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I am pretty sure they bought it from the E J Whitney auto catalog. It is to late tonight, for me to try and find that article. PM and C&D both have an internet site. I would think that E J Whitney would have their catalog on the internet also. I think with a little searching on the internet you can find it. Also the Library would have back issues. That is one option I wish I had on my Odyssey. The only other one was to have the front side windows tinted and I had that done.
I never use mine and so I wash the rear window instead by hand. If yours is broken I would think the dealer could fix it.
Drew
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*******
These are confirmed by a relative (Joe) who works as an executive in the Allisstton plant.
So I asked Joe what does it mean and I got just a simple answer. "We re-evaluated the entire manufacturing process just to UP the initial quality. Then we re-designed parts to replaced the most complained defects that really bugged our customer. Eg. Sticking door handles, sloshing fuel tank, noisy abs brakes, squeaky interior parts, gaping front bumper, cracking rear roof spoiler, noisy suspension, front lower sub-frame to fix the ever-so-popular drift to the right, fish-smelling A/C, A/C knocking noise, muffler knocking noise, auto-sliding door sensors, seat lumbar support, seat side support, squeaky seats, smoother TRANSMITION, BETTER SOLENOID so that no THUD or CLUNK would be heard whenever we shift from P to R, softer yet stronger brake pads, replace the flimsy interior trims for a stronger reinforced compound, de-statictised fabrics, sturdier side arm rests, thicker glass to prevent noise penetration, auto-off interior lights, repositioning the accelerator pedal to prevent sticking, sliding door rotors, more foam to soften vibration and noise, .......well, in all, we guarantee that the owners of 2002 model would have NOTHING to complain about. "
Drew
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Jim
jim_fancher@mcfa.com
Fuel School
Steve
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If you're getting 15 -17 around town, check your driving habits. And no, I'm not being critical. Simple things like letting off the gas when the light 200 feet ahead turns yellow, and letting engine braking slow you down, rather than keeping on the gas and then braking near the light, will make a HUGE difference. Do you have a 17 year old doing any driving? I know they try not to be seen in the old-fogey machine, but kids have lead feet!
If your driving habits are reasonable, and only you can judge that, then I think there's a Honda problem and I would take it in for a check.
I average about 19mpg in NYC suburban driving. I've gotten 24-25mpg on the Garden State Parkway when I had to make a number of continuous trips for business. The vehicle is capable of a 400 mile range if it is all in open highway driving. I'm running on 87 octane. This is a 4200 pound vehicle, so don't expect great mileage around town. I definitely think most people's driving habits are not great. My own problem is accelerating. I do put the pedal to the metal. I coast when I see a red light up ahead. Most people race to red lights. I don't know why? Most people don't know how to shift their automatic transmissions to use engine braking. I use D3 in hilly areas around me in NJ, so that I don't have to ride my brakes or depend upon the grade logic system. I've even dropped it down to 2 in extremely hilly areas, but I've found the 2nd gear range of the Odyssey somewhat limiting. The rpm's are not too high up to 40mph.
Our 2000 LX Odyssey is running just fine with no problems at all.
As far as gas mileage, I've been getting about 18 around town and in traffic, and about 23 on the highway. I have a heavy foot and I don't coast up to lights because here in NJ people will cut you off if you do.
Problems so far:
1) Traction control light stayed on one time. The dealer reset the computer and it hasn't come back. No charge.
2) Last week the passenger side electric door didn't close all the way. Latch replaced. No charge under warranted. At the same time, the dealer replaced the grounds for the door latches according to a bulletin put out by Honda. We had noticed the van sometimes didn't think the sliding doors were closed even though there was no light on the dash. Apparently replacing the ground should fix this. We haven't noticed any problems since.
The electric door not closing was a major pain since it caused the van to buzz when not in park. The dealer said we could have turned off the buzzer by turning off the doors using the switch on the dash. I didn't have a chance to test this since we haven't had a problem since.
Even with that one problem (door), this has been a great vehicle. The magic seat is very handy. We went on a camping trip with friends in two cars with all our junk in the back and the magic seat folded down. After we got there, we put the seat back up and we were able to transport everyone to various activities.
I would recommend the electric doors to anyone who has small children. Our kids (4 and 4) love being able to open and close the doors themselves. I don't have to worry about them hurting themselves.
We bought the Honda cross bars and we had good luck attaching a roof bag. The cross bars seem very solid to me. Our bag has a no slip mat that goes under it to protect the roof.
We bought the tow package (not the oil cooler) so we could put a bike rack in it. It has worked fine except it is very low to the ground and easy to scrape. With the way the bumper is, I don't see how it could be any better.
Minor complaints:
1) Front seats have poor lateral and lumbar support.
2) Scraping tow bar.
Ken
Tankful #1 - 24 mpg - 100% highway (Washington, DC to Pittsburgh, PA - 65-70 mph)
Tankful #2 - 14 mpg - 100% city (Pittsburgh suburbs)
Tankful #3 - 25 mpg - 100% highway (Pittsburgh, PA to Washington, DC - 65-70 mph)
Tankful #4 - 15 mpg - 100% city (Washington suburbs)
I am very happy with the gas mileage for a new car (less than 1,000 miles). It can only get better.
Don't forget that 18 mpg city does not mean short, 2 mile trips before the motor can heat up.
Don
'01 GG EX/NAV
Probably 80% of my driving is on freeways, but in the city. I try to stay at about 60-65 mph,. On the open highway, on trips, I usually set the cruise control for about 65 mph.
My experience has shown that mileage drops rapidly when going much over 65 mph.
There was a post some time ago that said that the Odyssey best mpg was at 57-60 mph.
This is my first van and I love it.
rockycow
http://www.vtec.net/news/items/377.html
Late August was the estimate.
We've placed an order for the '02. 3 months of
waiting for an EXL Ody will hopefully go fast.
Any insider info on proposed '02 release appreciated.
PLUS descriptions of the three new colors (Redrock pearl- hopefully that MDX shade that is burgundy?...Havasu Blue- Dark or light?
Evergreen Pearl- lighter shade than dark emerald pearl currently offered?)
Steve
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Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
From the article:
"Just about the only downer is that it doesn't come with side impact air bags, and that's the only thing that makes it a three-bagger instead of a home run in the safety department."
Honda was asked about this when the 1999's or 2000's came out and they said they wanted to research what happened to passengers first, when they hit the side air bags. They were concerned that if they did not design the side air bags right, they could actually make the injuries worse, by installing it.
The Odyssey already has one of best safety ratings of any vehicle. My guess is that Honda will install side air bags on future models and make the Odyssey even safer.
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
SUNROOF?!
I know they are available through the aftermarket, but could it be possible that the sunroof referred to is a factory option that will appear on the 2002? My wife is bummed that the GG 2001 we have on order does not come with a moonroof, so if it is an option for '02 then we might hold out.
Then again the author also said that the truck comes with a "terrific stereo," which doesn't sound like the Ody either...
I would usually buy a vehicle with AWD, but hate to settle for inferior quality (Dodge Grand Caravan AWD) or to pay HUGE money (Acura MDX).
Does any one here have an experience they can share with us about driving the Odyssey through snowy weather and how it handles?
thanks.
maulana: My experience with a 2000 EX (traction control & Michelin Symmetry) pretty good. It does surprisingly well on some of the slippery stuff. Don't expect miracles. The Symmetry is siped pretty well to handle snow. The tires make a difference. You can buy a set of winter tires like Blizzaks if you are really concern.
rockycow
From a post here I heard about VossHonda in Dayton Ohio, I called and got a very promt and courteous reply from salesman Keith Bricker (800/597-8677). His dealership was willing to offer the LX at $500 under MSRP: $700 if we financed through them. He told me initially he would likely have the van in in under a month. In fact, he swapped with another local dealer for the color we wanted, and had it in a week. I found a $250 flight to Dayton. Keith Bricker picked me up at the airport, brought me to the dealership, and after a careful review (using the posted checklist) I was on my way in 2 hours. The van gave the appearance of having been carefully looked over before I got there. It had 14 miles on the odometer--6 from the factory and 8 from the test drive they do to check it out. The 600 mile drive home to Rochester Minnesota was actually fun, with the new van and a day off (and no kids in back).
So far everything is great. I got about 26 MPG with the cruise set at 65-70, but also including stop and go traffic for 1 1/2 hours through Chicago. No problems with any of the troublesome things that have been posted, except it does seem to drift a bit to the right--I'll watch that and get it to the dealership if it continues.
I highly recommend the dealership. I only added a few option from the basic LX--block heater (I'm in Minnesota) $129 installed; and mud flaps (I live off a gravel road) $109 installed. I asked for the 7/100 extended warranty, and they didn't blink at offering it to me for $875 when I told them that was available from dealers identified at this site. All in all a very good experience, and a great van, with all sorts of common sense details a former Ford Taurus owner like me is amazed about.
Am I crazy for caring? Thanks in advance for your help.
I agree that the body-colored handles are more attractive with most colors, but the green looks sharp with either type of handle.
If youre going to stick with white, you might want to ask your dealer how much it will cost to replace the door handles with ones from the EX (I dont think it would be wise to paint the LX handles). It will probably cost enough to put you into an EX...
I was also wondering if anyone here has gotten the Video Entertainment system. 1600+ seems like a lot to spend, but then again I wonder if on long road trips it wouldn't be a lifesaver.
I would love to hear from anyone with experience on this system.
thanks.
>>"The April 2001 issue of Consumer Reports shows that Odyssey reliability is just *average*."<<
-Note that this is just their reliability projection, based only on the 1999 and 2000 models from surveys of its subscribers.
>>"On page 82, they show that the 1999 is "worse than average!" And that the 2000 is just "average" in reliability. (Biggest faults being "Electrical," "Integrity," and "Hardware.""<<
-In responses to emails from me and at least one other contributor here, CR indicated that the Power Sliding doors were the largest complaint. How large, and whether the complaints were listed in more than one category, I do not know.
>>"Does anyone know how "serious" these reliability quirks are? (And since the 99, 00, and 01 are almost identically the same car, shouldn't we expect the same to be true in 01?)"<<
-I believe there has been a recall (and other fixes) for the power sliding doors. Other than the recall, I don't know if there are any related improvements for 2001. Obviously, the LX won't have that issue. As for serious, you may note that Odyssey got top ratings for categories like Engine and Transmission. By far the most serious recurring problem I've seen on Odyssey forums is for a transmission replacement, usually related to loud "clunks" while shifting. While serious, these apparently are fairly rare, at least according to CR.
>>"Lastly, all the minivan reliability ratings (of other manufacturers too) pale in comparison with the Sienna."<<
-Take CR's reliability ratings with a grain of salt. The average problem rate (p12-13 April 2001) is only 0.2 problems per vehicle over the last 12 months. Whether you are 20% above or below that average, it won't make much real difference, at least for the first years. The Mazda MPV did almost as well as Sienna in its reliability projection.
Testing was conducted and using the right kind of eraser was found to be the solution. A plastic eraser was found to be the best. The best one was found to be "Staedtler Mars-Plastic" part number 526 50. Office Max or Office Depot may carry them. An art gum eraser also works, but not as good.
After looking at sites such as Tirerack.com, the tire forum on Edmunds, and the CR website and each of the tire manufacturer websites I have come up with a short list of tires I am considering.
I would note while all these sites provided good information it just appears that a lot of this stuff is subjective.
With the above in mind I put together the following list and would ask for this groups experiences
Goodyear Aquatread III - Rated AA for traction.
Michelin Symmetry's - Is touted as quiet riding and having better snow traction.
Michelin X-ones - Appears to be best all-round however, does not appear to be widely sold for Mini-vans.
I would sacrafice some tread life for traction and a smooth ride.
Just curious how this group feels about the list above or any other suggestions and what they would choose as replacement tires.
Thanks for the help
I replaced the firestones with X-ones and really like them...I also upped the size just a hair to 225/60/16. The ride is very quiet and very smooth...plus there is lots of traction.
I got them from tirerack for about $103 each plus shipping.
jihlee:
I have two of the buttons programmed and they work fine. You might want to re-set the system and start over...refer to the owners manual for how to do this.
-r
I don't have first hand experience with it, but my boss had one put in his Odyssey. The first trip they took after putting it in he didn't even know the kids were watching it till he realized it was so quite. It lets you still listen to the radio/cd/cassette if you want to while they passengers use the wireless headphones to listen to it. So the kids were back their watching their movie while they listened to music.
-Trevor
They ride very well at 38psig cold in the front and 36 psig cold in the rear.
The van still rides very well at 96,500 miles with not the first service call. I must have gotten a lemon. *:o))