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

rberti

This is my first Odyssey(06)and am very surprised at how hard it is to turn the steering wheel or even hold the steering wheel on line when going around a curve at relatively low speed. Honda says it's normal but I would be interested to see if others find the steering "heavy"

rberti

fencingmom

Just bought an 06 - the dealer gave me the "valet" key and ONE regular key....shouldn't there be two black keys given?
I have to go back to the dealership for a plastic problem
with the third seat anyway---so can ask when i get there but thought I'd check first.
Thanks!!

azkid2

Yes, you should have two regular keys. Someone screwed up.

macakava

If you were used to the soft steering with no feeling of "connectiveness" with the road like most/all domestics brands do, I can understand.

The Ody gives its drivers a great driving feeling of being actively engaged like a good handling car and this may be what you are experiencing

user777

i think macakava hit it on the head. the ody, like other hondas provide very good feedback of the road, and it is preferred by many drivers. if you're comming from a vehicle with very light steering, you might have never been able to get a good sense of the conditions you were driving in.

that said, the honda should be very easy to turn and manuver. you should be able for example to rest your elbow on the door, and with two fingers of your left hand control the vehicles direction with very minimal steering wheel effort (i'm not saying you should drive this way), but if the vehicle is set up correctly, it is easy to do.

if your tires were grossly mis-inflated (i.e. under inflated), you might feel a sluggishness and difficulty turning the wheel, specially at slower speeds. i'd check your tire inflation pressure with a good gauge.

if you still find it hard to manuver, specially in curves like an off-ramp (however, are you taking the curves very fast? - the honda by the road feedback through the steering wheel will actually be telling you, well not speaking but communicating subtle queues this is the case), then perhaps you are not getting the proper power-assist in the steering that you should be. a trip to the dealer will rule this out.

once you get used to the steering response of the honda (assuming you were comming from a vehicle that didn't provide this sense of connectedness to the road), when you get in another make vehicle without it, you'll wonder where the road went.

then again maybe not. it's definitely a driver's preference though, and can be of great advantage to you, for example, when you hit an ice patch, or are taking a corner too fast, or you are hydroplaning (sp?).

bomoor12

This is to just say thanks for all the messages I received on my 98' Honda Odyssey. I had the starter checked and it was bad. Technician had it rebuilt and now everything is fine. Thanks to everyone for your help.

jchan2

You should have 3 keys- Valet and 2 Regular keys with key fobs.

gregbr549

I have an '02 Odyssey. When I turn off the lights, the parking lights stay on. When I open the door with the key out of the ignition, the 'lights on' bell rings. I removed 2 relays under the dash which made a clicking sound when I turn on and off the headlights. The lights stayed on. I disconnected the lines to the light switch on the steering column and the lights still stayed on! What do I do now???

jchan2

I don't know.
Have you tried bringing it into the Honda dealership?

gregbr549

Not yet, I was hoping it was something simple I could fix without the wait and hassle of taking it in.

jchan2

Perhaps some more mechanically inclined members can help out

user777

perhaps there are more relays involved here.

rhetorical question: besides the stalk control, what system can command illumination of the parking lights?

i believe that might be the system that flashes the lights when you activate your key fob. maybe that system has a problem, or a wire leading from it is making contact with power where it shouldn't.

that said, i myself would be looking for the relay that activates the flashing of the parking lights when you use a fob for keyless entry. owning an LX though without keyless entry, i'm just taking an engineer's SWAG at your problem.

look here for the instructions to install the option to add keyless entry to a 02-04 odyssey:
http://www.handa-accessories.com/odyssey/odykeyless.pdf

maybe you have a loose wiring harness or fuse. perhaps the factory-installed and the accessory option harnesses, relays and fuse locations are the same or similar enough that you could locate them, trace them and reseat the harness connectors, or the fuses if they need it. perhaps too, the same or similar relays are involved. note the two additional relays for this accessory. they no doubt handle the doors, horn, and lights.

hope it helps.

hansienna

YES, you have a lemon. My son's 2001 Odd EX has had NO transmission problems.
As with any brand, Honda too can build a lemon. :lemon:
If you like the Odd better than any other minivan, trade it in on a new 2006 Odd. You could also be unlucky and get a lemon with any other brand.

dpritt

After trying to get my automatic doors open when they were frozen shut, the sliding door light is on and now the doors do not open automatically at all.
I checked all of the fuses and did not see anything abnormal.
Anyone have any idea what I may need to do to get them going other than taking it in to the dealer...$$$? :confuse:

user777

a couple of thoughts if i had an EX with the autosliders, i would:

a). clean the contacts of the door pillar using a pencil eraser
b). verify that none of the spring-loaded connectors on the doors themselves are sticking due to water/ice. verify they return to their fully extended positions with the door open without any coaxing
c). check for any obstructions in the track at the top and the bottom
d). look for ice buildup anywhere on the 4 sides and corners of the door and the vehicle that would obstruct the door from going completely closed. this includes the rubber seals. you might have to get on the ground to check the bottom side of the door and vehicle.
e). park the vehicle in a warm area, like your garage which is above freezing for a few hours, then try again
f). if you are still having a problem, try the door relearn procedure. do a search in this forum and you will find it

hope it helps.

oweingart

I am considering buying a 2001 Ody with 43000 miles that appears to be in mint condition, and has until April 07 and 75000 miles on the dealer warranty.

I want to tow the Ody behind our motor home. Honda transmissions, in general, are said to be towable, although Honda, after many years, still says that they have no test data, hence cannot warranty the transmission!

I am concerned about the many 2001 Ody transmission failures and problems reported on this site. If the dealer sees the tow hooks on the van, he will no doubt blame any transmission problems on towing, which is not covered by the extended warranty.

Any opinions or experiences with towing this van will be appreciated.

We currently tow a 94 Aerostar with the Remco driveshaft disconnect, and it works fine, although a quite primitive device.

fusionlaw

On a slightly related topic, I just got a 2006 Odyssey EX-L which I am happy with so far. I was surprised that the headlights don't go on or off automatically. It's been a while since I had a car without that feature and I keep forgetting to turn them on (it beeps when you don't turn them off so that's less of a problem).

My question is whether there is some way to program it to make the headlights go on automatically when the car is turned on?

sebring95

You can just leave them on all the time. They'll shut off 15 seconds after you shut the drivers door, and turn back on when you open it/restart the car. I too was a bit miffed by Honda only including auto headlamps on the Touring, as many econo cars have this feature. Of course my opinion of Honda is they always nail the engineering/drivetrain and then botch the features so I wasn't too surprised.

fibber2

Had to make a relatively minor by potentially serious fix on my '02 last week before a Turkey Day cross-country outing.

For several weeks my tailgate has been difficult to latch shut, and extremely noisy (metal on metal scraping). Being busy, I neglected it until the evening before a trip, when I was checking pressures, fluid levels, etc. Turned out that the latch mechanism is held in by three philips head screws, which had backed out almost completely (two were out, one still holding by a few threads). Access for re-attaching required removal of the interior trim panel (note to anyone doing this to be careful of the lock button linkage retainer...). More a major pain than difficult, as the plastic and clips were cold and unyielding. A hair dryer helped to prevent fractures.

Steve

fljoslin

Also on a slightly related topic, I am surprised that the 2006 EX-L does not have rear heat and A/C controls at the front. My 1995 Suburban does and I believe that my 1992 Grand Caravan did. This seems an inexcusable omission in a vehicle of this caliber (and cost).

sebring95

My '05 EX-L R&N has controls for the rear on the front panel. There's a button that says rear lock which turns the rear controls off, and you can then control the blower speed and temp from the front. The temperature for the rear is matched to the drivers temperature setting. The touring has a full tri-zone control up front that allows you to set a rear temp seperate from the driver/passenger.

victoria3

I laid a $5000 check on the top of the coin drawer, and while driving, it slipped behind the drawer into oblivion. I can't find any way to remove the coin drawer - can someone please, please help me figure out how to remove it to retrieve the check? Thank you!!

sebring95

Yank hard. It's just a friction fit type of thing.

gpm5sm

hi, i'm new to this forum. my concern is the illumination on the clock. when i bought my van in 2002, i noticed that the clock don't illuminate at night. i thought it is just as it is. to my surprise, just a month ago, it just lit up and was for three days. then it's gone again. the clock works, but again without illumination at night. what can i do/ thanks.

user777

use search this discussion. it's been addressed.

catcrazy

I have a 97 Odyssey and my oil light stays on. I have had the engine flushed 3 times, the sensor changed and the light is still on. the mechanics keep finding soot in my engine. Has anyone ever had this ? Mechanic is stumped.

niceguy

Hi,

I have the same problem on my 04 Ody. After searching on this forum, I'v learned that it's kinda easy to replace the light bulb for the clock. However, my car is still under warranty. Can anyone let me know if dealer will fix it for us for free ?

Thanks in advance !

user777

i should think so. it isn't a wear item is it? if your warranty doesn't exclude it, they probably do.

fibber2

Try giving the dash a sharp slap in the area of the clock. Mine quit about 6 months ago, and this 'fixed' it. I suspect that the bulbs are not well vibration isolated, and are not properly seated in the socket.

gpm5sm

thank you very much. i will try again.

paul9

Bought 2005 in April has 7,500 miles on it. Occassionally the passenger side sliding door nearly closes but suddenly returns to the open position. Today it happened three times and eventually manually closing was necessary. There is nothing obvious blocking the track. I took it to the dealer and they "couldn't replicate the problem". They lubricated the track and sent me on my way.

I got rid of '99 Sienna for similar problems(after spending $800 to no avail). Is there something I should pressure the dealer to do?

tld

Here is a wild guess for 2002 owners. Very early 2002s had issues where the battery and five door lights on the dash would turn on and then go off. Other symptoms would be the vehicle would quit, in rarer cases a fluctuating idle at stop.

There is a notice on the Honda tech site that the tech can search with regards to the light symptom. Solution: replace the alternator because there is some type of connector on the alternator that is bad. Fixed my problem!

msibille

Check the tracks for debris, check to see that no floor mats, rugs etc might be interfering w/ path of door.

However, more likely might be a pblm w/ dirty contacts.

Look at the fwd edge of the open door. You'll see a black connector w/ numerous electrical contacts. A mating connector panel is in the door jamb. Clean with a clean cloth and mild detergent if needed. Follow with a light burnishing w/ a standard pencil eraser to remove corrosion.

If the above doesn't help, it may be a prblm w/ the actuator itself (bent rod or the like) that is causing some resistance to closing. (The system is supposed to sense and obstruction and open if it comes into contact with one (like a garage door closer).

Good luck

catcrazy

I have a 97 Odyssey and oil light stays on. Mechanic has found a black soot like substance in engine and can't figure out what causes it. He has flushed engine 3 times but it is still there and light stays on. He changed sensor and car is not losing any oil and runs like a charm but soot like substance bothers me and him, also that the light won't go off. Can anyone help ?
Thanks

j14152

When I got the Engine Check light on (2000 Odyssey) at about 75k, I got the ABS light and the Check Engine light on at the same time at least twice, simultaneously. I'd reset the light by a battery disconnect a few times, and just kept on driving. I couldn't detect anything wrong, or in my mileage, and I wa way out of state, on vacation. When I took it in to my local dealer, at my leisure, they replaced the EGR control under warranty, which was appropriate.

But - they also wanted to charge me $40 for the ABS warning light and code diagnosis. They wanted almost a grand to actually diagnose and fix the ABS. I told him to put out all the check lights, which they did. Then we argued over the $40 charge for the ABS diagnosis. I won the argument. Then I went home.

The ABS works just fine these last 30k miles, and the ABS light has never come on again. I've checked the ABS function on sand and grass, and it works just fine.

I bought an Actron OBDII code reader when I got another Check Engine light on, P0420 code (catalytic converter not functioning properly). There's a service bulletin out that says reset the code and drive away. I've done this about six times the last 10-15K.

Maybe it's time for O2 sensors (with 108k), which is what measures the catalytic converter performance? And maybe, Honda needs to reprogram the ECU computer? But at least I haven't had the dealer tell me I need another $1000 in ABS repairs for this problem.

Sometimes I wonder who to trust, except myself, when it comes to fixing cars.

j14152

Speed doesn't kill - that's a fallacy.

Differences in speed are what do it to it.

We're hurtling through space at something like seventeen thousand miles per hour. No one even seems to notice, and certainly, we don't die from this, or even put one little dent in our cars from all that speed.

If cops were smart and real honest as well, everyone would get tickets that they couldn't afford to pay. Nighttime speeding tickets would cost more than daytime tickets, and we'd all get them for going the speed limit!

It's all in the reference point you choose, you see.

j14152

Re Check Engine Light on (CEL) with the clogged EGR problem, or catalytic converter failing (Code P0420): Do the disconnect trick very quickly, and the CEL light will reset, but radio anti-theft code remains set. The light goes out, but if I'm not mistaken, the code remains programmed in the ECU. A full reset may require an OBD checker reset.

hsong

Thanks for the suggestion, and I took my car to
dealership again. (The first dealership did not fix that, I doubt the care since I did not buy from them.)

They spent a day on it already with Honda help over the
phone, and still can not find the reason.

The give a rental car for me and said it is gonna take time. My concern on the Honda quality is growing.

I liked the Honda look better than Toyota, and believe them
have the same quality, I am afraid I was wrong.

zyx1

2006 Odyssey EX-After making a right turn or left turn or back up, once started going forward, I hear a click noise once under the van. My dealer said it is very common in most of the Odyssey's because it is re-alligining the brake plates. Wondering if any one has the same problem.

just4fun2

Speed kills - that's the truth!

It all depends on how fast you go from 0 to seventeen thousand miles per hour. Accelerate too fast and the "G" forces will kill. Decelerate too fast and the speed of deceleration can kill you.

So, see, Speed does and will kill.

Try again!

strawfoot

2002 ody clock light: Have a 2000 ODY with the same problem. Was told by one Honda dealer that would have to lower the dash and at that time they would replace all the bulbs COST $125.00 Went to another Honda dealer and they did it for $25.00 Apparently there is a special tool they use to pop the clock. It was that simple

fljoslin

Thanks for your reply. I will check this, but I don't believe that is what the manual says. The van has been sitting in the garage for most of the last two months since it was primairly purcahsed as a family trip mobile and we have not taken any.

stillniowa

I was wondering if anyone was experiencing problems with the vents not blowing correctly in the new 2005 ex models. Now that it's getting cold here in IA. I like to have the heat on the floor boards. Our van doesn't blow heat down ward like it should when we put it on our feet. It only run the fan and blow the air on the defrost mode. Any solutions would be helpful. We are taking the van in for service this Saturday for wind noise repairs as well. So far we aren't impressed with Honda. We are previous Toyota Sienna owners and had no problems at all with that van.

Thanks

sebring95

That's what we bought ours for, family trips and airport runs for the kids (college).

I played around with it a little more Friday on a trip. If you press rear lock, you control the rear from the front. The blower speed is manual (middle control button) and the temp adjusts with the front drivers. I was able to get cool air to the rear by cranking the driver temp way down. It also automatically controls where it blows the air based on temps. Cooler temps come out the ceiling, heat comes out of the rear floor vents. If you turn the lock off, the rear is completely manual and controlled by the rear buttons. You can then have heat blowing from the ceiling if you want.

srikanth2305

Hi, We have the exact same problem with our three day old Odyssey. It is more like coming when the engine RPM reaches 2K and until it crosses 2.3K and this happens to be in the 6--65 mph range on the top gear. This is very annoying since the van is so new. Please let me know how this turns up so that I can follow up with my dealership in the same line. Thanks. :confuse:

stillniowa

thanks for the information...I will try and see if this helps. It's the front that we are having the most difficult getting the air to come out at our feet. Also, do you have problems with the windshield wipers. It snowed last night and we were driving with wipers on and all they seem to do was smear and freeze slush all over the windshield. After many attempts to wash it off with windshield wiper fluid we finally ran out and had to drive with a very dirty winsheild in a snow storm....We've had this van less than 4 months and I'm about ready to sell it:(

mahinda

My 2006 odyssey have this engine noise when I am cruising around 50-60 mph. I am planing on taking it to the dealership. It also has a minor rattle in the glass behind the driver.

wht1986

Well, the dealer finally reproduced the stall. I left it overnight and had them drive it first thing in the morning. They said the main computer was the culprit and replaced it. However we just had our first cold snap this weekend, and it stalled out again. It drives much better since the computer was replaced, but obviously that didnt fix the problem 100%. I will mention the alternator tech note next time I am as suggested by the tld's post.

sebring95

If you keep it on auto and it's calling for heat, it comes out mainly on the floor, some up above.

I put winter wipers on and don't have any trouble. I swap out all my vehicles as I've never had much luck with normal wipers in the snow/ice. I also keep the windshield fluid topped off with the anti-ice stuff. You've gotta stay on top of that when the service intervals are so far apart. I think the minivans take on more road mist than SUV's/Trucks. A lot like cars really.

rodknee

I have a 2003 Odyssey with factory installed heated seats. Neither of the seats are heating so I suspect the fuse is blown. However I've checked the fuse box under the hood and both the driver and passenger side fuse boxes in the passenger compartment and don't see a fuse labeled Heated Seats. Anyone know where the fuse might be? Thanks.