Honda Pilot Maintenance and Repair

ralph9

Hi Solo. I wouldn't be able to define "road force balancing", but many of the discussions about the vibration issue have defined it. If you google "Hunter 9700 balance machine" it may take you to their site which describes the process. I did not watch the balancing, but I was told that the Honda service tech complied with my request for such a balance on the tires.

ralph9

The online site for info is "gsp9700.com". It even lists shops in your area which have the machine. Expect to pay about $20-25 per tire for the balance. Take care.

gowmtribe

I have had my '06 Pilot for a month now. Last night I left work and turned on my radio to discover no sound. XM, AM/FM, CD all with no sound. I kept pushing buttons DVD/AUX and finally heard a pop and sound came back. I have heard theories about cold weather -- it was midnight and the coldest night since I have had my pilot -- about 55 degress. Has anyone figured out what is happening with the radio -- it has only happened once and has not happened since. Thanx.

cmbpmb

Picked up my repaired Pilot today and received the warranty. I was pleased that they offered me the 6 year, 100k warranty - even more than I'd expected. Fingers crossed that this is the last problem I have for a LONG time!

rekh

Hi, Can you please let me know if changing your tire to Goodyear Fortera Triple has had any effect on your MPG (fuel consumption)? increased, decreased or the same?

ralph9

I'll get the mpg figure on our next tankful. We don't drive it very much so it could be a while.

odie6l

well, had the drooping headliner replaced on Monday. The 2-3 hour install ended up taking 6 1/2 hours because they forgot to order the mounting clips and had to goto another dealer to get them. Then to make matters even worse, they lost one of the tie down hooks on the rear floor (little square with silver latch). So they had to order a new part. Then things got even more frustrating. I did the walk around with the service manager and the headliner over the Drivers door was cut short and was drooping. So they need to replace AGAIN. :mad: He said they talked to their upolstry guy and he can fix it without replacing the entire headliner. I told them it needs to be fixed or I will be speaking with someone about this. They said they will be giving me a loaner for 3 days (at no charge) while they fix the headiner. So make sure you keep an eye on the headliner above the front doors in you 2006 if you have that model year.
And to make matters worse, my work (pediatric ICU at Hershey Med Center) kept calling me because of the amish shooting asking me if there was anyway I could get into work. :sick:

Odie
Odie's Carspace

6buck

I have a 2004 Pilot with about 52K miles. My air bag warning light came on. I took it to my mechanic (not a dealer) and his diagnostics say it's a contact problem in the passenger seat belt anchor. Estimated cost is about $400 to replace belt buckle and reset the system. Now someone at work told me they heard any seat belt malfunction is warrantied for life of car. Anybody heard of this?

Thanks,

master1

No, I do not hear anything about seat belt mal functions. Advice to the wise - for issues like this that are safety related, I highly recommend taking the car to a honda dealer to fix. It's not worth taking the risk for a cheaper price. Just think about it.

6buck

After having been to the dealer for a few minor issues and to have the towing package installed, I lost confidence in the dealer's service writers and techs.

I don't take it to the non-dealer to save money, I take it to them because I trust them. They talk straight to me about what's needed and if I have a problem with their work they'll make it right. I always talk to the same Service Manager. He treats me with respect and wants to see me back. At the dealer I got the run-around and erroneous answers. All the service writers were kids who didn't know as much about the car as I did.

I would, however, take it to the dealer if it would save a few hundred dollars.

kipk

We got a recall on our '03 Pilot air bag system. They did the "FIX" the next time we had it in for regular routine maintenance.. I do recall them saying something about re programing.

If you don't have confidence in your Honda dealers service dept, it might be time to introduce yourself to the service manager and the owner. OR, find a new Honda Dealer.

Kip

ralph9

Will a full-sized spare w/rim fit where the donut spare is currently stored in the 2005 Pilot?

piloteer

Yes it will. I have a 2004 and I swapped it out for a full size spare. When driving a SUV, it's a great piece of mind to know you have a full size spare when needed. When I traded my 04 in for the 06 I even kept the full size spare for my new pilot and replaced the donut in the 04.

hql2k

I just purchased a 2006 2wd EXL and I have the same rear suspension clunking sound issue with my pilot. It only has 160 miles on it. Mostly from the 40 mile trip from the dealer to my home and back. On the night after just purchasing the car, my friends and I went out the dinner. During the drive, we started to notice all these weird noises coming from the rear suspension when the car drives over uneven pavement slowly at less than 2 mph. The best way to describe the sound is like when you move around on a mattress that has old bad springs. It makes a clunking/creaking noise. Furthermore, we also notice the roof rattling like styrofoam pieces rubbing against each other. Also, during my drive to the dealer, I notice alot of wind noise coming from the rear corner of the driver and passenger door windows. I sounds like a hoo-ing noise like when air blows through a hole, not wind noises move around the vehicle. I know the difference between the two. Luckily, the dealer is taking care of it and giving me a 06 Accord hybrid loaner while I wait.

I have owned an 88 accord, 92 accord and 99 prelude. This pilot is my 4th honda and it could be the last time I buy a honda if the issue is not resolved and no further problems arise. If I remember the pilot's manufactured date correctly, I think my pilot was built on a friday. :lemon:

odie6l

Well,
The upolstry person was not able to fix the headliner issue, so they need to replace the headliner for a 2nd time. The service manager said they need to have a headliner overnighted and will have it installed by Friday morning for me to pick up. I'm just hoping they do not lose another part. He did let me know that they needed to order another mounting bracket for the 3rd row center belt because while taking the head liner out the piece popped. I was told by another service rep at a different dealer a tire looked at on my wife's 03 Accord that there is an ongoing problem with the Olive Interior Headliners and they have had to replace 5 in the last 7 months. :sick: This did not make me feel any better. I guess you get what you pay for.

Odie
Odie's Carspace

ksayers

Has anyone tried to cut down the road noise by
installing Dynamat on the front driver and
passenger floors ? If so, did it work ? How
much was it ? Any issues installing ?

Thanks !

rpowers

I had a similar issue with my 05 at 2500 miles, the rear suspension arms have bushings that get dry / wet whatever and make noise as the independent arms move up and down at slow speeds and uneven ground. The dealer lubricated mine and the problem was gone, and has not returned yet.

la_taco

What's the latest on your AC problem?

I have a 2003 as well and having the same problem. I have taken the car to the dealer twice in about 2 years time, and both times they had to recharge the system since they found it to be empty of freon. They supposedly added dye and cannot find the leak. This last time they said to bring the car back after 30 days, and they will check to see if the dye has leaked out.

tsy

I looked into this. The stereo people (they are the ones who install dynamat) suggested just the doors first, as most of the road noise comes in there. Enough dynamat for the doors plus installation was about $1000. I'm sure you can find places that will do it for less though.

I never got around to having it done though- your post just reminded me. I guess we just got used to the noise.

tom

ksayers

Welllll.... maybe the "door thing" is inherent to the stereo folks and how/where they install speakers. Dynamat runs $5 or so a square foot so if he's charging $1000 for doing your doors you are paying $900 for labor or have 23 doors. B-Quiet is about $3 a square foot.

My Pilot is fairly quiet on asphalt and noisy on concrete. I have replaced the original junk tires with Michelins with no change in noise. I would be more inclined to believe the noise is coming through the wheel wells and the floor via the tires and front suspension, not the doors.

I will need to investigate further.

Thanks,

rpowers

I'm not familiar with the materials your talking about. What does it do, is it heat resistant, where can I get it?

Thanks,
R. P.

odie6l

Got 'The Beast' back this morning from dealer. They had the Regional Service Manager come in and look at the headliner because of it happening with 2 headliners at their dealership. Long story short, it is fixed and looks perfect. The dealer went ahead and did the oil change / filters at no charge while it was in there and also washed / waxed for me. This made me happy.

Odie
Odie's Carspace

markjenn

Based on how dramatically the noise changes based on pavement texture, I'd believe the majority of the noise in Pilots is tire noise and that it is coming through the wheel wells, not the doors. And if so, putting dynamat in the doors would offer only a marginal improvement. It might make the speakers sound better though, which is typically why it is installed there.

- Mark

slb4

I have a 2006 Pilot with only 1600 miles on it. I have had the car for about 6 weeks and bought it brand new. About 2 weeks ago we noticed a musty moldy odor in the car when you first opened the doors in the morning. The interior has not gotten wet nor has anything been spilled. All rugs and interior parts are bone dry. We are going back to the dealer in 2 days. In the mean time we just wondered if anyone else has ever had anything like this with a new car. Other than the odor we love our Pilot.

seaspotsranch

After my first oil change roughly around 7500 miles (my '06 was new in april) i started to hear a high pitched whistling sound when I drive between 35-45 mph. it's annoying - more annoying than the door noise. my first oil change was a oil changers and it took forever so i decided to take it to the dealer for the second and have them take me to work while they serviced it. anyhoo,

I just had my second service and now the whistling starts at 30mph. when i get past 45 it goes away.

anyone have an idea of what causes the whistle to whistle and how to make it stop? the pitch is enough to make me nutty. :confuse:

odie6l

This sometimes happens during the change in seasons, when you are still using the A/C during the day, but it's getting colder at nights. Try just turning your A/C off (including blowers) to cut down on the amount of moisture that would be inside your vehicle. It also would not hurt to puff a little lysol (very little) into you defroster vent, just in case there is any mold growing in there.

Odie
Odie's Carspace

slb4

Thank you so much for your reply. We went online to lemonlaw.com. They had a whole page on mold in cars. We were really surprised at how often it occurs,although it seems to happen more in older or restored cars. They also suggested the lysol in the defrost vent. We are going to the dealer first because the car is only 6 weeks old. We want to be sure it is documented. Wish us luck. We really like the Pilot, but this has taken some of the joy away fron it.My husband has a 2004 Accord EX and that car has been wonderful. I want vey much to be able to say that about our Pilot. Thanks Again!

ksayers

I agree. I just have to inspect how the existing matting is put in place as I am reluctant to disassemble stuff that is secured with "only install once" type fasteners, if they are used at all. Hopefully there is rational access and I can just pull up the carpet without destroying everything, put the Dynamat (or xyz stuff) in place, put the carpeting back in its original position.

user777

not to dismiss your concerns, but any car can do this under the right conditions. i live in GA and took a good trip to SC and back and arrived home and had left it on full when i turned it off. it smelled a bit funny the next morning.

i think the suggestion to turn the A/C off a few minutes before arriving at the destination but leaving the blower on and vent to outside is the recommendation. you might want to check.

anyway, after starting it up the next morning and driving it, and doing what i just mentioned, no more smell.

no lysol, no harm, no foul.

pappy5

Our 2004 Does this too. It seems like it started after 30k service at the dealer where they also replaced a motor mount on warrantee. It doesn't begin until warmed up. It starts about 35mph and goes to about 60mph. Decelerating, it stops at 25mph. After a stoplight it doesn't re start for about 1/4 mile. It also does it while coasting at speed, with the engine off in neutral with brakes applied moderately. At lower speeds there is a slightly metallic sound to it. A chirping. Above 40mph its a ringing whistle It's predominant front driver side and can be really heard when going by a concrete wall. I did a wheel off check of the tin rotor guard an found nothing odd. Anyone out there with an idea please respond.--Thanks

pappy5

Yes. Our 2004 does it too. It sounds like your sitting in a rowboat with water slapping the sides. Seems to do it at about 3/4 full tank.

cowboy7

Mine is most pronounced when the tank is full. One of the previous posts did mention the gas slushing problem is most pronounced when it's about 3/4 tank full. Do you have the same issue when it is full?

I have an appointment with the dealership today to check it out. When I showed the problem to the technician last Friday, he seems to think mine is more than the gas slushing inside.

new14910

My 2006 Honda Pilot is only 1000 miles and already brought back to dealer several time in a Month due to SRS light in on. The dealer advised me first is the bad sensor. After replace it with a new sensor, the SRS light went back on, and dealer told me it was a bad SRS unit after they checked on the second time. Dealer order new SRS unit and checked the new unit could not slove the problem yet because they found the computer installed on my pilot belongs to 2007 pilot not 2006. My airbay system is not work, they need order a new computer to see whether the new computer can fix the problem. I just wonder if anybody had the same experience before, and if they still can not find out and fix the problem, can I apply to Lamon Law againest America Honda?

pem3

I have the same problem with my 2003. It's got 48k miles on it and the whistling noise started about 500 miles ago. Took it to the dealer and they could not locate the source. Said to bring it back if it got worse. Sure would like to get to the source of this annoying noise!

guest

I don't know if I should worry about my local service department or not. When I had the headliner replaced I had it done at the dealer I purchased the car from (read above for that issue), but with the way gas prices are, I keep a check on my tire pressures. Now I have the Goodyear Lifetime Warranty, so that gives me a little help. I had just checked my pressures before having the headliner done (I check with every 5th fill-up) and they were all between 30-32 psi. When I checked them last night with my fill-up all 4 tires were down between 25-26 psi (after service visit). Fortunately Goodyear came out to the house and did a preassure check and fill in my driveway. I don't know if it is the dealer lowering the pressures to make me have to bring the car back in (thinking I'm stupid or something) or if the recent bitter cold snap could have caused the pressures to drop. I'm really thinking about switching over to Nitrogen filled tires.
:confuse:

Odie
Odie's Carspace

kipk

Cold weather will indeed result in lower tire pressure!

Remember to always check the pressure after the car has been sitting for a while, out of the sun if possible.

Pressure rises while driving and the tires get hot/warm.
If you adjust when hot they will likely show lower after sitting.

Kip

silverpiloto5

Each approx. 10F drop will result in a 1psi drop in pressure (PV=nRT for the engineers and chemists). That is why hot tires have a higher relative pressure reading than the same tires when cold. This REALLY depends on the volume in the tire though, so don't think this 10/1 "rule of thumb" will apply to low and high aspect ratio tires(again volume dependent). Don't bother with N2 filled tires unless you are racing. The is not real benefit in street applications. N2 filling has more to do with moisture than anything else.

odie6l

The service manager at the Goodyear Location that sent the service truck out to my house called later this afternoon, to let me know I will need to bring the vehicle in on the 31st (1 week) for a re-check of pressure. They want to make sure there is not a problem with the bead on the tire, they have been getting reports of the Integrety Tires losing pressures from the bead coming loose and leaking. This is a safety issue that they are following up on. He also was calling to check to see how the service was. He also said that if it is a faulty bead on the tire, I will get a new set of tires under my lifetime road hazard warranty at no charge rather than just trying to fix the bead. I'm glad I spent the $10 per tire to add the warranty.

Odie
Odie's Carspace

franella

I think you had the right idea when you said the dealer lowered the pressures. I picked up my 06 Pilot in May and never thought to check my pressures. Everything seemed great with the ride, etc. Then one day my pressure monitoring warning came on. Boyfriend is mechanic and engine builder. Took the car to his tire place. All four tires had 24 psi in them. And then of course when I drove it after raising the pressures, found out that is had a horrible vibration, which turned out to be two tires out of round and all around needing to be balanced. I think they rushed my delivery of the car and lowered the pressures so it would ride better. The tires that come on them are just garbage as has been noted several times in this forum. Can't wait to change them. I should get better mileage now also.

zeuspilot

Regarding the GY warranty on the factory installed GY tires, I think I had asked you how it works and whether it is nationwide thing. But it turned out that my local GY/gemini centers do not offer any warranty like that - they said it only applies on the stored purchased and installed GYs. Figures.

odie6l

My tires were NOT purchased from the Goodyear retailer, they came on the vehicle. The GY place just took the serial numbers off each tire for the warranty.
Here is a Link to the local stores website. The managers name is Ray. For the pressure problem though, I had to go to the store that is only 2 miles from my house in Lebanon. But I usually go to the Store in Hershey, PA (link above).

And yes they can add the warranty to tires from factory. Not only have I had it done on the Pilot, but on my previous 2001 Ford Escape that had original Goodyear Wrangler RF-A tires (60k tread life), but they wore out after 30k, had replaced with Dunlop Radial Rover (60k tires) at no charge which in turn I got the warranty on.

And this is from the Goodyear Site itself;
How long should my original equipment tires last?

All authorized Goodyear retailers have been provided full authority in determining warranty eligibility on Goodyear tires. To find the nearest authorized retailer in your area you can call (800) 466-3932. Many authorized retailers are also listed in the Yellow Pages under the Goodyear Wingfoot emblem.

Odie
Odie's Carspace

slb4

My dealer found the cause of our problem. The last layer of matting behind the gas pedal was damp. The reason was an incomplete weld below the windshield. It seems to have happened on other pilots but always on the passenger side. They have assured me the problem will be fixed, but it leaves you feeling a bit uneasy. The car only has 1600 miles on it. They also assured me that the weld with the problem has no effect on the structural safety of the car. I can only hope. I really do like the Pilot.

ralph9

My recent mpg on my Pilot 2005 with the new Goodyear Fortera triple treds is 20.6 for combined country and city driving. Ther seems to be no change in the mpg and driving in a recent rainstorm was significantly better than the Integrities. My forthcoming 600 mile crosscountry trip will be much less worrisome. Take care.

pratzert

I just picked up my new 2006 Pilot EX-LRES this week.

A few items I've noticed so far that "SHOULD" be covered under warranty. I'm wondering if anyone else has had any of these problems?

1.) Paint defect on rear hatch door. Very small but still noticible... it looks like a small crack in the paint and then the clearcoat over the top of it.

2.) Radio Display has a little distortion of it at the top,
like a little "kink" sort of. Does not affect the INformation display, it's an actual physical deformation.

3.) A spongy/squeeking like sound coming the the driver's side window at the top. It's sounds like the window glass rubbing againt the rubber seal at the top. When I push outward on the window it stops.

4.) The Driver's side mirror has hundreds of what looks
like little minute scratches all over it. Like they cleaned
it with a rag that had some sort of abrasive on it.

Anyone ever had a paint defect on their new vehicle with Honda?

Thanks, Tim

odie6l

I thought mine had a paint defect, but it turns out it was just the addhesive from the plastic shinkwrap that they ship cars in. If you use a bug / tar remover, it will come right off. It freaked me out while doing the walk around with the sales person when we took delivery of 'The Beast'.

As for the mouse sqeak with the window, get a little baby oil and massage it into the rubber seal. The rubber has not yet broken in and has that squeak (just like new sneakers).

Odie
Odie's Carspace

franella

I had a drip on one of the side mirrors, but otherwise perfect - 06 EXL

vtm4

I've had the 70mph vibration since I purchased my Pilot in June of 2002. My wife and I went in to test drive the new 2007 CRV. Of course with the experience with the Pilot we carefully test drove the CRV. At to our surprise, the CRV has a very similar vibration at 65mph and 75mph. We test drove 2 other new CRVs looking for one that did not vibrate, but all 3 of them did! I'm thinking Honda has a design problem with their front wheel drive system and won't or can't fix it. This is just to similar to be a coincident????? Oh yes, the rest of the story...we walked away. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. We are looking at other car companies i.e. Toyota... Honda lost my business.

jbl8

I just noticed that my 2006 Pilot tilts low to rear driver-side. I measured the distance from the center of wheel to the side of car, it is about 18-5/8 inches for the rear driver-side wheel, all the others are about 19-1/4 inches. So from behind, you can see the car tilts to the left hand side. Any insight, anyone? :confuse:

rpowers

Take it back to the dealer, you paid "well' for a new high-end vehicle. They will take care of almost anything in the first couple of weeks, after 30 days you'll be hard pressed to get small things done. The vehicle should perfect when you get it. Note, our friend had the same mirror issue - it will get so bad in time you won't be able to use it, make them replace it now.

rekh

Hi everybody, I bought my Pilot EX 4WD in October. Since then I have followed the posts closely. I didn't have any problem till last week when I found the vibration(2500 miles). Both my house and work are so close to highway, so when I am in the highway in the mornings the car is still cold. I have vibration for the first 2-4 miles then it disappears. I wonder if it can be related to cold weather and clod tires?!!! Since In the afternoons the vibration is minimal or there is not any at all. Or other possibility is that the vibration comes after a while and gets worse with time?!!! Any idea? (I live in MA.)