cooling HONDA ODYSSEY 1997 User Guide

Heating and Cooling

To remove exterior frost or ice from the windshield and side windowsafter the car has been sitting out in
cold weather:
1. Start the engine. 2. Select and
3. Switch the fan and temperature controls to maximum.
To rapidly remove exterior frost or ice from the windshield (on very cold days), first select Once the
windshield is clear, select to
avoid fogging the windows.
Comfort and Convenience Features MODE BUTTONS
RECIRCULATION
BUTTONFRESH AIR BUTTON
TEMPERATURE CONTROL LEVER FAN CONTROL

LEVER
AIR CONDITIONING
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Heating and Cooling

These settings direct all the air flow to the defroster vents at the base of
the windshield and the side windowdefroster vents. The air flow will get
warmer and clear the windows faster as the engine warms up. You can
close the corner vents with the dial
beside each vent. This will send
more warm air to the windshield defroster vents.
For safety, make sure you have a
clear view through all the windows
before driving away.

To Turn Everything Off
To shut off the system temporarily, slide the fan speed and temperature
control levers all the way to the left. You should shut the system com-
pletely off only for the first few
minutes of driving in cold weather,
until the engine coolant warms up
enough to operate the heater. Keep
the fan on at all other times so stale air does not build up in the interior.
Comfort and Convenience Features
MODE BUTTONS

RECIRCULATIOIM BUTTON

FRESH AIR
BUTTON
AIR CONDITIONINGSWITCH

FAN CONTROL
LEVER
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Heating and Cooling

Rear A/C Unit (U.S. models only)

The rear A/C can be used when the A/C switch on the front control panel is ON. Turn the rear A/C on
by moving the fan control lever outof the "OFF" position. The indicator
will come on. Adjust the fan speed by sliding the fan control lever. To
change the direction of air flow,
move the tab in the center of each
vent up-and-down and side-to-side.

Comfort and Convenience Features FAN CONTROL

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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 to per-
form more complex maintenance
tasks on your Honda, you may want to purchase the Service Manual. See
page 235 for information on how toobtain a copy, or see your Honda

dealer.
Maintenance Safety....................... 138

Important Safety Precautions.. 139

Maintenance Schedule.................. 140

Maintenance Record..................... 144

Owner Maintenance Checks........ 146

Fluid Locations............................... 147

Engine Oil....................................... 148
Adding Oil................................... 148Recommended Oil..................... 148
Synthetic Oil............................... 149

Additives..................................... 150

Changing the Oil and Filter...... 150

Cooling System.............................. 152

Adding Engine Coolant............. 152Replacing Engine Coolant........ 154

Windshield Washers..................... 156

Automatic Transmission Fluid..... 157
Brake Fluid..................................... 158

Brake System............................. 158

Anti-lock Brake System............ 159

Power Steering............................... 159

Air Cleaner Element...................... 160
Spark Plugs..................................... 162
Replacement............................... 162

Specifications............................. 163

Battery............................................ 164
Windshield Wipers........................ 166
Air Conditioning System............... 169
Drive Belts...................................... 170
Timing Belt..................................... 170
Tires................................................ 171 Inflation....................................... 171
Inspection................................... 173
Maintenance............................... 173
Tire Rotation.............................. 174 Replacing Tires and Wheels .... 174
Wheels and Tires....................... 175
Winter Driving........................... 175 Snow Tires.............................. 176
Tire Chains............................. 176
Lights.............................................. 177
Headlight Aiming...................... 177
Replacing Bulbs......................... 179
Storing Your Car............................ 184
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Cooling System

Adding Engine Coolant
If the coolant level in the reserve
tank is at or below the MIN line, add
coolant to bring it up to the MAX line.
Inspect the cooling system for leaks.
This coolant should always be a mixture of 50 percent antifreeze and50 percent water. Never add straight
antifreeze or plain water. Always use Genuine Honda
antifreeze/coolant. If it is not
available, you may use another
major-brand non-silicate coolant as a
temporary replacement. Make sure it is a high-quality coolant
recommended for aluminum engines. However, continued use of any non-
Honda coolant can result in
corrosion, causing the cooling
system to malfunction or fail. Have
the cooling system flushed and
refilled with Honda antifreeze/ coolant as soon as possible. If the reserve tank is completely
empty, you should also check the
coolant level in the radiator.

Maintenance
RESERVE TANK

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
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Cooling System

1. Make sure the engine and radiator
are cool.

2. Turn the radiator cap counter- clockwise, without pressing down
on it, until it stops. This relieves
any pressure remaining in the
cooling system.
3. Remove the radiator cap by pushing down and turningcounterclockwise.
4. The coolant level should be up to
the base of the filler neck. Addcoolant if it is low.
5. Put the radiator cap back on. Tighten it fully.
6. Pour coolant into the reserve tank. Fill it to halfway between the MAX
and MIN marks. Put the cap back
on the reserve tank.
Do not add any rust inhibitors or
other additives to your car's cooling
system. They may not be compatible
with the coolant or engine compo- nents.

Maintenance

RADIATOR CAP
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Cooling System

Replacing Engine Coolant
The cooling system should be completely drained and refilled with
new coolant according to the time and distance recommendations in
the maintenance schedule. Only use Genuine Honda antifreeze/coolant.
Draining the coolant requires access
to the underside of the car. Unless
you have the tools and knowledge, you should have this maintenance done by a skilled mechanic.
1. Slide the heater temperaturecontrol lever to maximum heat.Open the hood. Make sure the
engine and radiator are cool to the
touch.
2. Remove the radiator cap.
3. Loosen the drain plug on the

bottom of the radiator. The
coolant will drain through the
splash guard. Remove the drain

bolt and washer from the engine

block.

Maintenance DRAIN BOLT
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Cooling System

4. Remove the reserve tank from its holder by pulling it straight up.
Drain the coolant, then put the
tank back in its holder.
5. When the coolant stops draining, tighten the drain plug in the
bottom of the radiator. Put a new
washer on the drain bolt, thenreinstall the drain bolt in the
engine block. Tighten it securely. Tightening torque:
61 lbf.ft (8.5 kgf.m,83 N.m)

6. Mix the recommended antifreeze
with an equal amount of purifiedor distilled water in a clean
container. The cooling system
capacity is:

1.66 US gal (6.3 ,1.39 Imp gal)

7. Pour coolant into the radiator up to the base of the filler neck. 8. Loosen the bleeder bolt on top of
the engine. Tighten it again whencoolant comes out in a steady
stream with no bubbles.
9. Refill the radiator to the base of the filler neck. Put the cap on theradiator, and tighten it only to the
first stop. Start the engine and let it run until it warms up (the
radiator cooling fan comes on at
least twice).
Maintenance
CONTINUED

RESERVE TANK

RESERVE

TANK CAP

HOLDER
FILLER NECK
Fill up to here BLEEDER BOLT


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Cooling System, Windshield Washers

10.Turn off the engine. Check the level in the radiator, add coolant if
needed. Install the radiator cap,
and tighten it fully.
11.Fill the reserve tank to the MAX mark. Install the reserve tank cap. Windshield Washers

Check the level in the windshield
washer reservoir at least monthly during normal usage. In bad weather,
when you use the washers often, check the level every time you stop

for fuel.

The windshield washer reservoir is located behind the driver's side
headlight. Check the reservoir's fluid
level by removing the cap and
looking at the level gauge attached

to the
cap.
Fill the reservoir with a good-quality
windshield washer fluid. This increases the cleaning capability and
prevents freezing in cold weather.
Do not use engine antifreeze or a vinegar/water solution in the wind-
shield washer reservoir.
Antifreeze can damage your car's paint,
while a vinegar/water solution can
damage the windshield washer pump.
Use only commercially-available
windshield washer fluid.

Maintenance
RESERVE TANK
LEVEL GAUGE
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Air Conditioning System

Your car's air conditioning is a sealed system. Any major maintenance,
such as recharging, should be done
by a qualified technician. You can do a couple of things to make sure the
air conditioning works efficiently.
Periodically check the engine's
radiator and air conditioning
condenser for leaves, insects, and dirt 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.
Run the air conditioning at least once
a week during the cold weather
months. Run it for at least ten
minutes 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 the
system with Refrigerant HFC-134a (R-134a). (See Specifications on page 220.)

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

AIR CONDITIONING
CONDENSER

NOTICE
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