2000 HONDA ODYSSEY warning

Seats
Driver' s Sea t Powe r Adjustment s
On EX model
See pages 12 — 13 for important safety
information and warnings about how to
properly position seats and seat-backs.
The two power seat adjustment switches are on the outside edge of
the seat bottom. The horizontal switch adjusts the seat bottom in
several directions. The short vertical
switch adjusts the seat-back angle.
You can adjust the seat with the ignition switch in any position. Make
all seat adjustments before you start
driving.
Push the horizontal switch forward
or backward to move the seat
forward or backward. Pull up or push down on the front of
the switch to move the seat bottom's
front edge up or down. Pull up or
push down on the rear of the switch to move the rear of the seat bottom
up or down.
Instrument s an d Control s

Seats
Hea d Restraint s
See page 14 for important safety
information and a warning about how to
properly position the head restraints.
Your vehicle is equipped with head restraints in all seating positions.
The head restraints help protect you and your passengers from whiplashand other injuries. They are most
effective when you adjust them so
the back of the occupant's head rests against the center of the restraint. A
taller person should adjust the
restraint as high as possible. The head restraints adjust for height.
You need both hands to adjust therestraint. Do not attempt to adjust it
while driving. To raise it, pull upward.
To lower the restraint, push the release button sideways and push
the restraint down. To remove a head restraint for
cleaning or repair, pull it up as far as
it will go. Push the release button
and pull the restraint out of the seat-
back.
Instrument s an d Control s
RELEAS E
BUTTO N

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

Changing a Fla t Tir e
If you have a flat tire while driving,
stop in a safe place to change it.
Stopping in traffic or on the shoulder of a busy road is dangerous. Driveslowly along the shoulder until you
get to an exit or an area to stop that
is far away from the traffic lanes.
1. Park the vehicle on firm, level andnon-slippery ground away from
traffic. Put the transmission in Park. Apply the parking brake. 2. Turn on the hazard warning lights
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire.
CONTINUED
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.
TOOL S JAC
K VINYL BA GSPAR E TIR E

If You r Engin e Won' t Start , Jum p Startin g
The Starte r Operate s Normall y
In this case, the starter motor's speed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when you turn the ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run. Are you using the proper startingprocedure? Refer to Startin g th e
Engin e on page 203 .
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 311).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 317. Jum
p Startin g
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 257). 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.
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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.
NOTIC E

If You r Engin e Overheat s
The pointer of your vehicle's
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange under most conditions.
It may go higher if you are driving up
a long steep hill on a very hot day. If
it climbs to the red mark, you should
determine the reason.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause serious damage to your engine.
Your vehicle can overheat for several
reasons, such as lack of coolant or a
mechanical problem. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming from under the hood.
In either case, you should take
immediate action.
1. Safely pull to the side of the road. Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.
Turn off the heating and cooling/ climate control system and allother accessories. Turn on the
hazard warning indicators.
2. If you see steam and/or spray coming from under the hood, turnoff the engine.
3. If you do not see steam or spray, leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If the high heat is due to overloading (climbing a long, steep hill on a
hot day with the A/C running, for example), the engine should start
to cool down almost immediately.
If it does, wait until the tempera-
ture gauge comes down to the mid-
point then continue driving.
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NOTICE
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.

Low Oi l Pressur e Indicato r
This indicator should light when the
ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
after the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is running. If it starts flashing, it
indicates that the oil pressure
dropped very low for a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action.
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical damage almost immediately. Turn offthe engine as soon as you can safely get
the vehicle stopped.
1. Safely pull off the road and shut off the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
2. Let the vehicle sit for a minute. Open the hood and check the oil
level (see page 192). Although oil level and oil pressure are not
directly connected, an engine that
is very low on oil can lose pressure
during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
3. If necessary, add oil to bring the level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page 239). 4. Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the lightdoes not go out within ten seconds,
turn off the engine. There is a mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired before you can continue driving. (See Emergenc y
Towin g on page 317.)
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LOW OI L PRESSUR E INDICATO R
NOTICE

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