2001 - 2006 Honda CR-Vs

frenchiee

I want to ride with the spare cover off but need a center cap. Is this something I must get from the dealer?

varmint

Frenchiee - You can also buy them on-line.

gatorgreg

Hey Frenchiee, I got mine from Tim at hondacuraworld.com. However, since it's not really an accessory (more of a replacement part) I don't think it's listed at his site. You can call him at 1(888)RAY-LAKS.

twistylocs

Varmint,

Thanks for the explanation! I understood the basic concept of pre-tensioned belts, but wasn't aware that Honda's belts were dual-pretension. It's an annoyance I suppose I'll have to live with; I just wish there was a way to adjust the amount of tension so I wouldn't feel pinned to the seat like a butterfly mounted on cork board.

And even though I grumbled about Honda's stance against seat belt extenders, I know we'll end up buying a CR-V. We've looked at every sport-cute in the category, but none are as fuel efficient, or as roomy as the CR-V.

bowseat93

In the spirit of there are no dumb questions (I hope!), can one of you folks with a manual tran clear up whether the stick is on the dash (like the AT) or is it in a normal location? Since the MT doesn't have arm rests (according to the brochure), I'm guessing it's in a normal location between the front seats.

bhoughton

Normal location.

randyr21

I put one of those black acco spring clips up at the top where the belt goes into the car. My wife makes me do it every time to her belt. If I go a longway and get tired of it cinching up, I put one on my belt

crvcivic

"I guess you can subtract roomy and add sporty, and you've got the WRX wagon"

Robmarch: that was my plan last year when I bought my wife the 01 V ex. We have been very happy with it. I planned on going WRX this spring/summer, but last fall brought news of an additon to our family on the way. Needed the room, dropped the sporty and the planned WRX and replaced it with an 02 V ex. I agree totally with your summary.
BTW both our V's are 5sp and the sporty factor inches up just a touch. At least I can rev and double clutch bringing some of the sensation of the WRX. (OK, OK, just let me keep fooling myself then

onelife

Just returned from the trip in which my wife and I brought the 2002 CRV home. Our CRV is a Silver LX 2WD automatic. We bought from the Mark Roberts Honda in Bartlesville, OK for $18,440 with Side Airbag and front mud guard. Could not get any local vendors to match this price + $500.
Impression on dealer: The salesperson and the business manager were very nice to deal with. The process was straight forward, fast yet orderly. We got out of there under an hour, including the time I called my insurance company and activated the policy on the new CRV. I did purchased the 7 year warranty for $610 since I am pretty much a dummy on cars.
Impression on CRV: very nice and cool look, especially looking at the front end and the dashboard. Pretty roomy for me and my wife(both under 5'5") in both front and back seats. Cargo area is huge, especially after folding and flipping the backseat down. Really like all the storage spots Honda carved out all over the vehicle. The plastic door panels looked kind of cheap though.
Impression on Driving: Lots of power, no trouble getting up to the 80s to pass on the highway. Ride is smooth on most parts of the I-40 except some stretches in Arkansas where it was like driving on a washboard. still pretty noisy at higher speed, though much better than my wife's Saturn SC2 and my old Ford Ranger. Did not use the O/D at all since the salesperson told me that it was for heavy towing and climbing the hills. The armrest was very helpful when you are driving long distance, though it would be even better if it was longer and bigger. I kept the speed between 45 to 75 most of the time. ( I was told there is no break-in period, I just needed not to drive at one speed for a long period of time). The acceleration was good, no toruble coming out of rest stop and merging into the 70mph traffic. Had to lean the backseat down a little bit to get a better rear view. maybe I was just not used to it yet. The verticall mounted shift stick needs some get used to. The AC, Fan and vent dials were big, but kinf of confusing. I kept turning them in the wrong direction, opposite to what my intention was. The sound quality was much better than I thought. All in all, it was a very enjoyable ride.
This being the first brand new car I've ever bought, I am very happy it was a CRV. Sorry for the long message. Hope you all are not bored. Also I would like to thank this board and everyone for the vast amount of useful information. I would post my pictures as soon as they are developed.

freeber

OK, somebody correct me If I'm wrong here, but you SHOULD be using overdrive UNLESS you are towing or on a large hill towing. Overdrive is a cruising gear that gets you much better MPG. i would personally only turn it off if I were towing uphill in a stiff wind.

crvic

on your new CR-V. Please read your owner's manual, there's a brief break-in period. The overdrive is the 'default' mode, so you should keep it on most of the time.

robmarch

freeber -

This is a common question. The O/D button actually turns overdrive "off" but the light turns "on". The normal driving position should be O/D "on" light "off", unless towing, etc.

onelife -

I like to recline the back seats for better visibility too. It's much easier for me than removing and replacing the headrests, which is another option.

muckyduck

I found the source of the rattle above the driver's area - it is the liner above where the visor rests in normal position - this liner area is loose - I can push on it. The passenger area is not this way. Hopefully dealer can fix - annoying.

Rear window - I have the EX, thus the rear window has the tint built in. I don't know what it is, but I have vertical streaks (like dried water streaks) all over this window - at first, I thought it was just poorly washed/dried, but these streaks will not come off. It appears that water has gotten inside the panes and dried. Has anyone noticed this - I wash it about once a week and never noticed this, but after last night, I did notice it.

muckyduck

The seals around the hindges on the rear window must not be tight or where the arms that raise/lower the window attach to the window. That is the only way I can see water getting inside the panes of glass.

Does anyone else have this? I am taking my EX in for the first 'free' oil change at the dealer this Friday and am going to point this out. Would like to know I am not the only one.

I've also noticed that the driver's auto up/down window will make a scratching/grinding noise sometimes going down or up - does not happen all the time. Has anyone heard that??

robmarch

Hi, I've heard similar things about side windows that were fixed by adjusting the guides inside the door. There's basically a guide that keeps it from rattling around in the door, but if it's too loose or too tight can cause problems. I'm sure your dealer can check it out for you.

Good luck!

ateixeira

Are you sure there are two panes? I kind of doubt it.

-juice

robmarch

Do the streaks appear under the tint? I'm not sure how these windows are tinted, but I guess it's possible that the window was streaked before it was tinted, and now the streaks are sealed in. I will look at mine tonight to see if I can understand what you're saying a little better. If you've tried cleaning the inside and outside and they don't change, that's the only thing I can think of.

Somewhat unrelated, I was told to wipe the outside of a window horizontally and the inside vertically to easily tell what side the streaks are on. It's tough to tell sometimes.

muckyduck

I don't know if there are two panes - I doubted it also, but have no other explanation. The streaks are definitely NOT on the surface of the glass, inside or outside. I've wiped and wiped in all sorts of directions/patterns to see if I could remove them.
I've washed it probably 6-7 times so far, and never noticed the streaking but I cannot say for sure it was not there. I did notice it almost immediately last night when I started cleaning the windows so who knows what it is. I was hoping to have some more insight into it before I take it to the dealer (don't want to get laughed off the lot, you know)

protege_fan

Here's an explanation of the 2 types of glass used in automobiles.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question508.htm

I believe that the rear on the CR-V is tempered (ie. not 2 seperate panes), but I will double check when I see my parent's CR-V today (I've got polarized glasses).

rms41

"Somewhat unrelated, I was told to wipe the outside of a window horizontally and the inside vertically to easily tell what side the streaks are on. It's tough to tell sometimes."

If it's a rear window with horizontal defrost wires you should reverse this procedure (horizontal inside and vertical outside) to avoid damaging them.

daveghh

This is the 2003 Honda ACCORD!!! I like it!!!

I love my 2002 CRV, don't get me wrong but this is going to be a nice ride! It will also have the i-vtec. Here is the article

arkydog

Onelife: Did I read your post correctly where you said you got your 2002 CR-V in Oklahoma for $18,440? That's only a little more than invoice, and nobody (including me) seems to be finding prices under $21,000 for either the LX or EX.

Edmunds lists the LX market value at $19,404 and MSRP is $19,660. I've been looking for a deal like what you got, so before I start calling the dealer in Bartlesville, OK, I thought I'd better double-check with you!

mam9

Took Rosebud in yesterday for her 5,000 mile service and to get the software fix for the check engine light installed. This morning, leaving for work, I noticed a little hole at the bottom of the auto shifter configuration. You know how the letters read down in a column (P, R, N, D, 1, 2)? Well, right under the 2 there's a hole in the plastic that looks like it should be covered by a little cap or something. I don't think it was there before because it really jumped out at me this morning.

Would somebody check their dash and tell me if this is supposed to be covered? I don't want to call Honda service and look silly if it was there all along.

hondaman01

Can someone tell me if you can buy those fancy tail lights that are basically all white for a 2001 CRV? I think they look kind of neat and I am not sure who makes them.

robmarch

I was told by my dealer that that the plug that goes in that hole is removed on delivery. Both auto's I've seen have had that hole.

Anyone know if the cap that is removed can be modified and put back in to cover the hole but still allow shifting? It would be nice to close that hole, in my opinion.

geenee87

My 2002 needs an oil change....yuck I can't believe I put 3000+ miles in a month in a half. What brand oil is best for the CR-V. The manual recommends honda oil....do you think it matters?
Just want to take good care of my baby.

elisthorn

Thanks to both of you for messages. Help fasteddie9: I don't know what it means to say that the seats affected were "the vins below appox 24000." Surfactant: did you take yours in on the 14th to be fixed? How'd it turn out?

gatorgreg

I've got the same hole in my shifter! I'm not 100% sure it wasn't always there, but I first noticed it after I got my dvd screen installed, so I figured the installer forgot to put something back. I looked at a pic in the '02 brochure and it looks like the hole is plugged but it's hard to tell. I've been meaning to check out a new one to see for sure, but I've been putting it off.

freeber

On my 2002 'V' EX, I know the AC is SUPPOSED to come on when you put the defrost on, and I know you can disable this also. My question is, when I turn the defrost off shouldn't the AC also go off? Right now it stays on and it's going to kill my MPG because I keep forgetting I have to turn it off.

protege_fan

My Parent's '02 CR-V also does that! Pretty annoying. I think it's normal...just annoying.

freeber

Just looked at mine, and the piece is still in there. It looks very delicate and isn't held in by much. No way is that supposed to come out on an auto though, I'd complain. Saying that tab is supposed to be out is like saying the tab for the foglights and the (seat heaters in Canada?) are supposed to be out too. My guess is the piece is in there so lightly that when the dash is 'man-handled' in and out it pops out and never gets noticed. Maybe somebody could work up a grommit or something to fill that hole for you.

Good Luck!

muckyduck

Mine is covered - hopefully dealer will not remove it when I take it for oil change and rear window spotting.
I now think that these streaks were always there - I seem to remember that after washing my car a couple of weeks ago, it looked like the rear window was not cleaned properly (I did it myself) and had planned on spending a little more time on it when something came up and I forgot about it. Unless the car is sitting just right for light to strike the glass, it it hard to see the streaking. When I washed it a couple of days ago, these streaks became very noticeable. Can't wait to see what dealer says about it!!!!

diploid

I find that Hondas, in general, fog up like crazy during cold weather/rain. I think Honda realizes this because the only way to remedy the fog produced on the windows is to turn the heat on, but also leave the A/C button lit on.

In my Civic, when the windows fog up, I have all three buttons (recirculate air, A/C, rear defrost) on and it never fails.

daveghh

If you want I can relook up a very simple way of allowing you to turn off the AC once you put it on the window defrost. Currently if you switch to window defrost the ac comes on and stays on and you can't turn it off even when you push the ac button.

The method I have takes 20 seconds, others here have probably used it as well. Once you turn on the window defroster you can turn off the ac immediately after, then you wont forget about it later.

fasteddie9

Form what I read, the last 5 or 6 digits of the vin number hence 24000 indicates the vehicle is the 24,000 made. So vehicles with a number greater than that number approx. has supossedly been fixed. Hope this helps. Varmint, this is correct, right?

tgif888

I got the following quote. Is it good?

VEHICLE: 2002 CRV LX Automatic
YOUR PRICE: $18,851.00 Plus Tax and Registration Fees
VEHICLE: 2002 CRV EX Automatic
YOUR PRICE: $22,079.00 Plus Tax and Registration Fees
OPTIONS: None

protege_fan

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/driving/articles/43004/article.html

"The last 6 digits are the production sequence numbers"

freeber

Thanks. As I stated in my post I knew you can disable this forced on feature. (read about it before I even got my 'V'...can you say Obsesive?)If you want to repost it, go ahead, but I think I actually bookmarked another site that tells me how to do it. I was aware of THAT issue, I wasn't aware it didn't turn off when you moved away from defrost. It's bothersome, but hardly a major concern I guess.....

mam9

Sure enough, I poked around in the glove box and found a little baggie with a small brown piece of plastic that just fits the hole. (Yes, the hole I swore wasn't there before yesterday.)

Yikes. So glad I posted here before making an a-- out of myself.

robmarch

I guess the question is, what does it do and why do they take it out, when it obviously looks better filled? My Dealer said something about a shift lock, but it seems like some people still have theirs in. If it does serve a purpose, maybe we can modify it and put it back in to fill the hole.

sorry if this gets posted twice, I thought I posted this before but it looks like it might not have gone through.

stever

Check your email (and watch those typos ).

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

robmarch

thanks, steve, I thought I was going crazy or something.

I also still have my plug in a plastic bag, so if it doesn't cause any problems, it could be easily replaced.

varmint

Shifter locks are real. I have something similar in my '01 TL. I believe that auto transmissions can lock up (reasons unknown or varied). You have to remove the panel to get to the place where you can "unlock" it. I remember reading this in the manual for my TL, but I don't recall the details. Something about jamming a screwdriver through there. The vehicles may be shipped with the tranny locked. They would have to be unlocked for ground transport. Maybe some dealers put the panel back, while others forget about it. Just a guess.

Check your owner's manual. There might be a better explanation there.

protege_fan

That's it! I remember reading that now in my parent's manual. IMO, I think the plug should still be there though....you can just remove it whenever you need to unlock the shifter.

mam9

there's already a lot of dust on the dash [yes, I *do* blow it off sometimes] and an opening for bugs or debris to get behind there doesn't seem smart, especially since that's where the shifter is.

Thanks to everyone for the input and moral support!

BTW, I mentioned the sizzle/buzz noise that happens sometimes when turning the key to start and the head service guy just looked puzzled. Mine still does it but it always starts the second time. Hope it doesn't die before the warranty runs out.

muckyduck

That may be related to the immoblizer setup in the crv - if there are other keys on the chain interferring with this system.
I beleive it mentions this in the manual, or at least states something about not having other keys close to the crv key when starting.

mitchshin

I must be going blind. I am preparing to change my Tranny fluid but cannot locate the drain plug under my '98 CR-v. I know there is no pan or filter, but I'm lost. Can anyone give directions?

onelife

arkydog,
You read it correctly. It was $18,440 for a 2002 CRV LX 2WD with Side Airbag and Front Mudguard. Call them up and see what you get. It won't hurt. They have a website at www.markroberts.com

crv202

On an earlier post I talked about how my 2002 CRV that is only six weeks old had a sidewall crack. Honda referred me to Bridgestone. Bridgestone gave me a location in my area to bring the car. I went to WTC in Deer Park and the manager said the tire cracked due to running over something. Without pointing out something on the tire to prove his statement I asked him what proof he had to make such a statement. He said 25 years experience was what he had. After that statement he examined the tire and pointed out the cut at the top edge of the tire which was the entry point. I wasn't all that trusting of him as he made his initial assessment without looking closely at the tire, which by the way was mounted on the rear of the car. He said it wasn't a tire failure but bad luck on my part. He said he would sell me a new tire for $88.00 which was a good price. Since I wasn't too impressed with his initial assessment I said I would get back to him. I went home and called Bridgestone again and asked for someone else in my area. They gave me a name of a Firestone dealer in Lindenhust. I went there and the manager right away pointed out the cut at the top side of the tire and said this was the entry point of the object that caused the crack in the sidewall. He said that a new car shouldn't have a tire problem and he would sell me a replacement tire for cost, $54.00. He also said I could buy a policy to replace a tire in the future for $8.00 per tire, prorated for the age of the tire. So, for $32.00 I bought the policy which came to the total as the first place I took the car. I had considered replacing my Bridgestones with Michelins but decided to stay with the Bridgestones for a much less cost. The Firestone dealer said the price was to keep good customer relations. Also, using the lug wrench provided by Honda was easy to use although I put the jack in the wrong place under the car initially .

jquant

Did anyone upgrade their stereo system in their 2002 CR-V? I just finished my system at Circuit City. I wanted to know if anyone can post pictures of their system? I will post pictures of my system. I want to see pics of their aftermarket radio and how it fits in the dash. The 2002 kit for the radio wasn't in, so CC made a kit and it's not flush. I have an Alpine amp 75 X 4 and Kenwood Sirrus satillite radio. The amp and the satillite tuner are mounted on the back of big rear seat and I have enough slack to fold the seats ALL the way up.