Honda CR-V Maintenance and Repair

kath1

I was searching this site before going to my dealer. Purchased a 2004 and have less than 5000 miles. Had a slow leak,took it to a tire dealer, found a pinhole leak in the sidewall and patched it. Have been concerned that this occurred so early. However, have had a slight problem with what I thought may be the alignment, and I'm beginning to wonder if the 2 are connected, after reading some of these posts. Main question: should I be able to ask the dealer to replace the tire?

kyfdx

Pinhole in tire likely has nothing to do with alignment..

 

And, I'll save you a lot of grief.. Any problems with original equipment tires? Just suck it up and pay for it... No one will do anything for you from a monetary standpoint..

 

regards,

kyfdx

bshel

kath1, you certainly could ask him, but I think he might frown upon it because there are so many miles and tires do pick up any type of debris. I got a flat three weeks after picking up the new V. Tire not patchable, had to replace.

hkjcrv

Thanks for the help kyfdx. I didn't realize that this would cause the side airbag to go off. Makes a lot of sense though, and an excellent safety feature in my opinion.

 

I've never had side airbags in a vehicle before, so I didn't understand what was going on. I thought there was something wrong. So I guess all of the days that I've had my laptop and gym bag, lunch, purse, etc. on the passenger side seat, it has either been heavy enough to fool the car into thinking it was a passenger, or light enough to not upset the sensor. I would never have thought that the laptop was causing the problem since I've been putting it and other objects on my front seat since I got the car.

 

Thanks for the tip, though. It's good to know what's going on!

hkjcrv

I remember reading things about the tire pressure on these boards... I know that for some people, there is a difference in the recommended tire pressure and what the actual driver prefers. Any tips on what pressure I should keep my tires at to maximize fuel economy? I'm down to getting 19 mpg with this blasted cold weather and I'm really upset with it. Just looking for anything I can check or do to make the gas mileage come back up...

 

...and no, moving to a warmer climate is not an option right now.

tgj00

I have a 99 CR-V with 105K on it which just had the timing belt replaced while in the shop for a MIL code indicating a random misfire. Replaced were the plugs and plug wires, distributor and rotor. Not long after the getting the car back the MIL light came on a while then went off and has been off for several weeks. The car which had the original problem of starting fine but if put into gear in the first minute or two, would slowly find the RPM decrease from 1100 to 0 and stall. Putting the car back into park and waiting a minute, it would start up fine and if left to warm up to normal temperature would run fine. This behavior is consistent over the last couple of months in spite of the timing belt change and other repairs. What might be causing this behavior and how would I trouble shoot it? Thanks.

crvkurt

I'm a recent 2005 CRV EX buyer and recently found out that one of my wife's friends has a a 2004 CRV EX. He commented that he has had a problem with CDs being very warm when removed from the disc changer, and that he also feels like there is not much air that comes out of the floor level vents. He also has had unresolved problems with the autodirection switch on the cassette player not working and instead, ejecting the tape. The local Honda dealer told him that it wasn't supposed to switch sides without being changed manually.

 

Has anyone had any experiences with these items? I did not see any previous posts? He said he wondered if the ducts might be leaking/disconnected or if there might be flow diverters not working right.

inkie

If as you say, the sidewall of the tire was patched. You should return to the person that did this repair and tell him the tire is unsafe. Repairs of the sides of a tire is not recommended under any circumstances.

rockycow33

Absolutely agree with Inkie, Check with your local tire stores they do not repair sidewalls.

theracoon

He commented that he has had a problem with CDs being very warm when removed from the disc changer, and that he also feels like there is not much air that comes out of the floor level vents. He also has had unresolved problems with the autodirection switch on the cassette player not working and instead, ejecting the tape.

 

My CDs are also somewhat warm after being in the player a long time, and I have to eject a casette and flip it over to play the second side.

 

As to the floor vents, it's also blowing air to the rear seat floor through vents under the front seats. I've driven cars that had greater flow on the front seat floor vents, but the CR-V was the first that also had rear seat floor vents.

 

crvkurt

I checked my owners manual and it indicates that a tape should automatically switch sides. Seems like this is a standard feature that would have been around for years - even my 93 Subaru did that.

I have not drug out a tape to test it on my CRV yet.

isellhondas

You beat me to the punch! It is NOT O.K. to patch a tire with a sidewall puncture. I know it seems like such a waste of money to throw away an otherwise perfectly good tire but that's the way it is.

 

I've had to do it myself.

lhogan

WE just bought a 2005 CR-V Lx Fwd Sahara Sand last night. It had 18 miles on it. We went 6 miles and had a flat tire. The tire has a slash to the inside rear right tire if facing the car from the front. My wife was following me home/ saw nothing. The roads appeared clear. Anything I should be paying attention to? Is it just bad luck? What should I do? Thanks for support and help Lance

tomwspencer

Yes. I am having the "pulling to the right" problem as well. I have a 2005 CR-V.

Today was the third time I went to the dealership for the same problem. Here is

what I learned.

1) Front-wheel drive cars will experience (to different degrees) what is called

torque steer. One of the drive shafts is longer than the other and therefore

will have what is effectively a different response when a lot of power is

applied to the drive train. I argued that all front-wheel drive vehicles I have

owned in the past never had this much pull during acceleration. I believe that

there is a mechanism which is supposed to counter this reaction but I believe

that a poor design leaves the result less tan appreciable.

2) At coasting speeds anywhere from 25mph to 70mph, my car pulls to the right.

It always pulls to the right. The Honda dealership gave me an internal document

"Drifting and Pulling at Highway Speeds" which suggests that a drift to an

adjacent lane in more than 6 seconds is acceptable. Mine drifts in 7-10 seconds.

I intend to continue disputing this issue with Honda as it is highly

unacceptable to me. I have never owned a car which operated in this way.

tomwspencer

Adding to my last post....the dealership also told me that this is "normal". I

asked the service manager and the service director, "Would you pay for this?

Would you feel safe in this car? You don't see any real issues here?" The answer

to all of these questions was, "Yes. Yes. No." I about fell out of my chair. I

really want to start an email thread if any of you are interested. There MUST be

a design flaw in the 2005 CR-V and taking to this to Honda as a group instead of

individuals might result in a better outcome for all of us.

theracoon

There MUST be a design flaw in the 2005 CR-V and taking to this to Honda as a group instead of individuals might result in a better outcome for all of us.

 

Previous years of the CR-V had the same problem, although I wouldn't describe it as a design flaw, since it does not show up in every CR-V (nor even, seemingly, a majority). Because the dealer isn't willing to deal with the problem contact Honda directly. The contact information is in the back of your Owners Manual.

 

I don't believe doing the group thing will help much, if it at all. Honda is going to deal with each complaint as a separate instance. If they hear enough about it they may issue a TSB to the dealers, but they are going to deal with the owners on an individual basis.

 

JM2C

gwimbo

I purchased a 2005 Honda CRV EX (special edition) on 30 Nov 04. It also had excessive pull to the right.

 

Dealer adjusted alignment but it still pulled to right.

 

Dealer switched front tires but it pulls to the right somewhat still.

 

Looking at the car from the rear while in my garage today, it appears that the car is not level, 5/8 inch lower on the passenger side. I have not talked to the dealer about this yet, but plan to do so.

 

Does anyone else have an un-level CRV?

crimdoc

Tom,

 

I don't think my CRV is un-level ... but otherwise it has the same problems as yours (I have a FWD LX).

 

Here are some quick updates:

 

1) As the car is "breaking in" (now at 900 miles or so) the problem is getting WORSE. If I set it on level ground, put it in drive, and take my foot off the break (i.e. I DON'T press the accelerator at all) the car still hooks off to the right. This really shoots holes in the "torque steer" excuse.

 

2) On the bright side of things, I got a call from American Honda over the holidays and they told me that they think they have a mechanical fix for the problem. The car has already had the tires switched and an alignment done (neither accomplished anything). I'll let y'all know what this new fix is and whether it works.

holden

I recently purchased a 2005 CR-V EX and love it so far with just over 1,000 miles. I have, however, noticed a sound/noise only when I first start the car and start forward in drive. It sounds like an mechanical switch activating (e.g., door locks activating) but it appears to come from under the car. I do not hear the noise again until I shut off the car and start my next trip. The Honda dealer could not produce the sound and has no idea what the sound might be. Since this is my first 4-wheel drive vehicle I thought it might be related to that system, but want to make sure the sound/noise is not a problem. I have checked for loose tire jack and the transmission is smooth as silk. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

automatic

I have the same noise in my 05 EX, so hopefully it's just the ABS system initializing. I had an 03 Accord that made a sound for the ABS, though it sounded different from my CRV.

bandit2002

I have a 2002 CRV with 43000 miles. I had it in for the 45K service this weekend and was advised the valve gasket covers are leaking oil, as well as the main seal.

Has anyone experienced this problem? Do you know if it is something to be expected from Honda?

Thanks for any info!

stevengordon

If you back up first, then pull forward and hear the noise, then it's also possible the noise is the notorious Honda "brake click." This is normal for Hondas and results from the pads sliding into position after a reversal of direction while braking.

bodble2

If your CR-V drifts over after 7 - 10 seconds, then I think that would be within normal parameters, because 7 - 10 seconds of driving, even at city speeds, would translate to an awfully long distance. But if you say it pulls even when just crawling forward in gear, then there is a problem somewhere.

 

We had a '97 CR-V that pulled right when the car was delivered. The dealer tried various combinations of tire rotation which eliminated probably about 95% of the problem. The other 5% I couldn't tell for sure because the CR-V's steering was so loosey-goosey.

lisap

I have a 2000 CR-V with 105,000 miles that had the timing belt replaced two months ago. I have also been having problems with stalling when put into gear when cold. I took it back to the guy who did the belt and he has no idea. It is very frustrating because my car ran great before this and now it seems to run different. My next step I think is to take it to the dealer. I probably should have taken it to the dealer for the belt. I'm hoping to have answers soon. Good luck on yours.

buckwalter1

Confess to the dealer you had the timing belt replaced. They with then check the timing on the belt. I bet it is off by a tooth or two. I swapped the timing belt on my 97 CR-V, and getting it right takes patience.

menudohe

I've just owned a 2005 Honda CRV EX with the similar problem - it pulls to the right. I took the car to the dealer last week and they could not get it fixed. I have to pull my weel all the time. Bad. I think we need to write a complain to Honda.

spanman

"It sounds like an mechanical switch activating (e.g., door locks activating) but it appears to come from under the car. I do not hear the noise again until I shut off the car and start my next trip."

 

Mine makes the identical sound: a faint electro-mechanical "clunk" as I first pull forward after engine start. Anybody have an explanation for this?

aerojack

Mine ('05 SE) has that noise too, but only when the vehicle reaches about 10 mph. I , too think that the mechanical noise resembles the locking mechanism and maybe it's a safety feature that prevents the rear side-swing door from opening when traveling forward faster than about 10mpg?

bodble2

It's the ABS self-test.

tmerzbacher

My wife's '03 crv/ex/automatic is, at times, very difficult to shift from drive to park even when we are pressing reasonably hard on the brake pedal. The dealer sees nothing unusual but I've driven plenty of auto. transmissions and this is harder than most...but not always. Any thoughts?

franko1

I just bought a 05 CR-V and mine pulls to the left at all times. They say it's normal. I traded in a Hyundai Santa Fe 2001 with 60K miles and it never did pull. It drove straight all the time.I think I have been snookered.

spanman

"...It's the ABS self-test..."

 

Is this documented anywhere? I don't remember seeing it in the owner's manual.

theracoon

I just bought a 05 CR-V and mine pulls to the left at all times. They say it's normal. I traded in a Hyundai Santa Fe 2001 with 60K miles and it never did pull. It drove straight all the time.I think I have been snookered.

 

I assume you mean the dealer when you say "They say it's normal."

 

It's not normal and it can be fixed. Have you tried contacting Honda directly? The contact information is in the back of the Owners Manual.

 

Good luck.

crimdoc

Hi Folks,

 

To anyone who is struggling with a CRV "pulling" problem, I thought I'd post an update on my experience.

 

1) Like so many others, I was told by the dealership AND Honda Tech that this pulling was "normal". I refused to accept this, and kept after Honda customer relations. They've subsequently agreed to try to fix the problem (moral of the story ... keep after 'em!).

 

2) My original dealership (Duthler Honda, Grand Rapids, MI) cross rotated the tires and did an alignment before giving up and refusing to do any more work. Neither of these things helped the pull. A tech at another dealership (Crown Motors, Holland, MI) adjusted the camber by replacing a bolt with one of a different size.

THIS HAS PARTIALLY FIXED THE PROBLEM! The vehicle now rolls perfectly straight when not under acceleration (whereas previously it veered substantially to the right).

 

Unfortunately, this has NOT fixed the pull on acceleration. The car continues to jump to the right under even modest acceleration.

 

The dealership is continuing to work on this ... I'll keep you all posted.

 

But the overall moral of the story is this:

 

DO NOT accept "it's normal" from the dealership. Call Honda customer relations and insist that they fix it.

defielding

Before you contact Honda directly you may also try taking your CRV to another dealer for warranty work and you may get a more acceptable response. In the city I live in, the dealership I bought mine from is very poor at admitting any warranty problems. Another dealership bends over backward to make sure the customer is happy. You do not have to have warranty work done at the dealership you bought the vehicle at. (Guess who gets my business now and in the future)

sryan

Just purchased a 99 EX with only 44000 miles. Vehicle is in outstanding shape but I have noticed a problem. During normal driving, the vehicle seems to hang in between 3-4 gears and 4-overdrive. That is, the rpms continue to climb but it does not want to go into the next gear. It eventually does, but it requires me to feather the peddle. Also, I've noticed a shudder when accelerating. Nothing drastic, but it's out of the ordinary. Am hoping someone can shed some light on what may be happening.

slugline

Automatic or manual? (4th gear _is_ the overdrive gear for the auto.) If automatic, you may want to have a couple of fluid drain-and-fills done. Each fluid change replaces about 3 quarts, and there is a total of roughly 7 quarts in the whole system. I recommend Genuine Honda ATF-Z1. If the previous owner used something else, that might explain the shifting behavior you're seeing.

icaro

I have the same problem with my V, I have a 2003 chianty red, i have only 15,000 k ms on it and the problem starts at 10,000 kms, i´m was in a travel over Veracruz with my family and all the V full of things, but it start to blink the D in dash, open the manual i read you need to take it to the dealer, so it was Saturday at 400 k ms from my home, after they check it they told me, you need to wait on Monday to complete check, of course the end of my vacation, so in Monday they check the V from 08:00 am to 13:00 hours, then they told me it's all okay again can you continue with your travel, but, take the road and starts to blink, so again to the dealer, after a new inspection they told me it's something wrong with the transmision, and get this pieces take it to friday, they need confirmation from plant because the scaner say it is a sensor from the tirth gear, after two hours of wait, they told me, i take it off a sensor from another brand new V, let´s check it again, so with a scanner on it, they confirm there´s no more problem, the sensor it´s located out side the transmision, so it is easy to change it, actually they give me priority in the fix, we can continue with our trip at 18:00 hrs, but it suppoust don´t happened, by the way i don´t now how much it will cost me if i were out of warranty.

bclark

Hi:

 

I've got a 2004 CRV EX with auto transmission. I've pulled a small trailer with it a few times. The trailer is a single enclosed trailer, total weight about 1000#.

 

On the few short trips that I've taken it on, I tend to notice that the transmission smells warm. This tend to make me worry about how well it will hold up to this kind of service in the long run.

 

Any experiences with pulling a trailer with a CRV?

 

Thanks

tomwspencer

I took a short break from this thread. I will be going to the dealership in the next week or so. The service manager, although stating that what my car does is "normal", agreed that it does constantly pull to the right and said he would try a few modifications to make the car go straight. As for the 7-10 second lane change, this is debateable whether or not it is OK. The main point is that having to constantly pull on the wheel is not normal. I have owned 5 FWD cars in my life and have driven many others. There has never been a car that drives like this one. per the suggestions of others on this thread, I will continue to press Honda and the dealership. I will also try another dealership to see if maybe I can find a better path.

 

The irony of this whole ordeal is that my wife and I said to ourselves that when we sold our VW Passat, we would go for Toyota or Honda because of their excellent quality and reputation. Well....I guess next time it will have to be Toyota. Incidentally, I am on my second Toyota truck after the first one was sold at 14 years old and 200k miles. That truck and the Tacoma I have now are great products.

tomwspencer

Crimdoc,

 

Please keep us all posted on what Honda does for you. Has Honda fixed your CR-V yet?

 

Tom

wrascal

Folks often say they had an alignment to attempt to resolve this problem. My question is, is it a 2 wheel alignment, or a 4 wheel alignment. I had an 89 Accord that for 3-4 years pulled, until an independant fixed it with a 4 wheel alignment. It had previously been aligned (front only) and tires swapped around numerous times, all without success. Nobody ever suggested a 4 wheel alignment to me.

mikefm58

<< On the few short trips that I've taken it on, I tend to notice that the transmission smells warm >>

 

What does warm smell like? I know on certain towing packages, there are transmission coolers. I wouldn't recommend anything more than light, I mean very light, towing with any 4 cyl.

 

How much did you have in your trailer?

crimdoc

Tom,

 

Not yet ... they tried switching the front wheels to a different set but that didn't make any difference.

 

Honda is sending a field engineer to look at the car and advise ... I'll keep you posted.

 

Bottom line so far:

 

1) Cross rotating tires didn't do anything.

2) Adjusting the alignment didn't do anything.

3) Replacing the front wheels didn't do anything.

4) Adjusting the camber fixed the pull when the car is rolling, but didn't fix the pull under acceleration.

kizhe

Your case is very interesting: pulling to right under acceleration only.

I assume that steering system is not affected by engine or transmission or electronics.

Is it possible that your left front wheel is spinning a bit faster than the right?

Is it possible that AWD (automatic) is somehow contribute to your problem?

Please, keep us posted.

coudiebug

Yes, I just got back from my dealer this morning.

The problem you described is exactly what I experienced over the last month or so but was erroneously told it had to do with the throttle motor which was replaced this week(check engine light). When the replaced part did nothing to the "lurching" you desribed I went back to the dealer. Of course they indicated at first that they didn't "feel it" or notice it but then they had no choice, it was obvious. They are checking it again in a few days when it is cold to assess further. I do think they will have to repair with a new transmission also. How id your vehicle performing now? Did it take long, did they provide a loaner for the duration of the repair? And what part of the country do you live in? I'm in the Northeast....

coudiebug

I have a 2003 CRV EX with 31,000 miles. Just a few weeks ago the car began to lurch a bit while coming to a complete, braking stop. This co-incided with the check engine light coming on.

The dealer confirmed that this lurching was problem a result of the throttle motor and other parts needing to be replaced, however, the problem still existed.

Today the dealer verified that there is a downshifting problem between 2nd and 1st gear and will need to take another, longer look to diagnose further, etc. I am curious if this is a more widespread concern or just isolated. I have no other mechainical concerns other than window motors replaced. Eager to hear from any of you. Thanks...

kevinpotter

Hi, all,

I have 2003 V. it was running ok and it still does but after about 20 min driving I can smell something burning on back of the passenger side. It's not exhausts and I don't see any leakage.

It seems smell coming from the wheel but I don't know what could it be.

Is any body having similar problem?

Thanks.

 

-

98accordex

I've read of some Accords having a similar problems that was fixed with an adjustment to the front subframe.

  

The Accord 2003-2005 Service Bulletin for similar problem is #03-036 dated September 23, 2003.

 

Ask your dealer to print out this TSB and review with him and compare this service record to your vehicle for similarity.

   

Not sure if the CRV has the same subframe but felt this might be useful, diagrams and procedures are part of the TSB.

  

Please let the forum know if this was useful.

varmint

Accords should have a different subframe. They use double wishbone suspension up front, while the CR-V uses mac strut.