i havent posted on edmunds for quite a while now but i hope this isnt far off topic. anyways, i went on a road trip recently on my cr-v to vegas.
I loved the car, 4 ppl on board and their cargo wasnt THAT much of a problem. Most of the time, there was plently of power to go around town. But on the highway where most cars are going 90+ mph, the cr-v started to strain. Going up the mountains just trying to keep up with the traffic at 80+ mph was almost impossible in 4th gear. So i had to drop it down to 3rd and let the little engine spin and do its ivtec thing. :P i had some concerns which i posted as well on the cr-v problems discussion. I hope that all that high rpm driving didnt kill the engine for the long term. but hey, i hit 100 mph on my cr-v :P
I loaded up the 6 disc changer and loved it. But the road noise was absolutely deafening with the bf goodrich tires with 50k miles on it. yea, i SUFFERED with them for that long. I had to turn up the radio very high just to drown out the road noise. I just cant wait till the tires go and i could get the yoko avid tourings. The wind noise only got bad when it was over 80 mph. high speed stability was ok...up to about 85 mph, it was good. at 100, it was frightening since there were winds that made a sienna swerve.
The seats were comfortable for the 2 hours that i drove since we stopped every 2 hours. HVAC did well in the 100 degree weather. I only had to set it at the 12 o'clock position. didnt even have to use it past the half way mark. The ride was great, smooth without being floaty. (i call it the honda style smoothness)
my relatives complemented the innovative dashboard, with the ebrake and the dash shifter.
Another problem that i also posted on the other discussion was that the car's rpm dropped to the 500's. The whole car started to sputter and shake. Everyone in the car felt it. i was going up an incline that time, but i dont kno if that was causing that problem.
But i throughly enjoyed driving the cr-v on the road trip. It provided reliable and fun motoring the whole time. I considered purchasing the santa fe but got a honda instead for its reliability. I never looked back again. I apologize for this off topic and long post. Just to make it relevant, i havent had the engine fires. I only took my car to the dealer for its first oil change and the rest of the time, independent shops.
forgot to mention this about my trip...i didnt know where else to post it but here it goes...
i was driving down the strip in vegas and i saw 3 test cars. They were following a white mercedes c class wagon (which unusually had no alloy/aluminum rims) and was followed by a red c class coupe. They were a little shorter than my cr-v and a little smaller in length. The roof line was very smooth, almost past the wheel wells like the prev gen rx300. the cargo window on the side was not connected to the rest of the windows on the door, like the cr-v. it was a 5 door (like a pt cruiser style). It had a small center airbag cover on the steering wheel and rounded instrumentations for the speedometer, etc. The interior was black and modernly styled. Also the hvac vents were rounded, ala pontiac style. the outside was COMPLETELY covered. only the lights werent covered. Indicator lamps on the mirrors on the side, rounded lamps mounted vertically on the back, and arched headlamps. (like popped up from the surface kinda arches) Low ground clearance so it cant be an suv. It had california plates. I couldnt get a pic since the camera was way in the back of the car.I thought that it was a benz but it couldnt be due to the interior styling. Maybe its a pontiac? Any ideas on this? my inside told me that i should have fought to get the camera, took a pic, and sold it to a mag like motor trend. Hm...
Don't swerve to avoid deer! I think at that speed it would be safer just to plow right into it.
50k miles is a lot for OE tires, even if there is tread left they might be spent. If they're noisy it might be from uneven wear. I'd get those Avids soon and maybe an alignment.
Did you have your camera with you? You should have nabbed a spy shot!
I'm going to guess that you saw the new Smart ForFour-based SUV coming to America. If it was smaller than your CR-V, that's gotta be it.
If it was bigger, you may have seen the replacement for the M-class, or even the new R-class.
That was a major find, picturs could have earned you a pretty penny!
Looks like the same rumors that have been floating around for awhile. The source is listed as "Honda Press Release" but there isn't any press release on the Honda or Hondanews websites.
It sure sounds good, though.. Whaddaya bet everyone wants the Pewter SE? I can't wait to see the 16" wheels and if they are taller overall than the current 15".
Good grief! I have to learn a whole new AWD system!
Racoon - All the stuff regarding the the RL and Ody was also posted at Hondanews.com. They also confirmed the changes for the whole Acura line as listed at TOV. So, I think we can call it pretty good information. The changes for the Honda line are probably being posted as we speak.
We just had ours in for the 5K oil change on our '04 CRV, and Ipointed out the fire issue to the Honda rep who wrote up the car. He was well aware of the situation, and said that, unlike the Accord with the same engine, the CRV has a crush-type crossmember near the oil filter. What sometimes happens is, when the oil is drained, some oil may drip on to that crossmember—stays there—and when the car is driven away after the oil change, and because of its location, that oil on the crossmember gets very hot and can ignite.
What this dealer does (I guess it's Honda's recommendation), is to put a tray a top that crossmember so that if any oil spills, the tray will capture it, and not the crossmember.
OK, new theory for us to consider, though I'm sticking with my Lee Iacocca conspiracy. )
If true, this would explain the cases where there was not a double gasket or a pinched gasket. He's claiming oil can drip on the cross member while draining, and doesn't even mention the gasket at all.
What bothered me, however, was that he told me to ALWAYS have a Honda dealer change the oil. Well, what if you want to use Jiffy Lube or your favorite mechanic? They may not be up to speed on this *issue.*
He didn't say "his" dealer, just a Honda dealer. The point is, he planted the idea in my head (and probably other customers too) that it's only safe to have a Honda dealer do this task. That's what concerned me.
I am somewhat skeptical that the amount of oil dripped during an oil change would be enough to generate the kind of conflagration we're seeing. If the oil drip came from a leaking filter gasket (long after the oil changer were performed), you would have a decent quantity of oil. It would essentially be a continuous supply, filling the "pool" on the cross member, and thus feeding the fire.
In short, I think the cross member might explain how the oil is getting to the hot spot, but I have doubts the ordinary drip from an oil change is the source of the oil. If that were true, the rate of fires would be much higher.
Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but the recent reports on the 2005 CR-V list a "Standard five speed automatic transmission".
Hope this doesn't mean they are dropping the manual tranny. I hate to say it, but that would make sense given that the Element is supposed to be the value player in their line. It's just that I'd miss that stick shift.
He didn't say "his" dealer, just a Honda dealer. The point is, he planted the idea in my head (and probably other customers too) that it's only safe to have a Honda dealer do this task. That's what concerned me.
Well, frankly, I don't trust a Honda dealer to do it either. I think they are just as likely to make a mistake as an independent lube shop. I personally am going to have my brother do my first oil change. I know that I can trust him to keep oil spilling to a minimum and to check for the gasket! I might even consider getting underneath the car with him to check it out myself.
Don't let them convince you that a Honda dealer is the only way to go... didn't someone just have a fire last week resulting from a Honda dealer oil change? And if I'm remembering correctly, someone else just had a scare because of a double gasket... again a Honda dealer.
Maybe that's what the article meant by auto being standard (on the base/cheapest model).
That is strange, you'd think penny pinchers would be willing to accept a manual on the cheapest model.
Element has its own lineup which is different and also makes no sense to me (DX with no A/C?). Maybe I drink a different kind of beer than Honda designers do. )
Someone crawl in there and see if you can get a photo of the hole that guy was talking about where the oil would collect.
Just to give you my observations from performing numerous oil changes on my '02. The oil will only drip onto the crossmember from the oil filter. So the amount will vary as to how fast you unscrew it. I cover the crossmember and adjacent CV boot with plastic bags and avoid any spills. If I am lazy and am not careful covering the area I will get some oil dripping onto the subframe and its difficult to cleanup. I do agree, some type of a retrofit like a cover, etc. will probably eliminate the oil from going down the subframe. In another thread Julia said the tech put a rubber stopper in a hole and blocked an opening with silicone to prevent oil from going down the frame. I wanted her to get more info for me but she does not have a clue as to what I asked. I am curious as to what type of silicone will withstand repeated applications of oil. If adding a cover to this subframe will eliminate this fire problem Honda should act immediately. I am surprised it took them this long to figure out. After my first filter change I knew I had to eliminate the spillage onto the CV boot and frame but I did not think that amount of oil will cause a fire. UNLESS as we know now its constantly leaking from a double gasket.
I recently bought the Swagman 3 bike rack that fits on to my 2003 CRV spare tire bracket via a mounting plate. I have already used it on 3 road trips with 3 bikes and all appears well. I am still concerned that the spare tire bracket may not be strong enough to support 3 bikes. I called my local Honda dealer and spoke to a tech and he said it was plenty strong, but I remain unsure. Also, once the 3 bikes are mounted to the rear door, is the door strong enough to swing out with the weight of 3 bikes added? Thanks for any insight.......................
I would be more concerned with the strength of the door to which the bracket is attached.. I'm thinking the hinges will be okay, because that is going to be a short-term stress, only while the door is open.
Looks nice, but I didn't have time to go through everything.
My mom bought a new Accord 3 weeks ago. I asked the sales guy if there were going to be any changes on the 2005 CRV. He said the only new thing being offered is a leather option, that's it. I asked about bigger tires/rims, he said no. Of course, he could be wrong. When do we get to find out for sure? By the way, I apologize if that information is on the above link -- I have to go back and look through it when I have more time.
As of the time I posted this reply there's only the pictures, no details. But if you compare the pictures of the 2005 and 2004 EX models it appears that the 2005 has larger wheels, although the overall size of the tire appears to be about the same.
You think? I was just trying to figure that out.. It does look like 16", but I can't tell if they are any taller overall or not.. My guess is they can make them a little taller, (225/60-16?), but anything drastic would probably cause suspension/clearance problems. They would have to be 215/60-16 to have the same overall height, but they look a little taller than that.
I don't see it as a problem either. In fact I like that it opens towards the drivers side. Where I live, I almost never parallel park so it's not an issue for me. And I'm not willing to give up the interior space to store a spare inside, nor the ground clearance to hang it underneath.
The swing gate is a love it / hate it design. Plenty of reviewers bashed it when the first gen CR-V hit the market. Since then the market has grown accustomed to the functionality. Now, the reviews hardly ever mention it. Many CR-V owners have come to love it.
I know I wouldn't want to give up my full-size spare.
My wife would like to replace my aging Accord with a CR-V while I'm leaning toward a Civic or Corolla. I see a lot of city driving for it, like grocery and school runs and an occasional mulch run to Home Depot.
But I'm wondering if there are some recreational uses we don't do right now having two sedans that we might be doing once we have the full capabilities of a CR-V at our disposal.
If you weren't already into kayaking, off-roading, etc., before getting a CR-V, did you end up doing more light recreation with it after? If so, to what kinds of uses did you put the CR-V?
I've been driving CR-Vs for six years.. First, a '98, and now an '02. Today, for the very first time, I used the picnic table.
Went to a high school football game.. usually not an event we would "tailgate" at.. but this was a special event type of game.. played at an NFL stadium, etc, so it was a big deal.... loaded up the folding chairs and a cooler with drinks and sandwiches... Got to the parking lot, set up the chairs, pulled out the cooler, using the cooler and the hood of the CR-V to put out the food.. I actually said to my wife, "I wish we had a folding table, it sure would be easier."
Sounds stupid, I know, but it took about 15 seconds and... "wait a minute...."
I currently have a car loan with American Honda Financial at the rate of 3.9% for my 2004 Honda CR-V. As it is the highest interest rate debt I have, I want to pay it off as quickly as possible, not to mention owning the car free and clear so I can quickly sell it off.
If I start paying let's say $1000 a month and pay the car off within 9 months, will Honda enforce a prepayment penalty on me (I couldn't find it on my truth in lending contract, but they did state something called a minimum finance charge)? Also do they properly reduce my principle balance accordingly with each overpayment?
Anybody who has experience with such matters, please let me know. Thanks.
Ditto here about the query too -- alphajc. I don't know about selling it off too quick though.
I'm sure in a graph the residual value of the car (what I owe) and the resale value (what I can sell for) will cross at some point, that's what I'm interested in (dollar value as well as timing). Statistical types here please respond :-)
Re: the driving qualities -- find my CRV 2003 immensely fun to drive. Had it to the dealer to fix a couple of recalls (accelerator linkage cable?) but otherwise my EX has been flawless. Took it to Vegas a couple of times (700 miles roundtrip) and had lots of grades to climb. Kept the AC running all through death valley.
Nary a complaint...
So much fun to throw it around the corners and then speed away. Love this little SUV :-)
I doubt very much that owning an SUV (vs a sedan) is going to change your recreational habits. At least not significantly. About the only new thing I do now that I have the CR-V is go off-roading. But I don't go all that often (maybe 2 or 3 times each year).
My CR-V is better for my recreation hobbies (skiing, backpacking, etc.), but I did all of those things when I drove a Mazda 626.
It's the non-recreational activities that have made the CR-V worth the cost. Home Depot runs, taking the greyhounds on vacation, buying large items, and serving as a taxi for friends have all become much, much easier. Rarely do I have to stop and ask myself, "is this going to fit?"
Comments
I think the Acura RDX might be the quieter SUV that some think the CR-V plus sound deadening material would be.
-juice
regards,
kyfdx
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Of course the dealer might tell her it was them even if Honda did pay for it...
-juice
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i havent posted on edmunds for quite a while now but i hope this isnt far off topic. anyways, i went on a road trip recently on my cr-v to vegas.
I loved the car, 4 ppl on board and their cargo wasnt THAT much of a problem. Most of the time, there was plently of power to go around town. But on the highway where most cars are going 90+ mph, the cr-v started to strain. Going up the mountains just trying to keep up with the traffic at 80+ mph was almost impossible in 4th gear. So i had to drop it down to 3rd and let the little engine spin and do its ivtec thing. :P i had some concerns which i posted as well on the cr-v problems discussion. I hope that all that high rpm driving didnt kill the engine for the long term. but hey, i hit 100 mph on my cr-v :P
I loaded up the 6 disc changer and loved it. But the road noise was absolutely deafening with the bf goodrich tires with 50k miles on it. yea, i SUFFERED with them for that long. I had to turn up the radio very high just to drown out the road noise. I just cant wait till the tires go and i could get the yoko avid tourings. The wind noise only got bad when it was over 80 mph. high speed stability was ok...up to about 85 mph, it was good. at 100, it was frightening since there were winds that made a sienna swerve.
The seats were comfortable for the 2 hours that i drove since we stopped every 2 hours. HVAC did well in the 100 degree weather. I only had to set it at the 12 o'clock position. didnt even have to use it past the half way mark. The ride was great, smooth without being floaty. (i call it the honda style smoothness)
my relatives complemented the innovative dashboard, with the ebrake and the dash shifter.
Another problem that i also posted on the other discussion was that the car's rpm dropped to the 500's. The whole car started to sputter and shake. Everyone in the car felt it. i was going up an incline that time, but i dont kno if that was causing that problem.
But i throughly enjoyed driving the cr-v on the road trip. It provided reliable and fun motoring the whole time. I considered purchasing the santa fe but got a honda instead for its reliability. I never looked back again. I apologize for this off topic and long post. Just to make it relevant, i havent had the engine fires. I only took my car to the dealer for its first oil change and the rest of the time, independent shops.
i was driving down the strip in vegas and i saw 3 test cars. They were following a white mercedes c class wagon (which unusually had no alloy/aluminum rims) and was followed by a red c class coupe. They were a little shorter than my cr-v and a little smaller in length. The roof line was very smooth, almost past the wheel wells like the prev gen rx300. the cargo window on the side was not connected to the rest of the windows on the door, like the cr-v. it was a 5 door (like a pt cruiser style). It had a small center airbag cover on the steering wheel and rounded instrumentations for the speedometer, etc. The interior was black and modernly styled. Also the hvac vents were rounded, ala pontiac style. the outside was COMPLETELY covered. only the lights werent covered. Indicator lamps on the mirrors on the side, rounded lamps mounted vertically on the back, and arched headlamps. (like popped up from the surface kinda arches) Low ground clearance so it cant be an suv. It had california plates. I couldnt get a pic since the camera was way in the back of the car.I thought that it was a benz but it couldnt be due to the interior styling. Maybe its a pontiac? Any ideas on this? my inside told me that i should have fought to get the camera, took a pic, and sold it to a mag like motor trend. Hm...
Steve, Host
Don't swerve to avoid deer! I think at that speed it would be safer just to plow right into it.
50k miles is a lot for OE tires, even if there is tread left they might be spent. If they're noisy it might be from uneven wear. I'd get those Avids soon and maybe an alignment.
Did you have your camera with you? You should have nabbed a spy shot!
I'm going to guess that you saw the new Smart ForFour-based SUV coming to America. If it was smaller than your CR-V, that's gotta be it.
If it was bigger, you may have seen the replacement for the M-class, or even the new R-class.
That was a major find, picturs could have earned you a pretty penny!
-juice
If this is right, VSA, 16" rims, and 5 speed autos, just like the Czar said.
SE will have heated leather and even the RT4WD is revised.
-juice
I'll wait for the official word from Honda.
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-juice
Racoon - All the stuff regarding the the RL and Ody was also posted at Hondanews.com. They also confirmed the changes for the whole Acura line as listed at TOV. So, I think we can call it pretty good information. The changes for the Honda line are probably being posted as we speak.
rsholland "Subaru Forester vs Hyundai Santa Fe vs Jeep Liberty vs Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute vs Saturn Vue" Sep 1, 2004 1:36pm
Steve, Host
Is there such a cross member?
All that would mean is a metal brace shaped like an X.
-juice
What this dealer does (I guess it's Honda's recommendation), is to put a tray a top that crossmember so that if any oil spills, the tray will capture it, and not the crossmember.
Edit: Oops! Looks like you guys beat me to it.
Bob
If true, this would explain the cases where there was not a double gasket or a pinched gasket. He's claiming oil can drip on the cross member while draining, and doesn't even mention the gasket at all.
-juice
What bothered me, however, was that he told me to ALWAYS have a Honda dealer change the oil. Well, what if you want to use Jiffy Lube or your favorite mechanic? They may not be up to speed on this *issue.*
Bob
-juice
Bob
In short, I think the cross member might explain how the oil is getting to the hot spot, but I have doubts the ordinary drip from an oil change is the source of the oil. If that were true, the rate of fires would be much higher.
surprisingly, those bf goodrich tires still look like they have about 10k miles left on them. the avids on my caravan are just absolutely beautiful.
dissapointed in not getting any pics...when it hit my head that i could have made some $, they drove off...
julia "Honda CR-V Owners: Problems & Solutions" Aug 31, 2004 3:20pm
Bob
He could be onto something when he mentions the rectangular hole in the frame as a place that could "store" spilled oil.
He even suggests his dealer uses a fix with a plug and some silicone.
OTOH it's riddled with grammatical errors plus he doesn't understand viscosity to save his life.
-juice
Hope this doesn't mean they are dropping the manual tranny. I hate to say it, but that would make sense given that the Element is supposed to be the value player in their line. It's just that I'd miss that stick shift.
-juice
LX AWD can be either transmission.
EX can be either (AWD is standard)
SE was (probably will be) automatic only.
Well, frankly, I don't trust a Honda dealer to do it either. I think they are just as likely to make a mistake as an independent lube shop. I personally am going to have my brother do my first oil change. I know that I can trust him to keep oil spilling to a minimum and to check for the gasket! I might even consider getting underneath the car with him to check it out myself.
Don't let them convince you that a Honda dealer is the only way to go... didn't someone just have a fire last week resulting from a Honda dealer oil change? And if I'm remembering correctly, someone else just had a scare because of a double gasket... again a Honda dealer.
That is strange, you'd think penny pinchers would be willing to accept a manual on the cheapest model.
Element has its own lineup which is different and also makes no sense to me (DX with no A/C?). Maybe I drink a different kind of beer than Honda designers do.
Someone crawl in there and see if you can get a photo of the hole that guy was talking about where the oil would collect.
-juice
In another thread Julia said the tech put a rubber stopper in a hole and blocked an opening with silicone to prevent oil from going down the frame. I wanted her to get more info for me but she does not have a clue as to what I asked. I am curious as to what type of silicone will withstand repeated applications of oil. If adding a cover to this subframe will eliminate this fire problem Honda should act immediately. I am surprised it took them this long to figure out. After my first filter change I knew I had to eliminate the spillage onto the CV boot and frame but I did not think that amount of oil will cause a fire. UNLESS as we know now its constantly leaking from a double gasket.
We saw sensational photos of the heavy fires, but I doubt every case was like that.
This new theory could explain those.
-juice
Thanks for any insight.......................
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-juice
CR-V Images at Hondanews.com
My mom bought a new Accord 3 weeks ago. I asked the sales guy if there were going to be any changes on the 2005 CRV. He said the only new thing being offered is a leather option, that's it. I asked about bigger tires/rims, he said no. Of course, he could be wrong. When do we get to find out for sure? By the way, I apologize if that information is on the above link -- I have to go back and look through it when I have more time.
Mackie
2004 CRV-EX, AT, Chianti Red
regards,
kyfdx
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I know I wouldn't want to give up my full-size spare.
But I'm wondering if there are some recreational uses we don't do right now having two sedans that we might be doing once we have the full capabilities of a CR-V at our disposal.
If you weren't already into kayaking, off-roading, etc., before getting a CR-V, did you end up doing more light recreation with it after? If so, to what kinds of uses did you put the CR-V?
Went to a high school football game.. usually not an event we would "tailgate" at.. but this was a special event type of game.. played at an NFL stadium, etc, so it was a big deal.... loaded up the folding chairs and a cooler with drinks and sandwiches... Got to the parking lot, set up the chairs, pulled out the cooler, using the cooler and the hood of the CR-V to put out the food.. I actually said to my wife, "I wish we had a folding table, it sure would be easier."
Sounds stupid, I know, but it took about 15 seconds and... "wait a minute...."
And it only took six years for me to need it.
regards,
kyfdx
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If I start paying let's say $1000 a month and pay the car off within 9 months, will Honda enforce a prepayment penalty on me (I couldn't find it on my truth in lending contract, but they did state something called a minimum finance charge)? Also do they properly reduce my principle balance accordingly with each overpayment?
Anybody who has experience with such matters, please let me know. Thanks.
I'm sure in a graph the residual value of the car (what I owe) and the resale value (what I can sell for) will cross at some point, that's what I'm interested in (dollar value as well as timing). Statistical types here please respond :-)
Re: the driving qualities -- find my CRV 2003 immensely fun to drive. Had it to the dealer to fix a couple of recalls (accelerator linkage cable?) but otherwise my EX has been flawless. Took it to Vegas a couple of times (700 miles roundtrip) and had lots of grades to climb. Kept the AC running all through death valley.
Nary a complaint...
So much fun to throw it around the corners and then speed away. Love this little SUV :-)
My CR-V is better for my recreation hobbies (skiing, backpacking, etc.), but I did all of those things when I drove a Mazda 626.
It's the non-recreational activities that have made the CR-V worth the cost. Home Depot runs, taking the greyhounds on vacation, buying large items, and serving as a taxi for friends have all become much, much easier. Rarely do I have to stop and ask myself, "is this going to fit?"