2008 HONDA PILOT check engine

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)
3
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This could cause
very serious injuries in a crash.
See page f or additional
inf ormation about your seat belts
and how to take care of them.
If a seat belt does not seem to work
properly, it may not protect the
occupant in a crash.
Using a seat
belt that is not working properly can
result in serious injury or death.
Have your dealer check the belt as
soon as possible. After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and head restraints, and
put on their seat belts, it is very
important that they continue to sit
upright, well back in their seats, with
their feet on the floor, until the
vehicle is parked and the engine is
of f .
To unlatch the detachable seat belt
anchor before folding down the seat-
back, insert your ignition key into
the slot on the side of the anchor
buckle and allow the seat belt to
retract. For the center seating
positions, place the latch plate and
anchor latch into their holding slots
in the ceiling. For the third row outer
seating positions, re-f asten the belt
with the clip. Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches,
lies down, turns sideways, sits
forward, leans forward or sideways,
or puts one or both f eet up, the
chance of injury during a crash is
greatly increased.
21
Protecting A dults and Teens
Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
6.Never place t he shoulder port ion of a
lap/shoulder belt under your arm orbehind your back.
No one should sit in a seat wit h aninoperat ive seat belt .
18
ANCHOR LATCH
ANCHOR BUCKLE
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If the indicator comes on at any
other time, or does not come on at all,
you should have the system checked
by your dealer. For example:If the SRS indicator does not come
on after you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position.
If the indicator stays on after the
engine starts.
If the indicator comes on or
flashesonandoff whileyoudrive.
If you see any of these indications,
the airbags and seat belt tensioners
may not work properly when you
need them. This indicator alerts you that the
passenger’s side airbag has been
automatically shut off. It does
mean there is a problem with your
side airbags.
When you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, the indicator
should come on brief ly and then go
off(seepage).Ifitdoesn’tcome
on, stays on, or comes on while
driving without a passenger in the
f ront seat, have the system checked.
63
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
not
How the Side
Airbag Of f
Indicator Works
34
U.S.
Canada
Ignoring the SRS indicator can
result in serious injury or death
if the airbag systems or
tensioners do not work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS indicator alerts you to
a possible problem.
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This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position, and when the ignition
switch is turned to the START (III)
position. If it comes on at any other
time, there is a problem with the
ABS. If this happens, have your
vehicle checked at a dealer. With
this on, your vehicle still has normal
braking ability but no anti-lock
brakes. For more inf ormation, see
page .
This indicator has two f unctions:
Itcomesonwhenyouturnthe
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. It is a reminder to check
the parking brake. A beeper
sounds if you drive with the
parking brake not f ully released.
Driving with the parking brake not
fully released can damage the
brakes and tires.
If it stays on after you have fully
released the parking brake while
the engine is running, or if it
comes on while driving, there
could be a problem with the brake
system. For more inf ormation, see
page .
This indicator comes on brief ly when
you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position. If it comes on at
any other time, it indicates a
potential problem with your f ront
airbags. This indicator will also alert
you to a potential problem with your
side airbags, passenger’s side airbag
cutof f system, side curtain airbags,
automatic seat belt tensioners,
driver’s seat position sensor, or the
f ront passenger’s weight sensors.
For more inf ormation, see page .
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. If it comes on at any
other time, it indicates that the
passenger’s side airbag has
automatically shut off. For more
inf ormation, see page .
1.
2.
34 33
284 217
Instrument Panel Indicators
Anti-lock Brake System
(A BS) Indicator
Parking Brake and Brake System
Indicator
Supplemental Restraint
System Indicator
Side Airbag Of f
Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
63
U.S. Canada
U.S. Canada
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This indicator has three f unctions:It comes on as a reminder that you
have turned off the vehicle
stability assist (VSA) system.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. For more inf ormation, see
page .
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
This indicator also blinks several
times when you turn the ignition
switch f rom the ON (II) position to
the ACCESSORY (I) or LOCK (0)
position.
This indicator comes on f or a f ew
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position. It will
then go of f if you have inserted a
properly-coded ignition key. If it is
not a properly-coded key, the
indicator will blink, and the engine
will not start (see page ). If itcomesonandstaysonatany
other time, or if it does not come on
when you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, there is a
problem with the VSA system. Take
your vehicle to a dealer to have it
checked. Without VSA, your vehicle
still has normal driving ability, but
will not have VSA traction and
stability enhancement. See page
f or more inf ormation on the
VSA system. It flashes when VSA is active (see
page ).
It comes on along with the VSA
system indicator if there is a
problem with the VSA system.
1.
2.
3.
80
218 218
218
Instrument Panel Indicators
VSA A ctivation Indicator
Vehicle Stability Assist
(VSA ) System Indicator
Immobilizer System
Indicator
64
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This indicator monitors the
temperature of the automatic
transmission f luid. It should come on
f or a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it comes on while driving,
it means the transmission f luid
temperature is too high. Pull to the
side of the road when it is saf e, shif t
to Park, and let the engine idle until
the indicator goes out.If the indicator blinks while driving,
the VTM-4 fluid temperature is too
high. Pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e, shif t to Park, and let
the engine idle until the indicator
goes out.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it comes on at any other
time, there is a problem in the 4WD
system. Take the vehicle to your
dealer to have it checked.While the engine is operating in its
most economical range, this
indicator may come on and stay on.
4WD models only 4WD models only 2WD models only
A/T Temperature
Indicator
VT M-4 Indicator Fuel Economy Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
68
Continuing to drive with the A/T
temperature indicator on may cause
serious damage to the transmission.
Continuing to drive with the VTM-4
indicator blinking may cause serious
damage to the system.
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This shows the temperature of the
engine’s coolant. During normal
operation, the pointer should rise
from the bottom white mark to about
the middle white mark. In severe
driving conditions, such as very hot
weather or a long period of uphill
driving, the pointer may rise to the
upper white mark. If it reaches the
red (Hot) mark, pull saf ely to the
side of the road. Turn to page f or
instructions and precautions on
checking the engine’s cooling
system.
NOTE: The temperature must be
stabilized bef ore doing this
procedure.
This indicator displays the outside
temperature in Fahrenheit (U.S.
models) or Centigrade (Canadian
models). To see the outside
temperature, press and release the
select/reset knob until the
temperature is displayed. If the outside temperature is
incorrectly displayed, you can adjust
it up to 5°F in U.S. models ( 3°C
in Canadian models) warmer or
cooler.
Select the outside temperature
indicator, then press the select/reset
knob f or 10 seconds. The f ollowing
sequence will appear f or 1 second
each:0,1,2,3,4,5, 5, 4, 3, 2,
1,0(U.S.)or0,1,2,3, 3, 2,
1, 0 (Canada).
In certain weather conditions,
temperature readings near f reezing
(32°F, 0°C) could mean that ice is
f orming on the road surf ace.
When the temperature reaches the
desired value, release the select/
reset knob. You should see the new
outside temperature displayed.
The temperature sensor is in the
f ront bumper. Theref ore, the
temperature reading can be af f ected
by heat ref lection f rom the road
surf ace, engine heat, and the
exhaust f rom surrounding traf f ic.
This can cause an incorrect
temperature reading when your
speed is under 19 mph (30 km/h).
The sensor delays the display update
until it reaches the correct outside
temperature. This may take several
minutes.
248
On EX, EX-L, and EX-SE models
Temperature Gauge Outside Temperature Indicator
Gauges
Inst rument s and Cont rols
71
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