Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

akin67

If you read my post about replacing the radio with the Nakamichi MB-75 you would realize that the motiviation was not poor radio quality on the Odyssey but space.

I just took delivery of a 2002 Ody EXL Navi. Anyone with this vehicle recognizes that due to the Navigation taking up valuable dash board real estate there is no extra slot to install an in-dash CD changer. That leaves you with two options, install a CD changer under the drivers seat or find a radio/cd changer combo that only takes up a single radio slot (one DIN) on the dash.

Nakamich happens to have just that in the MB-75. Now would that radio be better quality than what is in the Honda Odyssey? Certainly. Would it be better than the Mopar crap they put in the Chrysler T&C, absolutely. That is why a luxury car such as the Lexus LS 430 offers that as a standard radio.

Now if carleton1 took his head out of his you know what for more than a few seconds he would understand that too. But he obviously is unable to do that since he did buy a peice of crap from Chrysler, obviously pissed off about it. Annoyed at the fact that all of his buddies are constantly asking him why he didn't get the Odyssey. Can't understand why more people value quality, reliability, convenience and above all safety above the few luxuries such as a remote lift gate opener that the T&C provides.

Furthermore he is constantly second guessing his stupitity in buying the T&C but not much he can do about it now since although his T&C is under a year old he would lose half its value should he opt to trade it in.

Rather than trying to raise doubt about my motivation for wanting to replace the Honda radio with one that has a built in CD changer why not look at your own. Lets ask ourselves why is carleton1 in Honda Odyssey board disparaging the Odyssey at every opportunity that he gets despite the fact that he does not nor has he ever owned an Odyssey? Are his comments appropriate in the comparison baord where the Odyssey and T&C are compared sure? But why post on a Honda Odyssey board when you have absolutely nothing to contribute?

Carleton you really should see someone about this condition. My advice, just let it go. I know you purchased a piece of crap but its only a car just let it go. Not worth driving yourself crazy about.

dmathews3

Now if carleton1 took his head out of his you know what for more than a few seconds he would understand that too. But he obviously is unable to do that since he did buy a peice of crap from Chrysler, obviously pissed off about it. Annoyed at the fact that all of his buddies are constantly asking him why he didn't get the Odyssey.
Thats not a piece of crap, because it has a soft armrest, which he rates very highly. Maybe it is nice when you are sitting along side the road waiting for a tow to have a soft place to rest your elbows. Since I now know someone with a DC van (01) and it has transmission problems, I have took the same logic as the trolls from the DC boards that all DC vans are junk.

jfreat

We've had our '02 Odyssey EX-L for a week now. It drives very well-no 1-2 gear lunge like the '01s. My wife loves it. The ride is firmer than the Sienna or our old '94 Town & Country, but we prefer that. The sound system is not as good as the Chrysler Infinity system but is certainly adequate.

We never seriously considered another vehicle. We rented a Sienna last summer and my wife flatly stated she could not own one- too squishy all around (also a bit small)!

We paid MSRP, basically. The dealers around here (East TN) like to charge $150-$300 "Dealer Service Fee" or some such, above and beyond the negotiated price with dealer prep. This is not exclusively a Honda phenom, but really galls when they are making $3-4K on Odysseys before holdback. So we negotiated the price down slightly below MSRP to compensate. Had to wait 2 mo. for our Emerald Pearl van to be built and delivered.

My only complaint is the quality of the paint job. Major orange peel on the sides! Very disoncerting for a $30k vehicle. Most cars I've looked at seem to have some nowadays, but my '98 Maxima super black is flawless by comparison. Has anyone else noticed this? Any idea whether this affects the longevity of the paint job (I want to keep this car for 10-12 years)? This car was built in Ontario, not the AL plant.

All other issues aside, I would have bought this van over a Chrysler solely on the basis of resale value. I sold our '94 T&C for $3800 with 129K miles. MSRP was $27,400, and I bought it in '97 for $13,500. The Honda dealer offered us $2000. We put $4000 into it in repairs in those 4 years, including the requisite transmission replacement at 98K mi (I guess we were lucky!). In contrast, I sold my '91 Accord LX last year (109K) for $5900 having bought it new for $13,500.

BTW, I have found several Honda dealers who sell accessories online for the Odyssey much cheaper than our dealer's "cost". I bought mud flaps for $57+shipping from B.C. Imports when the dealer wanted $80-100 here. Search under "Honda parts" and you'll find them.

centralnj1

I have a 2000 Ody LX. Has anyone replaced the stock 215/65 R16 96T tires with 225/60 R16s? You have many more choices in this size, including lots of H, V, and W rated tires. Note that the 2002 Ody comes with 225/60 R16. The only reason I wouldn't be able to make this change would be if the wheel well/fender clearance is extremely tight and Honda increased clearance for the 2002's to make the tire switch. Everything else (diameter, rim fit, speed rating, load rating, etc.) will work fine. I'm 99% sure I can make this change, but I'd like to hear that someone else has done it successfully. [A technical note: according to tirerack.com, the OE Firestone Affinity 215/65 TR 16 has a section width of 8.7", tread width of 6.7", and a diameter of 27.0" (all mounted on 16 x 6.5" wheels, same as the Ody rims). Yokahama Avid A4 225/60 VR16, a representative hi performance all season tire, has section width of 8.9", tread width 7.2", diameter 26.7" (mounted on 16 x 6.5" wheels). Very close, but the slight increase in tread width might mean wheel well rubbing.]

bostongarden

Inky,

In Boston area, 5w20 is not hard to find. My mechanic has it regularly stocked at a REGULAR price. In addition, I recently saw it on the shelves at KMart. Don't recall the manufacturer, but it was from one of the leading brands. The price was a typical one, somewhere around $1.00-$1.50 per quart.

My 2001 literature says that 5w20 is recommended; it does not say that it is required. I can't imagine that this has changed for the 2002s.

Here are some sites for checking out 5w20 oil:

http://www.imperialoil.com/pds/superflo5w20.htm

Here's a synthetic at $5.20 per quart (or $61.20 per case of 12 -- hey, that saves you $0.10 per quart!) via Internet from manufacturer -- scroll down to see link to enter store http://www.togernet.com/xl-7500%205w20.htm

http://www.finalube.com/announcements/ultra_supreme_gold_5w20.htm

Case of 12 for $19.59 via Internet http://shop.store.yahoo.com/oilstore/pen5w1qt.html

if you want to buy it by the gallon http://www.advancedlubes.com/html/5W-20.html

Good luck.

mschafer

I used 235/60-16's when I replaced the factory tires on my 99EX. They are driven and cornered hard and sharp; and there has not been the first "rub" anywhere with them.

This has been discussed several times on this forum.

genevaody

Recently purchased an auto thermometer (inside/outside temp) from Radio Shack and would like to install it on my Ody.

Any ideas on where to mount the thermometer and how to run the sensor wire outside the cabin where it will be stable/secure and get an accurate reading?

Thanks, in advance!

caviller

"Since pat84 has made responsible comparisons on minivans without casting rude, vicious remarks, he is a good source of information."

Interesting comment from you. I recently posted some statistics on the Odyssey vs. DC minivans forum. The same type of statistics you posted some time ago to tout DC reliability (but later deleted). Unfortunately, the statistics did not support your comments on that thread and you did not understand what an 'average' means, therefore you referred to me as a "non-thinking Honda lover". That's pretty rude, also.

Cheers.

mschafer

Too bad you weren't aware of the Donnelley unit.

http://www.donnellye.com/

Auto-dimming mirror, outside thermometer and compass all in one.

You would be best to put the sensor up front behind the bumper, but far enough away from the radiator so as not to get influence from there. Run the cable back through the engine compartment and run it one of the plugged holes in the firewall.

stangelj

I recently replaced the tires on my 99 EX with this size as well with no problem. Went with Michelin X-Radial Plus from Costco (same a Michelin X-One). They've been excellent on snow/ice and in the dry. An amazing improvement over the Firestones. Keep in mind these tires are only 1 cm wider than stock, which means about half a cm wider on each side of the rim. There's lots of room.

billg7

I know a number of posts here say they do this. No one so far has reported problems. The owners book says not to.

I suppose it is a case of how much margin do you want. The Honda motor company wants a lot of margin, I guess. Perhaps with chains, or is it cables, and at a certain speed, there would be a problem.

mschafer

So far, I only have 60,000 miles on the 235/60-16 tires I put on my 99EX; but have not had the first problem. Perhaps, when I get a few more miles, I may see some problems; but, so far, only a vastly improved ride with a speedo that is closer to the truth.

genevaody

Thanks for the tips and the referral to the Donnelley unit! Is the Donnelley difficult to install (wire up)? I would be considered very much a 'rookie' when it comes to adding electronics to a vehicle.

Again, thanks for the help!

pphan

We purchased a 2001 Odyssey in Feb 2001. We have already put 20,000 miles on it in the last 10 months. However, we have encountered so many problems with the van that we think this van is a lemon. These problems are:
1. Front struts and springs make squeaking
noise. Replaced under warranty.
2. Slide doors stick. Still stick after 4 trips
to dealer.
3. Rear quarter power vents making squeaking
noise when open and close. Dealer replaced 4
times and still making noise.
4. Gas gauge and fuel sending unit have been
replaced due to incorrectly register the
amount of gas in tank. Still not working
right.
5. Van pulls to right. Corrected by dealer.
6. Clock light burned out.
7. Power door lock motor making loud noise when
lock and unlock. Replaced by dealer. Start
making noise again.
8. Transmission fluil leaking due to loose return
hose. Tighten up by dealer.
9. Rattling noise in dash and front windows when
glass is about 2" down.

Anyone have this many problems with their van within a short period of time? Please advise.

dirkdaddy

pphan -

I hope you posted this on Oddessey Problems list as well, as this isn't the forum for talking about problems with Honda's. Nor is it the forum for talking about comparing it with other vans, or is the forum for talking about how to upgrade the tinny stereo system. This apparently is only a forum for discussing how stoked you are with your Honda van and how much over MSRP you paid, or how long you waited for delivery, that sort of thing.

I hope this helps. Just thought I'd clear that up (again) before somone else goes off again.

DD
'98 Olds van

mschafer

I haven't installed one myself. I have heard from others that it's not too difficult; but, if you've never done this kind of thing before, you might want to see if Donnelly can recommend a local installer for you. Anyone who installs custom stereo equipment of cell phones should be able to do it for you.

inky

I just realized that the 02 has 60 series tires. I wondered why these tires looked too small in the wheel well. Needs 17 inchers now. Anyhow, very pleased with van performance over 2500 miles in one week. Thanks to the poster on the Amsoil 5w20 will order ASAP.
INKY

stangelj

Certainly sounds like you got a lemon. I'm very happy with my 99 EX but if I had your problems I'd sell before the warranty runs out, if not sooner. I wouldn't put up with having that many trips to the dealer--just too big a waste of time.

lotus18

check out the 'tech' section of http://www.odyclub.com/. It has the detail installation with pictures of that mirror by the member.

"Donnelly ECT Mirror

Photos and text by Chuck Konarske"

carleton1

My sister has a 2001 Odyssey EX that has zero problems. You have a lemon and should get rid of it as stanjelj suggests.

roman9

A couple of notes - For us Canadians the Donneleye mirror is almost $300 bucks! I called a few wreckers and picked up a auto dimming mirror with compass for $20 dollars! Hooked it up and it works great. Speedy auto glass glued it on for free!
I also bought a radio shack thermometer and ran the sendor wire around the drivers side tucked under the headliner trim to the back slider,. I then pilled the weatherstripping off the door frame a couple of inches ran the senosor outside, pushed the weatherstripping back on over the sensor wire (it is soft enough to bend without breaking) and taped the sensor in by the black plastic trim by the "C" pillar - worked fine .
I replaced the symmetry's with potenza's 225-60s. So far they seem to be a good tire. I will use the symmetry's in the winter with steel wheels until I get some real snow tires, though I think I may have a bad tire - when I put them on this season the van pulled to the left. I had the alignment checked and it was OK, they then swapped the fronts and it pulled to the right. They checked for a SB but said it doesn't apply to my model run then swapped back to front - it now pulls to the left again. I am going tomorrow to get the summer rims balanced and try them to see if pulling stops. (I must say that my dealer (Action Honda) has been great in helping and getting things narrowed down.)
Cheers

ateixeira

Never overlook junk yards. A rear view mirror with map lights (on the bottom) was $80 in a Miata catalog I had. So I stole the idea and found one at a junk yard for $10. Out of a Lumina, of all cars.

-juice

billg7

My Honda dealer said the first thing they do, to try and correct a pull to one side, is swap front tires (PF to DF, DF to PF), as that often fixes the problem.

Thats what they did on my Odyssey, but I never checked to see if it fixed the problem, as it was such a minor problem anyway. I need to find a road without a crown to try it on.

doc39

We recently purchased an LX (2002). After a 3 hour drive up to Minneapolis my upper back and lower neck were quite sore. The seats seem to lack upper body support(I'm 5'8, 145). Is the driver seat in the EX more adjustable than the manual adjusters in the LX? Would the lumbar support solve this problem? Any after market suggestions? BTW, the engine is spectacular!

billg7

I have noticed that whenever I get a new car it takes me about 3 months to get comfortable in the drivers seat. That is because my body has become adjusted to the previous cars seat.

I doubt that the EX seating would be better as when they fixed the height to be adjustable on the LX, that was the main problem. I have become very comfortable in the drivers seat in my Odyssey 2000 EX.

Also I don't know what kind of car seat would fix a sore neck, as car seats don't support necks unless you are in a race car perhaps. It may have been that you did not move around a little in the seat or you were tensed up while you were driving. I would think this is what would cause a sore neck. I have never had a car seat cause me to have a sore neck. Having children in the car can cause this to happen however.

I would think the J C Whitney catalog available on line would have a seat item you could place on the drivers seat. There are also shops that do work on auto seats.

lisahhh

I've had my LX for 2 years now, and seems the second row rear heat isn't working. (We use it so rarely here in TX, but have needed it lately!) I follow the book, put the front control on RR, have the heat on, but the air only comes out in the back (3rd row seat), not the second row. I'm ready to take it to the dealer since I'm 600 miles from the 36,000 mile warranty expiring, but want to know if I'm missing something. Thanks in advance!

dave84

Heat in the back comes out of the floor vents, cooling air comes out of the ceiling vents. Make sure the control knob by second row/left side ceiling has hot air position selected.

lisahhh

Actually, I'm talking about the heat in the middle row area. I know that in the far back, the heat is from the floor and the AC from the ceiling. I'm talking about the controls in the 2nd row seats. There is an on/off button and a control there for heat and AC. I cannot get the heat (or A/C) to come on in the 2nd row. I have the front set to "RR" as the manual says, the switch to "on", the control to "heat"....but nada...

DTKWOK

The heat for the second row should also come from the floor, from underneath the driver and front passenger seats. Not sure about the A/C though...

robr2

AC for both rear rows comes out of roof vents.

Heat for both rear rows comes from the far rear vent and from below front row seats. Heat should not come out of the roof vents.

Good Luck

wholigan

FWIW-

Wife and I were shopping aroung this past weekend and found an actual 2002 model ON THE FLOOR in Minneapolis (it was nice to actually touch one)..

Anyway, in our discussions (with the sales dude) about the LX, EX and EX with leather, he stated that the EX with leather uses a different Bolster (cushin) material than the others because of the heated seat elements. It was his opinion that they felt "a little less stiff and a lot more comfortable".

Just thought I'd share...

toys4iq

One of the companies I called about a remote starter said that the only problem with installing one in an Odyssey is that if your van is locked and you start it remotely you can not use your key fob to unlock or open your sliders to access your car. You have to actually use a key to unlock your doors. To test this, we tried locking the doors and starting the van then tried to use the key fob to unlock the doors or open the sliders and he was right! The key fob does not work when the van is running...???

Can anyone think of a safety reason why a key fob would not work with the car running?

Can anyone think of any way to override this problem? I would like to leave my car locked while I remote start it and still use the key fob to unlock and open the doors.

Thanks!

kkcymru

You're not alone. The same complaint has come up on the Mazda MPV the last couple days. Apparently it's not a Honda thing.

robr2

I know the fob is disabled when the key is in the ignition period. I was wondering what the problem was this AM as I tried to use my fob on my Accord. The car wasn't running, but unbeknowest to me my wife had left the extra key in the ignition when she cleared the snow off this morning. What a great wife!!

I presume it is a safety issue. I remember riding in my FIL's Crown Vic and my toddler son was playing with my MIL's keys and he was hitting the trunk release over and over. Kind of nice that it didn't open on the FL Pike.

stever

Interesting - we should take a poll. My Quest fob works when my van is locked with the key in the ignition and the motor running.... (but I intend to double-check my experiment tonight). MPV's fobs seem to operate like Hondas.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

richcolo

The line I got from the dealer about this is that it prevents "bad guys" with code grabbers from unlocking the doors while you are in the car. This sounds like a good idea, but I wish it was clearly stated in the manual. We found out when my wife decided to leave the sleeping baby in the running Odyssey while she picked up dry cleaning. (Before you call child protective services: The kid was 7 months old, she was parked at the curb about 20 feet from the counter and line-of-site). She thought she'd just leave the key in the switch and use the Fob, noticed she couldn't lock the doors with the Fob, tried to lock using switch on driver's door, wouldn't work with key in switch and door open. Went around and used passenger door switch. The van Idled for the next 90 minutes while she waited for key to be brought from Honda Dealer because I was out of town. Kid slept the whole time, cool and comfy inside the van while mom sweated outside. After that experience I'm not surprised that the van cannot be unlocked with the fob after a remote start. Probably the "Remote Start" package will be on the 2006 list, as in Odyssey EX-RS, for only a $1,000 premium over the EX.

ateixeira

Actually, Consumer Reports' forecasts for the the new Civic is also just "average". Perhaps first year model teething issues?

-juice

dave84

"Why isn't the Odyssey as reliable and trouble free as the Civic has been?"

I guess you're asking that question about your Odyssey, because I gotta tell you, we've had ours for two years and 36,000 miles with not one problem. What's that? You don't own an Odyssey? So your post is simply meant to stir up hate and discontent? Then go away.

ateixeira

Also, consider not only that the new Civic is only rated "average", but also the fact that it has far fewer things to break, because of the much lower content levels vs. Odyssey.

-juice

johnw15

Go away, you're a troll, always been a troll. Please go back to the hole you came out of (DC minivan boards). You're always comparing Volvos against Crapsler products and other meaningless drivels. Why must you always try to justify your poor choice of a minivan against unrelated vehicles (Civics, Volvos, Fiats, Austin Minis, etc.). We don't troll your board, please respect ours.

dmathews3

Thank you. Carleton is whining and crying on the DC boards, accusing everyone who doesn't see eye to eye with him that they are trolls, but it's ok if he hangs out here and trolls us. You know what they say, "paybacks are h---. His favorite tactic is that he just happens to know 7 people with Honda Accords and they are all lemons so he has come to the conclusion that all Hondas are junk. I told him I know someone with a almost new DC van that had the trans go out so using that same mentality then all DC vans are junk too. Now he's crying his eyes out and accusing us of being trolls. What a laugh. All I know is I have purchased over 40 vehicles and our Odyssey is the very first one in 16 months have not had one thing done except for scheduled mantainance.

stever

Less sniping, more content please.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

ateixeira

Honda actually works with lemon owners in an admirable way. A while back I saw a chart from a state DMV listing the number of lemons, and Honda had zero. None.

Turns out they settled each case out of court, using by buying back the lemon. So no owner had to get stuck with one.

I guess those 7 didn't have real lemons, or just had unreliable cars they called lemons that officially weren't.

Bad data or not, still a troll.

-juice

toys4iq

richcolo: Glad to hear the baby kept sleeping. I think I would be freaking out.

FYI I keep two keys with me. One stays in my wallet (with an xtra house key) and the other is on my key ring. I bet if you ask most people who get locked out of their cars if they have their wallet on them at the time they got locked out the answer is yes.

I will let you all know what happens when I get the remote starter installed on 1/21.

wholigan

Ok... I know I saw it here now I cannot find it! There was a link to a page that had a grid of Honda models and their associated redesign dates... In this forum, I have seen people state that the redesign for the Ody will happen in 2004. I am POSITIVE I saw this grid (and I think it was on a Honda sponsored site) that the Ody is scheduled for redesign in 2003.

Will that poster please remind me that I am not that old yet? Thanks!

Wholigan

wholigan

Here is the link...

http://www.vtec.net/news/modelmatrix.html

Not sure how accurate... It looks legit.

Anyhow...Enjoy!

Wholigan

fantomm1

I am considering to buy Odyssey
But I found that many people complain
about noise, which is start over 75 mph
on the highway.
Will be glad to get useful information.

pat84

There are basically three types of noise. Engine noise, tire noise and wind noise. My experience is that wind increases most noticeably. Tire noise is a little increased and there is almost no increase in engine noise. If you have the sound system on, you will not notice any real increase in noise.

caviller

In my 2001 LX, tire noise is by far the most dominant up to 75MPH. I don't drive much over that speed to be of assistance. On new asphalt, the van is relatively quiet at all speeds. On most concrete, the van can be quite noisy.

Perhaps different tires and/or soundproofing would improve it. If I did more highway driving, I'd consider those options. Of course, the 2002 is supposed to have reduced NVH levels, so things may be different.

hawks1

What is the general consensus concerning the new 5-spd auto? Is it considerably smoother than the 4-spd auto and is the fuel economy better? Also, is this the same 5-spd auto that is used in the Acura TL? Thanks in advance.