
1999 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
Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety........................................................................\
.........................................ii
Your Vehicle at a Glanc e........................................................................\
............................................ .2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
......................................5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
Instruments and Control s........................................................................\
.........................................55
Instrume nt panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
......................129
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................181
What gasoline to use, how to break -in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
......................................................................195
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................219
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take you r vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Car e........................................................................\
..................................................... .277
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your\
vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpecte d........................................................................\
..............................285
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, an d how to handle them.
Technical Informatio n........................................................................\
.............................................313
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canad a
)...............................................................
.327
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manu als (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................333
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.
Owner's Identification Form
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Break-in Period, Gasoline
Break-in Period
Help assure your vehicle's future
reliability and performance by paying extra attention to how you driveduring the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:
Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoid hard braking. New brakes need to be broken-in by moderate
use for the first 200 miles (300
km). You should follow these same re-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are replaced.
We also recommend that you should not tow a trailer during the first 500
miles (800 km).
Gasoline
Your Honda is designed to operate on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise in the engine that can lead to
mechanical damage.
We recommend gasolines containing detergent additives that help prevent
fuel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your vehicle's emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
Before DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Gasoline, Service Station Procedures
In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emission control system performance may deteriorate and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on. If this happens, contact your
authorized Honda dealer for service.
Filling the Fuel Tank
1. Because the fuel fill cap is on the driver's side of the vehicle, park
with that side closest to the service station pumps.
2. Open the fuel fill door by pulling on the handle to the left of the
driver's seat.
Before refueling, make sure the rear
sliding door on the driver's side is
closed.
CONTINUED
Before Driving
FUEL FILL CAP
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.
Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.
PullProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Service Station Procedures
3. Remove the fuel fill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound aspressure inside the tank escapes.Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.
4. Stop filling the tank after the fuel pump automatically clicks off. Donot try to "top off" the tank, leavesome room for the fuel to expand
with temperature changes.
5. Screw the fuel fill cap back on, tighten it until it clicks at least
three times. If you do not properly
tighten the cap, the MalfunctionIndicator Lamp may come on (see
page 303 ).
6. Push the fuel fill door closed until it latches.
Opening the Hood
1. Shift to Park or Neutral and set the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly. 2. Standing in front of the vehicle,
put your fingers under the front
edge of the hood. The hood latch
handle is above the "H" logo. Pullup on this handle until it releases
the hood. Lift the hood.
Before Driving
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
LATCHProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Windshield Washers
Check the level in the windshield
washer reservoir at least monthly during normal usage. In bad weather,
when you use the washers often, check the level every time you stop
for fuel. This reservoir supplies the
windshield and rear window washers.
The windshield washer reservoir is located behind the passenger's side
headlight.Check the reservoir's fluid level by
removing the cap and looking at the
level gauge attached to the cap.
On Canadian models
The low washer level indicator will light when the level is low (see page
61).
Fill the reservoir with a good-quality
windshield washer fluid. This increases the cleaning capability and
prevents freezing in cold weather.
When you refill the reservoir, clean the edges of the windshield wiper
blades with windshield washer fluidon a clean cloth. This will help to
condition the blade edges.
Do not use engine antifreeze or a
vinegar/water solution in thewindshield washer reservoir.
Antifreeze can damage your vehicle's
paint, while a vinegar/water solution
can damage the windshield washer
pump.
Use only commercially-available
windshield washer fluid.
Maintenance
LEVEL GAUGE
NOTICEProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

If Your Engine Won't Start, Jump Starting
Your vehicle has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page 77).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly. Do you have fuel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the fuel gauge.
The low fuel level warning light may not be working, so you were
not reminded to fill the tank. There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses (see page 305).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Emergency
Towing on page 311. Jump Starting
If your vehicle's battery has run
down, you may be able to start the
engine by using a booster battery.
Although this seems like a simple procedure, you should take several
precautions.
You cannot start a Honda by pushing or pulling it. To jump start your vehicle, follow
these directions closely:
1. Open the hood and check the physical condition of the battery(see page 251). In very cold
weather, check the condition of the electrolyte. If it seems slushyor like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can freeze.
Attempting to jump start with a frozen
battery can cause it to rupture.
2. Turn off all the electrical acces- sories: heater, A/C, climate
control, stereo system, lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.
CONTINUED
Taking Care of the Unexpected
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
NOTICEProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Oxygenated Fuels
Some conventional gasolines are
being blended with alcohol or an
ether compound. These gasolines
are collectively referred to as
oxygenated fuels. To meet clean air
standards, some areas of the United
States and Canada use oxygenated
fuels to help reduce emissions.
If you use an oxygenated fuel, be
sure it is unleaded and meets the
minimum octane rating requirement.
Before using an oxygenated fuel, try
to confirm the fuel's contents. Some
states/provinces require this
information to be posted on the
pump.
The following are the U.S. EPA and
Canada CGSB approved percentages
of oxygenates:
ETHANOL (ethyl or grain alcohol)
You may use gasoline containing up to 10 percent ethanol by volume.Gasoline containing ethanol may be
marketed under the name "Gasohol."
MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl
Ether)
You may use gasoline containing up to 15 percent MTBE by volume.
METHANOL (methyl or wood
alcohol)
You may use gasoline containing up to 5 percent methanol by volume as
long as it also contains cosolventsand corrosion inhibitors to protect
the fuel system. Gasoline containing
more than 5 percent methanol by
volume may cause starting and/or performance problems. It may alsodamage metal, rubber and plastic parts of your fuel system.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
Fuel system damage or performance
problems resulting from the use of an oxygenated fuel containing more
than the percentages of oxygenates
given above are not covered under
warranty.
Technical InformationProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t

Service Information Summary
Gasoline:
Unleaded gasoline, pump octane
number of 86 or higher.
Fuel Tank Capacity:
20.00 US gal (75.7 l , 16.65 Imp gal)
Recommended Engine Oil:
API Service SJ "Energy Conserving" oil, SAE 5W-30
viscosity (see page 233).
Oil change capacity (including
filter):
4.6 US qt (4.4 l ,3.9 Imp qt)
Automatic Transmission Fluid:
Honda Premium Formula
Automatic Transmission Fluid preferred, or a DEXRON ®
III ATF
as a temporary replacement (see page 243). Power Steering Fluid:
Genuine Honda Power Steering
Fluid preferred, or another brand
of power steering fluid as a
temporary replacement. Do not
use ATF (see page 245).
Brake Fluid:
Genuine Honda DOT 3 Brake Fluidpreferred, or a DOT 3 or DOT 4
brake fluid as a temporary
replacement (see page 244).
Tire Pressure (measured cold):
Front/Rear:
35 psi (240 kPa , 2.4 kgf/cm2)
Compact Spare Tire:
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm2)ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t