2004 HONDA ODYSSEY service

You may use a synthetic motor oil if
it meets the same requirements
given f or a conventional motor oil: it
displays the API Certif ication Seal
and it is the proper weight. You must
f ollow the oil and f ilter change
intervals given on the maintenance
schedule.
Your Honda does not require any oil
additives. Additives may adversely
af f ect your engine’s or transmission’s
perf ormance and durability.Always change the oil and f ilter
according to the recommendations in
the maintenance schedule. The oil
and f ilter collect contaminants that
can damage your engine if they are
not removed regularly.
Changing the oil and f ilter requires
special tools and access f rom
underneath the vehicle. The vehicle
should be raised on a service station-
type hydraulic lif t f or this service.
Unless you have the knowledge and
proper equipment, you should have
this maintenance done by a skilled
mechanic.
Run the engine until it reaches
normal operating temperature,
then shut it off. Open the hood and remove the
engine oil f ill cap. Remove the oil
drain bolt and washer f rom the
bottom of the engine. Drain the oil
into an appropriate container.
1. 2.
A dding Engine Oil, Changing the Oil and Filter
Maint enance
Synthetic Oil
Engine Oil A dditivesChanging the Oil and Filter
212
WASHER
DRAIN BOLT

Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipeanydirtoff themounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten
them f ully.
Lower the vehicle to the ground
and remove the jack.
Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
16. 17.
18. 19.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed243
HAB
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m)

This indicator should never
come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing or stays
on, the oil pressure has dropped very
low or lost pressure. Serious engine
damage is possible and you should
take immediate action. Saf ely pull of f the road, and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
Let the vehicle sit f or a minute.
Open the hood, and check the oil
level (see page ). An engine
very low on oil can lose pressure
during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ).
Start the engine, and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If it does not go
out within 10 seconds, turn of f the
engine. There is a mechanical
problem that needs to be repaired
bef ore you can continue driving.
(See
on page
). Immediately turn of f all electrical
accessories. Try not to use other
electrically operated controls such as
the power windows. Keep the engine
running; starting the engine will
discharge the battery rapidly.
Go to a Honda dealer or a service
station where you can get technical
assistance.
If the charging system
indicator comes on brightly
when the engine is running, the
battery is not being charged.
1.
2.
3.
4.
211
171
255
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator, Charging System Indicator
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
Emergency T owingCharging System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed252
NOTICE:
Running the engine with low
oil pressure can cause serious
mechanical damage almost immediately.
Turn of f the engine as soon as you can
saf ely get the vehicle stopped.

However, if the brake pedal does not
f eel normal, you should take
immediate action. A problem in one
part of the system’s dual circuit
design will still give you braking at
two wheels. You will f eel the brake
pedal go down much f arther bef ore
the vehicle begins to slow down and
you will have to press harder on the
pedal.
Slow down by shif ting to a lower
gear, and pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e. Because of the long
distance needed to stop, it is
hazardous to drive the vehicle. You
should have it towed and repaired as
soon as possible (seeon page ). If you must drive the vehicle a short
distance in this condition, drive
slowly and caref ully.
If the ABS indicator and the TCS
indicator come on with the brake
system indicator, have the vehicle
inspected by your dealer
immediately.
If the brake system indicator comes
on while driving, the brake f luid level
is probably low. Press lightly on the
brake pedal to see if it f eels normal.
If it does, check the brake f luid level
thenexttimeyoustopataservice
station (see page ).
If the f luid level is low, take the
vehicle to your dealer and have the
brake system inspected f or leaks or
worn brake pads. The brake system
indicator normally
comesonwhenyou
turn the ignition switch to ON (II),
and as a reminder to check the
parking brake. It will stay lit if you do
not f ully release the parking brake.
255
218
Brake System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Emergency
Towing
254
U.S. Canada

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CONT INUED
If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a prof essional towing service or
organization. Never tow your vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous.
There are three popular types of
prof essional towing equipment. The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (f ront or rear) and lif t
them of f the ground. The other two
tires remain on the ground. The tow
truck uses metal cables with hooks
on the ends. These hooks go around
parts of the f rame or suspension and
the cables lif t that end of the vehicle
of f the ground. Your vehicle’s sus-
pension and body can be seriously
damaged.
Release the parking brake.
Start the engine.
ShifttoD,thentoN.
Turn of f the engine.
The operator
loads your vehicle on the back of a
truck. If your Honda cannot be transported
by f latbed, it should be towed by
wheel-lif t equipment with the f ront
wheels of f the ground. If , due to
damage, your vehicle must be towed
with the f ront wheels on the ground,
do the f ollowing:With the f ront wheels on the ground,
it is best to tow the vehicle no farther
than 50 miles (80 km), and keep the
speedbelow35mph(55km/h).
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Wheel-lif t EquipmentSling-t ype Equipment
Flat bed Equipment
T his is
an acceptable way to tow your
Honda. T his method of towing
is unacceptable.
T his is the best way to
transport your Honda.
255
NOTICE: Improper towing preparation
will damage the transmission. Follow
the above procedure exactly. If you
cannot shif t the transmission or start
the engine, your vehicle must be
transported with the f ront wheels of f
the ground.

µ
The tires on your car meet all U.S.
Federal Saf ety Requirements. All
tires are also graded for treadwear,
traction, and temperature perform-
ance according to
Department of Transportation
(DOT) standards. The f ollowing
explains these gradings.
Quality grades can be f ound where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and the
maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conf orm
to Federal Saf ety Requirements in
addition to these grades. The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-
half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100. The relative perf ormance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart signif icantly f rom the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and dif f erences in
road characteristics and climate.
The traction grades, f rom highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specif ied government test surf aces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
perf ormance.
Warning: The traction grade
assignedtothistireisbasedon
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
DOT T ire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
T echnical Inf ormation
Unif orm T ire Quality Grading
T readwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A Treadwear
Traction AA, A, B, C
268

Customer Service................................
Inf ormation .278
....................
Warranty Coverages .279
Reporting Saf ety Def ects ..........................
(U.S. Vehicles) .280
.....................
Authorized Manuals .281
Warranty and Customer Relations
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions277

Honda dealership personnel are
trained prof essionals. They should
be able to answer all your questions.
If you encounter a problem that your
dealership does not solve to your
satisf action, please discuss it with
the dealership’s management. The
Service Manager or General
Manager can help. Almost all
problems are solved in this way.
If you are dissatisf ied with the
decision made by the dealership’s
management, contact your Honda
Customer Service Office.U.S. Owners:
Canadian Owners:
In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands:
When you call or write, please give
us this inf ormation:
Vehicle Identif ication Number
(see page )
Name and address of the dealer
who services your vehicle
Date of purchase
Mileage on your vehicle
Your name, address, and tele-
phone number
A detailed description of the
problem
Name of the dealer who sold the
vehicle to you 264
Cust omer Service Inf ormat ion
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions278
CUSTOMER RELATIONS
RELATIONS AVEC LA CLIENTÉLE American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Automobile Customer Service
Mail Stop 500-2N-7A
1919 Torrance Boulevard
Torrance, California 90501-2746
Tel: (800) 999-1009
Honda Canada Inc.
715 Milner Avenue
Toronto, ON
M1B 2K8
Tel: 1-888-9-HONDA-9
Fax: Toll-free 1-877-939-0909
Toronto (416) 287-4776 Bella International
P.O. Box 190816
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00919-0816
Tel: (787) 250-4318