2006 HONDA ODYSSEY engine

This button is under the driver’s side
vent. Press it to turn the VSA system
on or of f .
VSA is turned on every time you
start the engine, even if you turned it
off the last time you drove the
vehicle.Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the VSA to
malf unction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are of the same size
and type as your original tires (see
page ).
Deactivate the VSA system if you
need to drive with the compact spare
tire installed (all models except U.S.
Touring).
If you install winter tires, make sure
they are the same size as those that
were originally supplied with your
vehicle. Exercise the same caution
during winter driving as you would if
your vehicle was not equipped with
VSA.
Without VSA, your vehicle still has
normal braking and cornering ability,
but it does not have VSA traction and
stability enhancement.
When VSA is off, the VSA activation
indicator comes on as a reminder. 356
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
VSA and Tire Sizes
VSA OFF Button
308
VSA OFF
SWITCH
VSA OFF SWITCH
LX and EX models
Touring model

Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that turns on every time you start the
engine and monitors the pressure in
your tires while driving.
You will see the above display on the
multi-inf ormation display when you
turn the ignition switch to ON (II)
andpresstheINFObuttononthe
steering wheel six times.To see the inf lation pressures of all
f our tires, press the SEL/RESET
buttononthesteeringwheel.The
display changes as shown above.
Each tire has its own pressure
sensor. If the air pressure of a tire
becomes signif icantly low, the
sensor in that tire immediately sends
a signal that causes the low tire
pressure indicator in the instrument
panel to come on. If this happens,
you will see which tire is losing the
pressure in the multi-information
display along with a ‘‘CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE’’ message.
CONT INUED
On U.S. Touring model only
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Driving
309

Your vehicle has been designed to
primarily carry passengers and their
cargo. You can also use it to tow a
trailer if you caref ully observe the
load limits, use the proper equipment,
and f ollow the guidelines in this
section.The
maximum allowable weight of the
trailer and everything in or on it
depends on several f actors. See
page f or the driving limits f or
your towing situation. Towing a
load that is too heavy can seriously
af f ect your vehicle’s handling and
perf ormance. It can also damage
the engine and drivetrain. The weight that
the tongue of a f ully-loaded trailer
puts on the hitch should be
approximately 10 percent of the
total trailer weight. Too much
tongue load reduces f ront-tire
traction and steering control. Too
little tongue load can make the
trailer unstable and cause it to
sway.
313
Towing a Trailer
Load Limits
T otal T railer Weight: T ongue L oad:
312
Exceeding any load limit or
improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously hurt
or killed.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully
beforestartingtodrive.

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 .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.
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 second
gear. Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember, it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause trailer to
sway. 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.
3
bottom
Towing a Trailer
Making T urns and Braking
Driving on Hills Backing Up
Parking
Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ing
318

This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.
This section also includes
instructions on how to read the
maintenance messages in the
odometer/trip meter display or
multi-Inf ormation display, a
maintenance record, and instructions
for simple maintenance tasks you
may want to take care of yourself.
If you have the skills and tools to
perf orm more complex maintenance
tasks on your vehicle, you may want
to purchase the service manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your dealer.......................
Maintenance Saf ety .320
....................
Maintenance Minder .321
....................
Maintenance Record .331
..............................
Fluid Locations .333
........................
Adding Engine Oil .334
.........
Changing the Oil and Filter .335
..............................
Engine Coolant .337
....................
Windshield Washers .339
....
Automatic Transmission Fluid .340
....................................
Brake Fluid .341
....................
Power Steering Fluid .342
....................................
Timing Belt .342
.............................................
Lights .343
................
Cleaning the Seat Belts .349
.....................................
Floor Mats .349
.................................
Wiper Blades .350
...............................................
Tires .352
...................
Checking the Battery .359
.............................
Vehicle Storage .360
407
Maintenance
Maint enance
319

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 flames away from 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.
All service items not detailed in this
section should be perf ormed by a
certif ied technician or other qualif ied
mechanic.
Maintenance Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Injury f rom moving parts.
Potential Vehicle Hazards Carbon Monoxide poison f rom
engine exhaust.
Burns f rom hot parts.
320
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.

Your vehicle displays engine oil lif e
and maintenance service items in the
odometer/trip meter display on LX,
EX and EX-L models, or in the multi-
inf ormation display on Touring
models, to show you when you
should have your dealer perf orm
engine oil replacement and indicated
maintenance service.
Based on the engine operating
conditions and accumulated engine
revolutions, the onboard computer in
your vehicle calculates the remaining
engine oil lif e and displays it as a
percentage.To see the current engine oil lif e,
turn the ignition switch to ON (II),
and push and release the SELECT/
RESET knob on the instrument
panel repeatedly, until the engine oil
lif e is displayed.If the oil lif e is 15 percent or less,
you will see the oil lif e indicator f or
everytimeyouturntheignition
switch to the ON (II) position. This
indicator stays on until you cancel it
by pressing the SELECT/RESET
button. The maintenance minder
indicator will also come on, and the
maintenance item code(s) for other
scheduled maintenance items
needing service will be displayed
next to the engine oil lif e indicator.
CONT INUED
On LX, EX and EX-L models
Maintenance Minder
Engine Oil L if e Indicator
Maint enance
321
MAINTENANCE ITEM CODE
ENGINE OIL LIFE
INDICATOR
MAINTENANCE MINDER
INDICATOR

When the remaining engine oil lif e is
less than 5 percent, you will see a
‘‘CHANGE OIL’’ message in the
odometer/trip meter display, along
with the same maintenance item
code(s), every time you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.When the remaining engine oil lif e is
0 percent, you will see the above
display. In this display, the remaining
oil lif e indicator will be blinking. This
display comes on and stays on every
time you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position. When you see
this message, have the indicated
maintenance perf ormed by your
dealer as soon as possible.You can change the display to the
odometer, the trip meter, or the
outside temperature by pushing the
SELECT/RESET knob on the
instrument panel.
Maintenance Minder
322