2007 HONDA RIDGELINE tailgate

Your vehicle has higher ground clearance than a passenger vehicle designed for use only on pavement. Higher ground
cl earance has many advantages for off-highway driving. It allows you to travel over bumps, obstacles, and rough
terrain. It also pro vides good visibility so you can anticipate problems earlier. Your vehicle also has a shorter
wheelbase, allowing it to respond quicker to the steering wheel than other sport utility vehicles with a longer
wheelbase.
In addition to these characteristics, your vehicle’s pickup bed area allows you to carry more cargo and has the dual-
action tailgate to handle the items easily.
Th ese advantages come at some cost. Because your vehicle is taller and rides higher off the ground, it has a high
center of gravi ty. This means your vehicle can tip or roll over if you make abrupt turns. Utility vehicles have a
signifi cantly higher rollover rate than oth er types of vehicles. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is signifi cantly
more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. As a reminder, make sure you and your passengers always wear
seat belts.
Overloading or improperly loading cargo could affect your handling and the vehicle’s stability, and could result in a
crash. Make sure the cargo is properly loaded and all items are secur ed in the pickup bed area.
For information on how to reduce the risk of rollover, read ‘‘Driving Guidelines’’ on page of this manual and the
section on page . Failure to operate your vehicle correctly might result in loss of
control or an accident. 194
227
Of f -Highway Driving Guidelines
Important Handling Inf ormation
iv

Your vehicle is equipped with seat
belts in all seating positions.Keep you f rom being thrown out
of the vehicle. Help keep you f rom being thrown
against the inside of the vehicle
and against other occupants.
Seat belts are the single most
effectivesafetydeviceforadultsand
larger children. (Inf ants and smaller
children must be properly restrained
in child seats.)
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
The pickup bed is not equipped with
seats or seat belts. Do not let anyone
ride in the pickup bed as they can
easily be thrown out and be killed or
seriously injured.
In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.
When properly worn, seat belts:Keep you connected to the vehicle
so you can take advantage of the
vehicle’s built-in saf ety f eatures.
Your seat belt system also includes
an indicator on the instrument panel
and a beeper to remind you and your
passengers to f asten your seat belts.
Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including f rontal,
side and rear impacts, and
rollovers.
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
Seat BeltsWhy Wear Seat Belt s
8
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
Be sure you and your
passengers always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.
Allowing passengers to ride in
the pickup bed or on the tailgate
can result in death or serious
injury in a crash.
Make sure all passengers ride
in a seat and wear a seat belt
properly.

µAdjust the driver’s seat as far to the
rear as possible while allowing you to
maintain full control of the vehicl e.
Have a front passenger adjust their
seat as far to the rear as possible.
See
pages for important
guidelines on how to properly
protect infants, small children, and
larger children who ride in your
vehicle. The following pages pro vide
instru ctions on how to properly
protect the driver, adult passengers,
and teenage children who are large
enough and mature enough to drive
or ride in the front.
After everyone has entered the
vehicle, be sure the doors are closed
and locked. Before driving, be sure
the tailgate is also closed.
Lo cking the doors reduces the
ch ance of someone being thro wn out
of the vehicle during a crash, and it
helps prevent passengers from
accidentally opening a door and
falling out. Your
vehicle has a door and
tailgate open monitor on
the instrument panel to indicate
when a specific door or the tailgate is
not tightly closed.
Your vehicle also has an
In-Bed Trunk open
indicator to show when the In-Bed
Trunk lid is not tightly closed (see
page ).
Lo cking the doors also helps prevent
an outsider from unexp ectedly
opening a door when you come to a
stop.
See page for how to lock the
doors, and page for how the door
and tailgate open monitor works.
32 52
96
83 64
CONT INUED
Protecting A dults and Teens
Introduction A djust the Front Seats
Close and L ock the Doors
1. 2.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
11

µ
During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child
and cause serious or fatal injuries.
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash. Children
who play in vehicl es
can accidentally get trapped inside.
Teach your children not to play in
or around vehicles. Know how to
operate the emergency In-Bed
Trunk opener and decide if your
children should be shown how to
use this feature (see page ).
Opening or
closing the tailgate could cause
accidental injuries.
Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition
switch, and open the windows,
which can lead to accidental injury
or death.
If
you are not wearing a
seat belt in a crash, you could be
thrown forward and crush the
child against the dashboard or a
seat-back. If you are wearing a
seat belt, the child can be torn
from your arms and be seriously
hurt or killed.
If a child wraps a loose seat
belt around their neck, they
can be seriously or fatally injured.
(S ee pages and for how to
activate and deactivate the
lockable retractor.)
For example, infants and small
childrenleftinavehicleonahot
day can die from heatstroke. A
child left alone with the key in the
ignition switch can accide ntally set
the vehicle in motion, possibly
injuring themselves or others.
Leaving
children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states and Canadian provinces,
and can be very hazardous.
This
can prevent
children from accidentally falling
out (see page ). 96
44 45
84
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Never put a seat belt over yourself
and a child.
Never let two children use thesame seat belt . L ock all doors and t he In-Bed
T runk when your vehicle is not inuse.
T each your children not t o play onthe pickup bed.
K eep vehicle keys/remot etransmitters out of the reach ofchildren.
Neverholdaninfantorchildon
your lap.
Make sure any unused seat beltt hat a child can reach is buckled,the lockable retractor is activated,and the belt is f ully retracted andlocked. Do not leave children alone in a
vehicle.
Use t he childproof door locks t o
prevent children f rom opening t herear doors.
36

This section gives inf ormation about
the controls and displays that
contribute to the daily operation of
your vehicle. All the essential
controls are within easy reach............................
Control Locations .58
............................
Instrument Panel .59
..........
Instrument Panel Indicators .61
.............................................
Gauges .70
Controls Near the Steering
...........................................
Wheel .74
........................
Multi-Control Lever .75
...................
Headlight Control Dial .76
........
Instrument Panel Brightness .78
.................
Hazard Warning Button .79
..........
Steering Wheel Adjustment .79
..................................................
Keys .80
........................
Immobilizer System .81
................................
Ignition Switch .82
......................................
Door Locks .83
.......................
Remote Transmitter .89
.......................
Dual-Action Tailgate .92
...............................
In-Bed Trunk .95
.................................................
Seats .98
..................................
Seat Heaters .104
............................
Power Windows .105
.......................................
Moonroof .108
...............................
Parking Brake .109
...........................................
Mirrors .110 .........
Interior Convenience Items .112
.........................
Center Console .113
.......
Console Compartments .113
.........................
Cargo Hooks .114
.....................
Beverage Holders .114
..................................
Glove Box .115
................................
Coat Hooks .115
....................
Sunglasses Holder .115
........
Accessory Power Sockets .116
...................................
Sun Visor .117
............................
Vanity Mirror .117
...............................
Interior Lights .118
.....................................
Bed Lights .120
Instruments and Controls
Inst rument s and Cont rols
57
TM

Instrument Panel
Instru me ntsand Cont ro ls
U.S. models
59
IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM
INDICATOR
WASHER LEVEL
INDICATOR
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR
LAMP LOW OIL PRESSURE
INDICATOR VSA ACTIVATION INDICATOR
VTM-4 INDICATOR
HIGH BEAM INDICATOR
A/T TEMPERATURE INDICATOR
LIGHTS ON INDICATOR
TPMS INDICATOR
CHARGING SYSTEM
INDICATOR
PARKING BRAKE AND
BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATOR SIDE
AIRBAG OFF
INDICATOR
LOW FUEL INDICATOR
CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR
BACK WINDOW OPEN
INDICATOR LOW
TIRE PRESSURE
INDICATOR MAINTENANCE
MINDER
INDICATOR
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATOR
VEHICLE
STABILITY
ASSIST (VSA) SYSTEM
INDICATOR
SUPPLEMENTAL
RESTRAINT
SYSTEM
INDICATOR
SEAT BELT
REMINDER
INDICATOR
BED LIGHTS ON INDICATOR
IN-BED
TRUNK OPEN
INDICATOR (P.67)
(P.66)
(P.66)
(P.66)
(P.68)
(P.69)
(P.62)
(P.63) (P.62)
(P.62)
(P.69) (P.67)
(P.68) (P.67)
(P.62) (P.63)
(P.65)
(P.62)
(P.61)
(P.65)
(P.65)
(P.63)
(P.69) (P.64)
(P.65)
DOOR AND TAILGATE
OPEN MONITOR
TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR
(P.68)

Instrument Panel
Canadian models
60
IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM
INDICATOR
WASHER LEVEL
INDICATOR
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR
LAMP LOW OIL PRESSURE
INDICATOR
VSA
ACTIVATION INDICATOR
VTM-4 INDICATOR
HIGH BEAM INDICATOR
A/T TEMPERATURE INDICATOR
LIGHTS ON INDICATOR
TPMS INDICATOR
CHARGING SYSTEM
INDICATOR
PARKING BRAKE AND
BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATOR SIDE
AIRBAG OFF
INDICATOR
LOW FUEL INDICATOR
CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR
BACK WINDOW OPEN
INDICATOR LOW
TIRE PRESSURE
INDICATOR MAINTENANCE
MINDER
INDICATOR
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATOR
VEHICLE
STABILITY
ASSIST (VSA) SYSTEM
INDICATOR
SUPPLEMENTAL
RESTRAINT
SYSTEM
INDICATOR
SEAT BELT
REMINDER
INDICATOR
DAY
TIME RUNNING LIGHTS
INDICATOR
BED LIGHTS ON INDICATOR
IN-BED
TRUNK OPEN
INDICATOR (P.67)
(P.66)
(P.66)
(P.65) (P.66)
(P.68) (P.69)
(P.62)
(P.63) (P.62)
(P.62)
(P.69) (P.64)
(P.69)
(P.67)
(P.68) (P.67)
(P.62) (P.63)
(P.65)
(P.62)
(P.61)
(P.65)
(P.65)
(P.63)
(P.65)
DOOR AND TAILGATE
OPEN MONITOR
TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR
(P.68)

This monitor includes two functions;
the door open indicator and the
tailgate open indicator. This monitor
wo rks with the ignition switch in any
position.
The specific door indicator comes on
in this monitor if any door is not
closed tightly.
Thetailgateindicatorcomeson
whenthetailgateisswungopenorif
it is not closed completely after you
swing it closed. If
the tailgate is swung open or is not
closed tightly, you will hear six beeps
and see the indicator blinking when
you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position. The beeper also
sounds and the indicator blinks when
you move the shift lever out of the
Park or neutral position.
The tailgate open indicator does not
monitor the tailgate when it is
dropped open.
If the driver does not fasten the seat
belt and the tailgate is swung open,
the seat belt reminder alarm will
sound at first, then the tailgate open
reminder beeper will sound.
For more information on the tailgate,
see page .
The
left or right turn signal indicator
blinks when you signal a lane change
or turn. If an indicator does not blink
or blinks rapidly, it usually means
one of the turn signal bulbs is
burned out (see pages and ).
Replace the bulb as soon as possible,
since other drivers cannot see that
you are signaling.
When you press the hazard warning
button, both turn signal indicators
and all turn signals on the outside of
the vehicle f lash.
94
256
257
Turn Signal and
Hazard Warning
Indicators
Door and T ailgate Open Monitor
Instrument Panel Indicators
64