2011 HONDA PILOT engine overheat

(f luid capacities and tire pressures)
(main controls)
(seat belts, SRS, and child protection)
(indicators, gauges, multi-inf ormation display, dashboard, and steering column)
(climate control, audio, steering wheel, rear entertainment, security, cruise control, and HomeLink
)
(fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading)
(engine and transmission operation)
(f lat tire, jump starting, overheating, and f uses)
(vehicle specif ications, tires, and emissions controls)
(warranty and contact inf ormation)
(how to order)
(inf ormation, f luid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)
Contents
........................................................................\
........................................................................
Index .I
Service Inf ormation Summary ........................................................................\
.......................
Your Vehicle at a Glance .3
............................................................
Driver and Passenger Saf ety .5
.......
Instruments and Controls .65
..
Features .191
.......................................................................
Bef ore Driving .393
........................................................................\
.................
Driving .409
........................................
T aking Care of the Unexpected .507
..............................................
T echnical Inf ormation .535
..................
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada only) .553
........................................................................\
..........
A uthorized Manuals (U.S. only) .557
...........................................
Maintenance .453
1
10/01/26 18:23:07 31SZA620_006
Owner's Identification Form
2011 Pilot
00X31-SZA-6200
\251 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. - All Rights Reserved
2011 Pilot Online Reference Owner's Manual

When the low tire pressure indicator
is on, one or more of your tires is
signif icantly underinf lated. You
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inf late them to
the proper pressure as indicated on
the vehicle’s tire inf ormation placard.
If you think you can saf ely drive a
short distance to a service station,
proceed slowly, and inf late the tire to
the recommended pressure shown
on the driver’s doorjamb.
If the tire is f lat, or if the tire
pressure is too low to continue
driving, replace the tire with the
compact spare tire (see page ).
If you cannot make the low tire
pressure indicator go out af ter
inf lating the tires to the specif ied
values, have your dealer check the
system as soon as possible.Driving on a signif icantly under
inf lated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Underinf lation also reduces f uel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
af f ect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.
Becausetirepressurevariesby
temperature and other conditions,
the low tire pressure indicator may
come on unexpectedly.
Each tire has its own pressure
sensor (not including the spare tire).
If the air pressure of a tire becomes
signif icantly low while driving, the
sensor in that tire immediately sends
a signal that causes the low tire
pressure indicator to come on. Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that turns on every time you start the
engine and monitors the pressure in
your tires while driving.
508
On vehicles without navigation systemLow Tire Pressure
Indicator
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
420
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2011 Pilot

CONT INUED
If you think you can saf ely drive a
short distance to a service station,
proceed slowly to the station, then
inflate the tire to the recommended
pressure.
If the tire is f lat, or if the tire
pressure is too low to continue
driving, replace the tire with the
compact spare tire (see page ).
Driving on a signif icantly under-
inf lated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inf lation also reduces f uel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
af f ect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.
Becausetirepressurevariesby
temperature and other conditions,
the low tire pressure/TPMS
indicator may come on unexpectedly.
When the low tire pressure/TPMS
indicator is on, one or more of your
tires is signif icantly underinf lated.
Youshouldstopandcheckyourtires
as soon as possible, and inflate them
to the proper pressure as indicated
on the vehicle’s tire inf ormation
placard.
It is possible that the pressures
shown on the multi-inf ormation
display and the pressures you
manually measure are slightly
dif f erent.
If the dif f erence is signif icant or you
cannot make the low tire pressure/
TPMS indicator and message on the
multi-inf ormation display go out af ter
inf lating the tires to the specif ied
values, have your dealer check the
system as soon as possible.
Each tire has its own pressure
sensor. If the air pressure of a tire
becomes signif icantly low, the
sensor in that tire immediately sends
a signal that causes the low tire
pressure/TPMS indicator in the
instrument panel to come on. If this
happens, you will see which tire is
losing pressure on the multi-
inf ormation display along with a
‘‘CHECK TIRE PRESSURE’’
message. Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that turns on every time you start the
engine and monitors the pressure in
your tires while driving.
509On vehicles with navigation systemLow Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Driving
423
10/01/26 19:36:33 31SZA620_428
2011 Pilot

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.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 putting the
transmission in Park and f irmly
setting the parking brake. Also, place
wheel chocks at each of the trailer’s
tires. 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.If the vehicle’s tires slip when
retrieving a boat f rom the water,
shif t to f irst gear, and turn on VTM-4
lock (see page ). Disengage
VTM-4 lock as soon as the boat is
out of the water to prevent damage
to the VTM-4 system.
Your vehicle is not designed to be
towed behind a motor home. If your
vehicle needs to be towed in an
emergency, see page .
If the automatic transmission shif ts
f requently while going up a hill, shif t
to D .
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shif t down to D . Do
not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes. If you must stop when f acing uphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat. 418
531
bottom
3
3
Driving on Hills Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ing
Backing UpParking Ret rieving a Boat
Towing a Trailer
Towing Your Vehicle
Remember, it
takes longer to slow down and
stop when towing a trailer.
448
10/01/26 19:41:12 31SZA620_453
2011 Pilot

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 .508
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .509
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start . 516
................................
Jump Starting .517
..............
If the Engine Overheats . 519
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 521
..........
Charging System Indicator . 521
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 522
...............
Brake System Indicator . 523
..............................................
Fuses .524
..............................
Fuse Locations .528
......................
Emergency Towing .531
..........
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck . 532
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
507
10/01/26 19:50:56 31SZA620_512
2011 Pilot

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.
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.
The pointer of your vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange under most conditions.
If it climbs to the red mark, you
should determine the reason (hot
day, driving up a steep hill, etc.).
If the 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.
1.
2.
3.
CONT INUED
If theEngineOverheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
519
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.
10/01/26 19:53:01 31SZA620_524
2011 Pilot

If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f 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 ).
If you do not f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Add coolant
if the level is below the MIN mark.
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may need to add
coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, bef ore check-
ing the radiator. Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the f irst stop. Af ter the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap, and turn it until it comes
off.Start the engine, and set the
temperature to maximum heat
(climate control to AUTO at
‘‘ ’’). Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the f iller
neck. If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water.
Remember to have the cooling
system drained and ref illed with
the proper mixture as soon as you
can.
Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine, and check
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair (see
on page ).
If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
4.
5.
6.
7. 8.9.
10.
11.
531
531
Emergency
Towing
Emergency
Towing
If theEngineOverheats
520
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.
10/01/26 19:53:13 31SZA620_525
2011 Pilot

CONT INUED
..............................
Economy, Fuel .399
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) ........................................
System .431
..................................
Emergencies .507
.............
Battery, Jump Starting . 517
...........
Brake System Indicator . 523
................
Changing a Flat Tire . 509
.....
Charging System Indicator . 521
..................
Checking the Fuses . 525
...........
Driving with a Flat Tire . 508
.......
Hazard Warning Flashers . 130
............................
Jump Starting .517
.....
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 521
...
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 522
..................
Overheated Engine . 519.......................................
Towing .531
.........................
Emergency Brake .169
....................
Emergency Flashers .130
......................
Emergency Towing .531
.......................
Emissions Controls .547
........................
Emissions Testing .550
Engine ..............
Check Starter System . 412
....
Coolant Temperature Gauge . 82
.........................
If it Won’t Start .516
Malf unction Indicator ................................
Lamp .70, 522
.......................................
Oil Lif e .455
........
Oil Pressure Indicator . 70,521
..............
Oil, What Kind to Use . 472
...............................
Overheating .519
............................
Specif ications .539
............................
Speed Limiter .416
.......................................
Starting .411
.
Evaporative Emissions Controls . 547
...............................
Exhaust Fumes .61
Exhaust Gas Recirculation ........................................
System .548
...................................
Dashboard .3, 66
..............
Daytime Running Lights . 128
.................................
Dead Battery .517
............
Def ects, Reporting Saf ety . 556
..............
Def ogger, Rear Window . 130
......
Def rosting the Windows . 194,203
..........................
Dif f erential Fluid .538
....................................
Dimensions .538
.............
Dimming the Headlights . 126
Dipstick ..........
Automatic Transmission . 478
..................................
Engine Oil .398
..........................
Directional Signals .73
........
Disc Brake Wear Indicators . 429
.......................................
Disc Care .285
........................
Disc Changer .242, 274
Disc Changer Error ...........................
Messages .251, 284
....................
Disc Player .218, 242,274
.....................
Disposal of Used Oil .474
Doors .................................
Indicator .13, 95
............
Locking and Unlocking . 138
..................
Lockout Prevention . 144
....................
Power Door Locks . 138
..........
DOT Tire Quality Grading . 540 ...........
Driver and Passenger Safety . 5
...........................................
Driving .409
....................................
Economy .399
Driving Position Memory ........................................
System .173
..................
Dust and Pollen Filter . 490
......
DVD Player Error Messages . 345
...................................
DVD Player .320
Index
E
INDEX
III
10/01/26 19:59:26 31SZA620_566
2011 Pilot