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Honda Odyssey: Problems & Solutions:(1995-2004 Models)

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Comments

  • 4aodge4aodge Member Posts: 288
    I suppose what DTKWOK is saying is that it is basicly impossible for an Odyssey owner not to like his or her vehicle. Just another example of a misinformed Odyssey owner who wont admit the problems this van has, even in the 2001 model year. After all, the Odyssey is the greatest automobile ever made by man in last decade, right?
  • DTKWOKDTKWOK Member Posts: 131
    Wow you really have some gall, man. A DC owner on a Honda board, guess whatever turns you on right? Please, give me an example where I had claimed that the Odyssey is "the greatest automobile ever made by man in last decade..." I'm waiting. Heck, I'm one of the owners who have admitted to having problems with the van, so where am I misinformed? please back up your statements. I consider myself pretty informed btw, about technical things to a reasonable degree, I work as an aerospace/mechanical engineer for one our country's defense contractors. Am I saying that your comments/opinions are wrong? heck no! just realize what kind of knowldege background you're drawing from, okay?

    You must have taken offense to my domestic comment earlier, I was just trying to clarify the statement made by 01odyowner, how else would you read into his comment? It's one thing to make constructive criticism, but it's another to drop into another forum and fire off tibidts of childish slander against a product you don't even own. So, want to debate this thing in a civilized manner, you're more than welcome, if not, please don't waste your breath/bandwidth. Thanks.

    P.S. I DO like my Odyssey, so "impossible" just flew out the window.
  • 4aodge4aodge Member Posts: 288
    A DC minivan owner in a Honda board? Rarely, but sometimes. A Honda Odyssey owner in a Chrysler board. I see it quite alot. Just look at this as returning the favor. I also recall posting some responses to posts you, an Odyssey owner, have made in Chrysler boards in the past. So just look at this as returning the favor.

    I know neither yourself or anyone else on this board has declaired the Odyssey as the best vehicle made by man in the last decade, but I've seen some comments that have come pretty close. Im just pointing out that a so called "segment leader" also has its fair share of problems. That is quite obvious from reading through the Honda boards.

    You seem to have a very impressive job that you are rightfully proud of. That's great. As for me, I am a Junior at one of the nation's best high schools in terms of both academics and sports. I also know enough about auto mechanics to know that Chrysler does not use the same transmission in its cars today as it did five and even two years ago.

    Some Odyssey owners just keep on talking trash about the reliability of DC minivans. These people spread false and inacurate information on a company that has obviously made and continues to make great strides in improving reliability. I have only one thing to say to them. LOOK AT THE HONDA ODYSSEY BOARDS. See for yourself. There are alot more people here with Odyssey's that have problems than people with DC minivans.

    Just look at it this way, as long as these Odyssey owners keep trashing DC vehicles and their reliability, I'll be right here doing the same to Honda...

    Is this being childish? Perhaps. But I think it's more important that people learn the truth about DCX and it's improving reliability, even though it is still no where near as good as Honda's, at least overall.
  • kalajiankalajian Member Posts: 43
    quote "I am a Junior at one of the nation's best high schools"

    Well, that explains a lot. With credentials like that, who could argue with your expertise?

    How long have you been driving? Do you even own a car? What is your life experience in driving and maintaining a vehicle? I've probably got around 1,000,000 miles behind the wheels of various cars. I owned a 1995 Chrysler Town & Country for six years and 78,000 miles. By the time I dumped it, it was falling apart and barely worth anything. Sure, it was a nice ride for the first few years, but things started falling apart quite regularly after that. And once you worked on it, you quickly realized that they are not built to last and the components used on them are of very poor quality and not designed to last very long, regardless of the amount of maintenance you provide. Just visually inspecting the engineering and design features of the Honda quickly makes you realize it is a much better thought out and constructed vehicle.
  • 4aodge4aodge Member Posts: 288
    Some people just can't seem to pick up on the sarcasm in some of these posts. I suppose that is one of the cons to posting messages on these boards as others cannot see your facial expression or hear your tone of voice. An example of sarcasm would be my statement, "I am a Junior at one of the nation's best high schools" when compared to DTKWOKs post about working for a fancy (and high-paying, im sure) job at one of our nation's defense contractors.

    Kalajian, let's compare the craftmaship and quality of a 95 T&C to a 99-02 Odyssey. Is there any comparison? Of course not. Who could argue with saying that the design and thought put into the current Odyssey rivals that of a 95 T&C? Not many people, myself included. As for Honda, they obviously didn't think hard enough to make the Odyssey's reliability and quality consistant with that of what people have come to expect from Honda over the years.

    Lastly, concerning your questions about how long I have been driving, if I have ever owned a vehicle and how many miles I have driven...

    I am 16 years old, I have never actually owned any vehicle in my life, I have been driving for a little more than a year now, and in that year I have driven aprox. 10k miles combined on two TROUBLE FREE DC minivans. A 1998 Grand Caravan SE with 70k miles and a currently 2000 Town & Country LX with 33k miles. Both NO PROBLEMS. Yes, you read that correctly.

    BTW, I could give you a list of a hundred names out of the people I know or have talked to who in my area and in my school who have DC minivans from all model years (especially 98-01 models) that can honestly say they have never had any serious problems with their vehicles, if any at all. This, I kid you not.

    -Adam (16/M/CA)
  • shanersshaners Member Posts: 14
    My new 2002 EXL-RES pulls to the right. The van has 60 miles on it and I picked it up yesterday. The dealer ran it across the alignment rack and got everything (frt/rr) exactly to spec. Does anyone have any thoughts about this? Certainly it's not normal is it?
  • mschafermschafer Member Posts: 317
    There is a Honda TSB # 00-067 which addresses this very problem for all 2000 year model Odysseys. I'd be willing to bet that it probably could be applied to the 2002's also.
  • DTKWOKDTKWOK Member Posts: 131
    Yes, I have posted on the Chrysler board before, but if you look, nowhere did I bash on their products. I try to offer input that would be helpful to prospective buyers, nothing more nothing less.

    As for you being 16, good for you, I can remember when I was that age (I'm 25 now), albeit not as mature as you are now (haven't heard profanity from you, yet). But regardless of your age, you're more than welcome to post here if it's CONSTRUCTIVE.

    High paying job? Hardly, I just enjoy what I'm doing; if I wanted to be rich I would have went into medicine, but that's another story. Here's a tip, enjoy your high school years, because once you're out of it, things are different (you've no doubt heard this from others). Experience does count in the "real world", sometimes it's best to "shut up" and learn from more experienced people. (No, I'm not telling you to do that right now, you have to decide when and where to do that).No matter how well you do in school, there is always more to learn, hopefully you'll keep that learning spirit alive for years to come. Wow, talk about drifting on tangents!

    Where were we? Oh yes, I don't have any authority over my "colleagues", so I guess this exchange of product bashing won't be ending anytime soon, huh? Sad, really.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    Maybe DTKWOKs can drop a bomb on your house and make us all happy.

    BTW, I could give you a list of a hundred names out of the people I know or have talked to who in my area and in my school who have DC minivans from all model years (especially 98-01 models) that can honestly say they have never had any serious problems with their vehicles, if any at all. This, I kid you not.

    Get typing their names and email address or baby sitters number so we can check your loud mouth statements.
  • pearsonrjpearsonrj Member Posts: 51
    Hey, moderators! Close this thread! There is absolutely nothing to be gained from the kinds of increasingly personal posts that have appeared on this thread in the past few days. In fact, it just makes Edmunds townhall look like a place for children to whine rather than a place for people to exchange objective opinions and maturely debate topics. Frankly it scares off the moderate folks and you end up with a forum of extremists...
  • 4aodge4aodge Member Posts: 288
    "Maybe DTKWOKs can drop a bomb on your house and make us all happy."

    I think out of all of the Odyssey owners who I've fought with over the years I have to say I like DTKWOK the best. However, I have never talked or even joked about endangering someones safety or droping a bomb on their house, especially at a time like this.

    dmathews3, I realize you were probably joking around (at least I hope you were), but I think thats going a little too far. Joking about droping a bomb on someones house isn't exactly funny, especially after the 11th.

    Anyway, I agree that all this bashing scares away the moderates so I'll try to tone it down a bit. And I certainly hope that dmathews3 will do the same and stop joking about bombing my house...

    -Adam
  • wdroswdros Member Posts: 6
    It seems the excessive wear on the brakes is a common problem on the ody. I talked to a freind of mine who ownes 2001 EX. He had to to get the pads changed at 17,000 miles (not under warranty). I checked another board and several ody owners posted similar complaints about the brakes going out at about 15,000- 17,000 miles. Anyone with a similar problem?
  • brucejwbrucejw Member Posts: 2
    We've had our 2000 Odyssey for just over two years. A month or so after delivery, a randomly occurring "clunk and jerk" is felt and heard when backing up - only when coasting, no gas pedal assistance, and when the vehicle is cold. We have reported this problem to our Honda dealership several times and they've been unable to duplicate the condition. Now, because our VIN# and Trans# match 'requirements' for a Honda Service Bulletin (#III-2-00), our dealer has seen fit to order a replacement transmission (Honda remanufactured). We have had absolutely no other problems with the tranny.

    Any other 2000 Ody owners out there that have had this problem? (I have not done a search on Edmunds' Townhall for this issue). Our van is a Canadian-delivered model, built in October, 1999.
  • jjw91006jjw91006 Member Posts: 2
    Seeing the same question shows up every few weeks, I volunteer my time and effort to pursue a solution to this problem.

    I have tried to resolve this problem for my 2001 Odyssey EX with American Honda in the last three months but without a satisfactory answer. If your Odyssey (1999, 2000, 2001) suffers from the same problem without a resolution, please email me at james_wei@hotmail.com. Please put subject: Honda Odyssey Transmission Grinding Sound.

    If anyone knows a fix please email me your experience and I will really appreciate your information.

    Problem: Transmission dieseling noise

    Symptom: A grinding/pinging/dieseling noise from the driver’s side when accelerating gently around 50-60 mph (~1500 rpm).

    Formula to reproduce the problem: ~1500 rpm + ~55 mph + gentle acceleration.
  • mwcarlsomwcarlso Member Posts: 85
    My mom has a 2000 Odyssey EX with around 40000 miles on it. We have heard this same noise under the same circumstances. We first heard it about 3 months after delivery and the dealer said it was just the torque converter lock up and had no fix. I have heard, though, that it is not a transmissioin problem but the vibration of the accelerator pedal cable. Hope they fixed it on the 2002. Everything else about the van I like considering I really don't like minivans all that much. I usually just turn the stereo up to drown out the noise when I drive it. I wonder how many other people have heard this noise.
  • gerichogericho Member Posts: 11
    Our 1999 Ody (built July 1999) at 30,000 miles developed a clunk initially noted when backing up from a cold start, and then began occurring with forward motion. I perceived this as a transmission source and it did not seem to relate to brake pedal use. The dealer determined the transmission was OK, and the clunk came from excessive movement of the front brake pads in the holder. This has been previously discussed on this forum. In our situation, I agreed to pay for the new designed pads at dealer cost with other parts and all labor paid by Honda. No problem since.
  • jnash2jnash2 Member Posts: 31
    Mwcarlso said "Hope they fixed it on the 2002". They haven't. I have a 02 ex with 800 miles. I never noticed it till I listened after seeing it here, but it is there. Maybe thats why they made the stereo better- to drown the noise out. Joke Mwcarlso - where did you get that cable vibration explanation from?
    Thanks for volunteering your time here jjw91006. I would love to know what that noise is.
  • jnash2jnash2 Member Posts: 31
    You are right mschafer. My 02 did that also, but either I got used to it or it subsided somehow? Is the latter possible? Thanks for the tsb number. What's the fix?? Where do you learn of tsbs for this vehicle? I thought Honda doesn't make them available.
  • dcrislerdcrisler Member Posts: 118
    problems forum. Unfortunately it has always attracted morons who feel the need to bash the Odyssey. Which is no different that the honda guys who go over to the TC board and bash the TC's... Well as one of the ones who bought an Ody sight unseen,(the fabulously rare Deep Velvet Blue Pearl EX_Navi) all I can tell you is 2 years later and almost 30k miles... it has been amazingly trouble free(ok mschafer, I know you have tripled my mileage). My sister on the other hand has gone through 3 Chrysler vans in the same time period. What does this mean? Maybe not much, but I have yet to feel anything but satisfaction with our decision, and confidence in the Odyssey's safety reliability and perfect fit for our family. Oh and actually it was my very 1st Honda, followed a month later by my little red rocket (S2000), which is still so addictive to drive it will change your mind about sports cars. Especially ones that get almost 30 miles per gallon, are LEV certified and redline at 9000 RPM!

    Merry Christmas all and to all a good night! If you see a red flash in the night, and feel like your ears are ringing... it just might not be Santa Clause;)
  • mschafermschafer Member Posts: 317
    ""all I can tell you is 2 years later and almost 30k miles... it has been amazingly trouble free(ok mschafer, I know you have tripled my mileage)""

    Actually, I've quadrupled you. Turned 120,000 yesterday; and, other than that pesky CEL/TCS light related to the plugged EGR port in the intake manifold, there have been no problems. *:o))
  • tjutju Member Posts: 20
    My local Honda dealer just replaced the transmission on my 1999 Odyssey LX (problem began ca. 45K miles). They reassured me every time I asked that I would be getting a NEW Honda transmission. However, on the invoice it says "Howard transmission." The service manager swears up and down that this is what all Honda transmissions are called. Can anybody confirm this, or am I being scammed again?
    FYI, the total job cost $4,500 (out of warranty, no extended warranty), but I only paid for $1,700 of it. As I've posted before, others in my situation have paid as little as $700 or even $0, depending on which Honda district you live in and to what extent your local dealer will go to bat for you. Apple Tree Honda (Asheville, NC area) just wasn't willing to argue for less on my behalf.
  • hoolickhoolick Member Posts: 16
    my daughter's 2000 lx has a strong gas smell,it has been in twice and was suppose to be fixed both times but were taking it in for the third time and i'm losing my patience with the service dept. are any of you having this problem? any suggestions? thanks.
  • anhvanhv Member Posts: 1
    I have a 99EX Odyssey. The van now has 51K miles. I am pretty happy with the van until the last 10K miles. The transmission is jerking and slipping when it first started while the engine is not yet warmed up. The slipping and jerking is reduced as as the transmission shifts to higher gear is reduced as the engine warmed up. To remedy this problem, I have to let the engine warms up for a long time every morning before driving. The dealer refused to recognized as a problem. Due to this problem, I am no longer feel safe to take the van on a long trip. I will try to take to another dealer to see whether they can have a solution for the problem. Please let me know whether this is a common problem with the Odyssey and advise what to do. Should I can contact the Honda regional office? Thanks in advance.
    Anh Nguyen.
  • DTKWOKDTKWOK Member Posts: 131
    No, this is not normal. Did you leave the van overnight so that the dealer could duplicate the problem? Many dealers will not acknowledge the problem until they actually see/detect it. If the dealer has seen the slipping and jerking and still won't fix it, go somewhere else. Keep good records of all your visits and consider the lemon law if applicable.

    FYI, my '01 already has 13,500 miles on it, so far so good. It's always a good idea to let the engine warm up for about 30 seconds before putting it into gear. Good lukck.
  • mschafermschafer Member Posts: 317
    If it were me and it isn't fixed on this visit, I'd file a safety issue report with NHTSA. That might get their attention.
  • jd37jd37 Member Posts: 4
    I have an '02 ODY. I notice that I feel a slight jerk when I apply the brakes - although just for a split second - and then the ODY slows down normally. I could be wrong but this seems to happen more when going down hill. Is this normal?

    Thanks,
  • lychee1lychee1 Member Posts: 1
    First time at Town Hall, have Ody 1999 ,35,000 out of warranty TCS light comes on at times, check engine light on all the time, what could be my problem? Had brakes replaced at 17,000, not under waranty.four check engine light serviced under waranty, door recall gas gage problems, this is sure not real Honda quality .
    Paul
  • bluffhousebluffhouse Member Posts: 33
    For the limited number of Odessey's Honda produces, it's seems they should be flawless.
    Do they think they can jingle the Honda name and people are going to wait in line to buy one? Sounds like unattentiveness to the demand.
    What's with the seating? Does the rear seat move into the middle position or are you stuck with a 4 seater on family outings like the Sedona. If so, it seems to make sense to buy the Sedona and save about 10 or 12 thousand. Either way you end up with a vehicle that can't meet the demand of many North American families.
  • dcrislerdcrisler Member Posts: 118
    welcome to hill descent mode! Your van is working as designed, and other than it being fairly jerkly at times when it engages... mine has always worked well. Your owners manual has a full description of the feature.

    Mschafer... yes I realised you were closer to going 4 times the distance I have... and I have to say we have all learned from your exploits and technical explanations to go with those miles. Thanks again.

    Our Van has really done well. 1 door closer motor and the tsb's and scheduled service is all it has needed. I am researching buying a new dvd for the navi system but other than that it just cruises.

    Happy Holidays.
  • truckie81truckie81 Member Posts: 4
    I have a 01 LX and the check engine light has come on. It has about 7900 miles. Is this a reminder for an oil change (I do my own at 3k's)? Can I reset it myself? The van is running great. Will the dealer charge $ to reset the light? Any input would be appreciated.
    Thanks
  • mschafermschafer Member Posts: 317
    Truckie - If it's the "Maint Req'd" light (the Check Engine Light is an entirely different light), it's reminding you that it's time for service. You can reset it yourself. Read your owners manual to learn how.

    Lychee - Your CEL/TCS lights situation is probably due to a plugged port in the Intake Manifold for the EGR valve. Honda has extended the warranty to 80,000 miles on this problem.

    Take it to a dealer. They should remove the manifold and bore out that port for you at no charge. If there's any question on this, contact your Honda District or Regional Rep. It's a known and somewhat common problem. Once rebored, it should last for a while.
  • nshingnshing Member Posts: 2
    Can someone tell me if the Digital Clock on the dashboard of a '00 EX is illuminated at night? My wife is sure that it should be and I don't remember if it was.

    If it should be illuminated, does anyone have an idea what the problem may be?
  • DTKWOKDTKWOK Member Posts: 131
    It would be nice if the thrid row seat could be split, but alas that's not the case. BTW, we typically only need either 4 seats or 6 seats, very rarely 5 seats. In many cases even with the third row seats up, there is still decent room in the back for storage. Don't know about "can't meet the demand of many North American families" as there are waiting lists for these things and who cares if it can't meet your neighbor's needs, as long as it meet YOURS, right?

    I don't see your correlation between limited numbers and perfection? If I asked you to design and build a car (qty 1), would you be able to build a perfect one? Probably not, also take into consideration that this is Honda's first attempt at a real minivan, so cut them a little slack.

    As for the Sedona, it's a nice van, but being fairly new to the states I would be a little hesitant on getting one. Also, the Sedona has smaller cargo/passenger room than the Odyssey. The Odyssey has proven 5 star crash ratings whereas the Sedona's has yet TBD.

    Sounds like you own a Nissan Quest or something similiar (i.e. rear bench sliding forward to the middle). Just a hunch.
  • mfriederichsmfriederichs Member Posts: 5
    First off, I'm surprised I will say this about a Honda, but the Odyssey is junk. Perhaps not compared to the market, but compared to other Honda products. We own a '98 Civic that has been bulletproof in reliability. We have a Honda motor on our pontoon boat, and we have replaced the Odyssey with an Accord. With the problems we have experienced (bad brakes, EGR problems that we argued with the dealer about and recently got a warranty extension notice after we sold it.) we could not wait to get rid of the thing. I personally know other Odyssey owners that have had the same problems, plus failed transmissions and other major issues. Maybe we are spoiled by past experience with Honda products, but the Ody just didn't cut it.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I test drove a Sedona. It was OK, nothing special, may be competitive with the 2nd tier of vans. The lumbar support in the driver's seat was unbearable, lumpy as anything.

    Cargo room behind the 3rd seat is tiny. Engine was torquey but not very refined, but that's OK for the very low price they offer.

    -juice
  • retirednelsonsretirednelsons Member Posts: 1
    We purchased our Odyssey on 1 Sep 01, my wife loves it... I only get to drive it on weekends, if I'm lucky!! I have noticed that when the transmission shifts into overdrive that there is a low roaring noise coming from the transmission at a low speed, but when I get to about 50 mph the noise for the most part goes away... I have read in a couple of postings that it might just be the torque converter making that noise at the low speed and there is not a problem. When you back up very slow you will hear a klunking noise coming from the rear, not sure what is causing it, suspect that it just might be the brakes in the rear. The last thing I have noticed was that the Right Rear Tail Light cover has a crack in it at the top... it looks like it has come from closing the tailgate door. I think that the Tail Light cover was tighten to tight and the shutting of the tailgate door caused it to crack. Has anyone had this kind of problem? Tomorrow I will be taking our van to have its' first service done on it... our van only has 5500 miles on it but we want to get it done before the weather really gets cold here in TN. Again, we really like our Odyssey and have not experienced any problems that I have read about here. I did a lot of research before we brought our Odyssey and could not find anything else to match it.
  • skubesskubes Member Posts: 19
    My 99 LX lost it's clock backlight at 38,000. I've seen two other posts about it here that said that 1)you can't replace the bulb without pulling out half the dashboard, or 2) another post that said their dealer said the whole clock has to be replaced. I'm out of warranty, so no plans to spend the money and have the dash rearranged. We just live with it, just like the horrible squealing brakes.
  • jcrobertsjcroberts Member Posts: 54
    I anxiously await to see what Honda comes up with in upgrading the Accord to compete with the new Camry and Altima. Will the engines (4 & 6 cyl.) put out more power? Will they come up with a 5 spd automatic as in the Odyssey? How much larger will it grow in size and weight? The 1998 Accord was a nice increase in size, but not in power. Does anyone have any info. or direction for me to search out these questions? I remember the news on the 1999 Odyssey did not break in the car magazines or anyplace else until the van showed up on the dealer lots. Thanks for your input. Happy Holidays!!!!!!
  • wdroswdros Member Posts: 6
    Finally, I was able to get the dealer to pay for labor to resurface the rotors and change the pads. I had to pay $54 for the pads. It took me going to another dealer and doing tons of research on Ody break problems before they agreed to pay for the work. It appears there is a TSB on resurfacing the rotors where Honda will pay for the labor. You have to ask for it though, otherwise it is going to cost you $250. FYI the van is 2001 LX with 16,000 miles, took delivery in Oct 00.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Here's a post about getting access to the clock to replace the backlight:
    auburn63 Oct 31, 2001 5:40pm

    Steve
    Host
    SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Honda is very good at keeping secrets. The 2003 Accord will probably be about half way between the current Accord and the Acura TL.

    -juice
  • joekrish1joekrish1 Member Posts: 6
    Go directly to the zone manager and demand a replacement transmission. If you get the runaround then fax a letter to Honda America CEO in Torrance, CA.... It cost me $500 to fix a problem that is not recognized by Honda. I was originally quoted $3500 then $1800 and finally after much back and forth $500. I have a 2000 LX and the tranny first show signs at 42k... Get it fixed and do so asap.
  • nshingnshing Member Posts: 2
    I'm still under warranty so I will let my dealer fix the backlight. Thanks!
  • appleliuappleliu Member Posts: 3
    Just picked up my ggEX last night. Not as excited as when I picked up my 91 Accord SE 10 years ago-------sure hope this Ody will last me all these years without 1 single problem just like my 10-year-old Accord had done for me.

    After reading all these problems here about Ody, started thinking about getting a 7/75000 HondaCare warranty which Honda had quoted me $999.00(7/100000 is $1199.00) with $0 deductible. It seems like a good investment when every minor/major repair would easily cost thousands of dollars, and transmission is very expensive.

    Anybody had purchased HondaCare? Any advice on price?

    BTW, I wanted to install a Panasonic TV/DVD at Fry but was told that it would void the Honda Factory Warranty on "electrical" parts. Is it true? If it's true, why are there so many people using those aftermarket CD, radio, or security alarm? When I asked the electronic store about it, I was told it won't void any Honda warranty. Please advise if anybody knows the truth.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    If you do a search of Edmunds you will find a number of Honda Dealers around the country that are selling the 7/100K/0 Hondacare Warranty for around $900 or less. I live in Mich. and purchased mine from a dealer in upstate NY over the phone with my CC for 895. Had the paperwork from Honda in about 3 weeks. My dealer told me it was about 1400 (his cost) and no way could I get it cheaper. Not only did he lie but being I got it out of state I didn't have to pay any local sales tax. This seems to be another Honda product that some dealers are trying to rip us off on. On should you get it, my feelings are in 7 years you are bound to have something go wrong with any vehicle and at todays prices you should at least break even. Also remember the added benifits of a free rental car, and I believe trip protection if breakdown happens on a trip.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    Anybody knows about anything about the aftermarket TV/DVD installation will void Honda warranty on "electrical" parts? All advice greatly appreciated.

    If that was the case there wouldn't be any aftermarket dealers selling anything around. Now if they install a product and do a bad job and it causes something else to short out than Honda would have a claim just on what happened and you would have to go back to installer for compensation.
  • wc3georgewc3george Member Posts: 23
    First, my brief 99 Ody EX history: 45K miles, mostly trouble-free (minor problems with the doors, but that's about it). Until a week ago.

    The battery went dead, which I didn't consider unusual for 2.5 years into the car. We jumped the car, and it started, albeit sluggishly, for the next two days. The morning of the 3rd day, I replaced the battery with a Die Hard. I got in to start it, and noticed that the interior lights were dim. The ignition clicked, but nothing else. After sitting a few minutes, the car would turn over, but VERY slowly.

    The repair shop (a Honda specialist) ruled out: the alternator (said the battery light would have come on); the starter; and a current drain, which they tested for. They sent me home, but I noticed it still turned over more sluggishly than usual, and the electric doors closed more slowly than usual.

    Today (3 days after leaving the shop), the battery is dead again.

    Any suggestions, or has anyone had a similar problem?

    Merry Christmas to all! :)
  • mlempiremlempire Member Posts: 34
    Double checking running voltage output from alternator would be first place to look. A bad diode would cause lower than needed output under load. IE headlights on,a/c on/wipers on/rear window defogger on/radio on all at the same time will reveal if alternator is keeping up with demand. Die hards are not the best choice either, Interstate is a much better choice IMHO. You should have @ 13.5 volts with all these acc's running, if not alternator/regulator is defective.
    I'm thinking these are internally regulated
  • wc3georgewc3george Member Posts: 23
    Thanks for the reply.

    Clarify for me: Do I run this check with the engine ON and these accessories on (excuse my ignorance)? And exactly how would I check the voltage (I have a voltmeter)?

    Also, all accessories -- lights, A/C, wipers -- work fine with the engine running. When the engine is off, the interior lights are dim, the auto doors close up slower, and the "turnover" of the engine at ignition is slower.

    I had suspected the regulator, also, but I hadn't considered the diode.

    Thanks again!
  • shanersshaners Member Posts: 14
    I've never really had good experiances with sears batteries. If your "Honda Guy" checked the alternater then I think it would be OK!!! Yes 13.5 V is standard on a 12 volt battery. Take your van to AutoZone or another place that offers free testing and have them "Load-Test" your system... You'll know for sure what the problem is.

    If you find it is the new DieHard, then take it back and go to Walmart and by a better battery with the same warranty for 1/2 the price...
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