1997 HONDA ODYSSEY coolant

Fluid Locations

Maintenance

BRAKE FLUID
(Gray cap)
ENGINE OIL
FILL CAP
COOLANT
RESERVOIR

AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
FLUID DIPSTICK
(Yellow loop)
ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK
(Orange loop)
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE
RESERVOIR

(Gray cap)
POWER STEERING
FLUID (Red cap)
WASHER FLUID (Blue cap)ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Cooling System

Adding Engine Coolant
If the coolant level in the reserve
tank is at or below the MIN line, add
coolant to bring it up to the MAX line.
Inspect the cooling system for leaks.
This coolant should always be a mixture of 50 percent antifreeze and50 percent water. Never add straight
antifreeze or plain water. Always use Genuine Honda
antifreeze/coolant. If it is not
available, you may use another
major-brand non-silicate coolant as a
temporary replacement. Make sure it is a high-quality coolant
recommended for aluminum engines. However, continued use of any non-
Honda coolant can result in
corrosion, causing the cooling
system to malfunction or fail. Have
the cooling system flushed and
refilled with Honda antifreeze/ coolant as soon as possible. If the reserve tank is completely
empty, you should also check the
coolant level in the radiator.

Maintenance
RESERVE TANK

Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Cooling System

1. Make sure the engine and radiator
are cool.

2. Turn the radiator cap counter- clockwise, without pressing down
on it, until it stops. This relieves
any pressure remaining in the
cooling system.
3. Remove the radiator cap by pushing down and turningcounterclockwise.
4. The coolant level should be up to
the base of the filler neck. Addcoolant if it is low.
5. Put the radiator cap back on. Tighten it fully.
6. Pour coolant into the reserve tank. Fill it to halfway between the MAX
and MIN marks. Put the cap back
on the reserve tank.
Do not add any rust inhibitors or
other additives to your car's cooling
system. They may not be compatible
with the coolant or engine compo- nents.

Maintenance

RADIATOR CAP
RESERVE TANKProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Cooling System

Replacing Engine Coolant
The cooling system should be completely drained and refilled with
new coolant according to the time and distance recommendations in
the maintenance schedule. Only use Genuine Honda antifreeze/coolant.
Draining the coolant requires access
to the underside of the car. Unless
you have the tools and knowledge, you should have this maintenance done by a skilled mechanic.
1. Slide the heater temperaturecontrol lever to maximum heat.Open the hood. Make sure the
engine and radiator are cool to the
touch.
2. Remove the radiator cap.
3. Loosen the drain plug on the

bottom of the radiator. The
coolant will drain through the
splash guard. Remove the drain

bolt and washer from the engine

block.

Maintenance DRAIN BOLT
DRAIN PLUGProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Cooling System

4. Remove the reserve tank from its holder by pulling it straight up.
Drain the coolant, then put the
tank back in its holder.
5. When the coolant stops draining, tighten the drain plug in the
bottom of the radiator. Put a new
washer on the drain bolt, thenreinstall the drain bolt in the
engine block. Tighten it securely. Tightening torque:
61 lbf.ft (8.5 kgf.m,83 N.m)

6. Mix the recommended antifreeze
with an equal amount of purifiedor distilled water in a clean
container. The cooling system
capacity is:

1.66 US gal (6.3 ,1.39 Imp gal)

7. Pour coolant into the radiator up to the base of the filler neck. 8. Loosen the bleeder bolt on top of
the engine. Tighten it again whencoolant comes out in a steady
stream with no bubbles.
9. Refill the radiator to the base of the filler neck. Put the cap on theradiator, and tighten it only to the
first stop. Start the engine and let it run until it warms up (the
radiator cooling fan comes on at
least twice).
Maintenance
CONTINUED

RESERVE TANK

RESERVE

TANK CAP

HOLDER
FILLER NECK
Fill up to here BLEEDER BOLT


ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Cooling System, Windshield Washers

10.Turn off the engine. Check the level in the radiator, add coolant if
needed. Install the radiator cap,
and tighten it fully.
11.Fill the reserve tank to the MAX mark. Install the reserve tank cap. Windshield Washers

Check the level in the windshield
washer reservoir at least monthly during normal usage. In bad weather,
when you use the washers often, check the level every time you stop

for fuel.

The windshield washer reservoir is located behind the driver's side
headlight. Check the reservoir's fluid
level by removing the cap and
looking at the level gauge attached

to the
cap.
Fill the reservoir with a good-quality
windshield washer fluid. This increases the cleaning capability and
prevents freezing in cold weather.
Do not use engine antifreeze or a vinegar/water solution in the wind-
shield washer reservoir.
Antifreeze can damage your car's paint,
while a vinegar/water solution can
damage the windshield washer pump.
Use only commercially-available
windshield washer fluid.

Maintenance
RESERVE TANK
LEVEL GAUGE
NOTICEProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

If Your Engine Overheats
The pointer of your car's tempera- ture gauge should stay in the mid-range under most conditions. It may
go higher if you are driving up a long steep hill on a very hot day. If it
climbs to the red mark, you should

determine the reason.

Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause serious damage to your engine. Your car can overheat for several
reasons, such as lack of coolant or a

mechanical problem. The only

indication may be the temperature

gauge climbing to or above the red mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming from under the hood.

In either case, you should take

immediate action.
1. Safely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.
Turn off the heating and cooling system and all other accessories.
Turn on the hazard warning indicators.
2. If you see steam and/or spray coming from under the hood, turnoff the engine.
3. If you do not see steam or spray, leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If the high heat is due to overloading (climbing a long, steep hill on a
hot day with the A/C running, for example), the engine should start
to cool down almost immediately. If it does, wait until the tempera-
ture gauge comes down to the mid-
point then continue driving.

Taking Care of the Unexpected

NOTICE

Steam and spray from an

overheated engine can

seriously scald you.

Do not open the hood if steam

is coming out.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

If Your Engine Overheats
4. If the temperature gauge stays at the red mark, turn off the engine.
5. Wait until you see no more signs of steam or spray, then open the

hood.

6. Look for any obvious coolant leaks, such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot, so use caution. If you find a leak, it
must be repaired before you
continue driving (see Towing on
page 215).
7. If you don't find an obvious leak, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page113). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
between the MIN and MAX marks.
8. If there was no coolant in the reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, before check-
ing the radiator.
9. Using gloves or a large heavy cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the first stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes
off.
10.Start the engine and set the
temperature control lever tomaximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the filler
neck. If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture available,
you can add plain water. Remember to have the coolingsystem drained and refilled with
the proper mixture as soon as you

can.

11. Put the radiator cap back on tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair. (See Towing on
page 215.)
12.If the temperature stays normal, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the MAX mark. Put the cap back on

tightly.
Taking Care of the Unexpected

Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can cause the coolant to spray out,seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t