tow HONDA ODYSSEY 1998 Owners Manual

1998 Odyssey Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through\
this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.h\
elminc.com.

Contents

Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
............................................................... i
A Few Words About Safety........................................................................\
....................................... ii
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
.................................... 3
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
Instruments and Control s........................................................................\
........................................ 49
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
...................... 93
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................127
What gasoline to use, how to break -in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
......................................................................139
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................159
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take you r vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Car e........................................................................\
..................................................... .213
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your\
vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpecte d........................................................................\
..............................221
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, an d how to handle them.
Technical Informatio n........................................................................\
.............................................245
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................259
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manu als (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................265
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index........................................................................\
.............................................................................. I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

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Protecting Adults

6.Adjust the Steering Wheel
Adjust the steering wheel, if needed, so that the wheel points toward your
chest, not toward your face.
Pointing the steering wheel toward
your face decreases the protective capability of the driver's airbag.
See page 63 for how to adjust the

steering wheel.
7.Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on seat belts, it is
very important that they continue to sit upright, with their bodies well
back in their seats and both feet on
the floor, until the vehicle is parked and the engine is off.
Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches,
lies down, turns sideways, sits
forward, leans forward, or puts one or both feet up, their chance of
injury during a crash is greatly

increased.

In addition, if an occupant is out of
position in the front seat, they can be seriously or fatally injured by
striking interior parts of the vehicle,
or by being struck by an inflating

airbag.
Remember, to get the best
protection from your vehicle's
airbags and other safety features,
you must sit properly and wear your seat belt properly.
Driver and Passenger Safety Sitting improperly or out of
position can result in serious
injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright, well back in
the seat, with your feet on the

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Protecting Children

Installing an Infant Seat With the

Lap Belt

Seven-passenger model only
To install a rear-facing child seat with the lap belt, follow instructionnumber 1 on page 28 for routing and
latching the seat belt. Then pull hard
on the loose end of the belt to
remove any slack (it may help to put
weight on the child seat while pulling on the belt). Finally, follow
instruction number 5 of page 29 to
verify that the child seat is secure. Infant Seat Installation Tips
For proper protection, an infant must ride in a reclined, or semi-reclined
position. To determine the proper
reclining angle, check with the baby's doctor or follow the seat maker's
recommendations.
To achieve the desired reclining angle, it may help to put a rolled up
towel under the toe of the child seat,
as shown above. When properly installed a rear-facing
child seat may prevent the driver or
a front-seat passenger from moving
their seat as far back as
recommended (see page 10 ). Or it
may prevent them from locking theirseat-back in the desired upright
position (see page 11).
In either case, we recommend that
you place the child seat in another
back seating position, or leave the affected seat unoccupied. If the
problem cannot be solved, you may
wish to get a smaller rear-facing child seat.
Driver and Passenger SafetyProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Controls Near the Steering Wheel
To adjust the steering wheel upward or downward:
1. Push the lever under the steering column all the way down.
2. Move the steering wheel to the desired position, making sure the
wheel points toward your chest, not toward your face. Make sure
you can see the instrument panel gauges and the indicator lights. 3. Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position.
4. Make sure you have securely locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up and down.

Instruments and ControlsProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Seats

3. Turn the knob on the back of the seat cushion while you pull the
entire seat towards you. Pivot the
seat into the floor recess. To return the seat to the upright
position:
1. Pull the seat out of the recess by pulling on the handle. Pivot theseat forward all the way. 2. Turn the knob on the seat-back
and pull the seat-back upright.
Make sure the seat is securely
locked in place.
3. Reinstall the head restraints.

Instruments and Controls
KNOB
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Service Station Procedures

Check the engine oil level every time you fill the vehicle with fuel. Wait a
few minutes after turning the engineoff before you check the oil.
1. Remove the dipstick (orange
handle).
2. Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel. 3. Insert it all the way back in its tube.

CONTINUED

Before Driving

Oil Check

DIPSTICKProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Carrying Cargo

Your vehicle has several convenientstorage areas so you can stow cargo
safely.
The glove box, and the pockets in the front doors and seat-backs, aredesigned for small, lightweight items.
The cargo area is intended for larger, heavier items. In addition, the backseat can be folded down to allow you
to carry more cargo or longer items.
However, carrying too much cargo,or improperly storing it, can affect
your vehicle's handling, stability and operation and make it unsafe. Before
carrying any type of cargo, be sure to
read the following pages.
Before Driving

POCKET

FRONT DOOR POCKET
DASHBOARD
COMPARTMENT
GLOVE BOX
CENTER POCKET
SEAT-BACK POCKET
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Carrying Cargo

Load Limit

The maximum load for your vehicle is
1,150
lbs
(535 kg).
This figure includes the total weight of all occupants, cargo, accessories,

and the tongue weight if you are
towing a trailer.
To figure out how much cargo you can carry:
Add up the weight of all occupants. If you are towing a trailer, add the
tongue weight to the number

above.

Subtract the total from 1,150 Ibs
(535
kg).

The final number is the total weight
of cargo you can carry.
Carrying Items in the Passenger
Compartment
Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurtsomeone during a crash. Be sure items placed on the floor
behind the front seats cannot roll under the seats and interfere with
the driver's ability to operate the
pedals, or with the proper operation of the seats. Keep the glove box closed while
driving. If the lid is open, a
passenger could injure their knees during a crash or sudden stop.
Before Driving
Overloading or improper
loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in
which you can be hurt or killed.
Follow all load limits and other
loading guidelines in this

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Driving

This section gives you tips on starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important information on
parking your vehicle and the braking system, and facts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer. Preparing to Drive......................... 140
Starting the Engine........................ 141
Starting in Cold Weatherat High Altitude ..................... 141
Automatic Transmission............... 142 Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 142
Shift Lever Positions................. 142
Maximum Allowable Speeds.... 145
Shift Lock Release..................... 145
Parking............................................ 146
The Braking System...................... 147 Brake Wear Indicators.............. 147
Brake System Design................ 147
Anti-lock Brakes........................ 148 Important SafetyReminders.......................... 149
ABS Indicator......................... 149
Driving in Bad Weather................ 150
Towing a Trailer............................ 152

DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Automatic Transmission

Park (P) — This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning off or starting the engine. To shift out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your foot off the accelerator pedal. Pull the shift lever
towards you, then move it out of Park.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on page
123.

You must also pull the shift lever towards you to shift into Park. Toavoid transmission damage, come to
a complete stop before shifting into
Park. The shift lever must be in Park
before you can remove the key from
the ignition switch. Reverse (R) — To shift to Reverse
from Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shift to Reverse from
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Pull the shift lever
towards you before shifting into Reverse from Neutral.
CONTINUED
DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t