hood open HONDA ODYSSEY 1997 Owners Manual

Before Driving

Before you begin driving your Honda,
you should know what gasoline to use, and how to check the levels of
important fluids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggage or packages. The information in thissection will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your car,
please read the information in this section first.
Break-in Period.............................. 108

Gasoline.......................................... 108

Oxygenated Fuels...................... 108

Driving in Foreign Countries... 109
Service Station Procedures .......... 110
Filling the Fuel Tank................. 110Opening the Hood..................... 111
Oil Check.................................... 112
Engine Coolant Check.............. 113
Fuel Economy................................ 114 Vehicle Condition...................... 114Driving Habits............................ 114
Accessories..................................... 115 Loading Cargo................................ 116
Before DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Service Station Procedures

1. Shift to Park or Neutral and set the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly. 2. Standing in front of the car, put
your fingers under the front edgeof the hood to the right of center.
Slide your hand to the left until
you feel the hood latch handle. Push this handle up until it
releases the hood. Lift the hood. 3. Pull the support rod out of its clip
and insert the end into the hole on
the left side of the hood.
To close the hood, lift it up slightly to remove the support rod from the
hole. Put the support rod back into
its holding clip. Lower the hood toabout a foot above the fender, then
let it drop.

Before Driving
CONTINUED

Opening the Hood
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE

LATCH


SUPPORT RODProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Engine Oil
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. Changing the Oil and Filter
Always change the oil and filter according to the time and distance (miles/kilometers) recommenda-
tions in the maintenance schedule.
The oil and filter collect contami- nants that can damage your engine if
they are not removed regularly.
Changing the oil and filter requiresspecial 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. 2. Open the hood and remove the
engine oil fill cap. Remove the oildrain bolt and washer from the
bottom of the engine. Drain the oil
into an appropriate container.

Maintenance
WASHER

DRAIN BOLTProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

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
DRAIN PLUGProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Lights

Check the operation of your car's
exterior lights at least once a month.
A burned out bulb can create an unsafe condition by reducing your
car's visibility and the ability tosignal your intentions to other

drivers.

Check the following:
Headlights (low and high beam)
Parking lights
Taillights Brake lightsHigh-mount brake light
Turn signals
Back-up lights
Hazard light function
License plate light
Side marker lights
Daytime running lights (Canadian models)
If you find any bulbs are burned out,
replace them as soon as possible. Refer to the chart on page 221 to
determine what type of replacement
bulb is needed.
Headlight Aiming

The headlights were properly aimed when your car was new. You should check their aim if you regularly carry
heavy items in the cargo area or pull a trailer. Each headlight assembly

has horizontal and vertical adjust-
ment indicators. These are set to
their "0" positions after the head-
lights are aimed at the factory.
To check these settings: 1. Make sure the fuel tank is full. Park the car on level ground.
2. The driver or someone who weighs the same should be sittingin the driver's seat for all checks

and adjustments.
Load your car with the items you

normally carry.
HORIZONTAL ANGLE GAUGE
If you usually pull a trailer, load it as
you would normally and attach it to the car. Push down on the front and

rear bumpers several times to make
sure the car is sitting normally.

3. Open the hood.

4. Check the horizontal angle gauge.
The line on the adjustment screwindicator should line up with the

"0" mark on the gauge.

Maintenance
CONTINUEDProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Lights

Replacing a Headlight Bulb

Your car has halogen headlight bulbs, one on each side. When
replacing a bulb, handle it by its steel
base and protect the glass fromcontact with your skin or hard
objects. If you touch the glass, clean
it with denatured alcohol and a clean

cloth.

Halogen headlight bulbs get very hot
when lit. Oil, perspiration, or a scratch

on the glass can cause the bulb to

overheat and shatter.
1. Open the hood.

If you need to change a bulb on

the passenger's side, remove the
air intake cover (see page 160).

2. Remove the electrical connector from the bulb by squeezing the
connector on both sides to unlock

the tab. Pull the connector straight
off.

3. Remove the rubber weather seal
by pulling on the tab.
4. Unclip the end of the hold-down
wire from its slot. Pivot it out of
the way and remove the bulb.
5. Insert the new bulb into the hole, making sure the tabs are in theirslots. Pivot the hold-down wire
back in place and clip the end into the slot.
6. Install the rubber seal over the back of the headlight assembly.Make sure it is right side up; it is

marked "TOP".

7. Push the electrical connector onto the tabs of the new bulb. Makesure it locks in place.
Turn on the headlights to test the new bulb.
8. (Passenger's side) Reinstall the air intake cover.

Maintenance

NOTICEProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

If Your Engine Won't Start, Jump Starting
The Starter Operates Normally In this case, the starter motor'sspeed sounds normal, or even faster
than 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 211).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Towing on page
215.
Jump Starting
If your car's battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
you should take several precautions.
You cannot start a Honda by pushing or pulling it. To jump start your car, follow these
directions closely:
1. Open the hood and check the physical condition of the battery(see page 164). 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.

If a battery sits in extreme cold, the electrolyte, inside can freeze.
Attempting to jump start with a frozen battery can cause it to rupture.

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.

Taking Care of the Unexpected
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.
NOTICEProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

If Your Engine Overheats
The pointer of your car's tempera- ture gauge should stay in the mid-range under most conditions. It may
go higher if you are driving up a long steep hill on a very hot day. If it
climbs to the red mark, you should

determine the reason.

Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause serious damage to your engine. Your car can overheat for several
reasons, such as lack of coolant or a

mechanical problem. The only

indication may be the temperature

gauge climbing to or above the red mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming from under the hood.

In either case, you should take

immediate action.
1. Safely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.
Turn off the heating and cooling system and all other accessories.
Turn on the hazard warning indicators.
2. If you see steam and/or spray coming from under the hood, turnoff the engine.
3. If you do not see steam or spray, leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If the high heat is due to overloading (climbing a long, steep hill on a
hot day with the A/C running, for example), the engine should start
to cool down almost immediately. If it does, wait until the tempera-
ture gauge comes down to the mid-
point then continue driving.

Taking Care of the Unexpected

NOTICE

Steam and spray from an

overheated engine can

seriously scald you.

Do not open the hood if steam

is coming out.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 215).
7. If you don't find an obvious leak, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page113). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
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 tomaximum. 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 215.)
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 Indicator
This indicator should light when the ignition is ON (II), and go out after
the engine starts. It should never
come on when the engine is running.
If it starts flashing, it indicates that
the oil pressure dropped very low for
a moment, then recovered. If the indicator stays on with the engine
running, it shows that the engine has
lost oil pressure and serious engine
damage is possible. In either case,
you should 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. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
2. Let the car sit for a minute. Open the hood and check the oil level(see page 112). 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 148). 4. Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the lightdoes not go out within ten seconds,
turn off the engine. There is a
mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired before you can
continue driving. (See Towing on page 215.)
Taking Care of the Unexpected
NOTICE

LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATORProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t