Honda 2004 Odyssey Owner's Manual page 188

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Park (P) This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning off or
starting the engine. To shift out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your foot off the
accelerator pedal. Pull the shift lever
towards you, then move it out of
Park.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on page
.
186
You must also pull the shift lever
towards you to shift into Park. To
avoid transmission damage, come to
a complete stop before shifting into
Park. The shift lever must be in Park
before you can remove the key from
the ignition switch.
Reverse (R) Press the brake
pedal and pull the shift lever towards
you to shift from Park to Reverse. To
shift from Reverse to Natural, come
to a complete stop and then shift.
Neutral (N) Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift 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.
Drive (D) Use this position for
normal driving. The transmission
automatically selects a suitable gear
for your speed and acceleration. You
may notice the transmission shifting
up at higher speeds when the engine
is cold. This helps the engine warm
up faster.
Automatic Transmission
Drive (D ) This position is similar
3
to D, except only the first three
gears are selected instead of all five.
Use D when towing a trailer in hilly
3
terrain, or to provide engine braking
when going down a steep hill. D can
also keep the transmission from
cycling between third and fourth
gears in stop-and-go driving.
Second (2) This position locks
the transmission in second gear. It
does not downshift to first 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
surface or in deep snow.
When driving downhill with a
trailer.
Driving
3
CONTINUED
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