2020 HONDA RIDGELINE shift

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uuTowing a Trailer uDriving Safely with a Trailer
Continued
Driving
Driving Safely with a Trailer
• Have the trailer properly servic ed and keep it in good condition.
• Make sure that all the weights and load in the vehicle and trailer are within limits.
2Towing Load Limits P. 366
•Securely attach the hitch, safety chains, and other necessary parts to the trailer.
• Securely store all the items in and on the trailer so that they do not shift while
driving.
• Check if the lights and brakes on the trailer are working properly.
• Check the pressure of the trail er tires, including the spare.
• Turn off the Auto Idle Stop syst em using the Auto Idle Stop OFF button. The
trailer weight can affect your vehicle’s brake effectiveness if Auto Idle Stop is
activated on a hill while towing a trailer.
• Drive slower than normal.
• Obey posted speed limits fo r vehicles with trailers.
• Use the
(D position when towing a trailer on level roads.
• Turn more slowly and with a wider turning arc than normal.
• Allow more time and distance for braking.
• Do not brake or turn suddenly.
■Things You Need To Know Before Towing a Trailer
■Towing Speeds and Gears
■Turning and Braking
1Driving Safely with a Trailer
Operating speed when towing a trailer must not
exceed 62 mph (100 km/h).
Parking
In addition to the normal precautions, place wheel
chocks at each of the trailer’s tires.
When towing a trailer, we recommend that you carry
a full-size spare wheel and tire for both your vehicle
and trailer. If you use the compact spare tire that
came with your vehicle, it could adversely affect
vehicle handling.
Remember to unhitch the tra iler before changing a
flat tire. Ask the trailer sales or rental agency where
and how to store the trailer’s spare tire.
1 Towing Speeds and Gears
When towing a fixed-sided trailer (e.g., camper), do
not exceed 55 mph (88 km/h).
At higher speeds, the trai ler may sway or affect
vehicle handling.

uuTowing a Trailer uTowing Your Vehicle
376
Driving
• Monitor your temperature gauge. If it nears the mark, turn off the climate
control system and reduce speed. Pull to the side of the road safely to cool down
the engine if necessary.
• Shift to the
(S position if the transmission shifts frequently.
When retrieving a boat from the water, we recommend using the sequential shift
mode
(S to utilize the trans missions lower gears.
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, refe r to the emergency towing information.
2Emergency Towing P. 562
■Driving in Hilly Terrain
■Retrieving a Boat
1Driving in Hilly Terrain
If the automatic transmission fluid temperature
exceeds the specified limit, the transmission will also
automatically up shift, even in the sequential shift
mode.
H

385
uuWhen Driving uPrecautions While Driving
Continued
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 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 th at 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 or
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 select a shift button 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 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 restor ed. Repeated operation under
these conditions can eventually damage the system.
If the power mode is set to ACCESSORY while
driving, the engine will shut down and all steering
and brake power assist functi ons will stop, making it
difficult to control the vehicle.
Do not press the
( N button, as you will lose engine
braking (and accelera tion) 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.

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uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
Shifting
Change the shift positi on in accordance with your driving needs.
■Shift button positions
1Shifting
To prevent malfunction an d 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.
The beeper sounds and the message appears on the
multi-information display when you depress the
accelerator pedal with the transmission in
( N.
2 Multi-Information Display Warning and
Information Messages P. 92
Put the transmission into
( D or (R with the brake
pedal depressed.
When shifting positions in extremely low
temperatures (-22°F/-30°C), there may be a short
delay before the shift posit ion is indicated in the
display. Always confirm y ou are in the correct shift
position before driving.
3WARNING
The vehicle can roll away 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 shift posi tion Indicator.
Park
Used when parking or starting the engine
Transmission is locked
Reverse
Used when reversing
Neutral
Transmission is not locked
Drive/S Position
Each time you press the button, the mode
switches between Drive and S position mode.
Used for:
●Normal driving (gears change between 1st
and 9th automatically)
●Temporarily driving in the sequential mode
●Automatically changi ng gears between 1st
and 8th (8th gear is used only at high speed)
●Driving in the sequential mode
D/S
Drive
S Position

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uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
■(P (parking) button
Park your vehicle in a safe place with the
power mode in ON, then apply the brakes and
press the
(P button to put the transmission in
Park.
The indicators on the sides of the
(P button
come on.
( P Button

uuWhen Driving uShifting
390
Driving
■Shift Operation1Shift Operation
NOTICE
When you change (D to (R and vice versa, depress
the brake pedal to come to a complete stop, then
select the intended shift position while maintaining
brake pressure.
Use the shift position indi cator and the shift button
indicator to check the shift position before selecting a
shift button.
If the indicator of the currently selected shift position,
or all the shift position indicators are blinking
simultaneously, there is a problem with the
transmission.
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 tac hometer’s red zone (engine
speed limit). If this happe ns, you may experience a
slight jolt.
When the engine speed is increased while the
transmission is in
( N, (P or (R, the fuel supply may
be cut off even without the engine speed entering
the tachometer’s red zone.
The beeper sounds once when you change to
( R.
2 Customized Features P. 295
Shift Position Indicator
(Transmission System Indicator) Tachometer’s Red Zone
Press the
(P button.
Pull back the (R button.
Press the
( N button.
Press the button.
Each time you press the button,
the mode switches between Drive
and S Position mode.
D/S
Shift Button
Indicator M
(sequential mode) Indicator
Sequential Mode Gear Selection
Indicator

Continued391
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
In freezing or sub-freezing conditions, the shift selection response may be slow.
Always depress the brake pedal befo re putting the transmission into
(P, and
confirm that
(P is shown on the shift position i ndicator before releasing the brake.
■When opening the driver’s door
If you open the driver’s door under the following conditions, the transmission
automatically changes to
(P.
• The vehicle is stationary with the engine running, or moving at 1 mph (2 km/h) or
slower.
• The transmission is in other than
(P.
• You have unfastened the driver side seat belt.
u If you manually put the transmissio n into any other position from
(P with the
brake pedal depressed, the transmiss ion will automatically return to
(P once
you release the brake pedal.
■When turning off the power mode
If you turn the engine off wh ile the vehicle is stationary, and the transmission is in
other than
(P, the transmission automatically changes to (P.
1 When opening the driver’s door
While the system is designed to automatically change
the transmission to
(P under the described
conditions, in the interest of safety you should always
select
( P before opening the driver’s door.
Make sure to park the vehicle in a safe place. 2 When Stopped P. 466
If you want to drive the ve hicle after the transmission
has automatically changed to
( P under the described
conditions, close the door, fasten the seat belt,
depress the brake pedal, then change the shift
position.
If you leave the vehicle, tu rn off the engine and lock
the doors.

uuWhen Driving uShifting
392
Driving
■If you want to keep the transmission in (N position [car wash mode]
With the engine running:
1. Press and hold the brake pedal.
2. Select
(N, then release the button to display (Neutral) (N hold mode on the
multi-information display.
3. Press and hold
(N again for two seconds.
u This puts the vehicle in car wash mode which must be used when your vehicle
is pulled through a conveyor type automatic car wash where you or an
attendant do not remain in the vehicle.
If the ENGINE STOP/START button is pressed
after car wash mode has been activated, the
power mode will change to ACCESSORY and a
message will be displayed on the multi-
information display. u For 15 minutes the transmission remains
in
(N with the power mode in
ACCESSORY. After that, the
transmission automatically changes to
(P and the power mode changes to OFF.
u Manually changing to
(P cancels
ACCESSORY mode. The
(P indicator
comes on and the power mode changes
to OFF. You must always put the
transmission into
(P when car wash
mode is no longer needed.
1If you want to keep the transmission in ( N position [car wash mode]
To keep the vehicle (N position, you can also follow
this procedure:
While the power mode is on, select
( N, and then
within five seconds, press the ENGINE STOP/START
button.
Note that the transmiss ion may not stay in
(N
position while any of the following indicators is on:
•Transmission system indicator.
•Malfunction indicator lamp.•Charging system indicator.