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

Karen_S

I've been here and see the OT remarks. However, it seems that it jumps back before getting too out of hand. Please contact me via email if you wish to express your concerns.

user777

hope this isn't too late. did you check your warranty manual? for example, my '02 accord catalytic convertor is covered for 8yrs/80,000 miles.

happirock

I recently took my 2001 EX to the dealer to to have my odometer light replaced. I was not told that by doing so it would erase the mileage from by car. I noticed this immediately and they put a sticker on my door with the correct mileage with that date. I was finalizing a purchase on a new car and was wanting my trade-in to be perfect hence the new light bulb. When I took it in for trade-in pricing they offered me $6000.00 due to the mileage problem. The Honda dealer is in the process of having my odometer sent to CA to have the correct mileage put back on the odometer. I have been without my car for over a week, and now will be forced to sell my van myself rather than use as a trade-in. Anyone else have this problem?
Unhappy in MO">

bj2

This may an indication of transmission problem.
Honda has extended the warranty on the tyransmission to 100K or 8 years.
Would let the dealer know and have it checked out.

rduel

Try resetting the system by accessing the # 13 fuse in the fuse block in front of right front passenger door. The # 13 fuse I believe indicates the clock fuse. Pull it out for 30 seconds, then replace. This may be your solution. It re-sets the system.

oddy

All electric windows DROPPING by themselves - i kid you not. I have a new 05 oddy and randomly - both front and rear windows drop about an inch.

My dealer has not been able to find the fault - in fact told me to leave the windows down the next time it happens!!!!

anyway - has anyone else had the same probs - let me know

Thanks

macakava

Seems very "ODD" using the spelling of your pseudo-name and subject as reference.

Seriously, sounds like an electrical or "programming" glitch. The dealer can only diagnose the problem if it can duplicate your problem.

robr2

Anybody had a problem with the clear finish on the wheels flaking off.

My experience has been that all alloy rims tend to be very sensitive to salt and brake dust corrosion. I try to clean my rims weekly, put a wax on them, and avoid salt contact by using winter rims and tires.

Good Luck.

rsht

Ha! My friend had a such experience a while back with his wife's 05 Odyssey EX. He had his dealership scratching their heads left and right.... LOL. Guess what was causing the windows to drop about an inch periodically?????

Finding: It was caused by his wife pressed on the Unlock button on her remote control a bit too long.....

b_rad

When I have the inside air recirculate button on with A/C on, I have the same thing happen. If I allow the outside air to come in, the outside temp is close to the correct temp +/- 2degrees.

richtjnc2

are you using your remote fob to unlock the vehicle?

Preprogrammed on the key fob: if you hold the Unlock button after unlocking all doors, all windows go down. The longer you hold, the more they drop.

myody1

I had the exact same problem with my brand new 2005 Odyssey. I purchased it Monday, Memorial Day (May 30) and the next Wednesday (June 8) I had the problem. I was sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, saw smoke coming from my hood and then the A/C stopped blowing cold. I drove it to the dealership closest to my house and they immediately knew it was the condenser. Really?? I left it there the next morning for diagnostics and they said a rock or debris punctured the condenser. It cost me close to $900 to have it fixed (including rental car charges). I am not happy!! As for insurance, the van hadn't been added yet but it would have been covered with a $500 deductible. I would have lost my no claims discount and still have to pay for rental car for a longer period of time waitinig on the claims adjustor and forms, etc. So, it wasn't worth it.

Now that I'm aware of someone else with the same problem I am going to contact Honda.

Thanks for your post!

jjtrindc

From my reading of other forums, this has been a consistently noted problem - and that is just from people who read and respond to these boards. If we're seeing this spike here, I wonder how bad the problem really is!

After seeing the suggestion from other '05 Ody drivers, I purchased a protector for the lower grille area online from a place called Mr. Grille. They run under $100 including shipping. Many people are installing it themselves, though I paid a body shop $100 to install mine because I'm not especially handy (requires removing the top grill with the H emblem) and I leave on a big road trip on Saturday and just ran out of time to get this done. Other people have been pretty creative with using things like gutter guard and zip ties.

As for insurance, I'm surprised. We called our company before the purchase and they said that any new car we buy is automatically insured for 30 days. We just needed to register it with the VIN number during that 30 window. You should check your policy or call other agents with your company to see if they tell you a different story. Perhaps your agent saw an easy way out of dealing with a claim??

Either way, it seems something should be done and Honda should be alerted. Really seems like a design issue with the '05's. I would collect as many stories as you can from online postings and fight the repair charge with corporate! Good luck.

imagingguru

I drove my 2004 Honda minivan for 1 mile before realizing that the parking brake was on. Should I be concerned about any damage to the brakes?

Thanks

fibber2

The parking brake is a separate mini drum brake housed in the hub of the rear disk brake. The drag probably wore down these shoes a bit, but would have no effect on the life of the main disk service brake life. The only issue could be friction heat build-up that could possibly affect wheel bearing life, but I wouldn't lose much sleep over this.

If it makes you feel better: Shame on You! Don't do it again!

Steve

imagingguru

Thanks fo the reply Steve. Pardon me for my ignorance but what do you mean by "wheel bearing life?"

mg

macakava

He was referring to the fact that since the rotor was overheated with the parking brakes on, that the wheelbearings which are part of the whole assembly will over heat as well and shorten its life. Valid concern but since you have driven it for such a short distance, that should not be a problem.

Other concern is if the rotor becomes warped as well due to overheat. But again with the short distance driven, it should not be a problem.

imagingguru

Thanks for the info. Should I just let it go or get the van checked out by a mechanic? Am I becoming paranoid or what!

isellhondas

I still think it's a freak thing. These forums do attract the people with problems.

Still, I would think it wouldn't be difficult to screen the condensor in some way to reduce the chances of it getting hit by a flying rock.

A lot of other cars on the road seem to have similar exposure.

I asked and our service department haven't seen any at this point.

macakava

Just forgot about the whole incident.

I have been guilty of it as well in the past.

saltybp

Hi,
I have had my Odyssey for 4 months and last week the video from the rear view camera went black. When I put it in revers the video feed switches but shows a black screen. Can anyone help?

brenda865

I have just experienced this problem myself. My appointment with the Honda dealer was at 10am this morning.

I have had my Odyssey EX Leather DVD/NAV for three months. I received this same story about a rock hitting the condenser and causing damage that prevents the condenser's retaining the freon. It's very frustrating to pay that much for a vehicle and have to pay out more just three months later because of what I feel is a design error. The dealer manager told us that the purpose of this design was to increase mpg and acted as if we should be happy about that.

My husband looked at his Nissan Maxima to see if anything is protecting the condenser. Of course it is protected. I have been a Honda owner for 15 years now...this one being my third. I have loved all of them, but this one may be my last.

Of course, this error will never be recognized by the Honda Motor Co. because it's not a safety issue that affects their liability AND no money will leave their hands to correct the error. The only way to get them to recognize that it is a problem is to bring it to their attention.

The Honda Customer Relations phone number is 1-800-999-1009. Hopefully, they will begin to value your business and respect the fact that you shouldn't pay for a small design error on a very expensive automobile.

isellhondas

I would imagine if this does, in fact, prove to be a problem and not just an isolated situation now and then, Honda will figure something out.

myody1

Let me clarify, the vehicle would have been covered by my insurance. My point was that I had to have a repair done before the vehicle was even added to my policy which takes a few days.

Anywho, I called a reported the problem to American Honda and was told to write a letter and send a copy of the invoice. They should be able to help. We'll see. Just wrote the letter.

fibber2

Sorry, I should have been more specific - forget it ever happened. A mile or so is probably a non-issue.

Steve

jcycle

Hello All,
I bought my Ody EX-L 15 days ago. I noticed this behaviour from the 2nd time I drove and it happens very randomly.
After I put the gear in P, I stopped the engine and then I couldn't turn the key one more time to remove it. After struggling for a while, I started the engine, then I noticed that in dashboard, P light is on (to indicate the vehicle is parking mode) but D light is on as if it is in drive mode. Next to D I noticed D3 coming up. This time I changed the gear from P to R to N to D and then slowly from D to P and this time I could remove the key.
This happens very randomly. Initally I thought I may be putting to P from D very fast so it happened. But then I tried chagning the gear from D to P slowly it happend. As I said I don't know when it happens. But whenever I noticed I couldn't remove the key, it I start the engine, I notice P and D(D3) lights on.

Any ideas??

Thanks in advance.

grandtotal

Try this: take it to your dealer.

aaykay

A few years back, I drove my Acura 3.2TL (equipped with a foot operated parking brake) out of the dealership and onto the interstate, when the car began shaking violently. That was when I realized that the parking brake was set. I quickly unapplied the parking brake and the ride instantly turned smooth but was paranoid for a while. I got it examined at the dealership but they said everything checked out fine.

I never had any issues whatsover after that, with the car. I would assume the same in your situation too.

masterpaul1

From what I am reading here, it would seem that not everybody applies the parking brake fully since some are still able to drive without any notice of resistance when pressing the gas paddle. When I forget to disengage the parking brake, It's hard to move forward to which I notice right away.

hdfenton

Wrong. It isn't ABS. It's the VSA system. I finally took it into the dealership where they thrust at me a Honda service bulletin describing the sound and feeling in the pedal that I was complaining of, went for a test drive with me to verify, and pronounced my '05 Ody in perfect health-brief grinding noise and all. To be honest, I rarely notice it anymore. I still love my Ody!

hdfenton

I'd like to know if anyone has installed an XM receiver aftermarket (not the $800 factory receiver!) in their Ody and how did you do it? I'd like to at the very least not have the antenna wire in my face so that it can go outside! Ideas?

macakava

That makes sense as I believe the VSA uses the braking sytem(and ABS included) in its sequence of operations.

05toering

jcycle,

Try this the next time you can't get the key into the Lock(0) position after shifting into Park: push the key in slightly and firmly turn the wheel to the right or left as you turn the key into the Lock(0) position. That should allow you to then remove your key. Page 130 in the manual states that if the front wheels are turned then the anti-theft lock may make it difficult to turn the key.

If that doesn't work, my only other guess is that you hit the D3 button on the gearshift below the Release button and the van is reminding you to turn off D3 before you exit the van so you don't drive in that gear on the next trip unknowingly. I don't know if that's a feature or just me speculating. I didn't see it in the manual.

odystar

About 3 weeks ago, i bought a certified ' 03 odyssey EX with 33,500 miles on it. I have notice that the van rides smoothly but for when the engine is running between 1500 - 2000 RPM there is a slight vibration (from inside the engine?) which you can only feel on the gas padel & also the slight noise, the moment the engine runs below or above 1500 - 2000 RPM it starts running smoothly. Is this a problem or something usual in odyssey? Has anyone had this problem, any suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

davidf1

I jusr bought a new 2005 Odyssey on June 1st, and had the whistling noise as well. The dealer replaced the windshield, and resealed it, and that has corrected the problem.

hdfenton

YES! This is happening to my '05 Ody as well! I thought I was nuts! My husband was convinced that it was the state sticker on the windshield but I was certain it wasn't. I guess now I'll take it in and have it fixed. Thanks!!

macakava

At that RPM range, it sounds like the engine is lugging as the tranny is on the verge of downshifting from most likely 5th gear to 4th at these lower speeds of under 40-50mph. This would raise the engine RPM to eliminate the lugging.

I believe that it is normal as long as it is not excessive.

I guess that I don't observe it a lot on my Ody because of my "lead foot" driving preference style.

macakava

This is one of the growth curve pains of new (first year)models which are the "guinea pigs" for subsequent years when these bugs are removed.

sam20112

When playing the radio or CD or DVD after 5 min. a low hum occurs. The hum is all we hear through the wireless headsets. In order to hear the DVD we must play it through all the speakers. Someone thought it could be the radio frequency transmitter going bad but why does the hum occur when just using the radio and the back speakers and DVD system are turned off? Honda dealer does not trouble shoot the radio/CD/DVD which was factory installed. This is a 2002 Odyssey we have had for 3 years.

wdaveo1

Is anyone proactively selling or trading their Odyssey's before potential problems occur?

We have an '00 with 76,000 miles. We have had the catalytic converter replaced under warranty - but no transmission problems thus far.

If we don't sell - I guess we need to hope the tranny fails within the next 20,000 miles so it will still be under warranty.

The resale value is already pretty low, but I am wondering if we should consider selling now when it still has fairly low miles - or do we just hold on to it and hope for the best? One tranny failure doesn't bother me, but some of you are having problems with your new tranny's, air conditioners, auto doors, etc.

What is everyone else doing? Do we tough it out, or get out while the gettin's good?

Any advice?

macakava

If you get the oil jet kit installed as part of the recall and you change your tranny oil frequently, you should be fine like any other vehicle with similar mileage.

I have always changed my tranny oil every 40K miles as cheap insurance and I have never had tranny problems in the past 35 years of car ownership. I do my oil changes every 3K miles for the same reasons.

geoffn

I noticed the same think the other day on my 1.5 month old '05. It was about 85-90 out and the temp showed 66. My wife just took a road trip and it seemed to display the right temp the whole time 65-94. The sensor is located in the front bumper and the manual warns that on a hot day, the sensor could read hot before the car is in motion. (seems we are experiencing the opposite).

cmehta

Hi,

My Radio is not working. Upon reading various posts I find that it receives power from two sources.

I find that regular Fuse (part of interior passenger side - RADIO FUSE) is good. However, there may be some problem with the AUX fuse (another source of display power)

Could you please guide me in process of how to locate this AUX fuse?

Regards,
Chetan Mehta

jackhammer1

Brugg,

How is the resolution on this problem coming?

My 2000 Ody is starting to do the same thing! The passenger side power door closes, but wont latch (unless I push it to get it to latch).

I read post #2755, but didn't understand all the terminology (e.g. power sliding door main switch, Erase error code and recheck the system, etc.).

I cleaned the contacts and door rails, but at least half the time the door won't latch after closing by itself.

Any knowledge of simple fixes for this problem?

THANKS!!!

macakava

" It was about 85-90 out and the temp showed 66. My wife just took a road trip and it seemed to display the right temp the whole time 65-94."

Could it be that you may have selected inside temp reading vs outside temp?
That 66 temp sounds suspiciously like lovely inside air-conditioned air.
Asking the wife to show you how she reads the temps may help...

grandtotal

The oil jet kit does not apply to wdaveo1's 2000 Odyssey, it applies only to 2002 - early 2004 Odysseys.

b_rad

I took a friend to one of those places that install high-end after market car stereos to pick up his car. The guy showed me a magazine that mentioned one that should be available around Xmas that should replace the factory and plug right in to most XM ready honda radios. No mention of price

susan9

Hi.

I bought a brand-new '05 Odyssey last November. This spring, I was driving on the interstate for about an hour, then got off on an exit. After stopping and starting back up at two lights, a HUGE cloud of blue/gray smoke/exhaust came out of the exhaust pipe. A few smaller puffs came out when I started to accelerate again. I called the dealership. They asked if it made any noise when it happened. It didn't. They asked if the car was running rough. It wasn't. They suggested that someone put something in the tailpipe as a joke. I said I didn't think that happened, since I'd been driving for an hour on the highway and had no problems. They offered to look at it, but I said I'd watch it for the next few days and see if it did it again. Nothing happened.

Fast forward to this past weekend. I was again driving on the interstate for about an hour. I got off at an exit. Same thing happens. Big clouds of noxious, embarrassing exhaust. Then, it happened again on the way home. Same scenario.

Could it be happening because I usually just drive in the city? Then when I get out and really drive for a longer time, it burns some buildup out of the exhaust system (I know nothing about cars, so don't laugh if that sounds ridiculous!)

I'm going to call the dealer and have it looked at, but does anyone have any thoughts on this or has this happened to anyone here?

Thanks so much for responding.

Susan

sjv

Just purchased 2005 Ody EX-L last week and had the dealer add the XM package to the XM ready radio. The antenna was placed on the inside upper right corner of the windshield. I questioned this as the XM Radio Activation page on the internet says "If your antenna was professionally installed inside the car, you will have mutes and other reception problems. Please return to your installer and have them place the antenna on the outside of the car. You should not be charged for this service." I gave the dealer a copy of this document from the XM website.

The dealer provided my with a copy of Publication # All 27373, Installation Instructions, XM Radio System. The Honda instructions, in 9 pages of great detail, show that the antenna should be installed exactly where it is, inside the windshield?

The dealer has agreed to install any XM antenna I bring them on the rear center roof. I have experienced some infrequent drop-outs or mutes with "no signal" momentarily displayed on the radio.

1. Can I expect noticably better performance with the antenna moved from the inside of the w/s to the rear/center of the roof?

2. Will any current antenna product connector (Terk, etc.) fit the Odyssey connector on the "splitter"? :confuse:

3. What is the absolute best XM antenna on the market?

Thanks for all feedback.

stickguy

Susan: get it to the dealer ASAP. SOunds weird, and certainly no normal!

For XM, why not use the Honda standard unit that comes on the Navi model? That's out on the roof, right?