2008 HONDA ELEMENT Owners Manual

Remove the socket f rom the light
assembly by turning it one-quarter
turn counterclockwise.
Pull the bulb straight out of its
socket. Push the new bulb straight
into the socket until it bottoms.
Place a cloth between the trim of
the lens and the body, at the top of
the lens. Remove the front side
marker light assembly by caref ully
prying on the trim of the lens with
a small f lat-tip screwdriver.
The f ront parking/turn signal light
is next to the headlight bulb. On
the driver’s side, remove the f ront
end of the air intake duct by
pulling it out (see page ).
Remove the socket from the
headlight assembly by turning it
one-quarter turn counterclockwise.
Pull the bulb straight out of its
socket. Push the new bulb straight
into the socket until it bottoms.
Insert the socket back into the
headlight assembly. Turn it
clockwise to lock it in place.
Testthelightstomakesurethe
new bulb is working.
Install the f ront end of the air
intake duct.
1. 2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. (Driver’s side)
202
CONT INUED
On all models except SC
Lights
Replacing a Front Side Marker
Light Bulb
Maint enance
205
SCREWDRIVER
CLOTH LIGHT
ASSEMBLY LIGHT ASSEMBLY
SOCKET
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2008 Element

Pull the bulb straight out of its
socket. Push the new bulb straight
into the socket until it bottoms.
The f ront side marker light is next
to the headlight bulb. On the
driver’s side, remove the f ront end
of the air intake duct by pulling it
out (see page ).
Reinstall the socket into the light
assembly by turning it clockwise
until it locks.
Turn on the lights to make sure
the new bulb is working.
Put the light assembly back into
the body, bottom first. Push on the
top edge until it snaps into place.
Remove the socket f rom the light
assembly by turning it one-quarter
turn counterclockwise.Testthelightstomakesurethe
new bulb is working.
Install the f ront end of the air
intake duct.
Reinstall the socket into the light
assembly by turning it clockwise
until it locks.
1. 3.
2. 4.
5.
6.
4.
5.
6.
203On SC model
Lights
206
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2008 Element

Reinstall the socket into the light
assembly by turning it clockwise
until it locks.
Testthelightstomakesurethe
new bulb is working.
When reinstalling the taillight
assembly, f irst place the two pins
in the holes in place. Tighten the
two mounting bolts.
Remove the socket by turning it
one-quarter turn counterclockwise.
Pull the bulb straight out of its
socket. Push the new bulb straight
into the socket until it bottoms.
Open the hatch and the tailgate.
Remove the two mounting screws
with a Phillips-head screwdriver,
and remove the taillight assembly
f rom the body by pulling it back.
Determine which of the three
bulbs is burned out: brake/
taillight, turn signal light or back-
up light. 6.
7.
5.
3.
4.
1.
2.
Lights
Replacing Rear Bulbs
Maint enance
207
SOCKET
SOCKET SOCKET
SCREW
SCREW
TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY
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2008 Element

Open the hatch. Remove the light
assembly cover by pushing in on
the tabs on both sides and pulling
the cover down.
Remove the socket f rom the light
assembly by turning it one-quarter
turn counterclockwise.
Turn on the parking lights and
check that the new bulb is
working.
Put the lens back into the light
assembly, right side f irst. Push on
the lef t edge until it snaps into
place.
Using a cloth to prevent scratches,
insert a small f lat-tip screwdriver
between the lef t edge of the lens
and the housing. The lens will
come down.
Pull the bulb straight out of its
socket. Push the new bulb in until
it bottoms in the socket. 1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
Lights
Replacing a High-mount Brake
Light Bulb
Replacing a Rear License Plate
Bulb
208
COVER
TAB TAB
BULB
LENS
SCREWDRIVER
HOUSING
LENS
CLOTH
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2008 Element

If your seat belts get dirty, use a sof t
brush with a mixture of mild soap
and warm water to clean them. Do
not use bleach, dye, or cleaning
solvents. Let the belts air-dry bef ore
you use the vehicle.
Dirt build-up in the loops of the seat
belt anchors can cause the belts to
retract slowly. Wipe the insides of
the loops with a clean cloth
dampened in mild soap and warm
water or isopropyl alcohol.
Pull the bulb straight out of its
socket. Push the new bulb straight
into the socket until it bottoms.
Press the brake pedal to make
sure the new bulb is working.
Put the socket back into the light
assembly, and turn it clockwise to
lock it in place.
Put the cover back onto the light
assembly. Push it on until it locks
in place. The floor mats that came with your
vehicle hook over the f loor mat
anchors. This keeps the f loor mats
f rom sliding f orward, possibly
interf ering with the pedals, or
backwards, making the f ront
passenger’s weight sensors
inef f ective.
3.
4.
5.
6.
CONT INUED
If equipped
Cleaning the Seat Belts Floor Mats
Lights, Cleaning the Seat Belts, Floor Mats
Maint enance
209
LOOP
BULB
SOCKET
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2008 Element

Check the condition of the wiper
blades at least every 6 months.
Replace them if you f ind signs of
cracking in the rubber, areas that are
getting hard, or if they leave streaks
and unwiped areas when used.Front:
Raise the wiper arm of f the
windshield.
Raise the wiper arm of f the hatch
glass and hold it.
Rear:
This f ilter removes the dust and
pollenthatisbroughtinfromthe
outside through the heating and
cooling system.
Have your dealer replace the filter
when this service is indicated by a
maintenance message on the
inf ormation display. It should be
replaced every 15,000 miles (24,000
km) if you drive primarily in urban
areas that have high concentrations
of soot in the air, or if the f low f rom
the heating and cooling system
becomeslessthanusual.
If you remove the driver’s f loor mat,
make sure to re-anchor it when you
putitbackinyourvehicle.
If you use non-Honda f loor mats,
make sure they f it properly and that
theycanbeusedwiththefloormat
anchors. Do not put additional f loor
mats on top of the anchored mats. 1.
Floor Mats, Dust and Pollen Filter, Wiper Blades
Wiper Blades
Dust and Pollen Filter
210
Do not open the hood when the wiper
arms are raised, or you will damage
the hood and the arms.
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2008 Element

Slide the new wiper blade into the
holder until the tabs lock.
Slide the wiper blade assembly
onto the wiper arm. Make sure it
locks in place.
Lower the wiper arm down against
the windshield or the hatch glass.
Examine the new wiper blades. If
they have no plastic or metal
reinf orcement along the back
edge, remove the metal
reinf orcement strips f rom the old
wiper blade, and install them in
the slots along the edge of the new
blade.
Disconnect the blade assembly
fromthewiperarmbypushingin
the lock tab. Hold the lock tab in
while you push the blade assembly
toward the base of the arm.
If you are changing the rear wiper
blade, go to step 6.
Remove the blade f rom its holder
by grabbing the tabbed end of the
blade. Pull up f irmly until the tabs
come out of the holder. 5.
6.
7.
4.
2.
3.
Wiper Blades
Maint enance
211
REINFORCEMENT BLADE
HOLDER
BLADE
LOCK TAB
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2008 Element

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 affect handling and fuel
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.
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.
The tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) warns you when a tire
pressure is low. See page f or
more information.169
If equipped
T ires Inf lation Guidelines
Wheels
Wheels, Tires
212
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.
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