2009 HONDA ELEMENT flat tire

On LX modelDo not attempt to forcibly pry the
wheel cover off with a screwdriver
or other tool. The wheel cover
cannot be removed without first
removing the wheel nuts.
12. Before mounting the spare tire,wipe any dirt off the mounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully; it may be hot from
driving. 13. Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on finger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is firmly against the
hub. Do not try to tighten the
wheel nuts fully.
WHEEL NUTS
WHEEL NUTS
WHEEL COVER
BRAKE HUB
Changing a Flat Tire286
2009 Element

14. Lower the vehicle to the ground,and remove the jack.
15. Tighten the wheel nuts securely in the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
facility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m) 16. Store the jack in its holder. Turn
the jack's end bracket to lock it in
place. Store the tools.
17. Remove the center cap (if equipped) from the flat tire, and
store it in the spare tire well.
Loose items can fly around the
interior in a crash and could
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.
18. Remove the wing bolt on the sparetire mount, and pivot the arm 90°
to the upright position. Then
tighten the wing bolt securely.
ARM
WING BOLT
CONTINUED
Changing a Flat Tire
287
Taking Care of the Unexpected
2009 Element

19. Remove the small round plug fromthe cargo area floor by pushing it
from the back side to make a hole.
Store the removed plug in a place
you can easily remember.
20. Reinstall the cargo area floor.Place the flat tire face down on the
cargo area floor.
21. Align the center of the flat tire with the hole in the cargo area floor.
Remove the spacer cone from the
wing bolt, turn it over, and put it
back on the bolt. 22. Secure the flat tire by screwing the
wing bolt to the spare tire mount
through the hole in the cargo area
floor.
23. Your vehicle's original tire has a tire pressure monitoring system
sensor. To replace a tire, refer to
Changing a Tire with TPMS (see
page228).
SPACER CONE
WING BOLT
Changing a Flat Tire288
2009 Element

If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a professional towing service or
organization. Never tow your vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous.
The only way you can safely tow
your vehicle is with flat-bed
equipment.The operator will load
your vehicle on the back of a truck.
Any other method of towing will
damage the drive system. When you
contact the towing agency, inform
them a flat-bed is required.
4WD models onlyTowing with only two tires on the
ground will damage parts of the 4WD
system. It should be transported on a
flat-bed truck or trailer.
Emergency Towing
303
Taking Care of the Unexpected
2009 Element

Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing the
tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.
109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.Warning: The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive loading,
either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible
tire failure.DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)312
2009 Element

Maximum Tire PressureMax Press－The maximum air
pressure the tire can
hold.Maximum Tire LoadMax Load －The maximum load the
tire can carry at
maximum air pressure. Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)
Each tire, including the spare (if
provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to
the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label.
(If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label, you should determine
the proper tire inflation pressure for
those tires.) As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that illuminates a low tire pressure
telltale
when one or more of your tires is
significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure.
Tire Labeling, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
－Required Federal Explanation314
2009 Element

Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle's handling and
stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire
maintenance, and it is the driver's
responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure telltale.Your vehicle has also been equipped
with a TPMS malfunction indicator to
indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS
malfunction indicator is provided by
a separate telltale, which displays the
symbol
‘‘TPMS ’’when illuminated.
When the malfunction indicator is
illuminated,
the system may not be able to detect
or signal low tire pressure as
intended.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a
variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or
alternate tires or wheels on the
vehicle that prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle to
ensure that the replacement or
alternate tires and wheels allow the
TPMS to continue to function
properly.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
－Required Federal Explanation
315
Technical Information
2009 Element

Bulbs, Halogen
..........................
261
Bungee Cords
............................
211
C
Capacities Chart
.........................
309
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
............
52
Cargo
.........................................
207
Cargo Area Light
..........................
96
Cargo Hook
................................
212
Cargo, How to Carry
..................
207
Carrying Cargo
..........................
207
CAUTION, Explanation of
............
iii
CD Care
.....................................
183
CD Error Messages
............
125,148
CD Player
...........................
119,140
Certification Label
......................
306
Chains, Tires
..............................
276
Changing a Flat Tire
..................
283
Changing Oil How to
....................................
252
When to
..................................
243
Charging System
Indicator
...........................
58,295
Check Fuel Cap Message
............
66 Checklist, Before Driving
...........
215
Child Safety
..................................
35
Booster Seats
...........................
50
Child Seats
....................
40,41, 42
Important Safety Reminders
.....
39
Infants
......................................
40
Large Children
.........................
49
LATCH
.....................................
44
Risks with Airbags
...................
36
Small Children
.........................
41
Tethers
....................................
48
Warning Labels
........................
37
Where Should a Child Sit?
........
36
Child Seats
.............................
35,42
LATCH Anchorage Points
........
44
Tether Anchorage Points
.........
48
Cleaning the Seat Belts
..............
268
Clock
..........................................
189
Clutch Fluid
...............................
258
Code, Audio System
...................
188
CO in the Exhaust
................
52,316
Cold Weather, Starting in
...........
216
Compact Spare Tire
....................
282
Controls, Instruments and
............
55
Coolant Adding
....................................
254 Checking
................................
201
Proper Solution
.......................
254
Temperature Gauge
.................
67
Cooler Box
...................................
98
Courtesy Light
.............................
96
Crankcase Emissions Control System
...................................
316
Cruise Control Indicator
...............
60
Cruise Control Operation
...........
193
Cruise Main Indicator
..................
60
Cup Holders
.................................
99
Customer Service
.......................
322
D
DANGER, Explanation of
.............
iii
Dashboard
...............................
3,56
Daytime Running Lights
..............
72
Daytime Running Lights Indicator
...................................
60
Dead Battery
..............................
291
Defects, Reporting Safety
...........
324
Defogger, Rear Window
...............
74
Dimensions
................................
308
Dimming the Headlights
..............
71
IndexII
2009 Element