Honda CR-V Maintenance and Repair

wen

Sounds like they've got idiots that do the oil change.

I second that motion !! At very least, they should have used a can of Brakleen and sprayed the heck out of the "oil soaked" frame, and removed most or all of the excess oil.
I'm 53 years old.... I've been tinkering with cars since 14 years old. '73 was the ONE and ONLY time I made the "mistake" of bringing my vehicle (NEW 1973 Volvo 144EA) back to the Dealer for an Oil & Filter change, the "idiots" left the old oil filter rubber ring (gasket) ON and put the new oil filter OVER it, much like the recent "CR-V problems". Leaked all the way home... and drive back to them. I had some harsh words with the Service Manager, actually wanted the beat the crap out of him. From that day forth I vowed I will continue to always change oil & filters on ALL my vehicles MYSELF, as I have been doing for over 39 years, and will continue until the day I can't walk anymore !!
As a "Service Manager" myself in a Chrysler Dealership in Connecticut, it made me sick to see the Boss hire inexperienced High School kids for minimum wage (who came in hungover most of the time) to change oil & filters in brand new '03 & '04 Chrysler 300M's, Pacifica's, etc. leaving the filter "loose" many times as well as "forgetting" to tighten the oil drain plug or "stripping" it dozens of times. To ME. the lubrication system (oil pump, filter, oil) is the "heart" of the engine.... it couldn't survive without it........... would you let an inexperienced, non-caring Doctor do heart surgery on YOU ??

fjb60

It would really help if someone could tell me where I could safely get an oil change done on my '02 CRV, since doing it myself is out of the question. I live north of Boston. Can you recommend any shops that won't mess up the job on the CRV?

"At very least, they should have used a can of Brakleen and sprayed the heck out of the "oil soaked" frame, and removed most or all of the excess oil"

The service manager told me they did spray the frame down and that could result in some dripping. I guess they didn't spray it down enough. The drips seem to have stopped overnight and I'll see if they resume once I start driving again. I really hate to have to go back there a third time.

coudiebug

You mentioned that you are a service manager for a Chrysler dealership in CT...I am curious if you can be of help to me. I have a 1983 Le Baron Convertible in pretty good condition, however, I can't seem to find anyone who really knows much about this Mitsubishi 2.6 engine and carburetor assembly. I would love for a Chrysler dealer to look at at but don't want to get soaked and still left in the dark !
Thanks, Maggie

cybernut04

wen said: "'73 was the ONE and ONLY time I made the "mistake" of bringing my vehicle (NEW 1973 Volvo 144EA) back to the Dealer for an Oil & Filter change, the "idiots" left the old oil filter rubber ring (gasket) ON and put the new oil filter OVER it, much like the recent "CR-V problems". Leaked all the way home... and drive back to them."

and also: "...to change oil & filters in brand new '03 & '04 Chrysler 300M's, Pacifica's, etc. leaving the filter "loose" many times as well as "forgetting" to tighten the oil drain plug or "stripping" it dozens of times."

Too bad this wasn't posted to the CR-V engine fires forum. It's a good cautionary post that confirms that double gaskets do happen (not just from two suppliers of CR-V oil filters), that your double gasket experience ended up with a mess but not a fire (good thing it wasn't a CR-V), that the people changing oil - I'm sure this isn't limited to your shop - aren't nearly as careful as we would all like, and that it's not unusual to have this low quality of work result in oil leaks from oil filters and drain plugs.

I used to change the oil and filter all the time on our vehicles. I got away from it when they started building vehicles so low to the ground that I couldn't get the front end up on the ramps I have ... the front end would hit the ramp before the wheels got close to the ramp - tried "extending" the ramp and making it a more gradual slope with some study planks of wood, but that didn't strike me as a particularly safe thing to do.

Actually, our '94 Civic started that trend. I tried using the car jack and a couple of jack stands, but I was really uneasy about how stable the car was like that. The last time I changed the oil on anything was our '91 Previa (traded in last year) that was high enough off the ground so the front end didn't bump into the ramps before the wheels had a chance to start up the ramps.

Now I have a CR-V that is certainly up off the ground suffiently to use my ramps ... and I've got a pre-paid service contract that covers all oil changes for the first 3 years or 45K miles.

wen

Back in '76 I bought a brand new Triumph TR-7 (the "wedge") and I quickly discovered it only had a 4 1/2" ground clearance. It was my "summer only toy" and I changed my own oil & filter. I too discovered that all the available ramps (steel at that time, about 12" tall) would NOT work and could actually "smash & scratch" the underside of the low front fender/spolier panel. I ended up buying two railroad ties (yes those stinky, sticky, creosote soaked things) and cut each in half at a 30 degree angle (making a very gradual incline), thus making four 6" tall, very, very sturdy ramps. It was great for ANY work I did under the vehicle and when using all four ramps, I easily installed a Stebro stainless steel dual exhaust system on that vehicle.
About four years ago, when I purchased my '00 Acura TL I still had these old, stinky ramps but decided to check into new ramps, made from a more sensible, less carcenogenic material. I found ramps called RHINO RAMPS, available from any of your "better" auto parts stores which are made of molded black plastic resin material. They are light, easy to lift and to store, don't move when in place due to rubber pad on bottom and most of all very, very sturdy, supporting something like 3000 pounds EACH. These ramps have a nice, gradual slope and worked perfect on my '00 TL as well as our '03 MDX and '04 CR-V !! The day after I used them once, I tossed out the old, stinky, wooden ramps !!

randy6

This new 05' Honda CR-V EX has had numerous problems with no resolve from the dealer. It has a continued problem of pulling to the right as well as vibration at higher speeds. Also, the passenger side CV boot has been repaired twice as well as the transaxle. The vehicle came new with these problems. The dealer has tried diligently to fix the PTTR problem with new tires, axle, rotation, alignment, wheels from other 05' CR-V's. But, they have said the vibration is within manufacture's specs!!!! I have spent more time with my car at the dealer since I bought this car in December of 2004 and it is now April 2005! The vibration comes about throughout the cab, especially through the steering wheel at around 50-70 mph. I'm very upset that I pay good money for a car that brings me grief each and every time I drive the car on the hi-way. Around town it's fine. This car is not right, and has never been right from the factory. This is the worst Honda purchase I have had after owning 5 other Honda's!

steve royal

randy6,

Check out Post #2549. This post by Varmint will give you some valuable insight into the PTTR issue.

If you can't get your problems fixed, you may have a Lemon Law in your state that can help you out. Try to Google your state name and "lemon law' to see if anything pops up. Also, you may want to go to the NHTSA website and lodge your complaint. Supposedly, if enough complaints come in, the NHTSA may actually request that Honda do something to mitigate the potentially unsafe circumstances such as you describe. Steve

jewels_2472

Hello,
Thanks for the reply. You know, I'm not sure if Honda was aware of the premature wear issue with the Dueler tires or not, but I do find it a bit ironic that they switched them on the 05 models. I think I will replace them at the end of summer with the Michelin Harmony tires. As far as I can tell Michelin has had a good safety history. I have four children so safety is at the top of my list. It's good to learn that I am not eh only one who does not care for the Duelers.

jewels_2472

I too have noticed a strong vibration at highway speeds. It feels the strongest through my steering wheel and you can actually see it move with each vibration! My V is an 04, but seems to have the same vibration your 05 has. I've never taken it in for that, just assumed it was the way Honda intended but am now considering otherwise. This is my first Honda, and I don't think I'll buy another SUV from them. Good luck with yours!

mikefm58

Just a though, is there another Honda dealer that is not too inconvenient for you to take your CRV to? I'd bet they'd even spring for a loaner car. Sorry to hear about your problems.

I had a '99 Odyssey with a vibration like you mentioned. They eventually replaced the tires.

cybernut04

Wen, thanks for the info re: Rhino Ramps - I'll check them out!

randy6

Thanks Mike,

That's really a good idea. The nearest Honda dealer is in Portland, Oregon about 3 1/2 hours from here. I have been thinking about making it a day, with an appointment, to have it checked by someone else. I've never had a Honda with this type of problem. Randy

randy6

Steve,
Thanks for the suggestion. I have given the dealer every opportunity to get it fixed and they are actually scratching their heads as what to do. I think that's my next step

Randy

tsittler

I've got a 98 Honda which up until recently had a working glove box. Every time I try to open it, the handle pulls almost completely off. It feels almost like something is simply not catching to allow the glove box to open. Any thoughts or suggestions for a non-car inclined person?

tsittler

I also had to replace a strut on my 98 Honda CR-V. I bought the part from a parts store and had my future father in law replace the old one without incident. I was wondering, do struts have to be filled after being replaced like shocks do? My car rides better after the replacement, but seems to sag a little on the replaced side. Rear passenger side strut if that makes a difference.

tntitan

I change the oil on our '02 CRV-EX and when you replace the filter it is a little messy and there is not much you can do about spilling some oil when removing the old filter. I try to put a large baggie around it but there is still some spillage. However, it is not too difficult to take an old towel or t-shirt and wipe up the excess oil to keep it from dripping on my garage floor.

This kind of poor service along with stripping oil pan threads, leaving on old oil filter gaskets, and my lack of trust in receiving quality oil and filter from quick change oil shops is why I decided I just had to do the oil changes myself to be sure it is done correctly.

caladh

Hi. Did you ever solve this problem? I have a similar problem that happens only at low speed when mildly accelerating away from a stop, vibration appears at lower rev's, if I accelerate hard it disappears. I sometimes think it might be transmission slippage (auto).

rhodyv

Can you tell me a bit more precisely what an "anti-sway bar" and "bad bushing" are and what symptoms these would cause?

I'm wondering a bit more because, as I monitor this crosswind sensitivity thing, it seems to only be when the wind is pushing against the driver's side! May be my imagination? But now I';m thinking mayne something broken on one side that's working on the other!

Help? :confuse:

kyfdx

I had my '98 CR-V for 60K miles and the one and only repair it needed was to the glove box latch.. Simply put, the two screws that hold it in fell out.... My guess is your screws are loose (no offense), or one of them has fallen out.. It happened right before I was going in for an oil change... No charge for parts, but they actually charge me $11 or 0.2 hours of labor.. My one and only "repair" bill on the car in 3.5 years..

regards,
kyfdx

tsittler

Thanks, I ask the folks to look into it when I get my oil changed.

soniavt

A friend of mine recently bought a CRV at Bellevue Honda in Washington. After only about two weeks she noticed the car was dragging and took it back to the dealership. They told her this was normal and sent her on her way. After experiencing more problems she took it to an independent mechanic who told her the transmission was shot. She took it back to Bellevue Honda again and they essentially told her she was imagining things and wouldn't help her. I was totally amazed when she told me this. I asked my fiance what she could do and after talking to some people the best option seems to be to take it to another dealership. But is that really all that can be done? I guess this doesn't fall under lemon law policy because she hasn't had multiple problems with the car but the car is less than 1 month old! :lemon:

mikefm58

" she noticed the car was dragging "

Can you elaborate a bit more? To me, that sounds more like brake issues than the tranny.

fjb60

Thanks - it did turn out to be a messy oil change, since the drips have completely stopped. I was concerned it was something worse so I'm glad they replaced the filter again when I took it back. Aside from the problem with the oil changes, the 02 CRV EX has been great. Much better turning radius than my 91 Accord! The reports about the engine fires in the 03 and later models really have me worried when it comes to oil, though.

kyfdx

Try another dealer.. Why assume that the independent is correct?

isellhondas

Well, sometimes people do "imagine" things. the new car drives differently than their old one so they assume something is wrong.

And sometimes these independent mechanics have no idea how a newly introduced model is supposted to operate.

If people who are skilled and trained on a specific car have driven it and find nothing amiss the car is probably acting as it should.

By all means, she should take it to a different dealer for a second opinion.

toad3

I have a 2002 CRV, I replaced Dueler tires at 30,000 miles. I live in Minnesota and they were junk , no good on ice and snow and wore out too quick. I put on Mastercraft P 794 tires made by Cooper tire. They made my Honda a totally new car, a great tire all around. they have a 65,000 tread wear. I can;t believe what a difference these tires make.
LT

rhodyv

My factory (?dealer) Dunlops on my 05 seem fine, but I'll have to wait and see on wear. Coopers have been awesome on other cars I have owned!

kizhe

Looks like I had it before but then it's gone for a while (or I did not payed attention).
But now it came again: "burning smell near rear right wheel".
My first thought was : "It's rear brakes overheating" but no - rear disks where both cold.
Would it be possible that it is the oil overheating in automatic AWD?
I do not have any noises when turning tight to left or right.
Anybody got any suggestions?

defielding

I'm very impressed with the quiet ride, rain and snow traction with my Hankook Mileage Plus tires.

robg2

We have a 2002 EXL with the same problem. You can always smell it after driving on the hwy. The issue was pointed out three times to the Honda dealer...I was told that they are unable to determine what's causing the smell???

alakarr

Did you replace the springs along with the struts? If you reused the existing springs, that is probalbly where the sag is coming from. Struts and shocks don't support the vehicle, they just dampen bumps. Your springs actually support the vehicle. Hope this helps.

mike5891

I had a similar problem with mine(98 CR-V)... I opened the glove box and the handle almost fell off. Anyway, I think I can help. Open the glove box... and look on the inside of it. There should be two black screws holding the handle on. If not, you'll have to did the other out of the bottom of your glove box. Jiggle the handle and you'll see the two screws moving. Tighten those back up with a phillips head screwdriver and that should fix your problem.

campdriver

After nine months, overall, we love our 2004 CR-V, but we are having an unexpected problem. Every time we drive it in the mud, then wash the car, the vehicle’s normally smooth ride becomes a frustration of vibration, because the rear wheels become unbalanced. We always have to take off the back wheels and clean the dried mud off the inside rims to make the vibration stop. If we drive the car in heavy mud, then continue to drive it without washing it, we have no vibration problem.

How can we solve this vibration problem? Should we never wash the wheel wells? Is there a better solution?

kyfdx

I think you need to do a better job of washing out the mud.. Not only the wheel wells, but the inside of the wheels as well...

Chances are, when the mud is wet, it is evenly distributed along the inside of your wheel (more or less).. When it dries, pieces are probably being flung out, and the remaining dirt/mud is "unbalancing" your wheel... You really shouldn't be driving around with all of that inside your wheels...

regards,
kyfdx

tntitan

I would be careful when washing the wheel wells and not get too much cold water on your rotors when they are hot. I like to wait until they have cooled off completely before washing to ensure that they don't warp. This practice and a torque wrench that I use every time my lug nuts are tightened by machine has give my CRV 62K miles on OEM brakes and rotors without a hint of a problem.

jmltrib

Greetings all,

Has anyone else with a 2005 CR-V noticed rattles coming from any of the retractable grab rails? The dealer fixed one of mine, but now another one is causing me a headache. Of course it's intermittent and temperature dependent so I've had problems duplicating it for them. Any help with potential causes/repairs would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

John :confuse:

andrewcrv

I've got hte same problem. Dealer smelled it too. Rebuilt right rear brake. Stll smells. but more on the left. Maybe I should have them rebuild the left side too...?

rockycow33

I'm wondering if the smell from the rear brake areas could be a misadjusted parking brake that is dragging. Has this been checked?

mikeow

Hi! My 1998 CRV was recently in an accident where a Nissan Quest hit it in the rear where my hitch is installed. The autobody shop claimed to have "fixed" our car back in December 2004 and we recently used our bike hitch and it started dragging to the ground after 5 minutes with bikes on there. The insurance company claims that the owner's manual says that a rear hitch is not allowed to be installed therefore we could not make a claim for them to fix this. The car is currently in the shop. Could someone please look in the manual and make sure it does not say that. I could have sworn that it was okay to put the hitch on there or else my husband and I would not have done it. Thanks!

autobum

I have a new 2005 Honda CRV SE which did not exhibit any PTTR when test driven and driven for the first few hundred miles. A PTTR was later developed after about 600 miles. The dealer performed an alignment and said a minor adjustment was required and all was better. Not so! PTTR was still there. On a second trip to the dealer he rechecked alignment which was fine, and then started looking for tire issues. He found that one of the front tires (OEM Bridgestone Duelers) was defective and moved it to the spare position and said he'd order a new tire. PTTR was gone. A few days later the Honda service manager called and said that he'd been talking to Honda technical and found out that there had been a manufacturing issue with some number of Bridgestone Duelers made only in England. This tire defect has also been linked to a number of other 2005 CRV's with PTTR issues. Honda has instructed the dealer to check all tires for correct tracking on a special balancing machine. I'm still waiting for a full resolution, but am very happy to see my dealership take the ownership to engage Honda when they weren't content with just chalking it up to a single bad tire.

bhitchcock

I'm going to buy a CR-V SE tomorrow and would appreciate how the PTTR is resolved for you. I have read so many comments about this issue and none seem to have a resolution and the PTTR seems to have existed for years. I'm getting paranoid about having this in my new CR-V.

Thanks,

bhitchcock

Anyone using synthetic oil for their CR-V? Does it make any difference? I know the oil is much more expensive than regular petroleum oil. I have a BMW and they swear by the synthetic stuff.

blueiedgod

I use Mobil 1 0W-20. it is not much more expensive than quality dyno oil. Pepbpys have a calendar, may still be available, there is coupon for "buy 3, get 3 free" I bought a few cases in November when it was $3.19/quart on sale. Buy 3 quarts, get 3 free, and $1 for calendar, comes out to a little over $10 for a 6 pack, or $1.76/quart. Any other dyno 5W-20, including Exxon superflo and Motorcraft cost about $0.10 less/quart.

You will not see immediate difference, but the engine longeivity due to instant lubrication on start up wil become apparent after tens of thousands of miles.

tntitan

IMHO either one is perfectly fine IF you change the oil at "proper intervals". The "proper interval" DEPENDS on many factors such as city or highway driving, length of daily commute/trip, enviromental conditions including temperature, your style of driving, etc. Using a good synthetic you should be able to go about twice as long (maybe 3 x if you do a lot of highway driving) between oil changes as with dino oil. Dino might be a little cheaper but will require more frequent oil changes. YMMV and only a series of UOA (used oil analysis) will allow you to determine the optimum oil change interval for your application. Without a UOA I would still feel comfortable doing 4-5K interval with Dino and 8-10K interval with Mobil synthetic depending on the amount of city/highway driving.

I am well aware that the recommended oil change interval is usually more than this but this is only my opinion.

randy6

I would higly recommend making a complaint with the NHTSA. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/. The only way to get Honda to fix this problem is to have enough complaints so that they post a service bulletin. I am now talking with my dealer and saying that I am turning it in for the state's "lemon law." They don't want that and now are talking with me to come up with a new vehicle. This problem we share is not what Honda's are all about. They should be fun to drive, not a vibrating tin can with wheels. Good luck to you! Oh, do you still have any warranty left? If so...use it. Randy

bhitchcock

Thank you for the info, makes me want to go with synthetic, I assume the new CR-V's come with petroleum oil so is there a process to switch to synthetic oil? Is just changing the filter and putting in the new synthetic sufficient or do you have to somehow flush the engine first?

mikefm58

I switched to synthetic a couple years ago at 70K miles, simply change the oil & filter and refill with synthetic.

autobum

I won't know for a few days, but suspect it will end with a set of new tires, and perhaps not Bridgestones. I have owned many Hondas over the years and have always been well cared for by Honda. I had a 2001 CRV SE and also have a 2004 Accord EXV6 and a 2001 Civic EX now. We replaced the 2001 CRV with this 2005 CRV SE when it was recently totaled in an accident on an icy road. Other than this PTTR issue which wasn't there on day-1, the car is an absolute dream! Because the problem developed after a few hundred miles, it makes sense that the tires are the most likely cause. Further, it has been substantiated by Honda to be an issue related to these Bridgestone tires manufactured in England. We went with the beige color which looks very nice.

The most important thing is to have a good dealership. They are really the ones that deal with solving the technical issues and are the best contact between you and Honda for solutions. If your dealership is good and is willing to support your needs, they can get to the bottom of this sort of issue. On the other hand, if they were just there for the sale, and don't want to be bothered with the challenging problems, then good luck to you with any make/model car!

I don't know where you are located but I use Rockingham Honda, located in Salem NH.

gr8smile1966

Just picked up my '05 SE on Saturday.... at time of delivery, car had not been detailed, it was all dusty except for the hood, which had just had the protective film removed... I made comment about the lack of prep on the car, and the salesman just laughed and said that it would wash off in the rain on the drive home. My husband, in an effort to be civil, and just wanting to go home, said that he would detail the car at home. On the first nice day (Tuesday) he detailed the car for me. This is when he noticed "burn" marks in the paint, under the clear coat. He called the salesman, who told him to bring the car in the next day. Wednesday, after sitting in the service area for several hours and nothing being done, dealership agrees to give hubby loaner to go home with and says will call in the morning. Thursday morning (today) dealer calls and says car is already. They had buffed and polished ("clayed"?) the car again, and marks are still there. Husband asks to see the manager, and he gets ignored (sales manager avoided him like the plague!), or told that the person he wants to speak to is out of the office for the day. Having no other option except to camp out at the dealership, he comes home. (We live 50 miles from dealership-- all of our miles have be to and from there so far!).... salesman finally calls him at home and says that he'll call again tomorrow when the general manager is in.... this has been very frustrating .... I just called American Honda and they tell me that the paint is covered, and if the problem is under the clear coat, the only way to fix it is by stripping the paint off and repainting, which will severely detract from the car's value.... they were very nice and said that they would assist me if we didn't get a favorable outcome.... the only favorable outcome I see is that the dealership give us a new car without the paint problems and I have a feeling that isn't going to happen.... what other alternatives do we have as far as getting this issue resolved??? I am just livid about this.... this has been the dealership from hell as far as I'm concerned (read all about my experience in the price/experience forum!)
Thanks in advance for any advice/insight!!!

lncook

My 2004 CRV has about 27k miles and recently our AC went out. I took it to the dealer and they said that it was damaged by something that went through our front grille, most likely a rock or pebble. Because the problem wasn't caused by faulty mechanics, the $700 fix didn't fall under warranty. I'm upset because we live in an urban environment (SoCal) and for the AC unit to be damaged so easily, I feel like Honda made a design oversight with such a gap-toothed grille. Anyone else have this problem?

I talked to the guys at the local import race shop and they said I could buy a sheet of metal mesh for $70, cut it down to size, and install it on my own. Is there a better solution?