Honda Odyssey Care and Maintenance

ctomsic

I'm going to take my 2005 Odyssey in for it's 3rd oil change tomorrow. We bought it 03/05. Coincidentally, like the post right after yours, I've been a bit confused as to whether I should be getting the oil change at 3,000 miles or 15% life remaining. The sales guy told us to wait for the 15% light, but of course the manual says 3,000 miles. This time I had planned to wait until 15%. However, I've been plagued by the same "transmission sound" you're describing over the last 2-3 weeks, and it seems to be getting worse. Since it sounds like the trans, I watch the RPMs, but the RPMs don't seem to match the perceived engine stress. I've been checking the oil levels and it's a little low, but within the limits. My best guess is that the transmission noise it caused by the need for an oil change. Like I said, I'm taking it in tomorrow - I'll be asking about the noise and watching for it to subside after the oil change. I'd love to hear what your dealer has to say, and I'll share, also.

mschneider

This one is on me not Honda. I brushed a concrete pole in an indoor parking lot with some 2-3 inch linear scratches and some outer layer of paint coming off. [rear left bumper]. Any suggestions for fixing short of going to my local fiendly body shop?

Thanks

dsrtrat2

I have an '06 ODY EX-L. I want to know if there any filters or screens that need to be changed or cleaned when I change the ATF. I have read on some other forums that there may be more than just a drain and refill. A dealer wants $50.00 and I can buy the ATF for $20.00 and easily do it myself if there are no filters or screens to deal with.

If there is more than just a drain and refill I would like to know where to access that information.

Thank you in advance.

hondaturtle

I had my first oil change at 6300 miles. The oil change indicator showed 20% oil life left. I paid extra at a non-Honda garage to get the specified 5w-20 oil. They supposedly obtained the oil from a 55 gal drum they had on site.

When I got home, I checked the oil and was shocked to see that it looked as dirty after changing as it did before the change. I contacted the garage (Florida Tire/Goodyear) and they said bring it back, they would change it again, no charge, as they had just fired the person who had changed my oil because of several other customer complaints.

When I went to the garage the next day, the manager looked at the filter and concluded the oil had, in fact, been changed since a new filter was installed. When I challenged him on the dirty oil post-change, he stated I should have changed the oil the first time at 1000 miles (his theory apparently being that my oil was so dirty at 6300 miles that it would take two changes to clean up my crankcase, etc.). I told him about Honda's guidance (from a Honda service manager, the owner's manual, and from other sources) to go by the oil change indicator. The Florida Tire Mgr. still insisted 1000 miles for the first oil change. Of course, he is in the business of selling oil changes.

In any case, after driving home I checked the oil and it was clean after the second change. They installed the oil from individual 1-quart bottles, so I am sure the oil was new. I can only conclude that something other than new, clean, oil was installed the first time around.

dc_driver

I'd say you are correct (they never changed the oil to begin with). First of all, if I were you I would never take my vehicle back there again. For all you know, this is standard practice..

I wonder how many people actually check their oil after taking it in for an oil change? Not many.

As far as the 1000 mile recommendation he made to you, that is simply not true. Almost ALL manufacturers (not just Honda) do not recommend that you change the oil on the first oil change before the recommended manufacturer time/mileage.

I try to avoid "cheap, fast" oil shops such as Jiffy Lube whenever possible (although last I heard, Jiffy Lube cost more than the dealer).. I usually either take my vehicle to the dealer, or a trusted local shop...

sgarabedian

Hello Folks,
I just changed out the pollen filter in my 2005 Honda Odyssey Touring and it really wasn't very difficult. Be forewarned that the filter is expensive, like around $35, but after I saw how black the filter was, I'm glad I changed it. My van had around 25K miles on it when the maintenance reminder told me to get it changed. The location is right behind the big glove compartment. You need to pull our the "stoppers" on either side of the glove compartment - just pull them out and wiggle them a bit. You also have to remove the "pneumatic stopper" on the Left side, again just pull out. All three stoppers are snapped in, no screws or bolts. You may use a screwdriver though to pry them off. Once the stoppers are off, let the glove compartment drop completely down, and the "air box" where the filter is located will be directly in front of you. Just gently pull the plastic edges outward, and pull the plastic holder out. When you put the new filter in, be sure the "air flow" direction is correct - There will be an arrow on the new filter, just match it with the old filter.
Then reverse the above directions to get the stoppers back in place, again just snap them in. So really, this is no biggie. May take 30 minutes or so.
Good luck

dsrtrat2

When I changed this filter on my '04 I thought it was filthy, but when I turned the filter over it looked the same on that side. Conclusion is that the filter paper has a dirty look to it. I found little difference between the new one and the old one. At least it sounds like Honda finally made the replacement much easier.

user777

yeah - it looks like they made it radically simpler to change the thing yourself.

rsht

Cindy, From reading your post, you are quite a thorough individual. I think, your service person is trying to take you for a ride... Follow the on-board oil change indicator to change engine oil AND FILTER is the right thing to do. In my opinion, using synthetic oil or not is up to your preference; personally, I do use synthetic oil (5W-20 Mobil-1) and follow the Ody's oil change on board reminder closely at no less than 10%. Just a thought, if you have someone else change the oil and filter for you, do you always know for sure you are getting the synthetic oil put in your car?

rsht

Great question. I have been wondering about if there is a filter to replace at all myself. I have checked my Honda Service manual over and over, I never did see any description about the AT Filter... I assume there is none, or at least none for us to change. I have an 05 Ody, and have changed its ATF myself at 15000 miles, and plan to do so every other year since its so easy (just drain and fill). Oh, be sure to use the "Honda ATF-Z1". My buddy used something else and is experiencing some shift quality issue...

hypercore

"I understand that the Honda owner's manual states 3750 miles between oil change……yet the 2005 and later Odysseys have the onboard computer which allegedly collect driving conditions..."

Hi,

A few questions and comments on our post:

Question: What "synthetic" oil did you use for your oil change?

Comment: Not all, so called, "synthetic" oils are really 100% synthetic, such as Mobile-1. This is a rather lengthy, complicated discussion, which I won't get into right now.

Some Rambling: There seems to be quite a bit of confusion as to how long to go before doing oil changes on the Ody. Is is 3750 miles, per the owners manual, or should we go 5000 miles, or go by the on-board computer monitoring system. Now, without knowing how the on-board computer actually determins percentage of oil left, its hard to trust it. To me, the on-board monitoring system is something new, as far as my experience with it is concerned. I imagine its something new to Honda engineering as well. Its in its infancy (as far as I know). That being said, I imagine the system is rather rudimentary in how it collects data. I would speculate that the Odyssey actually does not analyze the "oil quality" in the engine to determine percentage left before oil change is required. Without knowing more, its hard to trust it. So, it all depends on how "safe" you want to be. If you go by "3750" miles, you're definitely on teh safe side, but cost is more. My salesman told me "5000 miles". Here's a suggestion if some mental peace - call around to all the Honda dealerships in your area and talk to the service manager. Ask the manager what the interval is. I bet each one will give a different answer between the 2 to 4 possibilities. You can then make a choice which way to go... change oil at "3750", "5000", or go strictly by the computer. If going by the computer, you'll probably have to do the least amount of oil changes. Also, I would add that most of the technicians are not up on the latest technology. They go by what they learned in auto-repair school. Automotive technology has been changing rather sharply. I wonder if they're all properly educated about the latest technology or are they telling the consumer what they know and not what they should know. By asking around a few different dealerships, you should get a better feel for it. I guess that's what I'm going to do when my first oil change comes up... oh, and by the way, I'll be using the real "100% synthetic oils".

As for your two questions:

(1) I think going 5000 mi. is "reasonable". Newer vehicles/engines can go more than the traditional 3000 miles.

(2) Doubtful your engine is damaged. Afterall, the indicator told you what % you had left, so if it becomes a warranty issue, you do have something to fall back on, don't you...

-Hypercore

hypercore

"I just changed out the pollen filter in my 2005 Honda Odyssey Touring and it really wasn't very difficult. Be forewarned that the filter is expensive, like around $35..."
Ouch, $35 is fairly expensive for just an air-filter.

Couple of quick questions:

1. Where did you buy the filter? From Honda dealership (OEM) or web-online after-market?

2. Do you have the part number for your '05 air-filter. I have an '06 and will most likely be the same part #.

I just bought the vehicle, so it'll be a few months before I have to do this service. I like taking care of these smaller things on my own (saves money and you learn something and are not so dependent on the service people to do the work).

I plan to do my own oil changes as well.

-Hypercore

camerauser

RE: user change-able ATF filter 05 Odyssey? Yes, there are filters and screens. But none are routine maintenance items.

One ATF filter is item number 7 in this pic of a 2005 trans. This might be user change-able.
http://www.slhondaparts.com/browse.asp?Model=ODYSSEY&Year=2005&TrimLevel=5DR+EX&- - TransLevel=5ATKA&Section=C&Category=ATM07++%7CAT++++++OIL+LEVEL+GAUGE%2DATF+PIPE- - &Doors=5&Emissions=KA&PartCatalogId=14SHJ5&ViewParts=true
25450-RAY-003 ELEMENT (ATF) $11.68

There are other screens through the trans. Not a routine maintenance operation.

Another filter, item number 10.
http://www.slhondaparts.com/browse.asp?Model=ODYSSEY&Year=2005&TrimLevel=5DR+EX&- - TransLevel=5ATKA&Section=C&Category=ATM0810%7CAT++++++REGULATOR&PartCatalogId=14- - SHJ5&ViewParts=true
27750-PL5-J01 FILTER, SECONDARY BODY $4.98

Another strainer, item number 6.
http://www.slhondaparts.com/browse.asp?Model=ODYSSEY&Year=2005&TrimLevel=5DR+EX&- - TransLevel=5ATKA&Section=C&Category=ATM0850%7CAT++++++SHIFT+FORK&PartCatalogId=1- - 4SHJ5&ViewParts=true
25420-PGH-003 STRAINER ASSY. (ATF) $36.60

There might be more.

user777

Here is a link from H and A accessories providing the cost of the cabin/pollen filter for the ODY:
http://www.handaaccessories.com/odymaint05.html

Tell everyone how it goes after 20-25K. Someone else said it was a piece of cake. This wasn't the case with '04s or older.

ody_man

Folks:

Do search this forum for the issue about single-use crush washers used in Ody drain plug. As I remember, most non-dealer places will simply reuse the washer and may overtighten the nut to cause drain pan thread stripping ($$$).

So before you dash off to Jiffy Lube, get a handful of these in your glove compartment.

hypercore

Probably they've improved upon some things from the previous generation (04 and earlier) to the 05-06s.

-Hypercore

dravenstott

Thanks for this original post. It just saved me $65. My dealer wanted $86 for the job, ($41 filter, $45 labor). When I got that quote, I searched and found your post, bought a Napa cabin filter $21, and 20 minutes later I was finished. Bottomline, 2 screws, one tab and you are done.

hondaoddity

If someone's Odyssey Manual actually tells you what mileage intervals to change fluids/filters/belts/etc., please tell me where to find this info for my 2006 Odyssey.

I read the owners manual cover-to-cover, and the only thing I can find is telling me to how to interpret the cryptic dashboard monitoring thing. I don't want to rely on the van telling me when I should change things. I want to be able to plan for it.

The things I really want to know are when to change the trans fluid, when to replace any timing or serpentine belts. (My 93 Accord had the timing belt replaced at 90K.)

BTW, I try to change my oil every 3000 miles or so. This provides me with a little padding if I can't get to it at exactly 3000.

And, thanks for the info about the one-time use drain plug washers - what kind of BS is that? Neoprene seems to have worked well for decades. Are they trying to make you void the warranty?

Thanks,

Fred

ksvlss

Hi,

We just bought a 2006 Odyssey, and was wondering if there is a published maintainance schedule, or do you have to pretty much rely on the dashboard monitoring system.

Thx

ksvlss

Hi,

We have a 2006 EXL and was wondering if it is possible to automatically lock the doors once you shift into Drive.

Thx

user777

why not call the Honda number on the inside of the warranty manual (or maybe owner's manual) and ask them to send you the written maintenance interval... tell them you don't trust a computer display to tell you when it is required.

hondaoddity

Sounds like a plan, but why isn't written in any of the manuals in the first place?

BTW, got a call from the person who "sold" my wife her van. Asked him the same question. His reply was that there was some kind of brochure at the dealerships front counter that spelled it out. Told me I could pick one up there. "HELLOOOOO" - pick one up? Why don't you just mail me one?

This is our third Honda. Had to be one of our worst buying experiences, EVER. They (American Honda and the dealership) better get more proactive, or this will probably be our LAST HONDA.

user777

ha - i bet the brochure is a listing of scheduled maintenance and costs for a range of services for a range of vehicles at 15K 30K 45K 60K, etc mileage and NOT what the recommended service interval is for the vehicle from the manufacturer.

call honda.

if the purchase experience was poor - i can relate. i was jerked around by the biggest metro atlanta ga honda dealership. they posted an add in the Atlanta Journal Constitution which was very specific on LX models, and provided a price including fees.

they would not honor it, nor would they allow me to buy an "unbumped" vehicle (i.e. without dealer adds).

the salesman kept calling me back every 2 days, and i kept saying I DON'T WANT TO BUY A CAR FROM YOU OR ANYONE AT YOUR STORE.

he knew i was going to give him ZEROs on the cust. satisfaction survey - so he wasn't going to really sell me the car. he kept it up - just wanted to jerk my wife and i around because he wanted to i guess. certainly he knew better.

then again, maybe not.

i purchased our van from a dealership with a very good salesman that knew i was serious and bringing good money to the table. we met minds in 15minutes. total transaction time: 1 hour.

nice.

happy happy happy.

ody_atl

At the risk of getting off topic, would you give the names of the bad and the good dealers. I will be buying an ODY in December, and that information would be helpful. Let me guess for fun (Gwinnett Place = Bad), Ed Voyles or Hennessey = Good).

panmax

Can't find maintenance mileage info in the owners manual either. It just is not there. Maybe it is a way to increase dealer profit. Could be the Maintenance minder on the dash is the 2005 way to rope the owner into Honda Only Parts and Service. After all, how many would know what "A16" on that cryptic dashboard monitor means? Some owners would have to go to the dealer to find out.
One time crush washers? Another overpriced way to rope the owner in to Honda Only Parts and Service. $0.75 each at my local high priced dealer (stealer). The copper colored washer on my Nissan's oil plug does not leak after 100,000 miles and has never been changed. Same with my Mitsubishi drain washer made of unknown metal.
And that Honda only transmission fluid. Overpriced at $7-8 at various dealers locally. Can't get it on a holiday or Sunday either, dealer only.

user777

There are some reasons why I would like not to answer your question directly, however two other families buying at the same time as my wife and I also found that the "foremost" dealership in the metro area was far more trouble than worth the effort; That is sad, because their inventory is so large.

FWIW: none of the 3 families made their purchase at that particular dealership.

This was three years ago. Things change (or can change). Did you try dealing with someone there?

longo32

I have a 2003 Ody EXL (in Canada) the 48,000 Km (30,000 miles) $ervice check is a joke, and an expensive one. I was told by a very serious service writer that they "take off the pan, change the filter, clean, and refill with new fluid". This must sound pretty impressive to someone who has never looked under their Ody and know there is no "pan" to take off, and no way except completely removing the a/t to get to the filter.
I have had the recall done for the a/t return line offset nozell fix, (a patch up job if ever there was one) The dealer didn't tighten up the fittings properly and I had a puddle of a/t fluid on the driveway the next day.
Took it back, and with a very serious face they told me that the "O-rings" had to be replaced on all the lines. Guess Honda Warranty got stuck with an even bigger bill when all they had to do was tighten one return line fitting. (and admit they didn't do it right the first time)

Yesterday I found the drain plug on the a/t and it takes a 3/8 square drive to get it out. Low and behold it was a magnetic drain plug that looked like a big fur ball with all the metal filings stuck to it.
Drained out the old fluid that is in the housing, cleaned the debris off the magnet and re-filled with 3 ltrs of Honda ATF fluid at $12.00 a liter. This is a painful, messy and inificient way to do the job, as the tranny might now have at best, a 50-50 mix of new and old dirty a/t fluid and filter in it.
What Honda should have done in the first place was install an in line, screw on filter that could be removed like any other spin on.

Without a complete removal of the whole transmission there is no way a dirty Honda Odyssey a/t filter can be changed.

ody_atl

Thanks for your reply. I'll be brief, then I'll move my question to a more appropriate board.

I personally had a bad experience at Gwinnett Place about six years ago, and I will never walk onto their property again.

I have heard good things about Ed Voyles from 2 people who recently purchased there. Both report respectful and honest negotiation over email/phone.

Henessy seems to get some good comments in the Carspace forum.

normaljoe28

Just had my first oil change on a 2006 Odyssey. I didn't take it to the dealer, naughty naughty. Now I can't figure out how to set the monitor back to 100% oil life. Anyone know

ic_designer

Does anyone know what is the difference between the part numbers 08200-9001 and Z8001-88433 for the ATF-Z1 fluid? The reason I am asking because the part number on the ATF fluid that I bought 3 years ago indicates 08200-9001. One of the web sites selling ATF-Z1 now indicates Z8001-88443. Did Honda change the part number? Before I order online, I'd like to make sure that I am buying the right one.

Alland

rberi

I was quoted a price of $750 to $1000 for timing belt replacement for a 2001 Honda Odyssey. This is way more
than I have ever paid for a timing belt replacement.
Anyone have similar experience ?

My Oddy has about 86,000 miles. The manual recommends timing belt replacement at 90,000 miles. I plan to keep
the van for one more year before trading it in. Should I
just avoid changing the timing belt? Any advice ?

Raj

fx35awd

If you going to trade it in, I don't think should change it. The dealership will low ball the value of your van and would make alot more than enough money to cover the timing belt repair. However, if you are going sell it on your own I would recommend replacing it since you will get more money for your sales and I think it is the right thing to do for the next person who will be buying your van. That is my opinion.

deltaa1

I called Honda shop for scheduling Oil change. He suggested for 7500 mile service check up(costing more than 80 dollar that include oil change) that includes wheel rotation & balancing. I have checked Honda web site and could not find such recommendation for new odyssey 2006.

Just wondering if it is real recommendation or ..?

jcgreenberg

I too can not find a service interval in the 2006 Odyssey manual. I looked at it in great detail. I have an EX and the only thing it references is the maintenance reminder. The dealership out here where I live says it is every 3,000 miles but I thought the dealership where I purchased my Odyssey stated 7,500 mile intervals. So, I am confused. The Honda web page states that the interval in the manual is more than adequate (whatever that mileage might be) and performing oil changes more often are not necessary.

deltaa1

I have been to shop to ask more . He will send me a list what this 7500 service meant.
It is not recommanded by Honda.So you will not find it in service manual.

faxpaw

Currently have 44,000 on my 05 EXL,NAV Ody. My dealer informed me that I need brakes flushed, coolant& p.steering fluids replaced in 1,000 miles. As Fred states in message #277 not much maint info available in the the owners manual so I called(1-800-999-1009)American Honda Cust Serv folks in Torrance Ca. I spoke with Chris (a Honda Employee, not a subcontractor). He stated that they did not have any written correspondance specifying maintenace intervals and that info was avail via the Maint. Minder. I explained that other than the oil life indicator, maint. minder info was not timely enough especially for someone driving on a long vacation trip. He agreed and gave me (via our phone conversation)the following info:Change Brake Fluid - every 3 years, Timing Belt - 105,000 miles unless operating in unusally hot/cold climate. Spark Plugs -change with t. belt. Trans fluid - 30,000 miles. P. Steering Fluid- 45,000 miles. Coolant- he could not find that information but I did find an intersting web site http://world.honda.com/environment/2004report/36_zisseki_06_01.html which states that in 2003 Long Life Coolant was used with replacement at 3 years or longer? Hope this info helps!
Dave

blackexv6

I agree with fx, if you are trading don't have the belt replacement done. You will never get your money out of it. Even though your car only has 86k miles, the dealer will probably wholesale the car.

If you sell it privately, it is your choice. A lot of these Ody's go 150-180k+ miles with the original timing belt. My 2000 has 135k with the original belt - not worried at all. Will probably change around 150k.

jchan2

I don't know if this helps, but in the owner's manual of my 2002, at 7500 miles you're supposed to change the oil and have the tires rotated for both the Normal Maintenance Schedule (7500 mile intervals) and the Severe Maintenance Schedule (3750 mile intervals)

fx35awd

I have the life of the oil indicator below the speedometer. Can you guys just go off of that? Unless, this is a new feature on the 2007 only.

faxpaw

On my 2000 Ody I was changing the oil at 3750 miles, on my 2005 Ody I'm changing the oil when the oil life indicator reads 20% to 30% which generally equates to 5,000 to 5,700 miles driven since my last oil change. So yes, just go off the oil life indicator.
Dave

caravan2

If timing belt break, does this cause more damage? If not, you can take a chance.

mdp

Has anyone ever had this msg show up on the multi display on a touring 06. How do you reset this and I have done everything to check the cap and tighten. I can not find any info in the shop manual. Thanks for any input

dsrtrat2

Every time you turn off the engine, remove the fuel cap and replace it making sure you hear it click 4-5 times. After about 3 times the message should disappear.

mdp

Thanks for your advice but that did not work. Is there anyone else out there that might know the trick to reset the "Tighten Fuel Cap" warning msg

macakava

Try disconnecting the battery cable(s) for at least 10 minutes.

Some electronic systems lose their settings without power. It worked in resetting many of my vehicles, including the check engine light caused by loose gas cap on my 04 Ody

user777

after a number of start and drive cycles (i don't know how many), it should go off.

if it does not, it suggests a possible problem with the emissions control monitoring system, perhaps a bad cap, or perhaps a bad vent valve, or more likely a bad filler neck tube going to the tank.

i'd say it should be off within the week. if not, bring it in and have them smoke test the vehicle for leaks.

emntee

I have just bought a second hand 98 Odyssey and there is no owners handbook with it. Would there be anywere on line where I could copy one?

Tony

cableguy06

Did you check eBay? It's amazing the obscure things you can find there.

jwb18t

I had the same thing happen to my 2007 EX - L. Brought in to dealer and they reset it while I waited. took about 15 Min.

user777

you can google it and find them on eBay and other sellers.

but, if you register your used vehicle with Honda's "OwnerLink", there is the possibility a .PDF version is available to you for download.

there was for my '02 accord.