2011 HONDA ODYSSEY Owners Manual

When you turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, you do not
hear the normal noise of the engine
trying to start. You may hear a
clicking sound, a series of clicks, or
nothing at all.
Check these things:Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
or neutral or the starter will not
operate.
Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position:
You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
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Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Turn on the
headlights, and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or do not come on at all,
the battery is discharged. Seeon page .
If you see a ‘‘CHECK BATTERY
SENSOR’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (or ‘‘CHECK
BATT SENSOR’’ message on the
inf ormation display on some
models) when you try to start the
engine, the battery is discharged.
If it will not start, see on page . Turn the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the f uses. If the f uses
areOK,thereisprobably
something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. See
on page .If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is
discharged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of the
battery and terminal connections
(see page ). You can then try
jump starting the vehicle from a
booster battery (see page ).
665
665 665
649
683
If theEngineWon’tStart
Jump Starting
Jump
Starting Emergency T owing
Taking Care of the Unexpected
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If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. Seeon page .
Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the instrument panel
to blink rapidly (see page ).
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position, but the engine does not run.
Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the low f uel indicator may
not be working.
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to
on page . 69
559 683
673 Emergency
Towing
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine
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´´
CONT INUED
Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
You cannot start your vehicle by
pushing or pulling it. The numbers in the illustration
show you the order to connect the
jumper cables.
Open the hood, and check the
physical condition of the battery.
In very cold weather, check the
condition of the electrolyte. If it
seems slushy or f rozen, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.
Remove the upper part of the air
intake duct (see page ).
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
vehicle’s battery. Connect the
other end to the positive ( )
terminal on the booster battery.
Turn of f all electrical accessories:
heater, A/C, climate control, audio
system, lights, etc. Put the
transmission in Park, and set the
parking brake.
1.
2.
3.
4.
626
To Jump Start Your Vehicle:
Jump Starting
Taking Care of the Unexpected
665
BOOSTER
BATTERY
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery. If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.
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µ
Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the grounding point
as shown. Do not connect this
jumper cable to any other part of
the engine.
If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle. Start the vehicle. If the starter
motor still operates slowly, check
that the jumper cables have good
metal-to-metal contact.
Once the vehicle is running,
disconnect the negative cable f rom
your vehicle, then f rom the
booster battery. Disconnect the
positive cable f rom your vehicle,
and then from the booster battery.
Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the vehicle until everything is
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short.
6. 7.
5. 8.
Jump Starting666
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The pointer of the vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange. If it climbs to the red
mark, you should determine the
reason (hot day, driving up a steep
hill, etc.).
If your vehicle overheats, you should
take immediate action. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming f rom under the hood.If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine. Wait until you see
no more signs of steam or spray,
then open the hood.If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn off the engine.
Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Park, and
set the parking brake. Turn of f all
the accessories, and turn on the
hazard warning lights. If you do not see steam or spray,
leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading,
the engine should start to cool
down almost immediately. If it
does, wait until the temperature
gauge comes down to the midpoint,
then continue driving.
Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (see
on page ).
1.
2. 3.
4.
5.
683
CONT INUED
If theEngineOverheats
Emergency
Towing
Taking Care of the Unexpected
667
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to the engine.
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If you do not f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Add coolant
if the level is below the MIN mark.
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may need to add
coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, bef ore check-
ing the radiator.Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the f irst stop. Af ter the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap, and turn it until it comes
off.
Start the engine, and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum heat (climate control to
AUTO at ‘‘ ’’). Add coolant
to the radiator up to the base of
the f iller neck. If you do not have
the proper coolant mixture
available, you can add plain water.
Remember to have the cooling
system drained and ref illed with
the proper mixture as soon as you
can.Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine, and check
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair (see
on page ).
If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
6.
7.
8.
9.10.
11.
683
If theEngineOverheats
Emergency
Towing
668
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.
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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. Saf ely pull of f the road and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning lights.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
outwithin10seconds,turnoff the
engine. There is a mechanical
problem that needs to be repaired
bef ore you can continue driving
(see
on page
).
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.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK
ENGINE OIL LEVEL’’ message on
the multi-information display when
this indicator comes on. 1.
2.
3.
4.
614
683
545
On Touring models
Emergency T owing
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
Taking Care of the Unexpected
669
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.
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