2012 HONDA CROSSTOUR engine

Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.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 .
Remove the dipstick (orange loop).
Wipe of f the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert the dipstick all the way back
into its hole. 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.
1.
2.
3. 4.
333330337
Oil Check
A dding Engine OilEngine Coolant Check
A dding
Engine Coolant
Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
Service Station Procedures
288
LOWER MARK UPPER MARK
MIN
MAX
RESERVE TANK
DIPSTICK
(orange loop)

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2012 Crosstour

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µ
µµ µ
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: 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.
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. Idling
results in 0 miles per gallon (0 kms
per liter).
330
Fuel Economy Factors
Use the recommended viscosity
motor oil, displaying the API
Certif ication Seal (see page ).
Improving Fuel Economy Owner’s
Maintenance Checks Drive moderately
Observe the speed limit
Maintain proper tire inf lation
A void carrying excess weight in
your vehicle
K eep your vehicle clean A void excessive idling
334
Vehicle Maint enance Drive Ef f icient ly
Fuel Economy
290

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2012 Crosstour

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
291
Miles driven Gallons of
fuel Miles per
Gallon
100 KilometersL per 100 km
Liter

Bef ore Driving

2012 Crosstour

........................
Preparing to Drive .300
.......................
Starting the Engine .301
..............
Automatic Transmission . 302
...........................................
Parking .307
.............................
Braking System .308
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 309
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
),
aka Electronic Stability Control .......................
(ESC), System .311
Tire Pressure Monitoring ........................
System (TPMS) .313
...........................
Towing a Trailer .316
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.
Driving
Driving
299


2012 Crosstour

Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments bef ore you drive
your vehicle.Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Check that the hood is f ully closed. When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicators in the
instrument panel (see page ).
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
f astened down securely. Check the seat adjustment (see
page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
pages and ).
Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page ).
Make sure the doors and the
tailgate are securely closed and
locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).
3. 2. 1.
4. 5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
14 55
10.
93
104 105 76
Preparing to Drive
300

Driving

2012 Crosstour

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.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in the START (III)
position f or more than 15 seconds
at a time. If the engine does not
start right away, pause for at least
10 seconds bef ore trying again.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Starting the Engine
301
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 .
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.
78

Driving

2012 Crosstour

µµµ
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 have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Press the release
buttononthefrontof theshiftlever
to move it.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page .
You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. 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 f rom
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.
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.
305To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR
DtoD3 D3 to 2 2to1
1to2
2toD3
D3 to D DtoN
NtoDRtoN Do this:
Press the brake pedal and
press the shift lever release
button.
Press the shift lever release
button.
Move the shift lever.
CONT INUED
Park (P)
Shif t L ock Release Reverse (R)
Neutral (N)
Automatic Transmission
303

Driving

2012 Crosstour

µµ
µ
µ To shif t to second,
pressthereleasebuttononthefront
of the shif t lever. 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.
To help reduce wheel spin.
When driving downhill with a
trailer. To shif t f rom second to
first, press the release button on the
f ront of the shif t lever. This position
locks the transmission in f irst gear.
By upshif ting and downshif ting
through 1, 2, D3, and D, you can
operate this transmission much like
a manual transmission without a
clutch pedal.
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear (1 through 5) f or your
speed and acceleration.
To shift from D to D3,
press the shif t lever release button.
This position is similar to D, except
only the f irst three gears are
selected. Use D3 when towing a
trailer in hilly terrain, or to provide
engine braking when going down a
steep hill. D3 can also keep the
transmission f rom cycling between
third and f ourth gears in stop-and-go
driving. Second (2)
First (1)
Drive (D)
Drive (D3)
Automatic Transmission
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Driving

2012 Crosstour