1998 HONDA ODYSSEY traction control

The Braking System

Anti-lock Brakes
Your vehicle has an Anti-lock BrakeSystem (ABS).
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) helps to prevent the wheels from lockingup and skidding during hard braking,
allowing you to retain steering
control.
When the front tires skid, you lose steering control; the vehicle
continues straight ahead even
though you turn the steering wheel.
The ABS helps to prevent lock-up and helps you retain steering control
by pumping the brakes rapidly; much
faster than a person can do it. You should never pump the
brake pedal, this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work for you by always keeping firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes referred to as
"stomp and steer."
You will feel a pulsation in the brake
pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is normal, it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on
the brake pedal very hard before youactivate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.

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The Braking System, Driving in Bad Weather

If anything goes wrong, the ABS
indicator on the instrument panel
comes on (see page 53). This means
the anti-lock function of the braking system has shut down. The brakes
still work like a conventional system
without anti-lock, providing normal stopping ability. You should have the
dealer inspect your vehicle as soon
as possible if this light stays on after
you start the engine, or comes on
while driving. Driving in Bad Weather
Rain, fog, and snow conditions re-
quire a different driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your vehicle well- maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control should not be used in these condi-

tions.
Driving Technique — Always drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your vehicle longer to react, even in conditions that may
seem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss of
control in wet weather. Be extracautious for the first few miles (kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in snow. A person can forget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills.
Exercise extra caution when driving
in rain after a long dry spell. After
months of dry weather, the first
rains bring oil to the surface of the
roadway, making it slippery.
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Driving in Bad Weather

Visibility — Being able to see clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important in all weather conditions. This is
more difficult in bad weather. To beseen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers frequently. Keep the wind- shield washer reservoir full of the
proper fluid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the defrosters and air
conditioning to keep the windows
from fogging up on the inside (see

page 99).
Traction — Check your tires
frequently for wear and proper
pressure. Both are important in
preventing "hydroplaning" (loss of
traction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all four
wheels for the best handling.
Watch road conditions carefully, they can change from moment to
moment. Wet leaves can be as slip-
pery as ice. "Clear" roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditionscan be very hazardous when the
outside temperature is near freezing.
The road surface can become covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be careful when downshifting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the drive wheels for a moment and cause
a skid. Be very cautious when passing, or
being passed by other vehicles. The spray from large vehicles reduces
your visibility, and the wind buffeting can cause you to lose control.
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Technical Information

The diagrams in this section give
you the dimensions and capacities of
your Honda, and the locations of the identification numbers. The expla-
nations of several electronic and
mechanical systems on your Hondaare for the more technically-oriented
owner. Identification Numbers................. 246
Specifications................................. 248
Tire Information............................ 250 Tire Size Designation................ 250
Wheel Size Designation............ 250
Tire Speed Ratings.................... 250
Tire Pressure Adjustment For High Speed Driving........ 251
DOT Tire Quality Grading....... 251 Treadwear.............................. 251
Traction.................................. 252
Temperature.......................... 252 Oxygenated Fuels.......................... 253
Driving in Foreign Countries....... 254
Emissions Controls........................ 255 The Clean Air Act...................... 255
Crankcase Emissions Control System..................................... 255
Evaporative Emissions Control System..................................... 255
Exhaust Emissions Controls.... 256 PGM-FI System..................... 256
Ignition Timing Control
System................................. 256
Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) System.................... 256
Three Way Catalytic Converter............................ 256
Replacement Parts..................... 256
Three Way Catalytic Converter... 257

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Tire Information

Tire Pressure Adjustment For High Speed Driving
Honda strongly recommends that
you not drive faster than posted speed limits and conditions allow. If
you decide it is safe to drive at high speeds, be sure to adjust the cold tire
pressures as shown below. If you do
not adjust the tire pressure, exces- sive heat can build up and cause
sudden tire failure.
Be sure to readjust the pressure for

normal driving speeds. You should

wait until the tires are cold before adjusting the tire pressure (see page
171).

DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Cars)

The tires on your vehicle meet all U.S. Federal Safety Requirements.
All tires are also graded for treadwear, traction, and temperature
performance according to
Department of Transportation (DOT) standards. The following
explains these gradings.
Treadwear

The treadwear grade is a compara- tive rating based on the wear rate ofthe tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one
half (1-1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices, and differences in
road characteristics and climate.

CONTINUED

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Tire Information

Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and C, and they
represent the tire's ability to stop on
wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade as- signed to this tire is based on brak-
ing (straight ahead) traction tests
and does not include cornering (turning) traction. Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the
tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger
vehicle tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by
law.
Warning: The temperature grade for

this tire is established for a tire that

is properly inflated and not over-

loaded. Excessive speed, underinfla-

tion, or excessive loading either
separately or in combination, can

cause heat build-up and possible tire

failure.

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