2013 HONDA RIDGELINE Owners Manual

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.
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time. Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. 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.
Premium f uel is recommended when
towing in certain conditions (see
page ).
301
Break-in Period
Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
244
T o help prevent harmf ul f uel system
and engine deposits, use high quality
f uel containing detergent and additives.
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.
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Bef ore Driving

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.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
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely affect performance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your dealer for 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.
owners.honda.com
www.honda.ca
www.toptiergas.com.
Fuel Recommendation
Bef ore Driving
245
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Open the f uel f ill door by pulling
onthehandletotheleftof the
driver’s seat. Park with the driver’s side closest
to the service station pump.Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
The fuel fill cap is attached to the
f uel f iller with a tether. Insert the
attachment on the fuel fill cap into
the slit on the f uel f ill door.
1.
2. 3.
Ref ueling
Service Station Procedures
246
Pull
FUEL FILL CAP
ATTACHMENT TETHER
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.
Stop the engine, and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.
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Screw the f uel f ill cap back on
until it clicks at least once.
If you do not properly tighten the
cap, you will see a ‘‘CHECK FUEL
CAP’’ message on the inf ormation
display (see page ).
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top off’’ the tank. This
leaves some room in the f uel tank
for the fuel to expand with
temperature changes.
If thefuelnozzlekeepsclickingoff
even though the tank is not f ull,
there may be a problem with your
vehicle’s fuel vapor recovery
system. The system helps keep
f uel vapor f rom going into the
atmosphere. Try f illing at another
pump. If this does not f ix the
problem, consult your dealer.
If you do not properly tighten the
cap, you will see a ‘‘TIGHTEN
FUEL CAP’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display.
Your vehicle’s on board diagnostic
system will detect a loose or
missingf uel f ill cap as an
evaporative system leak. The f irst
time a leak is detected a
‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL CAP’’ message
appears on the multi-inf ormation
display.
5.
6.
81
4.
CONT INUED
On models without navigation system
On models with navigation system On models with navigation system
Service Station Procedures
Tighten Fuel Cap Message
247
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If the system still detects a leak in
the vehicle’s evaporative emissions
system, the malf unction indicator
lamp (MIL) comes on. If the f uel f ill
cap was not already tightened, turn
the engine of f , and check or
retighten the f uel f ill cap until it
clicks at least once. The MIL should
go off after several days of normal
driving once the cap is tightened or
replaced. If the MIL does not go of f ,
have your vehicle inspected by a
dealer. For more inf ormation, see
page .
Turn the engine of f , and conf irm the
f uel f ill cap is installed. If it is, loosen
it, then retighten it until it clicks at
least once. The message should go
off after several days of normal
driving once you tighten or replace
the f uel f ill cap. To scroll to another
message, press the INFO button.
The ‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL CAP’’
message will appear each time you
restart the engine until the system
turns the message of f .
373
Service Station Procedures
248
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Your vehicle has a warning label f or
f illing a portable f uel container on
the lef t rear side of the pickup bed.
Gasoline or f uel vapors are
extremely f lammable and explosive.
Improperly handling f uel can cause
anexplosioninwhichyoucanbe
seriously injured.
Before placing the fuel container in
the vehicle, wipe up any spill
completely.
Whenever f illing a f uel container,
use an approved f uel container, and
place it on the ground. Do not f ill the
f uel container in the vehicle,
including the pickup bed and the
In-Bed Trunk. Make sure to put the
f uel pump nozzle in the f uel f iller of
the container securely and to handle
it properly.
Service Station Procedures
Filling a Port able Fuel Cont ainer
249
Do not fill a portable fuel
container in the pickup bed.
Static electricity can ignite gas
vapors and you can be burned.
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Put your f ingers under the f ront
edge of the hood. The hood latch
handle is above the ‘‘H’’ logo. Pull
this handle until it releases the
hood, then lif t the hood.To close the hood, lif t it up slightly to
remove the support rod f rom the
hole. Put the support rod back into
its holding clip. Lower the hood to
about a f oot (30 cm) above the
f ender, then let it drop. Make sure it
is securely latched.
If the hood latch handle moves
stiffly, or you can open the hood
without lifting the handle, the
mechanism should be
cleaned and lubricated.
Park the vehicle, and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle under the lower lef t
corner of the dashboard. The
hood will pop up slightly.
Holding the grip, pull the support
rod out of its clip. Insert the end
into the designated hole in the
hood marked by an arrow.
1.
2.
3.
Opening and Closing the Hood
Service Station Procedures
250
GRIP
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
LATCH SUPPORT ROD
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Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.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. Remove the dipstick again,
and check the level. It should
be between the upper and
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
information on adding the proper
Refer to on page for information
about checking other items on
your
1.
2.
3. 4.
324 327
321
A dding Engine Oil Engine Coolant Check
Oil Check
A dding
Engine Coolant
Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
Service Station Procedures
251
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
DIPSTICK
MIN
MAX
RESERVE TANK
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lower marks.
vehicle.
proper coolant.