1995 HONDA ODYSSEY light

Exterior Care

Waxing
Always wash and dry the whole car before waxing it. You should wax
your car, including the metal trim,
whenever water sits on the surface in large patches. It should form into
beads or droplets after waxing.
You should use a quality liquid or paste wax. Apply it according to the
instructions on the container. In
general, there are two types of
products:
Waxes — A wax coats the finish and protects it from damage by exposure
to sunlight, air pollution, etc. Youshould use a wax on your Honda
when it is new. Polishes — Polishes and cleaner/
waxes can restore the shine to paint that has oxidized and lost some of itsshine. They normally contain mild
abrasives and solvents that remove
the top layer of the finish. You should use a polish on your Honda if
the finish does not have its original shine after using a wax.
Cleaning tar, insects, etc. with
removers also takes off the wax.
Remember to re-wax those areas, even if the rest of the car does not

need waxing.
Aluminum Wheels

On some models

Clean your Honda's aluminum alloy
wheels as you do the rest of the exterior. Wash them with the same
solution, and rinse them thoroughly.
The wheels have a protective clear- coat that keeps the aluminum from
corroding and tarnishing. Using
harsh chemicals, including some
commercial wheel cleaners, or stiff
brushes can damage this clear-coat. Only use a mild detergent and soft
brush or sponge to clean the wheels.

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Taking Care of the Unexpected

This section covers the more- common problems that motorists
experience with their cars. 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 instructions
on getting your car towed. Compact Spare Tire....................... 192
Changing a Flat Tire..................... 193
If Your Engine Won't Start........... 199 Nothing Happens....................... 199
The Starter Operates
Normally................................ 200

Jump Starting................................. 200 If Your Engine Overheats............. 202Low Oil Pressure........................... 204
Charging System Indication......... 205
Malfunction Indicator Lamp/ Check Engine Light.................. 206
Closing the Sunroof....................... 207
Fuses............................................... 208
Checking and Replacing........... 209
Towing............................................ 213
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Changing a Flat Tire

If you have a flat tire while driving, stop in a safe place to change it.
Stopping in traffic or on the shoulder of a busy road is dangerous. Drive
slowly along the shoulder until you
get to an exit or an area to stop that
is far away from the traffic lanes.
1. Park the car on firm, level groundaway from traffic. Turn on the
hazard warning lights and turn the ignition to LOCK (0).
2. Put the transmission in Park. Set the parking brake. 3. Open the tailgate. Fold down the
third seat's seat-back (see page
62).
4. The tool kit and jack are stored under the third seat armrest on
the driver's side. Remove the armrest pad by pulling it straight

up.

Taking Care of the Unexpected
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The car can easily roll off the

jack, seriously injuring anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and never get under the car when it
is supported only by the jack. TOOL KIT

JACK
SPARE TIRE
TRAY

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If Your Engine Won't Start

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, but the engine
does not start up and run. Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
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:
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 check their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don't light at all,
the battery is discharged. See

Jump Starting on page 200 .
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
Towing on page 213 .)
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 162 ). You can
then try jump starting the car from a booster battery (see page 200 ).

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If Your Engine Won't Start, Jump Starting

The Starter Operates Normally In this case, the starter motorsounds normal when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.
Are you using the proper startingprocedure? Refer to Starting the
Engine on page 119 .
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 208 ).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Towing on page 213. Jump Starting
If your car's battery has run clown,
you may be able to start the engine by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
there are several precautions youshould take. Follow the directions

closely.

You cannot start a Honda by pushing or pulling it. To jump start your car:
1. Open the hood and check the physical condition of the battery(see page 162 ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the

electrolyte inside can freeze.
Attempting to lump start with a frozen battery can cause it to rupture or

explode.

2. Turn off all the electrical acces- sories: heater, A/C, stereo system,
lights, etc.

Put the transmission in Neutral or

Park and set the parking brake.

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
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Low Oil Pressure

The low oil pressure indicator should
never come on when the engine is
running. If
this light flashes or stays
on with the engine running, take
immediate action.

Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn off

the engine as soon as you can safely get

the car stopped.
1. Safely pull off the road and shut
off the engine.
2. Let the car sit for a minute. Open the hood and check the oil level(see page 146 ). 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 thedipstick (see page 146 ). 4. Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure light. If the light does not
go out within ten seconds, turn off
the engine. There is a mechanicalproblem that needs to be repaired
before you can continue driving. (See Towing on page 213 .)
Taking Care of the Unexpected
LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR

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Malfunction Indicator Lamp/Check Engine Light
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP/
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT*
* U.S. indicator shown

If this indicator comes on while
driving, there is a problem with your
engine or its emission control systems. Even though you may feel
no difference in your car's per-
formance, it can reduce your fuel economy and cause your car to put
out excessive emissions. Continued
operation may cause serious engine

damage.
If this indicator light comes on,
safely pull off the road and turn off
the engine. Restart the engine and
watch the indicator light. If it stays on, have your car checked by the
dealer as soon as possible. Drive
moderately until the dealer has
inspected the problem. Avoid full-
throttle acceleration and driving at
high speed.
You should also have the dealer inspect your car if the indicator light
comes on frequently, even though it
goes off when you follow the above
procedure.
If yon keep driving with the malfunc-
tion indicator lamp/check engine light
on, you can damage your car's
emission controls and engine. Thoserepairs may not be covered by your
car's warranties.

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Fuses

Cars equipped with ABS have a third
fuse box for the ABS. It is in the engine compartment on the right

side.
Checking and Replacing Fuses

If something electrical in your car stops working, the first thing you
should check for is a blown fuse.
Determine from the chart on pages 211 and 212 , or the diagram on the
fuse box lid, which fuse or fuses control that component. Check those
fuses first, but check all the fuses
before deciding that is not the cause. Replace any blown fuses and check
the component's operation.
1. Turn the ignition switch to LOCK (0). Make sure the headlights and
all other accessories are off.
2. Remove the cover from the fuse box. 3. Check each of the large fuses in
the underhood fuse box by looking
through the top at the wire inside.
Removing these fuses requires aPhillips-head screwdriver.

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Taking Care of the Unexpected
BLOWN
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