Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

skiptomeloo

But the low speed turn "clicking" could be a CV joint socket going dry (torn cover = leaking grease?). Unlikely for a new car, but worth checking.

isellhondas

I think it's an excellent idea that there are rules about not soliciting business on these forums.

In fact, I personally think it's pretty tacky.

And I applaud the hosts for their efforts ar quickly deleting these posts...Good Job!

BUT...if a cut-rate Honda dealer wants to use this site as a forum for advertising discount parts and accessories...that's O.K. !!

I don't understand, but that's O.K. too.

dmathews3

Maybe if you offered a service like our Honda guy instead of only worrying about filling your pocket at outrageous prices maybe you would be welcome here. Do us a service like Trevor does on parts etc. plus FREE advice FREE directions on installing things and updates on problems and sell your Hondas at $100 over invoice and you will more than be welcomed here. But until you do, buzz off and take your SPAM somewhere else.

skiptomeloo

If you can't differentiate between hustling and selling ("selling" encompassing service, advice, assistance, follow-up, multiple posts on installation, technical help, images, etc.) your ability to understand is sadly lacking.

If you are referring to Trevor as a "cut-rate Honda dealer" you are way off-base and owe him a sincere apology.

timothyadavis

isellhondas

It always seems to me to be a minimal requirement to get someone's name right -- even if it's only an online handle....

timothyadavis

may have a (fairly understandable) problem with the fine points of distinction between the spammers here and Trevor (definitely one of the good guys!). Even so, isellhonda is not and, as far as I can recall from the last couple of years' worth of posts that I've read, has never been a spammer. He has been helpful and informative, if in a somewhat less congenial fashion than Trevor.

skiptomeloo

... going on here. Kinda funny ...

skiptomeloo

Isell is just way off on his recent post - he has been quite helpful in days of yore and is by no means a typical chunk of spamming garbage like some other recent dealers who posted here. For some reason, Trevor's unchallenged posts bug Isell and so he said some unwarranted things.

But don't lump Isell in with the garbage crew. That's unfair, too.

Karen_S

Even though a TH member may pull a paycheck from some form of automotive business, whether it be dealer, salesman, mechanic, or distributor, and who offers advice/support to other TH members is more than welcome in the Town Hall. (Good grief...what a sentence!?) There may be a fine line between advice and marketing one's business, but many TH members choose to walk it and do so quite admirably. I am much more appreciative of those who...and yep, I'm going to say it...follow the guidelines, than those who blindly post & run in every topic for the sole purpose of soliciting customers.

Oh yeah...I'm hiding the last few exchanges...off topic, ya know.

KarenS
Vans host

isellhondas

Thought I would stir the ol' pot a bit and I did.

Thanks to my supporters for pointing out the fact that I have NEVER spammed a forum and have NEVER ever used these forums in order to solicit business.

I just couldn't resist, folks!

birdmanr

Does anyone know the details of why you can't
charge the battery in the new odyssey's (and
possibly other new Hondas) with a battery charger.
The manual (&shop manual) makes only brief mention
of this with no details. I haven't gotten an answer
from Honda corporate either.

What circuits or systems will be damaged and how?
Is there any battery charger that is safe to use?

If unfiltered DC is a problem, a battery acts as a
substantial capacitor, so this shouldn't be a
problem.

I am sure that there are going to be situations
where someone has a dead battery at a station and
the attendant is going to follow the standard
procedure of using a high output battery charger to
jump the car. There is no warning of any sort
under the hood indicating any problem in doing
this.

I would appreciate any information anyone has on
this topic.

thank you.

billg7

Allowing auto dealers to sell on this board would not work out in practice. Soon we would have maybe twenty advertisements a day from different dealers. There is no way to tell from an advertisement who is a good dealer and who is not. We all know how to reach dealers in our area and if a dealer has a good deal like on warranties we share that information, or if someone wants to know of a good dealer in a certain city, someone has had a good experience with, we supply that information.

As far as Trevor goes he does not advertise as such. He only responds when asked a question. He has built up a reputation on this board as one who is honest and helpful and we can get Honda parts from him at a very reasonable price. So here is someone that is a real assest on this board.

So there is a difference, if you think about it

pepperpot

What does one have to know about a aftermarket installation that you might not learn from the instructions that accompany the purchase ? Hope to hear from one or two in posts above that have been there and done that. Thank you

caviller

In June 1999 review, the Odyssey LX was rated "Excellent" and barely behind Grand Voyager and Sienna LE overall. Strangely, Odyssey LX was the top rated minivan in the April 2000 Cars edition, even though it hadn't been reviewed since the June 1999 edition. Consumer reports does magically adjust ratings now and then, so it isn't too unusual though for some reason they did bump it to the top. As many know, the January 2001 review rated the Odyssey EX "Excellent" and kept the highest rating, barely ahead of Sienna LE and Grand Caravan Sport. Now for some differences in the 6/99 and 1/01 reviews:

2001 EX Transmission rated Excellent, 1999 LX rated Very Good. 2001 EX Driving Position was excellent, 1999 LX was very good. Climate-control in the EX was very good, in the LX it was excellent. Predicted Reliability of the 2001 EX was average, the 1999 LX was excellent.

Some of these may be explained by feature differences (manual vs. automatic climate control, power vs. manual drivers seat, etc). I also got a reply to an e-mail about the lower reliability. Their reliability projections are based on the most recent model year vehicles that are unchanged from the current design. In 1999, for the LX, they carried over the "Excellent" projection from the previous version. For 2001, it would be based on the 1999 and 2000 models presumably. They tell me that the 1999 models now rate "Far Below Average" with problem areas including "Electrical, Air-conditioning, Brakes, and Body Hardware." The 2000 Odyssey now rates "Good", with problem areas of "Electrical and Body Hardware." I assume these will be the results published in the April 2001 Car Edition. I note that in the April 2000 Car edition, both the 1999 and 2000 models got a "Much Better than Average" rating. Obviously, responses to the most recent survey have dropped both of them, and the overall projection as well.

Acceleration times for the 2001 EX and 1999 LX, respectively, in mph (EX,LX):
0-30: 3.7s, 3.8s
0-60: 9.9s, 10.0s
45-65: 6.4s, 6.2s
1/4mi: 17.6s, 17.6s
They appear to imply they used regular fuel.

Braking 60-0 (EX,LX):
145 ft, 142 ft

Fuel Economy:
2001 EX:12 city, 30 hwy, 19 overall
1999 LX:12 city, 33 hwy, 19 overall

Measurements differences (EX,LX):
Load Maximum: 1250lb, 1275 lb
Turning circle: 40 ft, 41 ft
Percent weight F/R: 57/43, 58/42
Front leg room: 41 in., 40 in
Front head room: 6 in, 6.5 in.
Center fore-aft room: 32 in, 29 in.
Rear shoulder room: 60.5 in, 57.5 in
Rear fore-aft room: 25 in, 28 in
Rear head room: 3.5 in, 4 in.
Door top to ground: 61.5 in, 62 in


Overall, probably within the margins of error of their measurements in all cases.

billg7

Before I bought my Odyssey 2000 I read numerous test reports and drove one other minivan the Ford Windstar about 250 miles. I spent about three solid months of research and looked at the SUVs also. I also drove a Ford Explorer 250 miles.

My conclusion was that the Honda Odyssey was the best vehicle for me. Each person has to look at a vehicle and decide what is the most important to him. I gave the highest weighting to safety, the next to utility. The seat that folds away was important to me.

For others the Honda Odyssey would be at the bottom of their list in terms of the best vehicle for them.

fencepostmusic

Thanks to all who responded to my question of what to look for when we pick up our 2001LX. The post about the CR giving the 2001 EX an excellent rating, does that count for the 2001 LX, too? Thanks for your help!

fencepostmusic

Could someone we please tell me how to tell if an Odyssey was originally made for Canadian specs? We are living in Germany and have heard that Canadian markets are dumping some of theirs over here. I've asked the dealer and he assures me it's American specs, but I trust him as much as I trust other dealers.

Thank you for your help and your answers to my other post, it is greatly appreciated.

caviller

CR did not review the 2001 LX, but in the April 2000 Cars Edition, the LX did get an "Excellent" rating, the highest overall, based on the 1999 model which is essentially identical. CR is a good resource, but also look at other magazines and publications, especially Intellichoice and Jack Gillis' Ultimate Car Book.

Billg7- I agree completely. Safety was our number one priority and Odyssey, Windstar and Sienna were the only contenders. The magic seat and adjustable 2nd row seats were probably the next biggest factors.

Incidentally, I have a number of minivan safety links at www.caviller.com

fencepostmusic- Odysseys are made in Canada for both US and Canada markets. I believe the Canadian models vary slightly, as they have heated mirrors, DRLs and metric speedometers. Those would probably be the best places to start. Other than that, I suspect they would be identical, though there may be warranty considerations.

birdmanr

Does anyone know the details of why you can't charge the battery in the new odyssey's (and possibly other new Hondas) with a battery charger.

The manual (&shop manual) makes only brief mention
of this with no details. I haven't gotten an answer from Honda corporate either.

What circuits or systems will be damaged and how?
Is there any battery charger that is safe to use?

If unfiltered DC is a problem, a battery acts as a
substantial capacitor, so this shouldn't be a problem.

I am sure that there are going to be situations
where someone has a dead battery at a station and
the attendant is going to follow the standard
procedure of using a high output battery charger
to jump the car. There is no warning of any sort
under the hood indicating any problem in doing
this.

I would appreciate any information anyone has on
this topic.

thank you.

isellhondas

Wow..that's news to me!

I wouldn't have hesitated hooking up a battery charger. Guess I'll ask the guys in the shop!

mtsang

Thanks for posting the pix with the new fog lights. I think they really enhances the ody's front-end appearance.

I just ordered a pair of the light from Trevor. Do you (or anybody else) have any tips or gotchas to share on the light installation?

Thanks in advance.

caviller

I had my local dealer do the install for $154 (2 hours labor) since I'm not mechanically inclined. The leather wrap on the steering wheel convinced me not to attempt anything more difficult.

mtsang

Thanks.... )

billg7

Seeing that makes me think I had better read my owners manual. There seems to be a number of things that are very different on the Odysseys. My guess is if you charge the battery you will burn out a diode or something.

Did you know you are only suppose to put Honda brand antifreeze in. If you put anything else in you are suppose to drain it out when you get a chance. Same thing with some other fluids.

Also somewhere some one said the first oil change should come later then 3500. Maybe because it has break in oil.

So if the car is that different I guess I am going to have to take the time to read the manual and it is a thick one. Who knows maybe it says in the manual that you void the warranty if you drive it in on dirt roads.

chrisnee

I hear the exact same "clink" sound all the time when reversing my 98 Accord while turning the steering wheel. Heard it only once in the 00 Odyssey. Strange that the one time I hear it on the Odyssey got me worried all night, while all these 3 years I hear it in my Accord and I basically ignored it. Go figure.

chrisnee

In some other countries I lived in before, a type of tissue box holder is available, that you somehow attach to the roof of the car. A box of tissue is then slotted into the holder, so that it basically hangs from the roof, upside down. You then pull tissue papers off of it when you need it. Kind of neat, I think.

phil47

Just in case, there is another "noise" that occurs soon after you start the vehicle (by which time many people are already backing out of their garage). It is a clinking noise also and it is the ABS system check that this vehicle (and the Accord) performs every time you start it. It is noticeably loud. It only occurs once (shortly after startup) and is not dependant on whether you are on the brakes or not.

chrisnee

I am in Pasadena, CA this week for training. I was driving down the road near downtown last night when I saw a TW Odyssey EX with a big decal on each side of its front doors. Upon closer look, it indicates that the Odyssey is the official vehicle of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, and that the vehicle was "courtesy of American Honda". Thought you may find this interesting.

chrisnee

Southern California is definitely "Odyssey Country", I see dozens of them every day. Seems to outnumber Chrysler and the rest by a huge margin here.

ryu

Trevor--Can you tell me if the new fog light housing is compatible with the old fog light housing... I have the old version of the fog lights installed and wondering if I can use the existing wiring to plug into the new fog lights.

Chrisee--Actually, Odyssey was the Official vehicle in the 2000 Tournament of Roses in Pasadena. I guess it is again for the 2001.

I have to agree with you that LA is "Odyssey Country" I see them all the time. Currently I am in Phoenix for couple of weeks and I didn't see too many Odyssey here.

rlam1

I think there were past postings regarding the fuel gauge not displaying correctly. When my fuel light comes on, I would drive another 20 - 30 miles before getting gas. However, the van would only take 15 gallons. Is there a fix to the fuel gauge error?

Thanks

bg18947

If I'm interpreting the 99-00 Factory Service Manual, made for Canadian market vehicles have a VIN where the 6th digit from the right is a "0<=n<=4". US Models 6th digit from the right is a "5<=n<=9". These last 6 digits are the serial number. I think they might have reserved "000001 thru 499999" for Canada and "500001 thru 999999" for US. My 2000 EX starts with a 6. It doesn't say for sure, but the list Canada as 000001 and US example with 500001.

Daytime Running Lights are standard on Canadian model. But, that's an easy mod for a mfg.

mcamp18

Looking for after market roof racks for 01 GG Ex I just ordered. Does anyone have suggestions for Thule or Yakima or any other brand that works well with the Odyssey? Best online place to purchase?

miniman

aaaa--choo!

Tissue anyone??

miniman

The Odyssey is popular yet so mystical (with the multi-month waits an all) that urban legends are cropping up about it regularly. Thus, I cannot vouch for the veracity of this report, but here goes the tale; a friend's relative living in Midwest (or so goes the story I heard over lunch a few weeks ago) had a remote starter installed on Odyssey by a dealer and many electrical systems went to pot - ABS did not work and other peoblems. She went back to dealer and they removed it. Only with the 20/20 hindsight did they now tell her - Oh, you are not supposed to install a remote starter in Odyssey due to electrical system considerations.

Thus, you may want to do some major research before having remote starter installed.

The ending to the above story - at the time it was told, the van worked OK after the remote starter was taken out, but the owners were following up with the dealer due to concern about potential long-term problems from the alleged screw-up (and I do not blame them for their concern).

rickives1

My wife and I have to do a lot of driving in snow.
We are considering a Honda Odyssey. I have owned
a front wheel drive Honda sedan in the past that I
thought did rather poorly as compared to my Subaru
(not 4WD) or Volkswagen Rabbit. Would really like
to hear from 1999-2000 Odyssey owners who have
used their "Ody" in the snow. In the snow does
the
Odyssey "shine" for a front drive minivan or is it
lousy?

Rick Ives

miniman

I expected the Odyssey to fishtail and do other nasty things on slippery white, and worse, slippery black (ice). I have an '00 EX and was pleased to find that, with a cautious foot, the vehicle handled surprisingly well for its size. I live in MA, where we had a decently snowly winter last year (not extreme, but enough to make a 4 to 5 foot snowman). ABS and TCS were helpful. I would never compare this vehicle to one with 4 wheels hard at work on a slick hill, and I do take it slow and with caution on snow and ice, but it has never gotten stuck and never done the unexpected. And in the rain, it drives just like a car, and I do not give a second thought to any maneuver I would do in a car.

hondadealer

Does not surprise me at all.
I have seen it happen on many cars, not just Odyssey's.
If I take a trade-in that has one I remove it immediately.

sallen3

Has anyone ever fixed their problem with the 50mph 1500rpm noise that some odyssey's make? I guess Honda still is calling it a "characteristic" which means the van has a distinguishing feature or attribute . In my opinion it is a darn shame that Honda has not resolved this problem.

chicagokid

What's the going rate on new Odyssey. Are dealers negotiating on them or is there still a short supply. Are they on the lots, or do you need to order. how long for delivery on ordered model. Interested in 2001 model because of the few new features included. any help would be appreciated.

chicagokid

you seem to be the go-to guy for Honda parts, so before I purchase 01 odyssey, what's your opinion on the tranny cooler for someone who will never tow anything. Plan to keep van for years, well over 100K miles, and thought TC will extend life of tranny. any thoughts??

royoo

I find that using premium gas reduces the noise a little.

royoo

I have a Honda brochure that says there is a Low Oil light in the 2000 Honda. I assume they mean Low Oil level, not low oil pressure. The 2001 does not mention it. Can I install one in a 2001

sentvisa

Thinking of buying a Honda Odyssey EX soon. Live in Houston, Texas. Does any one have recently had or heard any buying experience in this area? Any clues about price, availability etc is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

dian2

There are not 500 posts.

dian2

I can obviously post.

kuhl3

We got our Dark Emerald LX last night!!! It's beautiful!!! The salesman, Ben Blue, at Larry H. Miller Honda in Murray, Utah was wonderful!! We ordered it at the end of Sept and it came in when promised-even a week early!!! What a terrific Christmas present! My son put a red bow on the dashboard!!! Ben has been helpful from the very start, has kept in touch while we were waiting, and went over all the features for 2 hours last night! We've gone through the checklist and so far, no problems!!! We paid MSRP and they threw in the keyless remote for free. We love this van!!!!!!!!! Good luck to the rest of you waiting! It is definitely worth the wait! Take care!

jmurman42

Supplies here in Maryland are still tight. We get 18-22 per month (December NOT included!) We still have not had any for "the lot" or test drives...but we only sell at MSRP with no add ons so our market base is geographically larger than most dealers. Whats it like in Chicago?

billg7

If this is a read only board like it says it is, where we are not suppose to post messages, shouldn't we have a HO XXXI. I hope the plan is not to have this topic broken up into a lot of subtopics. We will end up with so many subtopics it will be very hard to follow. Especially if people can add a topic at will. The way we had it with HO XXX, which is where I am at now seemed to work well for me.

Karen_S

...there is some little glitch, and it is being worked on as I type. This topic is still open!

Also, just an FYI, but I'm no longer the host in these parts. For now, I'm still in Wagons and have been assigned to Owner's Clubs....speaking of which....wouldn't the Odyssey folk like to have their own topics there?? Just let me know!

KarenS
Edmunds.com host