2018 HONDA CLARITY PLUG-IN Owner's Manual (in English)

375
Driving
Towing a Trailer
Your vehicle is not designed to tow a trailer. Attempting to do so can void your
warranties.
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. 561
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376
Driving
When Driving
Turning on the Power
1.Make sure the parking brake is applied.
2. Depress the brake pedal.1When Driving
When you set the power mode to ON, you may feel
as if the brake pedal is sinking down. This is normal.
1Turning on the Power
Keep your foot firmly on the brake pedal when
starting the power system.
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 turning on the power system in cold weather,
turn off all electrical accessories such as the lights,
climate control system, and rear defogger in order to
reduce 12-volt battery drain.
If the temperature of the High Voltage battery drops
below approximately –22°F (–30°C), the power
system will not start, the High Voltage battery will not
operate and, as a result, the vehicle will not start.
Store the vehicle in a gara ge or take another measure
to insure that temperature of the High Voltage
battery does not fa ll below this temperature. If
necessary, consult an author ized Honda Clarity Plug-
In Hybrid dealer.
U.S. models
Electric Parking
Brake Switch
Brake Pedal
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Continued377
uuWhen Driving uTurning on the Power
Driving
3. Press the POWER button without
depressing the accelerator pedal.
u The Ready To Drive message appears
on the driver information interface.
u When the ambient temperature is
extremely low, the vehicle does not move
until certain conditions are met.
A warning message appears instead of
Ready To Drive .
2Driver Information Interface
Warning and Information Messages
P. 103
u If the High Voltage battery is fully
charged, the gasoline engine may not
start.
u If the High Voltage battery charge level is
low, the gasoline engine starts.
1Turning on the Power
If the temperature of the High Voltage battery drops
to approximately –22°F (–30° C) or below, the power
system will not start. Wait for the High Voltage
battery to warm up or move the vehicle to a warmer
location. Note plugging the ve hicle in will not help in
this case.
Store the vehicle in a gara ge or take another measure
to insure that temperature of the High Voltage
battery does not fa ll below this temperature. If
necessary, consult an author ized Honda Clarity Plug-
In Hybrid dealer.
If the exhaust system sounds abnormal or you can
smell exhaust gas inside the vehicle, have your vehicle
checked by an authorized Honda Clarity Plug-In
Hybrid dealer. There may be a problem with the
engine or ex haust system.
The immobilizer system pr otects your vehicle from
theft.
If an improperly coded de vice is used, the power
system does not activate. 2 Immobilizer System P. 153
Canadian models
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uuWhen Driving uTurning on the Power
378
Driving
You can turn the power system off when the vehicle is completely stopped.
1. Put the transmission into
(P.
2. Press the POWER button.
■Stopping the Power System1Turning on the Power
Bring the smart entry remote close to the POWER
button if the battery in the smart entry remote is
weak.
2 If the Smart Entry Remote Battery is Weak
P. 537
The power system may not activate if the smart entry
remote is subjected to strong radio waves.
Do not hold the POWER button to start the power
system.
If the power system does not start, wait at least 30
seconds before trying again.
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379
uuWhen Driving uTurning on the Power
Driving
1. Keeping your right foot on the brake pedal, press the (D button. Select (R when
reversing.
2. With the parking brake applied, release the brake pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal.
u Make sure the parking brake and brake system indicator (red) goes off.
2Parking Brake P. 431
■Hill Start Assist System
Hill start assist keeps the brake engaged br iefly to help prevent the vehicle from
rolling on inclines as you move your foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator.
Change to
(D when facing uphill, or (R when facing downh ill, then release the
brake pedal.
■Starting to Drive1 Starting to Drive
You can also release the parking brake by pressing
the electric parking brake sw itch while depressing the
brake pedal.
When facing downhill, you can start your vehicle
more smoothly by manually releasing it with the
electric parking brake switch than by releasing it with
the accelerator pedal.
1 Hill Start Assist System
Hill start assist may not prevent the vehicle from
rolling downhill on a very st eep or slippery slope, and
does not operate on small inclines.
Hill start assist is not a replacement for the parking
brake.
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380
uuWhen Driving uPrecautions While Driving
Driving
Precautions While Driving
Avoid driving in deep water and on flooded roads. This can damage the power
system or driveline, or cause electrical component failure.
■In Rain1Precautions While Driving
NOTICE
Do not select a shift button while pressing the
accelerator pedal. You could damage the
transmission.
NOTICE
The following can damage the rear frames and rear
suspensions. Be careful when driving.
•Backing up the vehicle into a space with a parking
block or road shoulder
•Driving up or down to a different surface level
(such as a road shoulder)
•Driving on a road with potholes
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 electric
power steering (EPS) system heats up. The system
goes into a protective mode, and limits its
performance. 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 while
driving, the power system will shut down and all
steering and brake power a ssist functions will stop,
making it difficult to control the vehicle.
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381
uuWhen Driving uTransmission
Driving
If there is a strong impact with something under the vehicle, stop in a safe location.
Check the underside of the vehicle for damage or any fluid leaks, and contact an
authorized Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid dealer.
Transmission
As with a conventional gasoline-powered ve hicle with an automatic transmission,
this vehicle will creep.
Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed when stopped.
Quickly depressing the accelerator pedal while driving uphill may cause the vehicle
to react similar to an automatic transmissio n vehicle, unexpectedly increasing vehicle
speed. Depress the accelerator pedal carefu lly, especially on slippery roads and
curves.
■Other Precautions
■Creeping
■Kickdown
1 Precautions While Driving
Do not press the
(N button, as you will lose
regenerative braking (and ac celeration) performance.
During the first 600 miles (1,000 km) of operation,
avoid sudden acceleration or full throttle operation so
as to not 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.
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382
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
Shifting
Change the gear position in acco rdance with your driving needs.
■Shift button positions
1Shifting
To prevent malfunc tion and unintended
engagement:
•Do not spill any liquids on or around shift buttons.
•Do not place or drop any objects on or around shift
buttons.
•Do not let passengers or ch ildren operate the shift
buttons.
You may occasionally find th at it takes longer than
usual for the vehicle to st art moving when you select
(R, release the brake peda l, and/or depress the
accelerator pedal. This may occur when the High
Voltage battery level is extremely low, and does not
indicate a vehicle malfunction.
3WARNING
The vehicle can roll aw ay if left unattended
without confirming that Park is engaged.
A vehicle that rolls away could cause a crash
resulting in seriou s injury or death.
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal
until you have confirmed that
( P is shown
on the gear position indicator.
Park
Used when parking or before turning the
power on or off
Reverse
Used when reversing
Neutral
Transmission is not locked
Drive
Used for:
Normal driving
●The deceleration paddle selector can be
used temporarily.
The deceleration paddle selector can be
used when SPORT mode is on.
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