2004 HONDA ODYSSEY automatic transmission

Thecruisecontrolmaynotholdthe
set speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down. This will cancel the
cruise control. To resume the set
speed, press the RESUME/accel
button. The CRUISE CONTROL
indicator on the instrument panel will
come back on.
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshif t to hold the set speed.You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Push on the accelerator pedal.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel
button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
accel button. Each time you do
this, the vehicle will speed up
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h). You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the SET/decel
button. Release the button when
you reach the desired speed.
To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/decel
button. Each time you do this,
your vehicle will slow down about
1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Tap the brake pedal lightly with
your f oot. The CRUISE
CONTROL indicator on the
instrument panel will go out.
When the vehicle slows to the
desired speed, press the SET/
decel button.
Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.
CONT INUED
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Changing the Set Speed
161

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the Traction Control System,
and f acts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive .182
.......................
Starting the Engine .183
..............
Automatic Transmission . 184
..................................
Parking Tips .188
.............................
Braking System .189
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 190
..
Traction Control System (TCS) . 192
...........................
Towing a Trailer .194
Driving
Driving181

These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shif t
lever is in.
The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II). If it
f lashes while driving (in any shif t
position), it indicates a possible
problem in the transmission.If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem in the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration and
havethetransmissioncheckedbya
Honda dealer as soon as possible.
To shif t f rom any position, press
f irmly on the brake pedal and pull
the lever towards you. You cannot
shif t out of Park when the ignitionswitch is in the LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I) position.
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR
Dto2 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoD DtoN
DtoD NtoDRtoN Do this:
Press the brake pedal and
pull the shift lever towards
you.
Pull the shift lever towards
you.
Move the lever.
3
3
3
3
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Shif t L ever Position Indicators
Shif ting
184
SHIFT LEVER

µµµ
µ µ
µ
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Pull the shif t lever
towards you, then move it out of
Park.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shif t Lock Release on page .
You must also pull the shif t lever
towards you to shift into Park. To
avoid transmission damage, come to
a complete stop bef ore shif ting into
Park. The shif t lever must be in Park
bef ore you can remove the key f rom
the ignition switch. Press the brake
pedal and pull the shif t lever towards
you to shift from Park to Reverse. To
shif t f rom Reverse to Natural, come
to a complete stop and then shift.
Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from Neutral to
another gear.
Use this position f or
normal driving. The transmission
automatically selects a suitable gear
f or your speed and acceleration. You
may notice the transmission shif ting
up at higher speeds when the engine
is cold. This helps the engine warm
up f aster. This position is similar
to D, except only the first three
gears are selected instead of all f ive.
Use D when towing a trailer in hilly
terrain, or to provide engine braking
when going down a steep hill. D can
also keep the transmission f rom
cycling between third and f ourth
gears in stop-and-go driving.
This position locks
the transmission in second gear. It
does not downshif t to f irst gear
when you come to a stop.
Use Second gear: For more power when climbing.
To increase engine braking when
going down steep hills.
For starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow.
When driving downhill with a
trailer.
186
3
3
CONT INUED
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Park (P) Reverse (R)
Neutral (N)
Drive (D) Drive (D )
Second (2)3
185

µTo shif t f rom Second to
First, pull the shift lever towards you,
then shift to the lower gear. With the
lever in this position, the
transmission locks in First gear. By
upshif ting and downshif ting through
1, 2, D , and D, you can operate the
transmission much like a manual
transmission without a clutch pedal. If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pulling the shif t lever does
not work.
Set the Parking brake.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
1.
2.
3
Automatic Transmission
Driving
First (1)
Engine Speed Limiter Shift Lock Release
186

Place a cloth on the edge of the
Shif t Lock Release slot cover.
Using a small f lat-tipped
screwdriver or a metal f ingernail
f ile, caref ully pry on the edge of
the cover to remove it.Remove the key from the Shift
Lock Release slot, then install the
cover. Press the brake pedal, and
restart the engine.
If you need to use the Shif t Lock
Release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have it
checked by a Honda dealer.
Insert the key in the Shift Lock
Release slot.
Push down on the key while you
pull the shif t lever towards you
and move it out of Park to Neutral.
5. 6.
4.
3.
Automatic Transmission
Driving187
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT COVER

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