Before Driving Driving Guidelines To prevent rollover or loss of a pressure gauge to tell if tires Your Honda has higher ground control: are properly inflated. clearance than a passenger car Take corners at slower speeds 3. Check that all lights work. designed for use only on pave- than you would with a 4. Check for fluid leaks. ment. Higher ground clearance passenger car. has many advantages for off-road Avoid sharp turns and abrupt 5. Be sure everything is properly driving. It allows you to travel stowed. over bumps, obstacles, and rough maneuvers whenever possible. terrain. It also provides good visi- Do not modify your vehicle 6. Check the area behind the bility so you can anticipate prob- in any way that would raise vehicle if you are about to lems earlier. the center of gravity (see back up. page 130). These advantages come at some Before Driving the Vehicle cost. Because your vehicle is Do not carry heavy cargo on taller and rides higher off the the roof (see page 130). 1. Lock all doors. ground, it has a high center of 2. Adjust the seat and any gravity. This means that your For off-road driving guidelines, movable head restraints. vehicle can tip or roll over if you see the Off-Road Driving make abrupt turns. Information booklet that came 3. Adjust the inside and outside with your vehicle. mirrors. Before Entering the Vehicle 4. Check that all the indicator lights work when the key 1. Check that the windows, switch is turned to the "ON" mirrors, lights and reflectors or "START" position. are clean and unobstructed. 5. Check all gauges (including 2. Check the tires to see if they the fuel gauge). are low or flat. You will need Driving Tips Before Driving 6. Release the parking brake from operating if the shift engine does not start, wait 15 (and make sure the "BRAKE" lever is in any drive position. seconds to let the starter cool light turns off). If it is necessary to restart down. Then crank the engine at the engine with the vehicle wide open throttle for a maximum See related topics in this manual moving, place the shift lever of 10 seconds. If the engine still if you find any problems. in "N" (never in "P"). does not start, wait another 15 Starting the Engine seconds and repeat the entire 3. Release the accelerator pedal procedure. 1. Apply the parking brake. and start the engine by 2. Manual Transmission: turning the ignition switch to Do not crank the engine for more Press the clutch pedal to the "START." than 15 seconds at a time. Wait 30 seconds before trying again. floor and shift the L4-2.6L Engine transmission to the Neutral position. Hold the clutch When the environmental 4. Return the ignition switch to pedal to the floor while you temperature is very high and the the "ON" position as soon as are starting the engine. A engine is still hot, you may have the engine starts. starter safety switch keeps the difficulty restarting the engine. In this situation, engage the starter 5. Apply the regular brakes and starter from operating if the shift into the proper gear. clutch pedal is not fully with the accelerator pedal fully depressed. Release the parking brake and depressed. brake pedal and drive off. V6-3.2L Engine Automatic Transmission: In models with automatic Place the shift lever in "P" or If the engine does not start in transmission, you cannot shift "N" position ("P" is 3 seconds, push the accelerator from "P" (Park) position to preferred). A starter safety pedal to 1/4 throttle and continue any other position unless the switch prevents the starter cranking for 15 seconds. If the brake pedal is applied. Driving Tips Break-in, Parking New Vehicle "Break-In" Parking Check to make certain lights are turned off. The buzzer will You may drive your new vehicle When leaving your vehicle remind you. from its very first mile/kilometer unattended: without following a formal If your vehicle is equipped with "break-in" schedule. However, Set the parking brake. a transfer case (4WD), make there are things you can do Place the shift lever in "P" sure the shift lever is in 2H, 4H during the first few hundred (Park) position for automatic or 4L. miles/kilometers of driving transmission. that will add to the future Parking Tips performance and economy of When parking a vehicle your vehicle. equipped with a manual Never drive the vehicle with transmission on an upward the parking brake set. This can It is recommended that your slope, or on a level surface, overheat the rear brakes, speed during the first 500 miles place the shift lever in the reducing their effectiveness (800 kilometers) be limited to a "1st" position. and causing excessive wear or maximum of 55 mph (90 km/h) When parking a vehicle damage. and that you do not drive for long equipped with a manual Always apply the parking brake periods at any one constant transmission on a downward whenever you leave the speed, either fast or slow. During slope, place the shift lever in vehicle, whether it is equipped this period, avoid full-throttle the "R" (Reverse) position. with a manual or automatic starts and, if possible, avoid hard transmission. stops especially during the first Turn the key to the "LOCK" If your vehicle is equipped with 200 miles (320 kilometers) of position. an automatic transmission set driving. Always drive at moderate Remove the key. The buzzer the parking brake before you speed until the engine has will remind you. completely warmed up. leave the driver's seat. If the Close all windows and lock all vehicle is parked on a grade doors. and the transmission shift Driving Tips Parking, Brakes lever is placed in "P" (Park) Do not park your vehicle over while driving, stop as soon as position before you set the high grass, dry leaves or other possible and turn the key off. parking brake, the weight of combustible materials. The Then start the engine to reset the the vehicle may exert so much catalytic converter gets very system. If it still stays on, or it force on the transmission that hot and could set fire to these comes on again while you're driv- you may have difficulty moving materials. ing, the system requires immedi- the shift lever out of "P" (Park) ate service by your Honda Dealer. position. To prevent this, apply Brakes Until you get it fixed, you will the parking brake BEFORE have normal brakes, but you Rear Wheel Anti-Lock Brakes moving the shift lever to "P" won't have rear anti-lock. (Park). When you want to drive Your vehicle is equipped with away, move the shift lever out rear wheel anti-lock brakes. The You may occasionally feel some of the "P" (Park) position BE- system is designed to minimize pulsation in the pedal while FORE releasing the parking rear wheel lock-up under severe braking. This is the system brake. It is good driving prac- braking conditions or when operating normally. tice to set the parking brake traction is reduced due to first, then place the transmis- slippery roads. Under normal Although your vehicle is sion in "PARK" position, even operation, the vehicle braking equipped with the REAR ANTI- on level surfaces. system will function like a LOCK BRAKE system, you must conventional braking system. If the parking brake does not still take care to safely operate seem to hold the vehicle as your vehicle. Drive according to well as before, have the vehicle Under normal operation, the road conditions, and maintain serviced by your Honda Dealer. "Rr. ANTI-LOCK" light will illumi- safe control of your vehicle. nate for a few seconds while starting the engine, to indicate a functional system. If the "Rr. ANTI-LOCK" light illuminates Driving Tips Brakes Refer to "Braking and Steering If you drive through deep water, power assist has been lost, Technique" in this section. apply the brakes lightly to see if except when needed to maintain the water has affected them. To steering control on slippery On 4WD vehicles: when the dry the brakes quickly, press surfaces. four-wheel drive system is lightly on the brake pedal while engaged, the rear wheel anti-lock maintaining the same speed with You can still stop the vehicle brake system cannot prevent the accelerator pedal. Continue without the power assist by mechanical lock-up of the rear this until the brakes operate pushing harder on the brake normally. axle if the front brakes lock up. pedal. However, the stopping The conventional brake system distance may be longer, even will operate as normal. Power Brakes though the brakes themselves remain fully operational. The braking system uses engine Return to two-wheel drive to vacuum to provide power assist. engage the rear wheel anti-lock If the power assist fails because of Self-Adjusting Brakes system. a stalled engine or other reason, The brakes on this vehicle are the reserve vacuum in the system self-adjusting. They have been Driving With Wet Brakes will usually allow you to apply the designed so that periodic brake brakes at least one time. adjustment is not needed. Driving through deep water may get the brakes wet and reduce The reserve vacuum is partly their effectiveness. As a result, The brakes adjust themselves used up each time the brake the vehicle may not slow down each time you firmly apply them. pedal is applied and released. Do normally or may pull in one not pump the brakes when the direction or the other.