Honda CR-V Maintenance and Repair

crvforme · October 2006

My 2002 CRV has 150,000 km and recently I noticed clunking noise from the front end over bumps (most noticeably at parking lot speed). Local dealer diagnosis it as worn front links and bushings on the front sway bar. Is this a genereic issue with CRVs? The reason I am asking is I have Honda's before and this is new to me and it is a surprise to me to have such problem at only 150K, Thanks.

rockycow33 · October 2006

Nose masks are notorious for etching the clear coat for several reasons, flapping, flapping with grit trapped underneath or just long term vibration. Try to use fine grit rubbing compound on the disturbed clear coat. If this doesn't do it a repaint is in order. recommend either the hard plastic bug shield or 3m clear bra when the paint is new. Good luck

dtownfb · October 2006

If you haven't solved this problem yet, I would check the socket itself. It could be shorted out and needs to be replaced.

dtownfb · October 2006

Is the check Enigne Light on?

user777 · October 2006

i'm with you - except - if it were only one bulb that were constantly going, then i'd agree - probably a socket problem. this assumes the correct bulb was being put in there.

the theory is with a bad socket, a poor supply connection is formed to the bulb, and the bulb cycles on and off a lot, and these cycles cause the bulb's filament to fail early. either that, or more simply and likely, the bulb seems to be bad, when in reality it is good, and the socket is bad, and sometimes it looses it's connection to the back of th bulb. either take / observation works for me with 1 socket bad.

but that's rare, and would be reported as "my left tail light keeps blowing", or something like that.

however, this poster indicated one headlight failed, then the other soon after, then a tailbulb soon after that.

to me, this is suspicious and suggests a possible problem with the alternator and / or battery.

if the voltage regulator on the alternator is bad, the unit is going to be putting out too much voltage. the battery i think can do some transient filtering of a flakey alternator, but can't do anything for a steady-state over-voltage condition.

i think a bad alternator can ruin a good battery. shifty? you or anyone else chime in.

anyway, if the replacement bulbs blow, personally - i'd go right for the alternator.

fussycrvowner · October 2006

I had a similar experience with bulbs burning out. It turned out that the repair shop put the wrong type of bulbs in. High brightness bulbs run the filaments hotter and put an extra strain on them. The OEM ones are made by Osram/Sylvania and have E_ numbers. A good place to look is on sylvania.com and find the bulb chart - go to product catalogs tab on the top and the link for automotive bulbs in the new page. Another difference is that the bases on the others are brass and the OEM style are plated. Don't know if this matters much. I like to put a bulb grease or dielectric grease on the contacts. This will prevent moisture damage in the long run. As far as the battery goes, the voltage when the car is running should be around 13-14 volts, or in that range. If the voltage goes above 14.5 then the regulator in the alternator may be putting out too much. Places like Auto Zone or Advance Auto can check your charging system at no cost. It's quite possible that it is over compensating when the system is under a load. Have them run a load test also. Hope this helps.

carolinagal · October 2006

Hi, I purchased a brand new 2006 CR-V in April (2006) and it has had a stalling problem from the start. I want to mention that I particularly wanted to buy a Honda since they are touted as 'reliable & dependable' but this car is anything BUT reliable or dependable. It has been back to the Honda service dept. 4 times already. So far their computer does not show any 'codes', and they have not been able to duplicate the problem. It can go for a few weeks at a time without stalling and then it will stall once a week, twice a week, once every two weeks...etc....last week it stalled 3 times within 2 days. So I was wondering if anyone else has been having this problem with a new CR-V? I did some research and found that there were recalls on the '97, '98, and '99 CR-Vs for this same 'stalling without warning' problem and it was caused by worn contacts in the ignition switch. I have been logging all the stalling events as was requested by the dealer/service department but I sure don't want to have to wait 3 years or more until they figure out and fix this problem. I also want to mention that the Honda dealer/service dept. does not seem to be overly concerned that I am having this problem or AT ALL concerned that this vehicle could potentially cause an accident by stalling in traffic. Any input or advice will be very much appreciated! Thanx

raj13 · October 2006

I recently purchased a brand new CRV-2006.It has run around 5000 Miles,There was a strange Squeaking noise(Rubber sound) when ever i pressed the brake(When the engine is warm),It can be heard only when the car was moving slowly(Stop & go Traffic),when the brake is pressed often.The squeking noise can be heard even when the engine is switched off & the break is pressed. The agent acknowledged the problem & he changed the booster & master cylinder assembly,still the sound persisted ,I went back to the agent,he changed the pedal assembly & lubricated the booster from inside,No use still it was not solved,The agent changed the ABS motor & the rubber hose that goes from the booster to the engine,still the noise persists,the agent does not know what else to do. This noise from the booster comes only when the engine is hot,This squeaking noise is not from the brake pads,it is from the booster for sure as i was able to find it out from a sound meter. Apart from this there is no other problem with my car,the braking is excellent,there are no warning lights lit. Could any body suggest anything. am really desperate,Please help me.

extech2 · October 2006

You need to provide more information. Does the engine start right away after stalling out? Does it crank without firing up or it fails to crank? You might ask a tech to show you how to check for the existence of spark and fuel pressure. This is best done with a helper. If there is no spark you more than likely have a problem with the ignition switch or the igniter module. If there is spark but no fuel you might have an intermittent problem with the fuel pump or the pump's relay. Bear in mind intermittent problems are difficult to duplicate and diagnose. If it happens often enough you might request that a tech take and drive your car as a daily driver, while providing you with a free loaner car.

user777 · October 2006

i agree with extech2. not enough information. when / under what conditions does it stall?

if at idle, maybe there is an idle relearn procedure which needs to be done.

carolinagal · October 2006

Hi and thanx to extech2 & user777 for your responses. The engine does start right away after stalling out and it always cranks up without a problem. The only thing that I can think of that might be a clue is that it seems to stall more often when the gas tank is half full or slightly less. But this is not true 100% of the time. Honda did perform a computer relearn on the second visit and this did not fix the problem so I don't think it's the idle. It is very frustrating because the third time I left it with Honda (back in June '06) to try to diagnose/fix it, they did have a tech drive it for three days and it didn't stall for him. I was told that they used data recorder test equipment which will record what the problem is IF it stalls for them. At the end of three days they told me to 'come and pick up your car' because they said that they could not/would not be able to provide me with the rental car any longer. I again left it with Honda on 10/16/06. However, when I called in the afternoon, they said to pick up the car and told me that the problem could not be found and they were not able to duplicate it & would not provide a rental. I spoke with the dealer owner and he said that he will be able to provide me with a loaner crv hopefully within a few days because it was currently being used by an owner who was having his transmission repaired. Well, here we are...two weeks later and that transmission repair work is still apparently underway so no loaner car for me yet and they don't seem to care that I am driving a defective vehicle. I hate to even drive it but I have to get to work somehow. I will ask the tech to show me how to check for the existence of spark and fuel pressure but wouldn't they have checked that already? Thanx again for any help or advice! :confuse: PS...VERY frustrating is the fact that it actually went for 7 weeks after the third (June '06) visit to Honda service dept. without stalling and then it began stalling again.....and again....and again..

extech2 · October 2006

I would purchase a new fuel pump relay at wholesale price and ask the dealership to install it in the car. The part costs less than $ 50, I think, and the installation takes a few minutes only, they shouldn't charge you for that. Please keep the old relay and if you have no problem for 2-3 months, then you might get a reimbursement for the cost of the part. On the other hand if you still experience stalling, they can just refund you the cost of the relay if you return one of them. This is a Mickey Mouse type of repair, shooting in the dark, but it might work. The other possibility is that there is a pin connector somewhere in the wiring harness which is not seated properly and at a bump in the road the fuel pump or the ignition cuts out, this explains why the car starts up right away. To find the connector isn't easy,there are dozens of them, and each has a dozen or more wire going in and out, so to find the bad one is a difficult task. Sometimes techs will disconnect, check, and reconnect the connectors and if they are lucky the problem won't return. Another way is to poke around the engine compartment or under the dash and wiggle/shake gently the connectors until the engine stalls. Believe me, this is a tech's worst nightmare, they want to help you but they haven't got a clue where to start, and it isn't their fault. By the way, does the car has an aftermarket alarm system?

hammer7 · October 2006

My 2003 CRV AWD recently encountered a problem during a 450 mile trip to New Hampshire in which the crankcase went dry.The engine light came on along with the oil light,I pulled off the Mass Pike immediately and waited for a tow.The crankcase was refilled,I continued on the remainder of my trip home.I was at the dealership the next day-found no leaks-changed oil-returned in 1000 miles to find oil half-a- quart low-was told to return in 2000 miles for a recheck.40000 original miles on vehicle,oil is changed every 3000 miles,no visible smoke from exhaust.I have an extended warranty on vehicle sold by dealer from a now bankrupt warranty provider-dealer promises to honor the warranty.Any similar experiences along these lines and any input on what the problem might be.

gjbwj · October 2006

Just bought 2006 CR-V EX 4WD. When I did test driving for this car, it had a problem on seat belt sensor, which was always on and beeped during my driving. The dealer fixed it with the new part. I did test drive again, it seemed fine, and I took the car. After a week, this problem came back again. I have not find a time to let dealer see it, but I will do it next week. Here, I am just wondering if this is a big problem, did anyone experienced with it before. The seat belt seemed fine. The dealer said some sort of tension problem. Anyone knew this, thanks in advance.

mnf · October 2006

3.5 months and 6k no issues on my 06 CR-V SE must be a glitch worse case until they fix it unplug it so it wont annoy you

Good Luck.. MNF

gjbwj · October 2006

Unplug it, what do you mean by that. You can unplug the seal belt sensor? It is very annoying, it beeps every 30 second during my driving. Thanks

mnf · October 2006

Look under the drivers seat there are a couple of plugs one of them will be the one. I just took a quick look under mine they look easy to get to.

Good Luck

gjbwj · October 2006

Thank you, I just checked, there are at least two, but I didn't do it, 'cause I am sure which one is which. I will try to find time to let dealer check it. Anyway, at least, I knew there is a way to shut it off. Thank you very much.

corvette · October 2006

I wouldn't mess with the cables--one of them probably goes to the side airbag.

blueiedgod · October 2006

My 2003 CRV AWD recently encountered a problem during a 450 mile trip to New Hampshire in which the crankcase went dry.The engine light came on along with the oil light,I pulled off the Mass Pike immediately and waited for a tow.The crankcase was refilled,I continued on the remainder of my trip home.I was at the dealership the next day-found no leaks-changed oil-returned in 1000 miles to find oil half-a- quart low-was told to return in 2000 miles for a recheck.40000 original miles on vehicle,oil is changed every 3000 miles,no visible smoke from exhaust.I have an extended warranty on vehicle sold by dealer from a now bankrupt warranty provider-dealer promises to honor the warranty.Any similar experiences along these lines and any input on what the problem might be.

Honda spec is 1 qt. of oil loss per 1000 miles. Most won't see that, but there are other K-series engines that get really close to the upper limit of the spec.

Most common cause is improper break-in, but at least in 2 cases, Honda forgot to put the oil control ring on one of the pistons. One guy was able to get them to fix it for free. While the other tore up the engine to find the missing ring. Honda denied his claim because he tore it up him self, even though he knew what he was doing. This CR-V is probably going to be my last Honda. A manufacturer who does not respect DIYer is not going to get my $$$.

Despite what many say or think, every engine burns oil. That is the way it works. The oil coats the walls and then most of it is scraped back into the sump, but a thin film stays behind. After a thousand thin films it all adds up. In a looser engine the lsot oil is replaced by water, acids, and other combustion by-products. But, in a tightly sealed engine, the by-products don't collect in the oil, and it gives you an impression that you never lose any oil. In extreme cases, people have more oil after 5000 miles than what they started with.

In you case, is this your first long distance trip in this vehicle? Is most of your driving short/local drives? If they are, then the oil never warmed up enough to burn off any of the by-products that collected in the oil. Driving 450 miles was enough to boil off the water and other stuff leaving you with low oil.

As a side note, you should always have a quart of oil on hand. You could have avoided the tow truck chrage. The oil light comes on when the oil is quart below the low mark on the dip stick.

By the way, did the car refuse to rev past 3000 RPM recently?

stevedebi · October 2006

"Despite what many say or think, every engine burns oil. "

Well, in 44K miles on my 2003 EX, I never had to add oil between changes. Of course, it could have burned a little, just not anywhere near the fill line.

fussycrvowner · October 2006

This thread has me thinking... I never seemed to have oil loss on my '02 EX and now have had to add a quart between changes at 35,000 miles. I switched to synthetic 0W-20 oil which seems to be the time it started to need oil between changes. I will try going back to a Honda filter and the recommended 5W-20 and see what happens. Would adding Lucas Oil Stabilizer be recommended?

blueiedgod · October 2006

This thread has me thinking... I never seemed to have oil loss on my '02 EX and now have had to add a quart between changes at 35,000 miles. I switched to synthetic 0W-20 oil which seems to be the time it started to need oil between changes. I will try going back to a Honda filter and the recommended 5W-20 and see what happens. Would adding Lucas Oil Stabilizer be recommended?

Keep the Synth in there. Lucas stabilizer is probably a snake oil.

gjbwj · October 2006

Thank you first. Just back from dealer, they gave me a code, said "61-2X", which means left seat belt switch. What is it? They need to put the new one. It will take a week for new one to arrive.

terry92270 · October 2006

0 weight is inappropriate for where you live, Ohio.

swordfish555 · October 2006

Now you've done it.....And just why is 0w20 not appropriate prey tell...

terry92270 · October 2006

Would not 5/30 be what they recommend?

fussycrvowner · November 2006

The way I understand it, the 20 weight is slightly thinner when it warms up than the 30 weight. Maybe Honda wants the oil to flow more freely around the engine for fuel economy? Honda is recommending a 5W-20 for the '02 year. Well, I started it now... Feel free to give your 2 cents worth. :P

pliny · November 2006

I had Honda replace diffential fluid at 33,000 miles on 05 crv because of groaning noise on sharp turns. The noise came back after a long drive in the rain & went away after a long (but dry) drive home.
I'm getting suspicious of moisture getting into the differential via the breather tube.

Anyone else notice a rain connection with these problems?

blueiedgod · November 2006

0 weight is inappropriate for where you live, Ohio.

I am in Buffalo, NY and use 0W-20 all year round. If he is in Northern OH, 0W-20 is what the doctor ordered. We get into negatives at night in the winter, and 0W is perfect for the morning start ups.

Besides, switching to 0W from 5W won't hurt the engine.

terry92270 · November 2006

I wouldn't think it would hurt the engine, and thanks for setting me straight on the "0" weight oil, Blue.

Personally I would switch in the summer to 5 and 30 or so...if doing lots of highway driving, which I do.....

stever · November 2006

The groovy tire posts have been moved to the CR-V tires discussion. Here's the link:

acarperson, "Honda CR-V Tires & Wheels" #36, 1 Nov 2006 3:08 pm

stevedebi · November 2006

"The groovy tire posts have been moved to the CR-V tires discussion. Here's the link:"

Groovy, like wow... :shades:

sashi_kanth · November 2006

Hi, I own a 2005 CRV that I bought last year. My wife had problem parking it once and one outside rear view mirror got scratches and the there is now a crack in the casing as well. I searched www.handaaccessories.com but didn't find that listed in the exterior accessories. How can I replace that? Mirror and all are fine, only the external casing has to be replaced. Color of myc ar is Pewter Pearl.

terry92270 · November 2006

I believe they are sold as one unit.

blueiedgod · November 2006

Hi, I own a 2005 CRV that I bought last year. My wife had problem parking it once and one outside rear view mirror got scratches and the there is now a crack in the casing as well. I searched www.handaaccessories.com but didn't find that listed in the exterior accessories. How can I replace that? Mirror and all are fine, only the external casing has to be replaced. Color of myc ar is Pewter Pearl

That would be something you have to talk to the parts guy on the phone. Even though the website may list the mirror assembly as one, I know they come apart with just half dozen screws. Every single part can be purchased, just depends if the dealer wants to order it. Like the fog light switches are only supposed to be sold with the fog light kits, but many dealers will sell the fog light switches alone.

As a long term solution, you need to teach your wife how to park. Maybe take her to an empty parking lot and have her perform parking maneuver a few times. Then on the streets. We always need to hone our skills as drivers.

icdchess · November 2006

My 2003 CR-V (51,000 miles) started making a noise up in the engine compartment that sounds like metallic popcorn popping. I just brought it over to a mechanic who used a stethoscope and said it appears to be coming either from the alternator or the water pump. He took off the fan belts and the noise stopped.

He said the alternator would cost "about $500" and the water pump "about $600" installed. He would only charge for the one that was causing the noise. He would wave the $45 diagnostics fee if I went ahead with the repair.

Does this seem plausible and are those prices in line with what they should cost to replace?

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
Steve

fussycrvowner · November 2006

I sympathize with you. I had a similar experience with my wife's car. It is a real lesson in compassion. Only thing really hurt is pride. A good place to look for parts is www.slhondaparts.com. I found the mirror components in a strange place. Select your vehicle options using the drill down menus and then go to the "interior/bumper" group. The mirror parts will be listed as well as a diagram. The mirror comes in the various colors and runs around $190 for the complete assembly.

dewaltdakota · November 2006

You didn't mention what sub-model of CRV, color you have, or which side of the vehicle, but if you go to BernardiParts.com, and search under the Parts heading, you should be able to find the part numbers. The side mirrors are listed under the "Interior/Bumper" system, under component "Mirror." It looks like you have to buy the whole unit, as opposed to simply the exterior casing.

gjbwj · November 2006

Just bought CR-v EX 4WD, really can not stand its audio quality, want to install the Honda OEM subwoofer. Has anyone done it, how about its quality, how much it will improve the audio quality. If not too much, will not bother to do it. Thanks in advance.

terry92270 · November 2006

It is usually cheaper, in the long run, to order those things with the car. Why not tell your dealer about your dislike, and see if they will cut you a deal on installing the upgraded audio system that comes with the EX-L :confuse:

acarperson · November 2006

If anyone is interested there are some OEM subwoofers w/amp on Ebay.
Click here to go there
Selling for $253.50 + $17.65 shipping. You might be able to get the dealer's parts dept. to match the price.
I am also curious to see what the sound difference is with the Honda sub.

terry92270 · November 2006

Don't forget to go to Crutchfield or Best Buy and buy the connectors and what-nots you will need to connect it.

blueiedgod · November 2006

Just bought CR-v EX 4WD, really can not stand its audio quality, want to install the Honda OEM subwoofer. Has anyone done it, how about its quality, how much it will improve the audio quality. If not too much, will not bother to do it. Thanks in advance.

I have Gen 2 with the OEM sub. If you are looking for a sub that makes the alarms go off and shakes the glasses in the cupboard as you drive by, look elsewhere.

Otherwise, it adds nice bass to the tunes and lets your speakers concentrate on the mids and tweets on the highs without distortion.

gjbwj · November 2006

Thank you. It sounds really good, actually that is what I want. I don't want those shaking subs. I have question. After I briefly looked at its installation instruction, the sub will be finally installed right under the driver's seat and face up, so will the seat block the sounds, just wonderring. Thanks

gjbwj · November 2006

Thank you. That is for 07

gjbwj · November 2006

Thank you, I guess they include the whole installation kit, right?

gjbwj · November 2006

Oh, how hard to do it yourself. Is it easy to open those covers. There are several clips hooked them up. What caution I should pay without damaging the clips. Thanks

terry92270 · November 2006

Low frequencies it doesn't matter where it is, or under the seat, in the trunk...it travels.

gjbwj · November 2006

Learned, thank you

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