belt HONDA ODYSSEY 1998 Owner's Guide

Protecting Children

If the shoulder part of the belt rests
over the child's collarbone and
against the center of the chest, as
shown above, the child is large
enough to wear the seat belt.
However, if the belt touches or
crosses the child's neck, the child
needs to use a booster seat. Do not let a child wear a seat belt
across their neck. This could result
in serious neck injuries during a

crash.

Do not let a child put the shoulder
part of a seat belt behind their back or under their arm. This could cause
very serious injuries during a crash. It also increases the chance of a
child sliding under the belt and being
injured in a crash.

Do not put any accessories on a seat
belt. Devices intended to improve
occupant comfort, or reposition the
shoulder part of a seat belt, severely
compromise the protective capability
of seat belts and increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.

Two children should never use the

same seat belt. If they do, they could
be very seriously injured in a crash.
Using a Booster Seat

If a child needs a booster seat, we
recommend choosing a style that allows the child to use the lap/
shoulder belt directly, without a
shield, as shown above.
Whichever style you select, follow the booster seat maker's instructions.

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Protecting Children

A child may continue using a booster seat until the tops of their ears are
even with the top of the seat-back.
When a child reaches this height, they should be tall enough to use the
lap/shoulder belt without a booster. When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport Canada recommends that all
children ages 12 and under ride in a
back seat, properly restrained.
A back seat is the safest place for a child of any age or size.
In addition, the passenger's airbag
poses serious risks to children. If the seat is too far forward, or the child's
head is thrown forward during a
collision, or the child is unrestrained or out of position, an inflating airbag
can kill or seriously injure the child.
Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can safely ride in the front, there are other important
factors you should consider. Physical Size
Physically, a child must be large
enough for the lap/shoulder belt to
properly fit over their hips, chest, and shoulder (see pages 13 and 35).
If the seat belt does not fit properly,
the child should not sit in the front.

Maturity

To safely ride in front, a child must be able to follow the rules, includingsitting properly and wearing their
seat belt properly throughout a ride.

CONTINUED

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Protecting Children

If you decide that a child can safely
ride up front, be sure to:
Carefully read the owner's manual,
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all safety
information. Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight with
their back against the seat and
their feet on, or near the floor. Check that the child's seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
Closely supervise the child. Even
mature children sometimes need
to be reminded to fasten their seat
belt or sit properly. Using Child Seats with Tethers
Your Honda has several attachment points that allow a tether-style childseat to be installed. Since a tether can provide additional
security, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or available. (Tethers are required in
Canada. U.S. owners may check with
the child seat maker to determine
whether a tether is available for a particular child seat.)
U.S. Models
Two tether attachment points are located on the tailgate sill that allowa tether-style child seat to be
installed on the third seat. Use thedimensions in the illustration to
locate the attachment point you want to use. Cut a 7/8 inch (22 mm)diameter hole.
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Additional Information About Your Seat Belts
Seat Belt System Components

All the seat belts in the 6-passenger model are lap/shoulder belts. In the7-passenger model, the center
position of the bench-type second seat has a lap belt.
The system also includes alight on the instrument
panel to remind you and your
passengers to fasten your belts. If
the driver's seat belt is not fastened
before the ignition is turned ON (II), the light will come on and a beeper
will also sound. The beeper will stop after a few seconds, but the light will
stay on until the driver's seat belt is

fastened.
Lap/Shoulder Belt
This seat belt has a single belt that goes over your shoulder, across your
ches
t and
across your hips.
To fasten the belt, insert the latch plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is

latched.

To unlock the belt, push the red PRESS button on the buckle.Guide the belt across your body to
the door pillar. After exiting the
vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the way and will not get closed in the

door.

All lap/shoulder belts have an emergency locking retractor.
In normal driving, the retractor lets
you move freely in your seat while it
keeps some tension on the belt. During a collision or sudden stop,
the retractor automatically locks the
belt to help restrain your body.
All the lap/shoulder belts except the driver's have an additional locking
mechanism that must be activated to secure a child seat. (See pages 28 and 32 for instructions on how to
secure child seats with this type of
seat belt.)
If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the locking
mechanism will activate. The belt
will retract, but it will not allow a passenger to move freely.
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Additional Information About Your Seat Belts

To deactivate the locking mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt fully retract. To
refasten the belt, pull it out only as
far as needed.
See page 13 for instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly.
Lap Belt
Seven-passenger model only

The lap belt has one manually- adjusted belt that fits across the hips.

To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle markedCENTER, then tug on the belt to
make sure the buckle is latched.
To unlock the belt, push the red PRESS button on the buckle.
See page 14 for how to lengthen the lap belt, and how to properly position
the belt. Seat Belt Maintenance
For safety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out fully and look for
frays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retract easily. Any belt not in good condition
or not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.
Honda provides a lifetime warranty
on seat belts. Honda will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
fails to function properly during normal use.

Please see your Honda WarrantyInformation booklet for details.
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Additional Information About Your Seat Belts

If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
you should have your dealer inspect the belt, and replace it if necessary.
A belt that has been worn during a crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the anchors for damage and replace
them if needed. For information on how to clean your
seat belts, see page 217 .
Driver and Passenger Safety
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly when
needed.

Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
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Additional Information About Your SRS
SRS Components

Your Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) includes: Two frontal airbags. The driver's
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the front
passenger's airbag is stored in the dashboard. Both are marked

"SRS".

Sensors that can detect a severe

frontal collision.
A sophisticated electronic system that continually monitors thesensors, control unit, the airbagactivators, and all related wiring
when the ignition is ON (II). An indicator light on the
instrument panel to alert you to a
possible problem with the system (see page 45). Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle's electrical system is disconnected in a crash. How Your Airbags Work
If you ever have a severe frontal collision, the sensors will detect
rapid deceleration and signal the
control unit to instantly inflate the
airbags.

During a crash, your seat belt helps
restrain your lower body and torso.
Your airbag provides a cushion to help restrain and protect your head
and chest. Since both airbags use the same
sensors, both airbags normally
inflate at the same time. However, it is possible for only one airbag to
inflate.
This can occur when the severity of a collision is at the margin, or
threshold, that determines whether or not the airbags will deploy. Insuch cases, the seat belt will provide
sufficient protection, and the
supplemental protection offered by
the airbag would be minimal.
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Additional Information About Your SRS
If the light comes on or flashes on
and off while you drive.
If you see any of these indications,
your airbags may not deploy when
you need them. See your Honda dealer as soon as possible. SRS Service
Your Supplemental Restraint System is virtually maintenance-free, and
there are no parts you can safely service. However, you must have
your vehicle serviced if:
Your airbags ever inflate. The

airbags and the control unit must
be replaced. Do not try to remove or replace the airbags yourself.
This must be done by a Honda dealer or a knowledgeable body

shop.
The SRS indicator light alerts you

to a problem. Take your vehicle to
an authorized Honda dealer as
soon as possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inflate when you need them. Additional Safety Precautions Do not attempt to deactivate your
airbags. Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection in a severe frontal collision. Do not tamper with SRS
components or wiring for any
reason. Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly causing very serious injury.
See page 115 for further information
and precautions relating to your SRS.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Ignoring the SRS indicator light
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags do not inflate when needed.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
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Indicator Lights
The instrument panel has many indicators to give you important
information about your vehicle.
Lamp Check

These indicator lights come on when you turn the ignition switch ON (II), allowing you to see that they are

working:
SRS Indicator

Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Charging System Indicator
Low Oil Pressure Indicator
Anti-lock Brake System Indicator
Seat Belt Reminder Light

D4 Lamp

Door and Brake Lamp Monitor
Immobilizer System Indicator
If an indicator does not light during
this test, it cannot alert you if that system develops a problem. Have the
dealer check your vehicle for
burned-out bulbs or other problems.
* The U.S. instrument panel is shown. Differences for the Canadian model
are noted in the text.
Instruments and Controls
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR* PARKING BRAKE AND
BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATOR*
IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM INDICATOR HIGH BEAM
INDICATOR SEAT BELT
REMINDERLIGHT
DOOR AND BRAKE
LAMP MONITOR
CHARGING SYSTEM INDICATOR
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM INDICATOR
LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR CRUISE CONTROL INDICATORLOW FUEL
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Indicator Lights

Seat Belt Reminder Light
This indicator lights when you turn the ignition switch ON (II). It is a
reminder to you and your passengers
to protect yourselves by fastening
the seat belts. A beeper also sounds
if you have not fastened your seat

belt.

If you do not fasten your seat belt,
the beeper will stop after a fewseconds but the light stays on until
you do. Both the light and the beeper stay off if you fasten your seat belt
before turning on the ignition.
Malfunction Indicator
Lamp

See page 236.
Low Oil Pressure
Indicator

The engine can be severely damaged
if this light flashes or stays on when

the engine is running. For complete
information, see page 234 .

Charging System
Indicator
If this light comes on when the engine is running, the battery is not
being charged. For complete information, see page 235 .
Supplemental Restraint
System Indicator
This indicator lights when you turn the ignition switch ON (II). If itcomes on at any other time, it
indicates a problem in the supplemental restraint system. For
complete information, see page 45 . Parking Brake
and Brake

System

Indicator
This light has two functions:
1. It lights as a reminder that you have not released the parking
brake. Driving with the parking
brake applied can damage the
brakes and tires.
2. If it remains lit after you release the parking brake, or comes on
while driving, it can indicate a problem in the brake system. Forcomplete information, see page 237.

Instruments and Controls
SRS

BRAKE
U.S.

Canada
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