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

mschafer

It's good you got rid of your gremlins. However, if it should come back again in the future, you can get rid of the horrible alarm sound by turning off the power switch for the doors. It's located on the dash.

odyfan

Wow! you put 93k miles on a little more than 2 years old van. Are those mostly highway miles? Also, what brand as well as octane of fuel you've been using? Just wonder if it had anything to do with the carbon built up in intake manifold. Thanks!

Happy driving

drew_

FYI, the vehicle manufacturer and the tire manufacturer work together during the development phase of the vehicle, so the specs given on the door jamb are not frivolous.

You may want to check out the Tires, tires, tires discussion topic in the Aftermarket & Accessories message board.


Drew
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mschafer

Actually, it's a little over 92K miles in 1 yr and 8 months - purchased 9/1/99. Mostly highway miles and mostly 87 octane fuel.

If there's a TSB to fix the problem, and it centers around the PCV valve and routing, I doubt if the octane has anything to do with it.

rockycow

Many thanks to those that continue to share their findings about the Odyssey's do's and dont's- keep it up.
IMHO if you use less than 35 psi in your tires -(cold) you are reducing the capacity of the tires to safely perform at the Ody's maximum gross weight. I ran 42lbs on a 2000 miles trip from Denver to Phoenix and back and got the best mileage ever. 27.9 at 75 to 80 indicated. I know wind has a lot to do with mileage but I got 27.9 coming and going (two people bags for a weeks stay and a set of clubs and a case of maui splash!
rockycow

jim_loves_cars

I've just ordered a 2001 GG Ody EX scheduled for June delivery. I'm aware of most issues surrounding the Ody but still feel it's the best value to be found.

Question for Ody owners - is the AC up to the task of keeping the van chilly in the summer months? I have a '93 Civic Si and don't even bother to use the dealer-installed AC because it's so weak. I imagine the Ody has factory-installed AC so it's a little hardier. Please let me know how your Ody's have been treating you, both up front and in the rear of the van.

I also posted this query on the "Honda Odyssey" board. Sorry to annoy some by double-dipping, but my "refundable" deposit is going to be collected soon, so all info helps. Thanks.

Jim

mschafer

I live in Atlanta and travel the Southeast all year. The AC is more than enough.

One tip to speed up cooling it down after you've been parked for a while. Open the rear vent windows for a few minutes, and the cool air will move through the vehicle quicker. (I know there's a rear vent at the bottom of the rear side panel, but it doesn't pass enough gas to cool it as quickly as opening the rear vent windows.)

booda3d

Thanks for the responses regarding tire pressures.

Drew: I never said the label on the car was frivolous, but I suspect that the car manufacturer wants the car to seem to ride smoother so understates the recommended tire pressure by a few pounds, since I have noticed this on virtually every car (mostly Hondas) that I have owned over the past 20 years or so.

Since I seldom replace the original tires with the same brand, once they have worn down, I am not sure that label applies to any replacement brand tires.

I have had no problem with my tires. As I said,
I have had only 3 sets of tires on an 83 Honda with 180,000+ miles, so I am not going to change
my pattern of 34-35 psi. Incidentally I have never had any problem with abnormal tire wear from over-inflation or under-inflation. Other
autos (depends on weight and size) I have averaged between 30,000 and 45,000 miles per set of tires.

drew_

"but I suspect that the car manufacturer wants the car to seem to ride smoother so understates the recommended tire pressure by a few pounds"

But they are the one who state the recommended pressure in the first place, LOL. So if they understate something, wouldn't that be the recommended pressure instead? The tire manufacturers only specify the maximum cold tire pressure that you should inflate the tire to, but rarely do they specify pressures for specific vehicles as the same tire may be used on different makes/models. As I mentioned, the vehicle manufacturer works with the tire manufacturer when developing the vehicle, so all of this is taken into account. Generally though, most manufacturers seem to try to find a balance between ride quality, performance, fuel economy, and tire wear.

Good luck!

Drew
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lsg1

I have my Odyssey for exactly 3 months, and the other morning, I noticed that all 3 bands of the radio had been reset back to consecutive stations the way it was when we picked up the van. It seems like maybe the van got a jolt or something and did this reset by itself. I set it back to my liking, but just thought this was strange. Has anyone else ever had this happen? Or is there some button that was accidently pressed that may have reset the buttons?
Thanks

phil47

The only thing I can think of is that someone hit the ASEL button which automatically reselected all the stations. Hard to imagine this happening by accident as you have to hold the button for a few seconds....just a thought.

dmathews3

someone hit the ASEL button
I did that shortly after getting our Odyssey. I too thought it was funny the stations had changed by their self. On reading the manual I found that if you push the Asel button again it reverts back to your programed stations.

slocko

The ASEL button (auto selection I believe) scans all the local stations and presets them for you. It's useful for long trips so you can easily setup local stations outside of your area and upon return you press it again and bam@!, your stations come back.

phil47

I knew what ASel did, but didn't pick up on that reset feature. You folks obviously read your manuals more closely than I do.

alexlizjoe

I currently own a 2000 ax with 22 I miles. Both of the doors seem to be showing signs of dinging from the inside out. Honda claims that this problem is from outside pressure being applied to the doors from the outside. For this reason they will not pay the repair. Besides normal wear and tear (opening and closing the doors)we have not done any damage to the doors. Is anyone else having this problem. The dealer I bring my car to David Michael in Freehold NJ is familiar with the problem and has seen this on other Odds

doepel

If your sliding doors were repaired, this may have been caused by the techs pushing against the door to align it. This is what happened to mine. Fortunately I noticed the damage while I was picking up the van after tbe broken latch was fixed. The dealer admitted to causing the dents and had their paintless dent repair guy remove them...
I think it is a common problem for the techs to push against the sliding doors just below the window during repairs and cause these dents. I noticed another new EX at my work parking lot with palm dents as well. I talked to the owner and sure enough her driver side slider had stopped latching and had just been repaired. She had not noticed the dents, until I pointed them out.

sz1

I have heard a lot about the Honda Tranny making a clunk when swithching fron R to D4. Does this happen while Van is standing still or while still rolling and switching to D4?

Thanks

auburn63

If you shift while still moving it can happen then but it can also happen at a stand still.More so when the trans is under a load such as when you are parked on an incline. These engagement noises are normal. The noise that is not normal happens while moving, mostly in the reverse direction for more than several feet and is very loud as if the whole trans just fell out. If you hear that one you will know it.Good luck, if in doubt try to get by the dealer and have them check it.

davidebrown

I think this has been covered, but is the loud clunk (you can feel it) that happens on starting the car, usually cold I think, but of course not every time, a"normal" event, or something that needs fixin'? Otherwise, no real problems in the first 3000 miles...

Thanks,
Dave

DTKWOK

Dave,

That sounds like something you should take to the dealer. The thud or thunk happens after the car has been moved and when you're changing gears. There shouldn't be a thunk on start-up (at least mine doesn't do that - 2500 miles EX GG).

Druce

cossairt

OH BOY, for what it is worth and for those who might want to check their vans out here is my 2 cents regarding a previously known issue. My dad and I both purchase a 01' Honda Odyssey within a month or two of each other. He has about 7500 miles on his and I have 2500 miles on mine. He is very picky about his vehicles and takes good care of them, so any problems big or small is going to be a worry. Anyway, while on vacation he noticed in 4th gear, 50mph and the engine at 1500rpm he noticed the noise that people have discussed in previous postings 385,387,461,462 and 577. When he returned home he mentioned it to me and asked me to take a ride in his van to listen to it and to ask me if I was experiencing the same problem. We took a ride in his van and sure enough, right on queue, every time he was able to re-produce the noise. By the way, this will drive him nuts if the problem doesn't get fixed. Me on the other hand, I hadn't heard any noises but thought I should check my van out also. Crap.. mine does it to but not as loud probably because I have fewer miles and the noise related to wear. I typically have the radio on or some other distraction and would probably not have noticed until the problem gets severe. (Thanks for pointing it out Dad...) I would imagine Honda is aware of this and is looking for a fix. At least I hope for their sake, because I know one guy (Dad) who isn't going to let this one rest. I will take this in stride and begin talking to the dealer to see what feedback they have on this issue and look for any additional postings from the folks in this newsgroup. I have a feeling that as I put more miles on my van the problem will continue to get worse just as it has for him, at which point I will begin to climb the food chain with Honda. Other than this the van has been great. I stuck with Honda because of the their reliablity and track record. In fact, I have a Honda Accord with 170,000 miles that still runs like a champ. After reading through the several hundred postings I can see that my problem doesn't rank very high at this point but it does exist. My hope is that Honda will take many of the issues posted in this newsgroup seriously. If and when I find out more concerning this problem I will post additional updates. If your experiencing the same problem, drop me a line, it will help me begin bulding my case for future action with Honda if this problem isn't resolved.

Have a nice day!
Greg

fried2

Regarding a problem with rough idle on our '99 Odyssey at 41K miles. After several visits and attempts to clean the valve, passages, etc. the EGR valve was replaced. Runs like new again. Dealer covered the cost.

patel68

I have to report that while it's only been a few weeks the Odyssey has been the best family car I've ever owned.

aerocruise

My 01 LX Ody trans makes the same noise at 50MPH; particularly when climbing an incline. Had the same problem with a 91 GMC Jimmy . A ringing or mild pinging is caused when the trans is in lockup(overdrive) and the likely cause is springs in the torque converter that are too weak for the application- an engineering screw up(i.e. the weight of the vehicle and load)I plan to live with mine - why create 2 problems? I'm certain the technician will screw up something else.The trans, from what I have been told ,will survive. I, too, have an Accord with 180K and the original automatic is perfect.I do change the fluid every 10K and plan to do likewise with the Ody.

wjv

I own a 2000 with 12,000 miles on it. I've heard the noise since the 200 mile mark. Sounds to me like it is getting louder...the louder it gets, the more irritating it is. Just got back from a trip to FL...1000 miles each way. I didn't have any problems but the sound persisted into the 80 mph+ range.. I'm sure it was still there but the wind noise drowned it out.

I don't understand why Honda can't find a fix. The problem now exists over 3 model years...what's it going to take? I'm going to unload this van before the warranty runs out.. I don't see how irreversible damage can't be occurring with every mile.

We've gotten very little help from our dealership over this matter.

Thanks for listening

phil47

There is a slight "clunk" that occurs on cold startup that is normal in the Ody. It is the ABS self diagnostic test that occurs a few seconds after startup and you can actually feel it (Accords do it too). The manual talks about it as they know people will hear and feel it so they warn you about it. If this is what you are talking about, then you don't need to worry.

pat84

I have a 99 EX with over 36K miles. I can put my van on cruise at 50 or drive at 50. No tranny noise, never was. It must be that only a few do this. I haven't had one complaint.

okarl

I am finding that my fuel gauge on empty with 7-8 gallons left in the tank. The sensor has been replaced once with no change. Is this normal or do I need to have the gauge replaced again?

lumanski

I got an unusual question. It looks like my steering column is crooked. This is hard to explain but when I sit in the seat, my left hand has to reach about an inch furthur than the right. I verified this by standing outside the van and looking across the steering wheel and that right side sticks out furthur. This can't be normal, can it? (Its an 2001 EX)

shekharpatel

Is there any harm in using cruise control for 3-4 hrs continuously? On flat roads (@ 75MPH constant).
Also what is the best stratagy for driving in a hilly/mountain roads? should I reigiously downshift on the slopes (less than 5-10% grade)? I am looking forward to driving my 00LX from Carolinas to Yellowstone.
Thank you

mschafer

There is no time limiter on the cruise control, unless you fall asleep.

Ody's Grade Logic will automatically downshift on downslopes when the brakes are applied in order to enable the engine to help with the braking.

richcolo

I, for one, was surprised that Grade Logic won't automatically downshift on downgrades when you are using the cruise control. Grade Logic will only downshift after you apply the brakes (which disengages the cruise control). So, if you start down a long, straight grade, and the van begins to pick up speed above the set speed, you either apply the brakes or downshift yourself.

I thought Grade Logic was a good idea, but so far I've been dissatisfied with its decisions in the mountains, and have selected gears myself, whether going up or down. The only time Grade Logic has downshifted for me has been unexpectedly in town, usually when traveling downhill and slowing for a turning or lane changing driver... only want to scrub off a few mph and abruptly I'm in second gear... it isn't really annoying, but given the choice, I'd disable the Grade Logic.

Also, in my experience, the low fuel light will come on within 5 hrs. on cruise control. ;-)

bluff

This is probably the 2nd most complained about problem here. I have the same experience - at about 5 gals. also SOMETIMES the fuel full indicator stops below the top line. My dealer service candidly told me that this problem is prevalent on Accords as well - he said it happens a LOT. I have 40,000 on my '99 ody, I live with the problem.

cincy_ody_mike

Just took my first long trip (1100 miles round trip) in my 2001 GG EX Ody and noticed the fuel gauge discrepency. I never got the low fuel indicator light, but I filled it up when the gauge showed about 1/8 of a tank. I expected it to take about 15-16 gallons, but it only took 12 gallons on 2 occasions. Guess that Honda is playing it real safe on that count.
On a related topic, I averaged 23.7 MPG during the return trip (after the odometer had passed 1000 miles), going 70-80 MPH on the Interstate most of the time. I think this is pretty good for a fresh engine. I expect it will get a little better for the next long trip in July.

lmay92131

I'm wondering if there are any others out there that have had to contact American Honda about their
Odyssey being a lemon. I have a 2000 EX and have
had trouble with the passenger sliding door since
the beginning. I have had it repaired seven times
(it's in the shop again today) and even the dealer
advised me to contact American Honda and declare it a lemon. It's always the same problem - the alarm sounds but there's no light showing the door is open. Also the door doesn't always close correctly and pulling the handle doesn't open the door. This last time the door wouldn't lock with the rest of the doors. I took it in to be repaired and they cleaned the contacts and told me it was better - it wasn't. The door got stuck open and my husband got so frustrated he pulled the door too hard and snapped one of the cables. They have previously replaced the handle and the control panel and it keeps coming back. Anyone else had problems this bad with their EX? I did contact American Honda by phone today and they were extremely nasty. I guess I'm in for a long fight. I just want my car fixed!

c8user

Pymm & Imhip2

Sorry I didn't get back sooner. Had my 00 LX back to the dealer on May 2 (this is a second dealership not connected to the one that gave me all the grief). Met with the service manager and Field Engineer. Went for a ride, the service manager drove and we agreed we felt the vibration. Back at the shop I took a rental and went off to work eagerly awaiting word on what they would find.

At 4PM my phone rang, it was the service manager saying " I think we got it, come on down and lets go for a ride".

So I hurry back, all three of us get in the van and I head off down I-10. As I start to get it up to speed I did notice a difference. It wasn't vibrating nearly as bad as it was previously. But it wasn't compleatly gone either.

Explanation, Radial Force Variation. (Radial Runout) The Field Engineer was very technical with his explanation, but I managed to cut through the technical jargon and get some useful information.

The right rear wheel is the most sensitive position on the van. My tires and wheels measured as follows, LF-5, RF-5, LR-6, RR-15 RFV. The lower the number the better the RFV. 15 RFV is the maximum allowable limit for any wheel and tire.

So the next step was to index the tire to the wheel. Apparently when Michillen X One's are new they have a dot that is to be indexed to the valve stem on the wheel. If this isn't done it causes a higher RFV. It took them six tries but they got that tire and wheel down to a 7. As I said this made it better, but didn't cure it.

Of course this was all done on a Hunter GSP9700. Without that machine they'd still be telling me there's nothing wrong with my van. My question to the engineer was "do they index the tires to the wheels at the factory?", he said "yes". I then asked "then why did I have the same problem with the Firestone Affinity's?" Of course he couldn't say without examining the original tires.

So my feeling after nine months of having my chain pulled, Honda owes me at the very least a set of wheels, a new set of tires and an upgraded warranty to 5/50. I told that to Customer Service in Torrence this morning and am still waiting for a call back.

Will keep you posted.

imhip2

c8user - Aren't those great machines!!! I had my tires done Apr 23. What a difference. Had one of the Michilins replaced as it was bad. Vibration came back. Spent 4 hours on May 2 at the tire shop as we used the GSP 9700 to eliminate two questionable rims and make all tires perfect so there was no radial run out. Much better again but not perfect. Don't know how long it will last. I did find out that the Ody plant in Alliston does have a GSP 9700 now. I am still awaiting to see how long they have had it.

My readings were LR 11, LF 18, RF 12, and RR 20. The RR was the bad tire and out 32 but they managed to bring it down to 20. They told me that 11 was a very good reading. I'm still not convinced this is the cure but it sure helps. Need to see how the tires wear and if it comes back (I'm sure it will)

Like you I think there is still something wrong with this van. In my opinion it is with the front suspension. I think we have the exact same problem. We have the same problems with Honda too. I am going to write the Executive VP of Honda Canada Inc. He is the guy in charge of sales, marketing, parts, service, and dealer development. I figure they owe me as well.

E-mail me at Th@zeifman.ca if you want and lets see what our vans have in common. IE build dates etc.

jalyser

I have a 2001 EX. We have not had any problems with the van at all, but I do hear an odd noise. While driving, I hear the same sound I hear when adjusting the driver's seat position. It lasts from less than a second up to two seconds or so and occurs every couple of minutes. It sounds just like the seat contol motor sounds when the seat is being adjusted, but there is no seat movement and I am positive I am not hitting the seat controls accidentally. (I know that when getting in or out of the car it is easy to bump them, but this is not happening.) My children also hear this noise, so I know I am not hearing things. Has anyone else heard this sound? Anyone have any ideas on what could be causing it? Thanks!

richcolo

My guess is that it could be the "doors" in the automatic climate control system. Every couple of minutes seems pretty often even for those noises, but fortunately it should be easy to check. Just push the "Mode" button until the system is doing something you can live with for a while and wait. If the noises stop happening every few minutes, then you've found it, and it is no big deal. If it continues, then you're gonna hafta get an idea from somebody other than me!

lmay92131

We are still in the process of trying to invoke the lemon law for my 2000 EX. I stopped by the dealer today to check on the progress of the repairs (this is the second day they have had it). There were three technicians working on it and they had the whole car torn apart. They are replacing the entire motor assembly since one of the cables had snapped. They now feel that this whole assembly was the problem from the beginning and that the cable has been snagging on the wheel from the start. The service advisor told me they are as frustrated about these continuing door problems as the customers are. He told me it is not rare. I really don't want a replacement but this is the last time I am going to let them try to fix it.

auburn63

Have you tried other Dealers or is this the only one in your area? If they don't get it this time and you like the van other than this problem, try asking the dealer rep for either a differant dealers address or maybe even asked if they could send a factory troubleshooter out to look at your van.They only do this for very few select cars due to limited amount of field techs but it is an option in some areas.Good luck.

sab2624

I have the exact same noise. I have turned off the climate control system and still have the noise. Only lasts about 2-3 seconds. The noise sounds like it is coming from somewhere in the spedo. I asked the Honda Dealer in Gurnee, IL to check and they claimed "normal operating conditions". I no longer go to that dealer by the way...bad customer service. I will ask my other local dealer to check on next routine visit.

jianghaitao

Hi,

I just got my Ody, in the way back from pick up. I noticed that my Ody has a relatively loud wind noise (55mph) from the top of the car. I guess it may because of the cross bar of the roof rack? Anyone had such experience?

Thanks

HT

cmt4

I purchased a new 2001 EX Ody in February 01. Have put about 2,000 miles on it. Just started making a ping or clank when starting from a stop or coming to an abrupt stop. Definitely sounds like metal hitting metal from the undercarriage. Dealer checked it out, ruled out any brake issues or tranny problems. Dealer said they have received a "memo" on this and it is related to the strut welds. The welds will have to be redone. Anyone else have this problem?

dj5

Purchased my van in January 01, now have about 5,000 miles. About a month ago started having the same problem as you described. Kind of a bump when started off and coming to a quick stop.
Noise seemed to be coming from the drivers side and the bump could be felt under the drivers foot.

Took it in to the dealership and they said they tighned a few things and the problem is now fixed.

treyh1

May be the same problem I had. It definitely wasn't a clang or a bump; more like a ticking sound, like you were tapping the hood with a screwdriver. It wasn't loud, but it was noticeable, and it happened when the suspension cycled over bumps. I could make it happen by pushing the front bumper down & releasing it.

In any event, if that's the noise, the weld did not have to be redone. It had too much build-up which was contacting another component, and they just had to grind it down some.

FWIW, I've had the van for a year+, have 15,000 miles, and that's the only problem I've had. Been very happy so far.

lumanski

From numerous posts I have seen on this board, that noice is your cross bars. You may try moving the front one back a ways when you are not using it. Don't know how easy that is or if that will even work. You'll either get used to it or just take them off.

btempest

2000 EX with 29,000 fairly trouble free miles. I finally cleaned the van after a tough winter in New England and I noticed a series of 3 protrusions, from the inside out, on the top rear quarter of both sliding doors. The pattern is exactly the same on both sides, Some type of hardware on the inside is pushing out. The paint has actually cracked.

The dealer says it is a mystery as to why this happened. States the clearance between the hardware on the inside and the sheet metal is very narrow. He could not tell me what what going to be done to prevent this from happening in the future.

I also mentioned to the dealer for the 3rd time I heard a clunk in reverse. The 1st 2 times he could not duplicate the sound. This time he says "Oh ya - there is a bulletin out - you need a new transmission.

Has anyone else had these the protrusions on their doors? Will the car ever be the same after the new tranny?

I did not buy the extended warranty because I was buying a Honda. Shame on me!!

davidebrown

Thanks for the replies. As for it being the abs test cycle...maybe. It is more than a slight clunk, however, sometimes it is very loud and you can feel it in the van. This happens just after you start it when still in park usually. re abs, every time I back down my driveway, I feel the pedal vibrate as if the abs were being activated. I assumed that that was the test cycle for it.

Dave

2001 Mesa Beige, 3900 miles

robr2

Is your climate control/AC on when you start the car?

I vaguely remember reading that in these boards before.

Try turning your CC completely off including the rear, wait a couple of hours and then start the van. If the noise is gone, perhaps you have found the culprit.