or hill to the south
of you. Driving in the tunnels.
Driving on the north side of a
large commercial truck on an
east/west road.
There may be other geographic
situations that could af f ect XM radio
reception. Cargo on a roof rack. If your XM Radio service has expired
or you purchased your vehicle f rom
a previous owner, you can listen to a
preview of the broadcasts available
on XM Satellite Radio. With the
ignition switch in the ACCESSORY
(I) or ON (II) position, push the
PWR/VOL knob to turn on the audio
system and press the XM button. An
XM Radio preview will play.As required by the FCC:
Changes or modif ications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible f orcompliance could void the user’sauthority to operate the equipment.Receiving Satellite Radio Service
Playing the XM Satellite Radio
104
TM

If you decide to purchase XM
Satellite Radio service, contact XM
Radio at, or at
1-800-852-9696. You will need to give
them your radio I.D. number and
your credit card number.
Turn the TUNE knob until
‘‘0’’ appears in the display. Your I.D.
will appear in the display.
Af ter you have registered with XM
Radio, keep your audio system in the
satellite radio mode while you wait
f or activation. This should take about
30 minutes. While waiting f or activation, make
sure your vehicle remains in an open
area with good reception. Once your
audio system is activated, ‘‘category’’
or ‘‘CH’’ will appear in the display,
andyou’llbeabletolistentoXM
Radio broadcasts. XM Radio will
continue to send an activation signal
to your vehicle for at least 12 hours
from the activation request. If the
service has not been activated after
36 hours, contact XM Radio.
www.xmradio.com
Playing the XM Satellite Radio
To get your XM Satellite radio ID
number:Features
105
TM

Bef ore you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use and how to check the
levels of important f luids. You also
need to know how to properly store
luggage or packages. The
inf ormation in this section will help
you. If you plan to add any
accessories to your vehicle, please
read the information in this section
first..............................
Break-in Period .122
.................
Fuel Recommendation . 122
.........
Service Station Procedures . 124
....................................
Ref ueling .124
Opening and Closing the .......................................
Hood .125
...................................
Oil Check .126
.............
Engine Coolant Check . 126
...............................
Fuel Economy .127
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 128
.............................
Carrying Cargo .130
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
121

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
Quick Start Guide.
Fuel Recommendation
Bef ore Driving
123

If the f uel nozzle keeps clicking of f
even though the tank is not f ull,
there may be a problem with your
vehicle’s fuel vapor recovery
system. The system helps keep
f uel vapors f rom going into the
atmosphere. Consult your dealer.
Park with the driver’s side closest
to the gas pump.
Open the f uel f ill door by pulling
on the notched edge.
Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top off’’ the tank. Leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.Screw the f uel f ill cap back on
until it clicks at least three times.
If you do not properly tighten the
cap, the malfunction indicator
lampmaycomeon(seepage ).
Push the f uel f ill door closed.
1.
2.
3.
4.5.
6.
210
Ref ueling
Service Station Procedures
124
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.
Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.