2009 HONDA ODYSSEY Starting

The def ogger wires on the inside of
the rear window can be accidentally
damaged. When cleaning the glass,
always wipe side-to-side.
Make sure the rear window is clear
and you have good visibility bef ore
starting to drive.
The rear window def ogger will clear
fog, frost, and thin ice from the
window. Push the def ogger button to
turn it on and off. The indicator in
the button comes on to show the
def ogger is on. It shuts of f when you
turn of f the ignition. You have to
turn the def ogger on again when you
restart the vehicle.
Push the button between the center
vents to turn on the hazard warning
lights (f our-way f lashers). This
causes all outside turn signals and
both indicators in the instrument
panel to f lash. Use the hazard
warning lights if you need to park in
a dangerous area near heavy traffic,
or if your vehicle is disabled.
Hazard Warning Button
Rear Window Def ogger
Hazard Warning Button, Rear Window Def ogger
140
LX and Canadian DX models EX, EX-L and Touring models
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If the engine is lef t idling f or an
extended period, do not use the
seat heaters, even on the LO
setting. It can weaken the battery,
causing hard starting.
Use the HI setting only to heat the
seats quickly, because it draws
large amounts of current f rom the
battery.
Follow these precautions when using
the seat heaters:
In the HI setting, the heater turns off
when the seat gets warm, and turns
back on after the seat’s temperature
drops.
In LO, the heater does not cycle with
temperature change.
Both f ront seats are equipped with
seat heaters. The passenger seat
only has heaters in the seat bottom
because of the side airbag system.
The ignition switch must be in the
ON (II) position to use them. The
seat heater switches are located on
the dashboard above the center
pocket. Push the top of the switch,
HI, to rapidly heat up the seat.
After the seat reaches a comfortable
temperature, select LO by pushing the bottom of the switch. This will
keep the seat warm.
On EX-L and Touring models
Seat Heaters
Inst rument s and Cont rols
183
SEAT HEATER SWITCHES
Passenger’s
seat
Driver’s
seat
HEATERS
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This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmissions. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the vehicle stability assist
(VSA
) system, the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS), and
f acts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer. ........................
Preparing to Drive .384
.......................
Starting the Engine .385
..............
Automatic Transmission .386
...........................................
Parking .390
.............................
Braking System .391
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .392
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
),
aka Electronic Stability ........
Control (ESC), System .394
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Except Touring ....................................
models .396
Tire Pressure Monitoring System ....
(TPMS) Touring models .399
...........................
Towing a Trailer .404
...................
Towing Your Vehicle .411
Driving
Driving
383
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Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
down, and hold it there while
starting to clear flooding. If the
engine still does not start, return
to step 5.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in the START (III)
position f or more than 15 seconds
at a time. If the engine does not
start right away, pause for at least
10 seconds bef ore trying again. If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
5. 6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Starting the Engine
Driving
385
Immobilizer System
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. See
on page .143
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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. Press the release
button on the side of the shift lever
to move it.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page . 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.
To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop bef ore shif ting
into Park. You must also press the
release button to shift 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 press the release button
on the side of the shif t lever to shif t
f rom Park to reverse. To shif t f rom
reverse to neutral, come to a
completestopandthenshift.Press
the release button bef ore shif ting
into reverse f rom neutral.
389
CONT INUED
To shift from: PtoR
RtoP
NtoR
Dto2 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoN
NtoD RtoN
DtoD
DtoD Do this:
Press the brake pedal, and
press the release button.
Press the release button.
Move the lever.
Press the D button.
3
3 3 3
Park (P)
Shif t L ock Release Neutral (N)
Reverse (R)
Automatic Transmission
Driving
387
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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 position locks
thetransmissioninsecondgear.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.
Use this position f or
normal driving. The transmission
automatically selects a suitable gear
f or your speed and acceleration.
To use D , press the
D button when the shif t lever is in
the ‘‘D’’ position. This position is simi-
lartoD,exceptonlythefirstthree
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. To shif t f rom second to
first, press the release button on the
side of the shif t lever. This position
locks the transmission in f irst 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.
3
3
3 3 3
Automatic Transmission
Engine Speed L imiter
Second (2)
Drive (D)
Drive (D ) First (1)
3
388
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When VSA activates, you will see the
VSA activation indicator blink (see
page ).
The vehicle stability assist (VSA)
system helps to stabilize the vehicle
during cornering if the vehicle turns
more or less than desired. It also
assists you in maintaining traction
while accelerating on loose or
slippery road surf aces. It does this
by regulating the engine’s output and
by selectively applying the brakes.
When VSA activates, you may notice
that the engine does not respond to
the accelerator in the same way it
does at other times. There may also
be some noise f rom the VSA
hydraulic system. You will also see
the VSA activation indicator blink.
The VSA system cannot enhance the
vehicle’s driving stability in all
situations and does not control your
vehicle’s entire braking system. It is
still your responsibility to drive and
corner at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety.
If the low tire pressure indicator or
TPMS indicator comes on, see
page .
The VSA system automatically turns
on every time you start the engine,
even if you turned it of f the last time
you drove the vehicle.
Without VSA, your vehicle still has
normal braking and cornering ability,
but it does not have VSA traction and
stability enhancement.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK VSA
SYSTEM’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display if there is a
problem with the VSA system.
If the indicator does not come on
when the ignition switch is turned to
the ON (II) position, there may be a
problem with the VSA system. Have
your dealer inspect your vehicle as
soon as possible.
If the VSA system indicator comes
on while driving, pull to the side of
theroadwhenitissafe,andturnoff
the engine. Reset the system by
restarting the engine. If the VSA
system indicator stays on or comes
back on while driving, have the VSA
system inspected by your dealer. The main f unction of the
VSA system is generally known as
Electronic Stability Control (ESC).
The system also includes a traction
control f unction. 70
396
Except Touring models
On Touring models
VSA A ctivation Indicator
VSA System Indicator
Vehicle Stability A ssist (VSA), aka Electronic Stability Control (ESC), System
394
NOTE:
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Your vehicle has been designed
primarily to 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.
Theweightthatthe
tongue of a f ully-loaded trailer puts
on the hitch should be approximately
10% 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.
405
Load Limits
T otal T railer Weight:T ongue L oad:
Towing a Trailer
404
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.
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