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Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Do not tow a trailer. Your vehicle is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 87 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy, metallic rapping
noise that can lead to engine damage.
We recommend using quality
gasoline containing detergent
additives that help prevent fuel
system and engine deposits. In
addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain harmf ul
manganese-based f uel additives such
as MMT, if such gasoline is available. Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the Malfunction Indicator
Lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your dealer f or service. Some
gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol. Your
vehicle is designed to operate on
oxygenated gasoline containing up to
10% ethanol by volume. Do not use
gasoline containing methanol. If you
notice any undesirable operating
symptoms, try another service
station or switch to another brand of
gasoline.
Break-in Period
Fuel RecommendationBreak-in Period, Fuel Recommendation540
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CONT INUED
Because the level of detergency and
additives in gasoline vary in the
market, Honda endorses the use of
‘‘TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline’’
where available to help maintain the
perf ormance and reliability of your
vehicle. TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline meets a new gasoline
standard jointly established by
leading automotive manuf acturers to
meet the needs of today’s advanced
engines. Qualif ying gasoline retailers
will, in most cases, identif y their
gasoline as having met ‘‘TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline’’ standards at the
retail location. This f uel is
guaranteed to contain the proper
level of detergent additives and be
f ree of metallic additives. The proper
level of detergent additives, and
absence of harmf ul metallic additives
in gasoline, help avoid build-up of
deposits in your engine and emission
control system.Park with the driver’s side closest
to the service station pump.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation f or your vehicle, or
inf ormation on gasoline that does not
contain MMT, visit Owner Link at
. In Canada, visit
f or additional
inf ormation on gasoline. For more
inf ormation on top tier gasoline, visit
1.
owners.honda.comwww.honda.ca
www.toptiergas.com.
Fuel Recommendation, Service Station Procedures
Ref ueling
Bef ore Driving
541
Pull
FUEL FILL DOOR RELEASE HANDLE
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Your dealer has Honda accessories
that allow you to personalize your
vehicle. These accessories have
been designed and approved f or your
vehicle, and are covered by warranty.Bef ore installing any accessory:
Make sure the accessory does not
obscure any lights, or interf ere
with proper vehicle operation or
perf ormance.
Modif ying your vehicle, or installing
some non-Honda accessories, can
make it unsaf e. Bef ore you make any
modif ications or add any accessories,
be sure to read the f ollowing
inf ormation.
Be sure electronic accessories do
not overload electrical circuits
(see page ) or interf ere with
the proper operation of your
vehicle.
Although non-Honda accessories
may f it on your vehicle, they may not
meet f actory specif ications, and
could adversely af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability. Bef ore installing any electronic
accessory, have the installer
contact your dealer for assistance.
If possible, have your dealer
inspect the f inal installation.
Do not install accessories on the
side pillars or across the rear
windows. Accessories installed in
theseareasmayinterferewith
proper operation of the side
curtain airbags.
When properly installed, cellular
phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems should
not interf ere with your vehicle’s
computer controlled systems, such
as your airbags, anti-lock brakes, and
tire pressure monitoring system. 673
A ccessories
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving
549
Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
vehicle’s handling, stability, and
performance, and cause a
crash in which you can be hurt
or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding
accessories and modifications.
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This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the vehicle stability assist
(VSA
) system, the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS), and
f acts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer. ........................
Preparing to Drive .558
.......................
Starting the Engine .559
Check Starter System .................................
Message .560
..............
Automatic Transmission . 561
...........................................
Parking .566
.............................
Braking System .567
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 568
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
),
aka Electronic Stability ........
Control (ESC), System . 570
Tire Pressure Monitoring System ......................................
(TPMS) .572
Blind Spot Inf ormation System ...........................................
(BSI) .579
...........................
Towing a Trailer .588
...................
Towing Your Vehicle . 595
Driving
Driving
557
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µ
Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
Your vehicle’s starter system has an
auto control mode. When you turn
the ignition switch to the START
(III) position, this f eature keeps the
engine’s starter motor running until
the engine starts. Follow these
instructions to start the engine:
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, then
release the ignition switch. You do
not need to hold the ignition
switch in the START (III) position
to start the engine. The starter
motor runs until the engine starts
or a maximum of 10 25 seconds
depending on engine coolant
temperature.
If the engine does not start, wait at
least 10 seconds bef ore trying
again.
1.
2.
3. 4.
Starting the Engine
Driving
559
Immobilizer System
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem. T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. See
on page .145
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If this message is on, the ignition
switchhastobeheldintheSTART
(III) position manually until the
engine starts. The ignition switch
canbeheldinthatpositionupto15
seconds.
Even though you may be able to
start the engine manually without
the auto control mode of the starting
system, have your vehicle inspected
by a dealer.
If there is a problem with the starter
system, you will see a ‘‘CHECK
STARTER SYSTEM’’ message on
the multi-information display when
the ignition switch is turned to the
ON (II) position. You will also see
this message when the auto control
mode of the starter system has a
problem.
On Touring modelsStarting the EngineCheck Starter System Message560
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These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shif t
lever is in.The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it f lashes while driving (in
any shif t position), it indicates a
possible problem in the transmission.
When the ‘‘D’’ indicator warns of a
possible problem with the
transmission, you will see a ‘‘CHECK
TRANSMISSION’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page
).
If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem in the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
92
On Touring models
Shif t L ever Position Indicators
Automatic Transmission
Driving
561
On Touring models
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µµ
To use D4, press the
D4 button when the shif t lever is in
the ‘‘D’’ position. This position is
similar to D, except only the f irst
f our gears are selected instead of all
six. Use D4 when towing a trailer in
hilly terrain, or to provide engine
braking when going down a steep hill.
D4 can also keep the transmission
f rom cycling between f ourth and
f if th gears in stop-and-go driving. To shif t to Low, press
the release button on the front of the
shif t lever. Use Low to make better
use of engine power when climbing,
and f or maximum engine braking
when going down steep hills. If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
rpm below the red zone.
On Touring modelsAutomatic TransmissionDrive (D4)
Low (L)
Engine Speed Limiter564
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