octane HONDA ODYSSEY 1997 Owners Manual

Break-in Period, Gasoline

Break-in Period

Help assure your car's future
reliability and performance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:
Avoid full-throttle starts and rapidacceleration.
Avoid hard braking. New brakes need to be broken-in by moderate
use for the first 200 miles (300
km).
You should follow these same re-
commendations with an overhauled

or exchanged engine, or when the

brakes are relined.
Gasoline

Your Honda is designed to operate on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise in the engine that can lead to
mechanical damage.
We recommend gasolines containing detergent additives that help prevent
fuel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead willdamage your car's emission controls.
This contributes to air pollution.
In Canada, some gasolines containan octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emission control system performance may deteriorate and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on. If this happens, contact your
authorized Honda dealer for service. Oxygenated Fuels
Some conventional gasolines are
being blended with alcohol or an ether compound. These gasolines
are collectively referred to as oxygenated fuels. To meet clean air
standards, some areas of the United
States and Canada use oxygenated
fuels to help reduce emissions.
If you use an oxygenated fuel, besure it is unleaded and meets the
minimum octane rating requirement.
Before using an oxygenated fuel, try
to confirm the fuel's contents. Some
states/provinces require this
information to be posted on the

pump.

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Gasoline

The following are the EPA-approved percentages of oxygenates:
ETHANOL (ethyl or grain alcohol)
You may use gasoline containing up to 10 percent ethanol by volume.Gasoline containing ethanol may be
marketed under the name "Gasohol."
MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether)
You may use gasoline containing up to 15 percent MTBE by volume.
METHANOL (methyl or wood

alcohol)

You may use gasoline containing up to 5 percent methanol by volume as
long as it also contains cosolventsand corrosion inhibitors to protect
the fuel system. Gasoline containing
more than 5 percent methanol by
volume may cause starting and/or performance problems. It may alsodamage metal, rubber and plastic
parts of your fuel system. If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
Fuel system damage or performance
problems resulting from the use of an oxygenated fuel containing more
than the percentages of oxygenates
given above are not covered under
warranty.
Driving in Foreign Countries

If you are planning to take your Honda outside the U.S. or Canada,
contact the tourist bureaus in the
areas you will be traveling in to find out about the availability of unleaded
gasoline with the proper octane
rating.

If unleaded gasoline is not available,
be aware that using leaded gasoline in your Honda will affect perfor-
mance and fuel mileage, and damage
its emissions controls. It will no
longer comply with U.S. andCanadian emissions regulations, and
will be illegal to operate in North
America. To bring your car back into compliance will require the replace-
ment of several components, such as
the oxygen sensors and the three
way catalytic converter. These re- placements are not covered under
warranty.

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Maintenance Schedule

The Maintenance Schedule specifies how often you should have your carserviced and what things need
attention. It is essential that you have
your car serviced as scheduled to retain its high level of safety,dependability, and emission control
performance.
The services and time or distance
intervals shown in the maintenance
schedule assume you will use your
car as normal transportation for
passengers and their possessions.
You should also follow these
recommendations:

Avoid exceeding your car's loadlimit. This puts excess stress on
the engine, brakes, and manyother parts of your car. The load
limit is shown on the label on the driver's doorjamb.
Operate your car on reasonable
roads within the legal speed limit.
Drive your car regularly over a
distance of several miles
(kilometers).

Always use unleaded gasoline with the proper octane rating (see page
108
).
Which Schedule to Follow:
Service your car according to the
time and mileage periods on one of
the Maintenance Schedules on the
following pages. Select the schedule
for "Severe Conditions" if most of
your driving is done under one or more of the conditions listed on that
page. Otherwise, follow the schedule
for "Normal Conditions."

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Index

Fluids Automatic Transmission........... 157

Brake........................................... 158

Power Steering........................... 159
Windshield Washer................... 156
FM Stereo Radio
Reception...................................... 97

Folding the Second Seats ............... 58
Folding the Third Seats.................. 60
Foreign Countries, Driving in...... 109

Four-way Flashers........................... 43

Front End, Towing by Emergency Wrecker...................................... 215

Fuel.................................................. 108
Fill Door and Cap....................... 110

Gauge............................................ 38

Octane Requirement................. 108

Oxygenated................................ 108

Tank, Filling the......................... 110

Fuses, Checking the...................... 211

Gas Mileage, Improving................ 114

Gasohol........................................... 108
Gasoline.......................................... 108

Gauge............................................ 38

Octane Requirement................. 108
Tank, Filling the......................... 110
Gas Station Procedures................. 110
Gauges Engine Coolant Temperature .... 38

Fuel................................................ 38

Gearshift Lever Positions............. 120

Glass Cleaning............................... 189

Glove Box......................................... 53
Halogen Headlight Bulbs.............. 179 Hazard Warning Flashers............... 43
Headlights......................................... 40 Aiming......................................... 177
Daytime Running Lights............. 40
High Beam Indicator................... 36
High Beams, Turning on............ 40Low Beams, Turning on............. 40
Reminder Chime.......................... 40
Replacing Halogen Bulbs ......... 179

Turning on....................................
40

Head Restraints...............................
56Heating and Cooling........................ 74
High Altitude, Starting at.............. 119
High-Low Beam Switch .................. 40
Hood, Opening the ........................ 111
Horn................................................... 39
Hot Coolant, Warning about........ 152
Hydroplaning.................................. 129

Identification Number, Vehicle.... 218

If Your Car Has to be Towed....... 215

Ignition
Keys............................................... 49
Switch............................................ 49
Timing Control System............. 226
Indicator Lights, Instrument
Panel..............................................33

Infant Restraint................................ 22

Inflation, Proper Tire .................... 171

Inside Mirror.................................... 64

Inspection, Tire.............................. 173
Instrument Panel............................. 33

Instrument Panel Brightness......... 41

Interior Cleaning............................ 188
Interior Lights.................................. 70ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Index

Introduction......................................... i

Jacking up the Car......................... 197

Jack, Tire........................................ 195

Jump Starting................................. 202

Keys................................................... 49

Label, Certification........................ 218

Lane Change, Signaling.................. 41
Lap Belt............................................... 7 Lap/Shoulder Belts........................... 6
Leaking of Exhaust into Car.......... 29
Lighter, Cigarette............................ 69
Lights Headlight Aiming...................... 177
Bulb Replacement..................... 179

Indicator........................................ 33

Parking.......................................... 40
Turn Signal................................... 41 Loading Cargo................................ 116
LOCK (Ignition Key Position)....... 50

Locks
Anti-theft Steering Column........ 49
Fuel Fill Door............................. 110Glove Box..................................... 53
Power Door.................................. 50
Tailgate......................................... 52
Low Coolant Level......................... 152
Low Oil Pressure Indicator.... 34, 206
Lubricant Specifications Chart.... 220

Luggage.......................................... 116

Maintenance................................... 137
Owner Maintenance Checks.... 146

Record.................................. 144-145

Required Indicator....................... 38

Safety........................................... 138

Schedule.............................. 140 - 143

Malfunction Indicator Lamp .. 34, 208

Maximum Speeds.......................... 123

Meters, Gauges................................ 37

Methanol in Gasoline.................... 109

Mirrors, Adjusting........................... 64
Neutral Gear Position.................... 122

New Vehicle Break-in ................... 108

NOTICE, Explanation of................... ii

Numbers, Identification................ 218

Occupant Protection System............ 4
Octane Requirement, Gasoline.... 108

Odometer.......................................... 37

Odometer, Trip................................ 37

Oil Change, How to ......................... 150

Change, When to....................... 142

Checking Engine....................... 112
Pressure Indicator............... 34, 206
Selecting Proper Viscosity Chart....................................... 149
ON (Ignition Key Position)............ 50

Opening the Hood ......................... 111

Operation in Foreign Countries... 109
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Gas Station Information
Gasoline: UNLEADED gasoline
Pump octane number of 86 or

higher

Fuel Tank Capacity: 17.2 US gal (65 l ,14.3 Imp gal)
Recommended Engine Oil:
API SH grade
"Energy Conserving II" oil

SAE 5W-30 viscosity Tire Pressure (measured cold):

Front/Rear:

32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm2)

Spare Tire Pressure: 60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm2) Automatic Transmission Fluid:

Honda Premium Formula Auto-

matic Transmission Fluid (ATF)ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t