2011 HONDA RIDGELINE ECU

In addition to these characteristics, your vehicle’s pickup bed area allows you to carry more cargo and has the dual-
action tailgate to handle the items easily.
These advantages come at some cost. Because your vehicle is taller and rides higher of f th e ground, it has a high
center of gravity. This means your vehicle can tip or roll over if you make abrupt turns. Utility vehicles have a
signif icantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. In a rollover crash, an unbelt ed person is signif icantly
more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. As a reminder, make sure you a nd your passengers always wear
seat belts.
Overloading or improperly loading cargo could af f ect your handling and the vehicle’s stability , and could result in a
crash. Make sure the cargo is properly loaded and all items are secured in the pickup bed area.
For inf ormation on how to reduce the risk of rollover, read ‘‘Driving Guidelines’’ on pa ge of this manual and the
section on page . Failure to operate your vehicle correctly might result i n loss of
control, a crash, or rollover.
Your vehicle has higher ground clearance than a passenger vehicle designed f or use only on paveme
nt. Higher ground
clearance has many advantages f or of f -highway driving. It allows you to travel ove r bumps, obstacles, and rough
terrain. It also provides good visibility so you can anticipate problems earlier. Your vehicle also has a relatively short
wheelbase, allowing it to respond quicker to the steering wheel than other vehic les with a longer wheelbase.
306 268
Of f -Highway Driving Guidelines
Important Handling Inf ormation
iv
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(f luid capacities and tire pressures)
(seat belts, SRS, and child protection)
(main controls)
(indicators, gauges, multi-inf ormation display, dashboard, and steering column)
(fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading)
(engine and transmission operation)
(vehicle specif ications, tires, and emissions controls) (warranty and contact inf ormation)
(how to order)
(f lat tire, jump starting, overheating, and f uses)
(
)
(minder, f luid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)
climate control, audio, steering wheel, security, cruise control, HomeLink, and other convenience items
Contents
................................................................................................................................................
Index .I
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Service Inf ormation Summary . last page
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Driver and Passenger Saf ety .5
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Your Vehicle at a Glance .3
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Instruments and Controls .59
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Bef ore Driving .247
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Driving .267
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T echnical Inf ormation .385
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Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada only) . 403
..................................................................................
A uthorized Manuals (U.S. only) .407
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T aking Care of the Unexpected .359
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Features .145
.................................................
Maintenance .311INDEX
1Owner
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2011 Ridgeline Online Reference Owner's Manual

Position the lap part of the belt as
low as possible across your hips,
then pull up on the shoulder part of
the belt so the lap part f its snugly.
This lets your strong pelvic bones
take the force of a crash and reduces
the chance of internal injuries.
Insert the latch plate into the buckle,
then tug on the belt to make sure the
belt is securely latched. Check that
the belt is not twisted, because a
twisted belt can cause serious
injuries in a crash.
If necessary, pull up on the belt again
to remove any slack, then check that
the belt rests across the center of
your chest and over your shoulder.
This spreads the f orces of a crash
over the strongest bones in your
upper body.
If the seat belt touches or crosses
your neck, or if it crosses your arm
instead of your shoulder, you need to
adjust the seat belt anchor height.
Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts
5.
Protecting A dults and T eens
16
Improperly positioning the seat
belts can cause serious injury
or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are
properly positioned beforedriving.
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For added protection, the f ront seat
belts are equipped with automatic
seat belt tensioners. When activated,
the tensioners immediately tighten
the belts to help hold the driver and
a f ront passenger in position.
All seat belts have an emergency
locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move f reely in
your seat while it keeps some
tension on the belt. During a collision
or sudden stop, the retractor
automatically locks the belt to help
restrain your body.
The seat belts in all positions except
the driver’s have a lockable retractor
that must be activated to secure a
child seat (see page ).
The lap/shoulder belt goes over
your shoulder, across your chest,
and across your hips.
To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched (see page f or how to
properly position the belt).
To unlock the belt, press the red
PRESSbuttononthebuckle.Guide
the belt across your body so that it
retracts completely. Af ter exiting the
vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the
way and will not get closed in the
door.
If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the lockable
retractor will activate. The belt will
retract, but it will not allow the
passenger to move f reely.
To deactivate the lockable retractor,
unlatch the buckle and let the seat
belt fully retract. To refasten the
seat belt, pull it out only as f ar as
needed.46
16
CONT INUED
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners
L ap/Shoulder Belt
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
21
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If you have children, or ever need to
drive with a child in your vehicle, be
sure to read this section. It begins
with important general guidelines,
then presents special inf ormation f or
inf ants, small children, and larger
children. To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state,
Canadian province and territory
requires that inf ants and children be
properlyrestrainedwhentheyridein
a vehicle.
(see pages ). (see pages ).
Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many adults do not know
how to protect child
passengers. Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In f act, traf f ic
collisions are the number one cause
of death of children age 12 and
under.
39 50 51 54
properly
Protecting Children General Guidelines
All Children Must Be Restrained
Inf ant s and small children must be
rest rained in an approved child seatt hat is properly secured t o t he vehicle Larger children must be restrained
wit h a lap/shoulder belt and ride on a boost er seat unt il t he seat belt f it st hem properly
34
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in acrash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt and
use a booster seat if necessary.
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Many parents say they pref er to put
an inf ant or a small child in the f ront
passenger seat so they can watch the
child, or because the child requires
attention.
Placing a child in the f ront seat
exposes the child to hazards in a
f rontal collision, and paying close
attention to a child distracts the
driver from the important tasks of
driving, placing both of you at risk.
Your vehicle has a back seat where
children can be properly restrained.
If you ever have to carry a group of
children, and a child must ride in
front:
Place the largest child in the f ront
seat, provided the child is large
enough to wear the lap/shoulder
belt properly (see page ). If a child requires close physical
attention or f requent visual contact,
we strongly recommend that another
adult ride with the child in the back
seat. The back seat is far safer for a
child than the front.
Move the vehicle seat as far to the
rear as possible (see page ).
Have the child sit upright and well
backintheseat(seepage ).
Make sure the seat belt is properly
positioned and secured (see page ). 13
17
16 51
If You Must Drive with Several
Children
If a Child Requires Close
Attention
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
37
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Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt.
Whatever type of seat you choose, to
provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:
Look f or FMVSS 213 or CMVSS
213 on the box.
When buying a child seat, you need
to choose either a conventional child
seat, or one designed f or use with
the Lower Anchors and Tethers f or
CHildren (LATCH) system.
Conventional child seats must be
secured to a vehicle with a seat belt,
whereas LATCH-compatible seats
are secured by attaching the seat to
hardware built into each rear seating
position in the back seat.
If it is necessary to put a f orward-
f acing child seat in the f ront, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, and be sure the child seat is
f irmly secured to the vehicle and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.
Even with advanced front airbags
that automatically turn the
passenger’s front airbag off (see
page ), a back seat is the saf est
place f or a small child.
Rear-facing for infants, forward-
f acing f or small children.
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CONT INUED
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children, Selecting a Child Seat
Selecting a Child Seat
T he child seat should meet
Federal Mot or Vehicle Saf et ySt andard 213 or Canadian Mot or
Vehicle Saf et y St andard 213.
T he child seat should be of theproper t ype and size t o f it t he child.
1.
2.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
41
Placing a forward-facing child
seat in the front seat can result
in serious injury or death if the
front airbag inflates.
Ifyoumustplaceaforward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible, and properly restrain
the child.
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Af ter selecting a proper child seat
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:All child seats must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of a lap/shoulder belt or with
the LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or CHildren) system. A
child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash.
Af ter installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verif y that it is secure.
A child seat secured with a seat belt
should be installed as f irmly as
possible. However, it does not need
to be ‘‘rock solid.’’ Some side-to-side movement can be expected and
should not reduce the child seat’s
ef f ectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a dif f erent seating
position, or use a dif f erent style of
child seat that can be f irmly secured.
Bef ore purchasing a conventional
child seat, or using a previously
purchased one, we recommend that
you test the seat in the specif ic
vehicle seating position or positions
where the seat will be used.
Make sure the child is properly
strappedinthechildseat
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
can be seriously injured in a crash.
The f ollowing pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A f orward-f acing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same f or rear-
f acing child seats.
Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat
Properly secure t he child seat t o the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured.
T he child seat should f it the
vehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used.
Secure t he child in t he child seat .
1.
2. 3.
3.
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