tow HONDA ODYSSEY 2003 RB1-RB2 / 3.G Owners Manual

2003 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........................................................................\
.................................................. .69
Instrument panel indica tor and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
.............................. .143
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
...................................................... ...............243
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
...................................................................................257
The proper way to start the engine, shift the tr ansmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
...................................................... ...................283
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
...................................................... ...........343
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your car ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................351
This section covers several problems motorists someti mes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
...................................................... .383
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)..................................................................... .397
A summary of the warranties covering your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only )........................................................................\
......................................
.401
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.

If necessary, pull up on the shoulder
belt again to remove any slack from
the shoulder belt, then check that
the belt rests across the center of
your chest and over your shoulder.
This spreads the f orces of a crash
over the strongest bones in your
upper body.This could cause
very serious injuries in a crash. If a seat belt does not seem to work
as it should, it may not protect the
occupant in a crash.
Anyone using a seat belt that is
not working properly can be
seriously injured or killed. Have your
Honda dealer check the belt as soon
as possible.
See page f or additional
inf ormation about your seat belt
system and how to take care of your
belts. Adjust the steering wheel, if needed,
so that the wheel points toward your
chest, not toward your f ace.
Pointing the steering wheel toward
your chest provides optimal
protection f rom the airbag.
See page f or how to adjust the
steering wheel.
50
88
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Never place t he shoulder port ion of alap/shoulder belt under your arm orbehind your back. If a Seat Belt Doesn’t Work Properly
No one should
sit in a seat wit h an inoperat ive seat belt.
A djust the Steering Wheel
6.
20

Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many parents and other
adults may not know how to
protect young passengers.(See page
.)
So if you have children, or if you ever
need to drive with a grandchild or
other children in your vehicle, be
sure to read this section. To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian province requires that
inf ants and children be restrained
whenever they ride in a vehicle. Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In f act, vehicle
accidents are the number one cause
of death of children ages 12 and
under.
(See page .)
30
42
properly
All Children Must Be Restrained
Anychildwhoistoosmalltowearaseat belt should be properlyrest rained in a child seat .
A larger child should always berest rained wit h a seat belt , and use aboost er, if needed.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety24
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in a
crash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt.

Forproperprotection,aninfantmust
ride in a reclined, or semi-reclined
position. To determine the proper
reclining angle, check with the baby’s
doctor or f ollow the seat maker’s
recommendations.
To achieve the desired reclining
angle, it may help to put a rolled up
towel under the toe of the child seat,
as shown.
Then pull hard on the loose end of
thebelttoremovetheanyslack(it
may help to put weight on the child
seat while pulling on the belt).
Finally, f ollow instruction number 5
on page to verify that the child
seat is secured.
To install a rear-f acing child seat in
the center position of the third seat,
use the lap part of the lap/shoulder
belt. Follow instruction number 1 on
page f or routing and latching the
seat belt. 35 36
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Rear-Facing Child Seat Inst allat ion
Tips
Inst alling a Rear-Facing Child Seat in
t he Cent er Posit ion of t he T hird Seat
37

If you decide that a child can saf ely
ride up f ront, be sure to:Caref ully read the owner’s manual
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all saf ety
inf ormation.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the f loor.
Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
Physically, a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it over the hips, chest, and
shoulder (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
the child should not sit in the f ront.
To saf ely ride in f ront, a child must
be able to f ollow the rules, including
sitting properly and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in the
f ront, there are other important
f actors you should consider.
Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to f asten the seat belts
or sit properly. Remind the child not to lean
toward the door.
17 42Physical Size
Maturity
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety45

See page f or important saf etyinf ormation about how to properlyposition the steering wheel. 20
Make any steering wheel adjustment
bef ore you start driving.
Make sure you have securely
locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up and down. Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position. Move the steering wheel to the
desired position, making sure the
wheel points toward your chest,
not toward your f ace. Make sure
you can see the instrument panel
gauges and the indicator lights.
Push the lever under the steering
column all the way down.
To adjust the steering wheel upward
or downward:
Thedefoggerwiresontheinsideof
the rear window can be accidentally
damaged. When cleaning the glass,
always wipe side to side.
3.
4.
1. 2.
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Steering Wheel A djustment
88
LX model
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle and be seriously injured
inacrash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the vehicle is stopped.

The second row bucket seat on the
passenger’s side can be moved to the
center to provide access to the third
row seat.
Remove the two floor covers
between the bucket seats in the
second row by caref ully prying on
the back edge of the covers with a
f lat-tipped screwdriver.Unlock the seat f rom the f loor by
pulling the lock release lever under
the seat cushion’s f ront edge and
lifting the rear of the seat.
Slide the seat toward the center of
the vehicle.Push the back of the seat down over
the f loor hooks. Make sure the seat
is securely locked in place.
CONT INUED
Moving the Second Row Bucket
Seat
Seats
Inst rument s and Cont rols117
LOCK
RELEASE
LEVER

Make sure the center shoulder belt
is stored in the holder and the outer
shoulder belts are positioned on each
hook whenever the third seat is
f olded.
Make sure all items in the cargo area
are secured. Loose items can f ly
f orward and cause injury if you have
to brake hard. See
on page .Pull the seat out of the recess by
pulling on the handle and the strap.
Pivot the seat forward all the way.
To return the seat to the upright
position:
Pull the handle on the back of the
seat cushion while you pull the
entire seat towards you with the
strap. Pivot the seat into the f loor
recess. Make sure the strap is
above the seat.
4.
1.
253
CONT INUED
Carrying Cargo
Seats
Inst rument s and Cont rols121
HANDLE

To open the sunglasses holder, push
on the f ront edge. It will unlatch and
swing down. To close it, push it until
it latches. Make sure the holder is
closed while you are driving.To use the sun visor, pull it down.
You can also use the sun visor at the
side window. Remove the support
rod f rom the clip and swing the sun
visor toward the side window. In this
position, the sun visor can be
extended by sliding out the
extension.
Some larger styles of sunglasses
may not f it in the holder.
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Sunglasses Holder, Sun Visor
Sunglasses Holder
Sun Visor
134
EXTENSION
SUN VISOR

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
244