HONDA ODYSSEY 1998 Owners Manual

Towing

If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a professional towing service or,
if you belong to one, an organization
that provides roadside assistance.
Never tow your vehicle behind
another vehicle with just a rope or chain. It is very dangerous.
Emergency Towing
There are three popular methods of towing a vehicle:
Flat-bed Equipment — The operator
loads your vehicle on the back of a
truck. This is the best way of trans-
porting your Honda.
Wheel Lift Equipment — The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (front or rear) and lift
them off the ground. The other two
tires remain on the ground.
Sling-type Equipment — The tow

truck uses metal cables with hooks on the ends. These hooks go around
parts of the frame or suspension and
the cables lift that end of the vehicle off the ground. Your vehicle's sus-
pension and body can be seriously damaged if this method of towing is
attempted.
If your Honda cannot be transported
by flat-bed, it should be towed with
the front wheels off the ground. If due to damage, your vehicle must be
towed with the front wheels on the
ground, do the following:
Release the parking brake.
Start the engine.
Shift to D4, then to N.
Turn off
the engine.
Improper towing preparation will

damage the transmission. Follow the

above procedure exactly. If you cannot

shift the transmission or start the
engine, your vehicle must be trans-

ported on a flat-bed.

It is best to tow the vehicle no far-
ther than 50 miles (80 km), and
keep the speed below 35 mph (55

km/h).

Trying to lift or tow your vehicle by the
bumpers will cause serious damage. The bumpers are not designed to
support the vehicle's weight.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
NOTICE
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Technical Information

The diagrams in this section give
you the dimensions and capacities of
your Honda, and the locations of the identification numbers. The expla-
nations of several electronic and
mechanical systems on your Hondaare for the more technically-oriented
owner. Identification Numbers................. 246
Specifications................................. 248
Tire Information............................ 250 Tire Size Designation................ 250
Wheel Size Designation............ 250
Tire Speed Ratings.................... 250
Tire Pressure Adjustment For High Speed Driving........ 251
DOT Tire Quality Grading....... 251 Treadwear.............................. 251
Traction.................................. 252
Temperature.......................... 252 Oxygenated Fuels.......................... 253
Driving in Foreign Countries....... 254
Emissions Controls........................ 255 The Clean Air Act...................... 255
Crankcase Emissions Control System..................................... 255
Evaporative Emissions Control System..................................... 255
Exhaust Emissions Controls.... 256 PGM-FI System..................... 256
Ignition Timing Control
System................................. 256
Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) System.................... 256
Three Way Catalytic Converter............................ 256
Replacement Parts..................... 256
Three Way Catalytic Converter... 257

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Identification Numbers

Your vehicle has several identifying numbers located in various places.
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is the 17-digit number your
Honda dealer uses to register your
vehicle for warranty purposes. It is also necessary for licensing and
insuring your vehicle. The easiest
place to find the VIN is on a plate
fastened to the top of the dashboard.
You can see it by looking through the windshield on the driver's side. Itis also on the Certification label at-
tached to the driver's doorjamb, and is stamped on the engine com-
partment bulkhead. The VIN is also
provided in bar code on the Certification label. VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
CERTIFICATION LABEL

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Identification Numbers

The Engine Number is stamped into the engine block. It is on the front.
The Transmission Number is on a label on top of the transmission.

Technical Information
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NUMBER

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Specifications

* 1 : For front A/C only
* 2 : For front and rear A/C *
1 : Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in the
engine.
Reserve tank capacity: 0.16 US gal (0.6 ,0.13 Imp gal)
* 2 : Excluding the oil remaining in the engine.

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Specifications

Technical Information

NOTE:

Replacement of the high-mount brake light should be done by your

dealer.

page 243
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Tire Information

Tire Size Designation
A tire's sidewall is marked with a tire
size designation. You will need this
information when selecting replace-
ment tires for your vehicle. The
following explains what the letters and numbers in the tire size
designation mean.
(Example tire size designation)
P205/65R15 92S
P — Applicable vehicle type (tires
marked with the prefix "P" are
intended for use on passenger
vehicles; however, not all tires have this marking).

205 — Tire width in millimeters.
65 — Aspect ratio. The tire's section
height as a percentage of its width.
R — Tire construction code (Radial).
15 — Rim diameter in inches.
92 — Load Index, a numerical code
associated with the maximum load
the tire can carry.
S — Speed Symbol. See the speed
rating chart in this section for additional information.
Wheel Size Designation
Wheels are also marked with important information that you need
if you ever have to replace one. The
following explains what the letters and numbers in the wheel size
designation mean.

(Example wheel size designation)

15
x
6
JJ
15 — Rim diameter in inches.
6 — Rim width in inches.
JJ — Rim contour designation.
Tire Speed Ratings
The chart below shows many of the
different speed ratings currently
being used for passenger vehicle
tires. The speed symbol is part of the
tire size designation on the sidewall of the tire. This symbol corresponds
to that tire's designed maximum safe operating speed.

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Tire Information

Tire Pressure Adjustment For High Speed Driving
Honda strongly recommends that
you not drive faster than posted speed limits and conditions allow. If
you decide it is safe to drive at high speeds, be sure to adjust the cold tire
pressures as shown below. If you do
not adjust the tire pressure, exces- sive heat can build up and cause
sudden tire failure.
Be sure to readjust the pressure for

normal driving speeds. You should

wait until the tires are cold before adjusting the tire pressure (see page
171).

DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Cars)

The tires on your vehicle meet all U.S. Federal Safety Requirements.
All tires are also graded for treadwear, traction, and temperature
performance according to
Department of Transportation (DOT) standards. The following
explains these gradings.
Treadwear

The treadwear grade is a compara- tive rating based on the wear rate ofthe tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one
half (1-1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices, and differences in
road characteristics and climate.

CONTINUED

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Tire Information

Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and C, and they
represent the tire's ability to stop on
wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade as- signed to this tire is based on brak-
ing (straight ahead) traction tests
and does not include cornering (turning) traction. Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the
tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger
vehicle tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by
law.
Warning: The temperature grade for

this tire is established for a tire that

is properly inflated and not over-

loaded. Excessive speed, underinfla-

tion, or excessive loading either
separately or in combination, can

cause heat build-up and possible tire

failure.

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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, be
sure 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.
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 also damage 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.
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