HONDA ODYSSEY 1999 Owners Manual

Driving in Bad Weather

Rain, fog, and snow conditions re-quire a different driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your vehicle well- maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control should not be used in these condi-

tions.
Driving Technique — Always drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your vehicle longer to react, even in conditions that mayseem just barely damp. Applysmooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss of control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious for the first few miles (kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in snow. A person can forget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills.
Exercise extra caution when driving
in rain after a long dry spell. After
months of dry weather, the first
rains bring oil to the surface of the
roadway, making it slippery. Visibility — Being able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important in all weather conditions. This ismore 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 defroster and air conditioning to keep the windows
from fogging up on the inside (see
pages 135 and 144 ).

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Driving in Bad Weather

Traction — Check your tires frequently for wear and properpressure. 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 tomoment. 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 Odyssey has been designed totow a trailer, as well as for carrying
passengers and their cargo.
To safely tow a trailer, you must observe the load limits, use the
proper equipment, and follow the
guidelines in this section.
Load Limits Total Trailer Weight: As shownin the load limits table, how much
weight you can tow is limited by the number of occupants in your
vehicle and whether or not you
have installed a transmission fluid cooler. (See page 214 for
information about transmission
fluid coolers.) Towing a load that is too heavy can seriously affect
your vehicle's handling and
performance. It can also damage
the engine and drivetrain.
*
Including driver. Based on 150 Ibs (70 kg) per occupant, and no cargo\
.
*
*
Weight limited to avoid exceeding rear GAWR (see page 213).

Tongue Load: The weight that
the tongue of a fully loaded trailer
puts on the hitch should be
approximately 10 percent of the
trailer weight. Too little tongue load can make the trailer unstable
and cause it to sway. Too much
tongue load reduces front-tire
traction and steering control. To achieve a proper tongue load,
start by loading 60 percent of the
load toward the front of the trailer
and 40 percent toward the rear, then
readjust the load as needed.

Driving
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Towing a Trailer

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating

(GVWR):

The total weight of the vehicle, all occupants, all cargo, and the
tongue load must not exceed: 5,565 Ibs (2,525 kg)

Gross Axle Weight Rating

(GAWR):

The total weight of the vehicle, all occupants, all cargo, and the
tongue load must not exceed:
2,775 Ibs (1,260 kg)
on the front axle
2,840 Ibs (1,290 kg)
on the rear axle
Gross Combined Weight Rating

(GCWR):

The total weight of the vehicle, all occupants and cargo, and the
trailer and everything in or on it,
must not exceed:
8,160 Ibs (3,700 kg)
with transmission fluid cooler
6,660 Ibs (3,025 kg) without transmission fluid cooler
Checking Loads

The best way to confirm that vehicle and trailer weights are within limitsis to have them checked at a public
scale.

Using a suitable scale or a special
tongue load gauge, check the tongue
load the first time you set up a
towing combination (a fully-loaded
vehicle and trailer), then recheck the tongue load whenever the conditions
change.

Driving

Exceeding load limits or
improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously injured or killed.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully before starting to drive.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Towing a Trailer

Towing Equipment and

Accessories

Towing can require a variety of equipment, depending on the size of
your trailer, how it will be used, and how much load you are towing.
Discuss your needs with your trailersales or rental agency, and follow the
guidelines in the rest of this section.
Also make sure that all equipment is properly installed and that it meets
federal, state, province, and local
regulations.

Hitches

Any hitch used on your vehicle must
be properly bolted to the underbody, using the six threaded holes
provided. A hitch designed especially
for your Odyssey can be obtained
from your Honda dealer.
Weight Distributing Hitch

If the total trailer weight is more
than 2,000 Ibs (900 kg), you must also use a weight distributing hitch.
This device transfers weight from the vehicle's rear wheels to the front
wheels, and to the trailer's wheels. Carefully follow the hitch maker's
instructions for proper installation
and adjustment.
Safety Chain
Always use a safety chain. Make sure that it is secured to both the
trailer and hitch, and that it crosses under the tongue so it can catch the
trailer if it becomes unhitched.
Leave enough slack to allow the
trailer to turn corners easily, but do not let the chain drag on the ground. Sway Control
If the total trailer weight exceeds 2,000 Ibs (900 kg), you should install
a sway control device to minimize
swaying that can occur in crosswinds
and in normal and emergency
driving maneuvers. Your trailer
maker can tell you what kind of sway
control you need and how to install it.
Transmission Fluid Cooler
If the total trailer weight is more
than 2,000 Ibs (900 kg), you must
also have a transmission fluid cooler
installed. This device will help
prevent transmission overheating,
which could cause serious damage.
A transmission fluid cooler designed for your Odyssey can be obtainedfrom your Honda dealer.

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Towing a Trailer

Trailer Brakes

Honda recommends that any trailer
having a total weight of 1,000 Ibs (450 kg) or more be equipped with
its own electric or surge-type brakes.
If you choose electric brakes, be
sure they are electronically actuated.
Do not attempt to tap into your
vehicle's hydraulic system. No matter how successful it may seem,
any attempt to attach trailer brakes
to your vehicle's hydraulic system
will lower braking effectiveness and create a potential hazard.

Your vehicle has a trailer lighting
connector located behind the left
side panel in the cargo area. Refer to
the drawing above for the wiring color code and purpose of each pin.
To use the trailer lighting connector, you will need a wiring harness and converter. This comes with the
Honda hitch (see page 214), or it
may be obtained separately from
your dealer. If you use a non-Honda trailer
lighting harness and converter, you can get the connector and pins that
mate with the connector in your
vehicle from your Honda dealer.
Since lighting and wiring vary with
trailer type and brand, you shouldalso have a qualified technician
install a suitable connector between
the vehicle and the trailer.

Driving
CONTINUED

Trailer Lights

GROUND
(BLACK)
BACK-UP LIGHT

(GREEN/BLACK)
LEFT TURN SIGNAL
(GREEN/BLUE)

TAILLIGHT
(RED/BLACK)

BRAKE LIGHT

(WHITE/BLACK)

RIGHT TURN SIGNAL
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Towing a Trailer

Spare Vehicle Tire
When towing a trailer, you should carry a full-size wheel and tire as aspare in case you have a flat. If you
use the compact spare tire that came
with the vehicle, it may adversely affect vehicle handling. See page 317 for information on proper tire
size, and page 293 for information on
how to store a full-size tire. When storing a full-size spare tire in the
trailer, follow the trailer maker's
instructions.

Additional Trailer equipment
Many states and provinces require
special outside mirrors when towing
a trailer. Even if they don't, you should install special mirrors if you
cannot clearly see behind you, or if
the trailer creates a blind spot.
Ask your trailer sales or rental agency if any other items are
recommended or required for your
towing situation. Pre-Tow Checklist
When preparing to tow, and before driving away, be sure to check the
following:
The vehicle has been properlyserviced, and the tires, brakes,
suspension, and cooling system
are in good operating condition.
All weights and loads are within limits (see pages 212 and 213).
The hitch, safety chain, and any other attachments are secure.
All items on and in the trailer are properly secured and cannot shift
while you drive.
The lights and brakes on your vehicle and the trailer are workingproperly. Your vehicle tires and spare are
properly inflated (see page 317),and the trailer tires and spare are
inflated as recommended by the
trailer maker.
You may want to fill the fuel tank with premium fuel. Premium fuelprovides improved performance.

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Towing a Trailer

Driving Safely With a Trailer
The added weight, length, and height of a trailer will affect your
vehicle's handling and performance, so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and

techniques.

For your safety and the safety of
others, take time to practice driving
maneuvers before heading for the
open road, and follow the guidelines
discussed below.
Towing Speeds and Gears
Driving slower than normal in all driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits for vehicles with trailers.
Use the D 4
position when towing
a trailer on level roads. D 3
is the
proper shift lever position to use when towing a trailer in hilly terrain.
(See "Driving on Hills" in the next

column for additional gear
information.)
Making Turns and Braking

Make turns more slowly and wider
than normal. The trailer tracks a smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
can hit or run over something the
vehicle misses. Allow more time and distance for braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknife or turn over.

Driving on Hills

When climbing hills, closely watch your temperature gauge. If it nearsthe red mark, turn the air
conditioning off, reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool. Do notdrive over 45 mph (72 km/h) on a
long uphill stretch.
If the transmission shifts frequently
between 3rd and 4th gears while
going up a hill, shift to D 3
. If you must stop when facing uphill,
use the foot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
place by pressing on the accelerator,
as this can cause the transmission to

overheat.

When driving down hills, reduce your speed and shift down to 2ndgear. Do not "ride" the brakes, and
remember it will take longer to slowdown and stop when towing a trailer.

CONTINUED

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Towing a Trailer

Handling Crosswinds and Buffeting

Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause trailer swaying. When being passed by a
large vehicle, keep a constant speed and steer straight ahead. Do not try
to make quick steering or braking corrections.

Backing Up

Always drive slowly and have someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the bottom of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the left to get the trailer to move to the left,
and turn the wheel right to move the
trailer to the right.
Parking

Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including putting the
transmission in Park and firmly setting the parking brake. Also, place
wheel chocks at each of the trailer's
tires.

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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 333 for information on how toobtain a copy, or see your Honda
dealer.
Maintenance Safety.......................
220

Important Safet
y
Precautions ..

221

Maintenance Schedule.................
.
222

Required Maintenance Record.... 229
Owner Maintenance Checks........ 231

Fluid Locations............................... 232

Engine Oil....................................... 233
Adding Oil................................... 233
Recommended Oil..................... 233
Synthetic Oil............................... 234

Additives..................................... 235
Changing the Oil and Filter...... 235

Cooling System.............................. 237
Adding Engine Coolant............. 237Replacing Engine Coolant........ 239

Windshield Washers..................... 242
Automatic Transmission Fluid..... 243
Brake Fluid..................................... 244
Brake System............................. 244

Power Steering............................... 245

Air Cleaner Element...................... 246
Hood Latch..................................... 248

Spark Plugs..................................... 248
Replacement............................... 248
Specifications............................. 250

Battery............................................ 251
Wiper Blades.................................. 253
Air Conditioning System............... 255

Air Conditioning Filter.................. 256

Drive Belts...................................... 256

Timing Belt..................................... 257

Tires................................................ 257 Inflation....................................... 257
Inspection................................... 259Maintenance............................... 260
Tire Rotation.............................. 260
Replacing Tires and Wheels.... 261

Wheels and Tires....................... 262 Winter Driving........................... 262
Snow Tires.............................. 263

Tire Chains............................. 263

Lights..............................................264
Headlight Aiming...................... 266
Replacing Bulbs......................... 266

Storing Your Vehicle..................... 275

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