2011 HONDA PILOT Engine

Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.Remove the dipstick (orange loop). Remove the dipstick again, and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page .Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
on page f or
inf ormation on adding the proper
coolant.
Refer to on page f or inf ormation
about checking other items on your
vehicle.
Wipe of f the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert the dipstick all the way back
into its hole.
1.
3. 2.
4.
472467475
Oil Check
A dding Engine OilEngine Coolant Check
A dding
Engine Coolant
Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
Service Station Procedures
398
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK MIN MAX
DIPSTICK
RESERVE TANK
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2011 Pilot

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Aggressive driving (hard
acceleration and braking)
Excessive idling, accelerating and
braking in stop-and-go traf f ic
Cold engine operation (engines
aremoreefficientwhenwarmed
up)
Driving with a heavy load or the
air conditioner running
Improperly inf lated tires
The f ollowing f actors can lower your
vehicle’s f uel economy:
A properly maintained vehicle
maximizes f uel economy. Poor
maintenance can signif icantly reduce
f uel economy. Always maintain your
vehicle according to the maintenance
messages displayed on the
inf ormation display (see
on page ).
For example: An underinf lated tire increases
‘‘rolling resistance,’’ which reduces
f uel economy.
It puts a heavier
load on the engine, increasing f uel
consumption. In
particular, a build-up of snow or
mud on your vehicle’s underside
adds weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
economy.
Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking increase fuel
consumption. Aerodynamic drag has a big ef f ect
on f uel economy at speeds above
45 mph (75 km/h). Reduce your
speed and you reduce the drag.
Trailers, car top carriers, roof
racks and bike racks are also big
contributors to increased drag.
Idling
results in 0 miles per gallon (0 kms
per liter).
467
Fuel Economy Factors
Use the recommended viscosity
motor oil, displaying the A PI
Certif ication Seal (see page ).
Improving Fuel Economy Owner’s
Maintenance Checks Maintain proper tire inf lation
A void carrying excess weight in
your vehicle
K eep your vehicle clean
Drive moderatelyObserve the speed limit
Avoid excessive idling
472
Vehicle Maint enance
Drive Ef f icient ly
Fuel Economy
400
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µµ
Fill the f uel tank until the nozzle automatically clicks of f .
Reset trip counter to zero.
Record the total gallons (liters) needed to ref ill.
Follow one of the simple calculations above.
The A/C
puts an extra load on the engine
which makes it use more f uel. Use
the f resh-air ventilation when
possible.
Combine several short trips into
one. A warmed-up engine is more
f uel ef f icient than a cold one.
Direct calculation is the
recommended source of inf ormation
about your actual f uel economy.
Using f requency of f ill-ups or taking
f uel gauge readings are NOT
accurate measures of f uel economy.
Fuel economy may improve over the
f irst several thousand miles
(kilometers). 1)
2)
3)
4)
Checking Your Fuel Economy
Measuring T echniquesMinimize the use of the air
conditioning system
Plan and combine trips
Calculating Fuel Economy
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
401
Miles driven Gallons of
fuel Miles per
Gallon
100 KilometersL per 100 km
Liter
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2011 Pilot

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 Variable Torque
Management
4-wheel drive
(VTM-4
) system, the vehicle
stability assist (VSA
), aka
Electronic Stability Control (ESC),
system, the tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS), and f acts you need
if you are planning to tow a trailer or
drive of f -highway. ........................
Driving Guidelines .410
........................
Preparing to Drive .410
.......................
Starting the Engine .411
Check Starter System .................................
Message .412
..............
Automatic Transmission . 413
............................
VTM-4
System .418
...........................................
Parking .419
Tire Pressure Monitoring System ......................................
(TPMS) .420
.............................
Braking System .428
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 429
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
),
aka Electronic Stability ........
Control (ESC), System . 431
...........................
Towing a Trailer .434
Of f -Highway Driving ..................................
Guidelines .449
Driving
Driving
409
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CONT INUED
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page ).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. Depending on
the outside temperature, thestarter motor runs f or about 6 to 9
seconds until the engine starts.
If you hold the ignition switch in
the START (III) position f or more
than 7 seconds, the starter motor,
depending on the outside
temperature, runs f or about 10 to
25 seconds until the engine starts.
If the engine does not start, wait at
least 10 seconds bef ore trying
again.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal. In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery. Apply the parking brake.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ). 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:
When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicators in the
instrument panel, and the
messages on the inf ormation
display or multi-inf ormation
display (depending on models)
(seepages,,,and ).
Make sure the doors, the tailgate,
and the glass hatch are securely
closed and locked.
1.
2.
3.
4.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. 170
133
17
67 68 82
94
Preparing to Drive, Starting the Engine
Starting the Engine
Driving
411
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. For
more inf ormation, see page . 135
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2011 Pilot

If this message is on, the ignition
switchhastobeheldinthe
START (III) position manually
until the engine starts. The
ignitionswitchcanbeheldinthat
position up to 15 seconds.
Even though you may be able to
start the engine manually without
the auto control mode of the starter
system, have your dealer inspect
your vehicle.
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 vehicles with navigation system
Starting the Engine
Check Starter System Message
412
U.S.
CanadaThe 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.
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µ
µ
µ Use neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from neutral to
another gear.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see
on
page .
To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop bef ore shif ting
into Park. The shif t lever must be in
Park bef ore you can remove the key
from the ignition switch.
Press the brake
pedal and the release button on the
frontoftheshiftlevertoshiftfrom
Park to reverse. To shif t f rom
reverse to neutral, come to a
completestop,andthenshift.Press
the release button bef ore shif ting
into reverse f rom neutral.
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and the release button on the
shif t lever. Make sure your f oot is of f
the accelerator pedal. 416Do this:
Press the brake pedal and the
shift lever release button.
Press the shift lever release
button.
Move the shift lever.
Press the D button.
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR Dto2 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoN
NtoD RtoN
DtoD
DtoD
3
3
3
Automatic Transmission
Neutral (N)
Shif t L ock Release
Reverse (R)
Park (P)
414
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CONT INUED
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear (1 through 5) f or your
speed and acceleration. You may
notice the transmission shif ting up at
higher engine speeds when the
engine is cold. This helps the engine
warm up f aster. To use D , press the
D button when the shif t lever is in
the ‘‘D’’ position. This position is simi-
lartoD,exceptonlythefirstthree
gears are selected instead of all f ive.
Use D when towing a trailer in hilly
terrain, or to provide engine braking
when going down a steep hill. D can
also keep the transmission f rom
cycling between third and f ourth
gears in stop-and-go driving. This position locks
the transmission in second gear. It
does not downshif t to f irst gear
when you come to a stop.
Use second gear: For more power when climbing.
To increase engine braking when
going down steep hills.
For starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow.
When driving downhill with a
trailer.3
3
3 3
Automatic Transmission
Drive (D) Drive (D ) Second (2)3
Driving
415
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2011 Pilot