How to operate the heating and air
conditioning system, the audio
system, and other convenience
f 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.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.
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 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.
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.
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience,
and details how to handle them.
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. What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Instruments and Controls
Features Bef ore Driving
Driving
Maintenance
T echnical Inf ormation
Warranty and Customer
Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only)
Index
Service Inf ormation Summary
T aking Care of the Unexpected
Overview of Contents
2
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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.
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 ).
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.
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.
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 passenger
always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly (see page ).
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.
14 3252
266
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Restrain All Children
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Don’t Drink and DriveK eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Control Your Speed
Important Saf ety Precautions
6
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If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by the dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed. If the automatic seat
belt tensioners activate during a
crash, they must be replaced.
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.
For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
The tensioners are designed to
activate in any collision severe
enough to cause the f ront airbags to
deploy, or if a sensor detects your
vehicle is about to roll over (see page
).
If a side airbag or side curtain airbag
deploys during a side impact, the
tensioner on that side of the vehicle
will also deploy.
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.
When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled. Honda provides a limited warranty
on seat belts. See your
booklet f or
details.
28
263
do not deploy Honda
Warranty Inf ormation
Seat Belt Maintenance
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
20
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly when
needed.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.
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Your vehicle’s exhaust contains
carbon monoxide gas. Carbon
monoxide should not enter the
vehicle in normal driving if you
maintain your vehicle properly and
f ollow the inf ormation on this page.High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage.
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:
The vehicle is raised f or an oil
change.
You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust.
The vehicle was in an accident
that may have damaged the
underside. With a truck cap installed and the
back window open, engine exhaust
may enter the vehicle and cause a
hazardous condition. Keep the back
window tightly closed whenever you
drive with a truck cap installed.
If you must sit in your parked vehicle
with the engine running, even in an
unconf ined area, adjust the heating
and cooling system/climate control
system as f ollows:
Select the f resh air mode.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
53
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.
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The standard audio system has
many f eatures. This section
describes those f eatures and how to
use them. (If you have an optional
audio system, ref er to the operating
instructions that came with it.)
The heating and air conditioning
system in your vehicle provides a
comf ortable driving environment in
all weather conditions.
Your vehicle has an anti-theft audio
system that requires a code number
to enable it.
The security system helps to
discourage vandalism and thef t of
your vehicle..............
Vents, Heating, and A/C .124
...........................
Using the A/C .128
Using Automatic Climate
...................................
Control .130
........................
Rear Ventilation .131
..........
Dual Temperature Control .132
..............
Climate Control Sensors .134
..........
Playing the AM/FM Radio .135
............
AM/FM Radio Reception .142
.
Playing the XM
Satellite Radio .144
..........
Playing a CD, CD Changer .150
....................
Protecting Your CDs .161
CD Player/Changer Error
...................................
Messages .164
................
Remote Audio Controls .165
...
Playing an Optional Audio Unit .165
.................
Radio Thef t Protection .166
..........................
Setting the Clock .167
............................
Security System .168
...............................
Cruise Control .169
.........................................
Compass .172
HomeLink Universal
................................
Transceiver .175
On all models except RT, RTX, and
Canadian LX
Features
Features
123
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Vents, Heating, and A/C
124
FAN CONTROL DIALMODE BUTTONSTEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL
RECIRCULATION
BUTTON WINDSHIELD DEFROST
BUTTON
PASSENGER’S SIDE
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL
DRIVER’S SIDE
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL DIAL OFF BUTTON WINDSHIELD DEFROST BUTTONDUAL BUTTON
AIR CONDITIONING
BUTTON
MAX A/C BUTTON
MODE BUTTONS
AIR CONDITIONING
BUTTON
AUTO BUTTON
DRIVER’S SIDE
TEMPERATURE
DISPLAY
RECIRCULATION BUTTON
PASSENGER’S SIDE
TEMPERATURE DISPLAY
MODE
BUTTON
FAN CONTROL BUTTONS
RTS, RTL, and
Canadian EXL models
RT,RTX,and
Canadian LX models
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The outside air intakes f or the
heating and cooling system are at
the base of the windshield. Keep this
area clear of leaves and other debris.
Thesystemshouldbeleftinfresh
air mode under almost all conditions.
Keeping the system in recirculation
mode, particularly with the A/C of f ,
can cause the windows to fog up.
Switch to recirculation mode when
driving through dusty or smoky
conditions, then return to fresh air
mode.Use the mode control buttons to
select the vents air flows from. Some
air will f low f rom the dashboard
corner vents in all modes.
When the recirculation indicator is
on, air f rom the vehicle’s interior is
sent throughout the system again.
When the indicator is off, air is
brought in f rom the outside of the
vehicle (fresh air mode).
Press the A/C button to turn the air
conditioningonandoff.Youwillsee
A/C ON or A/C OFF in the display.
When you turn the A/C of f , the
system cannot regulate the inside
temperature if you set the
temperature control below the
outside temperature.
Each time you press the MODE
button (On RTS, RTL, and Canadian
EXL models) or either mode button
(On RT, RTX, and Canadian LX
models), the display shows the mode
selected.
Air f lows f rom the f loor
vents. Airf low is divided between
the vents in the dashboard, rear and
the f loor vents. Air flows from the center,
corner, and rear vents in the
dashboard.
Recirculation Button Mode Control
Air Conditioning (A/C) Button
Vents, Heating, and A/C
126
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The heater uses engine coolant to
warm the air. If the engine is cold, it
will be several minutes bef ore you
f eel warm air coming f rom the
system.Air conditioning places an extra load
on the engine. Watch the engine
coolant temperature gauge (see page
). If it moves near the red zone,
turn of f the A/C until the gauge
reading returns to normal.
Turn on the A/C by pressing the
button. The display shows A/C
ON on when a f an speed is
selected.
Make sure the temperature is set
to maximum cool.
Select .
If the outside air is humid, select
recirculation mode. If the outside
air is dry, select f resh air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed. you can
cool it down more rapidly by partially
opening the windows, turning on the
A/C, and setting the fan to
maximum speed in f resh air mode.
To cool the interior with MAX A/C:
Select .
When you select , the system
automatically switches to the fresh
air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
Adjust the warmth of the air with
the temperature control dial. Set the f an to the desired speed.
Select MAX A/C.
The system automatically turns on
the A/C, selects , and
switches to recirculation mode.
Make sure the temperature is set
to maximum cool.
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. 72
If the interior is very warm,
On RT, RTX, and Canadian LX modelsUsing the Heater Using the A /C
Vents, Heating, and A/C
128
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