service HONDA ODYSSEY 1996 User Guide

Towing a Trailer

Towing Safety Your car will not stop as quickly with a trailer in tow. Leave extra distance
between your car and other vehicles.
Avoid braking or turning suddenly.
This could cause the trailer to
jackknife or possibly turn over.
Keep in mind that your total vehicle
is now much longer. Leave more
room when making turns. The trailer
tracks a smaller arc than the car and
can hit or run over something that
the car misses. When passing another vehicle, make sure the
trailer is clear before changing lanes. The car/trailer combination is more
affected by crosswinds and buffeting.
When being passed by a large
vehicle, keep a constant speed and steer straight ahead. If there is too
much wind buffeting, slow down to
get out of the other vehicle's air

turbulence.

Towing a trailer puts an extra load on your car. You should have your
car serviced according to the
"Maintenance schedule under severe
driving conditions" on page 141. This extra load is magnified when
you are driving in hilly terrain.
Watch the temperature gauge closely when climbing hills. If it getsnear the hot area, turn off the airconditioning (if it is on). If this does
not reduce the heat, it may be
necessary to pull to the side of the
road and wait for the engine to cool.
If the automatic transmission shifts
frequently between 3rd and 4th gears, put it in D3. This will help
prevent the transmission from overheating. Help keep the brakes
from overheating by shifting to a
lower gear when going downhill.

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Maintenance

This section explains why it is important to keep your car well
maintained and to follow basic
maintenance safety precautions.
This section also includes Maintenance Schedules for normaldriving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions for simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of
yourself.
If you have the skills and tools
required to perform more complex
maintenance tasks on your Honda,
you may want to purchase the Service Manual. See page 233 for
information on how to obtain a copy,or see your Honda dealer.
Maintenance Safety....................... 136

Important Safety Precautions.. 137

Maintenance Schedule.................. 138

Maintenance Record..................... 142
Periodic Checks............................. 144

Fluid Locations............................... 145
Engine Oil....................................... 146
Checking Engine Oil................. 146

Adding Oil................................... 146 Recommended Oil..................... 147
Synthetic Oil............................... 148

Additives..................................... 148
Oil and Filter Changes.............. 148

Cooling System.............................. 150

Checking the Engine Coolant
Level........................................ 150

Adding Engine Coolant............. 151 Replacing Engine Coolant........ 152

Windshield Washers..................... 154

Automatic Transmission Fluid..... 155
Brake Fluid..................................... 156
Brake System............................. 156

Anti-lock Brake System............ 157

Power Steering............................... 157

Air Cleaner..................................... 158 Spark Plugs..................................... 160
Replacement............................... 160
Specifications............................. 161
Battery............................................ 162
Windshield Wipers........................ 165
Air Conditioning............................. 168 Drive Belts...................................... 169
Tires................................................ 169 Inflation....................................... 170
Inspection................................... 171
Maintenance............................... 171
Tire Rotation.............................. 172 Replacing Tires and Wheels .... 172
Wheels and Tires....................... 173
Winter Driving........................... 173 Snow Tires.............................. 174
Tire Chains............................. 174
Lights.............................................. 175 Headlight Aiming...................... 175Replacing Bulbs......................... 177
Storing Your Car............................ 182
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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.
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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."

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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.

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Engine Oil
Recommended Oil Oil is a major contributor to your
engine's performance and longevity.
Always use a premium-grade deter- gent oil.
You can determine an oil's SAE viscosity and Service Classificationfrom the API Service label on the oil
container.

A fuel-efficient oil is recommended for your Honda. This is shown on the
API Service label by the words "Energy Conserving II." This oil is
formulated to help your engine use less fuel. The API Service label also tells you
the service classification of the oil.
Always use an oil that says "API Service SH." This service rating mayalso include other designations, suchas CD. These additional classifica-
tions are not a problem, as long as the label also carries the SH classifi-cation. An oil that is only classified
SF is not recommended.
API SERVICE LABEL The oil container may also display
the API Certification mark shown
below. Make sure it says "ForGasoline Engines."
API CERTIFICATION MARK
CONTINUED

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Engine Oil
The SAE numbers tell you the oil'sviscosity or weight. Select the oil for
your car according to this chart.

Ambient Temperature

An oil with a viscosity of 5W-30 is preferred for improved fuel economy
and year-round protection in your
Honda. You may use a 10W-30 oil if
the temperature in your area never

goes below 20°F ( — 7°C).
Synthetic Oil
You may use a synthetic motor oil if it meets the same requirements
given for conventional motor oil;
energy conserving, a service
classification of SH, and the proper
weight as shown on the chart. When
using synthetic oil, you must follow
the oil and filter change intervals given in the maintenance schedule.
Additives Your Honda does not need any oil additives. Purchasing additives for
the engine or transmission will not increase your car's performance or
longevity. It only increases the cost of operating your car. Oil and Filter Changes
Always change the oil and filter according to the time and distance
recommendations in the mainte-
nance schedule. The oil and filter collect contaminants that can dam-age your engine if they are not
removed regularly.
Changing the oil and filter requires
special tools and access from
underneath the car. The car should
be raised on a service station-type
hydraulic lift for this service. Unless
you have the knowledge and proper equipment, you should have this
maintenance done by a skilled
mechanic.

1. Run the engine until it reaches normal operating temperature,
then shut it off.

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Air Cleaner
The air cleaner element should becleaned or replaced according to the
time and distance recommendationsin the maintenance schedule. Cleaning (Severe Conditions)
Clean the air cleaner element by
blowing compressed air through it in the opposite direction to normal air
flow. If you do not have access to compressed air (such as a servicestation), ask your Honda dealer to do
this service.
Follow the replacement procedure
for removal and reinstallation.
The air cleaner element is inside thebox on the passenger's side of theengine compartment.
To replace it:
1. Remove the two pins holding the air intake cover by pulling the
head on each pin. Remove the air
intake cover.
2. Remove the air duct from the air cleaner housing cover.

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Air Conditioning

Your car's air conditioning is a sealed system. Any major maintenance,
such as recharging, should be done
by a qualified technician. There are a couple of things you can do to makesure the air conditioning works
efficiently.
Periodically check the engine's
radiator and air conditioning condenser for leaves, insects, anddirt stuck to the front surface. These
block the air flow and reduce cooling efficiency. Use a light spray from a
hose or a soft brush to remove them.
The condenser and radiator fins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure spray or soft-bristle brush to clean them.
AIR CONDITIONING
CONDENSER

Run the air conditioning at least once a week during the cold weather
months. Run it for at least tenminutes while you are driving at a steady speed with the engine at
normal operating temperature. This circulates the lubricating oil con-
tained in the refrigerant. If the air conditioning does not get as
cold as before, have your dealer
check the system. Recharge thesystem with Refrigerant HFC-134a (R-134a). (See Specifications on page 218.)

Whenever you have the air conditioning

system serviced, make sure the service

facility uses a refrigerant recycling
system. This system captures the
refrigerant for reuse. Releasing

refrigerant into the atmosphere can

damage the environment.

Maintenance

NOTICE
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Changing a Flat Tire
15.Lower the car to the ground and remove the jack.
16.Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
facility.

Tighten the wheel nuts to:
108 N.m (11 kgf.m , 80 Ibf.ft)
17.Put the flat tire in the supplied vinyl bag.
E
X model:
Remove the center cap.

CONTINUED

Taking Care of the Unexpected
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