Page 193 of 287

Maketurnsmoreslowlyandwider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.
When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red (Hot) mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.Always drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the lef t
to get the trailer to move to the left,
andturnthewheelrighttomovethe
trailer to the right.
Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including f irmly setting the
parking brake and putting the
transmission in Park. Also, place
wheel chocks at each of the trailer’s
tires.
Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause the trailer to
sway. When being passed by a large
vehicle, keep a constant speed, and
steer straight ahead. Do not try to
make quick steering or braking
corrections. When driving down hills, reduce
your speed, and shif t down to second
gear. Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember, it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
If you must stop when f acing uphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
bottom
Making T urns and Braking
Driving on Hills Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ingBacking Up
Parking
Towing a Trailer
190
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Page 194 of 287

If you have the skills and tools to
perf orm more complex maintenance
tasks on your vehicle, you may want
to purchase the service manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your dealer. This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.
This section also includes
instructions on how to read the
maintenance minder messages on
the information display, a
maintenance record, and instructions
for simple maintenance tasks you
may want to take care of yourself.......................
Maintenance Saf ety . 192
....................
Maintenance Minder . 193
....................
Maintenance Record . 200
..............................
Fluid Locations . 202
........................
Adding Engine Oil . 203
.......
Recommended Engine Oil . 203
..............................
Synthetic Oil . 204
................
Engine Oil Additives . 204
.........
Changing the Oil and Filter . 205
..............................
Engine Coolant . 207
....................
Windshield Washers . 209
.......................
Transmission Fluid . 210
....................................
Brake Fluid . 211
....................................
Timing Belt . 212
.............................................
Lights . 213
................
Cleaning the Seat Belts . 219
.....................................
Floor Mats . 219
..............................
Audio Antenna . 220
..................
Dust and Pollen Filter . 220
.................................
Wiper Blades . 221
...............................................
Tires . 223
.......................................
Wheels . 223
..................
Inf lation Guidelines . 223
.
Recommended Tire Pressure . 224
..........................
Tire Inspection . 225
.....................
Tire Maintenance . 225 .............................
Tire Rotation . 226
...
Replacing Tires and Wheels . 226
......................
Wheels and Tires . 227
..........................
Winter Driving . 227
.............................
Snow Tires . 227
............................
Tire Chains . 228
......
Checking the 12 Volt Battery . 229
.............................
Vehicle Storage . 230
275
Maintenance
Maint enance
191
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Page 195 of 287

All service items not detailed in this
section should be perf ormed by a
certif ied technician or other qualif ied
mechanic.
To eliminate potential hazards, read
the instructions bef ore you begin,
and make sure you have the tools
and skills required.To clean parts, use a commercially
available degreaser or parts
cleaner, not gasoline.
To reduce the possibility of f ire or
explosion, keep cigarettes, sparks,
and flames away from the battery
and all f uel-related parts.
Wear eye protection and
protective clothing when
working near the battery or
when using compressed air. Be sure
there is adequate ventilation
whenever you operate the
engine. Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
down bef ore touching any parts. Do
not run the engine unless
instructed to do so. Some of the most important saf ety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every
conceivable hazard that can arise in
perf orming maintenance. Only you
can decide whether or not you
should perf orm a given task.
Make sure your vehicle is parked
on level ground, the parking brake
is set, and the engine is of f .
Maintenance Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Carbon Monoxide poison
f rom engine exhaust.
Burns f rom hot parts.
Injury f rom moving parts.
Potential Vehicle Hazards
192
Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures
and precautions in this owner’s
manual.
Improperly maintaining this
vehicle, or failing to correct a
problem before driving can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection
and maintenance
recommendations and
schedules in this owner’s
manual.
06/08/08 14:47:35 31SDR620_197
Page 201 of 287

µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
Ì
U.S. Vehicles:
Youshouldcheckthefollowing
items at the specif ied intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perf orm
any check, turn to the appropriate
page listed. Lights Check the operation of
the headlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
and license plate lights monthly.
See page .
Engine coolant level Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
youfillthefueltank.Seepage . Engine oil level Check every
time you fill the fuel tank. See
page .
Automatic transmission Check
the f luid level monthly. See page .
Brakes Check the f luid level
monthly. See page .
Tires Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread f or
wear and foreign objects. See page .
According to state and federal
regulations, f ailure to perf orm
maintenance on the items marked
with will not void your emissions
warranties. However, all
maintenance services should be
perf ormed in accordance with the
intervals indicated by the
inf ormation display.
159
160
210 211
225 213
Maintenance, replacement, or
repair of emissions control
devices and systems may be done
by any automotive repair
establishment or individual using
parts that are ‘‘certif ied’’ to EPA
standards. Owner’s Maintenance Checks
Maintenance Minder
198
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Î
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Ì Ì
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Maintenance Minder
199
Maintenance Main Items
Replace engine oil
Replace engine oil and oil filter
Inspect front and rear brakes
Check parking brake adjustment
Inspect these items: Tie rod ends, steering gear box, and boots
Suspension components
Driveshaft boots
Brake hoses and lines (including ABS)
All fluid levels and condition of fluids
Exhaust system
Fuel lines and connections Maintenance Sub Items
Rotate tires
Replace air cleaner element
Replace dust and pollen filter
Inspect drive belt
Replace transmission fluid
Replace spark plugs
Replace timing belt and inspect water pump
(V6 engine only)
Inspect valve clearance
Replace engine coolant
:
A
B
Symbol
1
2
3
4
5
Symbol1
1
See information on maintenance and emissions warranty in the first column
on page .
Inspect idle speed every 160,000 miles (256,000 km).
If the message ‘‘SERVICE’’ does not appear more than 12 months after the
display is reset, change the engine oil every year.
Independent of the maintenance messages in the information display,
replace the brake fluid every 3 years.
Adjust the valves during services A, B, 1, 2, or 3 only if they are noisy.
NOTE: 1:
198
If you drive in dusty conditions, replace every 15,000
miles (24,000 km).
If you drive primarily in urban areas that have high
concentrations of soot in the air from industry and from
diesel-powered vehicles, replace every 15,000 miles
(24,000 km).
Driving in mountainous areas at very low vehicle speeds
or trailer towing results in higher transmission and
transfer temperatures. This requires transmission and
transfer fluid changes more frequently than
recommended by the Maintenance Minder. If you
regularly drive your vehicle under these conditions, have
the transmission and transfer fluid changed at 60,000
miles (100,000 km), then every 30,000 miles (48,000 km).
If you drive regularly in very high temperatures (over
110°F, 43°C), or in very low temperatures (under 20°F,29°C), replace every 60,000 miles (U.S.)/100,000 km
(Canada).
Maintenance Minder
06/08/08 14:48:43 31SDR620_204
Page 203 of 287
Maintenance Record
200
mi
mi
mi
mi
mi
mi
mi
mi
mi
mi
mi
mi
mi
mi
Maintenance Performed
AB12345
AB12345
AB12345
AB12345
AB12345
AB12345
AB12345
Signature
Date
Maintenance Performed
AB12345
AB12345
AB12345
AB12345
AB12345
AB12345
AB12345
Signature
Date
Mileage
km
km
km
km
km
km
km
Mileage
km
km
km
km
km
km
km
You or the servicing dealer can record all completed maintenance here. When maintenance is performed, record the mileage, circle the coded item(s) completed, and write in any other non-coded items (such as brake fluid replacement) below the codes. Keep the receipts for all work done on yourvehicle. Maintenance can also be recorded in your Honda service history booklet.
06/08/08 14:48:50 31SDR620_205
Page 205 of 287
Fluid Locations
202
ENGINE OIL FILL CAPRADIATOR CAP
ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK
(Orange loop)
WASHER FLUID
(Blue cap) BRAKE FLUID
(Gray cap)
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
FLUID DIPSTICK
(Yellow loop)
ENGINE COOLANT
RESERVOIR
06/08/08 14:49:02 31SDR620_207
Page 214 of 287

Check the f luid level in the brake
f luid reservoir monthly.
Replace the brake f luid according to
the maintenance minder (see page).
To thoroughly f lush the transmission,
the technician should drain and ref ill
it with Honda ATF-Z1 (Automatic
Transmission Fluid), then drive the
vehicle f or a short distance. Do this
three times. Then drain and ref ill the
transmission a f inal time.
Insert the dipstick all the way back
into the transmission.
If the level is below the lower
mark, add f luid into the dipstick
hole to bring it to the level
between the upper and lower
marks.
Pour the f luid slowly and caref ully
so you do not spill any. Clean up
any spill immediately; it could
damage components in the engine
compartment.
Always use Honda ATF-Z1
(automatic transmission f luid). If it’s
not available, you may use a
DEXRON
III automatic
transmission f luid as a temporary
replacement. However, continued
use can affect the shift quality. Have
the transmission f lushed and ref illed
with Honda ATF-Z1 as soon as it is
convenient. 6.
5.
193
CONT INUED
T ransmission Fluid, Brake Fluid
Brake Fluid
Maint enance
211
06/08/08 14:50:24 31SDR620_216