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You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:If you need to decrease your
speed quickly, use the brakes as you
normally would.
Press and hold the SET/DECEL
button. Release the button when
you reach the desired speed.
To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/DECEL
button repeatedly. Each time you
do this, your vehicle will slow
down about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your f oot. The
CRUISE CONTROL indicator on
the instrument panel will go out.
When the vehicle slows to the
desired speed, press the SET/
DECEL button.
You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the RES/ACCEL
button. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.
Push on the accelerator pedal.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed, then press the SET/
DECEL button.
To increase the speed in very
small amounts, tap the RES/
ACCEL button. Each time you do
this, your vehicle will speed up
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Cruise control may not hold the set
speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down to the desired speed. This
will cancel cruise control. To resume
the set speed, press the RES/
ACCEL button. The CRUISE
CONTROL indicator on the
instrument panel comes on.
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshif t to hold the set speed.
Cruise Control
Changing the Set Speed
224
NOTE:
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Pressing the CRUISE button turns
the system completely of f and erases
the previous cruising speed.
When you push the CANCEL button,
or tap the brake or clutch pedal, the
system will remember the previously
set cruising speed. To return to that
speed, accelerate to above 25 mph
(40 km/h), and then press and
release the RES/ACCEL button. The
CRUISE CONTROL indicator comes
on. The vehicle will accelerate to the
same cruising speed as bef ore.
You can cancel cruise control in any
of these ways:
Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel.
Push the CRUISE button on the
steering wheel.
Even with the cruise control turned
on, you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up f or passing. Af ter
completing the pass, take your foot
of f the accelerator pedal. The vehicle
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your f oot on the brake or
clutch pedal causes the cruise
control to cancel.
Cruise Control
Resuming the Set Speed
Canceling Cruise Control
Features
225
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Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Press the clutch pedal down all the
way. The START (III) position
does not f unction unless the clutch
pedal is pressed.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in the START (III)
position f or more than 15 seconds
at a time. If the engine does not
start right away, pause for at least
10 seconds bef ore trying again.
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
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.6.
Manual transmission:
Automatic transmission:
Starting the Engine
Driving
281
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (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 .
77
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On models with manual transmission
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, shif t 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 your 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.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking from 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.
Manual T ransmission
282
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.
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µ
µ
µ µ
To shif t to second,
pressthereleasebuttononthefront
of the shif t lever. This 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.
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 shif ting up at
higher engine speeds when the
engine is cold. This helps the engine
warm up f aster.
This position is
similar to D, except only the f irst
three gears are selected. Use D3
when towing a trailer in hilly terrain,
or to provide engine braking when
going down a steep hill. D3 can also
keep the transmission f rom cycling
between third and f ourth gears in
stop-and-go driving. To shif t f rom second to
first, press the release button on the
f ront of the shif t lever. This position
locks the transmission in f irst gear.
By upshif ting and downshif ting
through 1, 2, D3, and D, you can
operate this transmission much like
a manual transmission without a
clutch pedal.
Automatic Transmission
Second (2)
Drive (D)
Drive (D3) First (1)
286
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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, and
instructions f or simple maintenance
tasks you may want to take care of
yourself .
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.......................
Maintenance Saf ety .306
....................
Maintenance Minder .307
..............................
Fluid Locations .314
........................
Adding Engine Oil .316
Changing the Engine Oil and
...........................................
Filter .318
..............................
Engine Coolant .320
....................
Windshield Washers .322
.......................
Transmission Fluid .323
..........
Automatic Transmission .323
..............
Manual Transmission .325
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid .326
................................
Brake Fluid .326
...............................
Clutch Fluid .327
....................
Power Steering Fluid .327
....................................
Timing Belt .328
.............................................
Lights .329
................
Cleaning the Seat Belts .338
.....................................
Floor Mats .338
..................
Dust and Pollen Filter .339
.................................
Wiper Blades .340
...............................................
Tires .343
...................
Checking the Battery .351
.............................
Vehicle Storage .352
403
Maintenance
Maint enance
305
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Fluid Locations
2.4engine models
314
ENGINE OIL
FILL CAP
CLUTCH FLUID
(Manual
Transmission only)
(Light gray cap)
BRAKE FLUID
(Black cap)
RADIATOR CAP
ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK
(Orange handle)
POWER STEERING
FLUID (Red cap)
WASHER FLUID
(Blue cap)
ENGINE COOLANT
RESERVOIR AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
FLUID DIPSTICK
(Yellow loop)
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Check the f luid level in the
reservoirs monthly. There are up to
two reservoirs, depending on the
model. They are:Brake f luid reservoir (all models)
Clutch f luid reservoir
(manual transmission only)
Replace the brake f luid according to
the maintenance minder (see page ). Always use Honda Heavy Duty
Brake Fluid DOT 3. If it is not
available, you should use only DOT 3
or DOT 4 f luid, f rom a sealed
container, as a temporary
replacement.
Using any non-Honda brake f luid can
cause corrosion and decrease the lif e
of the system. Have the brake
system f lushed and ref illed with
Honda Heavy Duty Brake Fluid
DOT 3 as soon as possible.
Brake f luid marked DOT 5 is not
compatible with your vehicle’s
braking system and can cause
extensive damage.
The f luid level should be between
theMINandMAXmarksontheside
of the reservoir. If the level is at or
below the MIN mark, your brake
system needs attention. Have the
brake system inspected f or leaks or
worn brake pads.
307
Brake and Clutch Fluid
Brake Fluid
326
MAX
MIN
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