1996 HONDA ODYSSEY Owners Manual

Towing a Trailer

The best way to confirm that your total towing package is within thesespecifications is to get it weighed.
Load the car and trailer as you
normally would while towing, and
take them to a public scale. Have them check the total weight and the
weight at each axle, then compare the weights to the specifications. Trailer Hitches
Your Honda dealer, or the HondaCustomer Relations Zone Office, can
give you advice on the proper hitch
for your car. Never use a hitch that mounts only to the rear bumper. The
bumper is not designed to handle that type of load. The hitch should
bolt to the underbody of the car and distribute the load over a wide area.
Always have a trailer hitch installed by a qualified technician.

A trailer hitch that is not adequate for the size of the trailer, or a hitch that isimproperly installed, can cause damage
to the underside of your car.

Driving

NOTICE

Improperly loading your car and
trailer can seriously affect its
steering and braking performance, causing a crashin which you can be seriously
injured.

Check the loading of your car
and trailer carefully before
starting to drive.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents

Towing a Trailer

Mirrors
Many states and provinces have laws
requiring special outside mirrors
when you are towing a trailer. Check the laws in your area. You may want
to install mirrors, even if they are notrequired. Hook up the trailer and see
how much it obscures your ability to see behind you with the standard
mirrors. If you cannot see directly
behind you, or have a large blind spot next to the trailer or the car,
you should install mirrors intended
if or towing.
Connecting the Trailer
Most trailers that have a gross
weight of 450 kg (1,000 Ibs) do not have their own braking system. If
you are thinking of getting a trailer that does have brakes, make sure
they are electrically-operated. There are no provisions in your car to tap
into its hydraulic braking system.
Any attempt to attach the trailer's brakes to your car's hydraulicsystem, no matter how successful it
may seem, will lower braking effectiveness and create a potential

hazard.
Always use a safety chain when
towing a trailer. Connect the safetychain securely at both ends. Makesure the chain crosses under the
tongue so it will catch the trailer if it
becomes unhitched. Leave enough slack in the chain so it can't bind in a
sharp turn. Do not let it drag on the
ground.

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Towing a Trailer

Your car has a trailer lighting
connector. To use the connector,

remove the left rear light cover. Refer to the drawing above for the

wiring color code and purpose of
each connector pin.
Since the lighting and wiring can be
different for various brands of
trailers, have a technician who is
familiar with your trailer modify its lighting plug. A converter may berequired between the car and trailer
for the lights to work correctly. Before Starting Out
As you are preparing to tow your trailer, do the following:
Measure the trailer's tongue load.
You can do this with a bathroom
scale.

Verify that the hitch and safety chain are securely fastened.Check the condition and air
pressure of all tires on the trailer
and your car. Low tire pressure
can seriously affect the handling.
Also check the spare tire. With everything loaded and thetrailer connected, check that the
rear of the car is not sagging. If so,
redistribute the load in the car.Check that all lights on the car and
trailer are working properly.

Driving

GROUND
(BLACK) BACK-UP LIGHT
(GREEN/BLACK) LEFT TURN SIGNAL
(GREEN/BLUE)
RIGHT TURN SIGNAL
(GREEN/YELLOW)
BRAKE LIGHT

(GREEN/WHITE)
TAILLIGHT
(RED/BLACK)ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents

Towing a Trailer

Towing Safety Your car will not stop as quickly with a trailer in tow. Leave extra distance
between your car and other vehicles.
Avoid braking or turning suddenly.
This could cause the trailer to
jackknife or possibly turn over.
Keep in mind that your total vehicle
is now much longer. Leave more
room when making turns. The trailer
tracks a smaller arc than the car and
can hit or run over something that
the car misses. When passing another vehicle, make sure the
trailer is clear before changing lanes. The car/trailer combination is more
affected by crosswinds and buffeting.
When being passed by a large
vehicle, keep a constant speed and steer straight ahead. If there is too
much wind buffeting, slow down to
get out of the other vehicle's air

turbulence.

Towing a trailer puts an extra load on your car. You should have your
car serviced according to the
"Maintenance schedule under severe
driving conditions" on page 141. This extra load is magnified when
you are driving in hilly terrain.
Watch the temperature gauge closely when climbing hills. If it getsnear the hot area, turn off the airconditioning (if it is on). If this does
not reduce the heat, it may be
necessary to pull to the side of the
road and wait for the engine to cool.
If the automatic transmission shifts
frequently between 3rd and 4th gears, put it in D3. This will help
prevent the transmission from overheating. Help keep the brakes
from overheating by shifting to a
lower gear when going downhill.

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Towing a Trailer

If you have to stop while going uphill,
do not hold the car in place by
pressing on the accelerator. This can cause the automatic transmission to
overheat. Use the parking brake or
footbrake.
When parking your car and trailer, especially on a hill, be sure to follow
all the normal precautions. Turn
your front wheels into the curb, set the parking brake firmly, and put the
transmission in Park. In addition, place wheel chocks at each of the
trailer's tires. Backing up with a trailer is difficult
and takes practice. Drive slowly,
make small movements with the steering wheel, and have someone
stand outside to guide you. Grip the
steering wheel on the bottom (rather
than the usual position near the top). Move your hand to the left to get thetrailer to move to the left, and right
to move the trailer right.
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Maintenance

This section explains why it is important to keep your car well
maintained and to follow basic
maintenance safety precautions.
This section also includes Maintenance Schedules for normaldriving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions for simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of
yourself.
If you have the skills and tools
required to perform more complex
maintenance tasks on your Honda,
you may want to purchase the Service Manual. See page 233 for
information on how to obtain a copy,or see your Honda dealer.
Maintenance Safety....................... 136

Important Safety Precautions.. 137

Maintenance Schedule.................. 138

Maintenance Record..................... 142
Periodic Checks............................. 144

Fluid Locations............................... 145
Engine Oil....................................... 146
Checking Engine Oil................. 146

Adding Oil................................... 146 Recommended Oil..................... 147
Synthetic Oil............................... 148

Additives..................................... 148
Oil and Filter Changes.............. 148

Cooling System.............................. 150

Checking the Engine Coolant
Level........................................ 150

Adding Engine Coolant............. 151 Replacing Engine Coolant........ 152

Windshield Washers..................... 154

Automatic Transmission Fluid..... 155
Brake Fluid..................................... 156
Brake System............................. 156

Anti-lock Brake System............ 157

Power Steering............................... 157

Air Cleaner..................................... 158 Spark Plugs..................................... 160
Replacement............................... 160
Specifications............................. 161
Battery............................................ 162
Windshield Wipers........................ 165
Air Conditioning............................. 168 Drive Belts...................................... 169
Tires................................................ 169 Inflation....................................... 170
Inspection................................... 171
Maintenance............................... 171
Tire Rotation.............................. 172 Replacing Tires and Wheels .... 172
Wheels and Tires....................... 173
Winter Driving........................... 173 Snow Tires.............................. 174
Tire Chains............................. 174
Lights.............................................. 175 Headlight Aiming...................... 175Replacing Bulbs......................... 177
Storing Your Car............................ 182
MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Maintenance Safety

Regularly maintaining your car is the
best way to protect your investment. Proper maintenance is essential to
your safety and the safety of your
passengers. It will also reward you
with more economical, trouble-free driving and help reduce air pollution. This section includes instructions for
simple maintenance tasks, such as
checking and adding oil. Any service
items not detailed in this section should be performed by a Honda
technician or other qualified mechanic. Some of the most important safety
precautions are given in the next page. However, we cannot warn youof every conceivable hazard that can
arise in performing maintenance.Only you can decide whether or not
you should perform a given task.
Maintenance
Improperly maintaining this car
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's
manual.
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.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents

Maintenance Safety
Important Safety Precautions Before you begin any maintenance,
make sure your ear is parked on level ground and that the parking
brake is on. Also, be sure the engineis off. This will help to eliminateseveral potential hazards:
Carbon monoxide poisoning
from engine exhaust. Be sure there is adequate ventilation
whenever you operate the engine.
Burns from hot parts. Let the engine and exhaust system cool
before touching any parts.
Injury from moving parts. Do
not run the engine unless in-structed to do so. Read the instructions before you
begin, and make sure you have the
tools and skills required.
To reduce the possibility of fire or explosion, be careful when workingaround gasoline or batteries. Use a
nonflammable solvent, not gasoline,
to clean parts. Keep cigarettes, sparks, and flames away from the
battery and all fuel-related parts.
You should wear eye protection and protective clothing when workingnear the battery or when using
compressed air.

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