Honda Pilot Maintenance and Repair

buzzny1959

Just to add to the original posting, the original tires are GoodYear Infinity P235/705/6. Tires have been rotated. Truck has always experienced significant slidding when breaking hard on even a slightly wet road surface. Just wondering if anyone else experienced anything similiar or if anyone has replaced the tires to get better grip. Bought my 2005 Pilot EX-L new in September 2004. Trcuck has had all normal service including rotaion of the tires. Just looking for a little advice.

tsclarke

Have you gotten resolution on this problem? i bought a used Pilot yesteday and 2 miles from the delaership on the way home the same lights came on? Thanks, Tom

81scram

My wife and I just put the 1st 250 miles on our new 2005 Pilot EX. We took possession with 9 miles and a full tank of gas. After about 240 miles or so, the fuel gauge had dropped close to "E" and the low fuel light came on. I stopped and filled up the tank and it topped off at a little over 12 gallons. With a fuel capacity of 20+ gallons isn't the low fuel light coming on a little premature? Has anyone else noticed or had this issue?

tomekk

Our first tank was something like 18.7 gallons, after 338 miles - the light came on around 300 miles.

rph1

I am looking for a low price service manual for my 2005 Pilot EXL. Chilton & Hayes do not have one available. Any suggestions other than the $$$ Honda shop manual?

badpilot

I have a similar problem with my 05 pilot EX(less than 700 miles). When I back out and step on brake, I hear a thump from back of the vehicle when I release brake. This also happen if I drive on D2 or D1 gear. Did you find any answer/solution to your problem?

Thanks.

webzion

Folks, I am also noticing steering wheel vibration. Has any dealer found a fix to the issue or we'll have to live with it? Any recommendations ? Thanks.

jond

Have an 05 Pilot LX. My tire pressure warning light came out a few days ago and it indicated the left fron tire was low. I checked the tire pressure on all my tires and they were all at 31 pounds, Today, just the tire pressure light stayed on. Does not appear to be anything wrong. I suspece a bad sensor. Anyone else had this problem?? What was the fix.

user777

steering wheel vibration when cruising? braking? at a specific speed? more than likely, poorly balanced tires, or an alignment issue.

have you even brought it into your dealership yet?

sportymonk

A lot of folks like the Miclelin CTs or the newer Goodyear Forteras. Try www.tirerack.com for more specific infor such as noise, handling etc.

webzion

I notice this when I am driving between 70-80 MPH. Dealer will look at it after 10 days
thanks.

sportymonk

There is a rather infamous thread at another site that is now over 30 pages long. The problem centers on a vibration that occurs at 70 - 75 mph. Some have it, some don't. The question of tire balance has been beat to death. Some people cannot get rid of the problem even after repeated balancings. Some have had a "Force-balance" done on a Hunter 9700 which is suppose to be a great machine. Some have changed tires. Some have had the problem occur after installing new rotors. There was a thought for a while that the rotors had extraneous pieces of metal which made them off balance. As of now, the current and most promising solution is that the vehicle is not aligned properly. The Pilot may be very sensitive to alignment and may require an extremely tight alignment to tighter than normal specs.

There may no be one solution.

I am luck so far at 6300 miles and no vibration. Good luck.

vatechfan

Have gotten two rock chips (1 on the hood & 1 on the door pillar) on 9 month old Pilot, that have developed rust. Vehicle sits outside 100% (unfortunately), but is washed weekly. Honda has offered touch-up paint, but ultimately concerned about other areas of the car. Per review of the warranty, road hazards (such as rock chips) are not covered.

Has anyone experienced this issue or something similar? Any good resolutions?

Thanks.

jackielarosa

my "04 pilot ex-l has been taking on so much water... if it was a boat it would have sunk..not just through the doors but through the body seams (?) The floors, both the front driver and passenger were saturated...I took up the mats and dried the floors and on my way to the dealership could see the floors filling up with water again, I MUST WAIT TO SEE IF THEY CAN GET ME A LOANER......anyone have any solutions??????">

jackielarosa

excessive rain water building up on the front passenger and driver floors of my pilot 2004 ex-l...not from going through big puddles just heavy rain.......service dep't says i must wait for a loaner...why? this should be a no brainer....what should i do?

mysweetjorge

My 04' Honda Pilot exhibits a very annoying acceleration problem. Annoying because its not consistent. There are days when the acceleration is so smooth. However there are times when its sluggish as if its towing a heavy load. This sluggish acceleration is so unpredictable. At exteme frequencies, it may be fine in the morning then a few hours later the acceleration becomes harsh and sluggish coupled with more frequent gear shifts to compensate for the loss of power. No vibration nor engine stuttering is felt. It just feels heavy.
I brought it several times to the dealership and they say its "normal".
I would truly appreciate any feedback from anyone with a similar problem and what the fix was if ever it was resolved.
Thanks.

kbg

my 04 pilot ex is at the dealership for same problem and yes I got a loaner. The latest today is when they run a hose over the windshield they see water coming in from the shelf below, getting into the heat box which then overflows into both sides of the front seat. It was still being worked on today. I am not sure if they found the exact spot of the leak, They had identified the general area. Yes mats completely soaked as is the carpet. I am pushing for entire carpet replacement.

kbg

i have had the same problem. It was a while ago but I was told to turn the key part way and wait for a couple of seconds and then complete the turn...can't remember the exact explanation....something to do with fuel pump. It works and the problem is very infrequent.

davep12

Did anyone get an answer to this problem? My Pilot has 38k miles (and the warranty just expired, of course). My Check Engine and VTM lights came on a few days ago. I had to jump start my car last week due to a dead battery (left lights on). The service manual states that the computer has to reset itself after the battery has gone dead but it has been a few days. I would appreciate any feedback--Thanks-Dave

jackielarosa

As of today 10/20/05 Honda is giving me such a problem telling me I should have noticed this problem before....and insisting that I must have driven though a huge lake-like puddle......I really loved my Pilot...now I am really sad and getting angry

tpd1

My vibration on my 05 EX is between 70 and 75. I had them hi speed balanced and that took out about 90 percent of the problem.

mountainman5

Hi I'm new to this forum, in fact this is my first message!! I've driven my 2003 LX bought on 7/13/02 approx. 34000 miles, I too noticed a lack of brightness on the factory bulbs and replaced them with the Phillps Euro's. Fantastic difference but the only problem I have now is, their a little short on viewing distance on LOW and way too high on HIGH BEAM!!! Evidently the new bulbs don't center into the nacelles quite the same as the factory ones. I wary of trying a readjustment, for fear of getting into problems on the HIGH beams!! I've since learned to live with it and I only use high beams sparingly!!

wrod

Unfortunately I am having the exact same problem. I'm very frustrated with Honda because they insist that everything is "normal". I have also noted a dropoff of mileage of 2-3 mpg. Still no solution, I'm just pestering the service department at the dealership. Hopefully someone out there finds a solution.

donben

If you are still looking for tires I purchased the Goodyear Fortera Silent Armor to replace the OEM Goodyear Integritys for my '05 Pilot after only 3,000 miles on the originals. I, too, noticed that the Pilot did not handle as well as I would have liked on highway, plus the noise (common complaint of Hondas) was less than pleasing. The new tires have been very responsive in all weather conditions. I am most looking forward to winter performance.

If you have the budget I would go for the new Fortera Tripletred if you need traction in rain, ice,and snow. The tripletreds are also snow rated (snowflake in the mountain).

mysweetjorge

I guess my persistence must have paid off.

One of the Honda dealership in my area decided to change the EGR valve after their shop foreman test drove my Pilot for the 3rd time despite the fact that no malfunction light came out.

I've been driving the Pilot for 2 days now and the acceleration has been consistently smooth.

If it runs like this for a week, then I can say without a doubt that the sluggish acceleration was caused by a faulty EGR valve.

wrod

They have replaced the EGR valve on mine twice and the problem keeps coming back. Now they don't want to do anything and insist that the vehicle is "operating within specifications". I bought the extended warranty for my Pilot but that does me no good since when I take it in they don't do anything.

wrod

I have had the same thump in my Pilot since it was new. After many trips to the dealer they at first denied the existence of a thump, then changed to say that this is a "characteristic" of this vehicle and is not a problem. The dealer showed me an advisory from Honda saying that the thump in the Pilot is "OK". I talked with Honda and got nowhere. :mad:

Not exactly what you want to hear after you've paid more than 30K for a vehicle. The first time it happened to me I thought someone had run into me.

sportymonk

What about noise and ride comfort. You mentioned noise on the OEM tires but didn't comment on it for the Forteras.

don105

I recently purchased a '06 Pilot and have noticed a considerable amount of road noise when driving on a course road surface. At delivery, I was offered the purchase of expensive undercoating ($350). At that price I was not convinced it would sufficiently reduce the noise. I would appreciate any advice from anyone having experience in this area.

sothy611

My 2004 Pilot had tired teared on the side wall about 12inches vetical while driving on highway at 65mph. There were no sign of object puntured. The tire blowout with thread like stitches. The pilot only has 13000 miles. Anyone has this similar problem. Bridgestone is the tires brand that came with the vehicle.

davidpat_1t

I'm not happy with the gas mileage I'm getting either...I drive 50-50 city-highway, I was assured by the dealership that the "idle learn procedure" was done prior to delivery, but I had them redo it...and I am well past the magical "break in" period. It is an '04 with 14,000 miles, but I am still only getting 16. I hate having this one flaw spoil my enjoyment of the car too!!! Any other suggestions?!?!?

Mr_Shiftright

Well your EPA city mileage is 17 mpg and since most cars don't achieve EPA you are probably about where you are going to stay as long as you are doing city driving. You might be off a few MPG but there's not much you can do here. You could inflate your tires a few lbs over recommended, you could use synthetic oil and you could check your wheel alignment.

If you have a big roof "pod" or if you use AC a lot, this will scrub off a couple MPG too.

qbrozen

i agree with shifty. check your tire pressures. The Pilot was the first vehicle I ever had that seemed to make quite a difference in this area. I found 35 psi in all the tires gave us the best results (without harming the tires or making the ride too rough).

How do you accelerate most of the time? When I would drive the vehicle, mileage suffered because I've got a heavy foot and usually, even when being "nice," hit 4500 rpms or so. My wife, on the other hand, always extracted the best mileage, and she never broke 3K rpms when accelerating.

tsy

I am going to try the "soundguard" (undercoating by a different name) as at least something that might reduce road noise a little. If you call around it shouldn't cost more than $100.

You can try Dynamat in the doors. I've heard this can help some also. I might try this if the undercoating doesn't help much. At least it will make the stereo sound better!

good luck

tom

davidpat_1t

No roof pod, and I do use the A/C alot, but with half my driving on the freeway I expect better than 16. As for my acceleration I'm not a heavy foot driver, but I do average 65+ MPH on the highway. It still sux especially with gas prices what they are these days!

Mr_Shiftright

AC really eats fuel. If you can, shut it off for a few days and I bet you'll go up to 18 mpg easy.

explorerx4

how long are your 50% highway commutes?
check your tire pressures, what are they?
put your hand across the tread of the tires.
run it to the back then forward. does one seem rough?
it could be an alignment problem.
there could be a sticking brake caliper.

andy31

I am hearing a knocking noise that sounds like its the engine missing/bad timing/bad gas/diesel engine. Is this the kind of problem you had ? Any input is appreciated. Thank you. Andy

cmhorg

Does anyone know how much fuel is in the tank when the low fuel indicator is on? I can't find anything in the manual.

user777

I don't know if this will be helpful but, in my '03 Odyssey, I typically have between 4-4.5 gallons in my tank. My Accord light comes on early too, maybe 3.5 gallons left. I don't think an exact figure would be printed in the manual.

The best way for you to determine this for your vehicle is to fill it. Drive it till the light comes on. Fill it, and subtract the gallons pumped from the tank capacity. Do it a couple of times, and you'll see if it is consistent.

Me personally, I would not try to push my luck with the information of gallons remaining x MPG(AVG) to estimate how many more miles you can drive before you REALLY need fuel.

aggiebrad

Hi,

I just bought an '06 EX this weekend, and wanted to check if anyone else is experiencing a rattling sound coming from the upper part of the seat belt side pillars on both the driver and passenger side. The rattles are not there when the car is stationary, but appear when moving and are accentuated on rough surfaces. I suspected the seat belt hight adjustment mechanisms, but I tried touching them while the rattle was going on and it had no damping effect.

I know that no car will be rattle free, but this is a significant annoyance. And the fact that it happens on both sides of the car indicates to me that this is not a lone defect in my Pilot.

Anyone tried having this rattle corrected by the dealer?

Thanks!

tsy

I just noticed this weekend while it was pouring rain here in Seattle that the car is actually quieter when it's wet out. My experience in the past is that cars are usually louder with water hitting the wheelwells. Has anyone else noticed this? I'm trying to figure out how to decrease the road noise in this car, but it seems like the floor might be well enough insulated. Perhaps it's the doors? Or maybe it's just the frequency of the tire noise?

Anyone else have any ideas or useful solutions?

tom

bmcnerney

I would like to know if you have resolved your problem with the creaking break/suspension noise when stopping and going. I bought a 2005 Honda Pilot in August and I am having the same problem.

bahondaguy

Someone on here said their light turned on at about 2.3 gallons remaining. I concur as I topped off at 17.6 gallons after the light went on about 15 minutes beforehand.

Good luck!

lauralee131

My tape came out as well and was hanging loose and my service advisor just ripped it out and said that it happens all the time - no need to replace. I haven't seen it get wet on the other side and can't say for sure what it would do to the brake light if it's even getting wet...I'm biding my time on this one. I have bigger issues with my '04 Pilot that I'm trying desperately to get resolved, i.e., steering vibration, bad brakes, tie rods, etc.... :mad:

lauralee131

I'm about at my wit's end with my '04 Pilot and this whole vibration issue. It is extremely annoying and I worry about safety as I usually have my 4 year old in the car...I've complained several times over the last several months and my dealer seems to stall me until major service appointments to correct anything. The last vibration issue I had, they rotated, balanced and aligned my Pilot at least 4 times, each time telling me nothing was wrong until my 25k scheduled service where miraculously they found I needed a tie rod on the passenger side. They fixed that and the vibration continued and it's been in just about every other week for them to drive, align, balance, rotate, etc. 3 weeks ago or so they said they found the problem! YAY (or so it would seem) they told me that I needed new tires (no kidding - my tires were wearing funny due to this whole issue). They said tires would solve the problem. I went out and spent $545 the very next day and BIG SURPRISE - no change. So, it's back in the shop today and now they're saying that I was sold bad tires and I should go to the tire dealer and demand replacements and that should fix the problem. So tomorrow it goes to the tire place (who, coincidentally told me about this issue and I have been on line all day looking at the HUGE number of people that have this issue). I've had just about enough of this car already. Had to get new brakes at 19k miles or so - and of course, they only replaced the fronts and there's really not much of a difference in the braking, but they tell me it feels fine to them although it takes an awful lot to stop this thing...I definitely can't stop short, that's for sure. I've had more than one near miss with not being able to stop quick enough. PLUS - I get lousy gas mileage and my gas gauge doesn't always work correctly...

All of these problems are very similar to the POS 2002 CRV I had, which I finally had to threaten with the lemon law and guess what - my dealership bought out my lease and replaced my vehicle with this POS!! I really don't think I'll buy a Honda again... :mad:

lauralee131

One thing I forgot to mention: Does anyone who experiences the vibration notice that it gets worse going around curves? I took a long road trip 2 weeks ago and noticed that when the highway curved to the left, the shaking in the steering wheel got SOOOO much worse, not really any difference in the right, yet the car pulls to the right (so much for getting aligned so often - works great! NOT!) The vibration is so bad in my Pilot that several times on my trip I actually had to take my hand off the wheel and shake my arm out...the vibrations rocked my hand all the way up to my shoulder....

ssmiles

Took delivery on my 2006 Pilot AWD EX-L with RES last week. The drivers seat (butt portion) was faulty, causing the driver to slip back toward the right rear. Not very comfortable! Dealer ordered a new seat, which will be installed next week. This is my very first Honda. I have owned nothing but Chevrolets since I started driving in 1981. I'm hoping this is just one of those rare things. I'm trusting Honda for reliability.

j2thomas

I had the vibration issue on my 2004, at 65-75 mph the vibration was fairly steady. I rotated the tires and the vibration went away. Evidently is was an out of balance tire. 40K+ miles and this has been my only issue, the car has never been to the dealer and I do all of my own maint. We also have a 2003 CRV and it had a similar vibration issue around 20K miles. Again a tire rotation solved the problem. It's only dealer visits have been recalls.

garywasp

Don't wast your money, put the 1500.00 in a savings account
and if you need any repairs use it then. The average repair
on most vehicles should no cost more then 400.00. This is
comming from a guy that worked in the warranty business.