towing HONDA ODYSSEY 1995 User Guide

Towing a Trailer

If you have to stop while going uphill, do not hold the car in place by
pressing on the accelerator. This can cause the automatic transmission to
overheat. Use the parking brake or
footbrake.
When parking your car and trailer, especially on a hill, be sure to follow
all the normal precautions. Turn
your front wheels into the curb, set the parking brake firmly, and put thetransmission in Park. In addition,
place wheel chocks at each of the
trailer's tires. Backing up with a trailer is difficult
and takes practice. Drive slowly,
make small movements with the
steering wheel, and have someone
stand outside to guide you. Grip the
steering wheel on the bottom (rather
than the usual position near the top). Move your hand to the left to get the
trailer to move to the left, and right
to move the trailer right.

DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Maintenance Schedule (Severe Conditions)

Follow the Severe Maintenance
Schedule if you drive your
vehicle MAINLY under one or
more of the following condi-

tions:
Driving less than 8 km (5
miles) per trip or, in freezing
temperatures, driving less than 16 km (10 miles) per trip. Driving in extremely hot
[over 90°F (32° C)] conditions.
Extensive idling or long
periods of stop-and-go driving. Trailer towing, driving with a
car-top carrier, or driving inmountainous conditions. Driving on muddy, dusty, or
de-iced roads.
NOTE: If you only
OCCASIONALLY drive under a

"severe" condition, you should

follow the Normal Conditions Maintenance Schedule on the

previous page.

Maintenance
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Taking Care of the Unexpected

This section covers the more- common problems that motorists
experience with their cars. It gives
you information about how to safely evaluate the problem and what to do
to correct it. If the problem has stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again. If not, you will also find instructions
on getting your car towed. Compact Spare Tire....................... 192
Changing a Flat Tire..................... 193
If Your Engine Won't Start........... 199 Nothing Happens....................... 199
The Starter Operates
Normally................................ 200

Jump Starting................................. 200 If Your Engine Overheats............. 202Low Oil Pressure........................... 204
Charging System Indication......... 205
Malfunction Indicator Lamp/ Check Engine Light.................. 206
Closing the Sunroof....................... 207
Fuses............................................... 208
Checking and Replacing........... 209
Towing............................................ 213
Taking Care of the UnexpectedProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

If Your Engine Won't Start

Diagnosing why your engine won't
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):
You hear nothing, or almostnothing. The engine's starter
motor does not operate at all, or operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor operating normally, but the engine
does not start up and run. Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
When you turn the ignition switch to START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:
Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park or Neutral or the starter will not

operate.

Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don't light at all,
the battery is discharged. See

Jump Starting on page 200 .
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the fuses. If
the fuses are OK, there is proba-
bly something wrong with the electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to determine the problem. (See
Towing on page 213 .)
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page 162 ). You can
then try jump starting the car from a booster battery (see page 200 ).

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If Your Engine Won't Start, Jump Starting

The Starter Operates Normally In this case, the starter motorsounds normal when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.
Are you using the proper startingprocedure? Refer to Starting the
Engine on page 119 .
Do you have fuel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the fuel gauge.
The low fuel level warning light may not be working, so you were
not reminded to fill the tank.
There may be an electrical problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses (see page 208 ).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Towing on page 213. Jump Starting
If your car's battery has run clown,
you may be able to start the engine by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
there are several precautions youshould take. Follow the directions

closely.

You cannot start a Honda by pushing or pulling it. To jump start your car:
1. Open the hood and check the physical condition of the battery(see page 162 ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the

electrolyte inside can freeze.
Attempting to lump start with a frozen battery can cause it to rupture or

explode.

2. Turn off all the electrical acces- sories: heater, A/C, stereo system,
lights, etc.

Put the transmission in Neutral or

Park and set the parking brake.

A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

If Your Engine Overheats
4. If the temperature gauge stays at the red mark, turn off the engine.
5. Wait until you see no more signs of steam or spray, then open the

hood.

6. Look for any obvious coolant leaks, such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot, so use caution. If you find a leak, it
must be repaired before you
continue driving (see Towing on
page 213).
7. If you don't find an obvious leak, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page 150). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to half-way
between the MIN and MAX marks.
8. If there was no coolant in the reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, before check-
ing the radiator.
9. Using gloves or a large heavy cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the first stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes
off.
10.Start the engine and set the
temperature control lever to
maximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the filler
neck. If you do not have the proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water. Remember to have the coolingsystem drained and refilled with
the proper mixture as soon as you

can.

11. Put the radiator cap back on tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine needs repair. (See Towing on
page 213.)
12.If the temperature stays normal, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the MAX mark. Put the cap back on

tightly.
Taking Care of the Unexpected

Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Low Oil Pressure

The low oil pressure indicator should
never come on when the engine is
running. If
this light flashes or stays
on with the engine running, take
immediate action.

Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn off

the engine as soon as you can safely get

the car stopped.
1. Safely pull off the road and shut
off the engine.
2. Let the car sit for a minute. Open the hood and check the oil level(see page 146 ). Although oil level
and oil pressure are not directly
connected, an engine that is very
low on oil can lose pressure during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
3. If necessary, add oil to bring the level back to the full mark on thedipstick (see page 146 ). 4. Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure light. If the light does not
go out within ten seconds, turn off
the engine. There is a mechanicalproblem that needs to be repaired
before you can continue driving. (See Towing on page 213 .)
Taking Care of the Unexpected
LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR

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Towing

If your car needs to be towed, call a
professional towing service or, if you
belong to one, an organization that

provides roadside assistance. Never

tow your car behind another car with
just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous.

Emergency Towing

There are three popular methods of towing a car:

Flat-bed Equipment — The operator

loads your car 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
wheels 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 car off
the ground. Your car's suspension 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 car 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 car must be transported

on a flat-bed.

It is best to tow the car no farther
than 80 km (50 miles), and keep
the speed below 35 mph (55

km/h).

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

NOTICE
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Index

Customer Relations Office........... 229

DANGER, Explanation of................. ii

Dashboard........................................ 34
Dashboard Compartment............... 70
Daytime Running Lights................. 42
Dead Battery, What to Do............ 216
Defects, Reporting Safety............... 30
Defogger, Rear Window................. 45
Defrosting the Windows................. 82
DEXRON® II Automatic Transmission Fluid.................... 155
Dimensions..................................... 218
Dimming the Headlights ................ 42
Dipstick Automatic Transmission........... 155
Engine Oil................................... 146
Directional Signals........................... 43

Disabled, Towing Your Car If...... 213

Disc Brake Wear Indicators......... 124
Disposal of Used Oil...................... 150
Doors Locking and Unlocking............... 53
Power Door Locks....................... 53 DOT Tire Quality Grading........... 222
Drive Belts...................................... 169

Driving............................................ 117

Economy..................................... 114
In Bad Weather.......................... 126
In Foreign Countries................. 109

Economy, Fuel............................... 114

Emergencies on the Road............. 191 Battery, Jump Starting.............. 200
Changing a Flat Tire................. 193
Charging System Indicator...... 205
Check Engine Light.................. 206 Checking the Fuses................... 209
Low Oil Pressure Indicator...... 204
Malfunction Indicator Lamp .... 206 Manually Closing Sunroof........ 207Overheated Engine................... 202
Emergency Brake............................ 68
Emergency Flashers....................... 43
Emission Controls......................... 224
Engine Belts............................................. 169
Check Light.......................... 37, 206 Coolant Temperature Gauge ..... 40
Malfunction Indicator
Lamp................................ 37, 206
Oil Pressure Indicator......... 36, 204
Oil, What Kind to Use............... 147
Overheating................................ 202
Specifications............................. 219
Ethanol in Gasoline ....................... 109
Evaporative Emission Controls.... 224
Exhaust Fumes................................ 29
Expectant Mothers, Use of Seat Belts by.........................................10
Exterior, Cleaning the................... 184

Fabric, Cleaning............................. 187
Fan, Interior...................................... 78

Features, Comfort and
Convenience................................. 75

Filling the Fuel Tank..................... 110

Filter Air............................................... 158

Oil................................................ 148

First Gear Position......................... 122
CONTINUEDProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Main Menu s t

Index

Flashers, Hazard Warning.............. 45
Flat Tire, Changing a.................... 193
Fluids Automatic Transmission........... 155
Brake........................................... 156
Power Steering........................... 157
Windshield Washer................... 154
FM Stereo Radio Reception...................................... 87
Folding the Second Seats ............... 60
Folding the Third Seats.................. 62
Foreign Countries, Driving in...... 109
Four-way Flashers........................... 45
Front End, Towing by Emergency Wrecker................. 213

Fuel.................................................. 108
Fill Door and Cap....................... 110
Gauge............................................ 40Octane Requirement................. 108
Oxygenated................................ 108
Tank, Filling the......................... 110
Fuses, Checking the...................... 209 Gas Mileage, Improving................ 114
Gasohol........................................... 108
Gasoline.......................................... 108
Gauge............................................ 40
Octane Requirement................. 108
Tank, Filling the......................... 110
Gas Station Procedures................. 110

Gauges
Engine Coolant Temperature .... 40
Fuel................................................ 40
Gearshift Lever Positions............. 120
Glass Cleaning............................... 188
Glove Box......................................... 55
Halogen Headlight Bulbs.............. 177
Hazard Warning Flashers............... 45
Headlights......................................... 42 Aiming......................................... 175
Daytime Running Lights............. 42
High Beam Indicator................... 38
High Beams, Turning on............ 42
Low Beams, Turning on ............. 42
Reminder Chime.......................... 42

Replacing Halogen Bulbs ......... 177

Turning on.................................... 42

Head Restraints............................... 58

Heating and Cooling........................ 76

High Altitude, Starting at.............. 119

High-Low Beam Switch .................. 42
Hood, Opening the ........................ 111

Horn.................................................. 51

Hot Coolant, Warning about........ 151

Hydroplaning.................................. 127

Identification Number, Vehicle.... 216

If Your Car Has to be Towed....... 213

Ignition
Keys............................................... 51

Switch............................................ 52

Timing Control System............. 225

Indicator Lights, Instrument
Panel.............................................. 35

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

Inflation, Proper Tire .................... 170

Inside Mirror.................................... 66

Inspection, Tire.............................. 171ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Main Menu s t