2004 HONDA ODYSSEY gas to use

2004 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........................................................................\
...................................................57
Instrument panel indica tor and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
............................... 115
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
....................................................... ..............167
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
...................................................................................181
The proper way to start the engine, shift the tr ansmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
....................................................... ..................201
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................237
This section covers several problems motorists someti mes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
....................................................... 263
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)......................................................................277
A summary of the warranties covering your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
....................................... 281
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.

Your vehicle’s exhaust contains
carbon monoxide gas. You should
have no problem with carbon
monoxide entering the vehicle in
normal driving if you maintain your
vehicle properly.
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:The vehicle is raised f or an oil
change.
You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust.
The vehicle was in an accident
that may have damaged the under-
side. High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage. With the tailgate open, air flow can
pull exhaust gas into your vehicle’s
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
tailgate open, open all the windows
and set the heating and cooling
system/climate control system as
shown below.
If you must sit in your parked vehicle,
even in an unconf ined area, with the
engine running, adjust the heating
and cooling system/climate control
system as f ollows:
Select the Fresh Air mode.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Driver and Passenger Saf ety54
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.

The tailgate also has a lock tab on
the inside.
To lock the tailgate without the key
or the remote transmitter, push the
lock tab down and close the tailgate.Keep the tailgate closed at all times
while driving to avoid damaging the
tailgate and to prevent exhaust gas
f rom getting into the interior. See
on page
.
To open the tailgate, pull the handle,
then lif t up. To close the tailgate, use
the inner handle to pull it down, then
press down on the back edge. 54
Door L ocks
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
80
HANDLE
LOCK
TAB

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 .168
...............................
Gasoline Type .168
.........
Service Station Procedures . 169
...............................
Fuel Economy .173
....................................
Accessories .174
.................................
Modif ications .175
.............................
Carrying Cargo .176
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving167

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
We also recommend that you should
not tow a trailer during the f irst 500
miles (800 km). Your Honda is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy, metallic rapping
noise in the engine that can lead to
mechanical f ailure.
We recommend gasolines containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your vehicle’s emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the Malfunction Indicator
Lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your authorized Honda dealer f or
service.
Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 percent ethanol
by volume and up to 15 percent
MTBE by volume. Do not use
gasoline containing methanol.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
You should also f ollow these same
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
.
Break-in Period, Gasoline T ype
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period Gasoline Type
Quick Start Guide
168

Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurt
someone during a crash.
Be sure items placed on the f loor
behind the f ront seats cannot roll
under the seats and interf ere with
the pedals or seat operation.
Keep the glove box closed while
driving. If it is open, a passenger
could injure their knees during a
crash or sudden stop.Distribute cargo evenly on the
f loor of the cargo area, placing the
heaviest items on the bottom and
as f ar f orward as possible. Tie
down items that could be thrown
about the vehicle during a crash or
sudden stop.
If you carry large items that
prevent you f rom closing the
tailgate, exhaust gas can enter the
passenger area. To avoid the
possibility of
, f ollow the instructions
on page .
If you carry any items on a roof
top carrier, be sure the total
weight of the rack and the items
does not exceed 150 lb (68 kg). If you use an accessory roof top
carrier, the roof top carrier weight
limit may be lower. Ref er to the
inf ormation that came with your roof
top carrier.
54
Carrying Items in the Passenger
Compartment
carbon monoxide
poisoning
Carrying Cargo in the Cargo A rea
or on a Roof T op Carrier
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving178

Your Honda is equipped with a
Traction Control System (TCS) to
assist you in maintaining traction
while driving slowly on loose or
slippery surf aces. The TCS assists
only in low-speed, low-traction
conditions; up to approximately 18
mph (30 km/h).
TCS monitors the speed of all f our
wheels. When it senses a f ront wheel
losing traction, it applies braking to
that wheel. The TCS indicator
f lashes when this occurs.
Driving with TCS requires no special
skills or technique. The TCS does
not control your vehicle’s whole
braking system and cannot prevent
skidding if you enter a corner too
f ast. It is still your responsibility to
drive at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety.You should still install winter tires on
your vehicle during the winter. Make
sure to use the same size originally
supplied with vehicle. Exercise the
samecautioninwinterdrivingasyou
would if your vehicle was not
equipped with TCS.
Driving with the compact spare tire
installed (see page ) may
activate the TCS. You should turn of f
the system.
When starting out or driving at low
speeds on a loose or slippery road
surface, you may notice that the
vehicle does not respond to the
accelerator in the same way it does
at other times. This is a sign TCS is
activating. You will see the TCS
indicator f lash. If the brakes overheat while TCS is
activating, the TCS indicator will
stop flashing and stay on temporarily.
This indicates that TCS has turned
off. After the brakes have cooled
down (usually f or about 10 minutes),
TCSwillturnbackonandthe
indicator will turn of f .238
Driving
Traction Control System (TCS)
192
TRACTION CONTROL
SYSTEM INDICATOR

All service items not detailed in this
section should be perf ormed by a
Honda technician or other qualif ied
mechanic.
To eliminate potential hazards, read
the instructions bef ore you begin,
and make sure you have the tools
and skills required.Do
not run the engine unless
instructed to do so.
Some of the most important saf ety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every
conceivable hazard that can arise in
perf orming maintenance. Only you
can decide whether or not you
should perf orm a given task.
Make sure your vehicle is parked
on level ground, the parking brake
is set, and the engine is of f .
To clean parts, use a commercially
available degreaser or parts
cleaner, not gasoline.
To reduce the possibility of f ire or
explosion, keep cigarettes, sparks,
and f lames away f rom the battery
and all f uel-related parts.
Wear eye protection and
protective clothing when working
with the battery or compressed air.
Be sure there is
adequate ventilation whenever you
operate the engine.
Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
bef ore touching any parts.
Maintenance Saf ety
Maint enance
Important Saf ety Precautions Injury f rom moving parts.
Potential Vehicle Hazards Carbon Monoxide poison f rom
engine exhaust.
Burns f rom hot parts.
202
Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures
and precautions in this owner’s
manual.
Improperly maintaining this
vehicle or failing to correct a
problem before driving can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection,
maintenance recommendations,
and schedules in this owner’s
manual.