Several warranties protect your new vehicle. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.As you read this manual, you will
f ind inf ormation that is preceded by
a symbol. This
inf ormation is intended to help you
avoid damage to your vehicle, other
property, or the environment.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new vehicle is to
read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Af terwards, keep this owner’s manual in your vehicle so
youcanrefertoitatanytime.
Maintaining your vehicle according to the schedules given in this manual
helps to keep your driving trouble-f ree while it preserves your investment.
When your vehicle needs maintenance, keep in mind that your dealer’s staf f
is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to your vehicle.
Your dealer is dedicated to your satisf action and will be pleased to answer
any questions and concerns.
Congratulations! Your selection of a 2008 Honda Pilot was a wise investment.
It will give you years of driving pleasure.
Introduction
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2008 Pilot 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)
............................................ 59
Features (heating and cooling
, audio, steering wheel, and cruise control)
........................................................... 105
Before Driving (fuel, vehicle break- in, and cargo loading) ..................................................................... 187
Driving (engine and transmission operation) ................................................................................................ 203
Maintenance (minder, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)........................................... 235
Taking Care of the Unexpected (flat tire, dead battery, overheating, and fuses) ............................. 271
Technical Information (vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls) ....................................... 291
Warranty and Customer Relations (U. S. and Canada only) (warranty and contact information) ... 307
Authorized Manuals (U. S. only) (how to order) ......................................................................................... 311
Index ............................................................................................................................... ........................................ I
Service Information Summary ( fluid capacities and tire pressures)
1 00X31-S9V-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.
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. 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.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.
What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
Overview of Contents
Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Instruments and Controls
Features T echnical Inf ormation
Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only)
Index
Service Inf ormation Summary
Maintenance
Driving
Bef ore Driving
T aking Care of the Unexpected Warranty and Customer
Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
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This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts. It
explains how your airbags work. And
it tells you how to properly restrain
inf ants and children in your vehicle.
.........
Important Safety Precautions .8
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features .9
.....................................
Seat Belts .10
.........................................
Airbags .11
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens .12
.....
1.Close and Lock the Doors .13
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats .13
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs .14
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints .15
5. Fasten and Position the Seat
.....................................
Belts .15
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .18
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women .19
...
Additional Safety Precautions .20
Additional Inf ormation About Your .................................
Seat Belts .21
..
Seat Belt System Components .21 ......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .22
Automatic Seat Belt
...............................
Tensioners .23
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance .23
Additional Inf ormation About ..........................
Your Airbags .25
......
Airbag System Components .25
How Your Front Airbags
....................................
Work .28
......................
Advanced Airbags .30
...
How Your Side Airbags Work .31
How Your Side Curtain Airbags
.........................................
Work .33
..
How the SRS Indicator Works .33
How the Side Airbag Of f
......................
Indicator Works .34
How the Passenger Airbag Of f ......................
Indicator Works .35
.............................
Airbag Service .36
...
Additional Safety Precautions .37
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .38
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .38 All Children Should Sit in a
.................................
Back Seat .39
The Passenger’s Front Airbag .........
Can Pose Serious Risks .39
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .41
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .41
...
Additional Safety Precautions .42
Protecting Inf ants and Small ...................................
Children .43
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .43
.........
Protecting Small Children .44
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .45
....................
Installing a Child Seat .46
...............................
With LATCH .47
.........
With a Lap/Shoulder Belt .49
..............................
With a Tether .51
...........
Protecting Larger Children .53
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit .53
..................
Using a Booster Seat .54
When Can a Larger Child Sit in
.........................................
Front .55
...
Additional Safety Precautions .56
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard .57
...................................
Saf ety Labels .58
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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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 ).
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse withevery 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 ). 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.
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 ).
15
3856
237
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Don’t Drink and Drive
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Restrain All ChildrenControl Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
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For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out f ully, and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
the belts retract easily. If a belt does
not retract easily, cleaning the belt
may correct the problem (see page). Any belt that is not in good
condition or working properly will
not provide good protection and
should be replaced as soon as
possible.
The tensioners can also be activated
during a collision in which the f ront
airbags . In this case, the
airbags would not be needed, but the
additional restraint could be helpf ul.
If a side airbag or side curtain airbag
deploys during a side impact, the
tensioner on that side of the vehicle
will also deploy.
When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled.
Honda provides a limited warranty
on seat belts. See yourbooklet f or
details.
For added protection, the f ront seat
belts are equipped with automatic
seat belt tensioners. When activated,
the tensioners immediately tighten
the belts to help hold the driver and
a f ront passenger in position.
The tensioners are designed to
activate in any collision severe
enough to cause the f ront airbags to
deploy. 260
CONT INUED
do not deploy
Honda
Warranty Inf ormation
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners Seat Belt Maintenance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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If the indicator comes on with no
f ront seat passenger and no objects
on the seat, or with an adult riding
there, something may be interf ering
with the weight sensors. Look f or
and remove:Any items under the f ront
passenger’s seat.
Any object hanging on the seat or
in the seat-back pocket.
Any object, such as a f olded-down
back seat, that is touching the rear
of the seat-back.
If no obstructions are f ound, have
your vehicle checked by a dealer as
soon as possible. Your airbag system is virtually
maintenance-f ree, and there are no
parts you can saf ely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by an authorized dealer or
a knowledgeable body shop.Any airbag
that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. Any
seat belt tensioner that activates
must also be replaced.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Airbag ServiceAn airbag ever inf lates.
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Î
ÎÎ
Î Î
If equipped.
The U.S. instrument panel is shown. Dif f erences f or the Canadian models are noted in the text.
:
Instrument Panel
Inst rument s and Cont rols
61
LIGHTS ON INDICATOR
HIGH BEAM INDICATOR
A/T TEMPERATURE
INDICATOR
MAINTENANCE MINDER
INDICATOR LOW OIL PRESSURE
INDICATORVSA ACTIVATION
INDICATOR
CRUISE CONTROL
INDICATOR SIDE AIRBAG OFF
INDICATOR
LOW FUEL INDICATOR
FOG LIGHT INDICATOR
(P.69)
(P.69) (P.69)
SEAT BELT REMINDER INDICATOR
(P.67)
(P.68)
(P.64)
VTM-4 INDICATOR (P.68)
FUEL ECONOMY INDICATOR (P.68)
CHARGING SYSTEM
INDICATOR (P.64)
(P.67) (P.65)
(P.66)
(P.65)
IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM
INDICATOR
(P.64)
(P.67)
PARKING BRAKE
AND BRAKE
SYSTEM
INDICATOR
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM
INDICATOR
MALFUNCTION
INDICATOR LAMP
BRAKE LAMP
INDICATOR (P.66) LOW TIRE PRESSURE
INDICATOR
(P.65) TIRE PRESSURE
MONITORING SYSTEM
(TPMS) INDICATOR
VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST
(VSA) SYSTEM INDICATOR
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) INDICATOR(P.34,63)
(P.33,63)
DOOR AND TAILGATE OPEN MONITOR
TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR
(P.63)
(P.21,62)
(P.62,283)
(P.62,282) (P.62,282)
(P.63,284)
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