2005 HONDA PILOT tow

2005 Pilot 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
Important Handling Information........................................................................\
.............................iii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
............................................ .4
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
..................................... .7
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
........................................ .55
Instrume nt panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
....................... .99
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................145
What gasoline to use, how to break -in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... .157
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................187
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take you r vehicle to the dealer.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
..............................223
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, an d how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
............................................ .243
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................257
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................261
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index........................................................................\
........................................................................\
...... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition to ON (II).
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition to ON (II).
If it comes on while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are extremely low on
pressure.
If this happens, pull to the side of the
road when it is saf e, check which tire
has lost the pressure on the tire
pressure monitor, and determine the
cause. If it is because of a f lat tire,
replace the flat tire with the compact
spare (see page ), and have the
f lat tire repaired as soon as possible.
If two or more tires are underinf lated,
call a prof essional towing service
(see page ). Ref er to page
f or more inf ormation. The appropriate tire indicator will
come on along with the low tire
pressure indicator if a tire is
extremely under inf lated or has
suddenly lost pressure. See
for what to
do if this indicator comes on. If this indicator comes on and stays
on at any other time, or it does not
come on when you turn the ignition
switch to ON (II), there is a problem
with the TPMS. With this indicator
on, the low tire pressure indicator
and the tire pressure monitor will not
come on when a tire loses pressure.
Take the vehicle to your dealer to
have the system checked.
224
237
165 Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (T PMS) Indicator
Low Tire Pressure
Indicator T ire Pressure Monitor
Low
Tire Pressure Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
Inst rument s and Cont rols
61

µ
µ
µ
µ µµ
µ
µ µ
MIST
OFF
INT Intermittent
LO Low speed
HI High speed
Windshield Washers
Push the right lever up or down to
select a position. The wipers run at high
speed until you release the lever. Rotate the switch clockwise to
turn the rear window wiper ON.
Hold past ON to turn the window
wiper on and to spray the window
washer.
OFF
Rotate the switch
counterclockwise to spray the
window washer without activating
the wiper.
The wipers run at low speed. The wipers are not activated.
The length of the wiper
interval is varied automatically
according to the vehicle’s speed.
Vary the delay by turning the INT
TIME ring. If you turn it to the
shortest delay, the wipers will
change to low speed operation
when the vehicle speed exceeds 12
mph (20 km/h).
The wipers run at high speed. Pull the
wiper control lever toward you and
hold it. The washers spray until
you release the lever. The wipers
run at low speed, then complete
one more sweep af ter you release
the lever.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
1.
2.
3.
4. Rear Window Wiper and Washer
MIST LO OFF
INT
HI
Windshield Washer
Windshield Wipers and Washers
70

Push the lever under the steering
column all the way down.
Move the steering wheel so it
points to your chest, not toward
your f ace. Make sure you can see
the instrument panel gauges and
indicators.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.
1.
2.3.
4.
Steering Wheel A djustment
74
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.

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. We recommend using gasoline
containing detergent additives that
help prevent f uel system and engine
deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the Malfunction Indicator
Lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your dealer f or service.
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
.
Your vehicle is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise that can lead to engine damage.
Premium f uel is recommended when
towing in certain conditions (see
page ).
180
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period Fuel Recommendation
Quick Start Guide
146

Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.Remove the dipstick again, and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page . Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
on page f or
inf ormation on adding the proper
coolant.
Refer to on page f or inf ormation
about checking other items on your
vehicle.
Remove the dipstick (orange loop).
Wipe of f the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert it all the way back into its
tube.
1.
2.
3. 4.
199 202
191
Service Station Procedures
Oil Check
A dding OilEngine Coolant Check
A dding
Engine Coolant
Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
Bef ore Driving
149
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK MAX
MIN RESERVE TANK
DIPSTICK

µ·
Steps f or determining correct load
limit:
Locate the statement, ‘‘the
combined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed 850
lbs’’ on your vehicle’s placard.
[The placard is on the driver’s
doorjamb.]
Determine the combined weight
of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle.
The resulting f igure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. Determine the combined weight
of luggage and cargo being loaded
on the vehicle. That weight may
not saf ely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity in
Step 4.
If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load f rom your trailer will
be transf erred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of
yourvehicle(seepage ).
The maximum load f or your vehicle
is 1,158 lbs (525 kg). This f igure
includes the total weight of all
occupants, cargo, and accessories,
and the tongue load if you are towing
a trailer.
Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers f rom
1,158 pounds or 525 kg kilograms.
For example, if the maximum load
is 1,158 lbs and there will be f ive
150 lb. passengers in your vehicle,
the amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 408 lbs.(1,158 750 (5 150) = 408 lbs.)
1.
2. 5.
6.
3.
4. 173
Load Limits
Carrying Cargo
154
Overloading or improper
loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in
which you can be hurt or killed.
Follow all load limits and other
loading guidelines in this
manual.

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the VTM-4System, the VSA
system (EX-L model only), the tire
pressure monitoring system, and
f acts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer. ........................
Driving Guidelines .158
.......................
Starting the Engine .159
..............
Automatic Transmission . 160
..............................
VTM-4 System .164
Tire Pressure Monitoring ........................
System (TPMS) .165
..................................
Parking Tips .167
.............................
Braking System .168
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 169
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) ........................................
System .171
.............................
VSA Of f Switch .172
...........................
Towing a Trailer .173
......................
Trailer Driving Tips .180
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a ................................
Motorhome .182
Of f -Highway Driving ..................................
Guidelines .183
Driving
Driving
157