Honda Pilot Maintenance and Repair

beer4799 · June 2005

Where were the problem transmissions made? Has it been corrected? My recent sticker says engine made in USA, A/T in Japan and assembly in Canada. Mine was made April of this year. I am hoping the glitch has been addressed by the time mine was made. So far though, I love the Pilot despite the fact the A/T does hunt around a little bit in the middle gears.

biscuit1941 · June 2005

A problem I have not seen here. 2005 EX-L navi. Entered destination and driving to it. On twisty road pushed map/guide button to display map vs instructions. Display started switching between map and instruction screen at random. No consistency with time of change without my input. MAY be a correlation to hard turn or braking. (very twisty, hilly road)

Anyone seen this?

whitman11 · June 2005

bought an exl with nav in february; like it a lot except for poor fm radio reception. does anyone have a good solution to this problem?

junping · June 2005

I have got the same problem. I thought from after market DVD installation. After reinstall the better DVD system, FM is still poor. I do live about 50 miles away from PBR stations. The distance may be a factor. My toyota receives much better though. Recently I found a AM new station in town. It is much better. For the poor FM radio reception, I will not buy a Honda again.
FYI. ( I have a 04 pilot, EX).

laurheis · June 2005

I don't exactly know how to describe the problem I am having with my car -I will try my best to explain it. I am hearing a grinding sound from the engine of my 2005 Pilot. It lasts for about the first 5-10 minutes of the ride every day, and then goes away. If I park the car for a couple of hours, and drive again, it does it then sometimes, too. The grinding sound is accompanied by a low whining noise - almost like something is loose or not engaging correctly. It gets louder when I press on the gas or turn the steering wheel. I searched past posts for something like this, but did not see a match. Has anyone else had this problem?

tpd1 · June 2005

TPMS light has nothing to do with tire pressure. You have separate lights for that system. TPMS light indicates that there is a problem with the fucntionality of the entire system such as electronic or sensing system. This light does not come on for low tire pressure.

tvo2003 · June 2005

I've the same problem like you said. I have 03 pilot w/55000 miles.
My pilot is now have check-engine and VTM-4 lights on after I noticed vibration at 45 to 50 mph when I maintaining the same speed. Did you figure out your pilot by now? I need help. Thanks,

tvo2003 · June 2005

Did you find out your pilot problem? Is it caused from transmision? Did you fix it?
Please let me know. I need help. Thanks,

sportymonk · June 2005

Have been hearing (reading) about a vibration in some Pilots that occurs at approximately 70 mph. In some the problem was resolved by replacing the EGR valve (indicating the problem was in the engine not performing correctly). In others, force balancing has fixed it. (Seems a Hunter 9700 balancing machine is required. Hope I got that number correct.) In others, the problem is minimized but not resolved.

It occurs in 03s, 04s, and 05s. Another forum has 23 pages and climbing on this one. More than any other issue this makes me wonder if I want to buy a Pilot as this doesn't sound like the Honda my daughter fell in love with when I bought her a used Civic for college.

beer4704 · June 2005

wheel on ebay for $100 bucks. I am going to buy a stock tire and repalce the donut. My question is "Is there a market for the donut?" Would the dealer give me a credit for it or should I sell it locally or on ebay? Perhaps the delaer will trade a stock tire for it? Anyone else do this recently? Cheers!

tpd1 · June 2005

I live just east of Atlanta and go through two new cars about every 18-24 months. I don't believe I have ever had a service department not wash a car after it was serviced. I guess it is just where you live.

morrissey · June 2005

2004 Pilot While descending down long mountain roads here in Colorado, I get a strong vibration when I apply the brakes. I don't seem to notice when brakes are cool or have not been used much, such as on flat land.

ramski · June 2005

I took it to the dealer to have the problem looked at. They said they couldn't duplicate it, but I can every drive. It has 27k on it and was wondering if they will tell me my tie rod ends are bad after warranty is up. I can physically move tie rod ends with my hand. Should I be able to do this?? Please help.

rsharp · June 2005

I had the same thing happen on our ski trip. It was bumper to bumper going up to Summitt County and at the very end the brakes started doing the vibration thing. I supposed that they got overheated. My Hundai Sante Fe never did that.

lfan · June 2005

Thanks junglejim and Edmunds Townhall !!! I took delivery of my 05 EXL tonight and the flapping noise on the driver side started halfway home. It was infuriating as the noise was not there on my test drive of the same Pilot which I ultimately bought.

I did a search earlier in the evening and found this post. I "adjusted" the window frame and voila, the window is now completely silent. I hope this will be a permanent fix.

Orginal Post:
- zhscar
I bought a 05 Pilot EXL this past weekend and have noticed a weird wind noise from drivers window: it is like a small piece of paper stuck in the top of the window making a flapping sound. It is not constant, but quite frequently sort of like a flag on a windy day. This happens both on freeway and local roads and is quite noticeable. I heard the same noise from both Pilots I test drove.

Any experience? Opinions?

-junglejim
This is the famous "window scrunch" problem. It is caused by the door seal pulling away and returning when the body flexes. Most people seem to notice it more on the highway.

Honda had a TSB to replace the door seals. Most owners ended up with the same noise with the new seals. Some dealers temporarily fix it by lubricating the seals, but the noise always returns.

Some owners have added weather stripping to cause a tighter seal.

The only fix that I've heard that works long term is taking a TSB for the gen 1 CRV and applying it to the Pilot. Role down the window. With the door open, place your knee against the center of the inside of the door, then pull on the top of the window frame. This will slightly bend the window frame, resulting a tighter fit for the door seal, thus eliminating the noise.

Good luck!

ge88 · June 2005

I have a 2005 Pilot EX and was wondering if anyone knew if you could add VSC through the Dealer? Any idea how much it would run?

sportymonk · June 2005

I can't say the answer is no but I seriously doubt it. VSC is not a single item but a series of sensore over the vehicle and controlled by a computer. You would have to install not only all the sensors and run the wiring but also those parts that are different becasue your Pilot did not come with the equipment for VSC.

If you find out diferent, please post your expereince.

ge88 · June 2005

Thanks for your reply! I plan to call the dealer and I'll post a reply!

jm2257 · June 2005

recently had a pioneer avic-n1 navi put in my 2004 ex-l. absolutely love it. however i have had poor fm reception ever since. tried a couple of antennas - one in dash and one on the windshield - without much improvement.

does anyone know how i could get better reception. :confuse:

johnnyc1 · June 2005

I have similar problem with mine 2003 honda pilot. I'm going to the dealer today to see what they say the problem is. I will let you know.

johnnyc1

frost · June 2005

I have a problem with a resonating sound when the rear passenger windows are opened while driving. It is a very loud low frequency sound that gets louder as the car goes faster.

whitepilot · June 2005

We just recently bought a used 2003 Pilot that has 35000 miles on it. We took it in for fluids to be changed (NOT a dealer, but a mechanic that specializes in Honda's though), one of which was the transmission fluid. They said that it was "very black". Due to that, and the small noise that we hear behind the dash they commented that we needed to have our transmission looked at. Since it was just a couple of weeks out of warranty we went to the Honda dealer to have them check the transmission. They said that everything is fine and that it is normal for Honda's transmission fluid to be black or dark in this heat (Phoenix, AZ). Can anyone tell me if that's true?
Thanks.

ajmtbm · June 2005

the air gets in and has nowhere to go. it just basically gets caught and slams around making noise. nothing to worry about. just need to open another window a bit and let it escape, that will solve the problem.

pilotnotgood · June 2005

i have the same problem, i believe its in the design of the fuel tank,the fuel is actually sloshing against the side of the tank causing a noise ,especially when coming to abrupt stop in reverse..

pilotnotgood · June 2005

plain and simple the pilots front seats are not comfortable at all...very poor upper back support,headrest is non adjustable....shame on you honda..........

pilotnotgood · June 2005

you are not alone,unfortunately,the seats are poorly designed..beware new buyers!!!!!!!take a good long test drive,also take note the headrests are non adjustable.................

pilotnotgood · June 2005

hmmmmmmmmm,very interesting,my owners manual says to use regular gas unless im towing something...i get better gas mileage with the high test.......

trailfluff · June 2005

I am a '96 Civic owner looking to upgrade my vehicle. One of the vehicles I'm looking at is the Pilot. I love my Honda & would buy another Honda, but after reading some of these posts I'm not sure if I should buy a Pilot. Any comments on the Pilot ownership would be helpful. Thanks!

mabulok · June 2005

I don't believe it is normal. My 2005 Pilot does the same thing, but only when I accelerate then let off the gas, and only seems to happen at a precise RPM where the transmission was scheduled to shift. It then shifts, but it feels like it drops into gear. Like a stick shift when you drop the clutch too quickly. Took it in and they couldn't repeat the problem. It's rather irritating because most of the time shifting is quite smooth.

sharon57 · June 2005

My car is under 60 days old and the ventilation sometimes stay on after the car is turned off - has already killed one battery. The dealer says there may have been a service memo but is unsure how to resolve. Anyone hear of this?

Karen_S · June 2005

If you look only at the Problems & Solutions discussion of any make/model, you will most likely decide a bicycle would be the most reliable form of transportation.

As the P&S topics are devoted to auto dilemmas, you are more likely to find unhappy owners. I suggest you read through some of the other topics devoted to the Pilot before making a decision.

trucker22 · June 2005

Just picked up a 2005 Pilot, and heard some kind of creaking brake or suspension noise when stating and going. Took it back to the dealer , less then 800 miles on it, the dealer heard it and replaced the front rotors and pads. Problem was still there. I took it back and they replaced the rears. I am still having this noise when it is cold on starting to run. Has anybody had this problem with their new Pilot ? Trying to decide what to do with the suv. Please let me know. Thanx .Pat Pilot.

durban · June 2005

Hi - regarding the noise -have you checked the power steering fluid level, if it is low you get a noise as the pump sucks air. My Pilot was fitted with a tow package which included a steering fluid cooler, and the fluid was not topped up after fitting the cooler. Also the auto transmission fluid was not topped up.
After topping up the steering fluid the noise went away. Please post what you find !

maitreg · July 2005

We have a 2003 Pilot LX with the standard steel wheels. We have 14000 miles on it, but as early as 3000 miles, all 4 wheels started showing rust right around the edges of the hub caps. It is even more pronounced now. There is a small line of rust all around all 4 hubs. I could understand one of the wheels being bad, but how could all 4 be rusting so prematurely? Any thoughts? Anybody else had this? Is there anything I could do with the dealer on this? I can't imagine the warranty would cover it.

pilotnotgood · July 2005

i cant stress how important it is to have adjustable headrests and good back support,upper and bottom...unfortunately my 05 pilots seats are very uncomfortable due to the lack of an adjustable headrest and extremely poor upper back support...take a good long test drive, lean your head back,you will all see what i mean..BEWARE DONT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID.......

durability05 · July 2005

We have a 2004 EXL with 8000 miles on it and it is just over a year old. If you want to treat the Pilot as a SUV, do not buy it. If you plan to use it like a Station Wagon, it is an excellent vehicle, with versatile features like folding seats and AWD. Ever since I decided that it is a Station Wagon, it has been great.
Just don't expect it to perform like a Chevy Tahoe

smccall · July 2005

I purchased a 2005 Honda Pilot in November. I had it back at the dealer two weeks later with a shimmy in the front end. They balanced the tires. Problem continued, they rotated. Still had problem. They replaced all 4 tires. Still had problem. Apply brakes, steering wheel started to shake and wear on front right tire. They replaced brake pad and ground rotor and aligned wheels, at 13,000 miles. Still have vibrations. Pilot is back at shop today.

Anybody else having problems with Pilot '05 front end and tires?

laurheis · July 2005

Thank you! My car needed power steering fluid. Duh on my part! We just bought it in February, and does not even have enough miles on it for a first oil change. This was a good lesson for me - make sure everything is A-OK under the hood before posting a problem.

smccall · July 2005

Latest from Honda USA. They are replacing the wheel and tire. Road-force balance found one wheel would not let any one of the tires get a proper reading. Also found out that any early 2005 Honda with Good Year tires, had major problems. Will keep you posted after I get my car back from dealer.

flash7 · July 2005

My Honda Pilot experiences variable amounts of road noise based on the road surface. Obviously on rough roads at 70 MPH the noise is bothersome. I will be purchasing new tires soon and wonder what tires are the most quiet. Gurrently Goodyear Invicta's are on the car.

danh57 · July 2005

I had the same problem; at 50 mph on a flat road, when there was a slight pressure on the accelerator, it would feel like the car was a bucking bronco. Felt like the tranny was slipping or binding or something. Brought it in and described the problem, and the tech said there was a service note about it. It was actually an EGR valve. Replaced it, and it seems to be gone. The only thing, it was a $117 part! Egads!

Well, it's running smooth as silk again anyway..

qbrozen · July 2005

$117? Huh? Did you have to pay for it? If its a TSB, then you certainly shouldn't have.

hix · July 2005

I'm going thru the exact problem except we can go over 70 here in Az. 3 delerships have tested it and after 4 sets of tires they could not fix it. so they now say the shake is within Honda tolerance. I'm involved with a lawyer as we speak. I think it's an epidemic Honda will not admit to. need to get the word out.

mulie3 · July 2005

Today while driving my five day old 2005 Pilot home I noticed a loud motor boat sound, trying to figure it out I turned the radio down, the sound was still their and seemed to be coming from the read sub-woofer. I was at a light so I turned back to see if something was making the noise from behind my vehicle. As I turned back to the front smoke started pouring out the CD player slot. I turned the radio off and the noise stayed but changed pitch, more smoke, I turned off the ignition and smoke came out steady for about one minute. The top of the dash above the radio/CD/tape player was really, really hot. I had the car towed to the dealer, and the service writer was shocked. She said that every now and then they have had a radio that just died, but never smoked out. Has anyone out there had this happen to them? Has anyone heard of this happening to someone else?

hix · July 2005

exactly what i'm going thru here on a new 05 Pilot. 4 sets of tires, roadforce balancing, etc and NO HELP. i drove it today at 75 and while it was vibrating took it out of D and went to Neutral. the vib does not change probably eliminating the drive train.

Honda needs to get the word and get a fix out there. how do you get the word out?

silentw · July 2005

bubba10
Do you have one or two crossbars? You used the singular in your note; I'm not being picky but this could have a bearing on the noise factor. My money is on two.

Can you tell me or describe what "frontward" is? Is the front (assuming that this means the edge facing the front of the car) the thicker or thinner edge of the crossbar?

I'm a charter member of the bozo's club; I assumed the wind noise was an unavoidable part of having crossbars.

~PJW

danh57 · July 2005

They didn't say it was a service bullitin. They implied it was a note to service to help diagnose this problem.. He said some places had replaced the tranny instead of the EGR, to no avail..

Hmm.. Is the EGR considered an emissions part? If so, should that be one of those things that's covered a lot longer than most things?

qbrozen · July 2005

That's a good question. i also wonder if it shouldn't fall under the powertrain warranty since its affecting the transmission. In any case, since there is a "note" about it, then that means its been a common problem. In which case, it probably SHOULD be a TSB and SHOULD cost you nothing. I'd certainly argue it.

silentw · July 2005

bubba 10,
Not "breaking wind" but Pilot roof rack wind noise. Please see #1173

.
Thanks.

smccall · July 2005

Honda dealer finally replaced one wheel rim and tire. They have been having problems with Goodyear tires on the '05 Pilots. Also told me they have been having problems with Pilots and Odyssey, because these two are built in Canada not Ohio, like the rest of Honda cars. The problem is ok until I hit between 70 - 80 mph then the shake and vibration come back. I'll be back there again until they fix it for good.

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