2003 HONDA ODYSSEY air

2003 Odyssey Online Reference Owner's Manual Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com. Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
............................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety ........................................................................\
.................................................. ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance ........................................................................\
....................................................... 2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
............................................... 5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
.................................................. .69
Instrument panel indica tor and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
.............................. .143
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
...................................................... ...............243
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
...................................................................................257
The proper way to start the engine, shift the tr ansmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
...................................................... ...................283
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
...................................................... ...........343
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your car ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................351
This section covers several problems motorists someti mes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
...................................................... .383
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)..................................................................... .397
A summary of the warranties covering your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only )........................................................................\
......................................
.401
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index ........................................................................\
......................................................................................... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

T his Owner’s Manual should be considered
a permanent part of the vehicle, and should
remain with the vehicle when it is sold.
T he inf ormation and specif ications included
in this publication were in ef f ect at the time
of approval f or printing. Honda Motor Co.,
Ltd. reserves the right, however, to
discontinue or change specif ications or
design at any time without notice and
without incurring any obligation whatsoever. T his Owner’s Manual covers all models of
the Odyssey. You may f ind descriptions of
equipment and f eatures that are not on your
particular model.Si pref iere este Manual del
Propietario en español,
comuníquese con el concesionario
Honda.
POUR CLIENTS CANADIEN
A VIS IMPORT A NT : Si vous avez
besoin d’un Manuel du Conduct eur
en f rançais, veuillez demander à
votreconcessionnairede
commander le numéro de pièce
38S0X640
Owner’s Identif ication
OWNER
ADDRESS
V. I. N.
DELIVERY DATE
DEALER NAME DEALER NO.
ADDRESS
OWNER’S SIGNATURE
DEALER’S SIGNATURE
STREET
CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP CODE/
POSTAL CODE
(Date sold to original retail purchaser)
STREET
CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP CODE/
POSTAL CODE

Î
Î
To use the horn, press the pad around the ‘‘H’’ logo.
:
Your Vehicle at a Glance
3
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
POWER SLIDING
DOOR SWITCHES HEADLIGHTS/
TURN SIGNALS
HAZARD WARNING
LIGHTSDIGITAL CLOCK
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGERLIGHT CONTROL
SWITCH
WINDSHIELD
WIPERS/WASHERS
CRUISE
CONTROL
HORN
STEERING WHEEL
ADJUSTMENT
REMOTE AUDIO
CONTROLS
CRUISE
CONTROL MIRROR
CONTROLS
PASSENGER
AIRBAG CUTOFF
INDICATOR
(P. 62)
(P.269)
(P.103) (P.82/
84)
(P.128) (P.199) (P.88) (P.84/
86) (P.139)
(P.
87)
(P.130)
(P.87)
(P.235)
(P.235)

This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains your Supple-
mental Restraint System. And it tells
you how to properly restrain inf ants
and children in your vehicle..........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features . 7
.......................................
Seat Belts .8
.........................................
Airbags .10
.....................
Seats & Seat-Backs .11
..........................
Head Restraints .11
..................................
Door Locks .11
........
Pre-Drive Saf ety Checklist . 12
............................
Protecting Adults .13
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 13
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 13
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 15
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 165. Fasten and Position the Seat
.....................................
Belts .17
....
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel . 20
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .21
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 22
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 22
........................
Protecting Children .24
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .24
Children Should Sit in the Back ...........................................
Seat .25
The Passenger’s Front Airbag .........
Can Pose Serious Risks . 26
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .28
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .28
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 29
General Guidelines f or Using ...............................
Child Seats .30
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .34
.........
Protecting Small Children . 38
.......
Protecting Larger Children . 42
Using Child Seats with .....................................
Tethers .46 .............................
Using LATCH .48
Additional Inf ormation About Your .................................
Seat Belts .50
..
Seat Belt System Components . 50
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .50
Automatic Seat Belt .............................
Tensionners .52
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 53
Additional Inf ormation About Your .....................................
Airbags .54
........................
SRS Components .54
How Your Front Airbags .........................................
Work .55
How Your Side Airbags .........................................
Work .59
How the SRS Indicator Light .......................................
Works .59
How the Side Airbag Cutof f ...........
Indicator Light Works . 60
How the Passenger Airbag ..........
Cutoff Indicator Works . 62
.............................
Airbag Service .64
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 65
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 66
...................................
Saf ety Labels .67
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety5

You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the
risk, but serious accidents can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page
.)
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page .)
Children are saf est when they are
properly restrained in a back seat,
notthefrontseat.Achildwhoistoo
smallforaseatbeltmustbeproperly
restrained in a child saf ety seat. (See
page .) Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe f rontal collision.
So even though your vehicle is
equipped with airbags, make sure
you and your passengers always
wear your seat belts, and wear them
properly. (See page .)
17
24 10
288
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat BeltBe Aware of Airbag Hazards Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Restrain All Children Don’t Drink and Drive
6

Your vehicle is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passengers
during a crash.
Some saf ety f eatures do not require
anyactiononyourpart.These
include a strong steel f ramework
that forms a safety cage around the
passenger compartment; f ront and
rear crush zones that are designed to
crumple and absorb energy during a
crash; a collapsible steering column;
and seat belt tensioners that
automatically tighten the front seat
belts in the event of a crash.
CONT INUED
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
7
(1)(2)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5) (6)
(7) (8)
(8)
(7) (9)
(10)
(1) Safety Cage
(2) Crush Zones
(3) Seats & Seat-Backs
(4) Head Restraints
(5) Collapsible Steering Column
(6) Seat Belts
(7) Front Airbags
(8) Side Airbags
(9) Front Seat Belt Tensioners
(10) Door Locks

These saf ety f eatures are designed
to reduce the severity of injuries in a
crash. However, you and your
passengers can’t take f ull advantage
of these saf ety f eatures unless you
remain sitting in a proper position
andIn f act, some saf ety
f eatures can contribute to injuries if
they are not used properly. Seat belts are the single most
ef f ective saf ety device f or adults and
larger children. (Inf ants and smaller
children must be properly restrained
in child seats.)
In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.
Foryoursafety,andthesafetyof
your passengers, your vehicle is
equipped with seat belts in all seating
positions.
Your seat belt system also
includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passengers to f asten your seat
belts. Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Seat Belts
always wear your seat belts
properly. Why Wear Seat Belt s
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
8

Help keep you f rom being thrown
against the inside of the vehicle
and against other occupants.
Keep you f rom being thrown out
of the vehicle.
Help keep you in a good position
should the airbags ever deploy. A
good position reduces the risk of
injury f rom an inf lating airbag, and
allows you to get the best
advantage f rom the airbag.Of course, seat belts cannot
completely protect you in every
crash.Butinmostcases,seatbelts
can reduce your risk of serious
injury.
Always wear
your seat belt, and make sure you
wear it properly.
Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including f rontal,
side, and rear impacts and
rollovers. Keep you connected to the vehicle
so you can take advantage of the
vehicle’s built-in saf ety f eatures.
When properly worn, seat belts:
What you should do:
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
Driver and Passenger Saf ety9
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
if you have airbags.
Be sure you and your
passengers always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.