
1996 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
Introduction........................................................................\
........................................................................... i
A Few Words About Safety ........................................................................\
................................................ ii
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
............................................. 3
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
...................................................31
Instrument panel in
dicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
.................................73
How t o
op
erate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
.................................................................... 107
What gasoli n
e to u
se, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
.................................................................................. 117
The proper way t o
start the engine, shift the tr ansmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
........................................................................ 135
T h
e Ma
intenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
................................................................ 183
T i
ps on cl
eaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your car ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
...................................... 191
This section covers sever
a
l problems motorists someti mes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
...................................................... 215
ID numbers, dimens ions, capacities, and techn
ical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)..................................................................... 227
A summary of th
e warr
anties covering your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
...................................... 233
How t o
order
manuals and other technical literature.
Index ........................................................................\
......................................................................................... I
Gas Station Information
Information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.
Owner's Identification Form
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Control Locations
MIRROR
CONTROLS DIGITAL CLOCK
(P.66)
DOOR LOCK
SWITCH
(P.50)
POWER WINDO
W
SWITCH
(P.62)
FUEL FILL
DOOR RELEASE
(P.110)
HEATING/COOLIN
G
CONTROLS (P.74)
AUDIO SYSTEM
(P.83)
HOOD
RELEASE
HANDLE
(P.111)
Instruments and Controls
(P.64)
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Keys and Locks
LOCK (0) — You can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
When you turn the key from LOCK to ACCESSORY, you may have to
turn the steering wheel to release the anti-theft lock. To switch from
ACCESSORY to LOCK, you must push the key in slightly as you turn it.
The shift lever must also be in Park. The anti-theft lock will lock the steering column when you remove
the key.
ACCESSORY (I) — In this position, you can operate the audio systemand cigarette lighter.
ON (II) — This is the normal key
position when driving. All features and accessories on the car are usable.
Several of the lights on the instru-
ment panel come on as a test when
you turn the ignition switch from
ACCESSORY to ON (see page 35 ). START (III) — Use this position
only to start the engine. The switch
returns to ON when you let go of the
key.
You will hear a reminder beeper if
you open the driver's door with the key in the LOCK or ACCESSORYposition. Remove the key to turn itoff. Power Door Locks
Each front door has a master door
lock switch. Either switch locks andunlocks all doors. Push the switchdown to lock all doors, and up to
unlock them. The lock tab on the
tailgate also locks and unlocks when
you use the master door lock switch.
Instruments and Controls MASTER DOOR LOCK SWITCHProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents

Comfort and Convenience Features
The heating and air conditioning system in your car provides a com-
fortable driving environment in all
weather conditions.
The standard audio system has many features. This section de-scribes those features and how to
use them. (If you selected an
optional audio system, refer to the operating instructions that came
with it.)
Some models have an anti-theft
audio system that requires a code
number to enable it. Heating and Cooling........................ 74
What Each Control Does............ 74How to Use the System............... 76
To Turn Everything Off ............. 81 Rear A/C Unit.............................. 82
Audio System (U.S. LX and
Canadian EX)........................... 83
Operating the Radio.................... 84
Adjusting the Sound.................... 86 Radio Frequencies and Reception.................................. 86
Operating the Cassette Player... 87
Tape Search Functions............... 88
Caring for Cassettes.................... 89Operating the Optional CD Player/Changer....................... 90
Audio System (U.S. EX).................. 92 Operating the Radio.................... 93
Adjusting the Sound.................... 96 Radio Frequencies....................... 97
Radio Reception........................... 97
Operating the Cassette Player... 99
Tape Search Functions............. 100 Caring for the Cassette Player...................................... 101 Operating the Optional CD
Player/Changer..................... 102
Protecting Compact Discs........ 104 CD Error Indications................. 105
Theft Protection........................ 106
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Audio System
AM/FM/Cassette Stereo Audio
System
For U.S. LX and Canadian models
Your Honda's audio system provides clear reception on both AM and FM
bands, while the preset buttons allow
you to easily select your favorite
stations.
The cassette system features Dolby B* noise reduction, automatic
sensing of chromium-dioxide (CrO 2)
tape, and autoreverse for continuous
play.
* Dolby noise reduction manufactured under
license from Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corpo-
ration. "DOLBY" and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories
Licensing Corporation.
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Audio System
Operating the Radio
The ignition switch must be in
ACCESSORY (I) or ON (II). Turn the system on by pushing the PWR/
VOL knob.
Adjust the volume by turning the PWR/VOL knob.
The band and frequency that the radio was last tuned to is displayed.
To change bands, press the AM/FM button. On the FM band, ST will be
displayed if the station is broadcast-
ing in stereo. Stereo reproduction on
AM is not available.
Comfort and Convenience Features
TUNE/SEEK
BUTTONS
STEREO INDICATOR
PRESET
BUTTONS
AM/FM
BUTTON
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Audio System
You can use any of three methods to find radio stations on the selectedband: TUNE, SEEK, or the Preset
buttons.
TUNE — Use the TUNE/SEEK buttons to tune the radio to a desired frequency. Press ( ) to change
to a higher frequency, and press ( ) to tune to a lower frequency.
The frequency numbers will start to change rapidly. Release the switch
when the display reaches the desired frequency. To change the frequency
in small increments, press and
release the appropriate TUNE/SEEK button. SEEK — The SEEK function
searches the band for a station with
a strong signal. To activate it, push
the TUNE/SEEK button until you
hear a beep, then release it.
Depending on which TUNE/SEEK
button you pushed, the system scans
upward or downward from the
current frequency. It stops when it
finds a station with a strong signal.
Preset — You can store the fre- quencies of your favorite radio
stations in the six preset buttons.
Each button will store one frequency
on the AM band, and two on the FM
band.
To store a frequency:
1. Select the desired band, AM or FM. FM1 and FM2 let you store
two frequencies with each Preset
button.
2. Use the TUNE or SEEK function to tune the radio to a desired
station.
3. Pick the Preset button you want for that station. Press the button
and hold it until you hear a beep.
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 to store a total of six stations on AM and twelve
on FM.
Once a station's frequency is stored,
simply press and release the proper
preset button to tune to it.
The preset frequencies will be lost if your vehicle's battery goes dead or is
disconnected.
Comfort and Convenience FeaturesProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t Table of Contents

Audio System
Adjusting the Sound Balance/Fader — These twocontrols adjust the strength of the
sound coming from each speaker.
The Balance control adjusts the side- to-side strength, while the Fader
control adjusts the front-to-back
strength.
To use these controls, push on the knob to get them to pop out. Adjust
the Fader to your liking by turningthe outside ring. Adjust the Balance
by turning the knob. Push the
controls back in when you are done.
Treble/Bass — Use these controls to adjust the tone to your liking.Push on the controls to get them to
pop out. Adjust the Bass by turning
the outer ring. Adjust the Treble by
turning the knob. Push the controls
back in when you are finished so you cannot change the settings byaccidentally bumping them.
BASS
CONTROL
You can use the Balance control knob to turn off the illumination of
the audio system. Push the Balance/
Fader controls so they pop out, then
pull the Balance control knob out slightly farther.
Check the Balance control knob ifthe audio system does not illuminate
with the instrument panel lights. Radio Frequencies and Reception
For information, See page 97.
Comfort and Convenience Features
TREBLE
CONTROL
FADER
CONTROL
BALANCE
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