2000 HONDA ODYSSEY Owners Manual

Additional Informatio n Abou t You r Sea t Belt s
The seat belts in all positions except
the driver's and the center positionof the third seat have an additional
locking mechanism that must be activated to secure a child seat. (See
pages 31 and 36 for instructions on
how to secure child seats with this
type of seat belt.)
If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the locking
mechanism will activate. The belt
will retract, but it will not allow thepassenger to move freely.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt fully retract. To
refasten the belt, pull it out only as
far as needed.
See page 15 for instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly.
The combination lap belt and shoulder belt in the center position
of the third seat goes over your
shoulder, across your chest and over
your hips. The shoulder belt has an emergency locking retractor that
works in combination with the lap
belt.
To fasten the seat belt, unlatch the metal plate of the shoulder belt from
the anchor on the ceiling and extend
the belt by pulling the metal plate. Attach the metal hook on the edge of
the shoulder belt to the metal loop
on the latch plate of the lap belt
marked CENTER, then tug on theshoulder belt to make sure it is
securely attached.
Insert the latch plate of the lap belt
into the buckle marked CENTER,
then tug on the lap belt to make sure
the buckle is latched.
To unlock the belt, push the red PRESS button on the buckle and
detach the shoulder belt from the lap
belt.
See page 17 for how to lengthen the
lap belt, and how to properly position the lap and shoulder belts.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Additional Informatio n Abou t You r Sea t Belt s
Seat Bel t Maintenanc e
For safety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out fully and look for
frays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retracteasily. Any belt not in good condition
or not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.
U.S. Models
Honda provides a lifetime warranty on seat belts. Honda will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
fails to function properly during normal use. Please see your Honda
Warranty Information booklet for
details.
If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
you should have your dealer inspect the belt, and replace it if necessary.
A belt that has been worn during a crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the anchors for damage and replace
them if needed. For information on how to clean your
seat belts, see page 286.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly when needed.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.

Additional Informatio n Abou t You r SR S
SRS Component s
Your Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) includes:
Two front airbags. The driver'sairbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the front
passenger's airbag is stored in the dashboard. Both are marked "SRS
AIRBAG."
Automatic seat belt tensioners that tighten the front seat beltsduring a moderate to severe
frontal collision.
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.
A sophisticated electronic system that continually monitors and
records information about thesensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, driver and
passenger seat belt use, and all
related wiring when the ignition is
ON (II).
An indicator light on the
instrument panel that alerts you to
a possible problem with the
system (see page 50 ).
Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle's electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
Ho w You r Airbag s Wor k
If you ever have a moderate to
severe frontal collision, the sensors
will detect rapid deceleration and signal the control unit to instantly
inflate the airbags and activate the
automatic seat belt tensioners.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Additional Informatio n Abou t You r SR S
During a crash, your seat belt helps
restrain your lower body and torso,
while the tensioner tightens and locks the seat belt to help keep youin place. Your airbag provides a
cushion to help restrain and protect
your head and chest.
Since both airbags use the samesensors, both airbags normally
inflate at the same time. However, it is possible for only one airbag to
inflate.
This can occur when the severity of a collision is at the margin, or
threshold, that determines whether
or not the airbags will deploy. In such cases, the seat belt will provide
sufficient protection, and the
supplemental protection offered by
the airbag would be minimal. After inflating, the airbags
immediately deflate, so they won'tinterfere with the driver's visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
The total time for inflation and deflation is approximately one-tenth
of a second, so fast that most
occupants are not aware that the
airbags deployed until they see them
lying in their laps. After a crash, you may see what
looks like smoke. This is actually
powder from the airbag's surface.
Although the powder is not harmful, people with respiratory problemsmay experience some temporary
discomfort. If this occurs, get out of
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so.
U.S. Owners
For additional information on how
your airbags work, see the booklet
titled SRS: What You Need to Know
About Airbags that came with your
owner's manual.
Canadian Owners
For additional information on how
your airbags work, ask your dealer
for a copy of the booklet titled SRS:
What You Need to Know About Airbags.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Additional Informatio n Abou t You r SR S
How th e Automati c Sea t Bel t
Tensioner s Wor k
Your Honda has automatic seat belt tensioners for added protection during a moderate to severe frontal
collision.
If your airbags inflate, the tensioners
immediately tighten the front seat
belts to help hold the occupants in
place. The belts will remain tight
until you unbuckle them in the
normal way.
Ho w th e SR S Indicato r Ligh t
Work s
The purpose of the SRSlight is to alert you to a
potential problem with your Supplemental Restraint System.
This light will also alert you to a potential problem with yourautomatic seat belt tensioners.
When you turn the ignition ON (II), this indicator will light up briefly
then go out. This tells you that thesystem is working properly.
However, if the light comes on at any other time, you should have the
system checked by your dealer. For
example:
If the SRS indicator light does not
come on after you turn the ignitionON (II).
If the light stays on after the
engine starts.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
S R S

Additional Informatio n Abou t You r SR S
If the light comes on or flashes on
and off while you drive.
If you see any of these indications,
your airbags and seat belt tensioners may not deploy when you need them.See your Honda dealer as soon as
possible. SR
S Servic e
Your Supplemental Restraint System is virtually maintenance-free, and
there are no parts you can safelyservice. However, you must have
your vehicle serviced if:
Your airbags ever inflate. The
airbags, seat belt tensioners, and
control unit must be replaced. Do
not try to remove or replace the
airbags yourself.
This must be done by a Honda dealer or a knowledgeable body
shop.
The SRS indicator light alerts you
to a problem. Take your vehicle to
an authorized Honda dealer as soon as possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inflate when you need them (see
page 50).
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
Ignoring the SRS indicator light
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags do not inflate when needed.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS light alerts you to a potential problem.

Additional Informatio n Abou t You r SR S
Additiona l Safet y Precaution s
Do not attempt to deactivate your
airbags. Together, airbags andseat belts provide the best
protection in a moderate to severe
frontal collision.
Do not tamper with SRS
components or wiring for any
reason. Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
See page 196 for further information
and precautions relating to your SRS.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Carbon Monoxid e Hazar d
Your vehicle's exhaust contains
carbon monoxide gas. You should
hav e no problem with carbon
monoxide entering the vehicle in
normal driving if you maintain your
vehicle properly.
Have the exhaust system inspected
for leaks whenever:
The vehicle is raised for an oil
change.
You notice a change in the soundof the exhaust.
The vehicle was in an accident that may have damaged the under-
side.
High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage. With the tailgate open, air flow can
pull exhaust gas into your vehicle'sinterior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
tailgate open, open all the windowsand set the heating and cooling
system/climate control system as
shown below.
If you must sit in your parked vehicle,
even in an unconfined area, with the
engine running, adjust the heating
and cooling system/climate controlsystem as follows:
1. Select the Fresh Air mode.
2. Select the mode.
3. Turn the fan on high speed.
4. Set the temperature control to a comfortable setting.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.