I don't think this is a Pilot phenomenon...this happens to some extent in both my cars. Have a RX300 and an Infiniti G35...both of them exhibit the same tendencies to some degree(in fact I'm guessing every car I have had has this tendency). Just physics at work I suppose.
I got my black LX for MSRP at Gardena Honda thru Fred in SoCal. About only thing better in LX other than the price is the 2nd row middle seat, the middle seat is comfortable. Not as comfortable as side seats but almost as comfortable. It's a lot better than EX middle seat.
I will be installing the Honda security system, anyone have experience with it? Please let me know how it went.
Ssminton - In a press note for the 2002 CR-V, they made reference to including the split design because their research led them to believe that people liked it.
The spare is the reason why the CR-V has a side-hinged gate, but that has nothing to do with the split window. You can have a side swinging gate with a fixed window. I believe the RAV4 and GV have that arrangement (not sure, I'll have to check).
IMHO, the CRV gets the operating window because of the swinging gate - I don't think anyone would drive with the swinging gate open in order to carry long items.
I don't know if the 1st gen had the operating window.
I have a Silver EX and my wife and I love it so far. Haven't had a new car in awhile. What is everyone using to wash their Pilot? When can the vehicle be waxed and what kind of wax have people had good results with? Anything to be careful about?
Any tips appreciated. Alot of $$$ for this car and I don't want to screw it up using bad products.
I agree that Honda was thinking 3-seat 2nd row to serve families of 5. The uncomfortable middle seat in the Pilot EX is not a huge concern for me at this time. My youngest is still in car seat and is always located in the middle of the 2nd row. The child car seat takes the uncomfortable middle seat out of the equation for me.
And nowadays there's all the push to keep kids in belt-positioning boosters until they're 8 years old or thereabouts. So the middle-2nd-row seat issue may be moot for quite a few buyers. There are quite a few high-back boosters that go up to 80 lbs, one that even goes to 100 lbs.
Not all kids will want to be boostered for that long, of course. But please also consider that you have that awkward belt-from-the-ceiling in the middle of the 2nd row (and third), and some kind of belt-positioning from the booster can only help the child (you don't want that belt around the kid's neck!).
As the Pilot is now engineered, a moonroof is not possible. The steel bars that "cage" the passenger compartment run directly overhead and through where a moonroof would be placed. However, for the 2006 model, the Pilot will be redesigned to allow a moonroof option (plus Honda will add some extras that will close the gap between the MDX and Pilot -- like a 6 disc in dash CD changer). Around the same time, 2005 or 2006 model years, Honda will introduce another SUV, this one full-sized, as well as a truck. Just thought you all might like to know!
I have been following this board for about three months now while I researched an SUV. I appreciate the honest opinions posted by everyone involved. Thanks.
Tomorrow, my wife and I will be heading over to the dealer to purchase an EX-L in redrock with no market adjustment or unwanted DIOs. If everything goes well, we should be driving the new SUVan by 11AM. We have had it on order for about a month now and we are really excited to finally see it.
Just bought a Honda Pilot and this is my first Honda to own (have owned other Japanese cars but no Honda). I am really enjoying it so far, but had a question. I purchased the 7/100 extended warranty, but of course have 60 days to cancel. My question is for the longtime Honda owners, what problems are typical after the factory 3/36 expires. I have never purchased the warranty for other Japanese vehicles, but have for the Mercedes I own as these repairs can get wickedly expensive. Would appreciate feedback from other long-time Honda owners as to basic repair items and costs further down the road. Thanks for your help.
Regarding the rear gate not opening with the key fob, I agree wholeheartedly with indymom...I hate that!!! I too am always accidentally opening my rear liftgate on a van I own and it drives me nuts. Plus, the Pilot key fob DOES unlock the gate, but you still have to lift it by pushing the button and lifting! What's the big deal...it's the same as if the key fob actually UN-latched the door...you would still have to LIFT it! Now, you lift it, but must push the button too...no biggy. My wife doesn't like the split gate/window deal either, so I guess it's just a matter of what you like. Hey benzrules, regarding Honda repair after the 3/36, my experience is NO repair. That's one of the reasons I am buying my third Honda...a Pilot. :-)
I don't find an issue using the key fob to open the rear gate. I do wish they had put a power lock/unlock in the tailgate area like my Mountaineer had. I also miss the opening glass. If they do add a moonroof, rear opening glass, and heated leather seats in a few years I may have found my next car.
Acura has taken heat for the MDX not being a full luxury class vehicle, I think they will move it more upscale and as they do the Pilot will get more options.
Fully satisfied no shakes, rattles or rolls. I did have the occasional "clunk" the first hundred miles as the transmission was breaking in but have not had it since.
PAYLOAD- I have filled the rear with cargo multiple times and find the access very easy. Once with 30 bags of topsoil weighing 40 lbs each I did notice that the rear wheels fanned out as does the Ody loaded with large arses. 1200 lbs of topsoil =___large arses? Is this putting too mush stress on the lugs?
SHIFTER/CONSOLE- Though awkward feeling at first the column shifter frees up a letter size inbox between the seats for the mobile office. This has been great.
CENTER 2nd Row- My 9 year old daughter likes this seat the best and has had no complaints. She even pulls down the shoulder harness and connects it then asks for my key to unlatch it and tuck it back in the ceiling when we're back home.
SUNROOF- I don't miss the solar heater a bit. One of my taller friends noted that this was the first SUV that he had plenty of headroom in and will probably buy one soon.
STEP RAILS To answer previous poster. Step rails are for men and running boards are for women as the Honda Sales manager put it. Step rails allow for easier cleaning as there is space between them and the paint vs the running boards.
I head back to the dealer next week to have hitch installed that I paid for June 4 at delivery. I didn't want to wait an extra day to roll. I will add the fog lights and step rails the same day just for fun and to make the front a little more rugged looking.
My main disappointment has been the 16 mpg around Atlanta. Perhaps it is my offensive driving. Does the mileage get better with break in or do I have to change my driving habits?
The only other issue is that I can't see over the hood as it tapers forward making it hard to judge how close I am to the curb or wall. Would the wind deflector serve as a center hood ornament replacement to judge distance?
We got the running boards for our 6 and 9 year olds and they work great. I prefer the running boards over the side steps as I think they look nicer than the side steps.
During the first tank of gas I did mostly highway driving with only myself in the Pilot and got just short of 20 mpg. I was a little disappointed, but I suppose the engine is still breaking in and probably will get better. What is everyone else getting?
I think running boards would be safer, as there is no open area at the back of the step for child's foot to (possibly) get caught and/or twisted in, if by chance they slip.
Went to drive pilot today. Liked it. Bought it (green EX cloth). MSRP plus discount on all accessories with no labor charge for accessories(air deflector, mud guards, wheel locks, mats, cargo cover), no unwanted dealer add-ons. Drove away one hour later.
My Pilot is due Sept/Oct. Is there any chance or reason that it could come earlier (other than if someone else happens to cancel their order for the same style I ordered)? Guess not, huh? I don't wanna wait so long. :-)
To those of you amazed at getting Pilots at MSRP -- do I wish you shopped the dealership I work at. We use MSRP plus 298 for a protection pack (which goes on to every single car in the dealership, not just Pilots and Odysseys). When people want to add stuff on, we charge cost plus a lowball estimate of labor time, which actually gets better the more you buy -- except on that backup camera, for example. That sucker takes 6-8 hours to install! Anyway, my point is that not all dealerships are gouging people. We just expect them to be realistic. In addition, we keep a demo on the lot for a time, then when it hits about 500 miles, we sell it. It just depends on who's there at the right time. Te demos that have been available (one Silver EXLNavi as of 7:30 PM tonight) are decked out, though, since the company president drives them and he wants to play with all the cool stuff.
My advice, I guess, is to go in expecting MSRP, which I believe is fair at this time. People come in expecting to negotiate all the time, and we just don't do it. We hate to lose customers, but the thing is that someone else will realize we are being fair and prompt. And for those of you waiting patiently, keep it up. SOmetimes these things drop from the sky -- we weren't supposed to get one with a Nav system for another week -- and it showed up 2 weeks ago. Just depends on what the trucks load up. Let me know what you think.
Recently test drove Pilot at San Juan Capistrano Honda (Wesalo?). One ES model had sunroof, a dealer installed option using dealer "approved" contractor in region. Had 1-year guarantee.
We took "cold" test drive in base ES. Very impressed with brake responsiveness and short turning radius, far better than RX300. Couldn't determine noise level at 70mph+ 'cause we didn't crank it up that fast. Dealer said they add $3k to asking MSRP, plus, many models come with dealer installed goodies.
Nice car. Price much to high to consider now. Maybe when general SUV supply exceeds demand we shall see prices worked from invoice rather than MSRP...a year or two?
I've had my beautiful Havasu Blue Pilot for a week now and love it. But I have a question about the roof rack cross bar installation - is there a trick to taking off the front cover of the existing roof rail? Instructions say only insert small screwdriver in hole and release retaining tab, then remove front cover, but this does not release the tab so we can remove the cover. We are handy with tools and working on cars, so I'm thinking there's a quick trick to this. Something that should be simple, and probably is, very frustrating! We want to put the surfboards on top & head to the beach!
Angelboing, My dealer is in NC but that won't be much help to you since you are in CA. Alinda is correct, you should expect to pay NO MORE than MSRP. And since they are making a huge profit at that price, why should you pay full price for accessories? You can find these discounted for the pilot online. As far as labor goes, it doesn't cost the dealership $70.00 per hour to install these accessories as most would want to charge. So why should you pay that much? When I bought my 2000 Odyssey I didn't get on a list, didn't pay more than MSRP, didn't pay for extras, and didn't wait (had it in 2 days from visiting dealership). I would suggest that you guys read the excellent book by Robert Cialdini "Influence-Science and Practice". This would help you greatly in interacting with the dealers. And before someone flames me about "supply and demand" and the Pilot being worth more than MSRP, I would just say that supply and demand are easily manipulated. Just don't fall for the tactics. Read the book.
Regarding the Honda security system, I am also considering adding it to my black LX. I have called around to several dealers in my area and all are quoting a price of ~$700.00 installed. After looking at the installation instructions at College Hills Honda, I have decided against performing the installation myself (although the price is certainly attractive: $250.00).
Will you be installing the system yourself? Have you obtained a quote for the cost of dealer installation?
I am no expert with regard to security systems, but it does seem as though the Honda system is not very sophisticated compared to the aftermarket systems. For instance, I do not think that the Honda system includes glass breakage sensors or interior "radar" (the radar sensors apparently sound the alarm if movement is detected within the vehicle).
At this point, I am leaning toward the purchase of an aftermarket alarm (probably DEI) but do not trust any of the potential installation techs I have talked with. Have you considered any aftermarket manufacturers?
We bought a havasu blue EX-L with Nav yesterday. We added running boards, cargo tray, and cargo cover, but we will likely add fog lights, too.
Has anyone heard a very high-pitched whistling noise coming from under the hood (right section) a few minutes after shutting off the engine? We had this happen, and it was very strange. It lasted about 1 to 2 minutes, and it slowly whistled itself out, but we were wondering if it were something to do with pressure build up of one of the hoses or reservoirs. It's only happened once (that we know of).
Regarding the previous posts about the phenomenon with the 2nd row windows, we definitely experienced this. We were driving about 50 mph, and my son opened his 2nd row window (all other windows were closed), and we all about came unglued! It was a horrible vibrating pressure in our ears, and it was painful. I'm glad to hear that it's not just a Pilot thing and that other SUVs have the same phenomenon, but I can tell you right now we won't EVER open the 2nd row windows alone again.
Other than that, we love our new vehicle. The next big task is coming up with a name for it and learning the Nav system!
You hit the nail on the head re: aftermarket alarms -- the key is to find a good installer. With the wiring system in Hondas, you could apparently very easily overload a circuit and blow your ECU. I don't know about the Honda alarm for the Pilot, but the one for the CR-V does come with glass-break sensor. No interior motion detector though. But why would you need that, unless to detect someone who's been hiding in the vehicle BEFORE you've parked? Does the alarm for the Pilot come with a siren kit? It'll be nice if it does because using the horn to "beep" when you arm is quite annoying (too loud).
When we bought the new Pilot yesterday, we financed thru USAA. We had our check with us (sight draft), and I called USAA and they walked me through the process. Then they transfered me to insurance because we have our policies thru them also. The one-stop shopping thing was great!
Anyway, we were paying $438 (6-month policy) for our '99 Honda Accord. The Pilot increased that by about $110. We're in California (Sacramento to be exact, which is one of the top 10 auto theft cities), and we were expecting the cost to be much higher. Our coverage is 100k/300k/50k with a $250 comp deduct, $500 collis deduct, and rental/towing reimbursement. Just thought I'd let folks know because I'd seen previous posts regarding insurance costs.
Just had the towing kit installed, including hitch and coolers. Noticed on the way up the mountain yesterday that the transmission shifts are much more noticeable than before (no tow). Anyone know if the added coolers could cause this change? Or, is there something the mechanics could have accidently "hit" or adjusted when they were installing the kit components?
Who knows... just returned from a two week business trip driving an assortment of large GM sedans. Maybe I just have American car lead foot, and my Pilot is responding more harshly?
As far as labor goes, it doesn't cost the dealership $70.00 per hour to install these accessories as most would want to charge.
Perhaps not but someone has to pay the rent and cover costs for heating/cooling, insurance, benefits, equipment, tools and so on. Also, most dealerships do not send their mechanics home (off-clock) between jobs. It's called overhead.
I just went to check out the Honda Pilot and was not pleased. Compared to the Acura MDX it is cheap. The inside is ugly and the outside and is plain. I gues I will put down my deposit on the MDX afterall.
About a week ago someone posted a message indicating that the Pilot EX does not have an alarm system. They had a sales person test it by leaving the window open, closing the door and locking the door with the remote, then reaching inside and unlocking the door and nothing happened.
I tried the same test on our Pilot with the same results. After reading the manual and learning little, I checked in our owner's manual for our 2001 Olds Aurora. It said to wait 30 seconds after locking the door to test the system. So I tried this procedure on our Pilot and sure enough, it set off the horn and lights. I also talked to our dealer and they were unaware of this 30 second thing. They did find out for me that it does not have glass breakage detection.
Our Pilot replaced a Ford Explorer. A difference of night and day. The Pilot rides and handles "ten times" better. On a 300 mile round trip from Phoenix to Flagstaff, driving 75 to 80, we got 22.4 mpg. We have not found any thing significant to complain about ( the temperature on the auto air is a little hard to read in some light conditions). No rattles or noises so far. We love the vehicle.
Waiting for our ordered silver EX to come in and had a couple questions.
1) Does anyone have a photo of a pilot with just the lower trim and not the fog lights. Is there a "hole" for the fog lights to go or is it not really noticeable where the fog lights will go. I see there is a little indentation area around the fog light area but I can't stand it when there are holes with louvers where the fog lights should be.
2) Those of you with fog lights. Do they work only with the low beams or do they come on with the parking lights on too? I know they don't come on with the high beams.
I wouldn't be suprised if the kit included some kind of change to the ECU for the tranny. I know that the Isuzu trannies on the Rodeos and Troopers are set for very short torque converter slippage. Basically the smoother your transmission the more "slippage" the torque converter is given. This slippage is translated to heat and is dissipated. The slippage is what breaks down the fins inside the torque converter. This is one of the primary reasons that Ford transmissions breakdown so early in their life, it's because they are "smooth". The "rough" Isuzu shifts translate to towing capacity and longevity (most go 200K+ miles)
So perhaps the kit reprograms or modifies the shifting to make them more abrubt thereby leading to a longer tranny life. Just a guess, but it isn't a bad thing.
We love our ex-navi, but here are 2 minor problems noted in ours so far:
I saw 2 others mention the clicking problem, and we have it too! It's an annoying clicking sound, which sees to come from the area of the front lower driver's side, that seems to increase in frequency when the car drives faster; also when the car is hot (e.g, from sitting in the summer sun). My husband thinks this from the rotation of the speedometer cable when it has expanded (lengthened)in the heat; he doesn't think it's the tach. cable b/c he tried putting the car in neutral going downhill & it didn't chg. the frequency and also revv'd the engine in while standing still, and no clicking. We haven't taken it back to the dealer yet, but are wondering if anyone else has experienced this yet, or has other ideas about its source.
Also, beware of children's feet hitting the louvers on the 2d row AC vents; the plastic nubs that hold them in are very easily knocked out of place and although they can be popped back in, they look like they will not last long. Someone else reported them as cheap, and they are!
Thanks for the transmission thoughts. I guess I'll think of the change as a positive. One more question for you... I also noticed this afternoon a very high pitched sound (almost inaudible) coming from under the hood. I could only hear it when I was outside the car with the engine running. This, too, was not present before the towing kit adjustments. Any thoughts?
Could be one of many things. My guess is that since they installed a cooler for the PS pump, perhaps they may have taken the belt off to get to the PS pump, and maybe they didn't put it back tight enough? For the tranny thing, you might want to contact Honda Corporate to see exactly what is entailed in the "Towing upgrades" I would think they'd know or could find out if anything was done that might cause the harder shifting etc.
That is an interesting point you brought up on the security system. I was the one who posted earlier about the salesperson testing the system. I know Honda security systems do take 15 seconds to "set". I can't remember if the salesperson had waited 15 seconds. However, there is no mention of the Canadian Pilot having a security system anywhere on the Honda Canadian web site nor in the brouchure, and the salesperson said without hesitation that it does not have the security system. Maybe a Canadian Pilot owner can test it after waiting for the system to set.
"CENTER 2nd Row- My 9 year old daughter likes this seat the best and has had no complaints. She even pulls down the shoulder harness and connects it then asks for my key to unlatch it and tuck it back in the ceiling when we're back home."
She doesn't have to use your key to unlatch it. After pressing the red button to release the right side, just use the free metal end to unlatch the left side. I don't know why the manual tells you to use the key when this way works as well.
Pileit - No that isn't the standard paint scheme. At least, not in the US. Typically, the bottom portion is body-colored.
It does look good in that picture. The blacked out bottom gives it a more svelte profile. VW uses the same optical illusion with many of their cars. The Passat comes to mind. It helps hide the love handles on bigger cars.
Comments
FZJ80s (previous gen) have sliding windows in the rear
Currently they have pop-outs.
-mike
I will be installing the Honda security system, anyone have experience with it? Please let me know how it went.
Danny
The spare is the reason why the CR-V has a side-hinged gate, but that has nothing to do with the split window. You can have a side swinging gate with a fixed window. I believe the RAV4 and GV have that arrangement (not sure, I'll have to check).
I don't know if the 1st gen had the operating window.
Any tips appreciated. Alot of $$$ for this car and I don't want to screw it up using bad products.
Thanks.
It's already out. It's called the Odyssey.
Bob
Not all kids will want to be boostered for that long, of course. But please also consider that you have that awkward belt-from-the-ceiling in the middle of the 2nd row (and third), and some kind of belt-positioning from the booster can only help the child (you don't want that belt around the kid's neck!).
Though I wish Honda had put more padding there.
Tomorrow, my wife and I will be heading over to the dealer to purchase an EX-L in redrock with no market adjustment or unwanted DIOs. If everything goes well, we should be driving the new SUVan by 11AM. We have had it on order for about a month now and we are really excited to finally see it.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Stephen
If they do add a moonroof, rear opening glass, and heated leather seats in a few years I may have found my next car.
Acura has taken heat for the MDX not being a full luxury class vehicle, I think they will move it more upscale and as they do the Pilot will get more options.
PAYLOAD- I have filled the rear with cargo multiple times and find the access very easy. Once with 30 bags of topsoil weighing 40 lbs each I did notice that the rear wheels fanned out as does the Ody loaded with large arses. 1200 lbs of topsoil =___large arses? Is this putting too mush stress on the lugs?
SHIFTER/CONSOLE- Though awkward feeling at first the column shifter frees up a letter size inbox between the seats for the mobile office. This has been great.
CENTER 2nd Row- My 9 year old daughter likes this seat the best and has had no complaints. She even pulls down the shoulder harness and connects it then asks for my key to unlatch it and tuck it back in the ceiling when we're back home.
SUNROOF- I don't miss the solar heater a bit. One of my taller friends noted that this was the first SUV that he had plenty of headroom in and will probably buy one soon.
STEP RAILS To answer previous poster. Step rails are for men and running boards are for women as the Honda Sales manager put it. Step rails allow for easier cleaning as there is space between them and the paint vs the running boards.
I head back to the dealer next week to have hitch installed that I paid for June 4 at delivery. I didn't want to wait an extra day to roll. I will add the fog lights and step rails the same day just for fun and to make the front a little more rugged looking.
My main disappointment has been the 16 mpg around Atlanta. Perhaps it is my offensive driving. Does the mileage get better with break in or do I have to change my driving habits?
The only other issue is that I can't see over the hood as it tapers forward making it hard to judge how close I am to the curb or wall. Would the wind deflector serve as a center hood ornament replacement to judge distance?
Happy Piloting!
Bob
My advice, I guess, is to go in expecting MSRP, which I believe is fair at this time. People come in expecting to negotiate all the time, and we just don't do it. We hate to lose customers, but the thing is that someone else will realize we are being fair and prompt. And for those of you waiting patiently, keep it up. SOmetimes these things drop from the sky -- we weren't supposed to get one with a Nav system for another week -- and it showed up 2 weeks ago. Just depends on what the trucks load up. Let me know what you think.
We took "cold" test drive in base ES. Very impressed with brake responsiveness and short turning radius, far better than RX300. Couldn't determine noise level at 70mph+ 'cause we didn't crank it up that fast. Dealer said they add $3k to asking MSRP, plus, many models come with dealer installed goodies.
Nice car. Price much to high to consider now. Maybe when general SUV supply exceeds demand we shall see prices worked from invoice rather than MSRP...a year or two?
My dealer is in NC but that won't be much help to you since you are in CA. Alinda is correct, you should expect to pay NO MORE than MSRP. And since they are making a huge profit at that price, why should you pay full price for accessories? You can find these discounted for the pilot online. As far as labor goes, it doesn't cost the dealership $70.00 per hour to install these accessories as most would want to charge. So why should you pay that much?
When I bought my 2000 Odyssey I didn't get on a list, didn't pay more than MSRP, didn't pay for extras, and didn't wait (had it in 2 days from visiting dealership).
I would suggest that you guys read the excellent book by Robert Cialdini "Influence-Science and Practice". This would help you greatly in interacting with the dealers.
And before someone flames me about "supply and demand" and the Pilot being worth more than MSRP, I would just say that supply and demand are easily manipulated. Just don't fall for the tactics. Read the book.
Will you be installing the system yourself? Have you obtained a quote for the cost of dealer installation?
I am no expert with regard to security systems, but it does seem as though the Honda system is not very sophisticated compared to the aftermarket systems. For instance, I do not think that the Honda system includes glass breakage sensors or interior "radar" (the radar sensors apparently sound the alarm if movement is detected within the vehicle).
At this point, I am leaning toward the purchase of an aftermarket alarm (probably DEI) but do not trust any of the potential installation techs I have talked with. Have you considered any aftermarket manufacturers?
Good luck.
Has anyone heard a very high-pitched whistling noise coming from under the hood (right section) a few minutes after shutting off the engine? We had this happen, and it was very strange. It lasted about 1 to 2 minutes, and it slowly whistled itself out, but we were wondering if it were something to do with pressure build up of one of the hoses or reservoirs. It's only happened once (that we know of).
Regarding the previous posts about the phenomenon with the 2nd row windows, we definitely experienced this. We were driving about 50 mph, and my son opened his 2nd row window (all other windows were closed), and we all about came unglued! It was a horrible vibrating pressure in our ears, and it was painful. I'm glad to hear that it's not just a Pilot thing and that other SUVs have the same phenomenon, but I can tell you right now we won't EVER open the 2nd row windows alone again.
Other than that, we love our new vehicle. The next big task is coming up with a name for it and learning the Nav system!
Anyway, we were paying $438 (6-month policy) for our '99 Honda Accord. The Pilot increased that by about $110. We're in California (Sacramento to be exact, which is one of the top 10 auto theft cities), and we were expecting the cost to be much higher. Our coverage is 100k/300k/50k with a $250 comp deduct, $500 collis deduct, and rental/towing reimbursement. Just thought I'd let folks know because I'd seen previous posts regarding insurance costs.
Who knows... just returned from a two week business trip driving an assortment of large GM sedans. Maybe I just have American car lead foot, and my Pilot is responding more harshly?
Perhaps not but someone has to pay the rent and cover costs for heating/cooling, insurance, benefits, equipment, tools and so on. Also, most dealerships do not send their mechanics home (off-clock) between jobs. It's called overhead.
tidester
Host
SUVs; Aftermarket & Accessories
See http://www.honda-pilot.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=105&perpage=15&pagenumber=1
I tried the same test on our Pilot with the same results. After reading the manual and learning little, I checked in our owner's manual for our 2001 Olds Aurora. It said to wait 30 seconds after locking the door to test the system. So I tried this procedure on our Pilot and sure enough, it set off the horn and lights. I also talked to our dealer and they were unaware of this 30 second thing. They did find out for me that it does not have glass breakage detection.
Our Pilot replaced a Ford Explorer. A difference of night and day. The Pilot rides and handles
"ten times" better. On a 300 mile round trip from Phoenix to Flagstaff, driving 75 to 80, we got
22.4 mpg. We have not found any thing significant to complain about ( the temperature on the auto air is a little hard to read in some light conditions). No rattles or noises so far. We love the vehicle.
1) Does anyone have a photo of a pilot with just the lower trim and not the fog lights. Is there a "hole" for the fog lights to go or is it not really noticeable where the fog lights will go. I see there is a little indentation area around the fog light area but I can't stand it when there are holes with louvers where the fog lights should be.
2) Those of you with fog lights. Do they work only with the low beams or do they come on with the parking lights on too? I know they don't come on with the high beams.
Thanks
So perhaps the kit reprograms or modifies the shifting to make them more abrubt thereby leading to a longer tranny life. Just a guess, but it isn't a bad thing.
-mike
I saw 2 others mention the clicking problem, and we have it too! It's an annoying clicking sound, which sees to come from the area of the front lower driver's side, that seems to increase in frequency when the car drives faster; also when the car is hot (e.g, from sitting in the summer sun). My husband thinks this from the rotation of the speedometer cable when it has expanded (lengthened)in the heat; he doesn't think it's the tach. cable b/c he tried putting the car in neutral going downhill & it didn't chg. the frequency and also revv'd the engine in while standing still, and no clicking. We haven't taken it back to the dealer yet, but are wondering if anyone else has experienced this yet, or has other ideas about its source.
Also, beware of children's feet hitting the louvers on the 2d row AC vents; the plastic nubs that hold them in are very easily knocked out of place and although they can be popped back in, they look like they will not last long. Someone else reported them as cheap, and they are!
Thanks for the transmission thoughts. I guess I'll think of the change as a positive. One more question for you... I also noticed this afternoon a very high pitched sound (almost inaudible) coming from under the hood. I could only hear it when I was outside the car with the engine running. This, too, was not present before the towing kit adjustments. Any thoughts?
-mike
They work only with low beams.
There are no holes you have to cut them in.
http://en.carpoint.msn.ca/cias2002/gallery_cat.asp#1 (click on the picture of the white Pilot on the left)
Is this how the Pilot in white looks, or was this just made up for the autoshow. Does anyone know if this is an option for white or other colors?
I'm referring to the black trim at the bottom of the vehicle.
P.S.: I think it looks good.
Thanks
She doesn't have to use your key to unlatch it. After pressing the red button to release the right side, just use the free metal end to unlatch the left side. I don't know why the manual tells you to use the key when this way works as well.
It does look good in that picture. The blacked out bottom gives it a more svelte profile. VW uses the same optical illusion with many of their cars. The Passat comes to mind. It helps hide the love handles on bigger cars.
Bob