2008 HONDA RIDGELINE tow

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, the VSA
system, the tire pressure monitoring
system, and f acts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer.........................
Driving Guidelines .198
........................
Preparing to Drive .199
.......................
Starting the Engine .200
..............
Automatic Transmission .201
Variable Torque Management
.............
4WD (VTM-4) System .206
Tire Pressure Monitoring System ......................................
(TPMS) .208
...........................................
Parking .211
.............................
Braking System .212
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .213
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
........................................
System .215
.................
Towing Weight Limits .217
..........
Towing Weight Guidelines .219
...........................
Towing a Trailer .220
Of f -Highway Driving
..................................
Guidelines .232
Driving
Driving
197
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2008 Ridgeline

These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shif t
lever is in.The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it f lashes while driving (in
any shif t position), it indicates a
possible problem in the transmission.
If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem with the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
To shif t f rom Park to any position,
pressfirmlyonthebrakepedal,and
pull the shif t lever toward you. You
cannot shif t out of Park when the
ignition switch is in the LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I) position.
CONT INUED
Shif t L ever Position Indicators Shif ting
Automatic Transmission
Driving
201
SHIFT LEVER
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2008 Ridgeline

µµThis position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Pull the shif t lever
towards you, then move it out of
Park.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page .
You must also pull the shif t lever
towards you to shift into Park. To
avoid transmission damage, come to
a complete stop bef ore shif ting into
Park. The shif t lever must be in Park
for you to remove the key from the
ignition switch. Press the brake
pedal and pull the shif t lever towards
you to shif t f rom Park to reverse. To
shif t f rom reverse to neutral, come
to a complete stop, and then shif t.
Pull the shif t lever towards you
bef ore shif ting into reverse f rom
neutral.
205
To shift from: PtoR
RtoP
NtoR Dto2 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoN
NtoD RtoN Do this:
Press the brake pedal, and
pull the shift lever towards
you.
Pull the shift lever towards
you.
Move the shift lever.
Automatic Transmission
Park (P)
Shif t L ock Release Reverse (R)
202
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µTo shif t to second,
pull the shif t lever towards you, then
shif t to the lower gear. This position
locks the transmission in second
gear. It does not downshif t to f irst
gear when you come to a stop.
Use second gear:
For more power when climbing.
To increase engine braking when
going down steep hills.
For starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow.
To help reduce wheel spin.
When driving downhill with a
trailer.
When towing a trailer on level roads
under normal driving conditions, do
not use D3. This will increase the
automatic transmission f luid
temperature and may cause
overheating.
Shif ting out of the D position will
cancel D3, and cause the D3
indicator to go out. Selecting the D
position again will resume D3, and
the indicator will come on.
Turning the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position turns D3 of f . To
use D3 when you restart the engine,
select the D position, and press the
D3 switch again.
TheD3indicatoralsocomesonfora
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
When D3 is on, the transmission
selects only the f irst three gears.
Use D3 f or engine braking when
going down a steep hill.
Automatic Transmission
Second (2)
204
D3 INDICATOR
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2008 Ridgeline

µTo shif t f rom second to
first, pull the shift lever towards you,
then shif t to the lower gear. This
position locks the transmission in
f irst gear. By upshif ting and
downshif ting through 1, 2, and D,
you can operate the transmission
much like a manual transmission
without a clutch pedal.
If you shif t into f irst position when
the vehicle speed is above 28 mph
(45 km/h), the transmission shif ts
into second gear first to avoid
sudden engine braking. If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
rpm below the red zone.
This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pulling the shif t lever does
not work.
Set the parking brake.
Make sure the ignition switch is in
the LOCK (0) position.
Putaclothonthenotchof the
shif t lock release slot cover. Using
a small f lat-tipped screwdriver or a
metal f ingernail f ile, caref ully pry
on the notch of the cover to
remove it.
1.
2.
3.
CONT INUED
First (1) Engine Speed Limiter Shift Lock Release
Automatic Transmission
Driving
205
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2008 Ridgeline

Insert a key into the shift lock
release slot.
Push down on the key while you
pull the shif t lever towards you,
and move it out of Park to neutral.Remove the key from the shift
lock release slot, then reinstall the
cover. Make sure the notch on the
cover is on the instrument panel
side. Press the brake pedal, and
restart the engine.
If you need to use the shif t lock
release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have it
checked by your dealer. Your vehicle is equipped with a
variable torque management
4-wheel-drive system (VTM-4) that
distributes engine torque to the
appropriate drive axle depending on
the available traction conditions. The
system is completely automatic,
always active, and does not require
any driver interaction.
6.
4.
5.
A utomatic T ransmission, VT M-4 System
VTM-4 System
206
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
COVER
VTM-4 LOCK BUTTON
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2008 Ridgeline

Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. Make sure
the parking brake is set f irmly, or
your vehicle may roll if it is parked
on an incline.
Set the parking brake bef ore you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the vehicle from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission.Make sure the moonroof (if
equipped) and the windows are
closed.
Turn of f the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.
in the cargo area in your vehicle or
the In-Bed Trunk, or take them
with you.
Lock the doors.
Check the indicator on the driver’s
door to verify that the security
system is set.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The hot three way
catalytic converter could cause
these materials to catch on fire.If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb, and set the parking brake.
If the vehicle is f acing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb, and set the parking brake.
Make sure the parking brake is
f ully released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or
damage the rear brakes.
On vehicles with security system
Parking
Parking T ips
Driving
211
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2008 Ridgeline

The maximum weight of the trailer
andeverythinginoronitdependson
the number of occupants in your
vehicleandthetypeof trailerbeing
towed (see page ).
Towing a load that is too heavy can
seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling and perf ormance.
Your vehicle has been designed to
tow a trailer, as well as carrying
passengers and their cargo. To
saf ely tow a trailer, you should
caref ully observe the load limits (see
page ), use the proper equipment,
and f ollow the guidelines in this
section.
Be sure to read the
sectiononpage
if you plan to tow of f paved
surf aces.
The weight that the tongue of a f ully-
loaded trailer puts on the hitch
should f ollow the recommended load
guidelines (see page ). Too
much tongue load reduces f ront-tire
traction and steering control. Too
little tongue load can make the
trailer unstable and cause it to sway.
191
232
219219
T ot al T railer Weight T ongue L oad
Load Limits
Off-Highway
Driving Guidelines
Towing Weight Limits
Driving
217
Exceeding any load limit or
improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously hurt
or killed.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully
beforestartingtodrive.
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2008 Ridgeline