HONDA ODYSSEY 2001 RA6-RA9 / 2.G Owners Manual

The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.Maketurnsmoreslowlyandwider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.
When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.If youmuststopwhenfacinguphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
place by pressing on the accelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shif t down to 2nd
gear. Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
discussed below.
If the automatic transmission shifts
f requently between 3rd and 4th
gears while going up a hill, shif t toD.
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
Use the D position when towing a
trailer on level roads. D is the
proper shif t lever position to use
when towing a trailer in hilly terrain.
(See ‘‘ ’’ in the next
column f or additional gear
inf ormation.)
3
4
3
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
T owing Speeds and Gears
Making T urns and Braking
Driving on Hills
Driving on Hills
Towing a Trailer
Driving
232

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.Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including putting the
transmission in Park and f irmly
setting the parking brake. Also, place
wheel chocks at each of the trailer’s
tires.
Always drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the lef t
to get the trailer to move to the lef t,
andturnthewheelrighttomovethe
trailer to the right.
bottom
Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ing
Backing Up Parking
Towing a Trailer
Driving
233

234

This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.
This section also includes
Maintenance Schedules f or normal
driving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions f or simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of
yourself .
If you have the skills and tools to per-
f orm more complex maintenance
tasks on your Honda, you may want
to purchase the Service Manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your Honda
dealer.......................
Maintenance Saf ety . 236
.
Important Safety Precautions . 237
.................
Maintenance Schedule . 238
...
Required Maintenance Record . 245
.......
Owner Maintenance Checks . 247
..............................
Fluid Locations . 248
......................................
Engine Oil . 249
..................................
Adding Oil . 249
....................
Recommended Oil . 249
..............................
Synthetic Oil . 250
....................................
Additives . 251
.....
Changing the Oil and Filter . 251
.............................
Cooling System . 253
............
Adding Engine Coolant . 253
.......
Replacing Engine Coolant . 255
....................
Windshield Washers . 258
....
Automatic Transmission Fluid . 259
....................................
Brake Fluid . 260
............................
Brake System . 260
..............................
Power Steering . 261
.....................
Air Cleaner Element . 262
....................................
Hood Latch . 264
....................................
Spark Plugs . 264
..............................
Replacement . 264
............................
Specif ications . 266
...........................................
Battery . 267 .................................
Wiper Blades . 269
..............
Air Conditioning System . 271
.................
Air Conditioning Filter . 272
.....................................
Drive Belts . 272
....................................
Timing Belt . 273
...............................................
Tires . 273
......................................
Inf lation . 273
..................................
Inspection . 275
..............................
Maintenance . 276
.............................
Tire Rotation . 276
...
Replacing Tires and Wheels . 277
......................
Wheels and Tires . 278
..........................
Winter Driving . 278
.............................
Snow Tires . 279
............................
Tire Chains . 279
.............................................
Lights . 280
.....................
Headlight Aiming . 282
........................
Replacing Bulbs . 282
....................
Storing Your Vehicle . 291
351
Maintenance
Maint enance
235

Regularly maintaining your vehicle is
the best way to protect your
investment. Proper maintenance is
essential to your saf ety and the
saf ety of your passengers. It will also
reward you with more economical,
trouble-f ree driving and help reduce
air pollution.This section includes instructions f or
simple maintenance tasks, such as
checking and adding oil. Any service
items not detailed in this section
should be perf ormed by a Honda
technician or other qualif ied
mechanic.
Some of the most important saf ety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every
conceivable hazard that can arise in
perf orming maintenance. Only you
can decide whether or not you
should perf orm a given task.
Maintenance Saf ety
Maint enance
236 Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures
and precautions in this owner’smanual.
Improperly maintaining this
vehicle or failing to correct a
problem before driving can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection
and maintenance
recommendations and
schedules in this owner’smanual.

Bef ore you begin any maintenance,
make sure your vehicle is parked on
level ground and that the parking
brake is set. Also, be sure the engine
is of f . This will help to eliminate
several potential hazards:Be sure
there is adequate ventilation
whenever you operate the engine.
Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
bef ore touching any parts. Read the instructions before you
begin, and make sure you have the
tools and skills required.
To reduce the possibility of f ire or
explosion, be caref ul when working
around gasoline or batteries. Use a
commercially available degreaser or
parts cleaner, not gasoline, to clean
parts. Keep cigarettes, sparks, and
flames away from the battery and all
f uel-related parts.
Do
not run the engine unless in-
structed to do so. You should wear eye protection and
protective clothing when working
near the battery or when using
compressed air.
Maintenance Saf ety
Maint enance
Important Saf ety Precautions
Carbon monoxide poisoning
f rom engine exhaust.
Burns f rom hot parts.
Injury f rom moving parts.
237

The Maintenance Schedule specif ies
how of ten you should have your
vehicle serviced and what things
need attention. It is essential that
you have your vehicle serviced as
scheduled to retain its high level of
saf ety, dependability, and emissions
control perf ormance.Service your vehicle according to the
time and mileage periods on one of
the Maintenance Schedules on the
f ollowing pages. Select the schedule
f or ‘‘Severe Conditions’’ if most of
your driving is done under one or
more of the conditions listed on that
page.Otherwise,followtheschedule
f or ‘‘Normal Conditions.’’
The services and time or distance
intervals shown in the maintenance
schedule assume you will use your
vehicle as normal transportation f or
passengers and their possessions.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations:
Avoid exceeding your vehicle’s
load limit. This puts excess stress
on the engine, brakes, and many
other parts of your vehicle. The
load limit is shown on the tire
inf ormation label on the driver’s
doorjamb. Operate your vehicle on
reasonable roads within the legal
speed limit.
Drive your vehicle regularly over a
distance of several miles
(kilometers).
Always use unleaded gasoline with
theproperoctanerating(seepage
).
196
Maintenance Schedule
Maint enance Which Schedule to Follow:
238

Ì
Your authorized Honda dealer
knows your vehicle best and can
provide competent, ef f icient service.
However, service at a dealer is not
mandatory to keep your warranties
in effect. Maintenance may be done
by any qualif ied service f acility or
person who is skilled in this type of
automotive service. Keep all the
receipts as proof of completion, and
have the person who does the work
f ill out the Maintenance Record.
Check your warranty booklet f or
more inf ormation. We recommend the use of genuine
Honda parts and f luids whenever you
have maintenance done. These are
manuf actured to the same high-
quality standards as the original
components, so you can be conf ident
of their perf ormance and durability.
U.S. Vehicles:
According to state and federal
regulations, f ailure to perf orm
maintenance on the items marked
with will not void your emissions
warranties. However, Honda
recommends that all maintenance
services be perf ormed at the
recommended time or mileage
period to ensure long-term reliability.
Maintenance Schedule
Maint enance
Maintenance, replacement or
repair of emissions control
devices and systems may be done
by any automotive repair
establishment or individual using
parts that are ‘‘certif ied’’ to EPA
standards.
239

µ
ÌÌ
Ì
Ì Ì Follow the Normal Conditions
Maintenance Schedule if the
severe driving conditions
specif ied in the Severe
Conditions Maintenance
Schedule do not apply.
NOTE: If you only
drive under a
‘‘severe’’ condition, you should
f ollow the Normal Conditions
Maintenance Schedule.
Follow the Maintenance
Schedule f or Severe Conditions.
OCCASIONALLY
Maint enance U.S. Owners
Canadian Owners
240 Visually inspect the following items:Replace every 7,500 miles (12,000 km) or 12 months
Check oil and coolant at each fuel stop
Service at the indicated
distance or time whichever
comes first.
miles x 1,000
km x 1,000
months
120,000 miles (192,000 km) or 120 months, thereafter every60,000 miles (96,000 km) or 60 months
Replace engine oil
Replace engine oil filter
Check engine oil and coolant
Replace air cleaner element
Inspect valve clearance
Replace spark plugs
Replace timing belt , and inspect water pump
Inspect and adjust drive belts
Inspect idle speed
Replace engine coolant
Replace transmission fluid
Inspect front and rear brakes
Replace brake fluid
Check parking brake adjustment
Replace air conditioning filter
Rotate tires (Check tire inflation and condition
at least once per month)
Tie rod ends, steering gear box, and boots
Suspension components
Driveshaft boots
Brake hoses and lines (including ABS)
All fluid levels and condition of fluids
Cooling system hoses and connections
Exhaust system
Fuel lines and connections Rotate tires every 7,500 miles (12,000 km)
Every 36 months
152412
304824 457236609648 75
120 60 90
144
72 105168
84 120192
96
See information on maintenance and emissions warranty, last column, page . Adjust only if noisy
: 239
Maintenance Schedule for Normal Conditions

Ø ØØØØØØØØØ Ø ØØØØØØ
Ø ØØ ØØØØ Ø
Ì
Ì
Ì
Ì
Ì
Maint enance241
A, B, C
Canadian owners:
A B C D
Service at the indicated distance or time, whichever comes first. Do the items in as required for each distance/time interval. Follow this
schedule if the severe driving conditions described in the Severe Conditions Schedule on the next page do not apply.
Follow the schedule for Severe Conditions.
Replace engine oil.
Rotate tires (follow pattern on page 276 ).
Replace engine oil filter.
Inspect front and rear brakes.
Check parking brake adjustment.
Inspect tie rod ends, steering gearbox and boots.
Inspect suspension components.
Inspect driveshaft boots.
Inspect brake hoses and lines (including ABS).
Check all fluid levels, condition of fluids, and check
for leaks.
Inspect cooling system hoses and connections.
Inspect exhaust system .
Inspect fuel lines and connections .
Replace air cleaner element.
Inspect and adjust drive belts.
Replace air conditioning filter.
Replace brake fluid every 3 years (independent ofmileage).
Do items in A.
Do items in A, B.
Do items in A.
DoitemsinA,B,C.
Do items in A.
Replace transmission fluid. Do items in A, B, D.
Do items in A.
DoitemsinA,B,C.
Do items in A. Replace transmission fluid. Do items in A, B.
Do items in A.
DoitemsinA,B,C,D.
Do items in A. Replace timing belt , and inspect water pump.
Replace transmission fluid.
Inspect idle speed . Inspect valve clearance.
Replace spark plugs. Do items in A, B.
Do items in A.
DoitemsinA,B,C.
Replace engine coolant
7,500 mi/12,000 km/-
15,000 mi/24,000 km/1 yr
22,500 mi/36,000 km/-
30,000 mi/48,000 km/2 yrs
37,500 mi/60,000 km/-
45,000 mi/72,000 km/3 yrs
52,500 mi/84,000 km/-
60,000 mi/96,000 km/4 yrs
67,500 mi/108,000 km/-
75,000 mi/120,000 km/5 yrs
82,500 mi/132,000 km/-
90,000 mi/144,000 km/6 yrs
97,500 mi/156,000 km/-
105,000 mi/168,000 km/7 yrs
112,500 mi/180,000 km/-
120,000 mi/192,000 km/8 yrs
120,000 mi/192,000 km/10 yrs
thereafter every 60,000 mi/
96,000 km/5 yrs
 See information on maintenance and emissions warranty, last
column, page .
Check engine oil and coolant at each fuel stop.
Check and adjust valve clearance, cold engine, only if noisy.
NOTE: :
239
Maintenance Schedule for Normal Conditions (listed by distance/time)