Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

golic

has any signed up on the "owner link" on Honda's website. Is it worth the time to do it????

stever

Editors' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2003

Steve, Host

golic

better about paying sticker for a car, that is deemed most wanted...

i can sleep better at tonighzzzzzzzzz.

bjk2001

Golic:

YES! It worths your time. It will tell you whether your Honda has any recall on it. Also other helpful information too.It's free and take advantage of it.

bjk

bowke

you should have been registered on owner link by your dealer at delivery. if they didnt, then let honda know...if i have to do it for every customer, then darn-it, so should your dealer! lol.

stever

Weisslarry, check your email, and please quit spamming Town Hall with your for sale ads!

Steve, Host

mdt308

Is there anyone out there that has ever seen an Evergreen Pearl Ody on a dealer's lot. If so, please let me know. Honda (national phone #) says without a doubt Evergreen Pearl is being produced. What in the heck are we dealing with here? The dealership(s) say something else. Sorry, just looking for a peace of mind ...

bostongarden

I have not been looking on the lots, however, I see plenty of EVGP Odyssey being driven in the Boston area.

robr2

...Yes, I saw an Evergreen Pearl LX on a lot this weekend at Herb Chambers in Burlington, MA

www.herbchambers.com

It was a Canada made unit.

jbhatt

My apologies if this has been discussed before (I did not find any posts on this).

Has anyone investigated installing a sunroof on the Odyssey 2002. I've been told that it is not possible to do so without compromising the rear AC/heat ducts in the roof.
However a local dealer was willing to install it for me suggesting that there would be no problems.

I would also like to get heated side mirrors and was hoping it is possible to have that installed considering the option is available in Canada.

It is very dissapointing that Honda does not offer these options in the USA. I believe the sunroof is available in Japan.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks

robr2

Try www.classicsofttrim.com

IIRC, they have done Odyssey sunroof installs. They have locations nationwide.

As for the heated mirrors, when I inquired about my 00 Ody, I was told that it uses a different wiring harness and it would be cost prohibitive.

Good Luck.

jbhatt

I have contacted www.classicsofttrim.com and even a couple of other sunroof intallation shops.

I would suspect that they would install the roof for me and even given me a lifetime warranty on the sunroof. But I am worried about the AC/heat functioning in the rear.

If anyone has got a sunroof installed on their Odyssey(from '99 onwards) I would appreciate hearing your experience with it.

Thanks

dchopp

It can be done. I got a price of about $1400 for a sun roof that slides up or down into the vehicle and it includes a sunshade with matching interior.They told me it was labor intensive because they have to move some airconditioning ducts around but it can be done. They have done about 30 of them so far since 1999.

jbhatt

dchopp:
Could you tell me what company gave you the quote and was it them that did the 30 installations you mentioned?

Thanks a bunch for the info.

J

dchopp

Its a shop in Pittsburgh, Pa. Find a place where you live that car dealers recommend. This place that I got a quote from does a lot of Dealer installations. Do not take it to a local Joe. as I did my Nisan truck. They butchered it. Car Dealers only deal with reputable shops because their reputation is on the line

legalex

We are purchasing an Oddy and considering a slightly used one instead of going new. I'd love to get some feedback. If we can get a 2002 EX-L with 13k for approx. $26,000 should we go for it? I've been told by a couple of dealers that I can get a new 2003 EX-L for $28,800, but it seems as if the warranty on the used Certified Pre-Owned is actually better than the warranty on the new.

I'd really appreciate your thoughts!

Thanks,
Alexis

billg7

Buy it new and keep it about 150,000 miles. Add the Honda Care Warranty of 7yr/100k miles/0 Ded for about $1,000. You will save money in the long run. Difference in payments for what you have shown, at 5 years, at 7%, no down, is only $55/month

For a used car the warranty is usually not a Honda warranty. It has big loopholes in it that you will not be able to find. Also used cars often sold with rolled back odometer, been in wreak, been in flood, abused, so hard wear.

Why take the risk for such a small difference.

7wallace

has anyone had luck selling 2000ex? considering selling to get 03 w res. Considering the 03 for new LATCH system for carseats, and the sliding doors much more sensitive to counter pressure then on my 2000

depthouse36

We just traded our 2001 EX for a 2003 EX-L RES. We received $21500 on the trade in (22000 miles) I thought this was a fair and good deal.

billg7

Dec 2002 issue. Their web site is the same as their name, however they do not have that article post there. You can get the magazine at Libraries

I see it has the lowest service cost of any minivan at $1,956 for the total 5 yrs. Highest Pontiac Montana $3,066, for the standard front wheel drive. All-wheel Montana is higher then that.

Service cost defined as maintenance and unscheduled repairs over 5 years.

Best resale value of 69%/53%= 2yr/4yr. The average for the four Chrysler minivans is 45%/32% = 2yr/4yr. Those numbers are % of average MSRP.

So it looks like the Odyssey is reliable and is a good deal cost wise to buy, for a minivan, considering all the other factors.

jcroberts

Fellow Odysseyers,
Safe travels to you over the holidays. I am comtemplating a trip which will require the use of the luggage rack. How hard are they to install? What is involved in installation? This is basicly a one time event of hauling the head board (Fullsize bed - six foot tall) and two dressers which is too large to get inside.
We just purchased some Michelin X-Radials. I was surprised that they may not be as loud as the Firestones, but you still feel the joints in the interstate concrete slaabs. They were only $400 at Costco.
Thanks for your comments.

seguy

if you're only going to use the cross bars for dressers, why don't you consider renting a truck for a couple hours or borrowing one. I know a few big furniture stores and home improvement stores like home depot, rent out trucks fairly cheap at an hourly rate. Just a thought...

jcroberts

I have contemplated renting a truck, but it is over 600 miles one way. The Odyssey is much more comfortable and less expensive for such a trip. (I would put the dressers inside and the 6ft. head board on top.) I have been told it would cost some $700 to have the dressers and bed frame shipped. They are over 100 years old and carry great family value. Thanks for the input.

grandtotal

I had visions of you putting something too big to fit inside the Odyssey on the roof!

gericho

Today I saw a 03 Midnight Blue Ody just delivered at the Des Moines Iowa dealer. After my 99 Deep Velvet Blue Ody was serviced, I pulled it up next to the 03 Midnight Blue and could not distinguish any color difference. It was an overcast day and my van was dirty, so maybe a clean vehicle and a sunny day might show some minor difference. This gives curious folks an idea of the color, and that it is being delivered.

rxguy

We are looking at the 2003 Odysseys and we were wondering whether there are car seat tethers for the 2 captains seats? We have non-LATCH seats and while I know they would be fine in the rear most seat, I do not know if they would work in the captain's seats...the sales person at Honda had no clue...

Thanks for any infom you may have!!

David

yennhi2

My 01 ody had 96000 miles, and last night while driving the tcs and check engine light come on. The car still drive fine.Anyone please tell me what wrong with it. I plan to take it to the dealer on monday. Thanks

stever

Many auto parts stores now offer to read the check engine light codes for free (Auto Zone is one). That could tell you if it's something simple like a loose gas cap before you pay the dealer their minimum shop fee for a diagnosis.

Steve, Host

robr2

...the tether points for the 2 middle seats are welded to the seat frame close to the rear. Stick you head under one of the seats and you will see it. We have both our seat tethered there.

The rear tether points can be installed on the rear trim just beneath the door.

Good Luck.

wall2main

I just bought a 03 Oddysey (EX-L) with luggage rack and mud guards. There is a lot of wind noise (howling) anytime I go over 45mph. Could this be due to the luggage rack? Its bad enough that I would get rid of the Odyssey if I couldn't fix this.

mschafer

Removing the cross bars is a good place to start. I'll bet you won't have to go any further after you have them removed.

rxguy

Thanks for the info, robr2!!

David

seguy

I went to babies R us, and bought a latch retrofit kit for our car seats. It works great, and in combination with the tether, it makes install easy and rock solid. They cost $9. It's basically an adjustable belt with two clips to attach to the anchor points on each end.

hope this helps.

wpalkowski

Whenever folks complain about a howling roof rack, it has usually been that the crossbars have been installed in the wrong direction. The crossbars usually have a label on then to denote the leading edge. If they're installed backwards they disrupt the smooth airflow over the top of the van and increased wind noise is the result. If by chance they have been installed correctly, then try shifting the position of cross bars forward or backward. Think all you need is an Allen wrench to adjust bars. May take a few test drives to find optimal position that results in least amount of noise. Note: You will always get some wind noise from roof rack, but as you get used to van you don't notice it any more

caviller

See:

http://www.car-safety.org/odyssey.html

olewagon

I am pleased to report that my 3,000 mi. plus Ody is adding the miles per gallon. With a wax job, a more broken in drive train and a third of a tank of 93 octane (to keep it from down shifting while in cruise control) I got 28.5 mpg on the PA turnpike crossing the ridges.

Question on service contracts: Is Honda Care better than "Easy Care" by APCO that the dealer pushes? I wasn't offered Honda Care.

stever

It may not have been offered, but I bet the dealer would sell you Honda Care if you insisted. I don't know anything about the various aftermarket warranties available, but my guess is that the dealer's profit margin is higher on the APCO one.

Great mileage, btw!

Steve, Host

billg7

I would be very surprised if the warranty the dealer wants to sell you is as good as the Honda Care Warranty (HCW). The reason the dealer sells the non Honda Care Warranties is because he makes more money on them. The reason he makes more money on them is they are not as good. Unless you are an expert on warranties you are not going to be able to see the holes in the non HCW, but they are most probably there.

The HCW tells you what is not covered, and everything else is covered. The non HCW tells you what is covered and everything else is not covered. That is a big difference. That's because with the non HCW you are not going to be able to find what is not covered and has been left out.

Also with the HCW it is excepted by the Honda dealers without question. With the non HCW they have to call the other company to get an OK. Sometimes the other company says no. They say it is your fault that the car broke because you did not do something you were suppose to or were to hard on the car and so on. They also go out of business sometimes. Also with the HCW you get a car to drive while your car is in the shop being repaired, if it is there overnight or longer

My dealer sold me a non HCW and told me it was a HCW. When I got back home I read over the warranty and became suspicious. I called Honda and found out it was not a HCW. The HCW warranty says on it it is a HCW.

Since you have quite a while to cancel the contract I took it back and the dealer then sold me a HCW. The Odyssey location where I bought the car does not sell HCW, but the dealer also sells other Honda cars. He was able to get me the HCW through one of his other locations where he sells these other Honda cars.

You can buy the HCW from any dealer in the USA and at a big discount. You have a year or more to do that.

leonardmp

Do you feel buying gas with detergent is really good for your engine?

How often should I buy? Once a month, twice, etc?

Thanks a lot.

leonardmp

I just bought a 2003 EX, do you think I need the 7 yr extended warranty?

If so, how much do you all think I should pay?

Thanks again.

golic

How long are you going to keep the car for??? If you think more than 4 years, why not. You can p/u up the 7yr/100k/0 deductible from Eric at Moss Honda in LA for $850. (see posts in extended warranty board) I plan on keeping my 2003 EX-L for 100K, so I went for it. To me the cost is one repair, which will pay for itself when the motors on the power doors go out.

olewagon

Thanks for the advice. Here is a further question. I have had the contract for more than 2 1/2 months. The contract states that I have 60 days to cancel. After that it seems to be more complex as to involve the lender, etc. So, what can I do now?

I querried the finance officer about it and was given a song and dance about how it covered more, but I still felt unconvinced.

phil47

Most refiners only put sufficient detergent in the gasoline to prevent deposits with regular use...not eliminate existing deposits. Some refiners actually put detergents in all their formulations (regular - premium), so you wouldn't have to switch up from time to time.

I would find a refiner that puts detergents in all their gasoline blends (ie. Shell Canada) and just stick with them.

billg7

Usually because of state laws you can cancel the unused portion of the warranty fairly easily. So I would think you might have to pay for the 2 1/2 months only, that you used it for. Actually the warranty does not go into effect until the factory warranty is over which is 2 or 3 years, I forgot just now which it is.

As far as the lender of your auto loan is concerned, I very much doubt that the loan was made to you based on your having an extended warranty. Even if it did he should be happy to have you go over to the HCW.

jdbacz

Does anybody have instructions for removing the sliding door panel? Another door handle broke on our LX, and hubby is going to try to fix it himself this time and save $350!

aagraves

Does anyone have any idea how to wire one or both of the accessory power sockets (AKA cigarette lighters for us old fogeys) so that they get power even when the switch is off?

I know that there the risk of running down the battery, but sometimes I'd like my Ody to work like every other vehicle I have ever owned.

Also... a couple of years ago, I read of someone who had modified the power doors so that they would operate without putting the vehicle in park. Apparently there are two interlocks, one tied to the speedometer, and one to the transmission/gear-shift. This would allow you to open/close the doors without shifting into park, as long as you are at a complete stand-still.

Can anyone point me to the web-site or forum entry that gave instructions as to how this was done?

Thanks!

pmarvin

re: msg. 5333
This has happened twice on our '00 Ody (133k miles). Both times it was the same problem - plugged EGR valve. The last time a "kit" was installed. Ask your service writer about this. There is (was) a service bulletin on this problem. I believe Honda covered part of the charge the last time and refunded the whole cost for the first time. They say that with the "kit", it shouldn't happen again. I believe the "kit" is a new, redesigned EGR valve or certain parts pertaining thereto.

werdman

Just picked up my '03 EXL in Midnight Blue Pearl over the weekend. Sweeeet! A long wait but I'm very happy. Drives even better than I remembered. This color blue is much more robust than the old blue. Little flecks of blue and black make it sparkle. Now I've just gotta keep it clean

carrieb2

I picked up my 2003 midnight Blue Odyssey November 8th and have absolutely LOVED it until tonight. I live in Northern Michigan and we had our first bad snow storm and my Odyssey would not go up my driveway. Any input on snow tires that might help?

pat84

I don't know how steep your driveway is, but if you keep below 15 MPH, traction control should get you up your driveway. I have driven my Odyssey through 3 foot drifts with no problem. Never had snow tires.