2008 HONDA ELEMENT manual transmission

2008 Element Online Reference Owner's Manual
Contents

Owner's Identification Form

Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... i A Few Words About Safety .............................................................................................................................. iii Important Handling Information .................................................................................................................... iv
Your Vehicle at a Glance (main controls) .................................................................................................... 4
Driver and Passenger Safety (seat belts, SRS, and child protection) .................................................... 7
Instruments and Controls
(indicators, gauges, dashboard, and steering column)
............................................ 57
Features (heating and cooling
, audio, steering wheel, and cruise control)
........................................................... 101
Before Driving (fuel, vehicle break- in, and cargo loading) ..................................................................... 139
Driving (engine and transmission operation) ................................................................................................ 155
Maintenance (minder, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)........................................... 183
Taking Care of the Unexpected (flat tire, dead battery, overheating, and fuses) ............................. 221
Technical Information (vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls) ....................................... 245
Warranty and Customer Relations (U. S. and Canada only) (warranty and contact information) ... 261
Authorized Manuals (U. S. only) (how to order) ......................................................................................... 265
Index ............................................................................................................................... ........................................ I

Service Information Summary ( fluid capacities and tire pressures)
1 00X31-SCV-6502

How to operate the heating and air
conditioning system, the audio
system, and other conveniencef eatures.
A convenient ref erence to the
sections in this manual.
A quick ref erence to the main
controls in your vehicle.
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and gauge,
and how to use the controls on the
dashboard and steering column. ID numbers, dimensions, capacities,
and technical information.
How to order manuals and other
technical literature.
A summary of the inf ormation you
need when you pull up to the f uel
pump.
What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
The proper way to start the engine,
shif t the transmission, and park; plus
what you need to know if you’re
planning to tow a trailer.
Important inf ormation about the
proper use and care of your vehicle’s
seat belts, an overview of the
supplemental restraint system, and
valuable inf ormation on how to
protect children with child restraints. A summary of the warranties
covering your new vehicle, and how
to contact us for any reason. Refer to
your warranty manual f or detailed
inf ormation.
The maintenance minder shows you
when you need to take your vehicle
to the dealer for maintenance service.
There is also a list of things to check
and instructions on how to check
them.
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience,
and details how to handle them.
Overview of Contents
Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Instruments and Controls
Features T echnical Inf ormation
Warranty and Customer
Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only)
Index
Service Inf ormation Summary
Bef ore Driving
Maintenance
Driving
T aking Care of the Unexpected
3
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Your Vehicle at a Glance
4
POWER DOOR
LOCK SWITCHMIRROR CONTROLS
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES
A/T model is shown. HOOD RELEASE
HANDLE HEATING/COOLING
CONTROLS
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
MANUAL TRANSMISSION (P.92)
(P.80)
(P.91) PARKING BRAKE
(P.93)
(P.102)
INSTRUMENT PANEL
GAUGES (P.66)
(P.59)
(P.142) (P.161)
(P.159) DRIVER’S FRONT
AIRBAG
(P.11,27)
PASSENGER’S
FRONT AIRBAG
(P.11,34)
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Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Your vehicle is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 87 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise that can lead to engine damage.
You may hear a knocking noise from
the engine if you drive the vehicle at
low engine speed (below about 1,000
rpm) in a higher gear. To stop this,
raise the engine speed by shif ting to
a lower gear.
We recommend quality gasoline
containing detergent additives that
help prevent f uel system and engine
deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your authorized dealer f or service.
Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 % ethanol by
volume and up to 15 % MTBE by
volume. Do not use gasoline
containing methanol.
On vehicles with manual transmission
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period Fuel Recommendation
140
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Aggressive driving (hard
acceleration and braking)
Excessive idling, accelerating and
braking in stop-and-go traf f ic
Cold engine operation (engines
aremoreefficientwhenwarmed
up)
Driving with a heavy load or the
air conditioner running
Improperly inf lated tires
The f ollowing f actors can lower your
vehicle’s f uel economy:
A properly maintained vehicle
maximizes f uel economy. Poor
maintenance can signif icantly reduce
f uel economy. Always maintain your
vehicle according to the maintenance
messages displayed on the
inf ormation display (see
on page ).
For example: Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking increase fuel
consumption.
Aerodynamic drag has a big ef f ect
on f uel mileage at speeds above 45
mph (75 km/h). Reduce your
speed and you reduce the drag.
Trailers, car top carriers, roof
racks and bike racks are also big
contributors to increased drag.
If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, you can
boost your f uel economy by up
shif ting as early as possible.
Idling
results in 0 miles per gallon.
An under-inf lated tire increases
‘‘rolling resistance,’’ which reduces
f uel economy.
It puts a heavier
load on the engine, increasing f uel
consumption.
In
particular, a build-up of snow or
mud on your vehicle’s underside
adds weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
economy.
191
CONT INUED
Fuel Economy
Fuel Economy Factors Use the recommended viscosity motor oil, displaying the A PI
Certif ication Seal (see page
).
Improving Fuel Economy Owner’s
Maintenance Checks Drive moderately
Observe the speed limit
Always drive in the highest gear
possible
Avoid excessive idling
Maintain proper tire inf lation
A void carrying excess weight in
your vehicle
K eep your vehicle clean
193
Vehicle Maint enance Drive Ef f icient ly
Bef ore Driving
145
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........................
Driving Guidelines .156
........................
Preparing to Drive .157
.......................
Starting the Engine .158
...................
Manual Transmission .159
..............
Automatic Transmission .161
...........................................
Parking .165
.............................
Braking System .166
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .167
Tire Pressure Monitoring
........................
System (TPMS) .169
Vehicle Stability Assist ............................
(VSA) System .171
...........................
Towing a Trailer .173
Of f -Highway Driving
..................................
Guidelines .179
This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual and automatic transmissions.
It also includes important
information on parking your vehicle,
the braking system, the vehicle
stability assist (VSA) system, the tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS),
and f acts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer or drive off-
highway.
Driving
Driving
155
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Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f 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
pressure 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 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.
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.
1.
2.
3.
4. 6.
5.
Manual transmission:
Automatic transmission:
Starting the Engine
158
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 .
76
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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
159
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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