2010 HONDA RIDGELINE Owners Manual

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 uelpump.
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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CONT INUED: If equipped
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Your Vehicle at a Glance
3
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES
HOOD RELEASE
HANDLE
MIRROR CONTROLS
CENTER CONSOLE ACCESSORY POWER SOCKETS
DRIVER’S FRONT
AIRBAG
FUEL FILL DOOR
RELEASE HANDLE
POWER DOOR LOCK
MASTER SWITCH
REAR VIEW MIRROR WITH
COMPASS
(P.134)
(P.103) (P.128)
(P.252)
(P.249)
Vehicle with navigation system is shown. PARKING BRAKE PEDAL (P.9, 25)
(P.213)
INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS
GAUGES (P.62)
(P.76)
PARKING BRAKE
RELEASE HANDLE
(P.132) PASSENGER’S FRONT
AIRBAG
AUDIO SYSTEM
AUXILIARY INPUT
JACK
(P.205)
GLOVE BOX
(P.138)
(P.159)
HEATING/COOLING
CONTROLS
CLIMATE CONTROL
SYSTEM
(P.9, 25)
(P.146)
(P.152)
(P.132) (P.136) (P.139)

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Only on vehicles equipped with navigation system. Ref er to the navigati
on system manual.
To use the horn, press the center pad of the steering wheel.
If equipped
On models with navigation system.
On models without navigation system.
1:2:3:4:5:
Your Vehicle at a Glance
4
REMOTE AUDIO CONTROLS
HEADLIGHT CONTROL DIAL
VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST (VSA)
SYSTEM OFF SWITCH HORN
STEERING WHEEL
ADJUSTMENT SEAT HEATERS
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
INDICATOR
SEL/RESET BUTTON
INFO ( ) BUTTON
SELECT BUTTON
Vehicle with navigation system is shown. INTERIOR LIGHT CONTROL
SWITCH
CRUISE CONTROLS
HAZARD WARNING BUTTON
VOICE CONTROL
BUTTONS
MULTI-CONTROL LEVER
(WINDSHIELD WIPERS/
WASHERS/TURN SIGNALS/
HEADLIGHT HIGH BEAMS)
(P.94)
(P.95) MOONROOF SWITCH
(P.131)
FOG LIGHTS
(P.292)
BED LIGHT SWITCH
(P.144) (P.99)
(P.126)
(P.142)
(P.99)
(P.31)
(P.76)
(P.76)
(P.76)
(P.76)
TRIP/RESET BUTTON
(P.76)
(P.97) INFO ( ) BUTTON
(P.203)
BLUETOOTH
HANDSFREELINK SYSTEM
VOICE CONTROL
BUTTONS(P.221) (P.210)
INSTRUMENT PANEL
BRIGHTNESS
(P.98)
VTM-4 LOCK
(P.276)
SHIFT LEVER
(P.271)
2
124
4
5
3
2
2 5
4
3

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This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts. It
explains how your airbags work. And
it tells you how to properly restrain
inf ants and children in your vehicle.
.........
Important Safety Precautions . 6 .......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features . 7
.......................................
Seat Belts . 8
...........................................
Airbags . 9
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens . 11
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 11
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 13
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 14
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 15
5. Fasten and Position the
.............................
Seat Belts . 16
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position . 17
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 18
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 19 Additional Inf ormation About Your
.................................
Seat Belts . 20
..
Seat Belt System Components . 20
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt . 21
Automatic Seat Belt
...............................
Tensioners . 21
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 22
Additional Inf ormation About ...........................
Your Airbags . 23
......
Airbag System Components . 23
How Your Front Airbags
.........................................
Work . 25
...
How Your Side Airbags Work . 28
How your Side Curtain Airbags
.........................................
Work . 30
..
How the SRS Indicator Works . 30
How the Side Airbag Of f
......................
Indicator Works . 31
How the Passenger Airbag Of f ......................
Indicator Works . 31
.............................
Airbag Service . 32
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 33
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines . 34
All Children Must Be
...............................
Restrained . 34 All Children Should Sit in a
.................................
Back Seat . 35
The Passenger’s Front Airbag
.........
Can Pose Serious Risks . 35
If You Must Drive with Several
...................................
Children . 37
If a Child Requires Close
..................................
Attention . 37
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 38
Protecting Inf ants and Small ...................................
Children . 39
.......................
Protecting Inf ants . 39
.........
Protecting Small Children . 40
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat . 41
....................
Installing a Child Seat . 42
...............................
With LATCH . 43
.........
With a Lap/Shoulder Belt . 46
..............................
With a Tether . 48
...........
Protecting Larger Children . 51
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit . 51
..................
Using a Booster Seat . 52
When Can a Larger Child Sit in
.........................................
Front . 53
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 54
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 55
...................................
Saf ety Labels . 56
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
5

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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 ).
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 ).
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.
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
Engaging in mobile phone
conversation or other activities that
keep you f rom paying close attentionto the road, other vehicles and
pedestrians could lead to a crash.
Remember, situations can change
quickly, and only you can decide
when it is saf e to divert attention
away f rom driving.
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.
16 34 54
348
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Restrain All Children
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Don’t Drink and Drive
Pay Appropriate Attention to the
Task of Driving Saf ely
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Control Your Speed
Important Saf ety Precautions
6
Table of Contents

Your vehicle is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passengers
during a crash.
Some f eatures do not require any
action on your part. These include a
strong steel f ramework that f orms a
saf ety cage around the passenger
compartment, front and rear crush
zones, a collapsible steering column,
and tensioners that tighten the f ront
seat belts in a crash.
However, you and your passengers
can’t take f ull advantage of these
f eatures unless you remain sitting in
the correct position and. In fact, some safety
f eatures can contribute to injuries if
they are not used properly.
The f ollowing pages explain how you
cantakeanactiveroleinprotecting
yourself and your passengers.
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
always wear
your seat belt s
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
7
(7) (9) (1)
(2)
(6) (10)
(8)
(5)
(2) (11)
(4)
(3)
(10)
(6) Seat Belts
(7) Front Airbags
(8) Front Seat Belt Tensioners
(9) Door Locks
(10) Side Airbags
(11) Side Curtain Airbags
(1) Safety Cage
(2) Crush Zones
(3) Seats and Seat-Backs
(4) Head Restraints
(5) Collapsible Steering Column
Table of Contents

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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 and territories
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.
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:
Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including: frontal impacts
side impacts
rear impacts
rollovers
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 beltproperly.
Table of Contents

Your vehicle has a supplemental
restraint system (SRS) with f ront
airbags to help protect the heads and
chests of the driver and a front seat
passenger during a moderate to
severe f rontal collision (see pagef or more inf ormation on how
your f ront airbags work). Your vehicle also has side airbags to
help protect the upper torso of the
driver or a f ront seat passenger
during a moderate to severe side
impact (see page f or more
information on how your side airbags
work).
Help keep you in a good position
should the airbags ever deploy. A
good position reduces the risk of
injury f rom an inf lating airbag and
allows you to get the best
advantage f rom the airbag.
Of course, seat belts cannot
completely protect you in every
crash.Butinmostcases,seatbelts
can reduce your risk of serious
injury. Always wear
your seat belt, and make sure you
wear it properly. Help keep you f rom being thrown
against the inside of the vehicle
and against other occupants.
Keep you f rom being thrown out
of the vehicle.
25 28
CONT INUED
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
Airbags
What you should do:
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
9
Table of Contents