air conditioning HONDA ODYSSEY 1998 Owners Manual

Comfort and Convenience Features

The heating and air conditioning systems in your Honda provide a
comfortable driving environment in all weather conditions.
The standard audio system has
many features. This section de-
scribes those features and how to
use them. (If you selected an optional audio system, refer to the
operating instructions that came
with it.)
Some models have an anti-theft
audio system that requires a code
number to enable it.
Heating and Cooling........................ 94
What Each Control Does............ 94How to Use the System............... 96

To Turn Everything Off........... 101
Rear A/C Unit............................ 102
Audio System (U.S. LX and

Canadian EX)......................... 103

Operating the Radio.................. 104
Adjusting the Sound.................. 106
Audio System Lighting............. 106
Radio Frequencies and Reception................................ 106
Operating the Cassette Player...................................... 107
Tape Search Functions............. 108 Caring for Cassettes.................. 109
Operating the Optional CD Player/Changer..................... 110
Audio System (U.S. EX)................ 112 Operating the Radio.................. 113
Adjusting the Sound.................. 116 Radio Frequencies..................... 117
Radio Reception......................... 117
Operating the Cassette Player...................................... 119
Tape Search Functions............. 120 Caring for the Cassette
Player...................................... 121
Operating the Optional CD Player/Changer..................... 122
Protecting Compact Discs........ 124 CD Changer Error

Indications.............................. 125

Theft Protection........................ 126
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Heating and Cooling

Proper use of the Heating and

Cooling system can make the

interior dry and comfortable, and

keep the windows clear for best

visibility.

What Each Control Does Fan Control Lever
Sliding this lever to the right
increases the fan's speed, which
increases air flow.
Temperature Control Lever
Sliding this lever to the right
increases the temperature of the air

flow.

Air Conditioning (A/C) Button This button turns the air condi-tioning ON and OFF. The indicator
in the button lights when the A/C is
on.
Fresh Air and Recirculation
Buttons
These two buttons control the source of air going into the system. In Fresh Air mode air
comes from outside the car. In
Recirculation mode the
interior air recycles through the
system.

Comfort and Convenience Features MODE BUTTONS

RECIRCULATION

BUTTON FRESH AIR BUTTON
TEMPERATURE CONTROL LEVER FAN CONTROL

LEVER
AIR CONDITIONING
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Heating and Cooling

Vent Controls
You can adjust the direction of the air coming from the dashboard vents
by moving the tab in the center of
each vent up-and-down and side-to-

side.
CORNER VENT
The vents in the corners of the dashboard can be opened and closed
with the dials next to them. How to Use the System
This section covers how to set up the system controls for ventilation,
heating, cooling, dehumidifying, and defrosting.
The engine must be running for the heater and air conditioning to
generate hot and cold air. The heateruses engine coolant to warm the air.
If the engine is cold, it will be several
minutes before you feel warm air
coming from the system.
The air conditioning does not rely on engine temperature.
Comfort and Convenience Features
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Heating and Cooling

It is best to leave the system in mode under almost all
conditions. Keeping the system in mode, particularly with the
A/C off, can cause the windows to fog up. Switch to mode when
you are driving through smoky or dusty conditions, then switch back to mode when the condition

clears.

The outside air intakes for the heating and cooling system are at
the base of the windshield. Keep
these clear of leaves and other
debris.
Ventilation
The flow-through ventilation system draws in outside air, circulates it
through the interior, then exhausts it
through vents near the rear side

panels.
1. Slide the temperature control lever
all the way to the left.
Make sure the A/C is off. 2. Select and
3. Set the fan to the desired speed.

CONTINUED

Comfort and Convenience Features

MODE BUTTONS

RECIRCULATION

BUTTON
FRESH AIR BUTTON
TEMPERATURE CONTROL LEVER FAN CONTROL

LEVER
AIR CONDITIONING

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Heating and Cooling

To Cool with A/C
1. Turn on the A/C by pressing the button. The light in the button
should come on.
2. Make sure the temperature control lever is all the way to the
left.
3. Select and Fresh Air mode.

4. If the outside air is humid, select

Recirculation mode. If the outside

air is dry, select Fresh Air mode.

5. Set the fan to the desired speed.
If the interior is very warm from
being parked in the sun, you can cool it down more rapidly by setting up
the controls this way:
1. Start the engine.
2. Turn on the A/C by pressing the button. Make sure the tempera-
ture control lever is all the way to
the left.
3. Set the fan to maximum speed.
4. Open the windows partially. Select
and
When the interior has cooled down
to a more comfortable temperature,close the windows and set the
controls as described for normal

cooling.
Air conditioning places an extra load
on the engine. Watch the engine
coolant temperature gauge (see page 56) when driving in stop-and-go
traffic or climbing a long, steep hill. If it moves near the red zone, turn
off the A/C until the gauge reads
normally.
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

To Heat

To warm the interior:
1. Start the engine. 2. Select and
3. Set the fan to the desired speed.
4. Adjust the warmth of the air with the temperature control lever.
To Heat and Dehumidify with Air
Conditioning

Air conditioning, as it cools, removes moisture from the air. When used incombination with the heater, it
makes the interior warm and dry.
1. Switch the fan on.
2. Turn on the air conditioning. 3. Select and
4. Adjust the temperature control
lever so the mixture of heated and
cooled air feels comfortable.
This setting is suitable for all driving conditions whenever the outside
temperature is above 32°F (0°C).
To Defog and Defrost

To remove fog from the inside of the windows:
1. Switch the fan on.
2. Turn on the air conditioning. 3. Select and
4. Adjust the temperature control
lever so the airflow from the
defroster vents feels warm.
5. Turn on the rear window defogger to help clear the rear window.
CONTINUED
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Heating and Cooling

To remove exterior frost or ice from the windshield and side windowsafter the vehicle 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

BUTTON FRESH 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 window defroster 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
completely 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 BUATTONS

RECIRCULATION BUTTON

FRESH AIR
BUTTON

TEMPERATURE CONTROL LEVER
FAN CONTROL

LEVER
AIR CONDITIONING
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Fuel Economy

The condition of your vehicle and
your driving habits are the two most important things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Vehicle Condition Always maintain your vehicle accord- ing to the maintenance schedule.
This will keep it in top operating condition.
An important part of that mainte- nance is the Owner Maintenance
Checks (see page 146). For
example, an underinflated tire
causes more "rolling resistance,"
which uses fuel. It also wears out faster, so check the tire pressure at
least monthly.
In winter, the build-up of snow on
your vehicle's underside adds weight and rolling resistance. Frequent
cleaning helps your fuel mileage and
reduces the chance of corrosion. Driving Habits
You can improve fuel economy by driving moderately. Rapid acceler-
ation, abrupt cornering, and hard
braking use more fuel.
Always drive in the highest gear that allows the engine to run and acceler-
ate smoothly.
Depending on traffic conditions, try
to maintain a constant speed. Every
time you slow down and speed up,
your vehicle uses extra fuel. Use the cruise control, when appropriate, to
increase fuel economy. A cold engine uses more fuel than a
warm engine. It is not necessary to"warm-up" a cold engine by letting it
idle for a long time. You can drive away in about a minute, no matter
how cold it is outside. The engine
will warm up faster, and you get
better fuel economy. To cut clown on the number of "cold starts," try tocombine several short trips into one.
The air conditioning puts an extra load on the engine which makes it
use more fuel. Turn off the A/C tocut down on air conditioning use.
Use the flow-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is moderate.

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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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