2007 HONDA ELEMENT Owners Manual

Because your vehicle rides higher
off the ground, it has a high center
of gravity that can cause it to roll
over if you make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicl es have a signifi cantly higher
roll over rate than other types of
ve hicles.
To prevent rollovers or loss of
control:
Take corners at slower speeds
than you would with a passenger
vehicle.
Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers whenever possible. Do
not carry heavy cargo on the
roof. Do not modify your vehicle in any
way that would raise the center of
gravity. Your
vehicle is equipped with a four-
wheel drive (4WD) system. When
the system senses a loss of front-
wheel traction, it automatically
transfers some power to the rear
wheels. This gives you better
traction and mobility.
You still need to exercise the same
care when accelerating, steering, and
brakingthatyouwouldinatwo-
wheel drive vehicle.
Your
vehicle has a higher ground
clearance that allows you to travel
over bumps, obstacles, and rough
terrain. It also provides good
visibility so you can anticipate
problems earlier.
Four-wheel drive models
See page f or of f -highway drivingguidelines. 173
Driving Guidelines
150

Check the seat adjustment (see
page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the steering wheel
ad justment (see page ). Make
sure the doors, hatch, and
tailgate are secu rely closed and
locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page ).
When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicators in the
instrument panel (see page ).
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure. Check that the hood is f ully closed. Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments bef ore you drive
your vehicle.
Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
f astened down securely.
1.
2.
3.
4. 5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. 59
15
74
92
83
Preparing to Drive
Driving Guidelines
Driving
151

Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn off all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery. If
the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
down, and hold it there while
starting to clear flooding. If the
engine still does not start, return
to step 5.
If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressu re on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
Without
touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in the START (III)
position for more than 15 seconds
at a time. If the engine does not
start right away, pause for at least
10 seconds before trying again.
Press the clutch pedal down all the
way. The START (III) position
does not function unless the clutch
pedal is pressed.
Make sure the shift lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
1.
2.
3.
4.
6.
5.
Manual transmission:
Automatic transmission:
Starting theEngine
152
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air found at
altitudes above 8,000 feet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page .
76

When slowing down, you can get
extra braking f rom the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure the engine speed will not
go into the tachometer’s red zone in
the lower gear.
The manual transmission is
synchronized in all f orward gears f or
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from fifth to
reverse. When shif ting up or down,
make sure you push the clutch pedal
down all the way, shift to the next
gear, and let the pedal up gradually.
When you are not shif ting, do not
rest your f oot on the clutch pedal.
This can cause the clutch to wear out
f aster. Come to a full stop before you shift
into reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t into
reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause f or a f ew seconds bef ore
shif ting into reverse, or shif t into one
of the f orward gears f or a moment.
This stops the gears so they won’t
‘‘grind.’’
Manual T ransmission
Driving
153
Rapid slowing or speeding up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.

Normal acceleration15 mph (24 km/h)
25 mph (40 km/h)
40 mph (64 km/h)
48 mph (77 km/h)
Shif t up
1st to 2nd
2nd to 3rd 3rd to 4th4th to 5th If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
rpm below the red zone.
Drive in the highest gear that lets
the engine run and accelerate
smoothly. This will give you good
f uel economy and ef f ective
emissions control. The f ollowing
shif t points are recommended:
The engine speed limiter only works
when you upshif t; engine speed is
not limited during downshif ts.
Bef ore downshif ting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer’s red zone.
Recommended Shif t Points Engine Speed L imiter
Manual T ransmission
154

µ
These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shif t
lever is in. To shif t f rom any position, press
f irmly on the brake pedal, push the
release button, and pull the lever
toward you. You cannot shif t out of
Park when the ignition switch is in
the LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I)
position.
The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it f lashes while driving (in
any shif t position), it indicates a
possible problem in the transmission.
Avoid rapid acceleration, and have
thetransmissioncheckedbyyour
dealer as soon as possible. This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal.
CONT INUED
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR
Dto2 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoD DtoN
DtoD NtoDRtoN Do this:
Press the brake pedal, and
press the shift lever release
button.
Press the shift lever release
button.
Move the shift lever.
3
3
3
3
Shif t L ever Position Indicators Shif ting
Park (P)
Automatic Transmission
Driving
155
SHIFT LEVER
RELEASE BUTTON
D BUTTON3

µ
µ µ
µ
Use
neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from neutral to
another gear.
Press the brake
pedal and press the release button to
shift from Park to reverse. To shift
fr om reverse to neutral, come to a
completestop,andthenshift. To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop before shifting
into Park. You must also press the
release button to shift into Park. The
shift lever must be in Park before
you can remove the key from the
ignition switch. If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page . Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear (1 through 5) f or your
speed and acceleration. You may
notice the transmission shifting up at
higher engine speeds when the
engine is cold. This helps the engine
warm up f aster.
To use D , press the
D buttonwhentheshiftleverisin
the ‘‘D’’ position. This position is simi-
lartoD,exceptonlythefirstthree
gears are selected instead of all f ive.
Use D when towing a trailer in hilly
terrain, or to provide engine braking
when going down a steep hill. D can
also keep the transmission f rom
cycling between third and f ourth
gears in stop-and-go driving.
158
3
3
3 3
Automatic Transmission
Neutral (N)
Reverse (R) Shif t L ock Release
Drive (D)
Drive (D )
3
156

µµThis position locks
the transmission in second gear. It
does not downshif t to f irst gear
when you come to a stop.
Use second gear:
For more power when climbing.
To increase engine braking when
going down steep hills.
For starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow.
To help reduce wheel spin.
When driving downhill with a
trailer. This position locks the
transmission in f irst gear. By
upshif ting and downshif ting through
1, 2, D , and D, you can operate the
transmission much like a manual
transmission without a clutch pedal. If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
rpm below the red zone.
3
Automatic Transmission
Second (2)
First (1)Engine Speed L imiter
Driving
157