Honda Pilot Maintenance and Repair

qbrozen

so what made you get another one? Did they do this for you free of charge due to lemon laws? Or did you trade it and take the depreciation hit?

glad to know you are happy now.

terumi1

I couldn't agree more on the suspicions of postings here. I just unsubscribed to, "Prices Paid and Buying Experience". I became suspicious of all the Mike Pruitt purchases in Ohio.

Of course, all those postings could be true. But easily, there could be a method from within Mike Pruitt Honda. haha...conspiracy theories. Did Leonardo Da Vinci paint the Mike Pruitt logo? Hidden meanings?

I needed to unsubscribe to that, anyway. Because the price I paid in December 2003, by now, is old news in the changing market. So I can't be any help anyway on that.

But, "Problems and Solutions", and "Accessories and Mods", are still good for me. Even though I have put every accessory on that I can think of by now.

I do come here much less now. But I come with the intent of helping someone on a post. Usually, qbrozen has already done that.

But in seeking information earlier, I both asked and gave any information I could. Specifically on the aftermarket DVD player I installed. Sysadmin1 became interested, too. I gave all the information I had to date in some pretty lengthy articles to help everyone. DVD placement, aux audio input adapter (which most dealers said didnt exist), IR vs RF headsets, prices, and so on. Other people chimed in and out as they needed to. In the end, sysadmin1 used his own email, and posted pics of his dvd, my dvd, and someone else's dvd (can't remember).

It brought the whole dvd process to a close. And the complete body of work is on this forum, for all interested.

That was the biggest single item. Other items discussed in detail were the fog lights, running boards, cargo cover, cargo protector, wind deflector, etc....

All very helpful in the give and take.

Point being, it was a give and take of information that benefited all that were interested. Some people come on here, ask something, you reply, and never hear from them again. This particularly applies to qbrozen, who I have seen through the past half year, tries to help everyone. Some, he never hears from again.

So if you post something of a problem, and never update anyone as to the status of that problem, it gives the appearance of a Toyota car dealership owner (for example), salvoing the Honda Pilot, in hopes of corporate gain.

If you have a problem, post it! There is a lot of good help here! But don't just take! Give us the update of the resolution!

Maybe I HAVE read too many conspiracy theory books! Now if I could just find my Opus Dei Decoder Key.

readytogo

If you think Mike Pruitt's not real, now there is Carr's in Chicago that sells for invoice.

qbrozen

nice post!

and thanks for the appreciative words.

Just like you, I come here to try to help those that might not know where else to go for more in depth info. And I'm also glad you are here (and anyone else with helpful info to share) to help folks out. I certainly couldn't help on that DVD issue, for instance.

I do think you've read too many conspiracy books, though. haha. I'm more of a simplistic cynic. I just think some folks are seriously bored and like to post disinformation to pass the time. Let's me sleep better at night to think that instead of searching all my light fixtures for Mike Pruitt hidden microphones.

paviaboy

i paid extra $9900 to be exact.so far its ok, no problem yet, a little noise on the freeway but that's ok, as long as its not an engine or tranny problem.

terumi1

The simplistic cynic. I like that. Kind of being like a tired revolutionary. I'd take on the world, but right now I've got to take a nap!

jjmitrevtcctv

Hello everyone:

On my brand new 2004 Honda Pilot (only driven for 240 miles), there is a slight whisling sound while driving. It becomes especially noticeable when I slow it down in order to make a turn or something like that. Anyone knows what the problem could be? Thanks very much.

tom10

Hello,
Can anyone tell me if the 2004 pilot automatic transmission is forever flawed...even with the fix that Honda is offering (with its recall)? ...or completely fixed with the additional oil cooler return line? I am planning to get one soon...but don't want to worry about my transmission going out at 40,000 miles. I noticed on edmunds that the drivetrain warranty is only 3yrs/36,000miles.

qbrozen

Actually, its not an additional return line. Its an extra oil jet that is installed over the 2nd gear in order to keep it better lubricated.

there is no way to know what will happen to these trannies in the future. You just either have to trust that the Honda engineers have done all they can or you have to just not buy one. They say the 2nd gear is starving for oil and this is the cause of all the problems. So now they are feeding it oil with the new jet. Is this the real problem and is this the real fix? Only the Honda engineers who have dissected the failed transmissions really know the answers. Then again, maybe they still don't know and this fix is their "best guess." Only time is going to tell us for sure.

isellhondas

I talked to the guys in the shop yesterday. They have installed a lot of the jet kits and have, at this point, done a LOT of inspections.

So far, they found ONE Odyssey that had a slight amount of discoloration on second gear. Three out of four techs thought it was O.K...The fourth guy had a slight doubt. They downloaded the photos to Honda who looked them over, thought they looked O.K. but just in case, decided to OK a new transmission.

This was a WELL used Odyssey with 89,000 miles on it. It also had a big class 3 trailer hitch on the back.

It's really not that much of a problem.

toca

"It's really not that much of a problem"

Only time will tell.

jay_24

And that big class 3 hitch is used for? just a bike rack? wasn't used at all? Just because it has a hitch doesn't mean much.

nypilot04

I can't speak for anyone else's experience, and mine was back in February, but I still vouch for Mike Pruitt Honda: I had a very positive experience with them.

rancherat

Hey guys! Got at question, My Pilot has a vibration/drag feel to it at 50 to 55 mph. Had the tires rebalanced but still didn't help. I've had it in shop to be checked but they said it was just the tires.? Also anyone have driver window controller probs. My mirrors and up window don't work, for the 2nd time. I've only have 2750 miles on it. Just curious if anyone has had a problem. Thanks

gbd21

Edmunds fora are full of multiple conspiracies!!

Honda Dealers v/s Honda Buyers

Honda Dealers v/s Honda Dealers

Toyota dealers v/s Honda dealers

Toyota buyers v/s Honda buyers

Local dealers v/s Out of state dealers

Mike Pruit Honda v/s Carr's Honda

Have a great fun all of you and read Le Carre to keep you on your toes.

(:-))

isellhondas

Time has already told a story. Lots of 150,000 mile plus Odysseys out there without problems. I was only relating what our high volume show has seen...***ONE*** that was questionable at best and Honda stepped up to the plate.

Jay, most people who haul bicycles don't spring for the heavy duty, expensive, Class III hitch although I guess it's possible.

It was obvious that this Odyssey had had a hard life. Who knows?

ssminton

Been awhile since I have navigated the Pilot boards. In my catch up skimming, I did not see this topic. If it is repetitive, please forgive me... I have a 2003 w/ 50K miles. For the first 18 months of ownership, I averaged 21mpg mixed driving and 24mpg highway. Since January 2004, I get 18-19mpg mixed and 20-21mpg highway. Anyone have any thoughts on what happened?

qbrozen

at such a small difference, it could be any number of things. For instance, my wife's mileage has gone down about 1 mpg since it was new and I know that I can attribute it to the fact that she has gotten more comfortable driving it (and the newness has worn off, so she's not babying it anymore) and, as a result, pushes it a little harder on accleration. She doesn't think so, but I'm the impartial judge who only sits in the driver's seat once every couple of weeks, so I know better.

The other possibility is, since you have 50K miles, have you changed the tires? If you haven't, the worn tires are affecting your mileage. If you did change them and you didn't go with the exact same size and brand that came with the Pilot, there is most likely a slight difference in circumference (although size, in theory, is the same between brands, it really isn't - kinda like buying shoes: sometimes you need a 13, sometimes you need a 12, etc.). So, of course, with a different circumference, you may actually be getting the same mileage, but the odometer tells you differently.

2 mpg is just not significant enough to think anything is wrong beyond these slight variations.

danno1

Hey everybody! I just put a deposit on a Pilot EXL w/ DVD that will be manufactured in Alabama at the end of July. Will these issues involving the transmission and the brakes be addressed in this subsequent manufacture of the vehicle? Additionally, are there any other bulletins or other issues that I should have the dealership address before I accept delivery? I'd appreciate any advice.... I wonder if I should back out of the vehicle.

nickroy77

I'm a novice on these boards as far as posting so I'm sorry if this has been discussed before.

We have a new Pilot (950 miles). Everywhere we go we notice a puddle of water after it has been parked for a little while.

Since it is clear and odorless I'm assuming its water and I'm assuming it is coming from the A/C unit where condensation may occur.

Are we the only ones with this problem? Is it a serious problem?

Thanks,
Nickroy77

shooterdave7

On summer days where it is warm and humid and I've been running the A/C for awhile, I don't know that I've ever owned a car that DIDN'T have condensation puddling under it after it sat for a bit. And, based on your description of it, that's exactly what this is...condensation dripping. No, it's not a serious problem - not really a "problem" at all. Unless, of course, you park it in the living room or something, then you may need some of those puppy training pads to toss under it. ;-)

isellhondas

All cars will do this. That water has to go somewhere. Perfectly normal!

hungp

Hi,
I don't know if somebody can give me a little info about the questions I have. My car built date is 05/04/2004 (after the recall date for the transmission - 04/15/04)
I found this info:
--------------------
The five-speed transmissions made in Russells Point, Ohio, near Marysville are used in some 2002, 2003 and early 2004 Honda Odyssey minivans as well as 2003 and early 2004 Honda Pilot sport utilities.
---------------------
I've checked mine, and it is made in Japan (from the sticker window).
So my question is 1) should I worry about my transmission longevity? So far it is impecable.
2) I've experienced some clunking noise (not loud, but recognizable) when I start from stop after braking, or when I apply brake to stop. I don't hear the noise all the time. I've heard about TSB for the brake shim. I'm not sure it is the brake shim. I've not brought it for a service, because it is not reproducable all the time. I plan to drive a little longer to see if how the problem goes (I have only 950 miles). So anybody's experienced the same thing?
sorry if this has been posted somewhere.
Thanks,
PS: BTW, is the transmission changed after the recall? I mean does Honda uses a different transmission to avoid a future recall?

danno1

What I can tell you is that today(6/30/04) I went to a Honda dealership and read the stickers on numerous Pilots. They all read that the transmissions were from Japan with the engines being manufactured in the USA. I read in a recall article that the transmissions in question were manufactured in Ohio. My question such as in question#690 is whether this means that different transmissions from another vendor are currently being used? My other question is whether anybody feels that there could be a difference in quality between the Pilots made in Canada vs. the ones made in Alabama. My personal preference would be to have a Pilot manufactured in Alabama. Any thoughts on this point?
Today, I spoke to a colleague from work. He indicated that he had a problem with an oil leak due to a porous aluminum engine block. Is this a concern with vehicles that are currently being manufactured?

toca

"My question such as in question#690 is whether this means that different transmissions from another vendor are currently being used?"
I'm sure it's the same transmission. However, I don't know if Honda manufactures them or not. My guess is they do - either in the US or Japan.

"Today, I spoke to a colleague from work. He indicated that he had a problem with an oil leak due to a porous aluminum engine block. Is this a concern with vehicles that are currently being manufactured?"
Haven't heard of this as being a problem nor can I recall seeing anyone post such an issue on this board.

As for Canadian vs Alabama built, I'm sure the plants adhere to the same procedures and guidelines so there shouldn't be much of a difference in quality.

crawfish

http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=248836

phabein

I have a 2 week old 2004 pilot with a rattle in the dash above the cd player. I note that gbrozen #625 and sampilot #621 reported the same thing. How do you fix it? It's driving me nuts in what is otherwise a wonderfully tight car.

sampilot2004

No... I did nothing about it. It is still rattling like that. Do you know if this will be covered under the warranty?

Thanks

Sam

phabein

Thanks for responding, Sam. It surely must be covered under the warranty. I'll be taking the car to my dealer who I expect will be very good about it. The interesting thing to me is that it doen't take much pressure on top of the dash to stop it, so I am thinking it should be pretty easy to fix, perhaps just wrapping some wires or adding some foam. The noise is intermittent and really seems to depend on the street surface sending up just the right vibration, but when it happens, it is loud and irritating. If they can't easily reproduce it at the dealer, I think I will just tell them to take out the cd player/radio, insulate around the wiring harness, and put it back together.

toca

First 12K miles they should repair everything - excluding obvious customer damage.

packert

I have a 04 Pilot purchased in December. We love the car except for a few minor things all of them mentioned in this forum previously. 6,000 miles so far. I am getting worse gas mileage than I thought we would with about 15-17 around town, I don't jump from red lights, I thought the mileage would be better.

Yes, we have the dash rattle, but I just push the dash forward, toward the windshield with both hands and it oges away for a while.

Vibration at 70-80 mph. Really annoying and thought I was imagining it until I read about it hear. Not enough to create a problem, but enough to make me keep it between 60-70 to avoid the uncomfortable vibration. I have the GY Integrity tires and will look into replacing them. Does anyone have more information on the cause of this vibration. On a recent long trip, it made the trip a little longer because the care did not feel as safe approaching 80mph, so we were one of the slower cars on the road.

We also have the clunking somtimes when putting in reverse but that is intermittant and not a big deal

We have 4 kids under 5 so the third row seat is much used. But our other car a 2000 Odyssey is so much easier to put them in and out of. The Odyssey did experience the intermittant brake vibration that someone else reported in their Pilot. We have not had this vibration in the Pilot.

toca

I had the vibration initially as well. Brought it in and everything checked out. Can't remember when, but it just went away. Best guess was in the 5K to 8K mile range. Very weird.

robaltima1

My 04 pilot ex/l with dvd had the same exact problem(currently has 17,000 miles). Originally, we took it to the dealer and they said they could not reproduce the rattle(probably had 7,500 miles on the car). However the rattle continued. My wife took the truck in for the 15,000 service and insisted that a tech ride with her so they could hear the rattle. The tech heard the rattling and even commented that this is a common complaint. The repair was either to take out the radio and put in a new wire harness or use adhesive on the area between the radio and dash. I am not sure what they did but the rattling has stopped(I think it was the adhesive). I am very happy with the result and the dealership(memphis,tn).

outwest

Question for other '04 Pilot owners - I bought my '04 EX-L RES at the end of 2003, and I have gotten a recall message in my Ownerlink account. I have not received any recall notice in the mail. However, when I called the dealer and corporate customer service, both confirmed that my VIN was not part of the recall.

Has anyone else experienced the same?

qbrozen

i believe, if i recall correctly, that the recall affects all made up through January of this year. so yours should be included.

qbrozen

we have about 26K now and i haven't noticed that noise in quite some time. so i guess whatever it was just settled down over time.

regnideir

I got this off the honda-pilot.org site.

All 2003 model and part of 2004 model are included in the tranny recall. On the 2004 model year, the VIN# ranges from 2HKYF18_ _ 4H500001 thru 2HKYF18_ _ 4H546877.

thamptonroads

I will be taking a long road trip using my Pilot and will be carrying a lot of luggage (on the roof and in the trunk). Can anyone tell me how much air I need to pump to the tires?

Thanks you.

marklud

I know this problem must have been addressed before but I wish to mention it again. I've had my Pilot for just over a year and almost 6 months ago I noticed a slight "clunking" noise when I reverse and then move forward and apply the brakes. I am assuming the disc brake pads are shifting slightly when going from one direction to the opposite. It's slightly annoying, but is it of any consequence? Is there a way to fix or alleviate the noise? Should I return it for a look while it's still under warranty?

qbrozen

qbrozen Apr 26, 2004 9:34am

capriracer

My standard recommendation is to use 3 to 5 psi above what is on your vehicle placard - assuming you are using the original size tires.

In case of heavy loading and / or long trips, I'd go for the the high end - 5 psi - even if that means going over what the maximum is on the sidewall - which is OK in some circumstances and this is one of them.

Hope this helps.

thamptonroads

Thank you for your response.

I'm a woman so I do not know much about vehicle placard but I can always check it out. Yes, I still have the original tires on the Pilot.

nanaab

in order to install the oil jet over the second gear will this include a fluid change with filter? does anyone know if this is a sure fix?

ectrimm

Is it possible to let the passenger windows fully down without substantial noise in the Pilot? I'm asking because you cannot do this in the Highlander. The vibration is so bad, that you have to open one of the front windows to relive the pressure. Just curious because the dealers are telling me that all suvs do this.

scottnrose

The buffetting noise (sometimes called helicopter noise) is very common on "boxy" SUVs. I've driven LandCruiser, 4Runner, Pilot, Highlander, Suburban, Tahoe, etc. and they all have it when only the rear passenger windows are down. Albeit, some are worse than others. The Pilot produces some of the worst buffetting that I have tested.

This may not be so bad on more aerodynamic SUVs like Murano, FX, Cayenne, etc. but I have not tried these.

One of the things that can help alleviate this problem is on SUVs where the back window goes down (like the 4Runner). Unfortunately, this is not a very common option anymore.

01r1

No, it doesn't include fluid/filter change. I just had the recall performed and asked that question specifically. I was hoping to save a little money on the 30K mile service. BTW, the 30K service (severe schedule) cost me $320, had one dealer quote ~$400.

-Pete

buddyzuniga

Are the engine & Transmission in the Pilot the same as the engine & Transmission in the 04' Odyssey?

marklud

To help anyone with the problem of wind noise causing problems when you open only one rear window, install a product called Ventshades. They are the self-stick wind deflectors that go on top of the windows. This mostly solves that problem and keeps rain out when windows are left open slighly while parked on a hot, sunny day. I have an unrelated question. Will changing my VTF fluid myself effect the warranty, or do I have to have Honda do it? If anyone has done it themselves, what does the fluid cost?

paul_jes

Has anyone had a problem with the hinges on the read hatch door? It seems as if the hinge or metal around the hinge has bent. Now the door cannot be opened, the plastic spoiler hits the roof and now I notice the space between the roof and the hatch door is different on both sides? Not sure if this is from metal fatigue or the hinge is bent. Below are some others who have mentioned similar problems. You can identify if yours is going to fail by looking at the back hatch and you will see that the rear windows don’t line up the same distance with the body on both sides near the top of the hatch.

The car is a 2003 purchase the first day they were on sale and now has 45,000 miles.

Thanks
Paul

Message #645 by calg May 23, 2004 (9:56 pm)
I just took our 03 Pilot in for it's 30,000 mile service. It was part of the tranny recall, but ... to install a new rear spoiler (under warranty) since ours was warped and we could not open the rear hatch. No sign of any leaking. My husband just drove it from Vermont to New Jersey today and all ...

Message #235 Clock, et al.... by 01r1 Jul 25, 2003 (6:56 pm)
No, haven't ask about the clock, it doesn't bug me. I'm currently trying to get a replacement rear spoiler since mine gets pinched in between the hatch and roof. Also waiting for a new driver's seat track since my seat moves side to side. ...

Message #226 iceranger- by 01r1 Jul 22, 2003 (1:27 am)
I have that same problem too. The plastic spoiler not only rubs on the roof when the hatch is open, but is sometimes gets caught in the gap while closing. It only happens to mine ...

jazzie

Hi, Im new and Ive spent the afternoon reading the board.. Im going to go and get a pilot, Ive test driven it once but Im going back a 2nd and 3rd time.. based what Ive read about vibrations in the dash and tranny.. Can anyone give me a basic "check list" to bring up to the dealer of things I should know about what's been going on in the past with these problems or just general things to look out for. Im sure you assumed Im a woman, which I am but I don't want to be taken advantage of and have the dealer
 brushing me off with serious questions..Thanks for any help
T.D.