2023 HONDA RIDGELINE automatic transmission

uuTowing a Trailer uTowing Behind a Motorhome
382
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 mode
(S to utilize the transmissions lower gears.
Towing Behind a Motorhome
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. 568
■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 mode.
H

394
uuWhen Driving uAutomatic Transmission
Driving
Automatic Transmission
When the engine runs at higher idle speeds, the creeping force increases.
Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed when stopped.
Quickly depressing the accelerator pedal while driving uphill may cause the
transmission to drop to a lower gear, unexpectedly increasing vehicle speed. Depress
the accelerator pedal carefully, especi ally on slippery roads and curves.
■Creeping
■Kickdown

395
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
Shifting
Change the shift position 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. 96
Put the transmission into
( D or (R with the brake
pedal depressed.
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 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

uuWhen Driving uShifting
398
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 indicator 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 transmission will automatically return to
(P once
you release the brake pedal.
■When turning o ff the power mode
If you turn the engine off while the vehicl e is stationary, and the transmission is in
other than
(P, the transmission automatically changes to (P.
1 Shift Operation
The beeper sounds once when you change to
(R.
2 Customized Features P. 299
1When 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. 472
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.

Continued399
uuWhen Driving uShifting
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]
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.

401
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
Use the paddle shifters to change betwee n 1st and 9th gears without removing your
hands from the steering wheel. The transmission will switch to the sequential mode.
■When the transmi ssion is in (D:
The vehicle will go into th e sequential mode momentarily, and the sequential mode
gear selection indicator will come on.
Once you start traveling at a constant speed , the sequential mode will automatically
switch off, and the sequential mode gear selection indicator will go off.
Hold the
(+ paddle shifter for two seconds or push button to return to normal
drive.
■When the transmi ssion is in (S:
The vehicle will go into th e sequential mode, and the M (sequential mode) indicator
and sequential mode gear selection indicator will come on.
If the vehicle speed increases and the engi ne speed reaches near the tachometer’s
red zone, the transmission automatically shifts up to the next gear.
You can cancel this mode by holding the
(+ paddle shifter for two seconds or push
button. When the sequenti al mode is canceled, the M (sequential mode)
indicator and sequential mode gear selection indicator go off.
■Sequential Mode
D/S
D/S

uuWhen Driving uAuto Idle Stop
408
Driving
The vehicle stops with the transmission in (D and the brake pedal depressed.
When you put the transmission into
(P, the Auto Idle Stop continues to operate,
even if the brake pedal is released. u If you depress the brake pedal, the engine may automatically restart.
■Auto Idle Stop does not activate when:
• The Auto Idle Stop OFF button is pressed.
• The driver’s seat belt is not fastened.
• The engine is not adequately warmed up or coolant temperature is high.
• The transmission fluid temperature is low or high.
• The vehicle comes to a stop again befo re the vehicle speed reaches 3 mph (5
km/h) after the engine starts.
• The vehicle is stopped on a steep incline.
• The transmission is in a position other than
(D.
• The engine is started with the hood open.
u Turn off the engine. Close the hood before you restart the engine to activate
Auto Idle Stop.
• The battery charge is low.
• The internal temperature of the battery is 14°F (−10°C) or less.
• The climate control system is in use, an d the outside temperature is below −4°F
(−20°C) or over 104°F (40°C).
• The climate control system is in us e, and the temperature is set to Hi or Lo.
• is ON (indicator on).
• The Intelligent Traction Management is set to Snow, Mud
*, or Sand*.
• The AC power outlet is used.
■Auto Idle Stop Activates When:1Auto Idle Stop Activates When:
Do not open the hood while the Auto Idle Stop
function is activated. If the hood is opened, the
engine will not re start automatically.
In this case, restart the engine with the ENGINE
START/STOP button.
2 Starting the Engine P. 385
Pressing the ENGINE START/STOP button causes
the engine to no longer restart automatically.
Follow the standard proce dure to start the engine.
2 Starting the Engine P. 385
Models with AC Power Outlet
* Not available on all models

uuWhen Driving uAuto Idle Stop
410
Driving
The brake pedal is released.
■The engine restarts even if the brake pedal is depressed when:
• The Auto Idle Stop OFF button is pressed.
• The steering wheel is operated.
• The transmission is put into
(R or (S, or when it is set from (N to (D.
u If you put the transmission into
(P after the Auto Idle Stop activates, the Auto
Idle Stop continues to operate. In this case, the engine restarts when you
depress the brake pedal.
• The pressure on the brake pedal is redu ced and the vehicle starts moving while
stopped on an incline.
• The pressure on the brake pedal is repeated ly applied and released slightly during
a stop.
• The battery charge becomes low.
• The accelerator pedal is depressed.
• The driver’s seat belt is unlatched.
• is ON (indicator on).
• The climate control system is in us e, and the difference between the set
temperature and actual interior temperature becomes significant.
• The climate control system is bein g used to dehumidify the interior.
• The Intelligent Traction Management is set to Snow, Mud
*, or Sand*.
• The AC power outlet is used.
■The Engine Automatically Restarts When:1The Engine Automatically Restarts When:
If you are using an electroni c device during Auto Idle
Stop, the device may tempor arily be turned off when
the engine restarts.
Models with AC Power Outlet
* Not available on all models