1999 HONDA ODYSSEY ESP

Introduction

Congratulations ! Your selection of a 1999 Honda Odyssey was a wise
investment. It will give you years of driving pleasure.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Honda is to
read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Afterwards, keep this owner's manual in your vehicle so
you can refer to it at any time.
Several warranties protect your new Honda. Read the warranty bookletthoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.
Maintaining your vehicle according to the schedules given in this manual
helps to keep your driving trouble-free while it preserves your investment.
When your vehicle needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Honda dealer's staff is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to
your Honda. Your Honda dealer is dedicated to your satisfaction and will be
pleased to answer any questions and concerns.
As you read this manual, you will

find information that is preceded by
symbol. This

information is intended to help you

avoid damage to your Honda, other

property, or the environment.
a

NOTICEProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

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 SERIOUSLY
HURT 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.
The recommendations on this page are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbagssupplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inflate only in a
moderate to severe frontal collision.
So even though your vehicle is equipped with airbags, make sure
you and your passengers always
wear your seat belts, and wear them properly. (See page 15 .)
Restrain All ChildrenChildren 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 22.) Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
While airbags save lives, they can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants 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 9.)

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 alsooccur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Keep Your Vehicle in SafeCondition
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 224.)

Driver and Passenger SafetyProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Protecting Adults

Introduction
The following pages provide instructions on how to properly
protect the driver and other adult

occupants.

These instructions also apply to children who have outgrown child
seats and are large enough to wear
lap/shoulder belts. (See page 39 for
important additional guidelines on
how to properly protect larger children.) 1 .Close and Lock the Doors
After everyone has entered the vehicle, be sure the doors andtailgate are closed and locked.
Your vehicle has a door and tailgate monitor light on the instrument
panel to indicate when a specificdoor or the tailgate is not tightly

closed.

For safety, locking the doors reduces
the chance that a passenger, especially a child, will open a door
while the vehicle is moving and accidentally fall out. It also reduces
the chance of someone being thrown
out of the vehicle during a crash.
For security, locked doors can
prevent an outsider from
unexpectedly opening a door when
you come to a stop.
See page 79 for how to lock the

doors.
2.Adjust the Front Seats
Any driver who sits too close to the steering wheel is at risk of being
seriously injured or killed by striking
the steering wheel, or from being struck by an inflating airbag during a

crash.

Driver and Passenger SafetyProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Protecting Children

Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best intentions, many parents and other
adults may not know how to properly
protect young passengers.
So if you have children, or if you ever
need to drive with a grandchild or other children in your vehicle, besure to read this section. All Children Must Be Restrained
Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not properly restrained. In fact, vehicleaccidents are the number one cause
of death of children ages 12 and
under.
To reduce the number of child deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian province requires that
infants and children be restrained
whenever they ride in a vehicle.

Any child who is too small to wear a
seat belt should be properly

restrained in a child seat. (See page
26 .)

A larger child should always be
restrained with a seat belt. (See page
39 .)

Driver and Passenger Safety
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be

seriously injured or killed in a

crash.

Any child too small for a seat

belt should be properlyrestrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Additional Information About Your SRS

During a crash, your seat belt helps
restrain your lower body and torso,
while the tensioner tightens and
locks the seat belt to help keep you in place. Your airbag provides a
cushion to help restrain and protect
your head and chest.
Since both airbags use the same
sensors, both airbags normally
inflate at the same time. However, it
is possible for only one airbag to
inflate.
This can occur when the severity of a collision is at the margin, or
threshold, that determines whether
or not the airbags will deploy. In such cases, the seat belt will provide
sufficient protection, and the
supplemental protection offered by
the airbag would be minimal. After inflating, the airbags
immediately deflate, so they won'tinterfere with the driver's visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
The total time for inflation and deflation is approximately one-tenth
of a second, so fast that most
occupants are not aware that the
airbags deployed until they see them
lying in their laps. After a crash, you may see what
looks like smoke. This is actually
powder from the airbag's surface.
Although the powder is not harmful, people with respiratory problemsmay experience some temporarydiscomfort. If this occurs, get out of
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so.

U.S. Owners
For additional information on how
your airbags work, see the booklet
titled SRS: What You Need to Know
About Airbags that came with your

owner's manual.

Canadian Owners
For additional information on how
your airbags work, ask your dealer
for a copy of the booklet titled SRS:
What You Need to Know About Airbags.

Driver and Passenger SafetyProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Keys and Locks

As required by the FCC:
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This device way not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operation.

This device complies with DOC
regulations in Canada.
Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user's
authority to operate the equipment.
Ignition Switch

The ignition switch is on the right side of the steering column. It has
four positions: LOCK (0)
ACCESSORY (I)
ON (II)
START (III)LOCK (0) — You can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
To switch from ACCESSORY to LOCK, you must push the key inslightly as you turn it. The shift lever
must also be in Park. The anti-theft
lock will lock the steering column
when you remove the key.
If the front wheels are turned, the
anti-theft lock may sometimes make
it difficult to turn the key from LOCK to ACCESSORY. Firmly turn
the steering wheel to the left or to
the right as you turn the key.
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Keys and Locks

Transmitter Care
Avoid severe shock to the trans- mitter, such as dropping or throwing
it. Also, protect it from extreme hot
or cold temperatures.
Clean the transmitter case with a
soft cloth. Do not use strong
cleaners or solvents that could harm
the case. Immersing the transmitter in any liquid will harm the trans-
mitter and cause it to not function
properly.
If you lose a transmitter, you will
need to have the replacement
programmed to your vehicle's system by your Honda dealer. Any
other transmitters you have will also
need to be reprogrammed. As required by the FCC:
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This device
may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
This device complies with DOC
regulations in Canada.
Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user's
authority to operate the equipment.

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