towing HONDA ODYSSEY 2000 RA6-RA9 / 2.G Owners Manual

2000 Odyssey Online Reference Owner's Manual Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com.
Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
............................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety ........................................................................\
.................................................. ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance ........................................................................\
....................................................... 2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
............................................... 5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
...................................................55
Instrument panel indica tor and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
...............................129
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
.....................................................................187
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
...................................................................................201
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.........................................................................225
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
.................................................................283
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your car ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................291
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
.......................................................319
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)......................................................................331
A summary of the warranties covering your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
.......................................337
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index ........................................................................\
......................................................................................... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

Carrying Carg o
Load Limi t
The maximum load for your vehicle
is 1,277 Ibs (580 kg).
This figure includes the total weight
of all occupants, cargo, accessories,
and the tongue weight if you are
towing a trailer.
To figure out how much cargo you
can carry:
Add up the weight of all occupants.
If you are towing a trailer, add the
tongue weight to the number
above.
Subtract the total from 1,277 Ibs
(580 kg).
The final number is the total weight
of cargo you can carry.
When you load luggage, the total
weight of the vehicle, all passengers, cargo, and trailer tongue load must
not exceed the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). The load for the front and rear axles also must not exceed the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR). The GVWR andGAWR are printed on the tire
information label attached to the
driver's doorjamb (see page 322). Carryin
g Item s i n th e Passenge r
Compartmen t
Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurt someone during a crash.
Be sure items placed on the floor
behind the front seats cannot roll
under the seats and interfere with the driver's ability to operate the
pedals, or with the properoperation of the seats.
Keep the glove box closed while
driving. If the lid is open, a
passenger could injure their knees during a crash or sudden stop.
Befor e Drivin g
Overloading or improper
loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in
which you can be hurt or killed.
Follow all load limits and other
loading guidelines in this
manual.

Drivin
g

This section gives you tips on starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important information on
parking your vehicle, the braking system, the Traction Control System,
and facts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer. Preparing to Drive......................... 202
Starting the Engine........................ 203
Starting in Cold Weatherat High Altitude..................... 203
Automatic Transmission............... 204 Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 204
Shift Lever Positions................. 205
Engine Speed Limiter............... 207
Shift Lock Release..................... 207

Parking............................................ 209

The Braking System...................... 210 Brake Wear Indicators.............. 210
Brake System Design................ 211
Anti-lock Brakes........................ 211
Important SafetyReminders.......................... 212
ABS Indicator......................... 212
Traction Control System............... 213 TCS ON/OFF Switch................ 214TCS Indicator............................. 215
Driving in Bad Weather................ 216
Towing a Trailer............................ 218

Driving

Automatic Transmissio n
Reverse (R ) — To shift to Reverse
from Park, see the explanation under Park. To shift to Reverse from
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Pull the shift lever
towards you before shifting into Reverse from Neutral. Neutra
l (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 Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the vehicle
for any reason. Press on the brake pe- dal when you are moving the shift
lever from Neutral to another gear.
Driv e (D
4) — Use this position for
your normal driving. The transmis- sion automatically selects a suitable
gear for your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission shifting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps the engine warm up faster. Driv
e (D
3) — This position is similar
to D4, except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D3 when
towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to
provide engine braking when going
down a steep hill. D
3 can also keep
the transmission from cycling
between third and fourth gears in stop-and-go driving.
For faster acceleration when in D
3 or
D4, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshift by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shift down one or two gears, depending on your
speed.
Drivin g

Towing a Traile r
Your Odyssey has been designed to
tow a trailer, as well as for carryingpassengers and their cargo.
To safely tow a trailer, you must observe the load limits, use the
proper equipment, and follow the
guidelines in this section.
Load Limit s
Tota l Traile r Weight : As shown
in the load limits table, how much
weight you can tow is limited by the number of occupants in your
vehicle and whether or not you have installed a transmission fluid
cooler. (See page 220 for
information about transmission
fluid coolers.) Towing a load that is too heavy can seriously affect
your vehicle's handling and performance. It can also damage
the engine and drivetrain.
* : Including driver. Based on 150 Ibs (70 kg) per occupant.
* *: Weight limited to avoid exceeding rear GAWR (see page 219).
Tongu
e Load : The weight that
the tongue of a fully-loaded trailer
puts on the hitch should be approximately 10 percent of the
trailer weight. Too little tongue
load can make the trailer unstable and cause it to sway. Too much
tongue load reduces front-tire
traction and steering control. To achieve a proper tongue load,
start by loading 60 percent of the
load toward the front of the trailer
and 40 percent toward the rear, then
readjust the load as needed.
Drivin g

Towin
g a Traile r

Gros s Vehicl e Weigh t Ratin g

(GVWR) :

The total weight of the vehicle, all occupants, all cargo, and the
tongue load must not exceed: 5,565 Ibs (2,525 kg)

Gros s Axl e Weigh t Ratin g

(GAWR) :

The total weight of the vehicle, all occupants, all cargo, and the
tongue load must not exceed:
2,775 Ibs (1,260 kg)
on the front axle
2,840 Ibs (1,290 kg)
on the rear axle
Gros
s Combine d Weigh t Ratin g

(GCWR) :

The total weight of the vehicle, all occupants and cargo, and the
trailer and everything in or on it,
must not exceed:
8,160 Ibs (3,700 kg)
with transmission fluid cooler
6,660 Ibs (3,025 kg)
without transmission fluid cooler
Checkin
g Load s

The best way to confirm that vehicle and trailer weights are within limits
is to have them checked at a public
scale.

Using a suitable scale or a special
tongue load gauge, check the tongue
load the first time you set up a
towing combination (a fully-loaded
vehicle and trailer), then recheck the tongue load whenever the conditions

change.

Driving

Exceeding load limits or

improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously
injured or killed.

Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully before starting to drive.

Towing a Traile r
Towin g Equipmen t an d
Accessorie s
Towing can require a variety of equipment, depending on the size of
your trailer, how it will be used, and how much load you are towing.
Discuss your needs with your trailer
sales or rental agency, and follow the
guidelines in the rest of this section.
Also make sure that all equipment is properly installed and that it meets
federal, state, province, and local
regulations.
Hitches
Any hitch used on your vehicle mustbe properly bolted to the underbody, using the six threaded holes
provided. A hitch designed especially
for your Odyssey can be obtained
from your Honda dealer.
Weight Distributing Hitch
If the total trailer weight is more
than 2,000 Ibs (900 kg), you must
also use a weight distributing hitch.
This device transfers weight from the vehicle's rear wheels to the front
wheels, and to the trailer's wheels. Carefully follow the hitch maker's
instructions for proper installation
and adjustment.
Safety Chain
Always use a safety chain. Make sure that it is secured to both the
trailer and hitch, and that it crosses under the tongue so it can catch the
trailer if it becomes unhitched. Leave enough slack to allow the
trailer to turn corners easily, but do not let the chain drag on the ground.
Sway Control
If the total trailer weight exceeds
2,000 Ibs (900 kg), you should install
a sway control device to minimize swaying that can occur in crosswinds
and in normal and emergency
driving maneuvers. Your trailer
maker can tell you what kind of sway
control you need and how to install it.
Transmission Fluid Cooler
If the total trailer weight is more
than 2,000 Ibs (900 kg), you must also have a transmission fluid cooler
installed. This device will help
prevent transmission overheating,
which could cause serious damage.
A transmission fluid cooler designed for your Odyssey can be obtained
from your Honda dealer.
Drivin g

Towing a Traile r
Trailer Brakes
Honda recommends that any trailer
having a total weight of 1,000 Ibs (450 kg) or more be equipped with
its own electric or surge-type brakes.
If you choose electric brakes, be sure they are electronically actuated.
Do not attempt to tap into your
vehicle's hydraulic system. No matter how successful it may seem,any attempt to attach trailer brakes
to your vehicle's hydraulic system
will lower braking effectiveness and create a potential hazard.
Your vehicle has a trailer lightingconnector located behind the leftside panel in the cargo area. Refer to
the drawing above for the wiring
color code and purpose of each pin.
To use the trailer lighting connector, you will need a wiring harness andconverter. This comes with the
Honda hitch (see page 220), or it
may be obtained separately from
your dealer. If you use a non-Honda trailer
lighting harness and converter, you
can get the connector and pins that
mate with the connector in your
vehicle from your Honda dealer.
Since lighting and wiring vary with
trailer type and brand, you should
also have a qualified technician
install a suitable connector between
the vehicle and the trailer.
Drivin g
CONTINUED
Trailer Lights
GROUN
D
(BLACK )
RIGHT TUR N SIGNA L(GREEN/YELLOW )
BACK-UP LIGH T(GREEN/BLACK ) LEF
T TUR N SIGNA L
(GREEN/BLUE )
BRAKE LIGH T(WHITE/BLACK )TAILLIGHT(RED/BLACK)

Towing a Traile r
Spare Vehicle Tire
When towing a trailer, you should
carry a full-size wheel and tire as a
spare in case you have a flat. If you
use the compact spare tire that came
with the vehicle, it may adversely affect vehicle handling. See page 317 for information on proper tire
size, and page 299 for information on
how to store a full-size tire. When storing a full-size spare tire in the
trailer, follow the trailer maker's
instructions.
Additional Trailer Equipment
Many states and Canadian provinces
require special outside mirrors when
towing a trailer. Even if they don't,
you should install special mirrors if
you cannot clearly see behind you, or if the trailer creates a blind spot.
Ask your trailer sales or rental agency if any other items are
recommended or required for your
towing situation. Pre-To
w Checklis t
When preparing to tow, and before driving away, be sure to check the
following:
The vehicle has been properlyserviced, and the tires, brakes,
suspension, and cooling system
are in good operating condition.
All weights and loads are within limits (see pages 218 and 219).
The hitch, safety chain, and any other attachments are secure.
All items on and in the trailer are properly secured and cannot shift
while you drive.
The lights and brakes on your vehicle and the trailer are workingproperly. Your vehicle tires and spare are
properly inflated (see page 323),and the trailer tires and spare are
inflated as recommended by the
trailer maker.
You may want to fill the fuel tank with premium fuel. Premium fuel
provides improved performance.
Drivin g

Towing a Traile r
Drivin g Safel y Wit h a Traile r
The added weight, length, and height of a trailer will affect your
vehicle's handling and performance, so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.
For your safety and the safety of
others, take time to practice driving
maneuvers before heading for the
open road, and follow the guidelines
discussed below.
Towing Speeds and Gears
Driving slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey postedspeed limits for vehicles with trailers.
Use the D
4 position when towing a
trailer on level roads. D3 is the
proper shift lever position to use
when towing a trailer in hilly terrain.
(See "Driving on Hills" in the next
column for additional gear
information.)
Making Turns and Braking
Make turns more slowly and wider
than normal. The trailer tracks a smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
can hit or run over something the
vehicle misses. Allow more time and distance for braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknife or turn over.
Driving on Hills
When climbing hills, closely watch your temperature gauge. If it nearsthe red mark, turn the air
conditioning off, reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
If the automatic transmission shifts
frequently between 3rd and 4th
gears while going up a hill, shift to D
3. If you must stop when facing uphill,
use the foot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
place by pressing on the accelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shift down to 2nd
gear. Do not "ride" the brakes, and
remember it will take longer to slowdown and stop when towing a trailer.
Drivin g
CONTINUED