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
ProCarManuals.com
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
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
Gauges
Maintenance Required Indicator
This indicator reminds you that it istime to take your vehicle in for sched-
uled maintenance.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedules
for Normal and Severe Driving Conditions on pages 224 ,228.
For the first 6,000 miles (9,600 km) after the Maintenance Required
Indicator is reset, it will come on for
two seconds when you turn the ignition switch ON (II). SELECT/RESET BUTTON
Between 6,000 miles (9,600 km) and
7,500 miles (12,000 km) this
indicator will light for two seconds
when you first turn the ignition switch ON (II), and then flash for
ten seconds.
If you exceed 7,500 miles (12,000
km) without having the scheduled maintenance performed, this
indicator will remain on as a constant
reminder.
Your dealer will reset this indicator
after completing the scheduled
maintenance. If this maintenance is
done by someone other than your
Honda dealer, reset the indicator as
follows.
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Press and hold the select/reset
button in the instrument panel,
then turn the ignition switch ON
(II).
3. Hold the button for about ten sec-
onds, until the indicator resets.
Instruments and Controls MAINTENANCE REQUIRED
INDICATORProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Fuel Economy
The condition of your vehicle and your driving habits are the two mostimportant things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Vehicle Condition Always maintain your vehicle accord- ing to the maintenance schedule.
This will keep it in top operating
condition.
An important part of that mainte- nance is the Owner Maintenance
Checks (see page 231 ). For
example, an underinflated tire
causes more "rolling resistance,"
which uses fuel. It also wears out
faster, so check the tire pressure at
least monthly.
In winter, the build-up of snow on
your vehicle's underside adds weight and rolling resistance. Frequent
cleaning helps your fuel mileage and
reduces the chance of corrosion. Driving Habits
You can improve fuel economy by driving moderately. Rapid acceler-
ation, abrupt cornering, and hard
braking use more fuel.
Always drive in the highest gear that allows the engine to run and acceler-
ate smoothly.
Depending on traffic conditions, try
to maintain a constant speed. Every
time you slow down and speed up,
your vehicle uses extra fuel. Use the cruise control, when appropriate, to
increase fuel economy. A cold engine uses more fuel than a
warm engine. It is not necessary to "warm-up" a cold engine by letting it
idle for a long time. You can drive
away in about a minute, no matter
how cold it is outside. The engine
will warm up faster, and you get
better fuel economy. To cut down on
the number of "cold starts," try to combine several short trips into one.
The air conditioning puts an extra load on the engine which makes it
use more fuel. Turn off the A/C tocut down on air conditioning use.
Use the flow-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is
moderate.
Before DrivingProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Maintenance
This section explains why it is important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and to follow basic
maintenance safety precautions.
This section also includes Maintenance Schedules for normaldriving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions for simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of yourself.
If you have the skills and tools to per-
form more complex maintenance tasks on your Honda, you may want
to purchase the Service Manual. See page 333 for information on how toobtain a copy, or see your Honda
dealer.
Maintenance Safety.......................
220
Important Safet
y
Precautions ..
221
Maintenance Schedule.................
.
222
Required Maintenance Record.... 229
Owner Maintenance Checks........ 231
Fluid Locations............................... 232
Engine Oil....................................... 233
Adding Oil................................... 233
Recommended Oil..................... 233
Synthetic Oil............................... 234
Additives..................................... 235
Changing the Oil and Filter...... 235
Cooling System.............................. 237
Adding Engine Coolant............. 237Replacing Engine Coolant........ 239
Windshield Washers..................... 242
Automatic Transmission Fluid..... 243
Brake Fluid..................................... 244
Brake System............................. 244
Power Steering............................... 245
Air Cleaner Element...................... 246
Hood Latch..................................... 248
Spark Plugs..................................... 248
Replacement............................... 248
Specifications............................. 250
Battery............................................ 251
Wiper Blades.................................. 253
Air Conditioning System............... 255
Air Conditioning Filter.................. 256
Drive Belts...................................... 256
Timing Belt..................................... 257
Tires................................................ 257 Inflation....................................... 257
Inspection................................... 259Maintenance............................... 260
Tire Rotation.............................. 260
Replacing Tires and Wheels.... 261
Wheels and Tires....................... 262 Winter Driving........................... 262
Snow Tires.............................. 263
Tire Chains............................. 263
Lights..............................................264
Headlight Aiming...................... 266
Replacing Bulbs......................... 266
Storing Your Vehicle..................... 275
MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t
Maintenance Safety
Regularly maintaining your vehicle is
the best way to protect your
investment. Proper maintenance is essential to your safety and the
safety of your passengers. It will also
reward you with more economical,
trouble-free driving and help reduce air pollution. This section includes instructions for
simple maintenance tasks, such as
checking and adding oil. Any service
items not detailed in this section should be performed by a Honda
technician or other qualified mechanic. Some of the most important safety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every conceivable hazard that can arise in
performing maintenance. Only youcan decide whether or not you
should perform a given task.
Maintenance
Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures and precautions in this owner'smanual.
Improperly maintaining this
vehicle or failing to correct a problem before driving can
cause a crash in which you can be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection and maintenancerecommendations and
schedules in this owner's manual.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t
Maintenance Schedule
The Maintenance Schedule specifies how often you should have your
vehicle serviced and what things need attention. It is essential that
you have your vehicle serviced as scheduled to retain its high level of
safety, dependability, and emissions
control performance.
The services and time or distance intervals shown in the maintenanceschedule assume you will use your
vehicle as normal transportation for passengers and their possessions.You should also follow these
recommendations:
Avoid exceeding your vehicle'sload limit. This puts excess stresson the engine, brakes, and many
other parts of your vehicle. The
load limit is shown on the tire
information label on the driver's doorjamb.
Operate your vehicle on
reasonable roads within the legal speed limit.
Drive your vehicle regularly over a distance of several miles (kilometers).
Always use unleaded gasoline with the proper octane rating (see page
182
).
Which Schedule to Follow:
Service your vehicle according to the
time and mileage periods on one of
the Maintenance Schedules on the
following pages. Select the schedule
for "Severe Conditions" if most of
your driving is done under one or more of the conditions listed on that
page. Otherwise, follow the schedule
for "Normal Conditions."
MaintenanceProCarManuals.comMain Menu Table of Contents s t