Honda Odyssey Care and Maintenance

speterson1 · February 2007

Does anyone know of a floormat or floor liner type product that is designed to fit in the rear cargo well of the vehicle? I know there are several cargo liners available that will cover the entire cargo area once the third-row seats are folded down, but I'm interested in something that will protect the well area that's present when the third-row seats are up. Anyone seen anything for this?

Steve

cableguy06 · February 2007

www.mats.com

justaveragejoe · February 2007

Thanks to EVERYONE who has posted info on these items. I went to the dealer to have the oil and filter service done (my part to keep good relations with the dealer in case of warranty issues). I inquired about their prices just for my info. I was given an estimate of $160 for a tranny flush and $90 for the cabin filter. I can't believe how uneducated these service folks are. When I told them that Honda doesn't recommend a tranny flush, they said that they could do the drain and refill for $80, but only once (owners manual states drain and refill - 4 times - to complete the job) and insisted the flush was the was to go. The "transmission expert" told me that less than 3 qts were needed per drain and there was only 5 qts in the system. (owners manual again, 3.5 per drain >8 total) They wanted 50 bucks for the cabin filter alone. I bought a case of tranny fluid at the dealer for their "discounted" price of $5/qt and got the cabin filter at Kragen for $21. I drained and refilled twice since I only have 20k miles on it. For the cabin filter, I used a utility knife to cut the dash part away until I inadvertently twisted it and broke the blade, my last one. Used a blade from a hack-saw and that worked great. I only removed the screw on the right side of the bar and that gave me plenty of room, again thanks for the posts. I will drain the tranny again at 30k and my warranty will likely be expired due to time.

You want it done right, do it yourself. If you pay, it should be done better than you could have imagined.

I love the Information Highway almost as much as the open highway. Post-on!

justaveragejoe · February 2007

Another little tip. I taped a piece of garden hose to the vacuum to get inside the air box and suck out all the crud that was in there, Then I used it to suck out all the gunk that was in the drain hose (from inside the engine compartment). It seem to be draining better and I don't have as much moisture coming through the defroster

Claires · February 2007

These posts have been moved to our existing Odyssey Warning Lights and
Odyssey Transmission Issuestopics.

ghawk · February 2007

I have recently begun changing my own oil. I am wondering how to reset the service reminder light on the cluster maintenance minder. The owners manual just tells me that the dealer will do this when they do the service. Can anyone tell me how to do it myself?

speterson1 · February 2007

This is copied directly from my 2007 Odyssey Owner's Manual, probably would be the same for your 2006...

1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON (II) position.
2. Press the Select/Reset knob until the engine oil life indicator is displayed.
3. Press the Select/Reset knob for about 10 seconds. The engine oil life indicator and the maintenance item code(s) will blink.
4. Press the Select/Reset knob for more than 5 seconds. The maintenance item code(s) will disappear, and the engine oil life indicator will reset to "100".

Good luck, hope it works!
Steve

turnagainarm · March 2007

I lost mine! Does anyone know of an inexpensive place/website to get one? Thanks!

speterson1 · March 2007

If you sign up for Honda Ownerlink, the online website to keep track of your Honda, they have a link where you can download a copy for free.

Go here and register your vehicle (you will need your VIN number). Then click on the "My Odyssey" header and you will see a link for the owner's manual.

Steve

turnagainarm · March 2007

Thanks for the response!

tonton26 · March 2007

I was thinking of changing my plugs. I have 15k miles on it. My questions are as follows:
1. When I opened the cover, I can only see five ports for the plugs, I can't see the last one. Where can I find it?
2. The owners manal doesn't say anything on when to change it. My brother has a 2006 Civic and when he checked it, Iridium Denso plugs are installed and still in good condition. Should I have the same type of plugs?
3. If my plugs happen to be Iridium Denso, how long should it last before I change it?

Thanks.

rwall10597 · March 2007

I went to pull my seats out on Saturday. The middle one would not come out. I ended up having to take the plastic cover off the base and pull the cables by hand to get the latch to disengage to get it out. We've only disengaged the seat once prior, and nobody has ever sat in it, so its not a wear and tear thing. Has anybody else had this happen? We're dropping the seat off at the dealer tomorrow. Has anyone had the problem and gotten any grief from the dealer about fixing it under warranty?

rwall10597 · March 2007

Some manufacturers are saying you can get as much as 120k out of the Iridium Denso plugs. If you really drive hard, you might think about them at 30k. With 15k on a new engine those plugs are still new.

tonton26 · March 2007

thanks rwall10597.

patil1388 · March 2007

I have 2006 Honda Odyssey LX with 3500 miles on it. I relocated last year and during that process i misplaced my Odyssey's owners manual. Somebody told me that the first maintainence is at 3500 miles. Is this true??? Can someone pls help me out and provide me with the right information.
Thanks

user777 · March 2007

did you try honda's owner link? you should be able to register your vehicle online (you want to do that so they have your recent address if there are any service notices, recalls etc), and you should be able to view a copy of the manual there.

pleasereload · March 2007

hi,
just wanna share my exp too. my 06 already has close to 8800mi on it and i've had 2 oil changes, 1st one @ around 4600 or so miles (yeah racked up mileage from southern cal to lake tahoe/reno) and that one was at the dealer and paid their price (bah!) then the 2nd one just this past wk also @ the dealer but i bought my own Mobil-1 Fully Synthetic 5-quart at wallyworld, costs #23.64+tax and a fram oil filter. i paid the dealer $12 labor + $0.50 for the washer.
if i were to pay for a Mobil-1 synthetic oil change at the same dealer, it woulda cost me $53-55+tax.

question for you folks, is having a genuine honda oil filter make that much of a difference? if it does, then i'll use that next time. i'll make sure to buy in bulk. for any of you in the socal area esp. the sgv, @ goudy in alhambra all accessories are 15% off. ionno if that includes filters or not...

ps: someone mentioned changing the pollen filter. is that inside the car? is there an additional air filter that needs to be changed under the hood?

pls advise.
thanks!!

user777 · March 2007

you can purchase honda maintenance items at
http://www.handa-accessories.com/

yes there is a pollen filter for the AC/fresh air system, and yes it is different from the engine air filter. you probably can get the former from the web-site as well (inquire), and engine air filters can usually be had at a local car parts store, although you'll find them on the web-site.

kthan · March 2007

My 06 EX-L (15K) had maintenance light (B, no number). I am wondering if I need to do something else (other than oil change and tire rotation) at this point. Some dealers recommend Air-filter, Carbon filter, and rear differential fluid change. Another dealder says transmission oil change. Please let me know what I need now and what else I need until 30K.
Thanks for your help in advance.

cuong · March 2007

Just got an msg "check fuel cap" over the weekend. I can't not figure out what went wrong. This msg will go away in few days? Do I have to take the van to the dealer to reset? or need a new fuel cap?

Thanks.

fasstln · March 2007

Just unscrew your cap off and screw it back on. Sometimes if it doesn't seal right, it will throw this code.

fasstln · March 2007

kthan,
This is just your dealership trying to take your money.
Your car is still brand new and does not need the differential fluid or transmission fluid changed. Heck, some cars never have their differential fluid changed...ever!

I would have the transmission fluid flushed at 50k miles or so. The differential fluid you could do at the same time.
If you race your van professionally, then you would want to do this sooner, otherwise don't listen to the stealership because all they want is your money!!

dsrtrat2 · March 2007

Sounds like you want the very best for the engine with the oil you use, so why not do the best for the filter and stay with the Honda one?

dsrtrat2 · March 2007

You may have to do this several times, but just once after you shut the engine off. Make sure the cap clicks 4-6 times when you replace it. What I'm trying to say is do this once after you drive the van and shut it off. Repeat that sequence several times.

seversuave · March 2007

Can someone give me advice on synthetic oil? My dealer recommended Mobil 1, so when I changed the oil in my 2006 EXL/N/R at 4500, I put that in, with a Fram "Ultra" which says it is good for 7K miles. When should I next change? I would guess that the oil life indicator will not do me any good. Mobil 1 is only $23.50 for a 5 qt jug at Wal-Mart.

pleasereload · March 2007

i'll do that next time. i bot the fram b/c my buddy who's pretty religious abt car maintenance and i had a discussion, and it sidetracked from oil filter to air filter and somewhere in there he mentioned to just use fram, and i took it as the one for oil filter. i'll go the genuine honda route for the next one. handaaccessories.com has the 6-pk bundle with washer for < $37 shipped to me. thanks for the advise, and yes...i do want the best for my ody.

cuong · March 2007

I already tried to unscrew the cap and screw back several times with several clicks each time.

rsmiedema · March 2007

Have you tried going by Autozone or another auto parts store with the code readers? They aren't supposed to, but maybe if you sweet talk him or her, you can get them to rest codes with the readers. This should be doable if the have the codes for an '06 Odyssey.

hondalova · April 2007

I have a 2007 Odyssey EX. I'm getting a humming noise that is most noticeable at about 42 mph and again at around 65 mph, though I can hear it all the time bewteen those speeds if I listen carefully. The noise is a combination hum/lawnmower motor type sound - the same sound that the wheel hub bearing made on my old Chevy when it failed. It is not the 2000 rpm hum that is typical of this Ody design - its definitely something else.

Any other ideas as to what it might be would be greatly appreciated. By sheer coincidence, the car is going to the dealer tomorrow for a previously scheduled L/O/F and replacement of the mesh in the A-pipe.

Thanks!

-FS

blackexv6 · April 2007

I'm assuming you have an EX and not EX-L. The VCM equipped Odysseys sound like a helicopter is flying above at a distance when in ECO mode.

There are people experiencing bad wheel bearings and power steering pumps. Maybe yours has a bad bearing.

Just curious, if your car doesn't drone why is the A-pipe being replaced?

hondalova · April 2007

Yes, its an EX - not an EX-L. As it turns out, tech heard it right away and believed it was the left front wheel bearing. He was changing it when I called and was going to then road test to be sure the right didn't also need replacing.

After reading your post, I surfed this board for other posts pertaining to bearings and couldn't find any (unless I did a bad search). Where else can I learn more about this problem?

Oh, and I DO have the droning noise - but that noise is different from the bearing noise. The drone is only heard at around 2000 rpm in top gear, whereas the bearing noise was more of a metallic hum coupled with a small lawnmower engine sound, heard at various speeds and rpm, but with particular resonance at around 42 mph and 65 mph. Two different thangs.

I'm picking it up from service tomorrow AM - let's see if the A-pipe mesh replacement fixes or at least minimizes the drone.

-FS

bobber1 · April 2007

Wheel bearing can go even on new cars. If you a pot hole and ding it just right, they'll wear out quick. I put a new one my Chevy Impala last fall(but that did have 135,000 miles on it). The guy who did the work told me the problems is more common than you'd think.

cuong · April 2007

The message went away in about a week. Guess you need a numbers of on/off cycle.

hondalova · April 2007

If this is the only thing that ever goes wrong on my Odyssey, I'll be the most satisfied Honda customer on the planet. I've been a driving enthusiast my whole life - never owned a car w/o a manual transmission until I got married - always had hot (or at least hot-looking) cars when I was single and even some pretty darn nice ones after I was married (my current ride is an '04 Accord EX-L V-6 6 spd. Coupe - you've probably seen my posts on the Accord board).

I have my wife in a minivan b/c its practical for my family - but I'm almost ashamed to admit how much fun it is to cruise 'round with the wife and kids in this thing. Its definitely the nicest driving, quietest, most comfortable family vehicle I've ever owned.

So bearing - shmaring!

-FS

p.s. - It was the left front wheel bearing - and the wife says the pipe replacement seems to have greatly dimmed the 2000 rpm drone though I haven't driven the car enough myself yet to tell for sure.

bobber1 · April 2007

Yeah I agree the Odyssey is really fun to drive. Gosh it handles better than a lot of cars. Glad to hear you're pleased with it and have looked past the bearing problem.

nowakj66 · April 2007

My oil life was at 30% and I accidentally reset it to 100% without doing the oil change. The next service reccomended was a "B service" with no numbers.

What are my options here?

The display that comes up if you get to the reset screen for maintenance minder still says the next service will be a "B" even though the oil life is now 100%.

How did this happen? I sent to the reset screen to see what my next service was, pressed the button and it reset. Ooops. My bad!

I am thinking of waiting for the oil life to drop 10% and then just doing the B service and oil change. Any flaws in that plan?

pgrogan · April 2007

I normally do not buy extended warranties, but I am considering one for the Odyssey I purchased yesterday. Does anyone have any thoughts or recommendations on where to purchase? Also what warranty did you get and how much did you pay?

hondalova · April 2007

I purchased an '07 Odyssey EX for $26k in December, 2006, with a 5 year 100k HondaCares warranty. The warranty cost was around $1000 and is a zero deductible package.

Be sure you are getting a HondaCares warranty and not some P.O.S. Universal Underwriter's aftermarket policy or you will have lots of problems down the line. I also recommend negotiating for the zero deductible. Otherwise, after the 3/36 expires, every time you come in with a warranty issue, they'll clip you for $100 just to tell you that either its working the way it should or it's not a covered item.

Finally, when you get your warranty packet, make sure you check that it actually specifies the terms you agreed to - I negotiated for a zero deductible, but when it came, it said $100 deductible and I had to leave boot prints on the business manager's rear end to get it changed to what it was supposed to be (which they finally did).

-FS

dsrtrat2 · April 2007

I live in the Phoenix area where it gets above 110 degrees about 10-20 times per year. All the dealers say I should change the timing belt at 60,000 miles because of the heat. What would be the best thing to do? BTW they want about $500.00 for the job, which seems on the high side.

mvferg · May 2007

Does anyone have any idea how to reset the service light on an 05 Odyssey Touring? I've tried holding the 'i' button but service reset is not one of the options. HELP!!!

hondalova · May 2007

My wife's '07 Ody-EX (8k miles) is knocking noticeably and fairly consistently under normal acceleration. I tried changing fuel suppliers, but no improvement noted. I've not increased the octane b/c the car is supposed to run on regular gas.

Anybody else had problems with persistent engine knocking on regular gas? If so, what was the cause/how'd ya' fix it?

Thanks!

-FS

dsrtrat2 · May 2007

Fill the gas tank with the highest octane gas you can get. It is hard on an engine to have it knock. Get it to a dealer before damage occurs.

user777 · May 2007

sounds like it's got a problem with the knock sensor and can't adjust the timing properly. it is very odd the vehicle is knocking. i concur - see the dealer, and change fuel providers.

jchan2 · May 2007

I would change it at 60K miles; $500 isn't terribly expensive for the job. Check to see if that price includes any other repairs, such as replacing the water pump (I was told by my dealership that the two jobs involve a lot of the same procedures, so replacing them at the same time makes sense)

user777 · May 2007

isn't the schedule 90K or something like that? certainly NOT 60K.

jchan2 · May 2007

On the severe schedule, it is 60K. On the regular schedule, it is 105K.

hondalova · May 2007

Thanks dsrtrat2 and user777. You've been helpful to me (along with several others) with several of the problems I've posted here and on the Accord board.

Much appreciated.

-FS

carbon · May 2007

">Can anyone tell me if replacing the odometer light in a '01 Ody is a Do It Yourself project? Dealer will probably want mucho $$$$ to do the job.

Appreciate the help!!!!

hondalova · May 2007

FYI - I had the car at my Honda dealer this week - they said that there is a defect in the Power Control Module that is not permitting the computer to correctly adjust the engine timing and prevent knocking. They ordered a new PCM and it will be installed next Saturday morning.

They said it was OK to drive until then. The knocking is moderate (faint sound of a baby rattle from under the hood - kinda like the old GM Iron Duke 4 cylinders used to knock - and I hear it only when accelerating, not at steady speed) and was unaffected by a change to higher octane gasoline.

Will post again once PCM is installed.

-FS

dsrtrat2 · May 2007

Try searching these forums, as I think some time ago someone described doing something similar.

Honda Odyssey Care and Maintenance

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