2007 HONDA PILOT parking brake

Put your fingers under the front
edge of the hood near the center.
Slide your hand to the left until
you feel the hood latch handle.
Push this handle up to release it.
Lift up the hood.
If the hood latch handle moves
stiffly, or if you can open the hood
without lifting the handle, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated.
Park
the vehicle, and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
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.
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches. 2.
1.
5.
6. 277
Service Station Procedures
Opening and Closing the Hood
188
LATCH
SLIT
ATTACHMENT FUEL FILL CAP HOOD RELEASE HANDLE

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-4 system (4WD
models only), the VSA system, the
tire pressure monitoring system, and
f acts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer.........................
Driving Guidelines .198
.......................
Starting the Engine .199
..............
Automatic Transmission .200
..............................
VTM-4 System .204
Tire Pressure Monitoring
........................
System (TPMS) .205
..................................
Parking Tips .207
.............................
Braking System .208
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .209
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
........................................
System .211
.........................
VSA Of f Switch .212
...........................
Towing a Trailer .213
......................
Trailer Driving Tips .219
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a
................................
Motorhome .221
Of f -Highway Driving ..................................
Guidelines .222
Driving
Driving
197

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.
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.
Check
the steering wheel
ad justment (see page ).
Make sure the doors and the
tailgate are secu rely closed and
locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page ).
Wh en you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicato rs in the
instrument panel (see page ). 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.
Make
sure the shift lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
In
cold weather, turn off all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Apply
the parking brake. 5.
6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
78
61
15
6.
7.
8.
9.
79
Driving
Guidelines, Starting the Engine
Starting theEngine
Driving
199
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.
The immobilizer system protects your
veh icle from theft. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page .

Do this if pushing on the brake pedal
and pulling the shif t lever does not
shif t the transmission out of Park:Set the parking brake. Push down on the key while you
pull the shif t lever towards you
and move it out of Park to neutral.
Remove the key from the shift
lock release slot, then install the
cover. Press the brake pedal, and
restart the engine.
Put a cloth on the edge of the shif t
lock release slot cover. Using a
small f lat-tipped screwdriver or a
metal f ingernail f ile, caref ully pry
on the edge of the cover to remove
it.
Insert the key in the shift lock
release slot.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
If you need to use the shif t lock
release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by your dealer.
3.
4. 5.
6.
1.
2. Shif t L ock Release
Automatic Transmission
Driving
203

Set the parking brake bef ore you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the vehicle from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission.If the vehicle is f acing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb and set the parking brake. If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb and set the parking brake.
Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. Make sure
the parking brake is set f irmly or
your vehicle may roll if it is on an
incline. Make sure the moonroof (if
equipped) and the windows are
closed.
Turn of f the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.
in the cargo area or take them
with you.
Lock the doors.
Check the indicator on the driver’s
door to verify that the security
system is set.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The hot three way
catalytic converter could cause
these materials to catch on fire.
On vehicles with security system
Parking Tips
Driving
207

such as trying to take a
corn er too fast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe
speed for the road and weather
conditions.
Always steer moderate ly
wh en you are braking hard. Severe
or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your vehicle to veer
into oncoming traffic or off the road.
If
this indicator comes on, the anti-
lock function of the braking system
has shut down. The brakes still work
like a conven tional system, but
without anti-lock. You should have
your dealer inspect your vehic le as
soon as possible.
If the ABS indicator and the brake
system indicator come on together,
and the parking brake is fully
released, the front-to-rear braking
distribution system may also be shut
down.
Test your brakes as instructed on
page . If the brakes f eel normal,
drive slowly and have your vehicle
repaired by your dealer as soon as
possible. Avoid sudden hard braking
which could cause the rear wheels to
lock up and possibly lead to a loss of
control. It only helps with steering
control during braking. on loose or
uneven surf aces, such as gravel or
snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock.
278
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
A BS will not prevent a skid that
results f rom changing direction
abruptly,
A BS cannot prevent a loss of
stability.
ABS Indicator
Important Saf ety Reminders
A BS does not reduce the time or
distance it takes to stop the
vehicle. A vehicle with A BS may require a
longer distance to stop
210

When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shift down to D . Do
not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes.
If you must stop when facing uphill,
use the foot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
Crosswinds and air turbulen ce
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause 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. Al
ways drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the left
to get the trailer to move to the left,
andturnthewheel righttomovethe
trailer to the right.
Follow all norm al precau tions when
parking, including putting the
transmission in Park and firmly
setting the parking brake. Also, place
wheel chocks at each of the trailer’s
tires.
If the vehicle’s tires slip when
retr ieving a boat from the water,
shift to first gear, and turn on VTM-4
lock (see page ). Disengage
VTM-4 lock as soon as the boat is
out of the water to prevent damage
to the VTM-4 system. Your
vehicle is not designed to be
towed behind a motor home. If your
vehicle needs to be towed in an
emergency, see page .
204 279
3
bottom
Remember, it
takes longer to slow down and
stop when towing a trailer. Towing Your Vehicle
Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ingBacking Up
ParkingRet rieving a Boat
T railer Driving T ips, T owing Your Vehicle Behind a Motorhome
Driving
221

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 with the battery or compressed air. 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.
All service items not detailed in this
section should be perf ormed by a
certif ied technician or qualif ied
mechanic.
Make sure your vehicle is parked
on level ground, the parking brake
is set, and the engine is of f . Be sure there is
adequate ventilation whenever you
operate the engine.
Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
down bef ore touching any parts.
Maintenance Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions Injury f rom moving parts.
Potential Vehicle Hazards Carbon Monoxide poison f rom
engine exhaust.
Burns f rom hot parts.
228
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,
maintenance recommendations,
and schedules in this owner’s
manual.