2003 HONDA ODYSSEY brake

Covering the outside edge of a
f ront seat-back, with a non-Honda
seat cover for example, could
prevent the airbag from inflating
properly.If a side airbag
inflates,acupholderorotherhard
object attached on or near the
door could be propelled inside the
vehicle and hurt someone.
This could make the driver’s seat
position sensor and the f ront
passenger’s weight sensors
inef f ective.
Some examples are:
Lowering the vehicle with an
aftermarket suspension kit that
signif icantly reduces ground
clearance can allow the
undercarriage to impact speed
bumps or other raised objects,
which could cause the airbags to
deploy.
Raising the vehicle with an
af termarket suspension kit can
af f ect the handling and stability.
Af termarket wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components. Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interf ere with the operation of
your vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and
other systems.
Do not modif y your steering wheel
or any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.
Modif ications could make the
system inef f ective.
Any object
attached to or placed on the covers
marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG,’’ in the
center of the steering wheel and
on top of the dashboard, could
interf ere with the proper operation
of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inf late, the objects could be
propelled inside the vehicle and
hurt someone.
If you plan to modif y your vehicle,
consult with your Honda dealer.
Removing parts f rom your vehicle,
or replacing components with non-
Honda (af termarket) components
could seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability. Modif ications
Additional Saf ety Precautions
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving
Do not place any object s over t heoutsideedgeof afront seat-back.
Do not at t ach hard object s on or
near a f ront door.
Do not modif y t he f ront seat s.
Do not at t ach or place object s on
the f ront airbag covers.
252

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the Traction Control System,
and f acts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive .258
.......................
Starting the Engine .259
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude .259
..............
Automatic Transmission . 260
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 260
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 261
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 263
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 263
...........................................
Parking .265
.....................
The Braking System .266
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 266
...............
Brake System Design . 267
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes .267
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders .268
........................
ABS Indicator .268
..............
Traction Control System . 269
...............
TCS ON/OFF Switch . 270
............................
TCS Indicator .271
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 272
...........................
Towing a Trailer .274
Driving
Driving257

Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
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) f or
more than 15 seconds at a time.
Pause f or at least 10 seconds
bef ore trying again.
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.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 f looding.
As bef ore, keep the ignition key in
the START (III) position f or no
more than 15 seconds. Return to
step 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lif t your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal so the engine
does not race.
An engine is harder to start in cold
weather. The thinner air f ound at
high altitude above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to the problem.
Use the f ollowing procedure: Turn of f all electrical accessories
to reduce the drain on the battery. Push the accelerator pedal half-
way to the f loor and hold it there
while starting the engine. Do not
hold the ignition key in START
(III) f or more than 15 seconds.
When the engine starts, release
the accelerator pedal gradually as
the engine speeds up and smooths
out.
If the engine fails to start in step 2,
push the accelerator pedal to the
f loor and hold it there while you
try to start the engine for no more
than 15 seconds. If the engine
does not start, return to step 2.
1. 2.
3.
5. 6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Starting the Engine
Driving
Starting in Cold Weather at High
A ltitude (A bove 8,000 f eet/
2,400 meters)
259

µ
CONT INUED
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Pull the shif t 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 Shif t Lock Release on page .
You must also pull the shif t lever
towards you to shift into Park. To
avoid transmission damage, come to
a complete stop bef ore shif ting into
Park. The shif t lever must be in Park
bef ore you can remove the key f rom
the ignition switch.
The shift lever has seven positions.
It must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped in
D, D , 2, 1, N or R, press f irmly on
the brake pedal, and keep your f oot
of f the accelerator pedal.
263Do this:
Press the brake pedal and
pull the shift lever towards
you.
Pull the shift lever towards
you.
Move the lever.
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR
Dto2 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoD DtoN
DtoD NtoDRtoN
3
3
3
3
3
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Park (P)
Shif t L ever Positions
261
SHIFT LEVER

µ
µ µ µ
Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the vehicle
f or any reason. Press on the brake pe-
dal when you are moving the shif t
lever from Neutral to another gear.
To shif t to Reverse
f rom Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shif t to Reverse f rom
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Pull the shift lever
towards you before shifting into
Reverse f rom Neutral. Use this position f or
your normal driving. The transmis-
sion automatically selects a suitable
gear f or your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission
shif ting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps the
engine warm up f aster. This position is similar
to D, except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D when
towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to
provide engine braking when going
down a steep hill. D can also keep
the transmission f rom cycling
between third and f ourth gears in
stop-and-go driving.
ForfasteraccelerationwheninD or
D, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshif t by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shif t down one
or two gears, depending on your
speed.
3
3
3
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Neutral (N)
Reverse (R) Drive (D)Drive (D )3
262

µ
µ To shif t to Second,
pull the shif t lever towards you, then
shif t to the lower gear. This position
locks the transmission in second
gear. It does not downshif t to f irst
gear when you come to a stop.
Second gives you more power when
climbing, and increased engine
braking when going down steep hills.
Usesecondgearwhenstartingout
on a slippery surf ace or in deep snow.
It will help reduce wheelspin.
When driving down hill with a trailer,
use the Second position. If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
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.
This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pulling the shif t lever does
not work.
Set the Parking brake.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
Place a cloth on the edge of the
Shif t Lock Release slot cover on
the steering column. Remove the
cover by caref ully prying on the
edge with a small f lat-tipped
screwdriver (not included in the
tool kit).
To shif t f rom 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 upshif t-
ing and downshif ting through 1, 2,
D , and D, you can operate this
transmission much like a manual
transmission without a clutch pedal. 1.
2.
3.
CONT INUED
3
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Second (2)
Engine Speed L imiter Shif t L ock Release
First (1)
263

Insert the key in the Shift Lock
Release slot.
Push down on the key while you
pull the shif t lever towards you
and move it out of Park to Neutral.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 Shif t Lock
Release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by your Honda
dealer.
4.
5.
6.
Automatic Transmission
Driving264
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT COVER

µ
Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. The indicator
on the instrument panel shows that
the parking brake is not f ully
released; it does not indicate that the
parking brake is f irmly set. Make
sure the parking brake is set f irmly
or your vehicle may roll if it is
parked on an incline.
Set the parking brake bef ore you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the vehicle from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission making it
easier to move the shif t lever out of
Park when you want to drive away. If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the f ront wheels away f rom the curb.
If the vehicle is f acing downhill, turn
the f ront wheels toward the curb.
Make sure the parking brake is f ully
released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes.
Make sure the windows are closed.
Turn of f the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the cargo area or take them
with you.
Lock the doors and the tailgate
with the key or the remote
transmitter.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire.
Parking T ips
Parking
Driving265