2000 HONDA ODYSSEY traction control

Driving in Ba d Weathe r
Traction — Check your tires
frequently for wear and proper
pressure. Both are important in
preventing "hydroplaning" (loss of
traction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all four wheels for the best handling.
Watch road conditions carefully, they can change from moment to
moment. Wet leaves can be as slip-
pery as ice. "Clear" roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditions
can be very hazardous when the
outside temperature is near freezing.
The road surface can become covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be careful when downshifting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the drive wheels for a moment and cause
a skid.
Be very cautious when passing, or
being passed by other vehicles. The spray from large vehicles reduces
your visibility, and the wind buffeting can cause you to lose control.
Drivin g

Towing a Traile r
Your Odyssey has been designed to
tow a trailer, as well as for carryingpassengers and their cargo.
To safely tow a trailer, you must observe the load limits, use the
proper equipment, and follow the
guidelines in this section.
Load Limit s
Tota l Traile r Weight : As shown
in the load limits table, how much
weight you can tow is limited by the number of occupants in your
vehicle and whether or not you have installed a transmission fluid
cooler. (See page 220 for
information about transmission
fluid coolers.) Towing a load that is too heavy can seriously affect
your vehicle's handling and performance. It can also damage
the engine and drivetrain.
* : Including driver. Based on 150 Ibs (70 kg) per occupant.
* *: Weight limited to avoid exceeding rear GAWR (see page 219).
Tongu
e Load : The weight that
the tongue of a fully-loaded trailer
puts on the hitch should be approximately 10 percent of the
trailer weight. Too little tongue
load can make the trailer unstable and cause it to sway. Too much
tongue load reduces front-tire
traction and steering control. To achieve a proper tongue load,
start by loading 60 percent of the
load toward the front of the trailer
and 40 percent toward the rear, then
readjust the load as needed.
Drivin g

Compact Spar e Tir e
Your vehicle has a compact spare
tire that takes up less space. Use thisspare tire as a temporary replace-
ment only. Get your regular tire
repaired or replaced and put back on
your vehicle as soon as you can.
Check the inflation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inflated to: 60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm
2)
Follow these precautions whenever
you are using the compact spare tire:
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
under any circumstances.
This tire gives a harsher ride and less traction on some road sur-
faces than the regular tire. Use
greater caution while driving on
this tire. Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare.
Do not use the compact spare tire
if you are towing a trailer.
The wheel of the compact spare
tire is designed especially to fit
your vehicle. Do not use your
spare tire on another vehicle
unless it is the same make and
model.
On EX model
Turn off the Traction ControlSystem (see page 213 ). Driving
with the compact spare tire may
activate the TCS.
The compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular tire. Replace
it when you can see the tread wear
indicator bars. The replacement
should be the same size and design
tire, mounted on the same wheel.
The compact spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the compact wheel is not
designed for mounting a regular tire.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
INDICATOR LOCATIO N MAR K
TREA D WEA R INDICATO R BA R

Technical Informatio n
The diagrams in this section give
you the dimensions and capacities of
your Honda, and the locations of theidentification numbers. The expla-
nations of several electronic and mechanical systems on your Honda
are for the more technically-oriented
owner. Identification Numbers................. 320
Specifications................................. 322
DOT Tire Quality Grading........... 324
Treadwear.................................. 324
Traction....................................... 324
Temperature............................. . 325Oxygenated Fuels.......................... 326
Driving in Foreign Countries....... 327
Emissions Controls........................ 328 The Clean Air Act...................... 328Crankcase Emissions Control System.................................... . 328
Evaporative Emissions Control System.................................... . 328
Exhaust Emissions Controls.... 329
PGM-FI System..................... 329
Ignition Timing Control System................................. 329
Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) System.................... 329
Three Way Catalytic Converter............................ 329
Replacement Parts..................... 329
Three Way Catalytic Converter... 330
Technica l Informatio n

DOT Tir e Qualit y Gradin g (U.S . Vehicles )
The tires on your vehicle meet all
U.S. Federal Safety Requirements.
All tires are also graded for
treadwear, traction, and temperature
performance according to
Department of Transportation (DOT) standards. The following
explains these gradings.
Unifor m Tir e Qualit y Gradin g
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and the maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwea r 20 0
Tractio n A A
Temperatur e ATreadwea r
The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one
half (1-1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices, and differences in
road characteristics and climate. Tractio
n
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire's ability tostop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does notinclude acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Technica l Informatio n

Index
Tachometer...................................... 62
Tailgate............................................. 85
Opening the.................................. 85
Open Monitor Light.................... 60
Taillights, Changing Bulbs in....... 275
Taking Care of the Unexpected .. 291
Tape Player ........................... 160, 181
Technical Descriptions DOT Tire Quality Grading....... 324
Driving in Foreign Countries... 327
Emissions Control Systems...... 328Oxygenated Fuels...................... 326
Three Way Catalytic Converter................................ 330
Temperature Gauge........................ 63 Tensioners, Seat Belts.................... 50Tether Attachment Points.............. 43
Theft Protection............................ .
186
Three Way Catalytic Converter... 330
Time, Setting the........................... 117
Timing Belt..................................... 263
Tire Chains..................................... 269
Tire, How to Change a Flat.......... 293 Tires...............................................
. 263
Air Pressure.............................. . 263
Balancing.................................... 266
Checking Wear.......................... 265
Compact Spare........................... 292
DOT Tire Quality Grading....... 324
Inflation....................................... 263
Inspection................................... 265 Replacing.................................... 267
Rotating....................................... 266
Snow........................................... . 269
Specifications............................ . 323
Tire Chains................................. 269
Towing
A Trailer ................................. 218
Emergency Wrecker................. 317
Traction Control System (TCS)... 213
Transmission
Checking Fluid Level................ 249
Fluid Selection........................... . 249
Identification Number............... 321
Shifting the Automatic.............. 205
Treadwear...................................... 324
Trip Meter......................................... 63
Turn Signals..................................... 68
Tools, Tire Changing ................... 293
Underside, Cleaning...................... 288
Unexpected, Taking Care
of the .......................................... 29 1
Uniform Tire Quality Grading .... 324
Unleaded Gasoline......................... 188
Upholstery Cleaning...................... 286
Used Oil, How to Dispose of........ 242
Vanity Mirror................................. 121
Vehicle Capacity Load.......... 198, 218
Vehicle Dimensions....................... 322
Vehicle Identification Number..... 320
Vehicle Storage.............................. 281
Ventilation............................. 133, 138
VIN ................................................. 320
Vinyl Cleaning ............................... 286
Viscosity, Oil.................................. . 240
CONTINUED