2000 HONDA ODYSSEY engine

Fuel Econom y
The condition of your vehicle and
your driving habits are the two most important things that affect the fuelmileage you get.
Vehicl e Conditio n
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 Owne r Maintenanc e
Check s (see page 237 ). For
example, an underinflated tire
causes more "rolling resistance,"
which uses fuel. It also wears out faster, so check the tire pressure atleast 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. Drivin
g Habit s
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, toincrease fuel economy. A cold engine uses more fuel than a
warm engine. It is not necessary to"warm-up" a cold engine by letting itidle 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 ituse more fuel. Turn off the A/C to
cut down on air conditioning use. Use the flow-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is
moderate.
Befor e Drivin g

Drivin
g

This section gives you tips on starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important information on
parking your vehicle, the braking system, the Traction Control System,
and facts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer. Preparing to Drive......................... 202
Starting the Engine........................ 203
Starting in Cold Weatherat High Altitude..................... 203
Automatic Transmission............... 204 Shift Lever Position Indicator.. 204
Shift Lever Positions................. 205
Engine Speed Limiter............... 207
Shift Lock Release..................... 207

Parking............................................ 209

The Braking System...................... 210 Brake Wear Indicators.............. 210
Brake System Design................ 211
Anti-lock Brakes........................ 211
Important SafetyReminders.......................... 212
ABS Indicator......................... 212
Traction Control System............... 213 TCS ON/OFF Switch................ 214TCS Indicator............................. 215
Driving in Bad Weather................ 216
Towing a Trailer............................ 218

Driving

Preparing to Driv e
You should do the following checks
and adjustments every day before
you drive your vehicle.
1. Make sure all windows, mirrors, and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost, snow,or ice.
2. Check that the hood and tailgate are fully closed.
3. Visually check the tires. If a tire looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
4. Check that any items you may be carrying with you inside are stored
properly or fastened down
securely.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page 100).
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and outside mirrors (see
page 115).
7. Check the adjustment of the steering wheel (see page 72).
8. Make sure the doors and tailgate are securely closed and locked.
9. Fasten your seat belt. Check that your passengers have fastenedtheir seat belts (see page 15). 10. Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
11. Start the engine (see page 203).
12. Check the gauges and indicator lights in the instrument panel (see
page 57).
Drivin g

Starting th e Engin e
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. In cold weather, turn off all electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
3. Make sure the shift lever is in Park. Press on the brake pedal.
4. Without touching the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the engine does not start right away, do not
hold the key in START (III) for
more than 15 seconds at a time.
Pause for at least 10 seconds before trying again.
5. If the engine does not start within 15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed half-way
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal so the engine does not race. 6. If the engine still does not start,
press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while starting in order to clear flooding.
As before, keep the ignition key in the START (III) position for nomore than 15 seconds. Return tostep 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lift your foot off the
accelerator pedal so the engine does not race.
Startin g in Col d Weathe r a t Hig h
Altitud e (Abov e 8,00 0 feet /
2,400 meters )
An engine is harder to start in cold
weather. The thinner air found athigh altitude above 8,000 feet (2,400
meters) adds to the problem.
Use the following procedure:
1. Turn off all electrical accessories to reduce the drain on the battery. 2. Push the accelerator pedal half-
way to the floor and hold it there
while starting the engine. Do nothold the ignition key in START(III) for more than 15 seconds.
When the engine starts, release the accelerator pedal gradually as
the engine speeds up and smoothsout.
3. If the engine fails to start in step 2, push the accelerator pedal to the
floor and hold it there while you
try to start the engine for no more
than 15 seconds. If the enginedoes not start, return to step 2.
Drivin g

Automatic Transmissio n
Shift Leve r Position s
The shift lever has seven positions.
It must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped in
D4, D3, 2,1, N or R, press firmly on
the brake pedal, and keep your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
Park (P ) — This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning off or starting the engine. To shift out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your foot off the
accelerator pedal. Pull the shift lever
towards you, then move it out of
Park.
If you have done all of the above and still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on page
208.
You must also pull the shift lever towards you to shift into Park. Toavoid transmission damage, come to
a complete stop before shifting into
Park. The shift lever must be in Park
before you can remove the key from the ignition switch.
CONTINUED
Drivin g
SHIFT LEVE R

Automatic Transmissio n
Reverse (R ) — To shift to Reverse
from Park, see the explanation under Park. To shift to Reverse from
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Pull the shift lever
towards you before shifting into Reverse from Neutral. Neutra
l (N ) — Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the vehicle
for any reason. Press on the brake pe- dal when you are moving the shift
lever from Neutral to another gear.
Driv e (D
4) — Use this position for
your normal driving. The transmis- sion automatically selects a suitable
gear for your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission shifting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps the engine warm up faster. Driv
e (D
3) — This position is similar
to D4, except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D3 when
towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to
provide engine braking when going
down a steep hill. D
3 can also keep
the transmission from cycling
between third and fourth gears in stop-and-go driving.
For faster acceleration when in D
3 or
D4, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshift by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shift down one or two gears, depending on your
speed.
Drivin g

Automatic Transmissio n
Second (2 ) — To shift to Second,
pull the shift lever towards you, then shift to the lower gear. This position
locks the transmission in second
gear. It does not downshift to first
gear when you come to a stop. Second gives you more power when
climbing, and increased engine
braking when going down steep hills. Use second gear when starting outon a slippery surface or in deep snow.
It will help reduce wheelspin.
When driving down hill with a trailer, use the Second position.
Firs t (1 ) — To shift from Second to
First, pull the shift lever towards you,
then shift to the lower gear. With the
lever in this position, the transmis- sion locks in First gear. By upshift-
ing and downshifting through 1, 2,
D
3 and D4, you can operate this
transmission much like a manual
transmission without a clutch pedal. Engin
e Spee d Limite r
If you exceed the maximum speed
for the gear you are in, the engine speed will enter into the tachometer's
red zone. If this occurs, you may feel the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine's
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone. Shif
t Loc k Releas e
This allows you to move the shift lever out of Park if the normalmethod of pushing on the brake
pedal and pulling the shift lever does not work.
1. Set the Parking brake.
2. Remove the key from the ignition switch.
3. Place a cloth on the edge of the shift lock release slot cover on the
steering column. Remove the
cover by carefully prying on the
edge with a small flat-tipped screwdriver (not included in the
toolkit).
Drivin g
CONTINUED

Automatic Transmissio n
4. Insert the key in the Shift Lock
Release slot.
5. Push down on the key while you pull the shift lever towards youand move it out of Park to Neutral. 6. Remove the key from the Shift
Lock Release slot, then install a
new cover. Depress the brake
pedal and restart the engine.
If you need to use the Shift Lock
Release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by your Honda dealer.
Drivin g
SHIFT LOC K RELEAS E SLO T COVE R