2011 HONDA CROSSTOUR towing

The lights and brakes on your
vehicle and the trailer are working
properly.
Your vehicle tires and spare are
properly inf lated, and the trailer
tires and spare are inflated as
recommended by the trailer
maker.
Askyourtrailersalesorrental
agency if any other items are
recommended or required f or your
towing situation. When preparing to tow, and bef ore
driving away, be sure to check the
f ollowing:
Many states and Canadian
provinces/territories require special
outside mirrors when towing a trailer.
Even if they don’t, you should install
special mirrors if you cannot clearly
see behind you, or if the trailer
creates a blind spot. The vehicle has been properly
serviced, and the suspension and
the cooling system are in good
operating condition.
The trailer has been properly
serviced and is in good condition.
All weights and loads are within
limits.
Thehitch,safetychains,andany
other attachments are secure.
All items in or on the trailer are
properly secured and cannot shif t
while you drive.
Towing a Trailer
A ddit ional T owing EquipmentPre-T ow Checklist
320
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2011 Accord Crosstour

When driving down hills, reduce
your speed, and shif t down to second
gear. Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember, it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
If youmuststopwhenfacinguphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
place by pressing on the accelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause the trailer to
sway. When being passed by a large
vehicle, keep a constant speed, and
steer straight ahead. Do not try to
make quick steering or braking
corrections.
Maketurnsmoreslowlyandwider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.
When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red (Hot) mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
in this section.
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
Use the D position when towing a
trailer on level roads. D3 is the
proper shif t lever position to use
when towing a trailer in hilly terrain.
(See ‘‘
’’ in the
f ollowing column f or additional gear
inf ormation.) If the automatic transmission shifts
f requently while going up a hill, shif t
to D3.
Towing a Trailer
Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ing
Making T urns and Braking
Driving on Hills
T owing Speeds and Gears
Driving on Hills
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
Driving
321
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2011 Accord Crosstour

Always drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering wheel,
then turn the wheel to the left to get
the trailer to move to the lef t. Turn
the wheel to the right to move the
trailer to the right.
Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including f irmly setting the
parking brake and putting the
transmission in Park. Also, place
wheel chocks at each of the trailer’sYour vehicle is not designed to be
towed behind a motor home. If your
vehicle needs to be towed in an
emergency, see page .
397
bottom
Towing a Trailer
Backing Up
ParkingTowing Your Vehicle
322
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tires.
2011 Accord Crosstour

µµ
Always use Honda Power Steering
Fluid. You may use another power
steering f luid as an emergency
replacement, but have the power
steering system f lushed and ref illed
with Honda PSF as soon as possible.
A low power steering f luid level can
indicate a leak in the system. Check
the f luid level f requently, and have
the system inspected as soon as
possible.
Pour the f luid slowly and caref ully
so you do not spill any. Clean up
any spills immediately; it could
damage components in the engine
compartment. Check the level on the side of the
reservoir when the engine is cold.
The f luid should be between the
UPPER LEVEL and LOWER LEVEL.
If not, add power steering f luid to the
UPPER LEVEL. The timing belt should be replaced
according to the Maintenance
Minder (see page ).
Replace the timing belt every 60,000
miles (100,000 km) if you regularly
drive your vehicle in any of the
f ollowing conditions:
In very high temperatures
(over 110°F, 43°C).
In very low temperatures
(under 20°F, 29°C).
Frequently towing a trailer. 331
Timing Belt
Power Steering Fluid
Power Steering Fluid, Timing Belt
Maint enance
343
UPPER LEVEL
LOWER LEVELTM
Turning the steering wheel to f ull lef t
or right lock and holding it there can
damage the power steering pump.
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2011 Accord Crosstour

This section covers the more
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your vehicle towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire .372
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .373
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start . 380
................................
Jump Starting .382
..............
If the Engine Overheats . 384
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 386
..........
Charging System Indicator . 386
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 387
...............
Brake System Indicator . 388
Opening the Fuel Fill Door ....................................
Manually .389
..............................................
Fuses .390
..............................
Fuse Locations .394
......................
Emergency Towing .397
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
371
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2011 Accord Crosstour

CONT INUED
If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Drive slowly along the shoulder until
you get to an exit or an area to stop
that is far away from the traffic lanes.Take the jack, tools and the bag
out of the tool kit case.
Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park. Apply the
parking brake.
If you are towing a trailer,
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position. Have all
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire. Open the tailgate. Pull up the
handle on the removable tray.
Then remove the hook, and hook
it to the hole on the cargo side
panel (see page ).
Thetoolsandjackareunderthe
cargo area behind the utility box.
Remove the utility box by lif ting it
up with the handle (see page ).
5. 4. 3.
2. 1. 120
121
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
373
HOOK
JACK
SPARE TIRE
TOOLS REMOVABLE TRAY
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.
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unhitch it.
2011 Accord Crosstour

In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position, but the engine does not run.Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page .
Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the instrument panel
to blink rapidly (see page ).
Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the low f uel indicator may
not be working. There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page .
301
78 390
397
If theEngineWon’tStart
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
381
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2011 Accord Crosstour

If you do not see steam or spray,
leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading,
the engine should start to cool
down almost immediately. If it
does, wait until the temperature
gauge comes down to the midpoint,
then continue driving.
If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn off the engine.
Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (seeon page ).
The pointer of the vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange. If it climbs to the red
mark, you should determine the
reason (hot day, driving up a steep
hill, etc.).
If your vehicle overheats, you should
take immediate action. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming f rom under the hood.
Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Park, and
set the parking brake. Turn of f all
the accessories, and turn on the
hazard warning lights.
If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine. Wait until you see
no more signs of steam or spray,
then open the hood.
1.
2. 3.
4.
5.
397Emergency
Towing
If theEngineOverheats
384
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to the engine.
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2011 Accord Crosstour