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

This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains your Supple-
mental Restraint System. And it tells
you how to properly restrain inf ants
and children in your vehicle..........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features . 7
.......................................
Seat Belts . 8
...........................................
Airbags . 9
.....................
Seats & Seat-Backs . 10 ..........................
Head Restraints . 10
..................................
Door Locks . 10
........
Pre-Drive Saf ety Checklist . 11
............................
Protecting Adults . 12
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 12
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 12
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 13
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 14
5. Fasten and Position the Seat
.....................................
Belts . 15
....
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel . 19
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting
................................
Position . 19
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 20
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 20
........................
Protecting Children . 22
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained . 22
Children Should Sit in the Back ...........................................
Seat . 23
The Passenger’s Airbag Poses ......
Serious Risks to Children . 24
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children . 26
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention . 26 ...
Additional Safety Precautions . 27
General Guidelines f or Using
...............................
Child Seats . 28
.......................
Protecting Inf ants . 32
.........
Protecting Small Children . 37
.......
Protecting Larger Children . 41
Using Child Seats with
.....................................
Tethers . 45
...
Using the Lower Anchorages . 47
Additional Inf ormation About Your .................................
Seat Belts . 49
..
Seat Belt System Components . 49
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt . 49
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 51
Additional Inf ormation About Your
...........................................
SRS . 52
........................
SRS Components . 52
...........
How Your Airbags Work . 52
How the Automatic Seat Belt
....................
Tensioners Work . 54
How the SRS Indicator Light .......................................
Works . 54
..................................
SRS Service . 55
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 56
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 57
...................................
Saf ety Labels . 58
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 5

You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the
risk, but serious accidents can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page
.)
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page .)
Children are saf est when they are
properly restrained in a back seat,
notthefrontseat.Achildwhoistoo
smallforaseatbeltmustbeproperly
restrained in a child saf ety seat. (See
page .) Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe f rontal collision.
So even though your vehicle is
equipped with airbags, make sure
you and your passengers always
wear your seat belts, and wear them
properly. (See page .)
15
22 9
240
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt Be Aware of Airbag Hazards Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Restrain All Children Don’t Drink and Drive
6

For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out f ully and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retract
easily. Any belt not in good condition
or not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.
Honda provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts. Honda will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
f ails to f unction properly during
normal use. Please see yourbooklet f or
details. If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
you should have your dealer inspect
the belt, and replace it if necessary.
A belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed.
For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page .
297
Honda
Warranty Inf ormation
Seat Belt Maintenance
U.S. Models
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 51
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly whenneeded.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.

Your Supplemental Restraint System
is virtually maintenance-f ree, and
there are no parts you can saf ely
service. However, you must have
your vehicle serviced if :The
airbags, seat belt tensioners, and
control unit must be replaced. Do
not try to remove or replace the
airbags yourself .
This must be done by a Honda
dealer or a knowledgeable body
shop.
Take your vehicle to
an authorized Honda dealer as
soon as possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inf late when you need them (see
page ).
If the light comes on or f lashes on
andoff whileyoudrive.
If you see any of these indications,
your airbags and seat belt tensioners
may not deploy when you need them.
See your Honda dealer as soon as
possible.
54
SRS Service
Your airbags ever inf late.
T he SRS indicat or light alert s yout o a problem.
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 55
Ignoring the SRS indicator light
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags do not
inflate when needed.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS light alerts you to a
potential problem.

µ
Ref er to the Maintenance Schedules
f or Normal and Severe Driving
Conditions on pages .
For the f irst 6,000 miles (9,600 km)
af ter the Maintenance Required
Indicator is reset, it will come on f or
two seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II). Between 6,000 miles (9,600 km) and
7,500 miles (12,000 km) this
indicator will light f or two seconds
when you first turn the ignition
switch ON (II), and then f lash f or
ten seconds.
If you exceed 7,500 miles (12,000
km) without having the scheduled
maintenance perf ormed, this
indicator will remain on as a constant
reminder.Your dealer will reset this indicator
af ter completing the scheduled
maintenance. If this maintenance is
done by someone other than your
Honda dealer, reset the indicator as
f ollows.
Turn of f the engine.
This indicator reminds you that it is
time to take your vehicle in for sched-
uled maintenance. Press and hold the select/reset
buttonintheinstrumentpanel,
then turn the ignition switch ON
(II).
Hold the button until the indicator
resets (approximately ten
seconds).
1. 2. 3.
240 244
Gauges
Maintenance Required Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
68
MMAAIINNTTEENNAANNCCEERREEQQUUIIRREEDDIINNDDIICCAATTOORRSSEELLEECCTT//RREESSEETTBBUUTTTTOONN

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbraking.Newbrakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use f or the f irst 200 miles (300
km). 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.
Youshouldfollowthesesamere-
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 f irst 500
miles (800 km).
We recommend gasolines containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your vehicle’s emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
Do not change the oil until the
recommended time or mileage
intervalshowninthemaintenance
schedule.
Break-in Period, Gasoline
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period
Gasoline
196

Refer toon page f or inf ormation
on checking other items in your
Honda.
Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
on page f or
informationonaddingtheproper
coolant.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page .
Insert it all the way back in its tube. Remove the dipstick again and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
4.
3.
247
249
253
Bef ore Driving
Service Station Procedures
Owner Maintenance
Checks A dding
Engine Coolant
A dding Oil
Engine Coolant Check
201
UUPPPPEERRMMAARRKK
LLOOWWEERRMMAARRKK
MMAAXX
MMIINN
RREESSEERRVVEETTAANNKK

The condition of your vehicle and
your driving habits are the two most
important things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Always maintain your vehicle accord-
ing to the maintenance schedule.
This will keep it in top operating
condition.A cold engine uses more f uel than a
warm engine. It is not necessary to
‘‘warm-up’’ a cold engine by letting it
idle f or a long time. You can drive
away in about a minute, no matter
how cold it is outside. The engine
will warm up f aster, and you get
better f uel economy. To cut down on
the number of ‘‘cold starts,’’ try to
combine several short trips into one.
You can improve f uel economy by
driving moderately. Rapid acceler-
ation, abrupt cornering, and hard
braking use more f uel.
Always drive in the highest gear that
allows the engine to run and acceler-
ate smoothly.
Depending on traf f ic conditions, try
to maintain a constant speed. Every
time you slow down and speed up,
your vehicle uses extra f uel. Use the
cruise control, when appropriate, to
increase f uel economy.
The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Turnoff theA/Cto
cutdownonairconditioninguse.
Use the f low-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is
moderate.
In winter, the build-up of snow on
your vehicle’s underside adds weight
and rolling resistance. Frequent
cleaning helps your f uel mileage and
reduces the chance of corrosion.
An important part of that mainte-
nance is the
(see page ). For
example, an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses f uel. It also wears out
f aster, so check the tire pressure at
least monthly. 247
Vehicle Condition
Driving Habits
Owner Maintenance
Checks
Bef ore Driving
Fuel Economy
202

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.