2004 HONDA ODYSSEY trailer

Trailer lights and equipment must
comply with f ederal, state, province,
and local regulations. Check with
your local recreational vehicle dealer
f or the requirements in your area,
and use only equipment designed f or
your vehicle.
Your vehicle has a trailer lighting
connector located behind the lef t
side panel in the cargo area. Ref er to
thedrawingaboveforthewiringcolor code and purpose of each pin.
To use the trailer lighting connector,
you will need a wiring harness and
converter. This comes with the
Honda hitch (see page ), or it
may be obtained separately from
your dealer.
If you use a non-Honda trailer
lighting harness and converter, you
can get the connector and pins that
mate with the connector in your
vehicle f rom your Honda dealer.
Since lighting and wiring vary by
trailer type and brand, you should
have a qualif ied technician install a
suitable connector between the
vehicle and the trailer. Improper
equipment or installation can cause
damage to your vehicle’s electrical
system and af f ect your vehicle
warranty.
Seeyourtrailerdealerformore
inf ormation on installing electric
brakes. If you choose electric brakes, be
sure they are electrically actuated.
Do not attempt to tap into your
vehicle’s hydraulic system. No
matter how successf ul it may seem,
any attempt to attach trailer brakes
to your vehicle’s hydraulic system
will lower braking ef f ectiveness and
create a potential hazard. Honda recommends that any trailer
having a total weight of 1,000 lbs
(450 kg) or more be equipped with
its own electric or surge-type brakes. You must also have a transmission
f luid cooler and a power steering
f luid cooler installed. These coolers
are available only f rom your Honda
dealer. 196
CONT INUED
Towing a Trailer
Driving
T railer L ights
T ransmission Fluid Cooler and
Power St eering Fluid Cooler
Trailer Brakes
197
BACK-UP LIGHT
(GREEN/BLACK) LEFT TURN SIGNAL
(GREEN/BLUE)
GROUND
(BLACK)
RIGHT TURN SIGNAL
(GREEN/YELLOW) TAILLIGHT
(RED/BLACK)
BRAKE LIGHT
(WHITE/BLACK)

When towing a trailer, you should
carry a f ull-size wheel and tire as a
spare in case you have a flat. If you
use the compact spare tire that came
with the vehicle, it may adversely
af f ect vehicle handling. See pagef or inf ormation on proper tire
size, and page f or inf ormation on
how to store a f ull-size tire. When
storing a f ull-size spare tire in the
trailer, f ollow the trailer maker’s
instructions.
Many states and Canadian provinces
require special outside mirrors when
towing a trailer. Even if they don’t,
you should install special mirrors if
you cannot clearly see behind you, or
if the trailer creates a blind spot.
Askyourtrailersalesorrental
agency if any other items are
recommended or required f or your
towing situation. When preparing to tow, and bef ore
driving away, be sure to check the
f ollowing:
You may want to fill the fuel tank
with premium f uel. Premium f uel
provides improved perf ormance. Your vehicle tires and spare are
properly inf lated (see page ),
and the trailer tires and spare are
inflated as recommended by the
trailer maker. The lights and brakes on your
vehicle and the trailer are working
properly. Allitemsonandinthetrailerare
properly secured and cannot shif t
while you drive.
Thehitch,safetychains,andany
other attachments are secure. All weights and loads are within
limits (see pages and ). The trailer has been properly
serviced and is in good condition. If you tow f requently, f ollow the
Severe Conditions maintenance
schedule. The vehicle has been properly
serviced, and the tires, brakes,
suspension, and cooling system
are in good operating condition.
244
233
194231
195
Towing a Trailer
Driving
Spare Vehicle T ire
Additional Trailer EquipmentPre-T ow Checklist
198

CONT INUED
Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause trailer
swaying. When being passed by a
large vehicle, keep a constant speed
and steer straight ahead. Do not try
to make quick steering or braking
corrections.
Always drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the lef t
to get the trailer to move to the lef t,
andturnthewheelrighttomovethe
trailer to the right.
Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including putting the
transmission in Park and f irmly
setting the parking brake. Also, place
wheel chocks at each of the trailer’s
tires.The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
below.
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
Use the D position when towing a
trailer on level roads. See ‘‘
’’ in the next column f or
additional gear inf ormation. Do not
exceed 55 mph (88 km/h). At higher
speeds, the trailer may sway or
af f ect vehicle handling. Maketurnsmoreslowlyandwider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.
When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
If the automatic transmission shif ts
f requently while going up a hill, shif t
to D .
bottom
3
Towing a Trailer
Driving
Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ing
Backing UpParking T owing Speeds and Gears
Driving on
Hills Making T urns and Braking
Driving on HillsDriving Saf ely With a T railer
199

If you must stop when f acing uphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shif t down to 2nd
gear. Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
Towing a Trailer
Driving200

µµ
The maintenance schedule assumes
you will use your vehicle as normal
transportation for passengers and
their possessions. You should also
f ollow these recommendations:
Avoid exceeding your vehicle’s
load limit. This puts excess stress
on the engine, brakes, and many
other vehicle parts. The load limit
is shown on the tire inf ormation
label on the driver’s doorjamb.
Operate your vehicle on
reasonable roads within legal
speed limits. Driving less than 5 miles (8 km)
per trip or, in f reezing
temperatures, driving less than 10
miles (16 km) per trip.Follow the
Maintenance Schedule f or Severe
Conditions if you drive your vehicle
MAINLY under one or more of the
f ollowing conditions. Service your vehicle according to the
time and mileage periods on one of
the Maintenance Schedules on the
f ollowing pages.
Driving in extremely hot [over
90°F (32°C)] conditions. Trailer towing, driving with a roof
rack, or driving in mountainous
conditions.
Driving on muddy, dusty, or de-
iced roads.
If you only OCCASIONALLY
drive under a ‘‘severe’’ condition, you
should f ollow the Maintenance
Schedule f or Normal Conditions.
Follow the
Maintenance Schedule f or Severe
Conditions.
Always use unleaded gasoline with
theproperoctanerating(seepage ).
Drive your vehicle regularly over a
distance of several miles
(kilometers).
Extensive idling or long periods of
stop-and-go driving, such as a taxi
or a commercial delivery vehicle.
168
Maintenance Schedule
Maint enance
U.S. Owners Which Schedule to Follow:
Canadian Owners
203
NOTE:

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.Theheadlightswereproperlyaimed
when your vehicle was new. If you
regularly carry heavy items in the
cargo area or pull a trailer, a
readjustment may be required.
Adjustments should be perf ormed by
a Honda dealer or other qualif ied
mechanic.
Your vehicle has halogen headlight
bulbs, one on each side. When
replacing a bulb, handle it by its steel
base and protect the glass from
contactwithyourskinorhard
objects. If you touch the glass, clean
it with denatured alcohol and a clean
cloth.
Hood Latch, Lights
Maint enance
Hood L atch
Headlight A iming Replacing a Headlight Bulb
220
NOTICE:
LATCH ASSEMBLY
Halogen headlight bulbs get
very hot when lit. Oil, perspiration, or a
scratch on the glass can cause the bulb
to overheat and shatter.

Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
Follow these precautions:Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
under any circumstances.
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces. Use greater caution while
driving. Do not mount snow chains on it.
Do not use the compact spare tire
if you are towing a trailer.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Turn off the Traction Control
System (see page ). Driving
withthecompactsparetiremay
activate the TCS.
Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement should be the same size
and design tire, mounted on the
same wheel. The spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
193
Compact Spare Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed238
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)

CONT INUED
If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Drive slowly along the shoulder until
you get to an exit or an area that is
far away from the traffic lanes.Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park. Apply the
parking brake. If you are towing a
trailer, unhitch the trailer.Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire.
2.
1.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed239
JACK VINYL BAG
SPARE TIRE
TOOLS
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.