Unsightly stains on chrome or stainless steel trim around the door glass no longer mean trim replacement. A good-quality chrome or aluminum polish, some careful masking to protect rubber molding and painted surfaces, and a little bit of elbow grease can work wonders to get back that showroom shine. A couple of good brands to try are Mothers PowerMetal™, or Meguiars All Metal Polish or NXT Generation™ All Metal Polish.
A garment steamer and a stiff-bristle brush make a great team for removing those nasty wrinkles, lines, or impressions in fabric upholstery. You can buy an inexpensive, small, hand-held garment/fabric steamer from a number of different manufacturers. Some of these units even come with a handy built-in brush.
Once you’ve got your steamer, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to get it ready for use. Then apply a generous amount of steam to the problem area. Keep the steamer moving slowly over the area until it’s hot and moist.
While the area is hot and moist, use a stiff-bristle brush, or the built-in brush if your steamer has one, to work the fabric back and forth and up and down. Stubborn areas might need more steam and brushing, so be patient and stay with it. It’s worth the effort.
A Word of Caution:
Go easy on the steam if you’re cleaning the front passenger seat in a vehicle with side airbags. Moisture can adversely affect or damage the OPDS sensors in the seat-back.
The chemicals used in some aftermarket vinyl cleaners and protectants can leave vinyl seats prone to cracking. These chemicals loosen the PVC material’s molecular bond, making it softer and less durable. This action, combined with wear from heavy seat usage, can cause the material to crack.
If you insist on using a vinyl protectant, we strongly suggest Honda Vinyl/Leather Protectant (P/N CA66929). This silicone and water-based product shields against damage caused by water, weather, and most spills. It renews vinyl and leather for a long-lasting shine. It’s also great for dashboards and tires.
NOTE: This article applies to ’05–06 Accord Hybrids, ’06 Civics with A/T, ’05–06 Odysseys, and ’05–06 Pilots.
The cruise control has a cool driver convenience feature that lets you cruise downhill at your set cruising speed. Your speed seldom exceeds that setting, so you don’t need to tap the brakes to keep it constant. (Of course, tapping the brakes cancels the cruise control.)
With the cruise control set, the A/T downshifts itself when the vehicle speed starts to exceed your set cruising speed. When the vehicle doesn’t need additional engine braking, the A/T then upshifts to 5th gear.
If a customer is asking about accessory roof rack installation, we always recommend the Genuine Honda Accessory. It has been specifically designed to fit the mounts built into the roof of each vehicle. Some aftermarket mounts do not mount as securely (fewer bolts) and can cause damage to the roof panel itself. Repairing such damage is very costly and cannot be covered by warranty.
If the customer desires roof mounting utility that Honda Accessories don’t provide, the recommendation will be to use Honda roof racks and mount the aftermarket parts to the cross bars. This usage will not void their warranty (when observing maximum load capacity of roof racks).
Here’s an excellent service tip whenever your adjusting the air pressure of the tires. Temporarily remove the “Valve Caps” from the wheels, then apply a thin layer of ordinary engine oil to the threads of the valve stems. This will prevent any problems you may have later on removing valve caps.
We advise against using any of those “shiny metal” after-market valve caps. They may be made from metals that are incompatible with the aluminum material of TPMS valve stems and may cause corrosion to form on the threads.
Honda parts carries a CVT fluid that’s specially formulated to increase CVT performance and service life. It wears the label “Continuously Variable Transmission Fluid.”
Here’s what this fluid offers:
• Increased resistance to oxidation.
• Better fluidity at cold temperatures for better lubrication.
• Advanced protection features to reduce noise and wear and to increase service life.
If you’re replacing transmission fluid in a Civic Hybrid, or just topping it off, make sure you’re using this CVT fluid. If you’re topping off a CVT that’s already got ATF-Z1, there’s no need for concern; this fluid is compatible with ATF-Z1. It’s available in bottles of 0.94 litres (1-quart). Just ask for P/N 08200-9006.
This article applies to: all vehicles
The throttle body cables are lubricated at the time of installation at the factory. There is a specific amount of lubricant added on the cables and the throttle body drums.
Adding More lubricant may attract more dust from the engine compartment, which can result in sticky deposits that interfere with the operation of the drums of the throttle body. In some cases, the cruise control and accelerator cable drums could stick together causing abnormal engine speeds. To avoid the possibility of causing a future problem do not apply additional grease in these areas.
If you’re asking yourself this question, the answer is YES. The LX trim level doesn’t come with a dust and pollen filter, but you can add one by installing a Blower Lid (P/N 80291-SHJ-A41) and a Dust and Pollen Filter (P/N 80292-SHJ- A41) used in EX models. Make sure you remember this filter should be replaced every 48,000 kilometers or 24 months, whichever comes first.
If your curious and own a ’05 to ’11 Odyssey or a ’06 to ’12 Ridgeline, the asnwer is NO. You should only tow the vehicle in an emergency. And when you do, the vehicle must have all four wheels on the ground, you need to keep your speed under 56 kph (35 mph), and you shouldn’t tow it farther than 80 kms (50 miles). For details on emergency towing, see the appropriate O/M.
Not all Honda models are approved for flat-towing. Models are approved only after going through extensive testing by our R&D (research & development) group. Here are the models currently approved. Additional models might be added.
2005 vehicles
• Accord (except Hybrid)
• Civic (except Hybrid)
• CR-V
• Element
• Pilot
2006 vehicles:
• CR-V
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