Honda CR-V Maintenance and Repair

weavie1968

HELP! Lately there has been rattling coming from the cargo area of my CRV. As I'm driving, it's really hard to tell where it's coming from, but it sounded like it was from the jack compartment. I've pulled over and took it all out. As I drove again the same rattle was there so it wasn't the jack. I ended up having a friend drive my car while I crawled into the back cargo area to listen for it as we were driving. I narrowed it down to the right rear passenger seatbelt. It's actually inside the wall of the car but when I tug on the seatbelt or even move it, I can hear the rattle. I think it's the seatbelt pully assembly or something. Has anyone else had any problems like that? I would go to the dealer, but you know how that goes...."we can't duplicate the problem". :confuse:

weavie1968

Two more issues I'm having. My CRV pulls to the right when I accelerate, and my brakes keep squeaking when I come to a stop. My car only has 13,000 miles on it and they replaced the front brake pads once already. They said it was a factory defect because the brake pads, upon inspection, were cracked. They were replaced, but I assured them it wasn't the way I drive because I drive like an old man and I'm only in my 30's! Anyone else have these same problems? Can they be resolved/fixed? I've been tempted to trade it in for another 2005, but I know the dealer won't do that...or will they? (ha). :sick:

danincanberra

Hi,

This is my first post here, so I hope I am in the right place

I have a 2005 CRV and was told it had a problem with the air conditioner draining last time I had it tuned up (since I could smell a sour odour from the air vents I had them check it). Anyway, they cleaned it out for me, but now it smells a little again, and I wanted to try and clean the darin pan and hose myself if it is easy to get to.

Can anyone please let me know where to look on the CRV. I've obviously looked for the location of the 'water drip' under the engine after the a/c has been on, but can't see one since the drain seems to be clogged. I am also wondering if access to the drain plate is freally rom inside the cab (under the dash) and the drain pipe simple goes through the firewall to the engine compartment

Thanks for you help

Dan

theracoon

Honda alarm system with auto-start

Honda doesn't make an alarm system with remote starter, at least not in the US.

From your description it sure sounds like the remote starter components are the problem. I'd have it replaced or removed.

JM2C

heidi4

Thank you for the info. At this point I appreciate any kind of advice or troubleshooting. It's very discouraging to have a perfectly good car that doesn't want to run.

We attached a wire from the starter directly to the battery and "hot-wired" the car to get it started. It is being played with at a mechanics today and I'll keep you posted on what the culprit is.

The alarm system was installed by Honda in Canada. I think it's a sherlock system, but I'd have to double-check.

heidi4

I don't blame your wife for feeling that way. My car never turend off while driving, just after sitting in the driveway overnight - it now wants nothing to do with starting. The mechanic was talking about possibly being the clutch relay switch or starter; but I think in the end it has something to do with this alarm/cut-off/auto-start system.

My advice would be to keep pushing on solving this problem - the car is trying to tell you something.

jcufr

I am heading down the road of arbitration. Can you please contact me? I would really to dicuss this further with you!! jcufr@yahoo.com. Thanks!!

jcufr

I beg to differ with you on this subject. I would like to clarify that the pulling to the right is so bad that I can actually chnge lanes without touching the wheel. Would you call that a "normal" drift of the vehicle. I don't believe so!!

jcufr

I don't believe this problem is being overblown. I purchased a 2006 CRV in October and within a week of purchase, it was back at the dealership being looked at for this problem. Since then, it has been to two different dealership a combined four times and I also was working with a district manager from Honda. Do you think that this is being overblown now? I would be ashamed to say I worked for Honda after hearing something like this about your product. Also, I can't believe you would have the audacity to make a comment about lifting weights.

fussycrvowner

Hello: I have an '02 CRV EX which has brake corrosion issues. Every 12,000 miles I am ending up removing the brake pads and cleaning the mounting surfaces. If I don't, the brake pads drag against the drums and overheat. The dealer took care of at 12,000 miles and since I do myself. I even put the disk brake grease on the mounting areas as specified. Does anyone know of a more "permanent" fix for this? I am considering replacing the calipers since the corrosion has gotten into the piston areas. CRV currently has 29,000 miles on it. :confuse:

stevedebi

"Does anyone know of a more "permanent" fix for this? I am considering replacing the calipers since the corrosion has gotten into the piston areas. CRV currently has 29,000 miles on it."

I had 43K on mine with no problems like this. Something is wrong with the brakes; get the dealer to replace the brakes or at least the pads, under warranty.

fussycrvowner

Been down the replacement route. The dealer actually did replace the rear pads at 12,000 miles since they were worn completely to the metal. My understanding is that brakes are a wear related item and only carry a 12,000 mile warranty. The rest of the car is out of warranty since I have had it longer than 3 years now. The only thing I can think of is to refer back to the service bulletin addressing brake corrosion. I guess I could always discuss the problem with the service manager and see if there would be any goodwill gestures.

amocrv

Hi,

I think I have the same problem, I have an 02' 2wd lx
with 27500 miles,all I need is to drive it for 5 to 10 minutes in the city traffic the front brakes start getting hot and make this annoying grinding noise I checked the pads there is more than half left on them,and what I read in your comment makes sense I will check that this weekend. Thank you. By reading this section I've got more info and help than the dealers.

amocrv

Hello to all,

I like to hear from you, anyone who has had tire problem with their 2nd gene.. cr-v? I have an 02' lx 2wd with the OE duelers checked the pressures, rotated them every 5000 mile, and I have 27500 on it, this past weekend noticed the front tires been eaten towards the outside almost evenly in both sides, asked two tire shops and they said I need camber kit when I get a set of new tires so they can fix the camber problem, I just can't except the fact that Honda would make a car without having necessary parts there. I would love to hear from everyone with similar problem.

blueiedgod

Do you use high temp brake grease to grease up the sliding pins and the sliding surfaces of the pads and caliper assembly?

sarah76

Hello out there! This is my first time posting! We just bought a 2002 CR-V and we really love it except.... the darn flashing D light! We've had the car for 20 days. We first took it back to the dealership after 10 days becuase of the blinking D light and they changed the Speed sensor. I am now taking it back to the dealership tommorrow (20 days) for the smae problem. The flashing D!!! Does anyone know what it might possibly be? I can't keep going to the dealership every 2 weeks to have it looked at. The car is under warranty so we aren't paying for it. I looked in the manual and it says that the D is an indicator of a possible transmission problem. has anyone had this recurring problem with thier CR-V? What could it be? We are taking it to a Honda dealership (where we bought it) but they just seem clueless!

Any info would be appreciated!!

Sarah

heidi4

D light as in "Drive" light on the dash to tell you what gear you're in (automatic transmission)?

steve royal

jcufr,
You are wasting your time if you expect isell to offer any solutions to your problem a the forum title was intended. Check his other responses to this problem for the past year. He is in denial. The forum heading is "PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS." If you read his responses, you might think it was "Denial of Honda Problems." For some reason, he continues to attempt to downplay the problem despite the fact that this exact problem has been floating with the Honda CRV 2WD for quite a while. In Isell's opinion, it is very overblown. I suspect it affects his sales. He makes $ off Hondas. It's his livelihood. I guess you can't blame him for trying. I just wish he would add valuable info to the thread as it is intended. STEVE p.s. Don't forget to register with NHTSA to lodge your complaint.

sarah76

Yes, the D "drive" light on the dash. It is an automatic. It's really hard it tell it's flashing when it's in drive but easy to see in any other gear.

stever

Berating other members doesn't help find any solutions either. If you don't like a member's posts, just skip down to the next one.

Let's try to focus on the CR-V in here please.

Steve, Host

stevedebi

Just out of curiosity, how is the warranty on a 2002 still valid? Is this an extended warranty?

sarah76

It's certified used Honda. It has a 12 month 12,000 mile warranty. The standard 10 year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty stil applies also. We also purchased an extended warranty for after the 12 month period.

dotyee

My 2005 CRV is around 10 months old. After 6 months of use, I noticed an intermittent humming noise when making a hard full turn at slow speeds, usually occurring when turning or when pulling in/out of a driveway or parking spaces. I can't pinpoint the location, I think it's coming from the front or middle of the car.

I brought it to my dealership for service a month ago and they adjusted my transmission brackets. However, the problem has not been solved and I still hear the noise. :mad:

I just brought it back to the same dealership, went on a test drive and the technician was able to duplicate the noise once. However, after a day they told me that they are unable to pinpoint the noise or problem and that I should keep driving until the noise becomes more consistent, then bring it in again. :mad:

Has anyone else experienced this problem with their CRV or other Honda vehicle? A friend of mine has a relatively new Element and has noticed the same noise, once again after the first year of owning the car.

Any suggestions or recommendations? Should I try a different Honda dealership? Are they stringing me along until my warranty ends? I have 15,000 miles left on my warranty and want to get this resolved before I have to get it fixed out of my pocket.

theracoon

Has anyone else experienced this problem with their CRV or other Honda vehicle? A friend of mine has a relatively new Element and has noticed the same noise, once again after the first year of owning the car.

It sounds like the rear differential fluid needs to be changed. Try this:

1. find an empty parking lot
2. roll down the drivers window and stick your head out
3. drive slowly straight ahead
4. drive slowly in a tight circle to the left

Do you hear the noise when turning left, but not when going straight? If you do, have the rear differential fluid changed. Use only Honda Dual Pump Fluid if you change it yourself.

The same may be true of your friend's Element.

If the noise doesn't completely disappear after changing the rear differential fluid have it changed a second time, as sometimes it takes a couple of fluid changes to eliminate the noise. Despite what your owners manual says, you probably need to have the rear differential fluid changed very 30,000 miles or so.

Good luck.

jrb3

I owned a 2001 CRV (note that I said owned). I bought the car new in 2001 from a reputable Honda dealership. The first 4 years of driving were good, except for at 12,000 miles they had to replace the Master Brake Cylinder. As of about 6 months ago, the car started to "hickup" when stopped at traffic lights, I took the car in to the dealership and after 2 days of diagnostic they could not find anything wrong with the car, and said the car did not "hickup" for them. Of course, as soon as I drove off of the lot it started "hickuping" again. with the odometer at 92,000 miles, 4 weeks ago, the check engine light came on, I took the car in and they reset the check engine light, saying that it could be an o2 sensor or the gas cap. A week later the light came on again, this time they said that it might be a cylinder head but that they would replace a coil, distributor cap and rotor button to see if it would fix the problem. Less than a week later the light came on again, this time the engine started to surge when the car was in park and studdering when the accelerator was lifted when on the highway. (Very scary!) This time they told me that I would need a new cylinder head! at a cost of $3300. I am writing this because I want others to know to be very careful when the check engine light comes on. Now of course, in the very beginning of this email I said owned, which of course means that I have since traded the CRV for another vehicle.

mikefm58

You should have gone to a different dealer. Based on what you've said, they took you for a good one. Did they tell you what to code was each time the check engine light came on? Each time the check engine light is reset, it takes a few "cycles" before knowing for sure the problem is fixed.

When I had my Mustang, the check engine light came on, took it to the local auto parts store where they read the code for free and told me the likely causes. It turned out to be an O2 sensor that I changed myself for $70. The Ford shop wanted $75 to read the code and another hour for diagnostics to install their $175 O2 sensor.

sherbanhp

My CRV-EX 2001 with 75K miles has a developed a vibration rattle when accelerating. After observing it for a while I determined that it occurs at about 2,100 rpm to 2,200 rpm whether the revs are increasing or decreasing.
Took it to the dealer, Open Road Honda in NJ, and the first time they told me it was a loose bolt in the exhaust plate which they tightened.
Problem not solved, took it back and they confirmed the problem but said it was "somewhere in the back", but did not affect the safety of the vehicle.
The noise has gotten more annoying and for one thing I obviously can not resell the car. The car is under extended warranty to 100K mi.

I'll be grateful for any suggestion.

Thank you.

SHP

terryp1

I have seen the light. Hallelelujah! It came to me when I was on a message board far, far away.....one called "Bye-Bye Planet." I learned a lot there from a guy posting as "isellglobalwarming." Then I moved over to the addiction boards and got the real truth from "iselltobacco."
So I've brought my new-found analytical skills back to the CR-V boards. Here's what I believe now: a significant portion of CR-V owners are delusional. Flat out crazy or stupid or a mix of the two. And that is proved easily by clear and convincing statistics.
Search the entire RAV4 forum for "pttr" and you'll get only two hits. And those two mention it only in reference to Honda's CR-V. Now search for "pttr" in the CR-V forums and you'll get, I think now, 201 hits.
Since the RAV4 has one axle shorter than the other, like the CR-V, and that's the cause of the oh-so-slight torque steer that is oh-so-natural and expected, then there is only one answer: A significant portion of CR-V owners are delusional.
Surely now all the palaver here will be put to rest.

user777

if the light is flashing, they should be able to hook up their computer interface and see what codes are stored related to the problem.

stevedebi

"My 2005 CRV is around 10 months old. After 6 months of use, I noticed an intermittent humming noise when making a hard full turn at slow speeds, usually occurring when turning or when pulling in/out of a driveway or parking spaces. I can't pinpoint the location, I think it's coming from the front or middle of the car."

It is not the rear differential. My CR-V had this problem. When turning sharp left, there was a sound from (I think) the front right. I had the rear differential fluid changed when I first heard the sound, but that did not fix the problem. It sounds like something is rubbing up there, but the tire did not show any rubbing. Keep up informed on your problem...

blueiedgod

I owned a 2001 CRV (note that I said owned). I bought the car new in 2001 from a reputable Honda dealership. The first 4 years of driving were good, except for at 12,000 miles they had to replace the Master Brake Cylinder. As of about 6 months ago, the car started to "hickup" when stopped at traffic lights, I took the car in to the dealership and after 2 days of diagnostic they could not find anything wrong with the car, and said the car did not "hickup" for them. Of course, as soon as I drove off of the lot it started "hickuping" again. with the odometer at 92,000 miles, 4 weeks ago, the check engine light came on, I took the car in and they reset the check engine light, saying that it could be an o2 sensor or the gas cap. A week later the light came on again, this time they said that it might be a cylinder head but that they would replace a coil, distributor cap and rotor button to see if it would fix the problem. Less than a week later the light came on again, this time the engine started to surge when the car was in park and studdering when the accelerator was lifted when on the highway. (Very scary!) This time they told me that I would need a new cylinder head! at a cost of $3300. I am writing this because I want others to know to be very careful when the check engine light comes on. Now of course, in the very beginning of this email I said owned, which of course means that I have since traded the CRV for another vehicle.

Tightening valves are a known problem with the OWNER's MANUAL for first generation CR-V. A competent dealership should have advised to have the valves adjusted at 30,000 miles. And should have know that studdering is a sign of tightening valves.

Honda has paid fully or partially for the $3300 valve train replacement for the owners who asked. They know the manual is wrong. This is the only time when I say Don't solely rely on the OWNER's Manual. By 90,000 miles the valves should have been adjusted 3 times.

theracoon

My CRV-EX 2001 with 75K miles has a developed a vibration rattle when accelerating. After observing it for a while I determined that it occurs at about 2,100 rpm to 2,200 rpm whether the revs are increasing or decreasing.

The rattle is probably the upper heat shield on the catalytic convertor. The front mounting points rust through and it then rattles at certain RPMs. It's easy to check. Crawl under your CR-V with a screwdriver and locate the catalytic convertor. It'll be in the center, just behind the engine compartment. It's #5 in this image:



Hold the screwdriver by the blade and hit the upper heat shield towards the front with the handle of the screwdriver. You'll hear it rattle.

I fixed mine using a large metal hose clamp around the front of the catalytic convertor. Since you have the extended warranty you might try to get them to replace the heat shield.

Good luck.

tedh32

my CRV has 135k miles. the propeller shaft is frozen at one of the universal joints. honda's solution is to replace the shaft at $1,000 for the part. the shaft is only on the all wheel drive model. can the shaft be removed and not replaced, thus converting to a front wheel drive. my garage mechanic says yes. Honda will not comment for fear of possible lawsuit should damage occur or is it the loss of repair dollars. In the old days you were able to change out a universal joint. hoping someone will save me some money, thanks Ted

theracoon

can the shaft be removed and not replaced, thus converting to a front wheel drive. my garage mechanic says yes. Honda will not comment for fear of possible lawsuit should damage occur or is it the loss of repair dollars.

Because of the way the RT4WD system works, you would also need to remove the rear drive shafts (that go from the rear differential to each rear wheel).

While Honda doesn't sell the u-joint separately, you may be able to find a shop that will replace the u-joint using a non-Honda part. I remember reading (on another forum) about someone who had that done. I believe the u-joint was originally designed for a Suzuki ATV.

Good luck.

romanm

Tightening valves are a known problem with the OWNER's MANUAL for first generation CR-V. A competent dealership should have advised to have the valves adjusted at 30,000 miles.

How about the 2nd generation CR-V? Is any known adjustment interval not mentioned in the Owner's Manual? My '05 manual simply says, I believe, "inspect at 110K, adjust if noisy". Thanks.

blueiedgod

How about the 2nd generation CR-V? Is any known adjustment interval not mentioned in the Owner's Manual? My '05 manual simply says, I believe, "inspect at 110K, adjust if noisy". Thanks.

The K-series engine has not been out for long enough to see. It first came out in the Acura RSX in 2001 (I think). So, whatever applies to the RSX should apply to the CR-V. Check RSX boards to see if there are issues with the valves.

The B-series in Gen 1 was a modified engine from Acura Integra, which is related to Civic Si engine. Both of which require valve adjustments at 30,000 miles, and have history dating back to early to mid-90's.

dotyee

Yes! It sounds like something is rubbing. Initially they thought that the transmission brackets were rubbing and adjusted them, but the noise continued. I went on another test drive with a different technician when I picked up my car, and unfortunately it didn't make the noise. Based on my description, he didn't think it was a differential problem and again recommended that I wait until the problem gets worse. :confuse:

varmint

I'm going to suggest an alternative solution just in case the one Racoon spelled out doesn't fix it.

Some owners of the first gen CR-V experienced a "rattle" at specific rpms when the timing belt tensioner became loose. I think there's an old TSB on the issue as some were adjusted incorrectly from the factory. However, these can also work their way loose over time.

sherbanhp

Thank you, Racoon. They did tighten the heat shield - and the problem reoccurred.

Varmint also left me a response suggesting the timing belt loosening might be the cause.

I will go back to the dealer next week and see what they can do.

Thanks again.

sherbanhp

Thank you Varmint. I'll follow up with the dealer with your suggestion.

crvsucks

I have the same problem with my 2005 CRV SE. At 2100 - 2300 RPM, with cruise control on, and on a straight-a-way, the car makes a loud noise as if there is a small hole in the muffler. It sound like a truck.

The dealer told me this was normal. My wife bought her 2005 CRV a wekk before me, and her's runs softly under all conditions, and even has less wind-noise.

My model was assembled in the UK. Her model elsewhere. I am going the Lemon-Law route.

varmint

Just to clarify. It's not the belt itself. It's the tensioner for the belt.

fussycrvowner

Thank you. I did use the high temp grease provided with the pad kits from Honda. My next step will be to replace the retainers the pads slide on after doing a thorough rust removal and greasing of the surfaces.

harvey44

I had a 98 and now I've got a 2006. It SEEMS to me that my 98 was better at climbing our steep snowy/icy (10% grade) driveway in the mountains. On the 98, the wheels would slip more but it always got up. The 2006 doesn't seem to slip but sort of gives up - the clutch is slipping? Not sure. Can anyone else relate?

tamaraster

I'm not an expert on this, but could it be that the stability/traction control is preventing your wheels from slipping in a situation where you NEED your wheels to slip? Try pushing the button that says, I think, "ASR" (it's next to the cruise control button to the left of the steering wheel). A little exclamation mark in a triangle warning light will show up to tell you that the traction control is off. See if that makes it easier to drive up. (Turn it back on later for normal driving.)

kyfdx

I'd bet tamaraster is correct...

crv200000miles

the bulb that lights up behind the fuel gauge on my '97 CR-V has burned out, making it difficult to read at night. I asked my mechanic and he said that although the bulb itself is easy and inexpensive to replace, removing the dash to get to the bulb would cost lots of $$. Is there a way to replace the bulb without spending a lot of $?

harvey44

Tamaraster,

You know the more I think about it the more I think you may be right. With my 1998 the slipping allowed the engine to maintain a higher rpms and stay in its power band when climbing the hill.

Also I've been wondering - Why the heck would the VSR have a switch on it? Why would you want to turn it off?

I think you got it!

Can't wait to try again.

blueiedgod

the bulb that lights up behind the fuel gauge on my '97 CR-V has burned out, making it difficult to read at night. I asked my mechanic and he said that although the bulb itself is easy and inexpensive to replace, removing the dash to get to the bulb would cost lots of $$. Is there a way to replace the bulb without spending a lot of $?

The bulb is a $0.05 piece. It is easy to replace, all you have to do is take the cluster out. I think there is a screw at the top inside of the Bezel. Remove that, pull out the Bezel, there will be 3-4 screws hlding the cluster in place, remove those. Pull the cluster a bit, reach in and squieze the tabs on the connectors and disconnect the cluster. Remove the cluster, the bulbs will be on the backside of the PCB. An easy 15 minute job for an experienced mechanic.

blueiedgod

I'd bet tamaraster is correct...

Yeap, I bet you the OP never read the OWNER's MANUAL which would have explained how to turn off the VSA. The Switch is labeled "VSA off" The owner would have also noticed that when the 2006 "gave up" the VSA light would flash as well as an "exclamation point in a triangle."

Reading the OWNER's MANUAL is the key here. :-)