2003 HONDA ODYSSEY maintenance

The spark plugs in your vehicle are a
special platinum-tipped design f or
longer lif e. The spark plugs should
be replaced according to the time
and distance recommendations in
the maintenance schedule.
Clean the hood latch assembly with a
mild cleaner, then lubricate it with a
multipurpose grease. Lubricate all
the moving parts (as shown),
including the pivot. Follow the time
and distance recommendations in
the Maintenance Schedule. If you
are not sure how to clean and grease
the latch, contact your Honda dealer. Loosen the f our bolts with a
wrench, then remove the engine
cover.
1.
CONT INUED
Hood L atch
Spark Plugs
Hood L at ch, Spark Plugs
Maint enance
Replacement
313
LATCH ASSEMBLY
BOLTS
ENGINE
COVERBOLTS

If you need to connect the battery to
a charger, disconnect both cables to
prevent damage to the vehicle’s
electrical system.If your vehicle’s battery is
disconnected or goes dead, the
AUTO f eature of the driver’s window
will be disabled. You should reset the
AUTOfeature(seepage ).126
Battery
Maint enance318
The battery gives off explosive
hydrogen gas during normal
operation.
A spark or flame can cause the
battery to explode with enough
force to kill or seriously hurt you.
Wear protective clothing and a
face shield, or have a skilled
mechanic do the battery
maintenance. Charging the battery with the cables
connected can seriously damage your
vehicle’s electronic controls. Detach
the battery cables bef ore connecting
the battery to a charger.

µµWe recommend that you visually
check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.
To saf ely operate your vehicle, your
tires must be the proper type and
size, in good condition with adequate
tread, and correctly inf lated. The
f ollowing pages give more detailed
informationonhowandwhento
check air pressure, how to inspect
your tires f or damage and wear, and
what to do when your tires need to
be replaced.
The timing belt should normally be
replaced at the intervals shown in
the maintenance schedule.
Replace the belt at 60,000 miles (U.S.)
or 100,000 km (Canada) if you regu-
larly drive your vehicle in one or
more of these conditions:
In very high temperatures
(over 110°F, 43°C).
In very low temperatures
(under 20°F, 29°C). Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort. Underinf lated tires wear
unevenly, adversely affect handling
and f uel economy, and are more
likely to f ail f rom being overheated.
Overinf lated tires can make your
vehicleridemoreharshly,aremore
prone to damage from road hazards,
and wear unevenly.
CONT INUED
Timing Belt, Tires
Maint enance
Inf lation
Tires
Timing Belt
323
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.

To help increase tire lif e and
distribute wear more evenly, you
should have the tires rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km). Move the
tires to the positions shown in the
chart each time they are rotated.
Make sure the installer balances the
wheels when you have new tires
installed. This increases riding
comf ort and tire lif e. Your vehicle’s
original tires were dynamic or ‘‘spin’’
balanced at the f actory. For best
results, have the installer perf orm a
dynamic balance.
In addition to proper inf lation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you f ind a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
The tires were properly balanced by
the factory. They may need to be
rebalanced at some time bef ore they
are worn out. Have your dealer
check the tires if you f eel a consis-
tent vibration while driving. A tire
should always be rebalanced if it is
removed f rom the wheel f or repair.
On some models
Tires
Maint enance
Tire Rotation
Maintenance
326
Front Front
(For Non-directional
Tires and Wheels) (For Directional
Tires and Wheels)
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle’s aluminum wheels. Use
only genuine Honda wheel weights f or
balancing.

If you need to park your vehicle f or
an extended period (more than one
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your vehicle back on the road. If
possible, store your vehicle indoors.Block the rear wheels.
If the vehicle is to be stored f or a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Leave one window open slightly (if
the vehicle is being stored
indoors).
Fill the f uel tank.
Change the engine oil and f ilter
(see page ).
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Park. Support the f ront and rear wiper
blade arms with a f olded towel or
ragsotheydonottouchthe
windshield. Disconnect the battery.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and tailgate seals. Also, apply a
vehiclebodywaxtothepainted
surfaces that mate with the door
and tailgate seals.Cover the vehicle with a
‘‘breathable’’ cover, one made
f rom a porous material such as
cotton. Nonporous materials, such
as plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
If possible, run the engine f or a
while periodically (pref erably once
amonth).
If you store your vehicle f or 12
months or longer, have your Honda
dealer perf orm the inspections called
f or in the 24 months/30,000 miles
(48,000 km) maintenance schedule
(Normal Conditions) as soon as you
take it out of storage (see page ).
The replacements called f or in the
maintenance schedule are not
needed unless the vehicle has
actually reached that time or mileage.
299
288
St oring Your Vehicle
Maint enance341

Two f actors normally contribute to
causing corrosion in your vehicle:Moisture trapped in body cavities.
Dirtandroadsaltthatcollectsin
hollows on the underside of the
vehicle stays damp, promoting
corrosion in that area.
Removal of paint and protective
coatings f rom the exterior and
underside of the vehicle. Repair chips and scratches in the
paint as soon as you discover them.
Many corrosion-preventive measures
are built into your Honda. You can
help keep your vehicle f rom
corroding by perf orming some
simple periodic maintenance:
Inspect and clean out the drain
holes in the bottom of the doors
and body.
Check the f loor coverings f or
dampness. Carpeting and f loor
mats may remain damp f or a long
time, especially in winter. This
dampness can eventually cause
the f loor panels to corrode. Use a high-pressure spray to clean
the underside of your vehicle. This
is especially important in areas
that use road salt in winter. It is
also a good idea in humid climates
and areas subject to salt air. Be
caref ul of the ABS wheel sensors
and wiring at each wheel.
Have the corrosion-preventive
coatings on the underside of your
vehicle inspected and repaired
periodically.
1.
2.
Corrosion Prot ect ion
Appearance Care349

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Specif ications
T echnical Inf ormation387
Lights
Battery
Fuses Engine
Alignment
Tires
12 V 21 W
12 V 21/5 W
3.50 x 3.66 in (89.0 x 93.0 mm)
212 cu-in (3,471 cm
)
10 : 1
0.00 in (0.0 mm)
0.00 in (0.0 mm) 0°
0°30’
2°07’
225/60R16 98T
T135/80D16 101M
36 psi (250 kPa , 2.5 kgf/cm
)
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
24/2.2 CP
12 V 1.8 W 12 V 8 W 12 V 21 W
12 V 3 CP 2CP
21 CP (18 W)
4CP
10 W
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V 12 V
60/55 W (HB2)
12 V
65 AH/20 HR 52 AH/5 HR
12 V
12 V
Headlights
Front turn signal/parking/side
marker lights
Rear turn signal lights
Stop/Taillights/Rear side
marker lights
Taillights
Back-up lights
License plate light
High-mount brake light
Individual map lights
Cargo area light
Vanity mirror lights
Capacity
Interior
Under-hood Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs
Toe-in
Camber
Caster
Size
Pressure
See page 379or the fuse label
attached to the dashboard.
See page 379or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box door under the dashboard. See spark plug maintenance sec-
tion page 316 .
See pages 377and 378or the fuse
box cover.
High/Low
Front/Rear
Spare
Front/Rear
Spare Front
Rear
Front
Rear
Front
Front
Rear
Driver’s side
Passenger’s side (Amber)
Water cooled 4-stroke SOHC VTEC,
6-cylinder, gasoline engine

Î
ÎThe burning of gasoline in your
vehicle’s engine produces several by-
products. Some of these are carbon
monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen
(NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC).
Gasoline evaporating f rom the tank
also produces hydrocarbons. Con-
trolling the production of NOx, CO,
and HC is important to the environ-
ment. Under certain conditions of
sunlight and climate, NOx and HC
react to f orm photochemical ‘‘smog.’’
Carbon monoxide does not contri-
bute to smog creation, but it is a
poisonous gas. The United States Clean Air Act
sets standards f or automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
workandwhattodotomaintain
them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.
Scheduled maintenance is on page
.
In Canada, Honda vehicles comply
with the Canadian emission
requirements, as specif ied in an
agreement with Environment
Canada, at the time they are
manuf actured.
Your vehicle has a Positive
Crankcase Ventilation System. This
keeps gasses that build up in the
engine’s crankcase f rom going into
the atmosphere. The Positive Crank- case Ventilation valve routes them
from the crankcase back to the
intake manif old. They are then
drawn into the engine and burned.
The Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
Recovery (ORVR) system captures
the f uel vapors during ref ueling. The
vapors are adsorbed in a canister
f illed with activated carbon. While
driving, the f uel vapors are drawn
into the engine and burned of f . As gasoline evaporates in the f uel
tank, an evaporative emissions
control canister f illed with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is of f . Af ter
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine
and burned during driving.
288
The Clean Air Act
Crankcase Emissions Control
System
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
Recovery Evaporative Emissions Control
System
T echnical Inf ormation
Emissions Cont rols
392