1998 HONDA ODYSSEY maintenance

Gauges

The gauge does not stay at the same fuel level reading after you turn off
the ignition. When you add fuel, the
gauge slowly changes to the new
reading after you turn the ignitionswitch back ON (II).
Maintenance Required
Indicator
This indicator reminds you that it is time to take your vehicle in for sched-
uled maintenance.Refer to the Maintenance Schedules
for Normal and Severe Driving Conditions on pages 164 — 168 .
For the first 6,000 miles (9,600 km)
after the Maintenance Required
Indicator is reset, it will come on for
two seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II).
Between 6,000 miles (9,600 km) and
7,500 miles (12,000 km) this
indicator will light for two seconds
when you first turn the ignition switch ON (II), and then flash for
ten seconds.

If you exceed 7,500 miles (12,000

km) without having the scheduled
maintenance performed, this
indicator will remain on as a constant
reminder.
Your dealer will reset this indicator after completing the scheduled
maintenance. If this maintenance is done by someone other than your
Honda dealer, reset the indicator as
follows.
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Press and hold the select/reset button in the instrument panel,
then turn the ignition switch ON
(II).

3. Hold the button for about ten sec- onds, until the indicator resets. Low Fuel Indicator
This indicator is located in the fuel gauge. It comes on as a reminder
that you must refuel soon.
Instruments and Controls LOW FUEL INDICATOR

MAINT

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Service Station Procedures

4. Remove the dipstick again and check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see Adding Oil on page 173. Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see Adding
Engine Coolant on page 177 for
information on adding the proper
coolant. Refer to Owner Maintenance
Checks on page 171 for information
on checking other items in your
Honda.

Before Driving
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK Engine Coolant Check

MAX MIN

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Fuel Economy

The condition of your vehicle and
your driving habits are the two most important things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Vehicle Condition Always maintain your vehicle accord- ing to the maintenance schedule.
This will keep it in top operating condition.
An important part of that mainte- nance is the Owner Maintenance
Checks (see page 146). For
example, an underinflated tire
causes more "rolling resistance,"
which uses fuel. It also wears out faster, so check the tire pressure at
least monthly.
In winter, the build-up of snow on
your vehicle's underside adds weight and rolling resistance. Frequent
cleaning helps your fuel mileage and
reduces the chance of corrosion. Driving Habits
You can improve fuel economy by driving moderately. Rapid acceler-
ation, abrupt cornering, and hard
braking use more fuel.
Always drive in the highest gear that allows the engine to run and acceler-
ate smoothly.
Depending on traffic conditions, try
to maintain a constant speed. Every
time you slow down and speed up,
your vehicle uses extra fuel. Use the cruise control, when appropriate, to
increase fuel economy. A cold engine uses more fuel than a
warm engine. It is not necessary to"warm-up" a cold engine by letting it
idle for a long time. You can drive away in about a minute, no matter
how cold it is outside. The engine
will warm up faster, and you get
better fuel economy. To cut clown on the number of "cold starts," try tocombine several short trips into one.
The air conditioning puts an extra load on the engine which makes it
use more fuel. Turn off the A/C tocut down on air conditioning use.
Use the flow-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is moderate.

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Towing a Trailer

Towing Safety

Your vehicle will not stop as quicklywith a trailer in tow. Leave extra distance between your vehicle 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 vehicle
and can hit or run over something
that the vehicle misses. When
passing another vehicle, make sure
the trailer is clear before changing

lanes.
The vehicle/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 vehicle. You should have
your vehicle serviced according to the "Maintenance Schedule undersevere driving conditions" on page 164. This extra load is magnified when
you are driving in hilly terrain.
Watch the temperature gauge closely when climbing hills. If it gets
near the hot area, turn off the air
conditioning (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 fromoverheating. Help keep the brakes
from overheating by shifting to a lower gear when going downhill.
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Maintenance

This section explains why it is important to keep your vehicle 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 to per-
form more complex maintenance tasks on your Honda, you may want
to purchase the Service Manual. See
page 235 for information on how to obtain a copy, or see your Honda

dealer.
Maintenance Safety....................... 160
Important Safety Precautions.. 161
Maintenance Schedule.................. 162
Required Maintenance Record.... 169 Owner Maintenance Checks........ 171
Fluid Locations............................... 172

Engine Oil....................................... 173 Adding Oil................................... 173Recommended Oil..................... 173
Synthetic Oil............................... 174

Additives..................................... 175
Changing the Oil and Filter...... 175

Cooling System.............................. 177
Adding Engine Coolant............. 177Replacing Engine Coolant........ 179
Windshield Washers..................... 181
Automatic Transmission Fluid..... 182
Brake Fluid..................................... 183
Brake System............................. 183

Power Steering............................... 184
Air Cleaner Element...................... 185 Spark Plugs..................................... 187
Replacement............................... 187
Specifications............................. 188
Battery............................................ 189
Wiper Blades.................................. 191 Air Conditioning System............... 194
Drive Belts...................................... 195
Timing Belt..................................... 195
Tires................................................ 196 Inflation....................................... 196
Inspection................................... 198
Maintenance............................... 198
Tire Rotation.............................. 199
Replacing Tires and Wheels .... 199
Wheels and Tires....................... 200
Winter Driving........................... 200
Snow Tires.............................. 201
Tire Chains............................. 201
Lights.............................................. 202 Headlight Aiming...................... 204
Replacing Bulbs......................... 206
Storing Your Vehicle..................... 211
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Maintenance Safety
Regularly maintaining your vehicle 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 here. However,
we cannot warn you of 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
vehicle 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 maintenancerecommendations and
schedules in this owner's manual. Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
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Maintenance Safety

Important Safety Precautions
Before you begin any maintenance,
make sure your vehicle is parked on
level ground and that the parking
brake is set. Also, be sure the engine is off. This will help to eliminate
several 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 working
around 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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Maintenance Schedule

The Maintenance Schedule specifies how often you should have your
vehicle serviced and what things need attention. It is essential that
you have your vehicle serviced as scheduled to retain its high level of
safety, dependability, and emissions
control performance.
The services and time or distance
intervals shown in the maintenanceschedule assume you will use your
vehicle as normal transportation for
passengers and their possessions.
You should also follow these
recommendations:

Avoid exceeding your vehicle'sload limit. This puts excess stresson the engine, brakes, and many
other parts of your vehicle. The
load limit is shown on the label on
the driver's doorjamb. Operate your vehicle on
reasonable roads within the legal
speed limit.
Drive your vehicle regularly over a
distance of several miles
(kilometers).
Always use unleaded gasoline with
the proper octane rating (see page
128). Which Schedule to Follow:
Service your vehicle according to the
time and mileage periods on one of
the Maintenance Schedules on the
following pages. Select the schedule
for "Severe Conditions" if most of
your driving is done under one or more of the conditions listed on that
page. Otherwise, follow the schedule
for "Normal Conditions."
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