2005 HONDA PILOT Owners Manual

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Compact Spare Tire .224
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Changing a Flat Tire .225
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If the Engine Won’t Start . 229
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Jump Starting .230
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If the Engine Overheats . 232
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Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 234
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Charging System Indicator . 234
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Malf unction Indicator . 235
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Brake System Indicator . 236
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Emergency Towing .237
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Fuses .238
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Fuse Locations .241
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
223

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.
Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to: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.
Follow these precautions:
Never exceed 50mph ( 80km/h).
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces. Use greater caution while
driving.
Do not mount snow chains on it.
Do not use the compact spare tire
if you are towing a trailer.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Turn of f the VSA system (see
page ). Driving with the
compact spare tire may activate
the VSA system. 172
On EX-L models
Compact Spare Tire
224
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)

Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park. Apply the
parking brake.
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.Thetoolsandjackarebehinda
cover in the cargo area on the
driver’s side. Remove the cover by
pushing the top of it.
Turn the jack’s end
counterclockwise to loosen it, then
remove the jack and tools.
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 that is
far away from the traffic lanes.
2. 1.3.
4.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
225
JACK
SPARE TIRE
TOOLS COVER
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.

Ú
The spare tire is stored
underneath the rear cargo area.
Remove the plastic cover on the
cargo area lining to access the
shaft for the spare tire hoist. Put the wheel nut wrench on the
hoist shaf t. Turn the wrench
counterclockwise to lower the
spare tire to the ground. Keep
turning the wheel nut wrench to
create slack in the cable.
Remove the bracket from the
spare tire.Placethejackunderthejacking
point nearest the tire you need to
change. It is pointed to by a
mark molded into the underside of
the body. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch.
Loosen each wheel nut 1/2 turn
with the wheel nut wrench.
8. 7. 6.
5. 9.
Changing a Flat T ire
226
BRACKET
JACKING POINT
WHEEL NUT WRENCH

Use the extension and the wheel
nut wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.
Remove the wheel nuts, then
remove the flat tire. Place the flat
tire on the ground with the outside
surface facing up.Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipeanydirtoff themounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.
Lower the vehicle to the ground
and remove the jack.
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. 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:
Remove the center cap from the
flat tire, and place the flat tire up
under the hoist.
14.
10.
11. 12.
13.
16. 15.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
227
EXTENSION
BRAKE HUB
WHEEL NUT WRENCH
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m)

Insert the hoist bracket into the
center hole of the f lat tire.
Slowly turn the wheel nut wrench
clockwisetotakeuptheslackof
the hoist cable. Make sure the
bracketisseatedinthecenter
hole of the spare tire.Store the jack in its holder. Turn
the jacks’ end bracket to lock it in
place and replace the tools and
cover. Turn the wheel nut wrench
clockwise until the f lat tire rests
against the underbody of the
vehicle and you hear the hoist
click.
17. 18. 19.
20.
Changing a Flat T ire
228
Loose items can fly around the
interiorinacrashandcould
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.
Always raise the spare tire hoist, even
if you are not stowing a tire. If the
hoist is lef t down, it will be damaged
during driving and need to be replaced.

Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things: Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
orNeutralorthestarterwillnot
operate.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights, and check
their brightness. If the headlights
areverydimordonotcomeonat
all, the battery is discharged. See
on page .
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereis
probably something wrong with
the electrical circuit f or the
ignition switch or starter motor.
You will need a qualif ied
technician to determine the
problem (see
on page ). If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
f rom a booster battery (see page
).
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page .
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.
230
237 221
230
159
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly Jump Starting
Emergency T owing Starting the
Engine
T he Starter Operates Normally
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
229

´´
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page . Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
Open the hood, and check the
physical condition of the battery.
In very cold weather, check the
condition of the electrolyte. If it
seems slushy or f rozen, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.
Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly(seepage ).
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
battery. Connect the other end to
the positive ( ) terminal on the
booster battery. Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, climate
control, stereo system, lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the low f uel indicator may
not be working.
You cannot start your vehicle by
pushing or pulling it. 1.
2.
3.
59
238 237Emergency
Towing Jump Starting
To Jump Start Your Vehicle:
If the Engine Won’t Start, Jump Starting
230
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.