I've never had to use the factory jack, but after getting it out today for the first time, I could not figure out how to drive it with the lug wrench or the rod for the spare tire winch. Finally had to drag out the owner's manual, and it just says "turn the knob". Well, after lots and lots of turning, I could not get the tire off the ground by hand. What the heck? Are you really supposed to turn it by hand? There's a slot in the center that could take a suitable tool, but for sure, the lug wrench and the winch rod don't seem to fit. Guess I should probably look for a better jack to keep back there.
sparkydave
My owner's manual (MY2013, Page 440) has a picture/diagram showing how the handle pieces are assembled to use with the jack:
![Image]()
The end of what they call the "stay" with the bent tab on it indexes in that slot on the jack knob, letting you use the "wheel nut wrench" as a handle to lift the car.
In my driveway test experience, I did find that the factory jack is just a smidge too short to actually lift our Pilot high enough to install a new tire. This same experience was shared by several here in the forum. Some have purchased aftermarket jacks as mentioned above. My workaround is to add a couple scraps of 2x6 lumber to the rear storage bin. Depending on terrain, I might need both of them as jack pads, else one would be a wheel chock/block at the diagonally opposite corner.
Got bigger tires than stock on your Pilot? Plan accordingly.
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The Owner's Manual contains a wealth of info all on its own. Certainly worth at least a familiarization look every once in a while. The searchable PDF versions are available from Honda's customer care website, sometimes making finding info a lot faster and easier than thumbing through the paper versions sitting in the rain on the side of a dark highway, trying to figure out how to use the spare wheel.
The end of what they call the "stay" with the bent tab on it indexes in that slot on the jack knob, letting you use the "wheel nut wrench" as a handle to lift the car.
In my driveway test experience, I did find that the factory jack is just a smidge too short to actually lift our Pilot high enough to install a new tire. This same experience was shared by several here in the forum. Some have purchased aftermarket jacks as mentioned above. My workaround is to add a couple scraps of 2x6 lumber to the rear storage bin. Depending on terrain, I might need both of them as jack pads, else one would be a wheel chock/block at the diagonally opposite corner.
Got bigger tires than stock on your Pilot? Plan accordingly.
----
The Owner's Manual contains a wealth of info all on its own. Certainly worth at least a familiarization look every once in a while. The searchable PDF versions are available from Honda's customer care website, sometimes making finding info a lot faster and easier than thumbing through the paper versions sitting in the rain on the side of a dark highway, trying to figure out how to use the spare wheel.
Definitely invest in something better for doing at-home stuff.
I mostly use this jack when working on the Pilot at home:
It has nice wide base and built-in safety ratchet in case hydraulics fail.
Also got one of these for lower-slung cars
But I always back it up with jack stands.
I mostly use this jack when working on the Pilot at home:
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Also got one of these for lower-slung cars
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But I always back it up with jack stands.
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Knocking on wood, I haven't had to use scissor jacks in a LONG time. I've got a steel Craftsman jack, a low profile, long reach, high lift, rapid pump Daytona jack (for grabbing the rear pumpkin on my Impala and it can reliably get SUVs and pickups wheels off the ground while the Craftsman can't) and I have two of the little mini red jacks that come in a carrying case. One stays in the Impala and the other I keep in the garage for whatever I need it for.
ALWAYS use jack stands if I'm next to or under the vehicle, heard a couple stories around my parts over the years that I don't want to be a part of.
ALWAYS use jack stands if I'm next to or under the vehicle, heard a couple stories around my parts over the years that I don't want to be a part of.
Each year the summer cars get lifted and placed on tall stands for winter storage. Tires are 18" off the floor to get things a little higher than the average mouse is willing to jump. It's a carefully choreographed ballet especially since the unibody cars offer fewer places to safely lift or support with jacks or stands. Each effort is a reminder of how easy it is to make a mistake and end up with a problem.
I've shared here before an experience with picking up the pieces after a pickup fell off a jack and pinned the owner underneath. It was during a business visit in another state, and a person I didn't know. His wife's screaming caught our attention nearby. Not good.
With that said, working on a car on any jack is a fool's mission. The factory jack is barely adequate for changing a tire even under ideal conditions. If you are on uneven ground, soft soil, a slope etc., move the car to a better place. As I and others share, carrying a section of 2x6 lumber as a jack pad is a good start. Don't be shy about placing a rock or other something under the far tire, to limit the ability of the car to roll away. Gearbox is in park, parking brake set, no passengers in the car, and get all your tire change stuff out before you raise the car, especially the spare from underneath. All the serious pulling on the lug wrench happens with the wheels on the ground. Don't do anything that risks pulling or rocking the car off the jack, obviously.
Were I using a scissors jack to change a tire, I'd probably place it under the control arm just so it would be less extended. None of these small jacks, including scissor or bottle jacks, offers any resistance to the car rolling or swaying off the jack.
Maybe the best advice is to think things through and pay attention to what you are doing. And remember that most car insurance policies include road service sufficient to get a spare wheel installed without getting your hands dirty. For work on the car at home, a minimum of a roller floor jack and a pair of safety stands is needed before other tools come out.
I do more than the average amount of casual work on cars, and got tired of the work and the risks involved with raising cars for anything. I bought a Max-Jax midrise lift for the home garage, and have never regretted the purchase. It's just so much safer than even the roller jack and stands, besides being easier. There are plenty of other options for home garage lifts, including scissors-style lifts that require no installation. All cost a lot less than even the first hour in the emergency room.
I've shared here before an experience with picking up the pieces after a pickup fell off a jack and pinned the owner underneath. It was during a business visit in another state, and a person I didn't know. His wife's screaming caught our attention nearby. Not good.
With that said, working on a car on any jack is a fool's mission. The factory jack is barely adequate for changing a tire even under ideal conditions. If you are on uneven ground, soft soil, a slope etc., move the car to a better place. As I and others share, carrying a section of 2x6 lumber as a jack pad is a good start. Don't be shy about placing a rock or other something under the far tire, to limit the ability of the car to roll away. Gearbox is in park, parking brake set, no passengers in the car, and get all your tire change stuff out before you raise the car, especially the spare from underneath. All the serious pulling on the lug wrench happens with the wheels on the ground. Don't do anything that risks pulling or rocking the car off the jack, obviously.
Were I using a scissors jack to change a tire, I'd probably place it under the control arm just so it would be less extended. None of these small jacks, including scissor or bottle jacks, offers any resistance to the car rolling or swaying off the jack.
Maybe the best advice is to think things through and pay attention to what you are doing. And remember that most car insurance policies include road service sufficient to get a spare wheel installed without getting your hands dirty. For work on the car at home, a minimum of a roller floor jack and a pair of safety stands is needed before other tools come out.
I do more than the average amount of casual work on cars, and got tired of the work and the risks involved with raising cars for anything. I bought a Max-Jax midrise lift for the home garage, and have never regretted the purchase. It's just so much safer than even the roller jack and stands, besides being easier. There are plenty of other options for home garage lifts, including scissors-style lifts that require no installation. All cost a lot less than even the first hour in the emergency room.
Wheel chocks are a must when jacking to change a flat. Be safe! One note about bottle jacks: I bought a full size van from my dad and he threw away the bumper jack (don't blame him- they sucked) and replaced it with a bottle jack. I found out in the middle of the night in a remote location in ILL that the bottle jack would NOT fit where I needed it to fit and get the vehicle off the ground enough to change the tire. I have a two speed scissor jack that has a 4,000# lifting capacity. It's anold one, but it works great.
A scissors jack definitely serves a purpose for me. It makes a great door stop for the back garage door when working in the garage on a hot summer day. Other than that, I buy a bottle jack for my vehicles when I get one, IF I don't already have one that will fit. Wheel chocks and a couple of pieces of 2X8X8 to fit under the bottle jack if needed along with a collapsable 4 way lug wrench and wrench stand. Makes it so much easier to break loose the lug nuts.
![Image]()
Just went thru this w/2020 Pilot. Used included scissor lift with the 2 poorly designed and poorly finished tools. I had no problem using it on my garage floor but was glad not to have to use it on the side of the road. I guess the intent is for emergency use only. Check the air pressure in your spare. Mine was at 30psi with a recco inflated pressure of 60. I used 120v air pump to go to 50. Didn't want it exploding in my face.
More casual advice from a BTDT victim --
If you have tires and wheels mounted or rotated at a tire or service shop, invest the time needed to verify that the lug nuts are tightened correctly. Shops are generally concerned about wheels not falling off from loose lug nuts, and the QC procedure often includes a final check with a torque wrench to make sure they are tightened sufficiently. Back along the side of that dark lonely highway in the rain or snow, when you try to use the factory lug wrench to loosen those impact-tightened nuts, it's more than frustrating when they don't come out.
Recommendation: No need to lift the car for this. Loosen and correctly tighten each of the lug nuts one by one in every wheel. Use a torque wrench if you possibly can. Borrow or buy one if you don't have one in the tool box already. Even the on-sale 1/2"-drive torque wrench at Harbor Freight, Northern Tool, Canadian tire or Princess Auto is a good option. A little care and effort in the comfort and convenience of your garage or driveway offers an easy alternative to wrestling with a problem on that dark lonely highway in the rain or snow.
Tire troubles very seldom manifest themselves in the garage, when you have plenty of time and patience to deal with them. Be Prepared, as the scout motto reminds us.
Those who tow will recognize the benefit even more with trailer tires/wheels.
For those blessed with the mini-spare, don't be afraid to over-inflate the little donut spare tire by an extra ten PSI at annual inspection time. By the time you need it, hopefully it will still have enough to safely carry the car. My travelling toolkit has a mini-compressor in it just in case, and the only time that's ever been used is to rescue others, typically along some dark lonely and rainy highway. You know the one.
If you have tires and wheels mounted or rotated at a tire or service shop, invest the time needed to verify that the lug nuts are tightened correctly. Shops are generally concerned about wheels not falling off from loose lug nuts, and the QC procedure often includes a final check with a torque wrench to make sure they are tightened sufficiently. Back along the side of that dark lonely highway in the rain or snow, when you try to use the factory lug wrench to loosen those impact-tightened nuts, it's more than frustrating when they don't come out.
Recommendation: No need to lift the car for this. Loosen and correctly tighten each of the lug nuts one by one in every wheel. Use a torque wrench if you possibly can. Borrow or buy one if you don't have one in the tool box already. Even the on-sale 1/2"-drive torque wrench at Harbor Freight, Northern Tool, Canadian tire or Princess Auto is a good option. A little care and effort in the comfort and convenience of your garage or driveway offers an easy alternative to wrestling with a problem on that dark lonely highway in the rain or snow.
Tire troubles very seldom manifest themselves in the garage, when you have plenty of time and patience to deal with them. Be Prepared, as the scout motto reminds us.
Those who tow will recognize the benefit even more with trailer tires/wheels.
For those blessed with the mini-spare, don't be afraid to over-inflate the little donut spare tire by an extra ten PSI at annual inspection time. By the time you need it, hopefully it will still have enough to safely carry the car. My travelling toolkit has a mini-compressor in it just in case, and the only time that's ever been used is to rescue others, typically along some dark lonely and rainy highway. You know the one.
Back to my story with the bottle jack and full size van: I broke the lug wrench trying to loosen the lug nuts. It was a long bad night. Rain, semis that didn't want to move over. A State Patrol happened to come by and took me to a truck stop 5 miles up the road for a lug wrench. Flat tire due to road hazard at 9:30pm, back on the road at 5:30am
I take a breaker bar and a deep socket now...
I take a breaker bar and a deep socket now...
These stories seem to justify why I take my 1/2" battery impact gun with us on long trips... but I do make a habit of retorquing my lug nuts when I get my vehicle back from a wheels-off service.
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