HONDA ODYSSEY 2000 RA6-RA9 / 2.G Owners Manual

Automatic Transmissio n
4. Insert the key in the Shift Lock
Release slot.
5. Push down on the key while you pull the shift lever towards youand move it out of Park to Neutral. 6. Remove the key from the Shift
Lock Release slot, then install a
new cover. Depress the brake
pedal and restart the engine.
If you need to use the Shift Lock
Release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by your Honda dealer.
Drivin g
SHIFT LOC K RELEAS E SLO T COVE R

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. Makesure 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 mechanismin 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. Parkin
g Tip s
Make sure 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.
Drivin g

The Brakin g Syste m
Your Honda is equipped with front
disc brakes. The brakes on the rear
wheels are drum. A power assist helps reduce the effort needed on
the brake pedal. The ABS helps you
retain steering control when braking
very hard.
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 canreduce 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. Brak
e Wea r Indicator s
The front disc brakes on all vehicles 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 begin screeching 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."
Drivin g

The Brakin g Syste m
Brake Syste m Desig n
The hydraulic system that operates the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (the left-front brake isconnected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking
at two wheels.Anti-loc k Brake s
Your vehicle has an Anti-lock Brake
System (ABS) as standard
equipment. ABS helps to prevent the
wheels from locking up and skidding during hard braking, allowing you to
retain steering control.
When the front tires skid, you lose steering control; the vehicle
continues straight ahead even
though you turn the steering wheel.
The ABS helps to prevent lock-up and helps you retain steering control
by pumping the brakes rapidly; much
faster than a person can do it.
The ABS also balances the front-to rear braking distribution according
to vehicle loading. Yo
u shoul d neve r pum p th e
brak e pedal , this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work for you by always keeping firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes referred to as
"stomp and steer."
You will feel a pulsation in the brake pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is normal, it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of traction your tires have. On drypavement, you will need to press on
the brake pedal very hard before youactivate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
Drivin g
CONTINUED
Front

The Brakin g Syste m
Important Safety Reminders
ABS doe s no t reduc e th e tim e o r
distanc e i t take s t o sto p th e
vehicle , it only helps with steering
control during braking. You should always maintain a safe following
distance from other vehicles.
AB S wil l no t preven t a ski d tha t
result s fro m changin g directio n
abruptly , such as trying to take a
corner too fast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed for the road and
weather conditions.
AB S canno t preven t a los s o f
stability . Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your vehicle to veer
into oncoming traffic or off the road. A
vehicl e wit h AB S ma y requir e a
longe r distanc e t o sto p on loose or
uneven surfaces, such as gravel or snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater distance between vehicles under
those conditions. ABS Indicator
The ABS is self-checking. If anything goes wrong, the ABS indicator on
the instrument panel comes on (see
page 59). This means the anti-lock
function of the braking system has shut down. The brakes still work like
a conventional system without anti-
lock, providing normal stopping
ability. You should have the dealer
inspect your vehicle as soon as
possible.
Drivin g
ABS INDICATOR *
* U.S . indicato r show n

The Brakin g System , Tractio n Contro l Syste m
If the ABS indicator and the brake
system indicator come on together,
and the parking brake is fully
released, the front-to-rear braking
distribution system may also shut
down.
Test your brakes as instructed on page 310. If the brakes feel normal,drive slowly and have your vehicle
repaired by your dealer as soon as
possible. Avoid sudden hard braking
which could cause the rear wheels to lock up and possibly lead to a loss of
control.
On EX model
The TCS indicator will come on
along with the ABS indicator. Tractio
n Contro l Syste m
On EX model
Your Honda is equipped with a
Traction Control System (TCS) to assist you in maintaining traction
while driving slowly on loose or
slippery surfaces. The TCS assists
only in low-speed, low-traction
conditions; up to approximately 18
mph (30km/h).
The TCS monitors the speed of all four wheels. When it senses a front
wheel losing traction, it applies
braking to that wheel. The TCS
indicator flashes when this occurs. Driving with TCS requires no special
skills or technique. The TCS does
not control your vehicle's whole
braking system and cannot prevent skidding if you enter a corner too
fast. It is still your responsibility to drive at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety.
Drivin g
CONTINUED
TRACTIO N COTRO L
SYSTE M INDICATO R

Traction Contro l Syste m
When starting out or driving at low
speeds on a loose or slippery road
surface, you may notice that the
vehicle does not respond to the accelerator in the same way it does
at other times. This is a sign the TCS
is activating. You will see the TCS
indicator light flash.
You should still install winter tires on your vehicle during the winter. Makesure to use the same size originally
supplied with vehicle. Exercise the
same caution in winter driving as you
would if your vehicle was not
equipped with TCS.
Driving with the compact spare tire
installed (see page 292) may activate the TCS. You should turn off
the system. If the brakes overheat while the TCS
is activating, the TCS indicator will stop flashing and stay on temporarily.
This indicates that the TCS system has turned off. After the brakes havecooled down (usually for about 10
minutes), the TCS will turn back onand the indicator will turn off.
TCS ON/OFF Switch
This switch is under the side vent. It lets you turn the Traction Control
System on and off. You cannot turnoff the TCS while the TCS indicator
light is flashing.
Deactivate the system by pressing
the TCS On/Off switch. The TCS
indicator light comes on as a
reminder. Pressing the switch again
turns the system back on.
Drivin g TC
S ON/OF F SWITC H

Traction Contro l Syste m
The Traction Control System turns
on every time you start the engine,
even if you turned it off the last time
you drove the vehicle.TCS Indicator
The TCS indicator comes on or flashes under the following condi-tions:
When you turn the ignition switch
to ON (II).
When you manually turn off the
TCS.
It flashes when the TCS is
regulating wheelspin.
If the system's diagnostics senses
a problem in the TCS, the indica-
tor will come on and stay on.
If the brakes overheat, the
indicator will come on.
If the TCS indicator comes on and stays on for more than 10 minutes
while driving, pull to the side of the
road when it is safe and turn off the engine. Reset the system by
restarting the engine, and watch the
TCS indicator. If the indicator remains on, or comes back on whiledriving, have the system inspected
by your Honda dealer. You can still drive the vehicle without TCS.
This indicator will come on along with the ABS indicator if there is aproblem in the anti-lock brakesystem (see ABS Indicato r on page
212).
The TCS indicator may occasionally
come on for one or two seconds and
then go out. This is normal.
Drivin g

Driving in Ba d Weathe r
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.
Drivin g Techniqu e — Always drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your vehicle longer to react, even in conditions that mayseem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, 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. Visibilit
y — 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 be
seen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers frequently. Keep the
windshield 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 145/150).
Drivin g

Driving in Ba d Weathe r
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 conditions
can 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.
Drivin g