2017 HONDA RIDGELINE Owners Manual

424
uuWhen Driving uPrecautions While Driving
Driving
Precautions While Driving
Utility vehicles have a significantly higher ro llover rate than other types of vehicles.
To prevent rollovers or loss of control:
• Take corners at slower speeds than yo u would with a passenger vehicle.
• Avoid sharp turns and abrupt maneuvers whenever possible.
• Do not modify your vehicle in any way that you would raise the center of gravity.
• Do not carry heavy cargo on the roof.
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,
driveline, or cause electrical component failure.
If there is a strong impact with something un der 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 Precautions While Driving
NOTICE
Do not change the shift lever while pressing the
accelerator pedal. You could damage the
transmission.
NOTICE
If you repeatedly turn the steering wheel at an
extremely low speed, or hold the steering wheel in
the full left or right position for a while, the system
heats up. The system goes into a protective mode,
and limits its performa nce. The steering wheel
becomes harder and harder to operate. Once the
system cools down, the EPS system is restored.
Repeated operation under these conditions can
eventually damage the system.
If the power mode is set to ACCESSORY or VEHICLE
OFF (LOCK) while driving, the engine 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.

425
uuWhen Driving uAutomatic Transmission
Driving
Automatic Transmission
The engine runs at a higher id le speed and creeping increases.
Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed when stopped.
Quickly depressing the accelerator peda l while driving uphill may cause the
transmission to drop to a lower gear, unex pectedly increasing vehicle speed. Depress
the accelerator pedal carefully, especi ally on slippery roads and curves.
■Creeping
■Kickdown
1Driving Guidelines for Your Utility Vehicle
Failure to operate your vehicle correctly might result
in a crash or a rollover. 2 Important Handling Information P. 30
2 Precautions While Driving P. 424

426
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
Shifting
Change the shift positi on in accordance with your driving needs.
■Shift lever positions
1Shifting
You cannot change the pow er mode from ON to
VEHICLE OFF (LOCK) 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.
When shifting gears in extremely low temperatures
(-22°F/-30°C), there may be a short delay before the
shift indicated in the display. Always confirm you are
in the correct gear before driving.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 6th
automatically)
Drive (L)
Used for:
●Automatically changing gears
between 1st and 5th (5th gear is
used only at high speed)
Drive (D4)
Press the button while the shift
lever is in
( D.
Used when:
●Going up or down hills●Towing a trailer in hilly terrain
D4
Release Button
Button
D4

427
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
■Shift Lever Operation1Shift Lever Operation
NOTICE
When you change the shift lever from (D to ( R and
vice versa, come to a complete stop and keep the
brake pedal depressed.
Operating the shift lever be fore the vehicle has come
to a complete standstill can damage the transmission.
Use the shift lever position indicator to check the
lever position befo re pulling away.
Whichever position the shift lever is in when driving,
a blinking transmission indicator indicates a
transmission problem.
Avoid sudden acceleration and have the transmission
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The fuel supply may be cut of f if you drive at engine
speeds in or over the tachometer’s red zone (engine
speed limit). If this happe ns, you may experience a
slight jolt.
It may not be possible to operate the shift lever if the
brake pedal is applied while the shift lever release
button is held down.
Depress the brake pedal first.Tachometer’s Red Zone
Shift Lever Position Indicator
Depress the brake pedal and press
the shift lever release button to shift.
Shift without pressing the shift lever
release button.
Press the shift lever release button
and shift.

428
uuWhen Driving uECON Button
Driving
ECON Button
The ECON button turns the ECON mode on
and off.
The ECON mode helps you improve your fuel
economy by adjusting the performance of the
engine, air conditioning system, and cruise
control.1 ECON Button
While in ECON mode, the climate control system
* has
greater temperature fluctuation.
* Not available on all models

429
uuWhen Driving uIntelligent Traction Management
Driving
Intelligent Traction Management
The Intelligent Traction Management optimizes vehicle performance to help you
drive on various surfaces. The system has available modes to select from: Normal ,
Snow , Mud
*, and Sand*.
Press the mode button to select the appropr iate mode. The mode you select appears
on the multi-information display. When th e vehicle is turned off and restarted,
Intelligent Traction Management mode will revert to Normal.
1 Intelligent Traction Management
Refer to the Off-Highway Dr iving section for driving
tips and safety precautions.
2 Off-Highway Driving Guidelines P. 416
Mud
Use when driving on
muddy road or off-
road surfaces.
Sand
Use when driving on
soft, sandy road or
off-road surfaces. Normal
Provides balanced
driving performance
on most road surfaces.
Mode Button
Snow
Use when driving on
snowy road surfaces.
AWD models
* Not available on all models

430
uuWhen Driving uIntelligent Traction Management
Driving
Normal
Provides balanced
driving performance
on most road surfaces.
SNOW Button
Snow
Use when driving on
snowy road surfaces.
2WD models

431
uuWhen Driving uCruise Control*
Continued
Driving
Cruise Control*
Maintains a constant vehicle speed without having to keep your foot on the
accelerator. Use cruise control on freeways or open road s where you can travel at a
constant speed with little ac celeration or deceleration.1Cruise Control*
It may not be possible to maintain a constant speed
when driving uphill or downhill.
When not using cruise control:
Turn off cruise control by pressing the CRUISE
button.
While in the ECON mode, it may take relatively more
time to accelerate to maintain the set speed.
Cruise control is not available when the Intelligent
Traction Management Snow, Mud
* or Sand* modes
are in operation.
3WARNING
Improper use of the cruise control can lead
to a crash.
Use the cruise control only when traveling
on open highways in good weather.
■Shift positions for cruise control:
In ( D
When to use
Always keep sufficient distance
between you and the vehicle in
front of you.■Vehicle speed for cruise control:
Desired speed in a range above
roughly 25 mph (40 km/h) ~
How to use
CRUISE MAIN is on in the
instrument panel.
Cruise control is ready to use.
■Press the CRUISE
button on the
steering wheel.
* Not available on all models