Honda CR-V Maintenance and Repair

daryll44 · May 2005

Well, my '05 Special Edition CR-V is now 48 hours old. The only compaint so far is the so called heated seats. It appears that there is only heat in the seat bottoms and none in the seat back. And the "heat" is merely an element or two of "warmth". It was 48 degrees this AM and the car was out all night. Not exactly "frigid", but cold enough to want a little warm-me-up. The seats DID warm up, but not much.

Do you think there is a problem here or is that just the way it is? Seems odd that they are merely "seat lukewarmers" and not true "seat heaters".

dc_driver · May 2005

C'mon Isell.. How can you not read through this forum and think that this is not an issue. Otherwise every other message board would be talking about PTTR issues. Every vehicle on the market has its own issues, and it looks to me that SOME CRV's have a PTTR issue. I have two cars, and neither one of them PTTR to the extent that some users on this board have posted.

steve royal · May 2005

dc,

Take it easy on isell...he's tryin' to make a livin' ...Steve

blueiedgod · May 2005

Well, my '05 Special Edition CR-V is now 48 hours old. The only compaint so far is the so called heated seats. It appears that there is only heat in the seat bottoms and none in the seat back. And the "heat" is merely an element or two of "warmth". It was 48 degrees this AM and the car was out all night. Not exactly "frigid", but cold enough to want a little warm-me-up. The seats DID warm up, but not much.

Do you think there is a problem here or is that just the way it is? Seems odd that they are merely "seat lukewarmers" and not true "seat heaters".

I am sure due to the excess of hungry lawyers in the US Honda chose not to make the seat warmer hot enough to fry an egg, as I can see the headlines. "Poor CR-V driver's behind has been scorned by the seat warmers."

It is all in comparison. When it is -20°F outside and the seat is 50°F, you will appreciate it more than when it is 48°F outside and the seat is heated to 50°F. I am sure there is limit on how hot the seat warmer can get before the "leather" starts deteriorating. And yes, it only heats up the bottom on the passenger side, I was told it heats up the seatback and the bottom on the driver's side. But I am not 100% confident in the source (Honda salesman).

isellhondas · May 2005

Has nothing to do with me making a living.

It's just that things can get horribly overblown and over amplified beyond reality on these boards. Some people read of these problems and jump to the conclusion that it's a MAJOR problem that affects every car on the road.

And, people are sometimes quick to jump in and say..."me too".

I don't doubt some CRV's are affected by a pull it's just that I've never felt any pull to the right or whatever in ANY of the many, many CRV's I've driven or in the two I've owned.

Hopefully, honda can isolate the problem and fix it.

varmint · May 2005

"And yes, it only heats up the bottom on the passenger side, I was told it heats up the seatback and the bottom on the driver's side. But I am not 100% confident in the source (Honda salesman)."

I know that is how it works for my 2001 TL. I think there's something about it in the owner's manual.

FWIW, I have heated leather in my CR-V (aftermarket) as well as the OEM bun warmers in my Acura. Can't tell the difference in temp.

stevengordon · May 2005

My CR-V had its first tire rotation at the 10K servicing. The sound on smooth pavement sounded different on the way home. There was a wah-wah-wah rhythm. I stopped at a neighborhood NTB and asked and the service manager ran his hands over the tire and said "feathering."

A couple questions...First, did I cause this by elevating psi to 30 from the recommended 26 about three weeks ago? Second, could an improper alignment have caused this?

Thanks.

kyfdx · May 2005

Well.. since the sound only happened after you rotated the tires, then I doubt you've damaged them..

Front and rear tires wear in different ways... The sound comes from the tires making contact in different areas and in a different way... As they wear in, the sound will probably be less pronounced...

If you have relatively fast wearing tires, you probably need to rotate more often than every 10K. (maybe every 5K). The more often you rotate the tires, the more evenly they will wear.. In other words, if you are only going to get 30K out of the tires, you can't get them to wear evenly if you only rotate them twice..

regards,
kyfdx

daryll44 · May 2005

I don't know the answer to your question, but my new 2005 CRV-SE AWD has a Honda tire pressure recommendation of 29 PSI, not 26. I will say that maybe 10,000 miles between tire rotations is long.

stevengordon · May 2005

Thanks for the info. As always, I learn quite a lot here at the CR-V forum.

Guess I should check the Owner's Manual for their recommended rotation interval and then see if that improves things.

In the future, I'd like to switch to a quieter tire. How about the Michelin Harmony...anyone have experience with them?

daryll44 · May 2005

Just a minor annoyance and suggestion for Honda. I just put my first gas in. There was no little printed arrow on the gas gauge showing which side the filler is on. Costs zero to add that. I printed out an small arrow and taped it on. We have 3 cars in the family and I never remember which ones have gas on the driver's side versus the other vehicle(s) with gas on the passenger side.

mlouttit · May 2005

For my 2005 CR-V, I believe the owners manual suggests tire rotation every 10,000 miles. As I have stated in this forum, I rotated at about 6,500 miles because my front tires were almost to the wear bars! Unless you drive on straight highway all the time, 10,000 miles is too long. Here in Pittsburgh where it is all hills and turns (and potholes!), I need to rotate every 3,000 miles to get something close to even wear. Even at that, tires do not last long.

As for the Harmony question, I don't know about using them on the CR-V, but I have them on my 2002 Odyssey and I really like them.

daryll44 · May 2005

I am also in Pittsburgh. People elsewhere just don't get driving here. You are correct...new brake pads and tires on every car every 12-18 months (assuming normal 10000 to 15000 miles/year driving). It's just the way it is around here.

tntitan · May 2005

We put the Costco version of the Michelin Harmony on the wife's 2002 CRV-EX and it was night and day difference over the crappy Duellers in terms of handling, raod noise, and traction. If it had been my CRV I would have done it during the first 5K miles.

mo1972 · May 2005

Yes, I too have had a similar problem. I bought a brand new 2004 Honda CRV in July of 2004. I was planning on taking a large trip with it so I had the oil changed in September of 2004. 2 weeks after having the oil changed I was driving it to work going 65 miles an hour on the highway when I noticed black smoke in my rearview mirror and large flames going down the right side of the vehicle. Immediately pulled over (just happened to be right near an off ramp) and tried to get out of the vehicle. The electrical had shorted and the doors had locked, I had a hard time trying to get the door open. I watched as my new CRV burned to the ground. You were lucky, the Honda dealership we purchased it from also acknowledged that this was not the first time this had happened, but would not talk to us, neither would HONDA AMERICA. So, we ended up going through our insurance and totally the vehicle. There is a class action lawsuit going on against Honda right now for this same exact problem. Luckily, neither of us were hurt.

woodno9 · May 2005

Thanks much...some great things to check out. I'll let you know how it goes!

inkie · May 2005

I want to raise armrest.Do not have body manual. Any one know how armrest is removed? I assume plastic cover on bolt has to come off to get at bolt. Does it snap off [which I tried] or is there something else I am missing?. Thanks! :confuse:

robg2 · May 2005

Ive replaced the OEM tires on our 02CRVwith Michelin HydroEdge. They handled awesome, but had a continuous drum to them at all speeds. I had them exchanged within two weeks for Michelin Harmony. They handle as good as, and are as quiet as, the Dueler OEM tires but you dont get the same sharp steering response as with the HydroEdge.

robg2 · May 2005

Yes, youre absolutely right. The seats do a nice job of compensating for the cold in sub zero temperatures. There is couple of things with the heated seat in the CRV that could be improved upon 1. The on/off switches should be replace with one that is variable or one that has three settings i.e. OFF/Low/High. 2. The seats backs are not heated as the owners manual indicates that theres an occupant position sensor in the back of the passenger seat. But it would be nice if they were. 3. It appears to me that the seats are on a self OFF timer to possibly prevent overheating (if the passenger is not present but switch was left on) or battery drainage.

blueiedgod · May 2005

Just a minor annoyance and suggestion for Honda. I just put my first gas in. There was no little printed arrow on the gas gauge showing which side the filler is on. Costs zero to add that. I printed out an small arrow and taped it on. We have 3 cars in the family and I never remember which ones have gas on the driver's side versus the other vehicle(s) with gas on the passenger side.

All of the Honda's I have had had the fuel filler on the driver's side. I have yet to see a Japanese car to have the fuel filler on the passenger side. Our Driver's side is Japan's Passenger side. Look at US and European cars, most of them have fuel filler on the passenger side, exept a few US branded cars that were designed by a Japanese company (Ford Escape comes to mind) It took me forever to figure out what that arrow on the dashboard of my girlfriend's Focus was for.

isellhondas · May 2005

That poster has with his/her new Honda, they should have a long and happy relationship with their new car!

I can't imagine taking the time and trouble to print out a small arrow and tape it to the dash but, hey, if that makes them happy...

daryll44 · May 2005

OK, so you caught me! I am a bit obsessive/compulsive! But I will tell you it does make it easier when pulling into a gas station trying to remember WHICH side the filler is on. And as per the other poster, yes, my other vehicle is a Lexus (driver's side also) and my wife drives a Mercury Mountaineer (passenger side). So it supports the theory that Japanese fillers are on the driver's side and American are on the passenger side.

kyfdx · May 2005

I don't know about nowadays, but my wife's former ride.. '90 Nissan 240SX was on the passenger (right) side..

stevedebi · May 2005

And let's not forget that good ole' GM puts some of them in the middle...

theracoon · May 2005

I want to raise armrest.Do not have body manual. Any one know how armrest is removed? I assume plastic cover on bolt has to come off to get at bolt. Does it snap off [which I tried] or is there something else I am missing?

The plastic cap should pull off. There's a nut and some washers and bushings that mount the armrest onto a bracket that's bolted to the seat. The problem is that the mounting points for the bracket are integral components of the seat frame. You'd have to cut them off the seat frame and then weld them in a higher position. And of course the new position wouldn't match the old one, which means you'd have to cut a new hole in the seat back cover.

I believe anything is possible, but you're looking at a lot of work just to raise the armrest a few inches.

Another possibility, depending on how much you want to raise it, is to remove the armrest, slit the bottom of the the amrest cover to remove it, add padding to the top of the armrest to make it taller, and then replace the armrest cover patching the split with some similar material to accomdate the larger padding.

JM2C

red927 · June 2005

All of the Subaru Legacys and Outbacks I owned have had the gas filler on the passenger side. They also have an indicator on the gas gauge.

inkie · June 2005

Thanks for this info. I am stunned to find out that the mounting points can"t be changed. I guess I will not attempt this project. I figured there were notches to raise the rest from index.The passenger seat armrest is okay and it's the drivers armrest that is tilting downward. I guess I will go to plan "B' I have various padded shotgun boots that raise the stock. I have one thats pretty close in color I will try that I only need about 2 ". Once again Racoon thank you, you saved me some worthless work. :surprise:

varmint · June 2005

Now I'm confused.

Are you trying to raise the entire armrest (move the entire unit higher)?

Or, are you trying to change the angle of the armrest (so it doesn't tilt downward)?

If you are just trying to change the tilt, you might go with a different armrest. Honda sells an armrest that is wider and has a flip-up cover to reveal some storage inside. This additional armrest has a ratcheting function, so you can adjust the angle. Not sure if it will meet your needs, but it might be worth investigating.

http://www.handa-accessories.com/crvint05.html

maferna · June 2005

The malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) came on today, along with the D indicator on my 2005 LX with only 2000 miles. I immediately felt that something was wrong since the car gas not pulling, even though the revs went up as I was keeping my foot on the gas.

It seems that the transmission could not hold any gear. The D green light started to blink, so I coasted to a stop. I turned off and on the engine, the MIL was still on and the D was still blinking. I could move the gear lever to D again, but it took a couple of seconds to engage 1 or 2, and it made a strange noise and it rocked the V while doing this. I was able to get home, 1 mile or so, but the transmission did not shift from 2nd, so I kept it below 2500 rpm.

Questions:

1. Am I explaining my problem correctly? I want to have the wording perfectly understood when I talked to the dealer; English is not my first language, so I may miss some of the technical terms.

2. Is anybody familiar with this problem? Is it because the 5-speed AT is new?

3. The service guy mentioned over the phone that it might not be a tranny problem, that when a MIL comes on, the car goes on backup mode, and it holds first gear. I am not familiar with this, and there's seems to be a problem with the tranny though, because of the aforementioned noise when I shift the lever.

Thanks in advance,

kyfdx · June 2005

1) Your description seems pretty clear to me.

2) The service guy may be correct. On another car we have, an engine sensor went out, and the car went into limp mode. Which certainly mimicked your problem with the transmission.. Any number of things could be attributable to that. It may not be the transmission.

I would certainly have it flat-bedded to the dealer, though. I wouldn't attempt to drive it again.

regards,
kyfdx

mikefm58 · June 2005

Good description. It's all on warranty. And as kyfdx states, it may not be a tranny problem. They should be able to see what's going on, even without your description.

maferna · June 2005

Thanks, the flat-bed just took my V to the dealer,
I hope there's nothing to worry about; it's brand new!

eichief · June 2005

Our doors will automatically lock for no reason. For example, my wife will remotely unlock all doors, open the left backseat passenger door to place my kid in his safety seat and then close that same door. When she then goes to open the driver's door it is locked. This has happened numerous times. I can hear the door locks click anywhere from 10 seconds to a couple of minutes after unlocking the doors remotely. It's horribly annoying and could be quite dangerous. What if when my wife tosses her purse on the front passenger seat while she is putting my kid in his saftey seat and then gets locked out? My kid would be strapped into his seat and locked inside the car. Any answers or comments?

eichief · June 2005

Our doors will automatically lock for no reason. For example, my wife will remotely unlock all doors, open the left backseat passenger door to place my kid in his safety seat and then close that same door. When she then goes to open the driver's door it is locked. This has happened numerous times. I can hear the door locks click anywhere from 10 seconds to a couple of minutes after unlocking the doors remotely. It's horribly annoying and could be quite dangerous. What if when my wife tosses her purse on the front passenger seat while she is putting my kid in his saftey seat and then gets locked out? My kid would be strapped into his seat and locked inside the car. Any answers or comments?

kyfdx · June 2005

Well.. not being there...

If you open the car with the remote, but don't open a door within a certain period of time, the car will re-lock itself.. This is to keep you from unlocking the car as you walk away.. by inadvertently pushing a button while putting your keys in your pocket or purse..

That doesn't sound like what is happening with your car... But, food for thought..

WAG #2: Is the remote in her purse when she throws it in the front seat? Maybe the remote is wearing out, and the button is activating from small pressures or shocks?

I recommend never closing all of the doors without having the keys on your person.. Maybe it comes from being a route driver at one time, but I always pat the front of my pocket before closing the door on my car.. I know your wife probably wears clothes without pockets, etc... But, she should really never close the car doors with your child inside, unless the keys are outside the car.. You are correct in stating that it is potentially dangerous..

I realize none of this solves your problem, but maybe she should leave her purse on the roof, while she buckles your child up.. No, wait... that is a bad idea, also...

If it happens often, you should be able to demonstrate it for the service department.. It shouldn't be difficult to fix. But, I still would stop closing the door, while both by keys and child are inside, even after the repair.

regards,
kyfdx

theracoon · June 2005

As kyfdx mentions, if you use the remote to unlock the doors and then don't actually open a door, they will relock themselves. Perhaps the problem is with a sticking switch on the "left backseat passenger door" so that the open door isn't being sensed correctly? It's easy to check.

Unlock the doors and open the driver's door. Does the overhead light go on? Change the switch on the light so that the light comes on only when the door is open. It has three settings: always off, on when doors are open, always on. Close all the doors (so the light is off).

Open the "left backseat passenger door". Does the light go on? If it doesn't, check the switch on the door frame to see if it's popping out. It may just be gummed up and poking at it will fix the problem, or possibly might be broken and have to be replaced.

Good luck.

blueiedgod · June 2005

Our doors will automatically lock for no reason. For example, my wife will remotely unlock all doors, open the left backseat passenger door to place my kid in his safety seat and then close that same door. When she then goes to open the driver's door it is locked. This has happened numerous times. I can hear the door locks click anywhere from 10 seconds to a couple of minutes after unlocking the doors remotely. It's horribly annoying and could be quite dangerous. What if when my wife tosses her purse on the front passenger seat while she is putting my kid in his saftey seat and then gets locked out? My kid would be strapped into his seat and locked inside the car. Any answers or comments?

Did you get an aftermarket alarm installed?
It is quite possible that the car doe snot sense the door being open. Or the remote button is accidentally pushed. The way the remote power locks are designed in a Honda, they will not work if any of the doors, trunk or hatch are open.

inkie · June 2005

Yes varmit! I wanted to move the rest so it does not tilt downward by either changing its position or moving the entire rest. It only bothers me on long drives. I looked at your recommendation and it would probably work but for 107.00 I will use my retrofit which seems to work, its non-permanent and I can remove it when not needed. Have another question maybe you have the answer. Many times when I shiift the overdrive button in the top of the gearshift it kicks off. I made a plastic cap for the top and it works but I would like something more aesthic. Do you know of anyone that sells a gearshift knobcover that will fit the CRV? All the places I went to, don't have the size. Thanx for your info.

blueiedgod · June 2005

Yes varmit! I wanted to move the rest so it does not tilt downward by either changing its position or moving the entire rest. It only bothers me on long drives. I looked at your recommendation and it would probably work but for 107.00 I will use my retrofit which seems to work, its non-permanent and I can remove it when not needed. Have another question maybe you have the answer. Many times when I shiift the overdrive button in the top of the gearshift it kicks off. I made a plastic cap for the top and it works but I would like something more aesthic. Do you know of anyone that sells a gearshift knobcover that will fit the CRV? All the places I went to, don't have the size. Thanx for your info.

Varmint drives a manual Gen 1 :-) I drive a manual Gen 2.

The over ride light should be off when the over ride is engaged, when you dis engage override the light comes on. Whenever you turn off the car and restart it will default to overide on (no light). Same for VSC.

OWNER'S MANUAL is your friend :-)

Karen_S · June 2005

Uhh..host-biddy here, and I know it's a typo, but I'd appreciate it if the next person replying to this subject makes sure it's "gearshift" in the title. :shades:

tomk17 · June 2005

Anyone ever have the need to replace the mirror lens on a 04 CRV? My wife had a mis-hap (I'll spare the details) whereby the mirror glass poped out and broke. Looks like a new piece could be snapped in. The mirror glass has a black plastic backing plate that snaps to a round disc type thing on the mirror motor assembly. The dealer is ordering me what looks like the glass and backing plate from a parts breakdown but he's skeptical that I might need more of the assembly. We'll see Thursday but just thought I would solicit info on similar experiences.

naomi · June 2005

I searched previous messages & read about a clicking noise when braking or changing from reverse to drive, but I just wanted to make sure the noise I hear is similar to what other people are hearing. I just bought a 2005 EX AT & I frequently hear a click when I come to a full stop. It almost sounds like a clock switching to the next number or something so i wasn't sure if it was a standard mechanical noise as the car comes to a stop or if it's related to using the brakes. From the other messages, it seems normal & isn't something to take it to the dealership for? Thanks for the help!

varmint · June 2005

My wife's Acura TL has this feature. I'm not 100% sure about this, but I think it can be disabled. Check your owner's manual. As Ole Blue Eyes suggested, the manual is your friend.

varmint · June 2005

Not sure I understand the reason for your question. Are you saying that the plastic cap pops off?

I'm not aware of an aftermarket gearshift that fits the automatic trannies. I know there are a few for the manuals (but that's no help here).

varmint · June 2005

There's brake clunk. And then there's the solenoid click.

Brake Clunk is described here. I kinda doubt it's the issue the you are concerned with.

The solenoid click is normal. It's a little electrical widget in the steering column that locks out the reverse gear when the car is rolling. It does make an audible click. It's driven some folks crazy while others have never heard it.

mikefm58 · June 2005

Not sure about the 04, but on my '99 it's a "snap".......Just snap it in.....piece of cake.

orlandocrv · June 2005

I've been reading a bunch of the pulls to the right posts but am not seeing any mention of what the tire pressures were/are for these cars. Any notes on that?

Thanks!

gk20 · June 2005

Look at your Quick Start Guide, at "Dash View & Highlights" page, Honda indicated this clicking sound is normal.

inkie · June 2005

Varmit, apparantly its clear to me but no one else. Let me try again, nothing wrong with auto gearshift lever except hondas engineers should have recessed the overdrive button deeper in the top of the handle. When I or my wife sometimes shift the lever the O/D kicks off because we inadvertanly press the button and you can't see the light very well on the panal in bright sunlight so you are driving with the O/d off.. Sooo I designed a cap to cover the top. The cap is made of white pvc and looks crappy. Since you are knowledgeable on what aftermarket parts are out there I thought I would query you on a gearshift knob or cover that would fit the handle.I am sure I am not the only one that has this problem and I was hoping you knew of someone that was making this aftermarket item.

And before anyone asks how I would use the O/D if I needed it. I drilled a 1/4" hole in the topof the cover and a pen or pencil or dowel can be used to depress the O/D button. Thanks Anyway

blueiedgod · June 2005

Varmit, apparantly its clear to me but no one else. Let me try again, nothing wrong with auto gearshift lever except hondas engineers should have recessed the overdrive button deeper in the top of the handle. When I or my wife sometimes shift the lever the O/D kicks off because we inadvertanly press the button and you can't see the light very well on the panal in bright sunlight so you are driving with the O/d off.. Sooo I designed a cap to cover the top. The cap is made of white pvc and looks crappy. Since you are knowledgeable on what aftermarket parts are out there I thought I would query you on a gearshift knob or cover that would fit the handle.I am sure I am not the only one that has this problem and I was hoping you knew of someone that was making this aftermarket item.

And before anyone asks how I would use the O/D if I needed it. I drilled a 1/4" hole in the topof the cover and a pen or pencil or dowel can be used to depress the O/D button. Thanks Anyway

Not to be a smart [non-permissible content removed], but the incessant engine noise would tell you that you are in a low gear. CR-V does not have a quiet engine, it makes its presence known well.

You may want to try disconnecting the switch at the base of the shifter, and putting a "flicker" switch somewhere in the dash to re-activate O/D button, when needed.

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