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
µ
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
8
\f—\f—\fy
y
(+\fy\f\f
y
2008 Pilot
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)
\f—\f—\fy
\fy
(+\fy\f\fy
2008 Pilot
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
If this indicator comes on and stays
on at any 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 TPMS. With
this indicator on, the low tire
pressure indicator and the tire
pressure monitor will not come on
when a tire loses pressure. Take the
vehicle to your dealer to have the
system checked.
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 while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are signif icantly low
on pressure.
If this happens, pull to the side of the
road when it is saf e, check which tire
has lost the pressure on the tire
pressure monitor, and determine the
cause. If it is because of a f lat tire,
replace the flat tire with the compact
spare (see page ), and have the
f lat tire repaired as soon as possible.
If two or more tires are underinf lated,
call a prof essional towing service
(see page ). Ref er to page
f or more inf ormation. The appropriate tire indicator will
come on along with the low tire
pressure indicator if a tire is
signif icantly underinf lated or has
suddenly lost pressure. See
for what to
do if this indicator comes on.
211 272
285 Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (T PMS) Indicator
Low Tire Pressure
Indicator T ire Pressure Monitor
Low
Tire Pressure Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
Inst rument s and Cont rols
65
\f—\f—\fy
\fy
(+\fy\f\f\fy
2008 Pilot
Your dealer has Honda accessories
that allow you to personalize your
vehicle. These accessories have
been designed and approved f or your
vehicle, and are covered by warranty.Bef ore installing any accessory:
Modif ying your vehicle, or installing
some non-Honda accessories, can
make it unsaf e. Bef ore you make any
modif ications or add any accessories,
be sure to read the f ollowing
inf ormation.
Although non-Honda accessories
may f it on your vehicle, they may not
meet f actory specif ications, and
could adversely af f ect your vehicle’s
handling and stability. When properly installed, cellular
phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems should
not interf ere with your vehicle’s
computer controlled systems, such
as your airbags, anti-lock brakes, and
tire pressure monitoring system.
Do not install accessories on the
side pillars or across the rear
windows. Accessories installed in
theseareasmayinterferewith
proper operation of the side
curtain airbags.
Bef ore installing any electronic
accessory, have the installer
contact your dealer for assistance.
If possible, have your dealer
inspect the f inal installation.
Be sure electronic accessories do
not overload electrical circuits
(see page ) or interf ere with
proper operation of your vehicle.
Make sure the accessory does not
obscure any lights, or interf ere
with proper vehicle operation or
perf ormance.
289
A ccessories
A ccessories and Modif ications
196
Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
vehicle’s handling, stability, and
performance, and cause a
crash in which you can be hurt
or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding
accessories and modifications.
\f—\f—\fy
y
(+\fy\f\f
y
2008 Pilot
Removing parts f rom your vehicle,
or replacing components with
non-Honda components could
seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability.Raising your vehicle with a
non-Honda suspension kit can
af f ect the handling and stability.
Herearesomeexamples:
Lowering your vehicle with a
non-Honda suspension kit that
signif icantly reduces ground
clearance can allow the
undercarriage to hit speed bumps
or other raised objects, which
could cause the airbags to deploy. If you plan to modif y your vehicle,
consult your dealer.Modif ying your steering wheel or
any other part of your vehicle’s
safety features can make the
systems inef f ective.
Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interf ere with the operation of
your vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and
other systems.
Non-Honda wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components and will not be
compatible with the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS).
Modif ying Your Vehicle
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving
197
\f—\f—\fy
y
(+\fy\f\fy
2008 Pilot
This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the VTM-4 system (4WD
models only), 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 Guidelines .204
.......................
Starting the Engine .205
..............
Automatic Transmission .206
..............................
VTM-4 System .210
Tire Pressure Monitoring
........................
System (TPMS) .211
...........................................
Parking .214
.............................
Braking System .215
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .216
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
....................................
System .218
.........................
VSA Of f Switch .219
...........................
Towing a Trailer .220
Of f -Highway Driving
..................................
Guidelines .230
Driving
Driving
203
\f—\f—\fy
\fy
(+\fy\f\fy
2008 Pilot
Your vehicle has a higher ground
clearance that allows you to travel
over bumps, obstacles, and rough
terrain. It also provides good
visibility so you can anticipate
problems earlier.
Because your vehicle rides higher
of f the ground, it has a high center
of gravity that can cause it to roll
over if you make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicles have a signif icantly higher
roll over rate than other types of
vehicles.
To prevent rollovers or loss of
control:Take corners at slower speeds
than you would with a passenger
vehicle.
Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers whenever possible. Do not carry heavy cargo on the
roof . Do not modif y your vehicle in any
way that would raise the center of
gravity.
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments bef ore you drive
your vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with a f our-
wheel drive (4WD) system. When
the system senses a loss of front-
wheel traction, it automatically
transf ers some power to the rear
wheels. This gives you better
traction and mobility.
You still need to exercise the same
care when accelerating, steering, and
brakingthatyouwouldinatwo-
wheel drive vehicle. Check the seat adjustment (see
page ). Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
f astened down securely. Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure (see page ). Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Check that the hood is f ully closed.
3. 2. 1.
4.
5. 87 264
Four-wheel drive models
See page f or additional driving of f -highway guidelines. 230
Driving Guidelines
Preparing to Drive
204
——y
y
(+yy
2008 Pilot