2021 HONDA RIDGELINE tires

383
Driving
Off-Highway Driving Guidelines
General Information
Your vehicle has been designed primarily for use on pavement, however, its higher
ground clearance allows you to occasionally travel on unpaved roads. It is not
designed for trail-blazing, or other challenging off-highway activities.
If you decide to drive on unpaved roads, you will find that it requires somewhat
different driving skills and that your vehicl e will handle somewhat differently than it
does on pavement. Pay attention to the precau tions and tips in this section, and get
acquainted with your vehicle before leaving the pavement.
Important Safety Precautions
To avoid loss of control or rollover, be sure to follow all precautions and
recommendations:
• Be sure to store cargo properly and do not exceed your cargo load limits.
2 Maximum Load Limit P. 367
•Whenever you drive, make su re you and your passengers always wear seat belts.
• Keep your speed low, and never go faster than the conditions allow.
• It’s up to you to continually assess the situation and drive within the limits.
1Off-Highway Driving Guidelines
Failure to operate your vehicle correctly might result
in a crash or a rollover.
2 Important Handling Information P. 34
2 Precautions While Driving P. 392
Spinning the tires excessiv ely can also damage the
Intelligent VTM4 (i-VTM4) system.
3WARNING
Improperly operating this vehicle on or off-
pavement can cause a crash or rollover in
which you and your passengers could be
seriously injured or killed.
• Follow all instructions and guidelines in
this owner’s manual.
• Keep your speed low, and don’t drive
faster than conditions permit.

384
uuOff-Highway Driving Guidelines uAvoiding Trouble
Driving
Avoiding Trouble
• Check Out Your Vehicle before you leave the pavement and make sure that all
scheduled maintenance has been comple ted. Pay special attention to the
condition of the tires, an d check the tire pressures.
• Remember the route you choose presents limits (too steep or bumpy), you have
limits (driving skill and comfort), and your ve hicle has limits (traction, stability, and
power). Failing to recognize these limits will likely put you and your passengers in
a hazardous situation.
• Accelerating and Braking should be done slowly and gradually. Trying to start
or stop too fast can cause a loss of traction and you could lose control.
• Avoiding Obstacles and Debris in the road reduces the likelihood of a rollover
or damage to your suspension or other components.
• Driving on Slopes increases your risk of a rollover, particularly if you attempt to
drive across a slope that is too steep. Going straight up or down a slope is usually
the safest. If you can’t clearly see all cond itions or obstacles on a slope, walk it
before you drive it. If there is any doubt whether you can safely pass, don’t try it.
Find another route. If you get stuck when climbing, do not try to turn around.
Back down slowly following the same route you took up the hill.
• Crossing a Stream - Avoid driving through deep water. If you encounter water
in your route (a small stream or large pu ddle, for example), evaluate it carefully
before going ahead. Make sure it is shallow, flowing slowly, and has firm ground
underneath. If you are not sure of the depth or the ground, turn around and find
another route. Driving through deep water can also damage your vehicle. The
water can get into the transmission and differential, diluting the lubricant and
causing an eventual failure. It can also wash the grease out of the wheel bearings.
• If You Get Stuck, carefully go in the direction that you think will get you
unstuck. Do not spin the tires as this will only make things worse and could
damage the transmission. If you are unable to free yourself, your vehicle will need
to be towed. Front and rear tow hooks are provided for this purpose.

415
uuWhen Driving uIntelligent Variable Torque Management (i-VTM4TM) AWD System*
Driving
Intelligent Variable Torque Management (i-VTM4TM)
AWD System*
The Intelligent Variable To rque Management (i-VTM4TM) AWD System is a full time
all wheel drive system that automatically controls and transfers varying amount of
engine torque to all wheels independently according to the driving conditions.
You still need to exercise the same care when accelerating, steering, and braking
that you would in a two wheel drive vehicle.
Avoid continuously driving on slippery surfaces where a wheel is likely to spin out,
and do not drive if the All-wheel drive ( AWD) Indicator starts blinking. Driving
continuously under such conditions can damage the system’s torque distribution
unit.
If the All-wheel drive (AWD ) Indicator blinks while driving, it indicates the
differential temperature is too high. If this happens, pull to the side of the road
when it is safe, shift to park, and idle the engine until the indicator goes out. If the
indicator does not go out, take your vehi cle to a dealer to have it checked.1Intelligent Variable Torq ue Management (i-VTM4TM) AWD
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.
The Intelligent Variable Torque Management (i-
VTM4
TM) AWD System may not function properly if
tire type and size are mixed. Make sure to use the
same size and type of tire , and the air pressures as
specified. 2 Tire and Wheel Replacement P. 522
* Not available on all models

418
uuWhen Driving uTire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) - Required Federal Explanation
Driving
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) - Required
Federal Explanation
Each tire, including the spare (i f provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure
recommended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard
or tire inflation pressure label.
(If your vehicle has tires of a different size than the size indicated
on the vehicle placard or tire infl ation pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inflat ion pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with
a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that illuminates a low
tire pressure telltale
when one or more of your tire s is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pr essure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure.
Driving on a significantly under-in flated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflat ion also reduces
fuel efficiency and tire tread li fe, and may affect the vehicle’s
handling and stopping ability.

419
uuWhen Driving uTire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) - Required Federal Explanation
Driving
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire
maintenance, and it is the driver ’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressure, even if un der-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illumination of th e TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equi pped with a TPMS malfunction
indicator to indicate when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with the low tire
pressure telltale. When the syst em detects a malfunction, the
telltale will flash fo r approximately one minute and then remain
continuously illumina ted. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the system may
not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety of reasons, including
the installation of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the
vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning properly.
Always check the TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS to
continue to function properly.

uuHonda Sensing ®u Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
448
Driving
To cancel ACC, do any of the following:
• Press the CANCEL button.
• Press the MAIN button.
u ACC indicator goes off.
• Depress the brake pedal.
■Automatic cancellation
The beeper sounds and a me ssage appears on the multi-information display when
ACC is automatically canceled. Any of these conditions may cause the ACC to
automatically cancel:
• Bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.).
• When the radar sensor behind the emblem gets dirty.
• The vehicle ahead of you cannot be detected.
• An abnormal tire condition is detected, or the tires are skidding.
• Driving on a mountainous road, or driving off road for extended periods.
• Abrupt steering wheel movement.
• When the ABS, VSA ® or CMBS
TM is activated.
• When the ABS or VSA ® system indicator comes on.
• When you manually apply the parking brake.
• When the detected vehicle within the ACC range is too close to your vehicle.
• The camera behind the rearview mirror, or the area around the camera, including
the windshield, gets dirty.
■To Cancel1To Cancel
Resuming the prior set speed: After you have
canceled ACC, you can resume the prior set speed
while it is still displayed. Press the RES/+ button
when driving at a speed of at least 25 mph (40 km/h)
or more.
The set speed cannot be set or resumed when ACC
has been turned off using the MAIN button. Press
the MAIN button to activate the system, then set the
desired speed.
MAIN Button
CANCEL
Button
1 Automatic cancellation
Even though ACC has been automatically canceled,
you can still resume the prior set speed. Wait until the
condition that caused ACC to cancel improves, then
press the RES/+ button.

470
uuBraking uAnti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Driving
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Helps prevent the wheels from locking up, a nd helps you retain steering control by
pumping the brakes rapidly, much faster than you can.
The electronic brake distribution (EBD) system, which is part of the ABS, also
balances the front-to-rear braking distri bution according to vehicle loading.
You should never pump the brake pedal. Let the ABS work for you by always
keeping firm, steady pressure on the brake pe dal. This is sometimes referred to as
“stomp and steer.”
■ABS operation
The brake pedal may pulsate slightly when the ABS is working. Depress the brake
pedal and keep holding the pedal firmly dow n. On dry pavement, you will need to
press on the brake pedal very hard before the ABS activates. However, you may feel
the ABS activate immediately if yo u are trying to stop on snow or ice.
ABS may activate when you depress the brake pedal when driving on:
• Wet or snow covered roads.
• Roads paved with stone.
• Roads with uneven surfaces, such as potholes, cracks, manholes, etc.
When the vehicle speed goes unde r 6 mph (10 km/h), the ABS stops.
■ABS1Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
NOTICE
The ABS may not function correctly if you use a tire of
the wrong size or type.
If the ABS indicator comes on while driving, there
may be a problem with the system.
While normal braking will not be affected, there is a
possibility that the ABS wi ll not be operating. Have
your vehicle checked by a dealer immediately.
The ABS is not designed for the purpose of reducing
the time or distance it takes for a vehicle to stop: It is
designed to limit brake lo ckup which can lead to
skidding and loss of steering control.
In the following cases, yo ur vehicle may need more
distance to stop than a vehicle without the ABS:
•You are driving on rough or uneven road surfaces,
such as gravel or snow.
•The tires are equipped with tire chains.
The following may be observed with the ABS system:
•Motor sounds coming from the engine
compartment when the brakes are applied, or
when system checks are being performed after the
engine has been started and while the vehicle
accelerates.
•Brake pedal and/or the vehicle body vibration when
ABS activates.
These vibrations and sounds are normal to ABS
systems and are no cause for concern.

487
Maintenance
This chapter discusses basic maintenance.
Before Performing MaintenanceInspection and Maintenance ............ 488
Safety When Performing Maintenance ... 489
Parts and Fluids Used in Maintenance Service ........................................... 490
Maintenance Minder
TM..................... 491
Maintenance Under the Hood Maintenance Items Under the Hood .... 496
Opening the Hood ........................... 497
Engine Compartment Cover ............. 498
Recommended Engine Oil ................ 499
Oil Check ......................................... 500
Adding Engine Oil ............................ 501
Changing the Engine Oil and Oil Filter ...502 Engine Coolant ................................ 504
Transmission Fluid ............................ 506
Brake Fluid ....................................... 507
Refilling Window Wa
sher Fluid......... 507
Replacing Light Bulbs ....................... 508Checking and Maintaining Wiper
Blades .......................................... 514
Checking and Maintaining Tires
Checking Tires ................................. 516
Tire and Loading Information Label ... 517
Tire Labeling .................................... 517
DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles) .... 519Wear Indicators................................ 521 Tire Service Life ................................ 521
Tire and Wheel Replacement ........... 522
Tire Rotation .................................... 523
Winter Tires ..................................... 524
Battery ............................................... 525
Remote Transmitter Care Replacing the Button Battery ........... 527
Climate Control System Maintenance.......528CleaningInterior Care .................................... 529
Exterior Care.................................... 531
Accessories and Modifications ........ 535