1998 HONDA ODYSSEY warning

A Few Words About Safety
Your safety, and the safety of others,is very important. And operating this
vehicle safely is an important responsibility.
To help you make informed decisions about safety, we have
provided operating procedures and other information on labels and in
this manual. This information alerts
you to potential hazards that could hurt you or others.
Of course, it is not practical or
possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or
maintaining your vehicle. You must
use your own good judgement. You will find this important safety information in a variety of forms,
including:
Safety Labels — on the vehicle. Safety Messages — preceded by a safety alert symbol and one of
three signal words: DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION.

These signal words mean:

You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLYHURT if you don't follow instructions.
You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if you don't follow instructions.
You CAN be HURT if you don't follow instructions.
Safety Headings — such as Important Safety Reminders or Important Safety Precautions.
Safety Section — such as Driver and Passenger Safety.
Instructions — how to use this vehicle correctly and safely.
This entire book is filled with important safety information — please read it carefully.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Important Safety Precautions

You'll find many safety recommendations throughout thissection, and throughout this manual.
Following are a few
recommendations we consider most
important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inflate only in a
severe frontal collision. So even with
airbags, make sure you and your
passengers always wear your seat
belts, and wear them properly. (See
page 13.)
Restrain All Children
Children are safest when they are
properly restrained in a back seat, not the front seat. A child who is too
small for a seat belt must be properly
restrained in a child safety seat. (See
page 19.) Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
While airbags save lives, they can cause serious or fatal injuries tooccupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Infants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page 5.)

Don't Drink and Drive

Alcohol and driving don't mix. Even one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions and
your reaction time gets worse with every additional drink. So don't drink
and drive, and don't let your friends drink and drive, either. Control Your Speed
Excessive speed is a major factor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the
risk, but serious accidents can also occur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Keep Your Vehicle in Safe
Condition
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical failure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition frequently, and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page 164.)
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Protecting Children

(U.S. models only)
To remind you of the passenger airbag hazards, and that children
must be properly restrained in a
back seat, your vehicle has warning
labels on the dashboard and on the driver's and front passenger's visors.
Please read and follow the
instructions on these labels. If You Must Drive with Several
Children

Your vehicle has two rows of back seats where children can be properly

restrained.

If you ever have to carry a group of
children (when car-pooling for
example), and a child must ride in
front: Place the largest child in the front
seat, provided the child is large
enough to wear a seat belt
properly (see page 35). Move the vehicle seat as far to the

rear as possible (see page 10).
Have the child sit upright and well
back in the seat (see page 16 ). Make sure the seat belt is properly
positioned and secured (see page
13).

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Instruments and Controls

This section gives information about
the controls and displays thatcontribute to the daily operation of

your Honda. All the essential
controls are within easy reach.

Control Locations............................ 50

Indicator Lights................................ 51

Gauges.............................................. 54
Tachometer.................................. 54

Trip Meter.................................... 54
Speedometer................................ 55

Odometer...................................... 55

Temperature Gauge.................... 55
Fuel Gauge................................... 55

Maintenance Required
Indicator.................................... 56

Controls Near the Steering

Wheel........................................ 57

Headlights.................................... 58
Daytime Running Lights............. 58
Instrument Panel Brightness..... 59
Turn Signals................................. 59

Windshield Wipers...................... 60

Windshield Washers................... 61

Rear Window Wiper and
Washer...................................... 61

Hazard Warning........................... 61

Rear Window Defogger.............. 62

Steering Wheel Adjustment....... 62

Steering Wheel Controls ................ 64
Cruise Control.............................. 64

Keys and Locks................................ 67
Keys............................................... 67

Immobilizer System..................... 68

Ignition Switch............................. 69

Power Door Locks....................... 70
Remote Transmitter.................... 71

Childproof Door Locks............... 72

Tailgate......................................... 72

Glove Box..................................... 73

Seats.................................................. 74
Passenger Seating....................... 74

Seat Adjustments......................... 74

Driver's Seat Power Height
Adjustment............................... 75

Armrests....................................... 76
Head Restraints........................... 76
Third Seat Access........................ 77

Removing the Second Seats
in the Six-Passenger Model.... 78

Folding the Second Seats
in the Seven-Passenger

Model.................................... 78

Reclining the Second Seat.......... 79
Folding the Third Seat
in All Models............................ 80

Power Windows............................... 82

Sunroof.............................................. 83

Mirrors.............................................. 84
Adjusting the Power Mirrors..... 84

Parking Brake.................................. 85

Digital Clock..................................... 86 Beverage Holder.............................. 86
Dashboard Compartment............... 88
Center Pocket.................................. 88
Vanity Mirror................................... 88
Cigarette Lighter............................. 89
Ashtrays............................................ 89 Interior Lights.................................. 90
Ceiling Lights............................... 90

Spotlights...................................... 90

Tailgate Light............................... 91 Courtesy Lights........................... 91

Instruments and ControlsProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Indicator Lights

U.S.

Anti-lock Brake System
(ABS) Indicator
This light normally comes on when you turn the ignition switch ON (II) and goes off after the engine starts.
If it comes on at any other time,
there is a problem in the ABS. If this
happens, take the vehicle to your dealer to have it checked. With the
light on, your vehicle still has normal
braking ability but no anti-lock. Turn Signal and
Hazard Warning
Indicators
The left or right turn signal light blinks when you signal a lane changeor turn. If the light does not blink or
blinks rapidly, it usually means one of the turn signal bulbs is burned out (see page 207). Replace the bulb as
soon as possible, since other drivers
cannot see that you are signalling.
When you turn on the Hazard
Warning switch, both turn signal lights blink. All turn signals on theoutside of the vehicle should flash. Door and Brake Lamp Monitor
The appropriate light comes on in this display if the tailgate or any dooris not closed tightly. If a brake lightdoes not work, the BRAKE LAMP
indicator comes on when you push
the brake pedal with the ignition switch ON (II).
A burned out brake light is a hazard when drivers behind you cannot tell
you are braking. Have your brakelights repaired right away.
All the lights in the monitor display come on for a few seconds when you
turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Instruments and Controls
BRAKE LAMP
INDICATOR

ABS

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Controls Near the Steering Wheel

The two levers on the steering column contain controls for driving
features you use most often. The left lever controls the turn signals,
headlights, and high beams. The right lever controls the windshield
washers and wipers.
The rear window defogger switch and hazard warning switch are on
the dashboard
under the center air

vent.

The controls near the left air vent are for the sunroof, cruise control
and instrument panel brightness.
The tilt adjustment lever on the underside of the steering column
allows you to tilt the steering wheel. HAZARD WARNING LIGHT

WINDSHIELD

WIPERS/WASHERS

SUNROOF
SWITCH
SHIFT LEVER

REAR WINDOW

DEFOGGER

CRUISE
CONTROL
INSTRUMENT
BRIGHTNESS
HEADLIGHTS/

TURN SIGNALS
TILT

ADJUSTMENT

HORN

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Controls Near the Steering Wheel

Windshield Washers
To clean the windshield, pull back on the wiper control lever. The washersspray until you release the lever. The
wipers run at low speed while you're pulling the lever, then complete one
more sweep of the windshield after
you release it. Rear Window Wiper and Washer
The rear window wiper switch is located next to the windshield wiper
switch.

To activate the rear windshield wiper, turn the switch "ON". If you wish touse the wiper and washer, turn and
hold the switch one position up from "ON". To use the washer only, turn
and hold the switch one position
down from "OFF". Hazard Warning
Push the red button to the left of the
clock to turn on the hazard warning
lights (four-way flashers). This causes all four outside turn signals
and both indicators in the instrument
panel to flash. Use the hazard
warning lights if you need to park in a dangerous area near heavy traffic,
or if your vehicle is disabled.
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Seats
Passenger Seating

Six-passenger model
The six-passenger model has separate seats with armrests for two
front passengers, separate seats with armrests for two passengers in the
second row, and a bench seat for two
passengers in the third row.
For greater cargo capacity, the seats
in the second row can be removed, and the bench seat in the third row
can be folded into the floor. Seven-passenger model
The seven-passenger model has separate seats with armrests for two
front passengers, a bench seat for three passengers in the second row,
and a bench seat for two passengers
in the third row.
For greater cargo capacity, the seat
in the second row can be folded out
of the way in sections, and the bench
seat in the third row can be folded
into the floor.
Seat Adjustments

See pages 10 — 11 for important safety
information and warnings about how to

properly position seats and seat-backs.
Make all seat adjustments before
you start driving.
To adjust the seat forward and backward, pull up on the lever under
the seat cushion's front edge. Move
the seat to the desired position andrelease the lever. Try to move theseat to make sure it is locked in

position.

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