Page 153 of 277
To Open the Hood:Park the vehicle, and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly. Put your f ingers under the f ront
edge of the hood near the center.
Slide your hand to the lef t until
you f eel the hood latch handle.
Push this handle up to release it.
Lif t up the hood.
If the hood latch handle moves stif f ly,
or if you can open the hood without
lifting the handle, the mechanism
should be cleaned and lubricated.
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches. Screw the fuel fill cap back on
until it clicks at least once. If you
do not properly tighten the cap,
the malf unction indicator lamp
maycomeon(seepage ).You
will also see a ‘‘CHECK FUEL
CAP’’ message on the inf ormation
display.
1. 2.
5.
6.
237
Opening and Closing the Hood
Service Station Procedure
152
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
LATCH
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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 .
Insert it all the way back in its hole. Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel. Remove the dipstick (orange
handle).
Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.
Lif t the hood up most of the way.
The hydraulic supports will lif t it up
therestof thewayandholditup.
To close the hood, lower the hood to
about a f oot (30 cm) above the
f ender, then f irmly press down on
the f ront edge of the hood. Make
sure it is securely latched. 1.
2.
3.4.
196
A dding Oil
Oil Check
Service Station Procedure
Bef ore Driving
153
DIPSTICK
(orange handle)
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
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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, seeon 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.
201 191
Engine Coolant Check
A dding
Engine Coolant Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
Service Station Procedure
154
MAX RESERVE TANK
MIN
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Always drive in the highest gear
possible.
Try to maintain a constant speed.
Everytimeyouslowdownand
speed up, your vehicle uses extra
f uel. Use cruise control when
appropriate.
Combine several short trips into
one.
The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Usethefresh-air
ventilation when possible.
Drive moderately. Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking use more f uel. The build-up of snow or mud on
your vehicle’s underside adds
weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
mileage and reduces the chance of
corrosion. an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses more f uel. Always maintain your vehicle
according to the maintenance
minder. See (see page
).
191
For example,
Improving Fuel Economy
Owner’s
Maintenance Checks
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
155
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Bef ore installing any accessory:Make sure the accessory does not
obscure any lights, or interf ere
with proper vehicle operation or
perf ormance.
When properly installed, cellular
phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems should
not interf ere with your vehicle’s
computer controlled systems, such
as your airbags and anti-lock brakes.
Modif ying your vehicle, or installing
some non-Honda accessories, can
make your vehicle unsaf e. Bef ore
you make any modif ications or add
anyaccessories,besuretoreadthe
f ollowing inf ormation.
Your dealer has Honda accessories
that allow you to personalize your
vehicle. These accessories have
been designed and approved f or your
vehicle, and are covered by warranty. Bef ore installing any electronic
accessory, have the installer
contact your dealer for assistance.
If possible, have your dealer
inspect the f inal installation.
Do not install accessories on the
side pillars or across the rear
windows. In these areas,
accessories may interf ere with
proper operation of the side
curtain airbags.
Although non-Honda accessories
may f it on your vehicle, they may not
meet f actory specif ications, and
could adversely af f ect your vehicle’s
handling and stability. Be sure electronic accessories do
not overload electrical circuits
(see page ) or interf ere with
proper operation of your vehicle.
243
A ccessories
A ccessories and Modif ications
156
Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
vehicle’s handling, stability, and
performance, and cause a
crash in which you can be hurt
or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding
accessories and modifications.
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Removing parts f rom your vehicle,
or replacing components with
af termarket components could
seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability.
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.
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. If a side airbag
or a side curtain airbag inf lates, a
cupholderorotherhardobject
attached on or near the door could
be propelled inside the vehicle and
hurt someone.
Covering the outside edge of a
f ront seat-back, with a non-Honda
seat cover for example, could
prevent the airbag from inflating
properly.
Any object
attached to or placed on the covers
marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG’’ in the
center of the steering wheel and
on top of the dashboard, could
interf ere with the proper operation
of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inf late, the objects could be
propelled inside the vehicle and
hurt someone.
Modif ying Your Vehicle
Additional Saf ety Precautions
A ccessories and Modif ications
Do not at t ach hard object s on ornear a f ront door.
Do not place any object s over t heoutsideedgeof afront seat-back.
Do not at t ach or place object s on the f ront airbag covers.
Bef ore Driving
157
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Your vehicle has several convenient
storage areas:Glove box
Roof -rack (if installed) Console compartment
Center pocket
Trunk Door pockets
Seat-back pockets
However, carrying too much cargo
or improperly storing it can af f ect
your vehicle’s handling, stability,
stopping distance, and tires, and
make it unsaf e. Bef ore carrying any
type of cargo, be sure to read the
f ollowing pages.
Carrying Cargo
158
GLOVE BOX
SEAT-BACK POCKET
TRUNK DOOR POCKET CONSOLE COMPARTMENT
CENTER POCKET
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µ·
The maximum load f or your vehicle
is 850 lbs (395 kg). This f igure
includes the total weight of all
occupants, cargo, and accessories,
and the tongue load if you are towing
a trailer.
Determine the combined weight
of luggage and cargo being loaded
in 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, the 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 resulting f igure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity.
For example, if the maximum load
is 850 lbs and there will be f ive 150
lb passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 100 lbs.
(850 750 (5 150) = 100 lbs.) Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers f rom
850 pounds or 395 kilograms. Determine the combined weight
of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle. 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.]
Steps f or determining correct load
limit:
1.
2. 5.
6.
3.
4. 179
Load Limits
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving
159
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.
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