Honda Pilot Maintenance and Repair

jmd3

Same problem at 51K miles. It was oxygen sensor & fuel injectors that needed to be replaced to the tune of $700+

jmd3

There is a bulletin on this and it is a free fix. Go back to the dealer and get your $

jmd3

The bulletins were just mailed last week. Call 800-999-1009 (Customer Svc) to check about getting refunded.

jmd3

Just in for 2nd visit with service. Told me it is my transmission. Tec was nice enough to share that they've had other cases (oops, maybe he wasn't supposed to tell me that). Called Honda (CA) today and opened a case with them. I'm on board for a claim vs. Honda.

jmd3

Your dealer should have given you the anti-theft id card with your code on it and the instructions on the back

tae1

Take the tire in question off....

Hand tighten lugs in star pattern

Hand torque lug nuts....remember tighten in pattern 1-3-5-4-2 and then rotate to final tighten 2-4-1-3-5

OEM rim are hub centric so it should center on hub easily...

If that doesn't work...a question......are you getting a Hi Speed balance???

Tae

zakaroni

We have an '03 Pilot with 51,000 miles. Since having the brakes done, the ABS and the brake light have been coming on ocassionally.. usually when I am at a stop light. I have taken it back to the mechanic, but he sees no problems at all with the brakes, and cannot explain why these lights are coming on. The lights go off when I turn off and restart the car. My mechanic has been unable to duplicate my problem. He has asked me to bring in the car when the lights are on. I have done that, but as soon as he turns off the engine, the lights are out, and seem to reset. The problem happens 2 or 3 times a week. If anyone has a suggestion as to why this is happening, and a solution, I would really appreciate it.

digger89

On some other Honda products (like my Acura Legend) ...the ABS light will come on when the alternator is not putting out sufficient voltage ...and it will re-set when the ignition is turned off and on again. It may be a long-shot ...but worth checking out.

tpd1

Yep

Don't know the exact speed, but their machine spins each wheel up extremely fast.

sportymonk

Go here for about 30 pages of a probelm Honda doens't know about.
http://www.hondapilot.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=194464#post194464
Current thought seems to run that it isn't the tires of wheels but something else in the drivetrain like out of balance rotors, half-shafts, or something. People have used the infamous hunter 9700 and they still vibrate. Too much effort has gone into balancing the wheels and wheels with the problems persisting to some level, sometimes reduced but not gone.

imidazol97

I noticed that someone said the wheels wobble when run while on a lift in that series of posts you linked.

Too has alignment been checked and tweaked? I have a different brand car that is sensitive to road force. The second time they were troubleshooting I mentioned it seemed to do it when the front wheels were pulling and asked did that affect the toe-in when the car was pulling up a long hill. The service manager asked a few more questions then realigned the car. Fixed a large part of the residual shake. Apparently at higher speeds and up a long smooth interstate hill I was getting a slight change in toe and that set off the vibration from the wheels. He also found the rear was off on toe setting. (Car is 03 LeSabre.) Setting were all within tolerance but he set them perfectly on center--he used to be an alignment guy.

tpd1

I put a straight edge on my right half shaft in four places and it appeared to be nice and straight. But when I put it on the left half shaft, it was not straight. I will take it to Honda and have it replaced. Hope that fixes my problem.

un_yz

I have almost no complaints on my new Pilot with 1000 miles on it. The only issue are the front wiper blades which dont sweep smoothly, particularly at low speed. It cleans the windscreen but it makes rubbing noise which is audible from within the cabin.

I am not sure if the blades need to "break in" in order to sweep smoothly. Does any one have similar experience? Should I take it to the dealer.

carolinagirl1

Talk about missing, my brand new Honda Pilot with 7300 miles, shakes like it is being tossed around in a popcorn machine when I accellarate from 20 to 40 MPH. Finally my transmission locked up. I called the dealer and had it towed to the service dept. They called and told me there was nothing wrong...at which time I got a bit surlly as I am not a stupd woman and know when my transmission locks up and auto shakes...later he called to say the service manager took it out and it shook ...they can't find out what is wrong? Have you heard anything from other Honda owners about this problem? Thanks.

carolinagirl1

Count your blessing that you only have wiper blade problems...yes, take it in, document any and all things, it is only to your advantage...

drum01

I have a 2005 Pilot EX-L and have noticed a similar issue. When going over road bumps a metallic rattle (not very loud) is heard when driver side rear wheel only goes over a bump. It is similar to a sound you'd hear if you have loose change in your pocket and are running. Took it to the dealer and was told they were able to duplicate the sound but after dismantling everything in the back they could not identify it. They have placed a call to Honda for info on service bulletin or how else to proceed. Has anyone else noticed it? You need to have the windows down, the radio turned down and driving over bumps to hear it. The sound is subtle, but there.

jdschu66

Want to add some honda transmission fluid to my 04 Pilot. The transmission dip stick hole is incredibly small and hard to get to. It this where you add? Where can I get a funnel that long and small? Looks like a dealer part my be in my future. Thanks, jds

qbrozen

i have a very long and skinny funnel i bought at Pep Boys years ago.

sportymonk

My new Pilot (June 29th) did this briefly when coming back from vacation. HArd downpour (Where is that rain now when we need it?) and the blades kind of left some marks on the windshield. INothing I could do and it didn't appear to be hurting anything . When I got home I cleaned them and the windshield and since it didn't come back. May be just a breaking in?

mastermind26

My 2K5 Pilot EX-L Navi drives great. Haven't had any mechanical problems and are close to hitting the 5K mark. I recently noticed that the double sided stick tape is coming off from the third break light at the top. It is onlt starting to come loose, but I am not sure if this will cause water to leak during washes, into the light compartment/assembly.

I also have a question that might not be related to problems necessarily: if I install after market parts (lights, DVD...etc) will that void trhe warantee? :confuse:

Thanks!
-Mastermind26

yessir2

I have a 2004 Honda Pilot. The other day I went out and discovered the license plate bracket was not attached to my car. Instead the license plate bracket was just kind of hanging on by shere luck. Has anyone else had a problem with the rear license plate bracket coming off of their vehicle?

feinian

I bought my 2005 Pilot in Jan. this year and have about 10k miles on it. So far so good ... until last Friday I made the oil change at the dealership. Now sometime when I start the car, especially for a cold start (although it is still summer), there will be a great amount of white smoke exhausted from the muffler ( I guess, anyway the smoke is leaking out at the rear side of the car). It also happens when I make an abrupt acceleration. And the smoke does have some smell of burning.

I will take it to the dealer for a checkup. Maybe they accidently put something bad in my engine during the oil change. Or could it be some engine oil residue spilled out? Does anyone have the same experience?

Thanks a lot.

feinian

qbrozen

burning oil would be blue/black smoke. White smoke is just water.
You can have it checked out, but I probably wouldn't worry about it unless it persists for a long time. Could just be a batch of bad gas. Might even try a bottle of Dry Gas first.

jdschu66

I have the exact same problem with my 2004. Rattle starts and stops depending on the type of road. Pressing on the molding around the cd/radio is a quick fix, but it usually comes back in a minute or so. Glad to hear it is not just mine, maybe the dealer will know what to do to fix it.

jmd3

I just got a call from Honda and they are replacing the transmission for me. Everything is ordered, just waiting for my dealer to receive part and call me in for the work. Honda knows they have a problem, so if you complain to them, they are good about it. (at least in my case)

mbt1

I am considering buying a Pilot; however, I am concerned about reports about Honda not being able to make a reliable and durable automatic transmission. Can Honda's automatic transmissions last 10 years and more than 100,000 miles with normal, granny-styled driving? I understand that Honda will replace a bad transmission, as mentioned in the previous post, but isn't the replacement transmission the same type that is being replaced and therefore will likely malfunction again in time? I am considering a Toyota over a Honda mainly because my impression is that Toyota makes a more reliable, more durable AT. What do you folks think?

gr8mo

I have a one month old o5 pilot , I am only average 12.5 MPG and combination highway and city drive, I called the dealer and they said wait tell the 1st 1000 mile , do any one else have this kind of problem, thanks

qbrozen

search this discussion for mileage and idle learn procedure.

loveipos1234

Idle Learn Procedure is good if the battery is replaced or it loses memory, but the engine will learn on its own as you drive the car. In my opinion, mileage rarely increases a good percentage after 1K, 5, or 10K. That mileage is not good at all, but I doubt it will get much better. Check your tire inflation.

qbrozen

tire inflation makes 1-2 mpg difference in extreme cases.

I've already heard from several people who have had great results from performing the idle learn procedure. Some dealers just fail to properly perform the PDI.

ckearney

My wife really likes the Pilot & I am extremely gun shy of transmissions in the larger Hondas. Currenty have 99 Ody & trans is going AGAIN @ replace 1st one at 55k & now slipping at 105k & we baby it. I lean toward Toyota. Looks like a lot of discussion on front end vibrations. Any more input is appreciated. .

qbrozen

well, i won't say its nothing to worry about, because we bought the 100K mile warranty exactly for this reason. We're nearing 50k miles and have not had a peep out of the Pilot. Its been great. If, after 100K miles, the tranny goes, well, I'll just replace it and hope for another 100K. Stuff happens. I don't expect my cars to last forever. They do take alot of punishment.

mikebaltimore

My 04 Pilot rear door came out of alignment after using a Saris recommended bike rack. Looks like top dr hinges are bent. Door won't open all the way because plastic spoiler sitting too high. Has anybody run into similar problems?

Had service dept at local Honda dealer look at it. The guy said seen this problem before and not easy fix.

Thanks.

qbrozen

wow. how heavy is the rack??

Who is it recommended by? Honda or Saris? I hope whoever recommended it will pay to have it fixed (and will take the rack back and give you a refund).

leninator

I have a 2005 Pilot with 3800 miles and thusfar haven't experienced any of the problems listed. The one oddity I have noticed and the dealer has acknowledged is the paint. The finish is great (ie smooth, shiny) but it almost appears as though the car was repainted. The silver paint seems "wavey" at times and there is a noticable dicoloration around the fuel filler door like gas was sloshed there and not cleaned off. The service manager noted the issue on my record in their computer and since I lease the car it won't be long term. Just makes you want to go "mmmmmm".

luckyivy

Hello,

I am confused by how many mile I shall change the oil. The brochure says it is every 7500 miles. However, the salesman told me it is better to change the oil every 3750-4500 miles. Anyone can tell me which is correct?

Many thanks!

1030nj

I just bought a 2005 honda pilot only 90 miles. I noticed immediately that when I turn the air conditioner on the center console gets real hot. I called the dealership and they said that a couple of people had similar issue. I called American Honda and they told me that my incident was the first they have heard. Can anyone out there tell me if they have the same problem?.

isellhondas

No real "correct" answer here. 7500 miles is the minimum. Some people, including myself like to take better care of their cars than that.

I try to change mine around 4-5000 miles.

qbrozen

we follow the exact schedule as Isell.

However, it depends on your driving habits. For the most part, our Pilot spends about 80% of its time on the highway, so we easily fall into the regular maintenance schedule (as opposed to the "severe" schedule, which, by the way, most service centers try to get you to follow so they make more money).

gc2

You can follow the manufacturers recommended mileage of 3750 miles. I use synthetic which is a good way to go. In case you're wondering. I change my oil every 9000 miles. However I change the filter every 4500 miles, then you have to add some oil at filter changes.

qbrozen

well, again, that's only the recommendation for SEVERE driving, which, if I recall correctly, involves consistent drives of less than 10 minutes and/or driving in arctic temperatures.

cameramatt

I service my pilot every 5,000 miles. I find that splitting the difference is covers both severe and moderate driving conditions plus it's easier to remember the oil change intervals.

qbrozen

That's what we do, too. And it helps that every 5k means you will be in the shop for the 15k, 30k, 60k services, too.

charlie16

My fuel filler door doesn't want to open sometimes. Usually when I pull the handle by the seat 3-4 times it comes open. Dealer (on the phone) says there's no adjustment. It appears to be a cable release. Anybody know of another way to open it? A release from in the back?

Thanks,

cameramatt

The cable should be replaced by the Honda service dept. and it should be covered by warranty. I haven't had this problem but if it happens a lot, make them replace it at no charge. There's no other way to open besides using a screw driver which no one wants to do.

johnlui

Which is model is your Pilot LX? EX? EX-L as I thought, maybe you already know in EX-L like mine we have to adjust the automatic control of the temperature to cooler than outside temp in term to get the a/c starting. I assume your setting is for heat. Sorry for my assumption, if I guessed wrong.

buzzny1959

We own a 2005 Pilot EXL. Bought it last April. The Pilot came with the standard tires. I can not recall the brand. We have a little over 15K on it. The Pilot will slide on wet surfaces if you break fast. Kind of scary. Can anyone recommend replacement tires that will grip on wet surfaces better? No problems other then this.

1030nj

I have an EX-L. I mostly keep the a/c on 60. Does your center console warm up
when you put the air on?.

mronalds

I have the in dash CD in an 03 Pilot. After a few seconds of playing the CD, I get horrible static for a few seconds, then it clears up, then more static. Any ideas? Thanks.

johnlui

No, my 2005 EX-L bought couple weeks ago of which my centre console does'nit warn up when I put the air on....
In this case, I would suggest you take your Pilot to the dealer and let them check for you..