2001 HONDA ODYSSEY Owners Manual

The f ront disc brakes on all vehicles
have audible brake wear indicators.
When the brake pads need replacing,
you will hear a distinctive metallic
‘‘screeching’’ sound when you apply
the brakes. If you do not have the
brake pads replaced, they will begin
screeching all the time.
Your brakes may sometimes squeal
or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not conf use this with the
brake wear indicators. They make a
very audible ‘‘screeching.’’
Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds
up heat and reduces their ef f ective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by downshif ting to a lower
gear and taking your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal.
Check your brakes af ter driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they f eel
normal. If not, apply them gently and
f requently until they do. Since a
longer distance is needed to stop
with wet brakes, be extra cautious
and alert in your driving.
Your Honda is equipped with f ront
disc brakes. The brakes on the rear
wheels are drum. A power assist
helps reduce the ef f ort needed on
thebrakepedal.TheABShelpsyou
retain steering control when braking
very hard.
Put your f oot on the brake pedal only
when you intend to brake. Resting
your f oot on the pedal keeps the
brakes applied lightly, causing them
to build up heat. Heat build-up can
reduce how well your brakes work. It
also keeps your brake lights on all
the time, conf using drivers behind
you. Brake Wear Indicators
Driving
The Braking System
218

You will f eel a pulsation in the brake
pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is
normal, it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work f or you by always keeping f irm,
steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes ref erred to as
Activation varies with the amount of
traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on
thebrakepedalveryhardbeforeyou
activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
Your vehicle has an Anti-lock Brake
System (ABS) as standard
equipment. ABS helps to prevent the
wheels f rom locking up and skidding
during hard braking, allowing you to
retain steering control.
When the f ront tires skid, you lose
steering control; the vehicle
continues straight ahead even
though you turn the steering wheel.
The ABS helps to prevent lock-up
and helps you retain steering control
by pumping the brakes rapidly; much
f aster than a person can do it.
The hydraulic system that operates
the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (the lef t-f ront brake is
connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking
at two wheels.
The ABS also balances the f ront-to
rear braking distribution according
to vehicle loading.
‘‘stomp and steer.’’
CONT INUED
The Braking System
Driving
You should never pump the
brake pedal,
Anti-lock Brakes
Brake System Design
219
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on loose or
uneven surf aces, such as gravel or
snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater
distance between vehicles under
those conditions.
Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe
or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your vehicle to veer
into oncoming traffic or off the road. such as trying to take a
corner too f ast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed f or the road and
weather conditions. it only helps with steering
control during braking. You should
always maintain a saf e f ollowing
distance f rom other vehicles.
The ABS is self -checking. If anything
goes wrong, the ABS indicator on
the instrument panel comes on (see
page ). This means the anti-lock
f unction of the braking system has
shut down. The brakes still work like
a conventional system without anti-
lock, providing normal stopping
ability. You should have the dealer
inspect your vehicle as soon as
possible.63
A BS Indicat or
Import ant Saf et y RemindersA vehicle with A BS may require a
longer distance to stop
A BS cannot prevent a loss of
stability.
A BS will not prevent a skid that
results f rom changing direction
abruptly,
A BS does not reduce the time or
distance it takes to stop the
vehicle,
The Braking System
Driving
220
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AABBSSIINNDDIICCAATTOORR

CONT INUED
If the ABS indicator and the brake
system indicator come on together,
and the parking brake is f ully
released, the front-to-rear braking
distribution system may also shut
down.
Test your brakes as instructed on
page . If the brakes f eel normal,
drive slowly and have your vehicle
repaired by your dealer as soon as
possible. Avoid sudden hard braking
which could cause the rear wheels to
lock up and possibly lead to a loss of
control.Driving with TCS requires no special
skills or technique. The TCS does
not control your vehicle’s whole
braking system and cannot prevent
skidding if you enter a corner too
f ast. It is still your responsibility to
drive at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety.
The TCS indicator will come on
alongwiththeABSindicatorif there
is a problem with the anti-lock brake
system. Your Honda is equipped with a
Traction Control System (TCS) to
assist you in maintaining traction
while driving slowly on loose or
slippery surf aces. The TCS assists
only in low-speed, low-traction
conditions; up to approximately 18
mph (30 km/h).
The TCS monitors the speed of all
f our wheels. When it senses a f ront
wheel losing traction, it applies
braking to that wheel. The TCS
indicator f lashes when this occurs.
322
The Braking System, Traction Control System
Driving
Traction Control System
221
TTRRAACCTTIIOONNCCOONNTTRROOLLSSYYSSTTEEMMIINNDDIICCAATTOORR

When starting out or driving at low
speeds on a loose or slippery road
surface, you may notice that the
vehicle does not respond to the
accelerator in the same way it does
at other times. This is a sign the TCS
is activating. You will see the TCS
indicator light f lash.
You should still install winter tires on
your vehicle during the winter. Make
sure to use the same size originally
supplied with vehicle. Exercise the
samecautioninwinterdrivingasyou
would if your vehicle was not
equipped with TCS.
Driving with the compact spare tire
installed (see page ) may
activate the TCS. You should turn of f
the system.If the brakes overheat while the TCS
is activating, the TCS indicator will
stop flashing and stay on temporarily.
This indicates that the TCS system
has turned of f . Af ter the brakes have
cooled down (usually f or about 10
minutes), the TCS will turn back on
and the indicator will turn of f .
This switch is under the side vent. It
letsyouturntheTractionControl
System on and of f . You cannot turn
of f the TCS while the TCS indicator
light is f lashing.
Deactivate the system by pressing
the TCS On/Off switch. The TCS
indicator light comes on as a
reminder. Pressing the switch again
turns the system back on.
302
Traction Control System
Driving
TCS ON/OFF Switch
222
TTCCSSOONN//OOFFFFSSWWIITTCCHH

If the TCS indicator comes on and
stays on for more than 10 minutes
while driving, pull to the side of the
road when it is safe and turn off the
engine. Reset the system by
restarting the engine, and watch the
TCS indicator. If the indicator
remains on, or comes back on while
driving, have the system inspected
by your Honda dealer. You can still
drive the vehicle without TCS.
This indicator will come on along
with the ABS indicator if there is a
problem in the anti-lock brake
system (see on page).
The TCS indicator may occasionally
come on f or one or two seconds and
then go out. This is normal.
The Traction Control System turns
on every time you start the engine,
even if you turned it of f the last time
you drove the vehicle.
The TCS indicator comes on or
f lashes under the f ollowing condi-
tions:
When you turn the ignition switch
to ON (II).
When you manually turn of f the
TCS.
It f lashes when the TCS is
regulating wheelspin.
If the system’s diagnostics senses
a problem in the TCS, the indica-
tor will come on and stay on.
If the brakes overheat, the
indicator will come on. 220
Traction Control System
Driving
ABS Indicator
T CS Indicat or
223

µµAlways drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your vehicle longer
to react, even in conditions that may
seem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss of
control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious f or the f irst f ew miles
(kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in
snow. A person can f orget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills.
Exercise extra caution when driving
in rain af ter a long dry spell. Af ter
months of dry weather, the f irst
rains bring oil to the surf ace of the
roadway, making it slippery.
Rain, f og, and snow conditions re-
quire a dif f erent driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your vehicle well-
maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control
should not be used in these condi-
tions. Being able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important
in all weather conditions. This is
more difficult in bad weather. To be
seen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers f requently. Keep the
windshield washer reservoir f ull of
the proper f luid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to
streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the def roster and air
conditioning to keep the windows
f rom f ogging up on the inside (see
pages and ). 141 151/156
Driving
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving T echnique Visibility
224

µCheck your tires
f requently f or 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 f our
wheels f or the best handling.
Watch road conditions caref ully,
they can change f rom 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 f reezing.
The road surf ace can become
covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be caref ul when downshif ting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the
drive wheels f or a moment and cause
askid. Be very cautious when passing, or
beingpassedbyothervehicles.The
spray f rom large vehicles reduces
your visibility, and the wind buf f eting
can cause you to lose control.
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving
Traction
225