1998 HONDA ODYSSEY trailer

1998 Odyssey Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through\
this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.h\
elminc.com.

Contents

Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
............................................................... i
A Few Words About Safety........................................................................\
....................................... ii
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
.................................... 3
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
Instruments and Control s........................................................................\
........................................ 49
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
...................... 93
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................127
What gasoline to use, how to break -in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
......................................................................139
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................159
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take you r vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Car e........................................................................\
..................................................... .213
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your\
vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpecte d........................................................................\
..............................221
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, an d how to handle them.
Technical Informatio n........................................................................\
.............................................245
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................259
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manu als (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................265
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index........................................................................\
.............................................................................. I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

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Carrying Cargo

Load Limit

The maximum load for your vehicle is
1,150
lbs
(535 kg).
This figure includes the total weight of all occupants, cargo, accessories,

and the tongue weight if you are
towing a trailer.
To figure out how much cargo you can carry:
Add up the weight of all occupants. If you are towing a trailer, add the
tongue weight to the number

above.

Subtract the total from 1,150 Ibs
(535
kg).

The final number is the total weight
of cargo you can carry.
Carrying Items in the Passenger
Compartment
Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurtsomeone during a crash. Be sure items placed on the floor
behind the front seats cannot roll under the seats and interfere with
the driver's ability to operate the
pedals, or with the proper operation of the seats. Keep the glove box closed while
driving. If the lid is open, a
passenger could injure their knees during a crash or sudden stop.
Before Driving
Overloading or improper
loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in
which you can be hurt or killed.
Follow all load limits and other
loading guidelines in this

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Driving

This section gives you tips on starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important information on
parking your vehicle and the braking system, and facts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer. Preparing to Drive......................... 140
Starting the Engine........................ 141
Starting in Cold Weatherat High Altitude ..................... 141
Automatic Transmission............... 142 Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 142
Shift Lever Positions................. 142
Maximum Allowable Speeds.... 145
Shift Lock Release..................... 145
Parking............................................ 146
The Braking System...................... 147 Brake Wear Indicators.............. 147
Brake System Design................ 147
Anti-lock Brakes........................ 148 Important SafetyReminders.......................... 149
ABS Indicator......................... 149
Driving in Bad Weather................ 150
Towing a Trailer............................ 152

DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Automatic Transmission

Neutral (N) — Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the vehicle
for any reason. Press on the brake pe- dal when you are moving the shift
lever from Neutral to another gear.
Drive (D4) — Use this position for
your normal driving. The transmis- sion automatically selects a suitable
gear for your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission shifting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps theengine warm up faster.
Drive (D3) —This position is similar
to D4, except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D3 when towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to
provide engine braking when going down a steep hill. D3 can also keep
the transmission from cycling
between third and fourth gears in stop-and-go driving.
For faster acceleration when in D3 or
D4, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshift by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shift down one or two gears, depending on your

speed.

Second (2) — To shift to Second,
pull the shift lever towards you, then shift to the lower gear. This position
locks the transmission in second
gear. It does not downshift to first gear when you come to a stop.Second gives you more power when
climbing, and increased engine
braking when going down steep hills.
Use second gear when starting out on a slippery surface or in deep snow.
It will help reduce wheelspin. First (1) — To shift from Second to
First, pull the shift lever towards you,
then shift to the lower gear. With the
lever in this position, the transmis- sion locks in First gear. By upshift-
ing and downshifting through 1, 2, D3 and D4, you can operate this
transmission much like a manual
transmission without a clutch pedal.

Driving
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Towing a Trailer

Your Honda is designed primarily to carry passengers and their cargo.
You can use it to tow a trailer if you carefully observe some general rules. The total weight of the trailer and
everything loaded in it must not
exceed the weights shown in the
table below.
* 1: Including driver. Based on 150 Ibs (70 kg)
per passenger
* 2 : Seven-passenger model only The "tongue load" should never
exceed 160 Ibs (72 kg). This is the
amount of weight the trailer puts on the hitch when it is fully-loaded.
As a rule of thumb, the tongue load should be 10 percent of the
total trailer package.For example, if the trailer and its
load weigh 1,000 Ibs (450 kg), the
tongue load should be 100 Ibs (45
kg). Adjust the trailer's cargo to change the tongue load. Start by
putting approximately 60 percent of the cargo toward the front and
40 percent toward the rear. Never
load the trailer so the back is
heavier than the front.
The combined weight of the
vehicle, all passengers and theirluggage, and tongue load must not exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating. The GVWR is printed on
the Certification label attached to
the driver's doorjamb (see page
246).

The combined weight of the vehicle, all passengers and theirluggage, and tongue load also
must not exceed the Gross Axle
Weight Rating. The GAWR is also shown on the Certification label. It
tells you the maximum load for the
front and rear axles. It is possible
that your towing package does not
exceed the GVWR but does
exceed the GAWR. Improper
trailer loading, and/or too much
luggage in the trunk can overload the rear axle. Redistribute the loadand check the axle weights again.

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Towing a Trailer
The best way to confirm that your total towing package is within thesespecifications is to get it weighed.
Load the vehicle and trailer as you
normally would while towing, and
take them to a public scale. Have
them check the total weight and the
weight at each axle, then compare
the weights to the specifications.
Trailer Hitches

The trailer hitch must be the proper size and construction for your
vehicle and the trailer you intend to tow. Consult with an expert before
you purchase a trailer hitch, andhave it installed by a qualified
mechanic.
The hitch should bolt to the underbody of the vehicle, anddistribute the load over a wide area.
Never use a hitch that mounts only
to the rear bumper. The bumper is
not designed to handle that type of
load.

A trailer hitch that is not adequate for the size of the trailer, or a hitch that is
improperly installed, can cause damage
to the underside of your vehicle.

Driving

NOTICE
Improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can seriously affect
its steering and braking

performance, causing a crash
in which you can be seriously
injured.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully before starting to drive.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Towing a Trailer

Mirrors
Many states and provinces have laws
requiring special outside mirrors
when you are towing a trailer. Check
the laws in your area. You may want
to install mirrors, even if they are not
required. Hook up the trailer and see
how much it obscures your ability to see behind you with the standard
mirrors. If you cannot see directly
behind you, or have a large blind spot next to the trailer or the vehicle,
you should install mirrors intended for towing. Connecting the Trailer
Most trailers that have a gross
weight of 1,000 Ibs (450 kg) do not
have their own braking system. If
you are thinking of getting a trailer that does have brakes, make sure
they are electrically-operated. Thereare no provisions in your vehicle to
tap into its hydraulic braking system.
Any attempt to attach the trailer's brakes to your vehicle's hydraulicsystem, no matter how successful it
may seem, will lower braking effectiveness and create a potential

hazard.
Always use a safety chain when
towing a trailer. Connect the safetychain securely at both ends. Make
sure the chain crosses under the
tongue so it will catch the trailer if it becomes unhitched. Leave enoughslack in the chain so it can't bind in a
sharp turn. Do not let it drag on the

ground.

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Towing a Trailer

Your vehicle has a trailer lighting connector. To use the connector,
remove the left rear light cover.
Refer to the drawing above for the
wiring color code and purpose of
each connector pin.
Since the lighting and wiring can be
different for various brands of
trailers, have a technician who is
familiar with your trailer modify its
lighting plug. A converter may be required between the vehicle and
trailer for the lights to work correctly. Before Starting Out
As you are preparing to tow your
trailer, do the following: Measure the trailer's tongue load.
You can do this with a bathroom
scale.
Verify that the hitch and safety
chain are securely fastened. Check the condition and air
pressure of all tires on the trailer and your vehicle. Low tire
pressure can seriously affect the
handling. Also check the spare tire. With everything loaded and the
trailer connected, check that therear of the vehicle is not sagging.
If so, redistribute the load in the
vehicle. Check that all lights on the vehicle
and trailer are working properly.
Driving

GROUND
(BLACK)
BACK-UP LIGHT
(GREEN/BLACK)
LEFT TURN SIGNAL
(GREEN/BLUE)

RIGHT TURN SIGNAL
(GREEN/YELLOW)
BRAKE LIGHT

(GREEN/WHITE)
TAILLIGHT
(RED/BLACK)ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t