µ
You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with airbags,
make sure you and your passengers
always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly (see page ).
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat. Infants and small children
should be restrained in a child seat.
Larger children should use a booster
and a lap/shoulder belt until they
canusethebeltproperlywithouta
booster (see pages ). While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
16
191
36
53
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Restrain All Children Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Don’t Drink and Drive
8
06/08/08 14:16:10 31SDR620_013
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
164
GLOVE BOX
TRUNK CONSOLE COMPARTMENT
CENTER POCKET
DOOR POCKETS
SEAT-BACK POCKETS
06/08/08 14:43:19 31SDR620_169
In certain unusual conditions when
your vehicle gets stuck in shallow
mud or f resh snow, it may be easier
to free it with the VSA temporarily
switched of f . When the VSA system
is of f , the traction control system is
alsooff.Youshouldonlyattemptto
f ree your vehicle with the VSA of f if
you are not able to f ree it when the
VSA is on.
Immediately af ter f reeing your
vehicle, be sure to switch the VSA on
again. We do not recommend driving
your vehicle with the VSA and
traction control systems switched off.This switch is under the lef t vent.
Press it to turn the VSA system on
and off.
When VSA is off, the VSA activation
indicator comes on as a reminder.
VSA is turned on every time you
start the engine, even if you turned it
off the last time you drove the
vehicle.Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the VSA to
malf unction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are of the same size
and type as your original tires (see
page ).
Deactivate the VSA system if you
need to drive with the compact spare
tire installed (see page ).
If you install winter tires, make sure
they are the same size as those that
were originally supplied with your
vehicle. Exercise the same caution
during winter driving as you would if
your vehicle was not equipped with
VSA.
226
234
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
VSA Of f Switch VSA and Tire Sizes
184
VSA OFF SWITCH
06/08/08 14:46:21 31SDR620_189
Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort.Underinf lated tires wear unevenly,
adversely af f ect handling and f uel
economy, and are more likely to
fail from being overheated.
Overinf lated tires can make your
vehicleridemoreharshly,are
more prone to damage f rom road
hazards, and wear unevenly.
We recommend that you visually
check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.
To saf ely operate your vehicle, your
tires must be the proper type and
size, in good condition with adequate
tread, and correctly inf lated.
The f ollowing pages give more
detailed inf ormation on how to take
care of your tires and what to do
when they need to be replaced.
Clean the wheels as you would the
rest of the exterior. Wash them with
thesamesolution,andrinsethem
thoroughly.
Aluminum alloy wheels have a
protective clear-coat that keeps the
aluminum f rom corroding and
tarnishing. Cleaning the wheels with
harsh chemicals (including some
commercial wheel cleaners) or a stif f
brush can damage the clear-coat. To
clean the wheels, use a mild
detergent and a sof t brush or sponge.
CONT INUED
Tires
Inf lation Guidelines
Wheels
Maint enance
223
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.
06/08/08 14:52:17 31SDR620_228
To help increase tire lif e and
distribute wear more evenly, rotate
the tires according to the
maintenance messages displayed on
the information display. Move the
tires to the positions shown in the
chart each time they are rotated. If
you purchase directional tires, rotate
only f ront-to-back.Replace your tires with radial tires of
the same size, load range, speed
rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire’s sidewall).
If you ever replace a wheel, make
sure that the wheel’s specif ications
match those of the original wheels.
Replacement wheels are available at
your dealer.
Mixing radial and bias-ply tires on
your vehicle can reduce braking
ability, traction, and steering
accuracy. Using tires of a dif f erent
size or construction can cause the
ABS and vehicle stability assist
system (VSA) to work inconsistently.
It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, replace the two f ront
tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
af f ect your vehicle’s handling.
T ire Rotation Replacing T ires and Wheels
Tires
226
(For Non-directional
Tires and Wheels)
Front Front
(For Directional
Tires and Wheels)
Installing improper tires on your
vehicle can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner’s manual.
06/08/08 14:52:51 31SDR620_231
When installing cables, f ollow the
manuf acturer’s instructions, and
mount them as tight as you can.
Make sure they are not contacting
the brake lines or suspension. Drive
slowly with them installed. If you
hear them coming into contact with
the body or chassis, stop and
investigate. Remove them as soon as
you begin driving on cleared roads.
Because your vehicle has limited tire
clearance, Honda strongly
recommends using the chains listed
below, made by Security Chain
Company (SCC). Mount tire chains on your tires when
required by driving conditions or
local laws. Install them only on the
f ront tires.
Cable-types: SCC Radial Chain
CH2311T or SCC SC Cable SC1030T ire Chains
Tires
228
Using the wrong chains, or not
properly installing chains, can
damage the brake lines and
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously injured or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding the
selection and use of tire chains.
Traction devices that are the wrong
size or improperly installed can
damage your vehicle’s brake lines,
suspension, body, and wheels. Stop
driving if they are hitting any part of
the vehicle.
06/08/08 14:53:07 31SDR620_233
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
Specif ications
Technical Inf ormation
261
Engine
Alignment
Tires
Lights
Battery
Fuses 12 V 60 W (HB3)
12 V 51 W (HB4)
12 V 21 W 12 V 24/2.2 CP
SOHC i-VTEC 6-cylinder (V6),
gasoline engine
3.39 x 3.39 in (86.0 x 86.0 mm) 182.8 cu-in (2,997 cm
)
10.5 : 1
IZFR6K-11
SKJ20DR-M11
Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs
Toe-in
Camber
Caster
0.00 in (0.0 mm)
0.08 in (2.0 mm)
0°1°
3°15’
Size
Pressure P215/60R16 94V
T135/80D16
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
)
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm)
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
Headlights
Front side marker/Parking/
Turn signal light
Rear turn signal lights
Back-up lights
License plate light
Front ceiling lights
Center ceiling light
Trunk light
Door courtesy light
Vanity mirror lights
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V21 W
3CP
8W
8W
5W
2CP
2W
Capacity
Interior
Under-hood 12 V 52 AH/5 HR
Seepage 254or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box door on each side of the
dashboard.
Seepage 253or the fuse box
cover. Front
Rear
Front
Rear
Front
High
Low
NGK:
DENSO:
Front/Rear
Spare
Front
Rear
Spare
(Amber)
(Amber)
06/08/08 14:58:01 31SDR620_266
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
Rim diameter in inches.
Load index (a numerical code
associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry).
Speed symbol (an
alphabetical code indicating
the maximum speed rating).
The tires that came on your vehicle
have a number of markings. Those
you should be aware of are described
below.
Whenever tires are replaced, they
should be replaced with tires of the
same size. Following is an example
of tire size with an explanation of
what each component means.
Vehicletype(Pindicates
passenger vehicle).
Tire width in millimeters.
Aspect ratio (the tire’s section
height as a percentage of its
width).
Tire construction code (R
indicates radial).
The tire identif ication number (TIN)
is a group of numbers and letters
that look like the f ollowing example
TIN. TIN is located on the sidewall
of the tire.
The maximum load the
tire can carry at
maximum air pressure.
The maximum air
pressurethetirecan
hold.
Tire type code.
Date of manufacture.
Manuf acturer’s
identification mark.
This indicates that the tire
meets all requirements of
the U.S. Department of
Transportation.
P
R
V
16
DOT
B97R
FW6X
2202
205
60
91
Max Press
Max LoadT ire Ident if icat ion Number
Tire Size
Maximum T ire L oad
Maximum T ire Pressure
Tire Labeling
264
P205/60R16 91V
DOT B97R FW6X 2202
06/08/08 14:58:32 31SDR620_269