2008 HONDA ELEMENT tire type

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You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with airbags,
make sure you and your passengers
always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly (see page ).
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat, not the front seat. Infants and
smallchildrenshouldberestrained
in a child seat. Larger children
should use a booster seat and a lap/
shoulder belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat
(see pages ). 3753
16
185
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Control Your Speed
Don’t Drink and Drive
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Restrain All Children
8
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Your vehicle has several convenient
storage areas:
However, carrying too much cargo,
or improperly storing it, can af f ect
your vehicle’s handling, stability,
stopping distance, and tires, and
make it unsaf e. Bef ore carrying any
type of cargo, be sure to read the
f ollowing pages.Center console (SC model) Roof -rack (if installed)
Seat-back bungees (EX model) Cargo area (including rear seats
when they are f olded down, f olded
to the side, or removed) Seat-back pocket (EX and SC
models) Door pockets
Ceiling pocket (EX and SC
models) Glove box Cargo area side pockets
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving
149
CARGO AREA SIDE POCKET CEILING POCKET
GLOVE BOX
CARGO AREA CENTER CONSOLE
SEAT-BACK POCKETS
DOOR POCKETS
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2008 Element

VSA is turned on every time you
start the engine, even if you turned it
off the last time you drove the
vehicle.
Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the VSA to
malf unction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are the same size
and type as your original tires (see
page ).
If you install winter tires, make sure
they are the same size as those that
were originally supplied with your
vehicle. Exercise the same caution
during winter driving as you would if
your vehicle was not equipped with
VSA.
This button is under the driver’s side
vent. Press it to turn the VSA system
on or of f .
When VSA is off, the VSA activation
indicator comes on as a reminder.
Pressing the switch again turns the
system back on.
Without VSA, your vehicle will have
normal braking and cornering ability,
but it will not have VSA traction and
stability enhancement.
In certain unusual conditions when
your vehicle gets stuck in shallow
mud or f resh snow, it may be easier
to free it with the VSA temporarily
switched of f . When the VSA system
is of f , the traction control system is
alsooff.Youshouldonlyattemptto
f ree your vehicle with the VSA of f if
you are not able to f ree it when the
VSA is on.
Immediately af ter f reeing your
vehicle, be sure to switch the VSA on
again. We do not recommend driving
your vehicle with the VSA and
traction control systems switched off.
213
VSA and Tire Sizes
VSA Of f Switch
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
172
VSA OFF SWITCH
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U.S. Vehicles:
According to state and federal
regulations, f ailure to perf orm
maintenance on the items marked
with will not void your emissions
warranties. However, all
maintenance services should be
perf ormed in accordance with the
intervals indicated by the
inf ormation display.
Youshouldcheckthefollowing
items at the specif ied intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perf orm
any check, turn to the appropriate
page listed. Engine oil level Check every
time you fill the fuel tank. See
page .
Engine coolant level Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
you f ill the f uel tank. See page .
Automatic transmission Check
the f luid level monthly. See page
.
Brakes Check the f luid level
monthly. See page .
Tires Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread f or
wear and foreign objects. See page .
Lights Check the operation of
the headlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
and license plate lights monthly.
See page .
However, service at a dealer is not
mandatory to keep your warranties
in effect. Maintenance may be done
by any qualif ied service f acility or
person who is skilled in this type of
automotive service. Make sure to
have the service f acility or person
reset the display as previously
described. Keep all receipts as proof
of completion, and have the person
who does the work f ill out your
Honda Service History or Canadian
Maintenance Log. Check your
warranty booklet f or more
inf ormation.
We recommend using Honda parts
and fluids whenever you have
maintenance done. These are
manuf actured to the same high
quality standards as the original
components, so you can be conf ident
of their perf ormance and durability.
143
143
198 200
213
202
Maintenance Minder
Maintenance, replacement, or
repair of emissions control
devices and systems may be done
by any automotive repair
establishment or individual using
parts that are ‘‘certif ied’’ to EPA
standards.
Owner’s Maintenance Checks
190
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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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´
It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, replace the two f ront
tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
af f ect your vehicle’s handling.
If you mount snow tires on your
vehicle, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as original tires. Mount snow tires on
all f our wheels. The traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
maybelowerthanyouroriginaltires.
Check with the tire dealer f or
maximum speed recommendations.
For the best perf ormance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under
certain conditions.
Tires marked ‘‘M S’’ or ‘‘All
Season’’ on the sidewall have an all-
weather tread design suitable for
most winter driving conditions.
See page f or DOT tire quality
grading inf ormation, and pagef or tire size and labeling
inf ormation.
Wheels:
Tires:
If you ever replace a wheel, make
sure that the wheel’s specif ications
match those of the original wheels.
Also be sure you use only TPMS
specif ic wheels. If you do not, the
tire pressure monitoring system will
notworkonthattire.
Replacement wheels are available at
your dealer. 253
251
(SC model)
(SC model)
(On all models except SC)
(On all models except SC)
Tires
Snow T ires
Winter Driving
Wheel and T ire Specif ications
216
16x61/2JJ
18 x 7JJ
P215/70R16 99S
P225/55R18 97H
Installing improper tires on your
vehicle can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner’s manual.
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2008 Element

Mount tire chains on your tires when
required by driving conditions or
local laws. Install them only on the
f ront tires.
Because your vehicle has limited tire
clearance, use only SAE Class ‘‘S’’
cable-type traction devices, with
rubber chain tensioners, on the f ront
tires. Use traction devices only when
required by driving conditions or
local laws. Make sure they are the
correct size f or your tires. Metal link-
type ‘‘chains’’ should not be used.Because your vehicle has limited tire
clearance, Honda strongly
recommends using the chains listed
below, made by Security Chain
Company (SCC).When installing cables, f ollow the
manuf acturer’s instructions, and
mount them as tight as you can.
Make sure they are not contacting
the brake lines or suspension. Drive
slowly with them installed. If you
hear them coming into contact with
the body or chassis, stop and
investigate. Remove them as soon as
you begin driving on cleared roads.
Cable-type:SCC Super Z6 SZ 139
SC model
On all models except SC
Tires
Tire Chains
Maint enance
217
Using the wrong chains, or not
properly installing chains, can
damage the brake lines and
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously injured or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding the
selection and use of tire chains.
Traction devices that are the wrong
size or improperly installed can
damage your vehicle’s brake lines,
suspension, body, and wheels. Stop
driving if they are hitting any part of
the vehicle.
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Specif ications
250
Air Conditioning Fuses
Battery
Lights
Tires
Alignment
HFC-134a (R-134a)
17.6 19.4 oz (500 550 g) ND-OIL8
12 V 60/55 W (H4/HB2)
0°13’
0.08 in (2.0 mm) 0.0in(0mm)
Refrigerant type
Charge quantity
Lubricant type
Interior
Under-hood
Capacity
Headlights
Headlights High Beam
Headlights Low Beam
Front turn signal/parking
lights
Front side marker lights
Rear turn signal lights
Brake/Taillights
Back-up lights
License plate lights
Ceiling light
Spotlights
Cargo area light
High-mount brake light 12 V 12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
21 W
10 W
8W
10 W
3CP
18 W (21 CP)
21/5 W
21 W
3CP
21/5 W
12 V 60 W
12 V 55 W
12 V
12 V 5 W
P215/70R16 99S1°00’
0°24’
Size
Pressure 60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm
)
35 psi (240 kPa , 2.4 kgf/cm
)
33 psi (230 kPa , 2.3 kgf/cm
)
P225/55R18 97H
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm)
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
)
28/8 W
1°50’
Toe-in
Camber
Caster
1°06’
12 V 47 AH/20 HR
12 V 38 AH/5 HR See page241or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box door under the steering
column.
See page242or the fuse box
cover.
Front/Rear
Front
Rear
Spare
Front
Rear
Front
Rear
Front
(HB3)
(H11)
1:
2:
3:LX model
SC model
EX model
1, 2
3
3
1, 2
3
1, 2
3
2, 3 1, 2
1, 2
3
3
1, 23 1, 2
1, 2
3
3
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