2008 HONDA RIDGELINE tailgate

Your vehicle has higher ground clearance than a passenger vehicle designed f or use only on pavement. Higher ground
clearance has many advantages f or of f -highway driving. It allows you to travel over bumps, obstacles, and rough
terrain. It also provides good visibility so you can anticipate problems earlier. Your vehicle also has a shorter
wheelbase, allowing it to respond quicker to the steering wheel than other sport utility vehicles with a longer
wheelbase.
In addition to these characteristics, your vehicle’s pickup bed area allows you to carry more cargo and has the dual-
action tailgate to handle the items easily.
These advantages come at some cost. Because your vehicle is taller and rides higher of f the ground, it has a high
center of gravity. This means your vehicle can tip or roll over if you make abrupt turns. Utility vehicles have a
signif icantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is signif icantly
more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. As a reminder, make sure you and your passengers always wear
seat belts.
Overloading or improperly loading cargo could af f ect your handling and the vehicle’s stability, and could result in a
crash. Make sure the cargo is properly loaded and all items are secured in the pickup bed area.
For inf ormation on how to reduce the risk of rollover, read ‘‘Driving Guidelines’’ on page of this manual and thesection on page . Failure to operate your vehicle correctly might result in loss of
control or an accident. 198
232
Of f -Highway Driving Guidelines
Important Handling Inf ormation
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Your vehicle is equipped with seat
belts in all seating positions.Seat belts are the single most
effectivesafetydeviceforadultsand
larger children. (Inf ants and smaller
children must be properly restrained
in child seats.)
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
The pickup bed is not equipped with
seats or seat belts. Do not let anyone
ride in the pickup bed as they can
easily be thrown out and be killed or
seriously injured.
In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.
Your seat belt system also includes
an indicator on the instrument panel
and a beeper to remind you and your
passengers to f asten your seat belts.
Help keep you f rom being thrown
against the inside of the vehicle
and against other occupants.
Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including f rontal,
side and rear impacts, and
rollovers.
Keep you connected to the vehicle
so you can take advantage of the
vehicle’s built-in saf ety f eatures.
When properly worn, seat belts:
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
Seat BeltsWhy Wear Seat Belt s
8
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
Be sure you and your
passengers always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.
Allowing passengers to ride in
the pickup bed or on the tailgate
can result in death or serious
injury in a crash.
Make sure all passengers ride
in a seat and wear a seat belt
properly.
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µAdjust the driver’s seat as far to the
rear as possible while allowing you to
maintain f ull control of the vehicle.
Have a front passenger adjust their
seat as far to the rear as possible.
See pages f or important
guidelines on how to properly
protect inf ants, small children, and
larger children who ride in your
vehicle.
The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to properly
protect the driver, adult passengers,
and teenage children who are large
enough and mature enough to drive
or ride in the f ront.
After everyone has entered the
vehicle, be sure the doors are closed
and locked. Bef ore driving, be sure
the tailgate is also closed.
Locking the doors reduces the
chance of someone being thrown out
of the vehicle during a crash, and it
helps prevent passengers f rom
accidentally opening a door and
f alling out. Your vehicle has a door and
tailgate monitor on the
instrument panel to indicate when a
specif ic door or the tailgate is not
tightly closed.
Your vehicle also has an
In-Bed Trunk open
indicator to show when the In-Bed
Trunk lid is not tightly closed (see
page ).
Locking the doors also helps prevent
an outsider f rom unexpectedly
opening a door when you come to a
stop.
See page f or how to lock the
doors, and page f or how the door
and tailgate monitor system works.
Your vehicle has the auto door
locking/unlocking f eature. For more
inf ormation, see page .
32
64
36
69
84
83
CONT INUED
Protecting A dults and Teens
Introduction A djust the Front Seats
Close and L ock the Doors
1. 2.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child
and cause serious or fatal injuries.
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash. Children who play in vehicles
can accidentally get trapped inside.
Teach your children not to play in
or around vehicles. Know how to
operate the emergency In-Bed
Trunk opener and decide if your
children should be shown how to
use this f eature (see page ).
Opening or
closing the tailgate could cause
accidental injuries.
Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition
switch, and open the windows,
which can lead to accidental injury
or death.
If you are not wearing a
seat belt in a crash, you could be
thrown forward and crush the
child against the dashboard or a
seat-back. If you are wearing a
seat belt, the child can be torn
from your arms and be seriously
hurt or killed.
If a child wraps a loose seat belt around their neck, they
can be seriously or f atally injured.
(See pages and f or how to
activate and deactivate the
lockable retractor.)
For example, infants and small
childrenleftinavehicleonahot
day can die f rom heatstroke. A
child lef t alone with the key in the
ignition switch can accidentally set
the vehicle in motion, possibly
injuring themselves or others.
Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states and Canadian provinces,
and can be very hazardous. This can prevent
children f rom accidentally f alling
out (see page ). 4445
84 97
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Never put a seat belt over yourself
and a child.
Never let two children use thesame seat belt . L ock all doors and t he In-Bed
T runk when your vehicle is not inuse.
T each your children not t o play onthe pickup bed.
K eep vehicle keys/remot etransmitters out of the reach ofchildren.
Neverholdaninfantorchildon
your lap.
Make sure any unused seat beltt hat a child can reach is buckled,the lockable retractor is activated,and the belt is f ully retracted andlocked. Do not leave children alone in a
vehicle.
Use t he childproof door locks t o
prevent children f rom opening t herear doors.
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This section gives inf ormation about
the controls and displays that
contribute to the daily operation of
your vehicle. All the essential
controls are within easy reach............................
Control Locations .58
............................
Instrument Panel .59
..........
Instrument Panel Indicators .61
.............................................
Gauges .70
Controls Near the Steering
...........................................
Wheel .74
........................
Multi-Control Lever .75
...................
Headlight Control Dial .76
........
Instrument Panel Brightness .78
.................
Hazard Warning Button .79
..........
Steering Wheel Adjustment .79
..................................................
Keys .80
........................
Immobilizer System .81
................................
Ignition Switch .82
......................................
Door Locks .83
..............
Childproof Door Locks .84
.
Auto Door Locking/Unlocking .84
.......................
Remote Transmitter .90
.......................
Dual-Action Tailgate .93
...............................
In-Bed Trunk .96
.................................................
Seats .99
..................................
Seat Heaters .105
............................
Power Windows .107
.......................................
Moonroof .110
...............................
Parking Brake .111
...........................................
Mirrors .112 .........
Interior Convenience Items .114
.........................
Center Console .115
.......
Console Compartments .115
.........................
Cargo Hooks .116
.....................
Beverage Holders .116
..................................
Glove Box .117
................................
Coat Hooks .117
....................
Sunglasses Holder .117
........
Accessory Power Sockets .118
...................................
Sun Visor .119
............................
Vanity Mirror .119
...............................
Interior Lights .120
.....................................
Bed Lights .122
Instruments and Controls
Inst rument s and Cont rols
57
TM
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Instrument Panel
Inst rument s and Cont rols
U.S. models
59
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR
LAMP LOW OIL PRESSURE
INDICATOR CHARGING SYSTEM
INDICATOR
PARKING BRAKE AND
BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATORLOW FUEL INDICATOR
CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR
BACK WINDOW OPEN
INDICATOR SUPPLEMENTAL
RESTRAINT
SYSTEM
INDICATOR
SEAT BELT
REMINDER
INDICATOR
BED LIGHTS ON INDICATOR (P.67)
(P.66)
(P.66)
(P.68)
(P.62)
(P.63) (P.62)
(P.69) (P.62)
(P.61)
(P.65)
(P.65)
(P.63)
(P.69)
TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR
(P.68)
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS)
INDICATOR
TPMS INDICATOR LIGHTS ON INDICATOR A/T TEMPERATURE INDICATOR HIGH BEAM INDICATOR VTM-4 INDICATOR VSA ACTIVATION INDICATOR
(P.69) (P.65)
(P.66)
(P.67) VEHICLE STABILITY
ASSIST (VSA) SYSTEM
INDICATOR
LOW TIRE PRESSURE
INDICATOR(P.68) (P.62)
MAINTENANCE MINDER
INDICATOR
IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM
INDICATOR
SIDE AIRBAG OFF
INDICATOR
WASHER LEVEL
INDICATOR (P.65)
(P.67)
(P.63)
IN-BED TRUNK OPEN
INDICATOR
(P.291) DOOR AND TAILGATE
MONITOR
(P.64)
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Instrument Panel
Canadian models
60
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR
LAMP LOW OIL PRESSURE
INDICATOR CHARGING SYSTEM
INDICATOR
PARKING BRAKE AND
BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATORLOW FUEL INDICATOR
CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR
BACK WINDOW OPEN
INDICATOR SUPPLEMENTAL
RESTRAINT
SYSTEM
INDICATOR
SEAT BELT
REMINDER
INDICATOR
BED LIGHTS ON INDICATOR IN-BED TRUNK OPEN
INDICATOR (P.69)
(P.62)
(P.63) (P.62)
(P.69) (P.69)(P.68)
(P.62)
(P.61)
(P.65)
(P.65)
(P.63)
TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR
(P.68)
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS)
INDICATOR
(P.68)
VSA ACTIVATION INDICATOR
TPMS INDICATOR LIGHTS ON INDICATOR
DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS
INDICATOR A/T TEMPERATURE INDICATOR HIGH BEAM INDICATOR VTM-4 INDICATOR
(P.66)
(P.65) (P.66)(P.67)
(P.66) (P.65) LOW TIRE PRESSURE
INDICATOR VEHICLE STABILITY
ASSIST (VSA) SYSTEM
INDICATOR (P.67)
(P.62)
(P.65)
MAINTENANCE MINDER
INDICATOR
SIDE AIRBAG OFF
INDICATORIMMOBILIZER SYSTEM
INDICATOR
WASHER LEVEL
INDICATOR
(P.67)
(P.63)
(P.291) DOOR AND TAILGATE
MONITOR
(P.64)
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This monitor includes two f unctions;
the door open indicator and the
tailgate open indicator. This monitor
works with the ignition switch in any
position.
The specif ic door indicator comes on
in this monitor if any door is not
closed tightly.
Thetailgateindicatorcomeson
whenthetailgateisswungopenorif
it is not closed completely af ter you
swing it closed.If the tailgate is swung open or is not
closed tightly, you will hear six beeps
and see the indicator blinking when
you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position. The beeper also
sounds and the indicator blinks when
you move the shif t lever out of the
Park or neutral position.
The tailgate open indicator does not
monitor the tailgate when it is
dropped open.
If the driver does not f asten the seat
belt and the tailgate is swung open,
the seat belt reminder alarm will
sound at first, then the tailgate open
reminder beeper will sound.
For more inf ormation on the tailgate,
see page .
The lef t or right turn signal indicator
blinks when you signal a lane change
or turn. If an indicator does not blink
or blinks rapidly, it usually means
one of the turn signal bulbs is
burned out (see pages and ).
Replace the bulb as soon as possible,
since other drivers cannot see that
you are signaling.
When you press the hazard warning
button, both turn signal indicators
and all turn signals on the outside of
the vehicle f lash.
95
258
259
Turn Signal and
Hazard Warning
Indicators
Door and T ailgate Monitor
Instrument Panel Indicators
64
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