Honda CR-V Maintenance and Repair

drive62

I think some may drift left as well (sort of like toilets flushing in the opposite direction in the southern hemisphere).

Seriously, a properly aligned vehicle should track straight and true. Road conditions may have an effect so find a flat road to test it on.

edunnett

Thanks everyone for your input. My hubby made the original post and brought the car in to the dealership to check out despite their repeated caveats that it's "normal for the car to pull to the right". We checked all tire pressure to be uniform and within spec before bringing it in. Sure 'nuf: out of alignment. They re-aligned the wheels and it drives straight and smooth now.
elissa

sequoiasoon

Have you ever looked at getting an aftermarket seat?Yeah it's not cheap but look at Recaro and go to a dealer and try one. I bought a cheaper imitation version (Flofit) and put it in my '83 Honda Civic for about 30k miles, sold it and put the seats in my '83 Malibu Wagon for 130K miles and are now in my '93 Corolla for the past 150k. I had to replace the left leg bolster cushion twice and replaced the cloth cover the second time also (let's see your factory seats after 300k probably need some help also??) They make specific mountings for different vehicles so they bolt right in normally about $50-$75. The problem I found on most "factory" seats is lack of thigh support, the cushions just seem to short for me.

Recaro makes the most comfortable, safest seats around. Many have heat and cooling fans as an option, adjustable lumbar, adjustable headrests, armrests, leg bolster, thigh support etc. I did MANY 6-10 hour drives with these seats and stay comfortable, get out stretch, good to go. My old Explorer had the "factory sport" seats with adjustable lumbar and thigh extender but I was in pain after driving 2 hours all the time, could not get comfortable. I find that most of the factory seats as well as being too short, the base cushion is too flat and does not hold you back in the seat (my butt slides forward) and I'm constantly readjusting to to keep my back against the back of the seat. The Recaro is contoured and dips down so where you sit you stay. Car manufacturers have to make the same seat fit a 5' 95 lb person and still accomodate a 6'2" 300 lb person. Trying to keep all happy and it's a big compromise. It's an investment yes but if you drive a lot, once you have a quality comfortable seat that fits you it makes all the drives enjoyable (and in your favorite car)The only issue I know currently for my Sequoia is that the seat I want does not have side air bags in it (Recaro model "style") But is the most comfortable I have ever sat in. http://www.recaro-nao.com/index_frames.html Most of the dealers can also match your "factory material" Cloth or Leather for more $ but then all you need to get might be just the drivers side (unless you want the passenger one to match)

kizhe

<<..and I'm constantly re adjusting to to keep my back against the back of the seat. The Recaro is contoured and dips down so where you sit you stay... >> . I found by my experience on a "long driving" trips that you have to move your back once in a while anyway - NOT just be "glued" to to back of the seat whatever comfortable that seat was.
(By the way, the most comfortable seats (for me) was Volvo's S-70. )
I also found that periodically "changing firmness" of your seat helps too. How to do that?
I made a piece of thin plywood about 1.5'x1.5',
polished it and rounded corners of it. During a "Long Drive",say after 4-h of driving, I put that plywood under my butt for some time (say for 30-40 min) and than remove it. Believe me, that helps! Of course, this piece of plywood works only when you "seat straight" - like driving a truck or van or SUV.

richk6

I have a 02 EX and had the "rocking seat problem" fixed with the TSB #02-017 kit in april/02. This stopped the seat bottom movement.

Recently the driver's seat backrest has a very slight rocking movement to it. The bottom is still tight.

Took it to my Honda dealer and explained the two upper paragraphs. He redid the TSB 02-017 kit fix but the backrest is still moving. The service manager agreed and did not know the reason for the movement.

He said he would call Honda engineering to see if they had a solution. Then he mentioned possibly replacing the entire drivers seat.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with the driver's seat on the 02?

sg7

Thank you so much for the info on the aftermarket seat. I am going to look into that. Thanks everyone for their posts! Happy driving! sg7

sequoiasoon

Good Luck, it's a worthwhile investment. The dealer by me (Long Island, NY) also inspects, repairs, and certifies these seats after accidents. When I went there they had just gotten a set out of a wrecked BMW. The seats were very slightly bent and twisted but the people suffered only cuts and scrapes. From the pictures of the accident you couldn't tell it was BMW. It got broad sided, rolled 4 times and landed against a tree. I've seen MANY less severe accidents (I'm a Volunteer Fireman) that the factory seats just twisted totally and folded up as the people wound up with back injuries and worse.

bshel

Hi all, anyone have a tough time with folding up the rear seats fully? The 60% section releases easily, but I am struggling to get the 40/small seat (behind the driver's seat) to fold-up/release fully for maximum cargo area. I haven't used it before this week.

crv

Does anyone know about clanking noise upon shifting from reverse to drive after complete stop.....called Honda service but they said it was normal sound...just curious to know if this is common occurance with other vehicles....new CR5's all wheel drive.....or if this might be problem to be aware of.....just doesn't seem right to me to have this kind of linkage noise from reverse to drive.....

autosaurus

My 2004 EX auto pulls to the right and my steering wheel is off center. I took it into Honda and they told me there was no way to straighten out the steering wheel. They also said they checked out the alignment and it was to spec.. Typical of my experience with Honda dealers.. Good thing my other Honda's rarely had to go in for service!

As for the seat..I'm 5'10" and this car, for me, has the worst ergonomics of any car I've driven. (very unhonda like). Constantly hurts my back and the seat back has to be very upright. My son's 2003 Rav4 is much more comfortable although it has less room.

A soon as I move closer to work, where gas milage isnt a factor (after 10,000 miles my average is about 23mpg - all highway -, this car is going!

theracoon

Both the pull to the right and the off center steering wheel can be fixed. Try a different dealer, or contact Honda directly using the information in your owner's manual.

Good luck.

tomk17

When slightly rolling and shifting from neutral to drive my 04 CRV makes a nasty "clank" but our old 98 Odyssey did the same thing. Never had problems so it may be just a Honda thing. I would not sweat it if it's the same metallic clank.

skipii

My daughter's 2000 CR-V is idling rougly and runs erratically. We have just about torn apart the whole fuel and ignition system looking for a problem. I had a mechanic tell me he is aware of a problem with the 99-00 CR-Vs where the exhaust valve seats loosen and the valves essentially pull back into the head. The result is that the valves do not open sufficiently and the engine stumbles because of the imbalanced air flow. I am told the Service Bulletin on this is # 03-038.

Has anyone else had this problem? At what mileage? What did Honda agree to do?

Thanks.

drive62

Service bulletins are different than recalls, whether silent or otherwise. All a TSB tells you is that Honda has an official fix for a problem they know exists.

As to your issue. Many people with the 1G are finding valves to be out of spec when they are inspected. Many owners are suggesting getting them checked sooner than in the manual.

IIWM I'd get the valves adjusted to spec and see if that helps. It will be your $ though, although many people do this themselves.

skipii

Thanks for the reply. a couple of questions...

What is a "1G?"

Also, the problem as I understand it is that the valve seats are actually moving, leading to a tightening of the exhaust valves. So adjustment does not help since the seats move again right after adjustment. Does this sound different that what you were mentioning?
Do you know where else I could learn more about this?
I have talked with a Honda service manager and he admitted readily that Honda is doing some factory-borne repairs.

bshel

1G = 1st generation

skipii

Thanks for the reply. a couple of questions...

What is a "1G?"

Also, the problem as I understand it is that the valve seats are actually moving, leading to a tightening of the exhaust valves. So adjustment does not help since the seats move again right after adjustment. Does this sound different that what you were mentioning?
Do you know where else I could learn more about this?
I have talked with a Honda service manager and he admitted readily that Honda is doing some factory-borne repairs.

edunnett

For three days now, we've been smelling something foul in the garage. We thought it was the dog poop in the garbage so before leaving on a business trip, my husband moved the garbage outside. Such a nice wife I am, I was washing and waxing his brand new CR-V today when I realized that the smell seemed to be with the car. I investigated and found feathers wedged inside the car's plastic bumper, to the right of the radiator but to the left and just up from the fog light. Looking at whole bumper, I can see that if he hit a bird at the right angle, it could get pretty wedged in there. Now, I may be the more mechanically inclined of the two of us, but I'm not interested in fishing rotting foul out of a bumper. I'd like to know the fastest and least "hands - on" method of either removing the bumper to let the bird drop to the ground or I'm open for other suggestions. I might be able to get tongs or pliers in there and pull bits out at a time, but that is so not something I want to do. Nor do I want to leave the newly-waxed black finish out in the weather for four days until he returns from his trip to deal with this but the stench is getting worse. Help please! I don't want the car to turn into one of those eternally stinky cars - it only has 500 miles on it!

Do you think that I could play dumb and dump it a dealer and say something about 'warranty repair' ?
elissa

isellhondas

It's not unusual for a customer to bring a car in for a "funny smell" only for us to find a dead rat under the hood somewhere inaccessable.

Funny...why is it these cars are always the ones still under warranty?

edunnett

So Craig, If I bring the car in to a dealer (not necessarily the one I bought from) and complain about a "funny smell", they can pop the bumper off and drop the bird out for me UNDER WARRANTY? Really? If that's so you just made my morning! We only did buy it a week ago so in theory, it could have had the bird in there since purchase date ... hubby doesn't remember hitting a bird. What do you think? Will they charge me??
Thanks,
Elissa

kyfdx

I bet they can get it out without popping off the bumper. You could probably do it too, if you weren't squeamish about it.

If you don't want to do it, just drop in, tell them the problem, and ask if they can remove it. I bet they do it gratis, and if not, will probably only charge you 0.2 hours labor, or about $15.

regards,
kyfdx

edunnett

RE: the dead bird. I tried to go near the bumper in my least squeamish mood this morning but honestly, it doesn't look easy to pick out. Even with a flashlight and your head all crooked around, all that is visible of the bird from the outside and from under the hood is a couple feathers. The body is lodged pretty much nearly behind where the fog lights would go. I don't know that pulling one feather out at a time with tongs will really do the trick. I think I need some advice about getting the front of the bumper off. I tried the four threaded screws and few "pop outs" from under the bumper but they only seemed to hold the skid plate in place. That won't do. Any one have instructions for getting the bumper front off? Need help! Please! Thanks :-\
Elissa

isellhondas

Not exactly warranty work...sorry.

Rats and mice are the worst! They can find their way into a heater box where they die and stink to high heaven. I once say a mouse nest under a hood that had been carefully constructed out of shredded cigarette butts...nice.

In order to get that bird jammed under there it must have been hit at exactly the right angle...strange.

Yeah, maybe your dealer has a quick way to deal with it.

One of our tech once found a very scared healthy kitten under a hood.

The owner had no idea who it belonged to.

edunnett

Thanks for the feedback and smiles :-) I did get the darned thing out. I think I used that exact phrase too, it did "stink to high heaven" in fact. Fortunately, the decomposition wasn't soo bad that there was any "seepage" yet (thanks to the busy colony of maggots) and the smell hadn't seeped into the blower or A/C yet (thank God). I popped the skid plate off the bottom of the car, found that didn't really help much, then used a wire hanger to yank it out. It was vile. Thanks for letting me share. I disposed of the body, hosed the radiator and bumper down, and it's happily parked in the garage again, not smelling so bad but with a couple more maggots floating around here and there for company. May this never happen to any one else.

sequoiasoon

Go to the pet store and get some "Natures Miracle" and if you can pour it great if not get a small spray bottle and squirt the whole area. It's in a white and red bottle. It is an enzyme based cleaner that destroys all the "rotting material" which causes the stink and will keep it from spreading. Between family, friends, kids and pets it's been used for many FOUL smelling accidents. Pour it on and let it dry naturally. day or 2 and smell is gone for good. My Co-worker now keeps it in her car because her daughter has tendency to get car sick and doesn't get the window down quite fast enough. Combine that with 90 degree days and full sun in a black VW Jetta, well you get the idea. I told her about it 3 years ago and I think she's on her 5th bottle (but her car doesn't smell!!!!)

noproblem

Anyone found a brand of bike rack that will work in a hitch receiver of CRV and not be bothered by the spare tire? The dealer parts folks do not list an accessory for this...only top of SUV.

tntitan

Pop the front wheel off and you can easily fit a couple of bikes inside.

coolchid

tntitan,
How do you secure the bikes inside the V? Is there a "mounting block/rack" available to keep them upright & secure? My son has a bike which I am called upon to transport occasionally, and it fits in fine, but I'd like to be able to keep it from "wandering around" back there. On the Honda WebSite, there is a pic of two mountain bikes standing upright in the rear, but I haven't been able to find any kind of a rack to do that. Have you?
Thanks,
Norah

varmint

You might try a hitch basket (a platform that rides on the receiver). These can be modified with a post and "arms" that convert it into a bike rack.

I have one of these baskets and it rides back far enough that it does not hit the spare. I would assume that adding the bike hardware does not change that.

danpf1

Skippi, If the seats are moving up into the head the valves would loosen up not tighten up, in other words you would hear valve clatter. The honda dealer that adjusted my valves said to lessen for the clatter, then have them adjusted or adjust every 15 to 30,000 miles. How many miles do you have and how many time have you had the valves adjusted?

silver_bullet

Your dealer is incorrect - valve recession causes the clearance between the tip of the valve stem and the actuator (which could be a cam lobe or a rocker arm) to decrease, not increase. If you think about it, you'll see this is true. Extreme cases of valve recession will eventually result in valves than don't completely close, which leads to burnt valves and loss of compression. We saw this quite commonly in the early 1970s before hardened valve seats became the norm.

j2thomas

Noproblem, I have a 4 bike rack by Hollywood. Head to your local bike shop and try a few out. Make sure the inside bike doesn't hit the spare tire or get too close to the exhaust. My rack is 6 yrs old and the model number is long gone. JT

deminin

Has Honda designed an engine that cannot have its oil filter replaced without taking a chance of having oil dripping onto the exhaust manifold and burning the vehicle to the ground??? Is this the new Ford Explorer/Firestone tire problem? At least Ford and Firestone spent millions resolving the problem. Will Honda face up to it, or just start blaming the mechanics?

thirdof4

There was a small article on the V fires in our local paper today. It said that there had been 27 reported fires of V's for the 2003-2004 models and that they were attributed to problems with the first oil change. This information was provided by Honda to the government. The article stated that all of the fires were within the first 10,000 miles and were due to improperly installed oil filters. Shortly after purchasing our 04 V, I came upon this forum and read every message. I took notes and made a file for future reference. Usually, we change our own oil but I wanted to take the V in the first time for a professional oil change because of the fire problems. I figured that I would ask that the area be covered to protect from oil spills and that the person changing the oil would carefully check to make sure all old gaskets were removed. I also figured that I would get a patronizing response and maybe, no appropriate action, but with this article, I hope I'll be taken seriously. I really appreciate this forum and all who contribute, both with questions and responses!

mcdawgg

I have a friend with a CRV, so I've been keeping track of the fire issue. Just my thoughts and opinions:

Most of us would agree that all humans make mistakes, some are very careless, etc. and that some oil change people are less than stellar workers. Therefore, it seems to me that automakers should design something like oil filter changes to be difficult to mess-up.
Looks like Honda made two mistakes here: 1) It is more difficult than average to see the filter mount, and 2) there is something hot below the filter. Now, with really good, careful people, these are not problems, but....

isellhondas

It doen't take an advanced degree to simply make sure the old gasket came off with the oil filter!

This can happen with any make or model and a lot of those have exhaust pipes in the line of fire.

Heck, I did it myself once, years ago.

I would imagine every Honda dealership in the country and hopefully every quickie lube shop has had strong discussions about this with their workers!

0142644

Would you still have bought your CRV knowing what you know now (fires)? I have $500 down on a CRV & am suppose to pick it up tomorrow.. Quite frankly I'm really undecided about buying now.

Any opinions? Thanks.

JN

isellhondas

Even if I didn't sell them, my feelings would be the same.

The chances of having a fire would be so miniscule it's not even worth talking about.

The dealers are acutely aware of checking and double checking the mounting plate for the old gasket now. They know of the potential and are being extra careful.

My wife drives and LOVES her 2003 CRV even more than the 2000 CRV it replaced.

Not enough to worry about!

bshel

I would go ahead and buy it since the news have brought attention to the issue, whether they blame it on mechanics or something else. I have yet to get my 1st oil change, but feel more confident moving forward that there is awareness of what occured during the first oil change. I'll take mine to dealer for the first oil change.

varmint

Here are a few things mentioned in other threads and forums.

1. After this publicity, dealers are going to be super careful with replacing filters. This may be the safest time in history to have your oil changed.

2. A known problem is always better than an unknown problem. If you have a CR-V and it catches fire, you have a case. If you have another vehicle and it catches fire, you have a good deal less to back up your side of the story.

3. Let's keep an eye on reality and not let fear get the better of us. Honda and the NHTSA have investigated the issue and determined a course of action. I'm not completely happy with parts of it, but I'm neither an engineer nor a safety expert. They are both.

hkjcrv

Of course get your CRV. The CRV is still a highly reliable vehicle that is great to drive! I had read about the fires on these message boards, and still purchased my CRV last Friday. All this news does is make you an informed consumer... When you go to get your first oil change, take it to the dealer. Or, take it to your normal garage and make sure you mention the issue with the gasket. Of course you then have to put your trust into your mechanic, but I don't believe there are any garages out there who are LOOKING to get sued, so chances are that they would listen to you and do a fine job of changing your oil and filter.

steveshari

Very easy for all of you with no problems to say go ahead and get the CRV. As one of the lucky 27 people who watched their car go up in smoke on the side of the highway, I would never buy another one (especially after the way I was treated). How are you going to feel the first time you get in your car after the oil was changed? In my opinion, if a technician screws up an oil change, the car should run out of oil, not burst into flames. This is one of the happiest days of my life to see Honda have to defend itself.

hkjcrv

Okay, I have to say... I feel bad for you, really. If it were me, I would be upset, too. You spend a lot of money on a new car that you like and it catches fire, definitely not fun.

However, I think it's important for you to realize what cases like yours and Sabrina's has done for the rest of us. Because of your experiences, no matter how horrible they may be, this has now received national attention. Honda now has to respond in some way, and they are already doing this by contacting all dealers and oil-change chains. Is this enough? Probably not, but it's a start. CR-Vs are not going to be forever dangerous to drive. There are plenty of happy CRV owners out there who have not had problems like yours. And to tell someone not to purchase a CRV simply because 22 out of 140,000 sold in 2003 caught fire is really not fair.

There are risks with everything you buy, everything you choose to do. Yes, the products you buy are supposed to be safe... and the reality is that most CRVs actually ARE. Statistics are always scary, but if people choose to revolve every decision they make around statistics, they are going to have a tough time and live most of their lives in fear. What are the statistics for car accidents? Heart disease? Birth defects?

In the end, all anyone can do is LEARN from situations like this. Steveshari, it is really unfortunate that you had to go through what you went through, and I hope you feel that I can understand that. But now that this is national news, everyone has a lot less to worry about.

kizhe

".. isellhondas: Strictly the fault of the person changing the oil! ..." Most people are NOT interested whose fault it was (unless they are lawyers) - they just do not want their car burst in flames.
IMHO it is NOT only the fault of the person changing the oil. What if filter body or gasket is out of specs?
Speaking of "protecting shield". I am not sure that shield can be done. It would make job of o/c or checking it even more difficult. Unless you wrap all muffler pipes with asbestos... . :-).

steveshari

Very easy for all of you with no problems to say go ahead and get the CRV. As one of the lucky 27 people who watched their car go up in smoke on the side of the highway, I would never buy another one (especially after the way I was treated). How are you going to feel the first time you get in your car after the oil was changed? In my opinion, if a technician screws up an oil change, the car should run out of oil, not burst into flames. This is one of the happiest days of my life to see Honda have to defend itself.

steveshari

Of course there are risks with everything you do. Why not try to eliminate one and purchase a car that doesn't have a known propensity to catch fire. There are plenty of alternatives out there - like the new car I bought.

richk6

Just finished watching Honda CR-V fire story on CNN Headline news. Basically mentioned oil change double gasket cause, said Honda plans no recalls and stated at ending owners should be especially aware when having oil changed.

jfavour

After you have had the first oil change is there still a danger for the vehicle to catch fire? Is there a difference between the original filter/gasket and the replacement?

I have a 2002 CR-V and have had approx. 5 oil changes with no problems. I am slightly concerned, though, as my wife frequently drives the V with my 3 kids strapped into the back seats. Wouldn't it be tough to get them out in time if there was an engine fire?

chong

Just heard the fire problem before I plan
to buy a 2004 CRV from a local dealer today.

My question is:
Is this only related to the first oil change?
What will happen if the filter somehow is broken
and is leaking oil? (I know many old car will
leak oil in some way.)

Thanks
chong

thirdof4

My understanding is that this problem only effects 03-04 models of this vehicle and happens before 10,000 miles.