Get Driving -> Driving Guidelines Guide for Honda CR-V SUV Third Generation (2006-2010)

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Driving Guidelines

Your vehicle has higher ground

clearance that allows you to travel

over bumps, obstacles, and rough

terrain. It also provides good

visibility so you can anticipate

problems earlier.

Do not modify your vehicle in any

way that would raise the center of

gravity.

Four-wheel drive models

Your vehicle is equipped with a four-

wheel drive (4WD) system. When

the system senses a loss of front-

wheel traction, it automatically

transfers some power to the rear

wheels. This gives you better

traction and mobility.

Do not carry heavy cargo on the

roof.

Because your vehicle rides higher

off the ground, it has a high center

of gravity that can cause it to roll

over if you make abrupt turns. Utility

vehicles have a significantly higher

roll over rate than other types of

vehicles.

You still need to exercise the same

care when accelerating, steering, and

braking that you would in a two-

wheel drive vehicle.

See page 336 for off-highway driving

guidelines.

To prevent rollovers or loss of

control:

Take corners at slower speeds

than you would with a passenger

vehicle.

Avoid sharp turns and abrupt

maneuvers whenever possible.

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Preparing to Drive

You should do the following checks

and adjustments before you drive

your vehicle.

5. Check the seat adjustment (see

pages 97 and 98 ).

6. Check the adjustment of the

inside and outside mirrors (see

page 114 ).

1. Make sure all windows, mirrors,

and outside lights are clean and

unobstructed. Remove frost, snow,

or ice.

7. Check the steering wheel

adjustment (see page 81 ).

2. Check that the hood is fully closed.

8. Make sure the doors and the

tailgate are securely closed and

locked.

3. Visually check the tires. If a tire

looks low, use a gauge to check its

pressure.

9. Fasten your seat belt. Check that

your passengers have fastened

their seat belts (see page 15 ).

4. Check that any items you may be

carrying are stored properly or

fastened down securely.

10. When you start the engine, check

the gauges and indicators in the

instrument panel (see pages 61 to

68 ).

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Starting the Engine

1. Apply the parking brake.

4. Without touching the accelerator

pedal, turn the ignition key to the

START (III) position. Do not hold

the key in the START (III)

position for more than 15 seconds

at a time. If the engine does not

start right away, pause for at least

10 seconds before trying again.

2. In cold weather, turn off all

electrical accessories to reduce

the drain on the battery.

The engine is harder to start in cold

weather. Also, the thinner air found at

altitudes above 8,000 feet (2,400

meters) adds to this problem.

3. Make sure the shift lever is in

Park. Press on the brake pedal.

The immobilizer system protects your

vehicle from theft. If an improperly-

coded key (or other device) is used, the

engine’s fuel system is disabled. For

more information, see page 83 .

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Automatic Transmission

Shift Lever Position Indicators

The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on for a

few seconds when you turn the

ignition switch to the ON (II)

position. If it flashes while driving (in

any shift position), it indicates a

possible problem in the transmission.

Shifting

If the malfunction indicator lamp

comes on along with the ‘‘D’’

indicator, there is a problem with the

automatic transmission control

system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and

have the transmission checked by

your dealer as soon as possible.

RELEASE

BUTTON

U.S. model is shown.

SHIFT LEVER

These indicators on the instrument

panel show which position the shift

lever is in.

To shift from any position, press

firmly on the brake pedal and the

release button on the side of the

shift lever. You cannot shift out of

Park when the ignition switch is in

the LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I)

position.

CONTINUED

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Automatic Transmission

To shift from:

P to R

Do this:

Press the brake pedal and

press the shift lever release

button.

Park (P) － This position mechani-

Reverse (R) － Press the brake

cally locks the transmission. Use

pedal and the release button on the

Park whenever you are turning off or side of the shift lever to shift from

starting the engine. To shift out of

Park, you must press on the brake

pedal and have your foot off the

accelerator pedal. Press the release

button on the side of the shift lever

to move it.

Park to reverse. To shift from

reverse to neutral, come to a

complete stop and then shift. Press

the release button before shifting

into reverse from neutral.

R to P

N to R

D to 2

2 to 1

Press the shift lever release

button.

1 to 2

2 to D

D to N

N to D

R to N

Move the shift lever.

If you have done all of the above and

still cannot move the lever out of

Park, see Shift Lock Release on

page 319 .

D

3

to D

Press the D button.

3

D to D

3

To avoid transmission damage, come

to a complete stop before shifting

into Park. You must also press the

release button to shift into Park. The

shift lever must be in Park before

you can remove the key from the

ignition switch.

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Automatic Transmission

Neutral (N) － Use neutral if you

need to restart a stalled engine, or if

it is necessary to stop briefly with

the engine idling. Shift to the Park

position if you need to leave your

vehicle for any reason. Press on the

brake pedal when you are moving

the shift lever from neutral to

another gear.

D3 Mode

Drive (D) － Use this position for

your normal driving. The

transmission automatically selects a

suitable gear (1 through 5) for your

speed and acceleration. You may

notice the transmission shifting up at

higher engine speeds when the

engine is cold. This helps the engine

warm up faster.

D3 SWITCH

D3 MODE INDICATOR

Press the D3 switch on the side of

the shift lever to turn this mode on

or off; the D3 mode indicator comes

on whenever the D3 mode is

selected.

When the D3 mode is on, the

transmission selects only the first

three gears. Use D3 mode when

towing a trailer, or to provide engine

braking when going down a steep hill.

D3 mode can also keep the

transmission from cycling between

third and fourth gears in stop-and-go

driving.

D3 mode can be turned on or off

only when the ignition switch is in

the ON (II) position and the shift

lever is in the D position.

CONTINUED

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Automatic Transmission

Shifting out from the D position will

cancel the D3 mode, and the D3

indicator will go out. Selecting the D

position again will resume the D3

mode and the indicator comes on.

Use second gear:

If you shift into first gear when the

vehicle speed is above 31 mph (50

km/h), the transmission shifts into

second gear first to avoid sudden

engine braking.

For more power when climbing.

To increase engine braking when

going down steep hills.

Turning the ignition switch to the

LOCK (0) position turns this mode

off. When you restart the engine,

select the D position and press the

D3 mode switch again to use this

mode.

For starting out on a slippery

surface or in deep snow.

Engine Speed Limiter

If you exceed the maximum speed

for the gear you are in, the engine

speed will enter into the tachometer’s

red zone. If this occurs, you may feel

the engine cut in and out. This is

caused by a limiter in the engine’s

computer controls. The engine will

run normally when you reduce the

rpm below the red zone.

To help reduce wheel spin.

When driving downhill with a

trailer.

The D3 mode indicator also comes

on for a few seconds when you turn

the ignition switch to the ON (II)

position.

First (1) － To shift from second to

first, press the release button on the

side of the shift lever. This position

locks the transmission in first gear.

By upshifting and downshifting

Second (2) － To shift to second,

press the release button on the side

of the shift lever. This position locks

the transmission in second gear. It

does not downshift to first gear

when you come to a stop.

through 1, 2, D , and D, you can

3

operate the transmission much like a

manual transmission without a

clutch pedal.

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Automatic Transmission

Shift Lock Release

RELEASE BUTTON

COVER

This allows you to move the shift

lever out of Park if the normal

method of pushing on the brake

pedal and pressing the release

button does not work.

1. Set the parking brake.

2. Remove the key from the ignition

switch.

SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT

3. Put a cloth on the edge of the shift

lock release slot cover. Using a

small flat-tipped screwdriver or

metal fingernail file, carefully pry

4. Insert the key in the shift lock

release slot.

6. Remove the key from the shift

lock release slot, then reinstall the

cover. Make sure the notch on the

cover is on the right side. Insert

the key back into the ignition

switch, press the brake pedal, and

restart the engine.

on the edge of the cover to remove 5. Push down on the key while you

it.

press the release button on the

shift lever and move the shift lever

out of Park to neutral.

If you need to use the shift lock

release, it means your vehicle is

developing a problem. Have the

vehicle checked by your dealer.

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Parking

Always use the parking brake when

you park your vehicle. Make sure

the parking brake is set firmly, or

your vehicle may roll if it is parked

on an incline.

Parking Tips

If the vehicle is facing uphill, turn

the front wheels away from the

curb.

Make sure the moonroof (if

equipped) and the windows are

closed.

If the vehicle is facing downhill,

turn the front wheels toward the

curb.

Turn off the lights.

Set the parking brake before you put

the transmission in Park. This keeps

the vehicle from moving and putting

pressure on the parking mechanism

in the transmission.

Place any packages, valuables, etc.

in the cargo area or take them

with you.

Make sure the parking brake is

fully released before driving away.

Driving with the parking brake

partially set can overheat or

damage the rear brakes.

Lock the doors and the tailgate.

If equipped

Check the indicator on the

instrument panel to verify that the

security system is set.

Never park over dry leaves, tall

grass, or other flammable

materials. The hot three way

catalytic converter could cause

these materials to catch on fire.

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