lights HONDA ODYSSEY 1998 Owner's Manual

Parking

Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. The indicator on the instrument panel shows that
the parking brake is not fully
released; it does not indicate that the
parking brake is firmly set. Make sure the parking brake is set firmly
or your vehicle may roll if it is
parked on an incline.
Set the parking brake before you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the vehicle from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission — making it
easier to move the shift lever out of
Park when you want to drive away. If the vehicle is facing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the curb.
If the vehicle is facing downhill, turn
the front wheels toward the curb.
Make sure the parking brake is fully
released before driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes. Parking Tips Make sure the sunroof and the
windows are closed. Turn off the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the cargo area or take them
with you. Lock the doors with the key or the
remote transmitter.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other flammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on

fire.

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The Braking System

Your Honda is equipped with disc brakes at all four wheels. A powerassist helps reduce the effort needed
on the brake pedal.
Put your foot on the brake pedal only
when you intend to brake. Resting
your foot on the pedal keeps the
brakes applied lightly, causing them
to build up heat. Heat build-up can
reduce how well your brakes work. It also keeps your brake lights on all
the time, confusing drivers behind

you.

Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds
up heat and reduces their effective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by downshifting to a lower
gear and taking your foot off the accelerator pedal. Check your brakes after driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they feel normal. If not, apply them gently and
frequently until they do. Since a
longer distance is needed to stop
with wet brakes, be extra cautious and alert in your driving.
Brake Wear Indicators
All four brakes have audible brake wear indicators.
When the brake pads need replacing,
you will hear a distinctive metallic "screeching" sound when you apply
the brakes. If you do not have the
brake pads replaced, they will beginscreeching all the time.
Your brakes may sometimes squeal or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not confuse this with the
brake wear indicators. They make a
very audible "screeching." Brake System Design
The hydraulic system that operates the brakes has two separate circuits.Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (the left-front brake is
connected with the right-rear brake,etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking at two wheels.

Driving

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Driving in Bad Weather

Visibility — Being able to see clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important in all weather conditions. This is
more difficult in bad weather. To beseen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers frequently. Keep the wind- shield washer reservoir full of the
proper fluid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the defrosters and air
conditioning to keep the windows
from fogging up on the inside (see

page 99).
Traction — Check your tires
frequently for wear and proper
pressure. Both are important in
preventing "hydroplaning" (loss of
traction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all four
wheels for the best handling.
Watch road conditions carefully, they can change from moment to
moment. Wet leaves can be as slip-
pery as ice. "Clear" roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditionscan be very hazardous when the
outside temperature is near freezing.
The road surface can become covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be careful when downshifting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the drive wheels for a moment and cause
a skid. Be very cautious when passing, or
being passed by other vehicles. The spray from large vehicles reduces
your visibility, and the wind buffeting can cause you to lose control.
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Towing a Trailer

Your vehicle has a trailer lighting connector. To use the connector,
remove the left rear light cover.
Refer to the drawing above for the
wiring color code and purpose of
each connector pin.
Since the lighting and wiring can be
different for various brands of
trailers, have a technician who is
familiar with your trailer modify its
lighting plug. A converter may be required between the vehicle and
trailer for the lights to work correctly. Before Starting Out
As you are preparing to tow your
trailer, do the following: Measure the trailer's tongue load.
You can do this with a bathroom
scale.
Verify that the hitch and safety
chain are securely fastened. Check the condition and air
pressure of all tires on the trailer and your vehicle. Low tire
pressure can seriously affect the
handling. Also check the spare tire. With everything loaded and the
trailer connected, check that therear of the vehicle is not sagging.
If so, redistribute the load in the
vehicle. Check that all lights on the vehicle
and trailer are working properly.
Driving

GROUND
(BLACK)
BACK-UP LIGHT
(GREEN/BLACK)
LEFT TURN SIGNAL
(GREEN/BLUE)

RIGHT TURN SIGNAL
(GREEN/YELLOW)
BRAKE LIGHT

(GREEN/WHITE)
TAILLIGHT
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Maintenance

This section explains why it is important to keep your vehicle 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 to obtain a copy, or see your Honda

dealer.
Maintenance Safety....................... 160
Important Safety Precautions.. 161
Maintenance Schedule.................. 162
Required Maintenance Record.... 169 Owner Maintenance Checks........ 171
Fluid Locations............................... 172

Engine Oil....................................... 173 Adding Oil................................... 173Recommended Oil..................... 173
Synthetic Oil............................... 174

Additives..................................... 175
Changing the Oil and Filter...... 175

Cooling System.............................. 177
Adding Engine Coolant............. 177Replacing Engine Coolant........ 179
Windshield Washers..................... 181
Automatic Transmission Fluid..... 182
Brake Fluid..................................... 183
Brake System............................. 183

Power Steering............................... 184
Air Cleaner Element...................... 185 Spark Plugs..................................... 187
Replacement............................... 187
Specifications............................. 188
Battery............................................ 189
Wiper Blades.................................. 191 Air Conditioning System............... 194
Drive Belts...................................... 195
Timing Belt..................................... 195
Tires................................................ 196 Inflation....................................... 196
Inspection................................... 198
Maintenance............................... 198
Tire Rotation.............................. 199
Replacing Tires and Wheels .... 199
Wheels and Tires....................... 200
Winter Driving........................... 200
Snow Tires.............................. 201
Tire Chains............................. 201
Lights.............................................. 202 Headlight Aiming...................... 204
Replacing Bulbs......................... 206
Storing Your Vehicle..................... 211
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Owner Maintenance 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 131.
Engine coolant level — Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
you fill the fuel tank. See page 132.
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 181.
Automatic transmission — Check the fluid level monthly. See page
182.
Brakes — Check the fluid level
monthly. See page 183. Tires — Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread for
wear and foreign objects. See page 196. 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 202.
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Lights

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

Maintenance
HEADLIGHT

TURN SIGNAL/
SIDE MARKER/PARKING LIGHTSProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Lights
Check the following:
Headlights (low and high beam)
Parking lights
Taillights Brake lights
High-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 249 to determine what type of replacement
bulb is needed.

Maintenance

STOP/TAILLIGHTS/

BACK-UP/TURN SIGNAL/

SIDE MARKER LIGHTS
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Lights

Headlight Aiming
The headlights were properly aimed when your vehicle was new. You should check their aim if you
regularly carry heavy items in the
trunk or pull a trailer. Each headlight assembly has horizontal and vertical
adjustment indicators. These are set
to their "0" positions after the
headlights are aimed at the factory. To check these settings:
1. Make sure the fuel tank is full. Park the vehicle on level ground.
2. The driver or someone who weighs the same should be sittingin the driver's seat for all checksand adjustments.Load your vehicle 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 vehicle. Push down on the front
and rear bumpers several times to
make sure the vehicle is sittingnormally.
3. Open the hood.
4. Check the horizontal angle gauge. The line on the adjustment screw
indicator should line up with the
"0" mark on the gauge.
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Lights
VERTICAL ANGLE GAUGE
5. Check the vertical angle gauge. The bubble should be centered
underneath the longest scribe
mark on the gauge. HORIZONTAL ADJUSTMENT
6. If either indicator is not aligned with its "0" mark as described, an
adjustment can be made using a
Phillips-head screwdriver to
realign it with the "0" mark. Please
refer to the illustrations. VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT
7. If you cannot get an indicator to align, have your Honda dealer
inspect the vehicle for body damage or suspension problems.
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