2014 HONDA PILOT lock

323
Driving
This chapter discusses driving, refueling, and information on items such as accessories.
Before Driving
Driving Preparation .......................... 324
Maximum Load Limit........................ 327
Towing a Trailer Towing Preparation .......................... 329
Driving Safely with a Trailer .............. 338
Towing Your Vehicle ........................ 339
Off-Highway Driving Guidelines General Information ......................... 340
Important Safety Precautions............ 340
Avoiding Trouble ............................. 341
When Driving Starting the Engine .......................... 342
Precautions While Driving................. 344 Automatic Transmission ................... 345
Shifting ............................................ 346
Cruise Control ................................. 348
VSA® (Vehicle Stability Assist), aka ESC
(Electronic Stability Control), System ...... 352
VTM (Variable Torque Management)-4 r
System *.............................................354TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) ... 355Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) -
Required Federal Explanation ......... 357
Braking Brake System ................................... 360
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) ........... 362 Brake Assist System ......................... 363
Parking Your Vehicle When Stopped ................................ 364
Parking Sensor System
*...................365
Rearview Camera *............................369
Multi-View Rear Camera *................370
Refueling
Fuel Information .............................. 371
How to Refuel ................................. 372
Fuel Economy ..
.................................. 374
Accessories and Modifications Accessories ...................................... 375
Modifications................................... 375
* Not available on all models

324
Driving
Before Driving
Driving Preparation
Check the following items before you start driving.
• Make sure there
are no obstructions on the windows, door mirrors, exterior
lights, or other parts of the vehicle.
u Remove
any frost, snow, or ice.
uRemove any sno
w on the roof, as this can slip down and obstruct your field of
vision while driving. If frozen solid , remove ice once it has softened.
u When r
emoving ice from around the wheels, be sure not to damage the wheel
or wheel components.
• Make sure the hood
is securely closed.
u If
the hood opens while driving, your front view will be blocked.
• Make sure the t
ires are in good condition.
u Check air
pressures, and check for damage and excessive wear.
2Checking and Maintaining Tires P. 414
• Make sure there are no people or ob jects behind or around the vehicle.
u There are blind
spots from the inside.
■Exterior Checks1Exterior Checks
NOTICE
When doors are frozen s hut, use warm water around
the door edges to melt any ice. Do not try to force
them open, as this can damage the rubber trim
around the doors. When done, wipe dry to avoid
further freezing.
Do not pour warm water into the key cylinder.
You will be unable to insert key if the water freezes in
the hole.
Heat from the engine and exhaust can ignite
flammable material s left under the hood, causing a
fire. If you've parked y our vehicle for an extended
period, inspect and remove any debris that may have
collected, such as dried grass and leaves that have
fallen or have been carried in for use as a nest by a
small animal. Also check under the hood for leftover
flammable materials after you or someone else has
performed maintenance on your vehicle.

Continued325
uu Before Driving u Driving Preparation
Driving
• Store or secure all items on board properly.
u Carrying too much cargo, or improperly storing it, can affect your vehicle's
handling, stability, sto pping distance, and tires, and make it unsafe.
2Maximum Load Limit P. 327
• Do not pile items higher than the seat height.
u Th
ey can block your view and may be thrown forward in the event of sudden
braking.
• Do not pla
ce anything in the front seat footwells. Make sure to secure the floor
mat.
u An object or unsecured floor m
at can interfere with your brake and accelerator
pedal operation while driving.
• If yo
u have any animals on board, do not let them move around in the vehicle.
u Th
ey may interfere with driving and a crash could occur.
• Secure
ly close and lock al l doors and the tailgate.
2Locking/Unlocking the Doors from the Inside P. 103
• Adjust your seating position properly.
u Adjust the head re
straint, too.
2Adjusting the Seats P. 137
2 Adjusting the Head Restraints P. 141
•Adjust the mirrors and steering wh eel properly for your driving.
u Ad
just them while sitting in the proper driving position.
2 Adjusting the Steering Wheel P. 134
2 Adjusting the Mirrors P. 135
■Interior Checks1Interior Checks
The headlight aim is set by the factory, and does not
need to be adjusted. Howeve r, if you regularly carry
heavy items in the cargo area or tow a trailer, have
the aiming readjusted at a dealer or by a qualified
technician.

339
uu Towing a Trailer u Towing Your Vehicle
Driving
• Monitor your temperature gauge. If it nears the red (Hot) mark, turn off the
climate control system and redu ce speed. Pull to the side of the road safely to cool
down the engine if necessary.
• Shift to the (d
position if the transmiss ion shifts frequently.
If the tires slip when retrieving a boat from the
water, shift to (1
, and turn on VTM-
4 r lock. Disengage VTM-4 r lock as soon as the boat is out of the water to prevent
damage to the VTM-4 r system.
Towing Your Vehicle
Your vehicle is not designed to be towed behind a motor home. If your vehicle needs
to be towed in an emergency, refer to the emergency towing information.
2Emergency Towing P. 459
■Driving in Hilly Terrain
■Retrieving a Boat

342
Driving
When Driving
Starting the Engine
1.Make sure the parking brake is applied.
2. Check
that the shift lever is in (P
, then
depress the brake pedal.
u Althou
gh it is possible to start the vehicle
in
(N
, it is safer to start it in (P
.
3. Turn
the ignition switch to START (e

without depressing the accelerator pedal.
1 Starting the Engine
Keep your foot firmly on the brake pedal when
starting the engine.
The engine is harder to st art in cold weather and in
thinner air found at altitudes above 8,000 feet (2,400
meters).
When starting the engine in cold weather, turn off all
electrical accessories such as the lights, climate
control system, and rear de fogger in order to reduce
battery drain.
If you live in a region where winter is extremely cold,
an engine block heater will improve starting and
warming of the engine. If temperatures consistently
below -22°F (-30°C) are expected, the coolant
mixture should be changed to a higher concentration
to prevent freezing. Cons ult a dealer for details.
If the exhaust system sounds abnormal or you can
smell exhaust gas inside the vehicle, have your vehicle
checked by a dealer. There may be a problem with
the engine or exhaust system.
Do not hold the key in START
(
e
for more than 15
seconds.
•If the engine does not start right away, wait for at
least 10 seconds before trying again.
•If the engine starts, but then immediately stops,
wait at least 10 seconds before repeating step 3
while gently depressing the accelerator pedal.
Release the accelerator pedal once the engine
starts.
Brake Pedal

344
uu When Driving u Precautions While Driving
Driving
Precautions While Driving
Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles.
To prevent rollovers or loss of control:
• Take corne
rs at slower speeds than yo u would with a passenger vehicle.
• Av
oid sharp turns and abrupt maneuvers whenever possible.
•Do
not modify your vehicle in any way that you would raise the center of gravity.
•Never
carry more than 165 lbs (75 kg ) of cargo on the roof rack (Honda
accessory).
Avoid driving in deep water and on flooded roads. This can damage the engine,
driv
eline, or cause electrical component failure.
If there is a strong impact with something u
nder the vehicle, stop in a safe location.
Check the underside of the vehicle for damage or any fluid leaks.
■Driving Guidelines for Your Utility Vehicle
■In Rain
■Other Precautions
1 Driving Guidelines for Your Utility Vehicle
Failure to operate your vehi cle correctly might result
in a crash or a rollover. 2 Important Handling Information P. 26
2 Precautions While Driving P. 344
1Precautions While Driving
NOTICE
Do not operate the shift lever while pressing the
accelerator pedal. You could damage the
transmission.
If the ignition switch is turned to ACCESSORY
(
q
or
LOCK (
0
while driving, the e ngine will shut down
and all steering and brake pow er assist functions will
stop, making it difficult to control the vehicle.
Do not put the shift lever in
(
N
, as you will lose
engine braking (and acce leration) performance.
During the first 600 miles (1,000 km) of operation,
avoid sudden acceleration or full throttle operation so
as not to damage the engine or powertrain.
Avoid hard braking for the first 200 miles (300 km).
You should also follow this when the brake pads are
replaced.

346
uu When Driving u Shifting
Driving
Shifting
Change the shift positi on in accordance with your driving needs.
■Shift lever positions
1Shifting
You cannot turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(
0
and
remove the key unless the shift lever is in
(
P
.
The vehicle may move forward very slightly even in
(
N
while the engine is cold.
Depress the brake pe dal firmly and, when necessary,
apply the parking brake.Park
Used when parking or starting the
engine
Reverse
Used when reversing
Neutral
Used when idling
Drive
Used for normal driving (gears change
between 1st and 5th automatically)
Drive (D3)
Press the
(
d
button while the shift lever
is in (
D
.
Used when:
●Going up or down hills●Towing a trailer in hilly terrain
Second
Used to increase engine braking

(the transmission is locked in 2nd gear)
First
Used to further increase engine braking
(the transmission is locked in 1st gear)
Release Button

(
d
Button

354
uu When Driving u VTM (Variable Torque Management)-4 r System *
Driving
VTM (Variable Torque Management)-4 r System *
Senses a traction loss caused by a road condition change, and automatically
transfers some power to the rear wheels.
Use the VTM-4 r
LOCK to increase more to rque to the rear wheels.
1. Stop
your vehicle with the engine running.
2.Move the shift lever to
(1
, (2
, or (R
.
3. Press the VTM-4r LOCK button.
u The
indicator in the button comes on.
Any of the following disengages the VTM-4 r LOCK
:
• Pressing the VTM-4r LOCK button again
.
• Moving the
shift lever to (D
or (d
.
• Turning the ignition switch
to the LOCK (0
position.
■To Engage the VTM-4 r LOCK
■To Disengage the VTM-4 r LOCK
1 VTM (Variable Torque Management)-4 r System *
NOTICE
Do not continuously spin the front tires of your
vehicle. Continuously spinning the front tires can
cause transmission or re ar differential damage.
1To Engage the VTM-4 r LOCK
Do not use the VTM-4r LOCK button on dry, paved
roads. Driving on dry, paved roads with VTM-4 r
LOCK on may damage the r ear differential when
making a turn. Strange noise and vibration can also
result.
The VTM-4 r LOCK can be used to help free your
vehicle from being stuck in mud, sand, or gravel.
When the lock is engaged, apply light pressure to the
accelerator pedal.
When more torque is applied, the rear tires are not
likely to spin. This is normal.
If you are not able to fr ee the vehicle, stop and
reverse direction.
As soon as this featur e is no longer needed,
disengage the VTM-4 r LOCK.
1 To Disengage the VTM-4 r LOCK
The VTM-4 r LOCK temporarily disengages when the
vehicle speed exceeds 18 mph (30 km/h). The
indicator in the button remains on.
* Not available on all models