maintenance HONDA ODYSSEY 1996 User Guide

Maintenance Safety

Regularly maintaining your car is the
best way to protect your investment. Proper maintenance is essential to
your safety and the safety of your
passengers. It will also reward you
with more economical, trouble-free driving and help reduce air pollution. This section includes instructions for
simple maintenance tasks, such as
checking and adding oil. Any service
items not detailed in this section should be performed by a Honda
technician or other qualified mechanic. Some of the most important safety
precautions are given in the next page. However, we cannot warn youof every conceivable hazard that can
arise in performing maintenance.Only you can decide whether or not
you should perform a given task.
Maintenance
Improperly maintaining this car
or failing to correct a problem before driving can cause a
crash in which you can be
seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection and maintenance recommendations and
schedules in this owner's
manual.
Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures and precautions in this owner'smanual.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents

Maintenance Safety
Important Safety Precautions Before you begin any maintenance,
make sure your ear is parked on level ground and that the parking
brake is on. Also, be sure the engineis off. This will help to eliminateseveral potential hazards:
Carbon monoxide poisoning
from engine exhaust. Be sure there is adequate ventilation
whenever you operate the engine.
Burns from hot parts. Let the engine and exhaust system cool
before touching any parts.
Injury from moving parts. Do
not run the engine unless in-structed to do so. Read the instructions before you
begin, and make sure you have the
tools and skills required.
To reduce the possibility of fire or explosion, be careful when workingaround gasoline or batteries. Use a
nonflammable solvent, not gasoline,
to clean parts. Keep cigarettes, sparks, and flames away from the
battery and all fuel-related parts.
You should wear eye protection and protective clothing when workingnear the battery or when using
compressed air.

MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents

Maintenance Schedule
The Maintenance Schedule specifies how often you should have your car serviced 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 maintenanceschedule assume you will use your
car as normal transportation. You

should:

Avoid exceeding your car's loadlimit. This puts excess stress on
the engine, brakes, and many other 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 adistance of several kilometers
(miles).

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 page 140 and 141 . 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."

MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents

Maintenance Schedule

Your authorized Honda dealer knows your car best and can providecompetent, efficient service.
However, service at a dealer is not
mandatory to keep your warranties
in effect. Maintenance may be doneby any qualified service facility or
person who is skilled in this type ofautomotive service. Keep all thereceipts as proof of completion, and
have the person who does the workfill out the Maintenance Record.Check your warranty booklet formore information. We recommend the use of Genuine
Honda parts and fluids whenever you
have maintenance done. These are manufactured to the same high-quality standards as the originalcomponents, so you can be confidentof their perfomance and durability.
U.S. Cars: Maintenance, replacement or
repair of emission control devices
and systems may be done by anyautomotive repair establishment or individual using parts that are
"certified" to EPA standards. According to state and federal
regulations, failure to perform
maintenance on the items marked
with an asterisk (*) will not void youremissions warranties. However,
Honda recommends that all mainte-nance services be performed at the
recommended time or mileage
period to ensure long-term reliability.

MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents

Maintenance Schedule (Normal Conditions)Follow the Normal Maintenance

Schedule if the severe driving
conditions specified in the
Severe Conditions Maintenance
Schedule on the next page do
not apply.
For Canadian Owners:
This Maintenance Schedule outlines the minimum required
maintenance that you should perform to ensure the trouble-
free operation of your vehicle. Due to regional and climaticdifferences, some additional
servicing may be required.
Please consult your warranty
handbook for a more detailed
description.

Maintenance
ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents

Maintenance Schedule (Severe Conditions)

Follow the Severe Maintenance
Schedule if you drive your
vehicle MAINLY under one ormore 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 in
mountainous 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.

MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents

Required Maintenance Record

Maintenance

Have your servicing dealer record all Required Maintenance below. Keep receipts for all work done on your car.
ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents

Non-Scheduled Maintenance Record
Record additional maintenance for severe driving conditions or non-scheduled maintenance on this page (see page 141).

MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents

Periodic Checks
You should check the following items at the specified intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perform any check, turn to the page given. Engine oil level — Check every
time you fill the fuel tank. See
page 112.
Engine coolant level — Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
you fill the fuel tank. See page 113 .
Windshield washer fluid — Check the level in the reservoir monthly.If weather conditions cause you to
use the washers frequently, check
the reservoir each time you stop
for fuel. See page 154 .
Automatic transmission — Check the fluid level monthly. See page 155.
Brakes and power steering — Check the fluid level monthly. See
page 156. Tires — Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread for

wear and foreign objects. See page
169 .
Battery — Check its condition and
the terminals for corrosion monthly. See page 162 .
Air conditioning — Check its operation weekly. See page 168 .
Lights — Check the operation of
the headlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
turn signals, brake lights, and
license plate lights monthly. See
page 175.

MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents

Fluid Locations

Maintenance

BRAKE FLUID

(Gray cap)
ENGINE OIL
FILL CAP

COOLANT
RESERVOIR

AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
FLUID DIPSTICK

(Yellow loop)
ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK
(Orange loop)
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE
RESERVOIR
(Gray cap)

POWER STEERING
FLUID (Red cap)
WASHER FLUID (Blue cap)ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents