2012 HONDA ODYSSEY tow

ContentsThis owner’s manual should be considered a permanent part of the
vehicle and should remain with the vehicle when it is sold.
This owner’s manual covers all models of your vehicle. You may find
descriptions of equipment and features that are not on your
particular model.
Images throughout this owner’s manual (including the front cover)
represent features and equipment that are available on some, but
not all, models. Your particular model may not have some of these
features.
This owner’s manual is for vehicles sold in the United States and
Canada.
The information and specifications included in this publication were
in effect at the time of approval for printing. Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
reserves the right, however, to discontinue or change specifications
or design at any time without notice and without incurring any
obligation.
2Safe Driving P. 25For Safe Driving P. 26 Seat Belts P. 30 Airbags P. 392Instrument Panel P. 71Indicators P. 72 Gauges and Displays P. 862Controls P. 107Setting the Clock P. 108 Locking and Unlocking the Doors P. 110
Security System P. 134 Opening and Closing the Windows P. 137
Adjusting the Mirrors P. 152
Heating and Cooling
* P. 183
2Features P. 193Audio System P. 194 Audio System Basic Operation P. 197
Rear Entertainment System
* P. 241 HomeLink
® Universal Transceiver
* P. 257
2Driving P. 285Before Driving P. 286 Towing a Trailer P. 291
Rearview Camera
* P. 323 Refueling P. 325
2Maintenance P. 331Before Performing Maintenance P. 332 Maintenance Minder™ P. 335
Checking and Maintaining Wiper Blades P. 366
Remote Control and Wireless Headphone Care
* P. 382
2Handling the Unexpected P. 389Tools P. 390 If a Tire Goes Flat P. 391
Overheating P. 404 Indicator, Coming On/Blinking P. 406
When You Cannot Open or Close the Tailgate P. 4182Information P. 419Specifications P. 420 Identification Numbers P. 422
Warranty Coverages P. 427 Authorized Manuals P. 429

Contents
Child Safety P. 54 Exhaust Gas Hazard P. 68 Safety Labels P. 69Opening and Closing the Tailgate P. 120 Opening and Closing the Sliding Doors P. 126
Opening and Closing the Moonroof
* P. 140 Operating the Switches Around the Steering Wheel P. 141
Adjusting the Seats P. 154 Interior Lights/Interior Convenience Items P. 169
Climate Control System
* P. 187
Audio Error Messages P. 235 General Information on the Audio System P. 237
Bluetooth
® HandsFreeLink
®* P. 259 Compass
* P. 282
When Driving P. 297 Braking P. 314 Parking Your Vehicle P. 318
Fuel Economy P. 328 Accessories and Modifications P. 329Maintenance Under the Hood P. 343 Replacing Light Bulbs P. 355
Checking and Maintaining Tires P. 370 Battery P. 379 Remote Transmitter Care P. 380
Heating and Cooling System
*/Climate Control System
* Maintenance P. 384 Cleaning P. 385
Engine Does Not Start P. 400 Jump Starting P. 401 Shift Lever Does Not Move P. 403
Fuses P. 411 Emergency Towing P. 417Devices that Emit Radio Waves P. 423 Reporting Safety Defects P. 424 Emissions Testing P. 425
Customer Service Information P. 430 Gracenote
® End User License Agreement P. 431
Quick Reference Guide
P. 2
Safe Driving
P. 25
Instrument Panel
P. 71
Controls
P. 107
Features
P. 193
Driving
P. 285
Maintenance
P. 331
Handling the Unexpected
P. 389
Information
P. 419
Index
P. 433

9Quick Reference Guide
Controls
(P107)
Turn Signals
(P142)
Turn Signal Control Lever
Right
Left
Lights
(P142)
Light Control Switches
Low BeamHigh Beam
Flashing
Wipers and Washers (P145)
Wiper/Washer Control Lever
Adjustment Ring
: Long Delay
: Short Delay
MIST
OFF
INT: Low speed with intermittent
LO: Low speed wipe
HI: High speed wipePull toward
you to spray
washer fluid.
* Not available on all models

17Quick Reference Guide
Driving
(P285)
D4L
D3P
R
N
D
Release Button
Shift Lever
Depress the brake pedal and press the
release button to move out of
(P
.
Move the shift lever without
pressing the release button. Press the release button to
move the shift lever.
Automat
ic Transm
iss
ion
(P301)
●Shift to
(P
and depress the brake pedal when starting the engine.
●Shifting
Park
Turn off or start the engine.
Transmission is locked.
Reverse
Used when reversing.
Neutral
Transmission is not locked.
Drive
Normal driving.
Low
Strong engine braking.
D3
Press the D3 button while the shift lever is in
(D
.
Used when:
·Going up or down hills
·Towing a trailer in hilly terrain
Models with D3 buttonD4
Press the D4 button while the shift lever is in
(D
.
Used when:
·Going up or down hills
·Towing a trailer in hilly terrain
Models with D4 button
D3/D4
Button
* Not available on all models

20Quick Reference Guide
Handling the Unexpected
(P389)
Flat Tire
(P391)
●Park in a safe location and replace the
flat tire with the compact spare tire in
under the floor between the front seats
and the second row seats.
Indicators Come On (P 406)
●Identify the indicator and consult the
owner's manual.
Engine Won't Start (P400)
●If the battery is dead, jump start using a
booster battery.Blown Fuse
(P411)
●Check for a blown fuse if an electrical
device does not operate.
Overheating
(P404)
●Park in a safe location. If you do not see
steam under the hood, open the hood,
and let the engine cool down.
Emergency Towing (P417)
●Call a professional towing service if you
need to tow your vehicle.

44
uuAirbagsuFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe Driving
■
When front airbags should not deploy
Minor frontal crashes: Front airbags were designed to supplement seat belts and
help save lives, not to prevent minor scrapes, or even broken bones that might occur
during a less than moderate-to-severe frontal crash.
Side impacts: Front airbags can provide protection when a sudden deceleration
causes a driver or front passenger to move towards the front of the vehicle. Side
airbags and side curtain airbags have been specifically designed to help reduce the
severity of injuries that can occur during a moderate-to-severe side impact which
can cause the driver or passenger to move towards the side of the vehicle.
Rear impacts: Head restraints and seat belts are your best protection during a rear
impact. Front airbags cannot provide any significant protection and are not designed
to deploy in such collisions.
Rollovers: Seat belts and, in vehicles equipped with a rollover sensor, side airbags
and side curtain airbags offer the best protection in a rollover. Because front airbags
could provide little if any protection, they are not designed to deploy during a
rollover.
■
When front airbags deploy with little or no visible damage
Because the airbag system senses sudden deceleration, a strong impact to the
vehicle framework or suspension might cause one or more of the airbags to deploy.
Examples include running into a curb, the edge of a hole, or other low fixed object
that causes a sudden deceleration in the vehicle chassis. Since the impact is
underneath the vehicle, damage may not be readily apparent.
■
When front airbags may not deploy, even though exterior damage
appears severe
Since crushable body parts absorb crash energy during an impact, the amount of
visible damage does not always indicate proper airbag operation. In fact, some
collisions can result in severe damage but no airbag deployment because the airbags
would not have been needed or would not have provided protection even if they
had deployed.

47
uuAirbagsuSide Airbags
Continued
Safe Driving
■
When a side airbag deploys with little or no visible damage
Because the airbag systems senses sudden acceleration, a strong impact to the side
of the vehicle's framework can cause a side airbag to deploy. In such cases, there
may be little or no damage, but the side impact sensors detected a severe enough
impact to deploy the airbag.
■
When a side airbag may not deploy, even though visible damage appears
severe
It is possible for a side airbag to not deploy during an impact that results in
apparently severe damage. This can occur when the point of impact was towards
the far front or rear of the vehicle, or when the vehicle's crushable body parts
absorbed most of the crash energy. In either case, the side airbag would not have
been needed nor provided protection even if it had deployed.

uuOpening and Closing the Sliding DoorsuOpening/Closing the Power Sliding Doors
*
132Controls
■
Outer handles
Pull up on the outer handle towards you. The
sliding door starts opening or closing.
■
Inner handles
Pull it rearward to automatically open the
sliding door, and pull it forward to
automatically close the door.
While the power sliding door is in operation, if you pull either handle that
corresponds to that power sliding door, the beeper sounds and the operation stops.
To resume the power sliding door operation, pull the same handle in the same
direction again.
■
Door Handles
1Opening/Closing the Power Sliding Doors
The beeper sounds and the power sliding door does
not open when you pull the inner or outer handle
under the following conditions:•The ignition switch is in ON
(w

•The shift lever is in other than
(P
•The brake pedal is released•The parking brake is released
If you leave the power sliding door half open on a
seep hill with the engine off, the door starts to sliding
down towards the hill bottom after 30 minutes.
While the door is sliding down, the beeper sounds.
Door HandleInner Handle
Close
Open