2001 HONDA ODYSSEY Owners Manual

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.
The seat belts in all positions except
the driver’s and the center position
of the third seat have an additional
locking mechanism that must be
activated to secure a child seat. (See
pages and f or 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 the
passenger to move f reely.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt f ully retract. To
ref asten the belt, pull it out only as
f ar as needed.
See page f or instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly.
To f asten 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 the
shoulder 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 f or how to lengthen the
lap belt, and how to properly position
the lap and shoulder belts.
15 17
33 38
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
50

For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out f ully and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retract
easily. Any belt not in good condition
or not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.
Honda provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts. Honda will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
f ails to f unction properly during
normal use. Please see yourbooklet f or
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 f or damage and replace
them if needed.
For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page .
297
Honda
Warranty Inf ormation
Seat Belt Maintenance
U.S. Models
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 51
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly whenneeded.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.

Your Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) includes:Two f ront airbags. The driver’s
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the f ront
passenger’sairbagisstoredinthe
dashboard. Both are marked ‘‘SRS
AIRBAG.’’
If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, the sensors
will detect rapid deceleration and
signal the control unit to instantly
inflate the airbags and activate the
automatic seat belt tensioners.
Automatic seat belt tensioners
that tighten the front seat belts
during a moderate to severe
f rontal collision.
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors
inf ormation about the sensors, the
control unit, and the airbag
activators 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 ).
Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
54
SRS Components
How Your A irbags Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
52

After a crash, you may see what
looks like smoke. This is actually
powder f rom the airbag’s surf ace.
Although the powder is not harmf ul,
people with respiratory problems
may experience some temporary
discomf ort. If this occurs, get out of
the vehicle as soon as it is saf e to do
so.
For additional information on how
your airbags work, see the booklet
titledthat came with your
owner’s manual.
Af ter inf lating, the airbags
immediately def late, so they won’t
interf ere with the driver’s visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
The total time for inflation and
def lation is approximately one-tenth
of a second, so f ast that most
occupants are not aware that the
airbags deployed until they see them
lying in their laps.
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 you
in place. Your airbag provides a
cushion to help restrain and protect
your head and chest.
Since both airbags use the same
sensors, both airbags normally
inf late at the same time. However, it
is possible f or only one airbag to
inf late.
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
suf f icient protection, and the
supplemental protection of f ered by
the airbag would be minimal.
For additional information on how
your airbags work, ask your dealer
f or a copy of the booklet titled
SRS: What You Need to Know
About Airbags
SRS:
What You Need to Know About Airbags
.
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
U.S. Owners
Canadian Owners
53

Thepurposeof theSRS
light is to alert you to a
potential problem with your
Supplemental Restraint System.
This light will also alert you to a
potential problem with your
automatic seat belt tensioners.
When you turn the ignition ON (II),
this indicator will light brief ly then
go out. This tells you that the system
is working properly.
If the light comes on at any other
time, or does not come on at all, you
should have the system checked by
your dealer. For example:
If the SRS indicator light does not
come on after you turn the ignition
ON (II).
If the light stays on after the
engine starts.
If your airbags inf late, the tensioners
immediately tighten the f ront seat
belts to help hold the occupants in
place. The belts will remain tight
until you unbuckle them in the
normal way.
Your Honda has automatic seat belt
tensioners f or added protection
during a moderate to severe frontal
collision. How the SRS Indicator L ight
Works
How the Automatic Seat Belt
T ensioners Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
54

Your Supplemental Restraint System
is virtually maintenance-f ree, and
there are no parts you can saf ely
service. However, you must have
your vehicle serviced if :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.
Take your vehicle to
an authorized Honda dealer as
soon as possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inf late when you need them (see
page ).
If the light comes on or f lashes on
andoff whileyoudrive.
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.
54
SRS Service
Your airbags ever inf late.
T he SRS indicat or light alert s yout o a problem.
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 55
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.

Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags. Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection in a moderate to severe
f rontal collision.
Do not tamper with SRS
components or wiring f or any
reason. Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
See page f or f urther inf ormation
and precautions relating to your SRS. 204
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Saf ety Precautions 56

Your vehicle’s exhaust contains
carbon monoxide gas. You should
have no problem with carbon
monoxide entering the vehicle in
normal driving if you maintain your
vehicle properly.
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:The vehicle is raised f or an oil
change.
You notice a change in the sound
of 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’s
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
tailgate open, open all the windows
and set the heating and cooling
system/climate control system as
shown below.
Select the Fresh Air mode.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
If you must sit in your parked vehicle,
even in an unconf ined area, with the
engine running, adjust the heating
and cooling system/climate control
system as f ollows: 1. 2.3.4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
57
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even killyou.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.