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Honda Ridgeline Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • norcalmike2norcalmike2 Member Posts: 133
    Hi folks, as this seems to be the only active Ridgeline forum may I please ask owners a question?
    I'm looking into buying a small travel trailer and anticipate towing 4,000 pounds cross country in search of the world's largest ball of twine (after I find the largest frying pan). Anybody out there have any real world gas mileage figures while towing with your Ridgeline? Thank you very much.
  • 08lr308lr3 Member Posts: 76
    hello, the site removed my post on RL info. sucks i thought this place was about sharing info. search ridgeline owners club.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    The hosts do not accept links to other forums. It states this in the rules.

    I know. I've been warned also.

    This is their board, and their rules. They pay for this board, it costs us nothing.

    I abide by their rules now. I will only tell people to 'google' their question, and follow the results to obtain other information areas.

    Some of the message areas on the board are excellent. Some are weak. Look for the gold among the chaff.

    And overall, Edmunds is an excellent internet site.

    And, I am not 'moderating', so I hope the hosts will not delete my post. I'm just giving my opinion, as someone that has been reading the forums for many years. And, has gotten some warnings from the host for my posts.
  • zach3zach3 Member Posts: 3
    I have had my new Ridgeline for 2 months now and am very happy with it overall. My problem is with dust leakage into the interior. I live in a rural area and drive on dusty roads. It seems worse in the backseat area. The dust is layered on the back seat after only a mile or two of gravel road driving. When the A/C is turned on you can smell the dust in the air. I keep the setting on recycle and the fan turned onto high to keep the interior "pressurized". I've heard that that's supposed to help and we do this in all our vehicles as a matter of habit when we turn off the highway. I've owned an Odyssey and currently own a 04 Pilot. I've found that Honda vehicles are prone to dust leakage but nothing as bad as this one. I've contacted my dealer and they're going to have a look when I have time to take it in. In the meantime, I thought I'd see if anyone else had experienced this and whether anyone had succeeded in repairing the problem.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    I've only had mine on dirt roads for about 150 miles total. But 75 of that was on a rough, dry ranch road in New Mexico. And my Ridgeline was covered with dust inside. I also run the AC in recirculate mode. Never heard about running fan at max. The temps were not very warm, so the fan ran pretty slow.

    Anyway, it looks like one of the few things Honda does not know about is how to keep dust out of a Ridgeline.

    If your dealer has an opinion and/or a solution, please post it here.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    possibly comming in around the door?

    i doubt very much if the A/C system has a pollen filter, that the dust is getting past that.
  • 08lr308lr3 Member Posts: 76
    agree, let us know what the dealer says...
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    Hondas have cabin filters.

    I don't know where it comes in. The entire interior was covered in dust, so I think it came in around ALL the doors!
  • bishop0802bishop0802 Member Posts: 5
    Last weekend I bought an 07 RTL and I love the truck. Now, with 220 miles I get a "tighten gas cap" message on the display. I've tightened it about a million times but the message stays. Anyone have this experience or thoughts on what is wrong? The manual says it may take a few days of driving for the fault to clear? Wonder why.
  • phillseaphillsea Member Posts: 11
    I have had my 2007 RT for two months now and have already replaced the windshield twice. The first time was two weeks after buying the truck and then again three weeks after the first repair. Both times I could not see a rock hit and both times the crack just "magically" showed up as a small horizontal crack sneaking out from the frame about 10 inches up for the bottom of the windshield; one crack on the drivers side, the second on the passenger side.

    Anyone else hear about issues like this? Am I just incredibly unlucky and the cracks were caused by a rock hit I could not see?

    Love the truck other than that (and I hope the gas mileage improves as I drive it more). :shades:

    Thanks!
  • tgeorgiantgeorgian Member Posts: 2
    It's called a stress crack, and is described in other forums. Also beware of the dealer ploy where they put a pen in the windshield and grind out a pit to show you where the "rock" hit. Other Ridgeline owners have experienced this stress crack while parked overnight in their garage/driveway. It is a flaw in the design of this vehicle.
  • jesserkjesserk Member Posts: 4
    I know where the dust comes in. It has to do with their HVAC system. I have dealt with this problem for 2 years now. Honda doesn't seem to want to admit that this is a problem. I live in the country and drive a lot of gravel roads. When i have my window open the dust pours into the cab. Honda told me that the vehicle was designed to run with the windows closed. I tried this and once i got onto paved highway I opened my window and it was as if someone had thrown a shovel full of dust into my cab. I have been arguing with honda to resolve this problem with no luck. I told Honda that no one had made me aware that this is a problem and that i want my money back for the truck. I told them that i paid for power windows that i can't even use. There is so much dust in my cab that electonics are failing. My dome lights do not work due to the contacts being full of dust, my cd player has been replaced because it was full of dust, my seatbelts have been replaced because they did not pull out or retract properly, and i have numerous other elecronic problems which i attest to the dust in the cab. When I put on my seatbelts it leaves a dust stripe across me and my passengers. Honda should supply a lifetime of coveralls when they sell these vehicles. It is ridiculous that we pay this type of money for these vehicles and have to put up with this crap. If someone with asthma drove in one of these vehicles it would trigger an attack. Maybe if we all band together we can get Honda to open their eyes. I told Honda that I realize that they are not going to fix this problem and that i wanted my money back. My next step may be to go to the media that gave this vehicle such great reviews and expose this vehicle for what it really is. And maybe even contact the health and safety department in the government to see what they think. I'm sure honda would love that. Get back to me with your thoughts.
  • jesserkjesserk Member Posts: 4
    Check the inside of your glove box. Bet its full of dust!! Also tap the underside of your dash, bet it rains dust from underneath. Now thats a high end classy vehicle!!!! WHAT A JOKE!! Bet none of the executives from Honda drive these vehicles because their $2000.00 suits cost too much to clean!
  • zach3zach3 Member Posts: 3
    I resolved my dust problem through reading advice on another forum. Yes, of course you have to keep your windows closed. Also, you must keep your air intake system OFF recirculate and the fan on when your on dusty roads. This creates a positive pressure in the cabin and keeps the dust out. Since I've been doing this, I'm quite satisfied with the results. Hope this helps.
  • taylorcomputetaylorcompute Member Posts: 1
    Just bought a 2006 with 45000 miles on it. Same thing happening to me, with the AM only. Haven't tried fixing yet. Busy trying to fix a electrical draw. The short is somewhere between BACKUP ACC FUSE and the interior lights/radio/door locks?? not sure yet. When that fuse is out there is no draw on the battery. When it is in and all power off there is draw. I was thinking the draw might be the AM radio problem. Maybe not.
  • jimf3jimf3 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2007 Ridgeline and when going over a bump at any speed, I hear a thunking noise that seems to be coming from the driver's side rear quarter area. I've emptied the contents of the trunk, including the spare tire, and also cushioned the trunk lid. All the above did not eliminate the "thunking" noise. I've looked under the rear of the vehicle and could not find anything that could cause the noise. When I spoke with a Honda service manager, he indicated that there was some sort of floatation device that could "bounce around" in the gas tank that was causing the noise, whether the tank was full, half full, or near empty. Also, that there was nothing that could be done to fix the problem. Has anyone out there experienced similar "thunking" noise problem?? Please advise,...drives me nuts!
  • lem888lem888 Member Posts: 7
    I had the exact same problem with my 2006 Ridgeline. The dealer replaced the strut assembly (under warranty) and the problem went away. I questioned why the strut assembly would fail with less than 18k miles on the vehicle. The mechanic just shrugged and said some were defective.

    Good luck.
  • jimf3jimf3 Member Posts: 2
    lem888

    Your strut assembly diagnosis was right on ! Got it fixed.

    Makes ya wonder when a "Service Manager" indicates that the thunking noise is attributable to something floating around in the gas tank!

    Many thanks to you...

    Jim
  • lem888lem888 Member Posts: 7
    Glad I was helpful. Of course, I now suspect the assembly on the passenger side of mine is starting to go. Better check how much warranty I have left.

    Happy Holidays.

    Lew
  • landbaronboblandbaronbob Member Posts: 2
    I had what appeared to be a stress crack that showed up one morning all by itself. NO impact zone that I could see. I took it to Diamond Valley Honda for inspection and had the ball point pen ploy done to me. I couldn't see the impact zone but was told you could feel it with the pen ..well I could feel the whole crack with the pen! They are making excuses for faulty glass or missing welds that cause such fractures. I'm getting an outside opinion and will persue with vigorous fortitude if necessary.
  • landbaronboblandbaronbob Member Posts: 2
    I had what appeared to be a stress crack that showed up one morning all by itself. NO impact zone that I could see. I took it to Diamond Valley Honda for inspection and had the ball point pen ploy done to me. I couldn't see the impact zone but was told you could feel it with the pen ..well I could feel the whole crack with the pen! They are making excuses for faulty glass or missing welds that cause such fractures. I'm getting an outside opinion and will persue with vigorous fortitude if necessary.
  • jcasidy1jcasidy1 Member Posts: 1
    One more instance: My 2006 Ridgeline is getting the leak fixed and new carpeting. It always had this funky smell and with the rain in Seattle this year, it finally hit my truck. I noticed standing water under the back seat and white mold around the window trim. Shop vac'd it and dried it for two days with the space heater. Started to get better than when exposed to the rain for a day, filled back up. The dealer said it's on the front qtr's where a styrofoam piece blocks the drain out so water goes in, not away from the vehicle, then follows the channels that go back and terminate under the back seat. The didn't have to take off the qtrs... they fixed it from inside. Getting new carpet and pads next week. Didn't see any rust when they showed me the interior. Still love my Ridgeline (bigtime!), but probably won't buy it at the end of my lease, like I had planned. Want better fuel economy if gas keeps going up and don't want a leak to happen when the warranty ends($$$). I'll enjoy the heck out of it through lease end.
  • frankc55frankc55 Member Posts: 9
    The Ridgeline is my first Honda. I have owned GMC, Ford, Dodge,Jeep and Mercury products.

    I expected more from Honda. The amount of rattles in this truck are more than any car or truck I have owned.

    If this was made by Ford or Chevy it would be panned, because it is a Honda product owners seem to make excuses rather than complain.

    All vehicles have some issues but my expectations were higher for this Honda than my other vehicles

    Frank
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    What is the milage on your Ridgeline? If it has some miles on it, remember, it's a truck. It rides somewhat rough over the rough roads, andd this is going to generate more rattles that a sedan with soft suspension.

    My 2006 with 16,000 miles has developed it's first rattle (except see below) somewhere on the right passenger side. Overall I'm happy with it.

    Ridgelines, at least those of my model, are known to have a bad rattle from the small radio speaker grills in the dash top. This can be easily checked by just reaching up and holding the grill as you drive. If the rattle stops, this where is't coming from. It can also easily be fixed. Push the grill toward the front and pull the rear edge up. The grill, with the speaker attached, comes out. Put some kind of padding around the small clips on all 4 corners. The design has made these fit too loosely in their opening, and the grill/speaker will rattle. I used the small round fabric and adhesive backed pads sold to put on vases, etc to stop scratches on furniture. I cut one of these in half and put a piece on each of the clips and put the speaker back in. Stopped this rattle.
  • dokroxdokrox Member Posts: 2
    I have had the water leak problem in spades. It first occured when my wife drove through about 8 inches of water and the carpeting was soaked. Thought it was our fault so dried it out ourselves. One year later driving thru heavy rains (Oregon Coast) the carpet was soaked again, front & back. Dealer sent to body shop who said a body seam is split. Welded it. Dealer replace entire carpet. A couple days later the front passenger side was soaked. Same body shop found hole in right front floorboard & sealed it. Dealer assured me they dried out the carpet. Got home and the carpet was soaked in same place. Going to see them today. I'm worried about corrosion problems that will show up after the warranty expires.
  • anicollanicoll Member Posts: 1
    me too! two cracks in windshield due to stress cracks two months on two occasions after purchase of 2008 ridgeline traded my other element for same reason of broken windshield what the problem? is it the glass ?
  • britmarkbritmark Member Posts: 1
    I have been reading through some of the posts on the Ridgeline leaks that some people have been experiencing. I sure feel their pain, as I have just got one myself.

    Sorry for all the following detail, but I am sure there are a few people that would like to see what I went through to fix it - especially if their problem looks similar.

    My RL is a 2007 and I noticed four weeks ago that I had wet carpets on the passenger side front and a little less wet on the passenger side rear. I was getting pools of water in the front right side of the carpet. I sucked it up with a wet vac cleaner and left it a little less wet. Did the same with the back. Went off to Vegas for a week (not in truck), came back to find pools of water again in the front passenger side. I was hesistant to take it to my dealer as I don't particularly like them and their way of doing business.

    So a buddy came over and we took a longh look at it and tried to prove the problem via logic. The truck was facing downhill and slanted to the right - thus all the water on the right side and mostly at the front. However, the rear was very much less wet than the front. I reckon the leak was at the back and running to the front, hence the pooling at the front and not at the back. We looked in the truck bed and saw water standing in the right front corner as it always has done and also in my Tundra for the past 7 years. So I didn't think that was a problem. But as there was a front panel to the truck bed, I decided to take it off and look behind it. Took a bit of getting off but as soon as it was off we found the problem.

    For those of you who have not taken that panel off, behind it are two vent type housings with rubber flaps designed to close under pressure from water and/or air. But the right one was soaking wet. Aha, I thought to myself...and looking further I saw a faint water line from some loose debris - this waterline was ABOVE the lower part of the vent. It looked very much like the water had RISEN up behind the panel and seeped into the vent housing. Then rotted part of the sound-proofing insulation, and run down under the carpet in the back and down through to the front to collect in a pool.

    Why was it not draining away though? There was no obvious reason, but I did notice that Honda have a series of drain holes along the front of the bottom of the panel lip but nothing at all at the sides and corners. Does Honda believe that everyone parks straight, level and flat all the time?

    So, I drilled a series of holes and extended them from the standard holes round the corners. This should now let water out no matter where it is. I threw a bottle of water down the offending corner and there was not much drainage there. I reverted to an air line and rammed that pretty much everywhere I could see. Out came a lot of debris - stuff like general dirt, but more importantly, a ton of pine needles which had been blocking the travel and exit path of the water in the truck bed. I threw another bottle of water in there and it came out very quickly and drainage was back to normal.

    Everything went back together OK and took about 2 hours in total. However, the panel did a good job of scratching the truck bed.

    So far after a few nights rain, no further leaking or collecting of water. But it does need some time to dry out properly before I can truly say I fixed it. I am pretty sure I did though.

    Greetings from Mount Rainier Country.

    Britmark
  • rbottenrbotten Member Posts: 1
    Anyone know how the serpentine belt goes back on the honda ridgeline? Mine came off and I can't find a schematic. If you know where I can find the schematic it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
  • mkosmidesmkosmides Member Posts: 1
    i have an 06 and had mine in twice. the static comes and goes and its driving me crazy i'm gonna take it in one more time and if they can't fix it i guess i'll call hq and complain
  • ljc2tallljc2tall Member Posts: 9
    Hello, I am new to this forum. I have a 2007 ridgeline. Often when I start it up the engine light comes on (the one that looks like an engine). When I put it in reverse the vtm-4 light also comes on and they both stay on. Then when I start it next time the engine light stays on but not the vtm-4 light. The engine light will stay on fro a few days then finally go out. Then a few days later it does it all over again. Anyone else have this problem.
    Thanks
    Ken
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    You need to have a Honda place 'pull the codes'. The computer is turning this light on because some sensor is receiving values outside its correct boundaries.

    Wild, wild guess would be something in the transmission.

    Does the 'D' display, the little light that indicates your are in drive 'flash' when you are driving? On many Hondas, if the D flashes, the computer is indicating there is a transmission problem.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    Plus, for a 2007, if you are under 36,000 miles, this Ridgeline is still under warranty. If so, why don't you have it at a dealer?
  • ljc2tallljc2tall Member Posts: 9
    It only has 11000 miles on it. The last time I was at the dealer they told me that they might not be able to pull up the code. So I should bring it in when the lights are on. Well this morning both lights were on ,this afternoon only the engine light was on. Tonight neither light was on. All so the dealer is 50 plus miles away and I can not just run up there anytime. Iwas wondering if anyone else was having this problem. On my last Honda (crv) I had a similar problem and it was a bad sensor in the fuel tank.
    Thank you for your replies,
    Ken
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    It's under warranty. Take it to the dealer and tell them to fix it.

    Not being able to pull 'recent' codes is BS. Codes are stored in 'history' until several start/stop cycles have passed. Some codes will stay in history for long periods.
  • laottomanlaottoman Member Posts: 16
    Had a weird situation yesterday (21 Nov 08). Driving my 06 RL and all was okay, made several stops at stores and started right up. Oops VSA light came on, stopped, turned off engine and restared it, light did not come back on. Went to store (wife went in) and I stayed in truck to read manual for the VSA light.
    Ready to leave and go home....oh, oh...truck would not start, acted like a dead battery, checked all connections under hood, ok, no corrosion, battery water ok, no indications that it should be dead. Called Honda dealership, said it was probably the immobilizer. Per the manual it acted like the symptoms there too.
    Would not start and finally went dead, lost nav and FX radio codes...etc. Son in law insisted on giving me a jump, hooked up for just a sec, it started like nothing was wrong and started later last night and this morning...no indication of dead/weak battery. Anyone else have this happen to them or similiar situation.

    Thanks,

    Otto
  • RUSTLINERUSTLINE Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 Ridgeline I live in the Southeast coast in Daytona Beach FL and have bad rust all around the door seals. The local rep blames ME for this and says I live in an area prone to this. I am furious and Honda North America will not assist me. I had it repaired by Honda in 2007 and it came back 6 weeks later. Please check your truck you have to look closely at the door around the seals and weld joints. :mad:
  • mjsteammjsteam Member Posts: 1
    I struck my right side mirror pulling into my garage and the mirror (glass) broke. I do not have a dealership close to me, so I researched parts on-line. To my surprise, it appears I can just replace the mirror (cheap) without replacing the entire mirror assembly (expensive).

    My question is, do anyone know how to get the assembly apart to just replace the glass?

    Thanks,
  • ljc2tallljc2tall Member Posts: 9
    Finally had a chance to get my ridgeline in to the shop when the engine amd vtm-4 light was on. They diagnoised it as a bad relay that is common to the engine and vtm-4 light. Alls well for now. But as I was driving over there on the rough winter roads I started to hear a clunking in the right rear. Maybe its the start of something else.
  • lem888lem888 Member Posts: 7
    See my earlier post (#380 I think). For me, the clunking was a defective strut assembly.
  • zach3zach3 Member Posts: 3
    I've experienced that clunking or wheel pulsing in the right rear area a few times as well and it always seems to be during the winter months. Can't find exactly what causes it, but I believe it may have something to do with snow or ice build up in that area. It never lasts long and it has never caused me enough concern to take it in.
  • deborah12deborah12 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 honda ridgeline and i have had 22 inch rims on it for at least a year and they have been taken off a couple of times to go out of town. We just put the originals back on and now my truck makes this horrible noise and vibrates when in drive but its normal in reverse and in park.. I need some help :) :confuse:
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Google for:

    wwest abolition hesitation -dfg

    For all you might ever want to know about the re-acceleration downshift delay in these newer, post 1998, FWD and F/awd transaxles.

    Ford has a breakthrough solution in that they have adopted a variable displacement ATF oil pump for the Edge while everyone else seems to be stuck trying to get drivers to adapt to their "future intent" detection technique.

    Release, Fully Release, the gas pedal FAST/QUICKLY/RAPIDLY and the engine/transaxle ECU control firmware will "judge" (assume..??) that your intent is to slow using engine compression braking and thereby remain in the lower gear you were just using for acceleration, low to MODERATE acceleration. On the other hand ease up on the gas pedal slowly and the ECU will command an upshift.

    Once that upshift is (inadvertently) commanded it MUST be completed before a downshift can be commanded and now with the engine idling and the new HIGHLY EFFICIENT ATF real time line pressure control system there will not be enough fluid pressure in reserve to complete a second sequential gear shift/change.

    So DBW is used to delay the onset of rising engine torque until the required downshift can be completed.

    1-2 second downshift delays are being reported as typical.
  • encarlencarl Member Posts: 1
    My 2007 ridgeline windshield crack. Its a straight crack originating at the left side progessing toward the center. I took it to two dealers, Cerritos and Downey and said its from a rock. I disagree because the crack is clean and have no spider type impact. Is there anybody suggest how to go about getting an honest opinion.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    What does the cause of the crack matter?

    Are you trying to warranty this?

    If so, what Honda says is what you are interested in.

    Otherwise, you should be interested in what your insurance says.
  • jpm150jpm150 Member Posts: 1
    Did you ever get any advice on how to replace the mirror glass? Mine got whacked and simply popped out without even scratching the plastic mirror assembly so I'd like to just replace the glass. Also I can't seem to turn up a mirror glass replacement for my Ridgeline -- just the entire mirror assembly. Do you remember where you bought your glass?
  • laottomanlaottoman Member Posts: 16
    I have a 2006 Ridgeline w/ a little over 60k on it and about a month ago I started hearing this creaking sound from underneath in the rear, both sides. It got worse as time went by and now when you drive slow or go over a bump you really hear it, on the interstate it is quiet. Never had this problem with any other cars before, have an 02 VW Passat and it's as smooth as when I got it....Hmmmmm, thought Honda's were the cream of the crop in comparison to a VW. Anyone else have this problem or any suggestions of a self help fix, don't see anything underneath that's rusted.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    Your main struts (shock absorbers) may be going/gone. Ridgelines have known problems with these.
    Or, there are links on the front anti-sway bars to also cause problems. I'm not sure if these are also on the rear.

    A good alignment/suspension shop should be able to quickly find the source of a noise like this.
  • lem888lem888 Member Posts: 7
    Check out my earlier posting #380. For me, it wasn't a creaking sound, but more of a "thunk". In any event, the dealer replaced the strut assembly (under warranty) and all was well. It seems like these assemblies are trouble.

    Good luck.
  • laottomanlaottoman Member Posts: 16
    Thanks guys for the info, I'll have it checked out. :)
  • jcglenjcglen Member Posts: 1
    I don't mean to be a complainer/cry baby.
    Putting gas in one day I noticed that there is RUST in the lower seam of the compartment where the inner metal boot that the gas tank fill tube is in meets the outer body. Now this is a seam where two metals over lap one another, I would think welded together I don't know.
    I took it to the body shop for some answers and they said to do it properly the whole quarter panel would need to be replaced because of the thin metal used in the body. At the same time they asked if I had taken it to the Honda dealer....DUR I felt like a total dip. So my next stop was the dealer pulled into service was greeted by one of the service manager's and showed him the situation nicely. Just so happens there was a Honda reagonal rep there so he came out to look took pictures then returned to the office. The service mgr came back to inform me that honda will fix the problem probably by grinding it down and painting it. This might look good now but what are the chances of it returning again, and if it does what would be my options then.

    So I have two questions:
    1. Is grinding the way to go? Or try to push for proper panel replacement.
    2. Should Honda loan me a loaner car to get to work and back?

    This my transportation truck to work and after all it's not my fault the truck started rusting. I don't know I'm just a man of principle I guess.
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