1997 HONDA ODYSSEY service

Driver and Passenger Safety

This section gives you important
information about occupant protec-

tion. It shows how to use seat belts

properly. It explains the Supple-
mental Restraint System. And it

gives useful information about how

to protect infants and children in
your car.

Your Occupant Protection System.. 4

The Seat Belt System
and How It Works...................... 5

Why Wear Seat Belts.................... 5
Important Safety Reminders........ 5

Seat Belt System Components..... 6

Lap/Shoulder Belt......................... 6

Lap Belt........................................... 7

Wearing Seat Belts Properly........ 7

Wearing a Lap/Shoulder Belt...... 7

Wearing the Lap Belt.................... 9

Advice for Pregnant Women...... 10
Seat Belt Maintenance................ 11

Supplemental Restraint System..... 12
SRS Components......................... 12

What Happens In a Crash........... 12

Important Facts About
Airbags...................................... 13
How the Driver's Airbag Works........................................ 14
How the Passenger's Airbag Works........................................ 15
How the SRS Indicator Light Works........................................ 16

System Service............................. 16

System Service Precautions....... 17
Additional Safety Information........ 18
Seat-back Position........................ 18
Head Restraint Position.............. 18
Door Locks................................... 19 Storing Cargo Safely................... 19
Driving with Pets......................... 19
Child Safety...................................... 20 Where Should Children Sit?....... 20Important Safety Reminders...... 21
General Guidelines for Restraining Children Under 40 Ibs (18 kg) ............... 22

Restraining
an Infant Who WeighsLess Than 20 Ibs (9 kg).......... 22

Restraining
a Child Who Weighs Between 20 and 40 Ibs (9 and 18 kg)..... 23
Restraining a Child Who Weighs Over 40 Ibs (18 kg).................. 24
Securing a Child Seat with a Lap/Shoulder Belt................... 25
Using Child Restraints with Tethers............................. 26
Storing a Child Seat..................... 27
Alcohol and Drugs........................... 28 Carbon Monoxide Hazard.............. 29
Safety Labels.................................... 30
Driver and Passenger SafetyProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Supplemental Restraint System

The passenger's airbag is stored near the top of the dashboard, under
a lid marked SRS. Do not place any
objects on top of this lid. If the airbag
inflates, those objects can be
propelled inside the car and possibly
hurt someone. How the SRS Indicator
Light Works
The purpose of the SRS light on your instrument panel is to alert you to a
potential problem with your supple- mental restraint system.
Have the system checked if: The light does not come on when
you turn the ignition ON (II). The light stays on after the engine
starts. The light comes on or flashes
while you are driving.
If you see any of these indications,
the airbag may not work when needed in an accident. Take the car
to your dealer promptly for diagnosis and service.
System Service

Your supplemental restraint system is virtually maintenance-free. Theonly scheduled maintenance is an
inspection of the system by the
dealer when the car is ten years old.
For your convenience, the car's
production date is on a label on thedriver's doorjamb.
If either of the following happens,
you must have an authorized Honda dealer service the system. There are
no parts you can safely service. If your airbags ever inflate, the
airbags and control unit must be
replaced. Do not try to remove or discard the airbags yourself. This
must be done by a Honda dealer.

Driver and Passenger Safety
S R S
ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Supplemental Restraint System

If the SRS indicator light alerts
you to a problem, have the supplemental restraint system
inspected as soon as possible. If
you ignore this indication, the airbags might not inflate when you
need them. System Service Precautions
Do not modify your steering wheel
or any other part of the supplemental
restraint system. Modifications could
make the system ineffective.
Do not tamper with the system's
components or wiring. This could cause the airbags to inflate inadver-
tently, possibly injuring someone
very seriously.
Tell anyone who works on your car that you have a supplemental
restraint system. Failure to follow
the procedures and precautions in
the official Honda service manualcould result in personal injury ordamage to the system. Scrapping an entire car that has
uninflated airbags can be dangerous.
Get assistance from a Honda dealer
if your car must be scrapped.
If you sell your car, please be sure to
tell the new owner that the car has a supplemental restraint system. Alert
them to the information and precau- tions in this part of the owner's

manual.

Driver and Passenger SafetyProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Alcohol and Drugs

Driving a car requires your full at-
tention and alertness. Traffic condi-
tions change rapidly. You must be able to react just as rapidly. Alcohol
or drugs directly affect your alert-
ness and ability to react. Even pre-
scription and non-prescription medi-

cines can have this effect.
There are laws that deal with drunken driving. These laws define
how much alcohol it takes in your system to be legally "drunk." How-
ever, your judgment and reaction
time get worse with every drink — even the first one. The safest thing you can do is never
drink and drive. This can be done if
you plan ahead. If you know you are
going to be drinking, make plans to
ride with a friend who will not be drinking.
What if you find that you've been drinking and cannot get a ride from a
friend? Find alternative transpor-
tation. Call a taxi. Take a bus. Many communities have transportation
services devoted to shuttling people
who have been drinking. If you have no choice but to drive,
stop drinking and give yourself lots
of time to sober up. Time is the only
thing that can make you sober.
Things like coffee or a cold shower don't speed up the process.
If you see friends trying to get
behind the wheel after drinking, stop
them. Drive them yourself or arrange other transportation. If you
think you are interfering, remember
that your interference will keep them
from sharing the road with you.
Driver and Passenger SafetyProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Before Driving

Before you begin driving your Honda,
you should know what gasoline to use, and how to check the levels of
important fluids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggage or packages. The information in thissection will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your car,
please read the information in this section first.
Break-in Period.............................. 108

Gasoline.......................................... 108

Oxygenated Fuels...................... 108

Driving in Foreign Countries... 109
Service Station Procedures .......... 110
Filling the Fuel Tank................. 110Opening the Hood..................... 111
Oil Check.................................... 112
Engine Coolant Check.............. 113
Fuel Economy................................ 114 Vehicle Condition...................... 114Driving Habits............................ 114
Accessories..................................... 115 Loading Cargo................................ 116
Before DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Break-in Period, Gasoline

Break-in Period

Help assure your car's future
reliability and performance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:
Avoid full-throttle starts and rapidacceleration.
Avoid hard braking. New brakes need to be broken-in by moderate
use for the first 200 miles (300
km).
You should follow these same re-
commendations with an overhauled

or exchanged engine, or when the

brakes are relined.
Gasoline

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.
We recommend gasolines containing detergent additives that help prevent
fuel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead willdamage your car's emission controls.
This contributes to air pollution.
In Canada, some gasolines containan octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emission control system performance may deteriorate and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on. If this happens, contact your
authorized Honda dealer for service. Oxygenated Fuels
Some conventional gasolines are
being blended with alcohol or an ether compound. These gasolines
are collectively referred to as oxygenated fuels. To meet clean air
standards, some areas of the United
States and Canada use oxygenated
fuels to help reduce emissions.
If you use an oxygenated fuel, besure it is unleaded and meets the
minimum octane rating requirement.
Before using an oxygenated fuel, try
to confirm the fuel's contents. Some
states/provinces require this
information to be posted on the

pump.

Before DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Gasoline

The following are the EPA-approved percentages of oxygenates:
ETHANOL (ethyl or grain alcohol)
You may use gasoline containing up to 10 percent ethanol by volume.Gasoline containing ethanol may be
marketed under the name "Gasohol."
MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether)
You may use gasoline containing up to 15 percent MTBE by volume.
METHANOL (methyl or wood

alcohol)

You may use gasoline containing up to 5 percent methanol by volume as
long as it also contains cosolventsand corrosion inhibitors to protect
the fuel system. Gasoline containing
more than 5 percent methanol by
volume may cause starting and/or performance problems. It may alsodamage metal, rubber and plastic
parts of your fuel system. If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
Fuel system damage or performance
problems resulting from the use of an oxygenated fuel containing more
than the percentages of oxygenates
given above are not covered under
warranty.
Driving in Foreign Countries

If you are planning to take your Honda outside the U.S. or Canada,
contact the tourist bureaus in the
areas you will be traveling in to find out about the availability of unleaded
gasoline with the proper octane
rating.

If unleaded gasoline is not available,
be aware that using leaded gasoline in your Honda will affect perfor-
mance and fuel mileage, and damage
its emissions controls. It will no
longer comply with U.S. andCanadian emissions regulations, and
will be illegal to operate in North
America. To bring your car back into compliance will require the replace-
ment of several components, such as
the oxygen sensors and the three
way catalytic converter. These re- placements are not covered under
warranty.

Before DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Service Station Procedures

Filling the Fuel Tank

1. Because the fuel fill cap is on the driver's side of the car, park with
that side closest to the service station pumps.
2. Open the fuel fill door by pulling on the handle to the left of the
driver's seat.
3. Remove the fuel fill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound aspressure inside the tank escapes.Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.
4. Stop filling the tank after the fuel pump automatically clicks off. Donot try to "top off" the tank, leavesome room for the fuel to expand
with temperature changes.
5. Screw the fuel fill cap back on, tighten it until it clicks. If you do
not properly tighten the cap, the
Malfunction Indicator Lamp may

come on (see page 208).
6. Push the fuel fill door closed until it latches.

Before Driving
Pull

FUEL FILL CAP
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel. Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t