1998 HONDA ODYSSEY Owners Manual

Air Conditioning System

Your vehicle's air conditioning is a sealed system. Any major mainte-
nance, such as recharging, should be done by a qualified mechanic. You
can do a couple of things to make sure the air conditioning works
efficiently.
Periodically check the engine's
radiator and air conditioning condenser for leaves, insects, and
dirt stuck to the front surface. These
block the air flow and reduce cooling efficiency. Use a light spray from a
hose or a soft brush to remove them.

The condenser and radiator fins bend

easily. Only use a low-pressure spray

or soft-bristle brush to clean them.
AIR CONDITIONING

CONDENSER

Run the air conditioning at least once a week during the cold weather
months. Run it for at least ten
minutes while you are driving at asteady speed with the engine at

normal operating temperature. This

circulates the lubricating oil con-
tained in the refrigerant. If the air conditioning does not get as
cold as before, have your dealer
check the system. Recharge the
system with Refrigerant HFC-134a (R-134a). (See Specifications on page 248.
)

Whenever you
have the air conditioning

system serviced, make sure the service

facility uses a refrigerant recycling
system. This system captures the
refrigerant for reuse. Releasing
refrigerant into the atmosphere can

damage the environment.

Maintenance

NOTICE
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Drive Belts, Timing Belt

Drive Belts
Check the condition of the two drive
belts. Examine the edges of each
belt for cracks or fraying. Check the tension of each belt by
pushing on it with your thumb midway between the pulleys.
The belts should have the following "play" or deflection.
Alternator belt:0.28 — 0.37 in (7.0 — 9.5 mm)
Power steering
belt:

0.51 — 0.63 in (13.0 —
16.0
mm)

If you

see signs of wear or looseness,
have your dealer adjust or replace
the belts. Timing Belt
The timing belt and balancer belt should normally be replaced at the
intervals shown in the maintenance
schedule.

Replace these belts at 60,000 miles (U.S.) or 100,000 km (Canada) if you
regularly drive your vehicle in one or
more of these conditions: In very high temperatures

(over 110°F, 43°C).
In very low temperatures

(under — 20°F, — 29°C).

Maintenance
ALTERNATOR BELT
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Tires

To safely operate your vehicle, your
tires must be the proper type and
size, in good condition with adequate

tread, and correctly inflated. The

following pages give more detailed
information on how and when tocheck air pressure, how to inspect
your tires for damage and wear, and
what to do when your tires need to
be replaced.
Inflation

Keeping the tires properly inflated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread life and riding comfort. Underinflated tires wear
unevenly, adversely affect handling and fuel economy, and are more
likely to fail from being overheated. Overinflated tires can make your
vehicle ride more harshly, are more prone to damage from road hazards,
and wear unevenly.
We recommend that you visually check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge. Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month. Even
tires that are in good condition may lose one to two psi (10 to 20 kPa, 0.1
to 0.2 kgf/cm2) per month.
Remember to check the spare tire at
the same time you check all theother tires.
Check the pressure in the tires when
they are cold. This means the vehicle
has been parked for at least three
hours. If you have to drive the
vehicle before checking the tire pressure, the tires can still be
considered "cold" if you drive less
than 1 mile (1.6 km).

Maintenance

Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner's manual regarding tire inflation and maintenance.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Tires

If you check the pressure when the
tires are hot (the vehicle has been driven several miles), you will see
readings 4 to 6 psi (30 to 40 kPa, 0.3
to 0.4 kgf/cm2) higher than the cold reading. This is normal. Do not let
air out to match the specified cold
pressure. The tire will be
underinflated.
You should get your own tire pressure gauge and use it whenever
you check your tire pressures. This
will make it easier for you to tell if a pressure loss is due to a tire problemand not due to a variation between

gauges.
Recommended Tire Pressures for
Normal Driving

The following chart shows the recommended cold tire pressures for
most normal driving conditions andspeeds. Tire pressures for high
speed driving are shown on page
251.

The compact spare tire pressure is: 60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm2) These pressures are also given on
the tire information label on thedriver's doorjamb.
Tubeless tires have some ability to self-seal if they are punctured.
However, because leakage is often
very slow, you should look closely for punctures if a tire starts losing

pressure.

MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Tires

Inspection

Every time you check inflation, youshould also examine the tires for

damage, foreign objects, and wear.

You should look for: Bumps or bulges in the tread or
side of the tire. Replace the tire if
you find either of these conditions. Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side
of the tire. Replace the tire if you
can see fabric or cord.
Excessive tread wear.

INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS

Your vehicle's tires have wear indica- tors molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down to that point, you
will see a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide
band running across the tread. Thisshows there is less than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread left on the tire. A
tire that is this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see the
tread wear indicator in three or more
places around the tire.
Maintenance

In addition to proper inflation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you find a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
The tires were properly balanced by the factory. They may need to berebalanced at some time before theyare worn out. Have your dealer
check the tires if you feel a consis-
tent vibration while driving. A tire should always be rebalanced if it is
removed from the wheel for repair.

Maintenance
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Tires

Make sure the installer balances the
wheels when you have new tires installed. This increases riding
comfort and tire life. Your vehicle's
original tires were dynamic or "spin"
balanced at the factory. For best
results, have the installer perform a dynamic balance.

(U.S.
EX)
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle's aluminum wheels. Use only Genuine Honda wheel weights for
balancing. Tire Rotation
To help increase tire life and
distribute wear more evenly, you
should have the tires rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km). Move the
tires to the positions shown in the
chart each time they are rotated. When shopping for replacement
tires, you may find that some tiresare "directional." This means they
are designed to rotate only in onedirection. If you use directional tires,
they should be rotated only front-to-
back.
Replacing Tires and Wheels
The tires that came with your vehicle were selected to match the performance capabilities of the
vehicle while providing the best combination of handling, ridecomfort, and long life. You should
replace them with radial tires of the same size, load range, speed rating,
and maximum cold tire pressure
rating (as shown on the tire's sidewall). Mixing radial and bias-ply
tires on your vehicle can reduce its
braking ability, traction, and steering
accuracy.

CONTINUED

Maintenance

NOTICE
Front
Front

(For Non-directional
Tires and Wheels) (For Directional
Tires and Wheels)ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Tires

It is best to replace all four tires at
the same time. If that is not possible or necessary, then replace the two
front tires or the two rear tires as a
pair. Replacing just one tire can seriously affect your vehicle's han-
dling.
The ABS works by comparing the speed of the wheels. When replacing
tires, use the same size originally supplied with the vehicle. Tire size
and construction can affect wheel speed and may cause the system to
work inconsistently.
If you ever need to replace a wheel,
make sure the wheel's specifications
match those of the original wheel
that came on your vehicle. Re-
placement wheels are available at
your Honda dealer.
Wheels and Tires
Wheel:
15 x 6 JJ

Tire:

P205/65R15 92S
See Tire Information on
page 222 for
additional information about tire and
wheel size designations. See page 251 for information about DOT Tire
Quality Grading.
Winter Driving

Tires that are marked "M + S" or
"All Season" on the sidewall have an
all-weather tread design. They
should be suitable for most winter
driving conditions. Tires without
these markings are designed for optimum traction in dry conditions.
They may not provide adequate performance in winter driving.For the best performance in snowyor icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under certain conditions.
Maintenance
Installing improper tires on your
vehicle can affect handling and stability. This can cause a crashin which you can be seriously

hurt or killed.

Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this owner's manual.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Tires

Snow Tires
If you mount snow tires on your
Honda, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range as the original tires. Mount snow
tires on all four wheels to balance
your vehicle's handling in all weather conditions. Keep in mind the traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads may not be as high as your vehicle's
original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads
are clear. Check with the tire dealer
for maximum speed recommenda-
tions. Tire Chains
Mount snow chains on your vehicle
when warranted by driving condi-
tions or required by local laws. Make sure the chains are the correct size
for your tires. Install them only on
the front tires. If metal chains are used, they must be SAE class "S."Cable type traction devices can also
be used.
When installing chains, follow the manufacturer's instructions and
mount them as tightly as you can.
Drive slowly with chains installed. If
you hear the chains contacting the
body or chassis, stop and investigate. Make sure the chains are installed
tightly, and that they are not contacting the brake lines or
suspension. Remove the chains as
soon as you begin driving on cleared

roads.
Chains of the wrong size or that are

improperly installed can damage your

vehicle's brake lines, suspension, body,

and wheels. Stop driving if you hear
the chains hitting any part of the

vehicle.

Maintenance

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