check engine HONDA ODYSSEY 2000 RA6-RA9 / 2.G Owner's Manual

Automatic Transmissio n Flui d
Check the fluid level with the engine
at normal operating temperature.
1. Park the vehicle on level ground. Shut off the engine.
2. Remove the dipstick (yellow loop) from the transmission and wipe it
with a clean cloth. 3. Insert the dipstick all the way into
the transmission.
4. Remove the dipstick and check the fluid level. It should be
between the upper and lowermarks.
5. If the level is below the lower mark, add fluid to bring it to the
upper mark. Remove the fill plug
to add fluid. Always use HondaPremium Formula Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF). If it is
not available, you may use a
DEXRON
® III automatic
transmission fluid as a temporary
replacement. However, continued
use can affect shift quality. Have
the transmission drained and refilled with Honda ATF as soonas it is convenient.
6. Insert the dipstick all the way back in the transmission.
The transmission should be drained and refilled with new fluid according
to the time and distance recommen- dations in the maintenance schedule.
If you are not sure how to add fluid,
contact your Honda dealer.
Maintenanc e
DIPSTICK
UPPER MAR K
LOWE R MAR K

Power Steerin g
Check the level when the engine is
cold. Look at the side of the
reservoir. The fluid should be
between the UPPER LEVEL and LOWER LEVEL. If it is below theLOWER LEVEL, add power steering
fluid to the UPPER LEVEL. Always use Genuine Honda Power
Steering Fluid. If it is not available,
you may use another power steering
fluid as an emergency replacement. However, continued use can cause
increased wear and poor steering in
cold weather. Have the power steering system flushed and refilled
with Honda PSF as soon as possible.
A low power steering fluid level can indicate a leak in the system. Check
the fluid level frequently and have
the system inspected as soon as
possible.
Turning the steering wheel to full left
or right lock and holding it there can
damage the power steering pump.
Maintenanc e
UPPER LEVE L
LOWE R LEVE LNOTICE

Air Conditionin g Syste m
Your vehicle's air conditioning is a
sealed system. Any major mainte-
nance, such as recharging, should be done by a qualified mechanic. You
can do a couple of things to make sure the air conditioning works
efficiently.
Periodically check the engine's
radiator and air conditioning
condenser for leaves, insects, and dirt stuck to the front surface. These
block the air flow and reduce cooling efficiency. Use a light spray from a
hose or a soft brush to remove them.
The condenser and radiator fins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure spray
or soft-bristle brush to clean them.
Run the air conditioning at least once
a week during the cold weather
months. Run it for at least ten
minutes while you are driving at a steady speed with the engine at
normal operating temperature. This
circulates the lubricating oil con-
tained in the refrigerant. If the air conditioning does not get as
cold as before, have your dealer
check the system. Recharge the
system with Refrigerant HFC-134a
(R-134a). (See Specifications on page 322.)
Whenever you have the air conditioning
system serviced, make sure the service
facility uses a refrigerant recycling
system. This system captures the
refrigerant for reuse. Releasing
refrigerant into the atmosphere can
damage the environment.
Maintenanc e
NOTICE
AIR CONDITIONIN GCONDENSER
NOTICE

Taking Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
This section covers the more-
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you information about how to safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again. If not, you will also find instructionson getting your vehicle towed. Compact Spare Tire....................... 292
Changing a Flat Tire..................... 293
If Your Engine Won't Start........... 302 Nothing Happens or the Starter Motor OperatesVery Slowly......................... 302
The Starter Operates Normally................................ . 303
Jump Starting................................. 303
If Your Engine Overheats............. 305
Low Oil Pressure Indicator.......... 307Charging System Indicator........... 308
Malfunction Indicator Lamp ........ 309
Brake System Indicator................ 310
Fuses............................................... 311 Checking and Replacing........... 312
Emergency Towing....................... 317
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d

If You r Engin e Won' t Star t
Diagnosing why your engine won't
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):
You hear nothing, or almostnothing. The engine's starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
faster than normal, but the engine does not start up and run.
Nothin g Happen s o r th e Starte r
Moto r Operate s Ver y Slowl y
When you turn the ignition switch to START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:
Your vehicle has the ImmobilizerSystem. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page 77).
A key that is not properly coded will cause the immobilizer systemindicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park or Neutral or the starter will not
operate.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and checktheir brightness. If the headlightsare very dim or don't light at all,the battery is discharged. See
Jum p Startin g on page 303 .
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the fuses. If
the fuses are OK, there is proba-
bly something wrong with the electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to determine the problem. (See
Emergency Towing on page 317.)
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page 257). You can then try jump starting the vehicle
from a booster battery (see page 303).
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d

If You r Engin e Won' t Start , Jum p Startin g
The Starte r Operate s Normall y
In this case, the starter motor's speed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when you turn the ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run. Are you using the proper startingprocedure? Refer to Startin g th e
Engin e on page 203 .
Do you have fuel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the fuel gauge.
The low fuel level warning light may not be working, so you were
not reminded to fill the tank.
There may be an electrical problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses (see page 311).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 317. Jum
p Startin g
If your vehicle's battery has run
down, you may be able to start the
engine by using a booster battery.
Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
You cannot start a Honda by pushing
or pulling it. To jump start your vehicle, follow
these directions closely:
1. Open the hood and check the physical condition of the battery(see page 257). In very cold
weather, check the condition of the electrolyte. If it seems slushyor like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can freeze.
Attempting to jump start with a frozen
battery can cause it to rupture.
2. Turn off all the electrical acces- sories: heater, A/C, climate
control, stereo system, lights, etc. Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.
CONTINUED
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
NOTIC E

Jump Startin g
3. Connect one jumper cable to the
positive (+) terminal on the
booster battery. Connect the otherend to the positive (+) terminal
on your Honda's battery. 4. Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative (—) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect theother end to the grounding strap
as shown. Do not connect this jumper cable to any other part of
the engine.
5. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, have an assistant startthat vehicle and run it at a fast idle. 6. Start your vehicle. If the starter
motor still operates slowly, check
the jumper cable connections to
make sure they have good metal-
to-metal contact.
7. Once your vehicle is running, disconnect the negative cable from
your vehicle, then from the booster battery. Disconnect the
positive cable from your vehicle,
then the booster battery.
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BOOSTER
BATTER Y

If You r Engin e Overheat s
4. If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn off the engine.
5. Wait until you see no more signs of steam or spray, then open the
hood.
6. Look for any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot, so use caution. If you find a leak, it
must be repaired before you
continue driving (see Emergenc y
Towin g on page 317).
7. If you don't find an obvious leak, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page 193). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
between the MIN and MAX marks.
8. If there was no coolant in the reserve tank, you may also have toadd coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, before check-
ing the radiator.
9. Using gloves or a large heavy cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the first stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes off. 10. Start the engine and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum (climate control to
FULL AUTO at 90°F/32°C). Add
coolant to the radiator up to the
base of the filler neck. If you do
not have the proper coolant
mixture available, you can add
plain water. Remember to have the cooling system drained and
refilled with the proper mixture assoon as you can.
11. Put the radiator cap back on tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine needs repair. (See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 317.)
12. If the temperature stays normal, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.

Low Oi l Pressur e Indicato r
This indicator should light when the
ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
after the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is running. If it starts flashing, it
indicates that the oil pressure
dropped very low for a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action.
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical damage almost immediately. Turn offthe engine as soon as you can safely get
the vehicle stopped.
1. Safely pull off the road and shut off the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
2. Let the vehicle sit for a minute. Open the hood and check the oil
level (see page 192). Although oil level and oil pressure are not
directly connected, an engine that
is very low on oil can lose pressure
during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
3. If necessary, add oil to bring the level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page 239). 4. Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the lightdoes not go out within ten seconds,
turn off the engine. There is a mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired before you can continue driving. (See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 317.)
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LOW OI L PRESSUR E INDICATO R
NOTICE

Malfunction Indicato r Lam p
MALFUNCTIO N INDICATO R LAM P
This indicator comes on for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch ON (II). If it comes on at any
other time, it indicates one of the
engine's emissions control systems
may have a problem. Even though
you may feel no difference in your
vehicle's performance, it can reduce your fuel economy and cause your
vehicle to put out excessive emissions. Continued operation may
cause serious damage.
If you have recently refueled your
vehicle, the cause of this indicator coming on could be a loose or
missing fuel fill cap. Check the cap
and tighten it until it clicks several
times. Replace the fuel fill cap if it is missing. Tightening the cap will not
make the indicator turn off
immediately; it takes three driving
trips.
If the indicator remains on past threedriving trips, or the fuel cap was not
loose or missing, have the vehicle checked by the dealer as soon as
possible. Drive moderately until thedealer has inspected the problem.
Avoid full-throttle acceleration and driving at high speed.
You should also have the dealer inspect your vehicle if this indicator
comes on repeatedly, even though it
may turn off as you continue driving.
If you keep driving with the
malfunction indicator lamp on, you candamage your vehicle's emissions
controls and engine. Those repairs may
not be covered by your vehicle's
warranties.
This indicator may also come on along with the "D
4" indicator.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
NOTICE