Honda Pilot Maintenance and Repair

mtbdad

Does anyone know how to replace the gray rear bumper garnish? I inquired about the cost and it is $49.00 for the part. Just wondering how hard it would be to replace. Thanks.

qbrozen

are you talking about the rubber pad on top of the bumper?

reason i ask is because there actually is an add-on accessory that, I believe, is called "bumper garnish" but its just little chrome pieces that stick on the top of the bumper on each corner.

only thing I'd be worried about in removing either item is pulling up paint.

qbrozen

I'm not quite following you. where are these dents? above the side windows? Near the roof rails somewhere? maybe a picture would help.

cameramatt

Keep me updated if this is an actual problem. I plan on buying the rails for my Sears luggage box for traveling this summer. Also, will the recommended spacing provided by Honda accomodate the Sears carrier, w/brackets, that I used with my previous vans.

mtbdad

I am not sure of the name of the part, but it is the big gray thing on the rear bumper. It covers the lower half of the bumper and has those ridges. I know about that chrome thing. It isn't htat. The gray thing comes on all of the Pilots.

qbrozen

OH. ok, the lower half of the bumper. now I know what you mean. Unfortunately, I have no idea how that is attached. sorry.

dyoung

The dents are above the side windows in the upper side panels. None of the dents are at the roof rail positions. I have the Sears cargo carrier with brackets and it was positioned according to specs. You should certainly be able to use the Sears brand not have to purchase the very expensive Honda carrier.

terumi1

I don't know about that lower guard. But I know that the plastic piece sitting on top of the rear bumper, with the tread on it, is attached by the typical snap clips you see on interior plastic pieces. It just pulls off. Chances are, that is how the lower piece is connected.

manning

We recently purchased a black 2004 Pilot. I thought the streaky finish was a result of a bad wax job at the dealership but with subsequent washings, nothing has changed. Someone told me they think it's the pearlized finish? To me, it just looks like something is wrong. Does anyone have a black Pilot that has the same problem? Is this the way it's supposed to look?

calg

We have the Honda roof rails and a Thule cargo carrier and no dents. I'm not sure how your dents got there... I can't imagine it having anything to do with the type of cargo carrier you have.

firefighter2

On my 03 Pilot when coming down a grade at about 50 mph or better and I use the brakes I hear a grinding or rumbling sound until about 35 or 40 mph. Then it seems to stop, Anyone else notice this problem,and is there a fix'

indy93

Will the Pilot have develop the same trans problems as the Ody in the next few years? They are both based on the same platform and driveline.

davidm12

I have a 2004 Pilot which is just about 3 months old. Every now and then there is a rattling sound that appears to be coming from the windshield. I actually first noticed it when driving the car the day I bought it. I haven't returned to the dealer yet (it's some distance away); the noise happens without any apparent reason -- at high and low speeds, on smooth and bumpy roads. Sometimes I go a few days without hearing it; or I could be hearing it for an hour or so, and then it stops.

Any ideas on what to check for? Thanks.

qbrozen

I really don't think its your windshield. If it is, that should be a MAJOR concern. A loose windshield would cause all kinds of leaking problems, not to mention safety issues.

I'm pretty sure there are more posts concerning this, but this is the only one I found in my quick search: 330

That is pretty much what I have found with our occasionaly rattle. More like a creaking, actually, but tough to describe the difference. In my case, I usually press down on the dash that overhangs the radio right in the center. That is where it comes from for me.

weezy1

Bought our Pilot in Aug. 2002.At first we thought is was great-- 42,000mi later we are not too happy any more. The interior door plastic is so sensative, my calculator fell off the middle seat next to the door in January and we can't figure out how it could have made such a large hole in the bottom of the door.Panel replacement was almost $300.

We use premiuim gas, yet the system malfunction light came on and Honda says it's over $300. to clean out the system of a carbon buildup.

Sadly, since we always had great performance with our previous Hondas, we didn't buy the extended warranty. In the past forty-five years we have never had such a problem. Not even with our old Volvo 740GLE that had 350,000mi on it when we gave it away.

By the way, this Pilot has had three recalls already also.

qbrozen

your calculator put a hole in the door? Come on. You're kidding, right?

And what 3 recalls are you talking about?

scottnrose

An extended warranty would not have covered the two cases that you describe above.

Also, and the real reason that I am writing, IMHO premium gas does NOTHING for you - zip - nada. Unless your manufacturer specifies only the use of premium (and the Pilot does not), save the money and use regular gas.

I used to use premium gas in all of my vehicles (none specified premium at the time). The only thing that it did for me was build up more carbon deposits. It seems that I was constantly doing a reverse clean-out using BG 44K. It was a waste - I now use regular.

Just my 0.02.
Scott

robaltima1

I have the same rattle that sounds like it is coming from the top of the radio. I remember reading that a similar problem was fixed by adjusting wires on top of the radio. I can't figure out how to get to the top of the radio unless you take it out or take off the glove box and reach up.

isellhondas

A calculator or all things could put a 300.00 "hole" in a door ????

Good advise over the use of premium gas. You are wasting your money. Take it out, leave it in a lower gear and drive it hard...high RPM, within reasonable limits for awhile. It may help clear the carbon.

mtbdad

Check out the plastic speaker cover for the tweeter. Mine is loose and rattles. See if yours has play

qbrozen

i am a regular at the org (same username as here), but not everyone has time to sift through THAT much info when they want to find out something about their Pilot. So I find that, most times, being able to give abbreviated answers here is a help to quite a few people.

dako_tian

Was it, by any chance,extremely cold that day in January when your calculator fell and broke your door plastic? If your car was outside, hadn't warmed up much, and the door plastic was thus close to ambient temperature, it might well have broken. Many plastics would be quite brittle at maybe zero Fahrenheit or below.

The older 'vettes had to be treated carefully in below zero weather, I've heard. Maybe the stories grew with the telling and maybe it's just another urban myth (am I myth-ing something? ;-)), but I heard that you could shatter a Corvette's fiberglass door body panel by slamming it hard on a minus 10 degrees or lower day.....

observer

Please advise to any action I can do to correct this problem. Yesterday I took our 2003 Pilot in for 15,000 service. I took the Honda Ownerlink print out and said this is what I want. I specifically told them not to use the 44K gas additive. After picking up the Pilot, I noticed the $20.00 part charge for 44K. Dealer said it was a mistake on their part and my next oil change will be free. On page 12 of the warranty booklet, the use of this will void my warranty.

qbrozen

what the heck is 44K gas additive and why will it void the warranty? And, the big question, why the heck would a honda dealer use something that is forbidden by Honda???

isellhondas, if you're reading, any info on this at all?

ok, i looked up 44K. Its the stuff made by ryno? so its a fuel injector cleaner. why would this void warranty?

observer

qbrozen, Page 12 of warranty booklet states" low fluid level or the use of a fluid other than specified by Honda " is not covered. Official position statement is to use good quality gas, Additives are not needed. Why did dealer use it, I can only quess to increase profit on service.

isellhondas

What that poster was talking about...???

44K gas additive??? Never heard of such a thing.

weezy1

You gessed it -- it was the coldest day of this winter and I'm sure that's what did it.
We have always used Premium gas in our cars, thinking it was the cleanest. Any way, the Pilot manual says you should use 86 or higher, they do specify using Premiium if you are towing. Under the circumstances I believe Honda should make buyers more aware that High test on the Pilot causes a build up of carbon. Our dealer cleaned out the carbon (3hrs labor) and twenty minutes after I drove it out of there, the engine malfunction light came on again.
Wow did I see RED. I went straight back to the dealer-- they reset the error light and it seemed fine. Lo & behold an hour later it was on again. Next morning the dealer gave me a loaner car and checked it out again. This time they changed the EGR valve and everything is good again. This appears to be a first in the Pilot and they will recommend Honda to always change the valve when they have to do a carbon cleannout.
We will now use 87 octane gas !!
Gotta tell you, we do deal with a really good serv ice dept. We werent charged the second time around.

weezy1

HawaiiPilot; On the gas cap it tells you to tighten and wait for three"clicks" If that light is on, loosen the cap,wait for three clicks if the light doesn't go out after driving the car "Three separate times" take it to the dealer before damage it done. I hope you aren't using High test gas.

meyervilla

I love our '04 Pilot; once I get behind the wheel, that is. Hondas are not made for people with long legs. My question: How do you get out of the damn thing!

qbrozen

I swing out my left leg and set my foot on the ground, then swing out my right and do the same. I suppose you could leap out and land both feet at the same time if so inclined. Or maybe climb out the window ala dukes of hazzard. Or maybe climb through to the tailgate and.... what was i talking about?

firefighter2

I lost one of my ignition keys and payed $95 for a replacement from the dealer. Does anyone know if that system can be bypassed so a regular key can be used?

dako_tian

That system saves you money on your car insurance and makes it much harder for a car thief to start your car (it's that little "smart chip" in the key that the ignition switch recognizes). Bypassing it would remove both advantages. Is that worth the $92 you might save? Also, I'm betting any bypass would cost more than $92 unless you want some funky-looking junk or torn up steering column on your $30,000 vehicle.

Of course, if you're planning on losing a lot of keys then the thief will probably have the one to start your car anyway.... ;-)

p04

My dealership is promoting a deal with KREX that includes oil/fuel additives with each service. Also includes 180-day roadside assistance. Cost=$14.95

I doubt that additives are necessary but can't understand how they could void warranty since they are sold and installed by Honda dealership.

firefighter2

Thanks for your reply to my ignition question. I wasn't thinking about hot wiring or replacing the ignition system in the pilot.Some systems have an over ride as part of the system. I was wondering if the pilot had one. As far as losing keys, My guess is many people have lost a key one time or another without having planed it.

dako_tian

Sorry to sound so sarcastic. I have never heard of such an override for the integrated chip on the Hondas. If there was one, it would have to be necessarily complicated and/or tied to the chip in the key, as you know, or the thieves would already have made the integrated chips worthless.

My point about planning on losing keys, is that it is or should be a rare event. That rarity would make it a questionable value to pursue an override that had any cost associated.

Happy driving and hang onto those keys! ;-)

04pilotowner

We purchased our Pilot in Feb, and over the past two weeks, we have noticed a series of bubbles/holes forming in the tint on the upper lefthand portion of the front windshield. Both the outer and inner glass are still smooth, which leads us to believe it is part of the inner layer of the windshield (PVB). Has anyone seen this, had problems with this? It started off as 4-5 "bubbles" and now it is probably 100 bubbles at this point. All we can think is that it is a manufacturer defect, but we do not want to have to get a new windshield on a brand new car.

isellhondas

If the windshield is defective it won't hurt anything to have it replaced. Any competent shop will do a good job.

thamptonroads

I just read this on the news....

You may recall the good old days when there was a lot of profit to be made in the car industry. Now there’s just a lot of recalls, period. The latest comes from Japanese automaker Honda, which is calling back 600,000 minivans and SUVs in the U.S. and Canada.

The reason? They may be equipped with faulty transmissions. Most of the cars affected – the 2002-2004 Honda Odyssey minivans, the 2003-2004 Pilot, and the 2001-2002 Acura MDX - were made at the Honda complex in Aliston, Ontario.

The company warns insufficient lubrication has been shown to cause a heat buildup and broken gears in the vehicles’ transmissions, which could lead to the entire mechanism locking up. If you hear noises coming from your transmission, the gears may already have broken.

So far, Honda has confirmed only 10 instances of the mechanisms actually failing, and there have been no reports of accidents or deaths due to the defect – and they want to keep it that way.

As usual, the repairs will be free and notices will go in the mail at the end of April. Nearly 49,000 cars in Canada are believed to be affected.

qbrozen

got a link to that report?
thanks.

oops. never mind. found it on the associated press site

thamptonroads

It's from a news channel in Toronto, Canada. Here it is...

http://www.pulse24.com/Business/Top_Story/20040414-002/page.asp

indy93

See posting #438 by the Host....for the actual link. Honda Odyssey Transmission Problems on the Odyssey board.

bbouch57

Before some get all bent out of shape about this as I have seen some have on a few other web sites, you have to consider the amount listed as failed a small amount of the total produced. Has anyone really seen any posts in quantity of transmission problems with the Pilot here or on other web sites? I have not seen many. Sure you see a few and those are the exception, but there are always going to be some no matter who the manufacturer is. Some rather than many is what matters. The key here is how this is handled by HMC. If this issue is addressed quickly as it appears it has and they make modifications to resolve with no cost to the owner, then they will have dealt with this in an effective manner. I have seen some worrying that the fix will not be good enough and the transmissions will still fail. I say forget it and move on. All vehicles will have problems of some sort and how the manufacturer acknowledges and fixes them is what develops customer loyalty. Thinking that your going to get 100% perfect mass produced items from any manufacturer is just not possible no matter what you think. I am an engineer/project manager, and I strive and expect others to strive for perfection but the reality is that it is not 100% possible. Again, it is how you deal with problems that come up that counts. Other car manufactures that have had problems and simply denied or blame the customer are well known and their sales and customer loyalty have sank. Honda's will do the same if they would follow that path. I have owned many Hondas and they are not perfect and all have had some kind of issue or problem. They just have not had the lingering unending larger amount of problems that some other manufactures have had over the years. Generally though, the engines and transmissions-the big cost items that count have been where HMC excels.

qbrozen

what he said.

indy93

Your are right.... it only took Honda 4 years and 650,000 vehicles recalled to repond. That is certainly excellence.

getgo44

I owned a SUV from another manufacturer and had transmission problems at 55000 miles. Do you think they would even offer a discount on the repair...nope. You go get 'em Honda for standing up for what is right! It is these kind of customer relations that will bring me back for my next purchase.

cyborgen

Just bought a Pilot with RES yesterday, hope the fix is in the delivered SUV.

Anyways I still have my 2000 TL, transmission was replaced along with the processor (no charge) a few months ago. Now I've got a four year old car (120,000km) with a brand new transmission .

I'll be keeping that one a long long time , still looks brand new!

mdogra

I bought my 2004 Honda Pilot EX-L in December 2003. After reading recall messages in this discussion, I checked for my SUV in the Honda Owner's Link website. Said my vehicle was not recalled. Hope you all can check for your individual Pilots there though Honda also sends a letter to the registered address.

qbrozen

You won't find it on owner's link for a while yet. They haven't even started sending out the letters. Some folks have even called Honda about this and were told that the owner's link would not be updated until after the letters are sent. And the letters will go out slowly started next month and lasting through September. Its going to take a long time to reach all these owners and schedule them all for the procedure.

55535432

Bought my pilot with tow and hitch package. I need to do some 3500 lbs of towing next week. Is their any additive or anything I need to add to the fuel or to the Vehicle itself before towing? Or does it mean that if I have a towing and hitch package its ready to tow anytime as long as its within its load capacity?

Pilot has only 9829 miles on it. Breaks are partially engaged as evidence by very very hot disc brakes even if weather is cold and I traveled only 0.5 miles.Steering wheels vibrate too when this happen.I check the feel of the steering wheel with the parking breaks on and off and the feel is the same when Pilot is driven. Fuel consumption is sickening coz of this. Is the repair of this covered by honda warranty?Anyone had the same problem?

qbrozen

of course the warranty should cover this. Probably a bad caliper. I definitely wouldn't be towing without having that fixed first. You really shouldn't even drive it that far because it is wearing down the brake pads very fast and soon it will eat through the rotor and you will have no brake on that wheel. And there is always the possibility that it will get so hot that you will have a fire.