2003 HONDA ODYSSEY service

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.

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

If the passenger airbag cutof f
indicator does not light, or comes on
and of f repeatedly while a child seat
is secured on the f ront passenger’s
seat, remove the child seat, then
secure it on a rear seat.
When you turn the ignition switch to
ON (II), the passenger airbag cutof f
indicator will light brief ly then go out.
This tells you that the system is
working properly.
The indicator may come on or of f a
f ew seconds later if the weight on
the f ront passenger’s seat changes.Your f ront and side airbag systems
are virtually maintenance-f ree, and
there are no parts you can saf ely
service. However, you must have
your vehicle serviced if :
Any
airbag that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit, automatic seat belt
tensioners, and other related parts.
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
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.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Airbag Service
Your airbags ever inf late.
T he SRS indicat or light alert s yout o a problem.
64

Bef ore you begin driving your Honda,
youshouldknowwhatgasolineto
use, and how to check the levels of
important f luids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggage
or packages. The inf ormation in this
section will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your vehicle,
please read the inf ormation in this
section f irst..............................
Break-in Period .244
.........................................
Gasoline .244
.........
Service Station Procedures . 245
................
Filling the Fuel Tank . 245
....................
Opening the Hood .246
...............................
Oil Check .248
.........
Engine Coolant Check . 249
...............................
Fuel Economy .250
.....................
Vehicle Condition .250
...........................
Driving Habits .250
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 251
.............................
Carrying Cargo .253
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving243

Because the f uel f ill cap is on the
driver’s side of the vehicle, park
with that side closest to the
service station pumps.
Open the f uel f ill door by pulling
onthehandletotheleftof the
driver’s seat.
In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emission control system
perf ormance may deteriorate and
the Malf unction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on.
If this happens, contact your
authorized Honda dealer f or service.
Bef ore ref ueling, make sure the rear
sliding door on the driver’s side is
closed. 1.
2.
CONT INUED
Bef ore Driving
Filling the Fuel Tank
Gasoline, Service Station Procedures
245
Pull
FUEL FILL CAP
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.

Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top off’’ the tank, leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.Shift to Park or Neutral and set
the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
Screw the f uel f ill cap back on,
tighten it until it clicks several
times. If you do not properly
tighten the cap, the Malfunction
Indicator Lamp may come on (see
page ).
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.
Your vehicle has an on-board
ref ueling vapor recovery system to
help keep f uel vapors f rom going
into the atmosphere. If the fuel
nozzle keeps clicking of f even
though the tank is not full, there may
be a problem with this system.
Consult your dealer. 1.
3.
4.
5.
6.
371
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
Opening the Hood
246
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE

CONT INUED
Pull the support rod out of its clip
and insert the end into the hole on
the driver’s side of the hood.
If you can open the hood without
lifting the hood latch handle, or the
hood latch handle moves stif f ly or
does not spring back as bef ore, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated (see page ).
Standing in f ront of the vehicle,
put your f ingers under the f ront
edge of the hood. The hood latch
handle is above the ‘‘H’’ logo. Pull
up on this handle until it releases
the hood. Lif t the hood. 3.
2. 313
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving247
LATCH SUPPORT ROD

Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Check the engine oil level every time
you f ill the vehicle with f uel. Wait a
f ew minutes af ter turning the engine
of f bef ore you check the oil.
Remove the dipstick (orange
handle).
To close the hood, lif t it up slightly to
remove the support rod f rom the
hole. Put the support rod back into
its holding clip. Lower the hood to
about a f oot (30 cm) above the
fender,thenletitdrop.
Afterclosingthehood,makesureit
is securely latched.
2.
1.
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
Oil Check
248
DIPSTICK