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

2000 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.helminc.com.
Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
............................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety ........................................................................\
.................................................. ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance ........................................................................\
....................................................... 2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
............................................... 5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
...................................................55
Instrument panel indica tor and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
...............................129
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
.....................................................................187
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
...................................................................................201
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.........................................................................225
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
.................................................................283
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your car ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................291
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
.......................................................319
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)......................................................................331
A summary of the warranties covering your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
.......................................337
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.

Break-i
n Period , Gasolin e

Break-i n Perio d

Help assure your vehicle's future
reliability and performance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period: Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid

acceleration.

Avoid hard braking. New brakes need to be broken-in by moderate
use for the first 200 miles (300

km). You should follow these same re-

commendations with an overhauled

or exchanged engine, or when the

brakes are replaced.

We also recommend that you should not tow a trailer during the first 500
miles (800 km). Gasoline
Your Honda is designed to operate on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise in the engine that can lead to
mechanical damage.
We recommend gasolines containing detergent additives that help prevent
fuel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your vehicle's emissions
controls. This contributes to air

pollution.

Befor e Drivin g

Carrying Carg o
Load Limi t
The maximum load for your vehicle
is 1,277 Ibs (580 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 1,277 Ibs
(580 kg).
The final number is the total weight
of cargo you can carry.
When you load luggage, the total
weight of the vehicle, all passengers, cargo, and trailer tongue load must
not exceed the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). The load for the front and rear axles also must not exceed the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR). The GVWR andGAWR are printed on the tire
information label attached to the
driver's doorjamb (see page 322). Carryin
g Item s i n th e Passenge r
Compartmen t
Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurt someone 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 properoperation 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.
Befor e Drivin g
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
manual.

Drivin
g

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, the braking system, the Traction Control System,
and facts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer. Preparing to Drive......................... 202
Starting the Engine........................ 203
Starting in Cold Weatherat High Altitude..................... 203
Automatic Transmission............... 204 Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 204
Shift Lever Positions................. 205
Engine Speed Limiter............... 207
Shift Lock Release..................... 207

Parking............................................ 209

The Braking System...................... 210 Brake Wear Indicators.............. 210
Brake System Design................ 211
Anti-lock Brakes........................ 211
Important SafetyReminders.......................... 212
ABS Indicator......................... 212
Traction Control System............... 213 TCS ON/OFF Switch................ 214TCS Indicator............................. 215
Driving in Bad Weather................ 216
Towing a Trailer............................ 218

Driving

Automatic Transmissio n
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. Neutra
l (N ) — Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the vehicle
for any reason. Press on the brake pe- dal when you are moving the shift
lever from Neutral to another gear.
Driv e (D
4) — Use this position for
your normal driving. The transmis- sion automatically selects a suitable
gear for your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission shifting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps the engine warm up faster. Driv
e (D
3) — This position is similar
to D4, except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D3 when
towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to
provide engine braking when going
down a steep hill. D
3 can also keep
the transmission from cycling
between third and fourth gears in stop-and-go driving.
For faster acceleration when in D
3 or
D4, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshift by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shift down one or two gears, depending on your
speed.
Drivin g

Automatic Transmissio n
Second (2 ) — To shift to Second,
pull the shift lever towards you, then shift to the lower gear. This position
locks the transmission in second
gear. It does not downshift to first
gear when you come to a stop. Second gives you more power when
climbing, and increased engine
braking when going down steep hills. Use second gear when starting outon a slippery surface or in deep snow.
It will help reduce wheelspin.
When driving down hill with a trailer, use the Second position.
Firs t (1 ) — To shift from Second to
First, pull the shift lever towards you,
then shift to the lower gear. With the
lever in this position, the transmis- sion locks in First gear. By upshift-
ing and downshifting through 1, 2,
D
3 and D4, you can operate this
transmission much like a manual
transmission without a clutch pedal. Engin
e Spee d Limite r
If you exceed the maximum speed
for the gear you are in, the engine speed will enter into the tachometer's
red zone. If this occurs, you may feel the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine's
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone. Shif
t Loc k Releas e
This allows you to move the shift lever out of Park if the normalmethod of pushing on the brake
pedal and pulling the shift lever does not work.
1. Set the Parking brake.
2. Remove the key from the ignition switch.
3. Place a cloth on the edge of the shift lock release slot cover on the
steering column. Remove the
cover by carefully prying on the
edge with a small flat-tipped screwdriver (not included in the
toolkit).
Drivin g
CONTINUED

Towing a Traile r
Your Odyssey has been designed to
tow a trailer, as well as for carryingpassengers 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 Limit s
Tota l Traile r Weight : As shown
in 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 220 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.
* *: Weight limited to avoid exceeding rear GAWR (see page 219).
Tongu
e 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.
Drivin g

Towin
g a Traile r

Gros s Vehicl e Weigh t Ratin g

(GVWR) :

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

Gros s Axl e Weigh t Ratin g

(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
Gros
s Combine d Weigh t Ratin g

(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
Checkin
g Load s

The best way to confirm that vehicle and trailer weights are within limits
is 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.

Towing a Traile r
Towin g Equipmen t an d
Accessorie s
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 trailer
sales 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 mustbe 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 obtained
from your Honda dealer.
Drivin g

Towing a Traile r
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 lightingconnector located behind the leftside 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 andconverter. This comes with the
Honda hitch (see page 220), 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 should
also have a qualified technician
install a suitable connector between
the vehicle and the trailer.
Drivin g
CONTINUED
Trailer Lights
GROUN
D
(BLACK )
RIGHT TUR N SIGNA L(GREEN/YELLOW )
BACK-UP LIGH T(GREEN/BLACK ) LEF
T TUR N SIGNA L
(GREEN/BLUE )
BRAKE LIGH T(WHITE/BLACK )TAILLIGHT(RED/BLACK)