Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

mojo66

I was just reading about Acura giving the 2002 RL ( in it's last year as a V6) a variable exhaust system which increases HP from 210 to 225. Since this is the same engine that the Odyssey uses, I wonder whether Honda has given us a clue about a horsepower boost for next year's Odyssey?

caviller

Even though the RL plant has the same 3.5L displacement, I was under the impression that it is not the same as the Odyssey engine.

I had read the Odyssey engine is based on the Accord V6, as is the Acura MDX and Acura CL/TL.

Anyone know for sure?

dhawk27

Purchasing an ODY EX is not a question. That has been settled btwn the LX EX versions. Am now debating the NAVI version. Have had Hondas since '83. Presently have a 240K '90 SI Hatch back and a 140K '94 Civic EX. We keep our Hondas forever by taking care of them with help of the "Best in Frederick, MD", Triangle Motors who does only Hondas. Plan to keep the ODY many years and use primarily as our "RV" to see the states and visit old military friends and relatives since I've retired. However, have seen little mention of the nav system (good/bad/indifferent, like/dislike, "greatest thing since sliced bread, etc.) in all the postings that I've spent considerable time reading. I really am a "gadget" person, but is it worth the extra $2K? Would like to see some comments. PLan to make a deposit on an ODY with some dealer in the area within the next week. Will appreciate any feedback. Tnks/de Hawkeye

cebren

Recently I took our 2000 Ody to a Jacksonville, Fla., dealer for its 15K service. They told me and also gave me in writing a sheet that said that Honda recommends changing both the transmission fluid and air cleaner at 15K; I was dumb enough to believe them. Total cost for 15K service: $199. Checking with two other dealers later, I found a 15K service should cost $45-$85 and that the first dealer lied about the trans. fluid change and air cleaner recommendations. I wrote the Atlanta zone office. Result: They offered me a $72 refund, but said they don't care if a dealer lies and refused to write the dealer asking him to stop lying and ripping people off. In essence they said buyer beware and that they have no authority to order dealers to stop lying to customers. The copy of my complaint I sent to Honda in Torrance, CA, was merely forwarded to Atlanta without even a response to me. So much for the great Honda reputation for integrity!

mike734

Yes the Navi is worth it, especially if you are a gadget person. It is very useful. Read all about it in the other forums devoted to navigation.

The firmware and software is upgradable with the new DVD. I expect future versions to have increased capability and uses.
They say every car will have a GPS navi unit in the future. How much less will a used Odyssey be worth without the navi unit?

ut_ski_bum

I have read other posts that the Honda Care extended warranty had a dealer cost of approx. $800 and that new owners could get it for about $875. My dealer pushed the GE Capital warranty but sold me Honda's at $880 when I asked for it. Given the bad press about the Ody comming down the road in the April issue of Consumer Reports, I think it will help resale value a great deal.

Caviller, your site at www.caviller.com is fabulous. Due to safety concerns I debated between Ody and a heavy SUV like the Tahoe or Sequioa for months but finally settled in on the van when my wife said getting two kids in and out of car seats in an SUV was too difficult compared to the Ody. Plus the $10K price difference didn't hurt either. Thanks for helping me realize that a smaller van wasn't really a big sacrifice in safety.
-JN

Karen_S

I'm stopping by to inform you that Edmund's has created the Honda Odyssey Club on the Owner's Club Board. Please drop by, introduce yourself, and let us know what discussions you would like to see in your club folder.

For your convenience, this discussion will also reside in you Club's folder.

Hope to see you soon!

KarenS

Owner's Club Host

PS> I suppose the regulars here thought they had seen the last of me? :-)

hotspur

We opted for the Nav because the queue for that model was much shorter than for the EX. Now that we have it, we wouldn't be without it. The only caveat I'd give is that the DVD does not have "detail" for some parts of the country, and the Nav will not be of much use when driving in those areas. But be careful when looking at the list of places covered in detail. My experience is it tends to understate where detail is provided. For example, the list does not include the area where we live, but we learned from a posting here on Edmunds that there was (and is) in fact detailed information on the DVD for this area.

timothyadavis

FW-little-IW as you feel ripped off, Honda corporate was sued by their dealers a year or two ago (a bribery-solicitation thing, I think). The dealers won. This might make the corporation more than normally hesitant to attempt to strong-arm any of their dealers....

robr2

Unforntuantely, some dealers make up their own recommendations for service. You need to check the manual and decide what schedule you wish to follow.

One dealer near me has the 15K sevice for almost $200. It includes a number of items not on Honda's list and does not include some items listed by Honda. FYI, it does not include a tranny service. Their 30K service schedule even lists changing platinum plugs.

Honda North America really has very little say in how a dealer operates other than what is regulated by law and in their contract. I believe the FTC would consider it restraint of trade if Honda were to tell them how much to charge for service or sales. It really is caveat emptor in these situations.

stever

We don't encourage car ads from individuals in the discussions as it tends to interrupt the flow (and we don't tolerate soliciting from dealers much at all<g>).

A better place to list your van for sale online is in Edmunds.com's Marketplace. Thanks!

Steve_
Host
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hondaexowner

I am driving my new Odyssey EX for last 3 months. Overall I am very happy with it. Only my concern about reading fuel gauge. The indicator needle comes to very close to Empty when only 13-14 gallons are consumed and lights the gas reserve indicator. I believe the tank capacity is 20 gal, so I would expect it should be in reserve when 16-18 gallons used. At half of gauge, only 6-7 gallons are used. Two questions: 1) Is it a problem with my Honda only? 2) If not, how do you keep track of gas? I do not want to fill up gas every 2-3 days since I drive at least 250 miles in 2-3 days. I always feel insecure when gauge needle shows near to empty. I had never this kind of problem when I used drive Chrysler minivans or even Honda Accord.
Can someone help me on this?

Karen_S

I didn't make this very clear before....this particular discussion will always reside on the SUV board. You will not be taken away from here! One of the cool features of this software is that a discussion can "live" in more than one place.

Hope that clears up any questions!

KarenS
Owner's Club Host

binkybarnes

i have the same exact problem and, apparently, so do alot of others. i'm gonna have my dealer look at it next week. i've talked to them twice on the phone about it and they act "surprised"...yeah, right. the first guy i talked to even went so far as to tell me it was normal!!! he said the low fuel light with 8 gallons left in the tank gives you a 160-mile cushion to get more gas!!!!!!!!!! man, i thought i had heard it all. meanwhile, my DW just doesn't grasp the concept that the low-fuel light is wrong...as soon as it comes on with only 240 miles on the odometer she feels compelled to fill up again...needless to say, that is driving me crazy because i've explained it a thousand times to her but she believes the light more than me (who's the idiot here, anyway??? LOL) i'm also having them replace the crack in my rear spoiler by the spray nozzle. the service advisor said he's never heard of a problem with those either! man, how do these guys sleep at night?

binkybarnes

i guess that rear spoiler isn't all it's "cracked" up to be :-)

mojo, i read somewhere that honda has introduced an active noise-cancellation system in one of their japanese market cars and that it will work it's way into US cars soon. hmmm, a bucks-up luxo version of the ody with a bigger engine, noise cancellation, leather, etc. sure would sound good.

caviller, i also like your site and i've referred to it many times but i've never told you so or said thanks. so, thanks! you are truly an ody nut.

btw, i also asked my dealer's service dept. about the weak homeline remotes on our ody. he says they're like that and, depending on the brand of opener we have, the frequencies may not be an exact match. well, that just doesn't seem right to me...i have one button for the entry gate into our subdivision, one for our garage and one for my sister's garage (all different systems) and it will only work when i'm right up to the doors. i contacted homelink directly and tried all their suggestions (use a different remote for programming, install fresh battery, hold it a few more inches away during programming, etc.) and nothing has helped. the key fob remote however works from over half a block away!

odd1

Does the homelink system work with garage openers that change their code each time they are used?

auburn63

mschafer ,
You have got way to much knowledge in that head of yours. Not that thats a bad thing but the things I have seen you know amaze me sometimes..I mean that in a good way of course...

Gas guage readings,
I have not checked the stat myself so I will have to go and look, plus I will have to look up differant models and see if they are differant.
I was told that the tanks were 18 gallons(but 18 or 20 just do the math and see if it works out anyhow),the low fuel light was designed with max load in mind so with less weight, it will come on bettween 6-8 gallons left in tank.The sending unit itself is a resistance based estimater and does vary slightly with temp.This leaves it with some room for error, however, it is and has always been in your favor. Meaning I have never seen one read more than it has in the tank unless it was bad.Also due to its design, when on about an 1/8 of a tank there is still as much as 3 or 4 gallons left in tank.
Anytime that you are unsure about anything always go and have it checked while still in warranty to be sure that it is fine while it is free.Plus it gives you a record of complaint on the records for those just out of warranty considerations.

dmathews3

I have 2 garage doors with Sears units on them and my 01 EX will opent them a block away. I was shocked the first time as this has been a complaint since I came aboard last July. I also programed mine first time, another complaint that some people tried and tried and they would not program. I guess for a change I'm lucky.

slkeck

After programming the homelink garage opener in our 2001 Ody couldn't get it to work - found out by accident that you have to hold the button for a few seconds - not just a quick push like on the remote transmitter I used to use. If you don't think it is working try holding the button longer - you may be pleasantly surprised like me.

slkeck

I'm a gadget person - but it's my wife that loves the Nav system. I think it is a great safety device as you can't get lost looking for an address. She uses it all the time. Just be aware that it may pick a route that you wouldn't expect sometimes - but you won't know that anyway if you are unfamiliar with the area. Only gripe I have with it is the cost of updates - about 200 bucks from Honda. Seems excessive after already paying 2k for the option. Maybe someone will come up with an aftermarket that will work with the unit and more reasonable in price.

doepel

I took my 1.5 month old 2001 EX with 1200 miles on it in to have a broken latch motor in the driver side slider fixed. After a week of being in the shop after claiming it was more than a broken latch, they returned it to me saying it was now fixed.

When I got home, I saw 4 palm sized dents running along the upper part of the slider door about 3-4 inches below the window. There was also a fifth dent below the crease line which runs through the door handle trim. Well, I was fit to be tied! It went right back to the dealer and accused them of negligence. They admitted responsibility and assured me that their paintless dent repair guy could get then out without any drilling of holes. Fortunately, the next day it was sunny when I went to check out the dent repair. It was not a perfect repair. Minor uneveness can be seen if looking very closely. The paint is not damaged, but 3 holes were drilled into the door jams to get them out. These were plugged with rubber and painted. The plugs are not noticeable unless the door is open and you happen to notice them.

I consider the dent repair 85-90% successful. What irks me is that these dents were due to neglignce when the service technicians were re-aligning the door to put it back in place.

The dealer says they are willing to get me a new door, but it will need to be painted by the body shop. I told them I don't think a body shop paint job can be as good as the orginal factory job.

I told them my preference was for them to replace the Van. The said this can only be done by going up the chain of command.

Should I pursue having them replace the van, seek financial compensation in some form or sue their butts off. What do you Think I should do????

billg7

You remind me of myself 20 years ago. I could have even written the post you did. I often want things to be perfect, but its better I have found to not demand it as you will most often not get it in this world.

You are right if they paint the door it will not be near as good as the factory job. It will only last maybe half as long. At the factory they apply the paint to metal that has been heated and it really bonds the paint. They can do that because the only part of the car is the metal at that point. They can't do that afterwards as it would burn up part of the car.

I would not worry about it. It looks like they fixed the problem satisfactorily. Only someone like you who knows just where to look would ever notice. There was a dent in my car and they removed it, by the paintless method, before I bought the car. Maybe if I looked at it in the bright sun I could see something and there are probably also holes where your holes are because it was in the door. I would say the probability of anyone else ever noticing it is 1 in 1,000,000. The probability of my noticing it is zero as I am never going to examine it that carefully.

What you could do is negotiate for the dealer to give you something in return for your agrevation, if you want to go that far and it will make you feel better. It would have to be something reasonable. Something worth no more then $300 I would guess. My dealer gave me free lifetime oil changes, but that was for buying the car not because there was a dent. That would be something he could give you. You will most probably lose if you sue or try to get a new car. You would probably want to talk with a manager on that. The service manager maybe.

exindenver

odd1,
The Homelink will work with the rolling code openers like the Genie Intelicode.

mojo66

binky -- I think those items you mentioned for improvements, along with some work on the sound system and some cosmetic freshening front and rear, are most likely what Honda will be addressing for next year. BTW, Honda has said not to expect an all-new Ody until MY2004.

caviller -- I think someone at a dealer told me the Ody and RL shared the same engine--maybe they were incorrect. In any case, Honda usually increases power to most of their models in the 3rd or 4th year of production to keep up with the Jones'es (DC)

hondaexowner -- same problem here with inaccurate gas gauge/fuel light. Very common problem with the Odyssey and it needs to be addressed by the factory at some point as well. I think the dealers are surprised mainly because gas mileage/fuel gauge complaints aren't something they hear too much about at Honda dealers, or maybe they don't want to deal with the problem?

cebren -- It has always amazes me how much Honda tries to distance itself from its dealer network when problems like yours happen--probably due to all the dealer gouging, lying, etc. When the dealer has done this to me in the past with my Accord, and they are unwilling to follow the maint. schedule in the book, I end up taking it to an independent Honda repair shop (which does not void the warranty BTW).

caviller

I didn't get my info from a dealer, mostly from hearsay on forums. Hard to tell which is more likely to be accurate:-) The other option is that Odyssey might get something like the new MDX power plant, which has a nice boost in HP/Torque, but may require premium fuel.

cardingtr

I will take delivery of my Odyssey EX NAV-after 10 days wait and no deposit this coming Tuesday. I read somewhere here about the checklist I can print to bring with me. Please can somebody steer me where it is? Thanks.
Also what to look for in the test drive besides:
Pulling to the right
Door won't open by remote
Crack on the rear spoiler.

Sorry if this has been discussed before, the discussion is to long already I have a hard time reading. LOL.

jimblock

I, too, am a gadget person and I love the Navigation system in our 2000 EX. My wife is NOT a gadget person in general, but does like the Navigator and uses it frequently. Updates for the Nav system are $152 from Honda; the 2001 update did not seem to have enought new data to be worth buying (for me). I definitely think the system is worthwhile, and I was able to get my Odyssy in less than 10 days (at MSRP) because I was willing to take a NAV model.

Unfortunately, Honda controls the NAV updates -- even the company that makes them for Honda cannot sell updates that work on Honda or Acura systems.
I've e-mailed Trevor 3 times to see if he would carry the Honda updates at a reduced price, but I have not received an answer.

caviller

The checklist, courtesty of shaganasty:

http://1netweb.com/checklist.htm

maven2235

I find it amusing that some say they are getting their Odyssey's quickly because they're getting the Nav option. We totalled our 99 Ody in October and still haven't been able to get a new one. We've been on "the list" for over 2 months for a Nav but none of the local dealers can get one. After one of the local dealers fell through on a Nav promise this month I started calling around for one. I live in SC and I called over 35 dealers in SC, NC and GA and only one dealer (in Atlanta) had a Nav in stock. Of course, he wanted $31,500 for it so I passed. Now I'm on another list in Charlotte so hopefully he'll come through. Unfortunately, it's still going to be another month before they get it in. All of the dearlers are telling me that Honda isn't producing many Nav units anymore because they're focusing production on the EX. I have decided not to settle though so I'm holding out for what I want. We waited over 4 months for our 1st Ody in '99. I really didn't think we'd have to go through this again over a year later but it looks like the demand is still very high.

doepel

Thanks for the advice. I appeciate it!

mojo66

Great pix of the new 2001 fog lights on your web site--they look way better than the round lights--I haven't seen any on the road yet. Did you install them yourself? I'm thinking about ordering them from HandAaccessories but I've got ten thumbs when it comes to that kind of stuff and I'm afraid I'd damage something in the process. Do you know how much the dealer would charge to install them?

caviller

I managed to get the leather steering wheel wrap on myself (barely), but the fogs were way out of my league. I also ordered from HandA. The dealer I used charged $154, another quoted $150.

billg7

I wonder how cost effective it is to pay the extra money for an Odyssey with a navigational unit now that you can buy portable devices and some hand held ones that seem to do the same thing. Also with a little time the portable ones are bound to get cheaper and better and you can take them anywhere and put them in different vehicles. The screens may not be as large, if that matters. Also you are not tied down to updates from Honda that way.

If the Odyssey Nav unit actually drove the vehicle for you then that would be a plus that the portable ones could not do, but it will be a long time before they are able to do that.

I notice in the special issue of Time magazine for February 5, 2001, called "On Monthly" on the inside of the back cover they have a full page advertisement for one. The web site for the manufacturer of the device is www.garmin.com

cardingtr

Thanks Caviller..
Yes. the dealer told me its easier to get the Nav. When I called he asked me the color then it will be here in less than 20 days.

ziad1

I waited 8 months to get the 99 EX, hoping it will be worry free. The transmission is being replaced @ 27000 miles. I can't believe this. Anybody had a problem with trasmission....

drew_

The vehicle integrated navigation systems are far more accurate since they utilise the vehicle's wheel speed sensors in addition to the GPS signal to calculate where the vehicle actually is. The portable units are accurate to an area about as large as a tennis court, even though selective avalability has now been disabled by the US government (it used only accurate to an area as large as a football field, I think).

There is an existing Honda Odyssey Navigation system topic, as well as a general GPS navigation topic in the Aftermarket & Accessories message board. Feel free to contribute to the discussions in both of those areas.


Drew
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masshoosier

so....what happened to the tranny? did they give you a hassle when replcement became necessary? Let's have the story.
This is interesting cause the only tranny replacements that I have read about on these boards in a year and a half were ones that obviously needed replacing after only a few K off the lot(dreaded clunk mainly). Hope this ain't a prelude of things to come now that most '99's are hitting the high 20's and low 30's.

mschafer

Mine (not Honda) is accurate +/- 10-15 feet, depending upon how many satellites it's using.

bass52

I have read these boards for quite awhile but have never posted. The reason for my posting is that I have a 2000 HondaOdysseyEX with 9,870 miles on it. At around 8,950,I had started noticing that the transmission would make a loud clunking sound when I would shift the transmission from drive into park as it would pass through the reverse gear. It doesn't clunk while driving in reverse, just this loud noise when shifting transmission into park as it passes through the reverse gear. I took it in and was first given the traditional"it's normal for the vehicle"speech. I insisted a mechanic listen to this and when he heard it he said he would check into any service bulletins for this problem. He came out with a TSB which stated that the remedy for clunking when in reverse was a new transmission. Well, one was ordered and they supposedly replaced it but when I went to pick it up and drive it out of the lot, I got the same noise as before. I took it back in and this time was told that they were not going to replace it again as this was a normal noise and all Odyssey's have it.Sorry, this is so long. I am writing to find out if any others out there have this same problem and got the same response. The car drives fine otherwise. I am really upset with this lack of concern on Hondas part to further fix this problem. I did contact Zone customer service on this and the best they could do was extend my warranty but they would not try and remedy this any further. Thanks for any input on this.

caviller

We had intended to wait another month or two before replacing our infant seat with a LATCH convertible seat. We really like our Britax Roundabout, as it has had an excellent fit in all cars we've used, and also has the top tether which can be used in front and rear-facing mode. Unfortunately, Britax has kept delaying their release date for the LATCH version, and it is now supposedly "Early Spring."

Today, Kmart had the Cosco Triad on sale. Along wtih the Fisher Price Safe Embrace II, the Triad is (I think) the only other LATCH child seat available yet. I had dismissed the Cosco based on our Cosco high-back booster, which has straps that are difficult to adjust/fasten, and always end up tangled. It fits well, but is skimpy on features. The Triad was much more impressive when I saw it on the shelf. It includes a front adjustment to control harness tightness, and better mechanisms for fastening the straps. It also had reasonable padding all-around, and had an infant head pad as well. The LATCH straps were attached for front and rear facing modes, though I had to install the included top tether. The only major omission is that it does not have built-in seat-belt clamps. These are not necessary at all with LATCH installation, but they can make installation much easier if you need to use seat belts.

I bought the Triad for $54.39. That's less than half the price of the Safe Embrace II, and probably one-fourth the upcoming LATCH Roundabout. There was some confusion on pricing. I thought the tag on the shelf said the regular price was $79.99. When I got to the counter, it came up as $67.99, but they said all Cosco was 20% off which bumped it down to $54.

Installation was relatively easy for front-facing mode. The LATCH anchors were a snap. While kneeling on the seat, it was easy to tighten the strap to make a secure installation. The top-tether was the only minor issue. Much like our Cosco high-back booster, it can take some time to fiddle with getting the right length on the tether, as it does not have a simple mechanism. You have to fiddle with multiple windings of the strap around a buckle. Once made to the right length, the seat is extremely secure. Much like the Roundabout, if you try to wiggle the seat, the whole van moves with it.

Not having to mess with the seatbelts is great. The Triad is in the 2nd row passenger side, so now we can move the seat to the inboard or outboard location without readjusting the seatbelts. If you move the seat forward or backward, you may have to re-adjust the tether though.

We have not yet tried the rear-facing mode, and probably won't since I intend to use the Roundabout for our infant and the Triad for our toddler. Overall, a very good seat, and an excellent bargain compared to other LATCH seats. I can recommend it for anyone with a 2001 Odyssey that wants to put a seat in the second row. Consumer Reports did test this model, and said its crash protection was excellent when using the LATCH+tether or seatbelt+tether.

http://www.consumerreports.org/Special/ConsumerInterest/Reports/0010chi0.htm

billg7

RE:889 You are welcome doepal. On a car I bought 15 years ago there was some small worn spots on the chrome from where they had tied down the car for shipping. I asked them to replace the chrome, and they said no, that was the silliest thing they ever heard of. So I let it go. I recently gave that car to my brother. I must say I didn't spend anytime worrying about those worn spots after they said no and I have no regrets. Those small worn spots never caused me any problems in the 15 years I owned the car and not one person ever noticed them. They would have had to have been the Superman of worn spots to notice it. Yes I could have taken them to small claims court and maybe I would have won and maybe not. The judge could very well have agreed with them. I know now I did make the right decision.

RE: 895 drew. I went to the web site http://www.garmin.com/products/spIII/spec.html I listed and saw they had a number of navigational devices listed. I then went to the one they recommended for cars and click on specifications. I see they are listing an accuracy of 15 meters which is about 50 feet. In a post down below yours a poster is saying that his installed unit gets 15 feet so it looks like the installed unit is more accurate. I am not sure how much diference it makes as I have never used any of them, but I can see the installed unit is three times the accuracy.

mike734

It does not matter which one is more accurate. They are all accurate enough. BTW Drew, the wheel speed sensor helps the gyro unit know where it is going when gps is not available. The only "outside" help a gps unit could use is differential signals from a ground based transmitter. These are commonly used in farming and some maritime applications. The most important question with respect to accuracy is the accuracy of the data base. If the map says you are at an intersection (and you are in an area of good gps reception) and you really are 200 yards from the intersection, you can assume the map data base is incorrect. I think the data base on the Honda DVD is great, especially when you consider the quantity of data involved.

drew_

Is that not what I said? :-) If not oops...if so, let me add that it was how the systems kind of got around the selective availability GPS satillite error. Well at least for some systems.


Drew
Host
Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

mojo66

The mobile NAV unit sure looks like a good idea, especially if you use rental cars a lot. I'm sure we'll all look back on the current NAV systems years from now and laugh at how crude they were, because sure enough the future NAV units will be driving the cars for us. For some countries, like Japan, it could happen in the not-to-distant future. When it becomes an option here, I think I'll probably feel like not wanting to be out on the road anymore. Even as reliable as the aviation autopilot control systems are today, would you feel safe if the flight attendant told you the pilot of your jet was taking an inflight nap because the autopilot was doing the work? (Probably happened on many of my flights--I try not to think about it.) Pretty scary stuff.

mschafer

The GPS unit I referenced in my previous message (#897) is not installed in the vehicle. It is a GPS receiver attached to my laptop computer. The receiver sits on the dash, and can be used anywhere. One of the option screens in the software provides position error - both horizontal and vertical; and this varies with the number of satellites being used. After Slick Willie had them turn off the induced error, the position error got much better. Of course this helps China and other rogue countries with their targeting, too.

timhonda

I'm going to order a 01EX this week. I have test driven once. I can't remember well, but one thing I'm a little disappointed is the middle seats are not reclined back enough for kids to sleep.I would like to hear some of your experience. Do your kids feel comfortable sleeping on them?
Thanks for your input.

jimblock

Hi,

I had my transmission replaced on my 2000 EX NV after 1 year (about 12000 miles). I did NOT have the "dreaded" flunk sound, but I did have intermittent engine "lugging" due to improper shifting when the transmission was warm, then went into stop and go traffic. The problem was there since the car was about a month old, but because it was intermittent, it took a while before I could get it to happen in the presence of a Honda mechanic. Once the mechanic heard the problem, he agreed it was there and they kept the car a full day to make it repeat. As soon as they got it to repeat, they ordered a new transmission and installed it. The new transmission has been fine now for about 3 or 4 months.

exindenver

Finally got the EX out on some snow packed and slushy roads yesterday. I was a little disappointed by my Ody's snow performance. First time I had the TCS kick in. The TCS kicked in more often during standing starts than the ABS would kick in when stopping. I suspect it is due to the weight, C.G. and front wheel drive characteristics of the Ody. During acceleration the weight would shift to the back wheels unloading the front wheels some and causing the TCS to kick in trying to move the relatively massive Ody. While during braking, the weight shifts forward giving more stopping power to the front wheels where the disc brakes are. I think the Ody has load balance brake setup which helps to even out the braking force for the Ody's mass. The Ody behaves opposite from my Nissan 4X4 pickup which accelerates great in the snow but does not stop as well. I think I'll have to put on some stud less snow tires on the Ody. They made a big difference on my Saturn.

Anyone know of a good source for Ody steel or alloy rims for a good price?

odd1

While reclining seats are very comfortable they are also very dangerous. The restraint systems are designed for passengers sitting in the upright position not reclining. Family member who works in ER says that this causes some of the worst head trauma they see. Apparently, you get thrown into restraint and slammed back down on the seat whipping your head froward and backwards sort of a slingshot effect. If safety is part of your van decision do not let people recline while on the road.

mrperfect

All vans have reclining seats, as far as being more dangerous !@#$%^&amp; ! Its a Honda and they always take the cheapest way out, it maximizes profits! I doubt if there are very many cars/vans left that have split front seats that do not recline, rear seats recline in vehicles where there is room, even some 3rd row saets recline in some vehicles. After all, if we(the public) did not like reclining seats we could custom order Discovery astronaut seats. :-)