The Odyssey is a four-door minivan designed and manufactured by Honda. It has been available with two kinds of engines -- an interference engine or a non-interference engine.
Interference engines are named after the tendency of its valves and pistons to interfere with each other as a result of improper timing of their movements. This is due to insufficient clearance between the valves and pistons.
Non-interference engines were labeled as such after the design flaw of interference engines was established. These engines allows for sufficient clearance between valves and pistons to avoid their interfering with one another.
Interference engines may malfunction due to the failure of the timing belt. When the timing belt fails, the cam stops turning, which results in interference between the valves and pistons. Check the sprocket on Honda Odysseys for the timing mark, which tells mechanics how to properly align the engine to avoid interference problems.
