Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

caviller · February 2001

>>What would be the benefit for using the new oil except more profit for the suppliers.<<

CAFE. See post 1338 and bulletin P-56 at:

http://www.pennzoil-quakerstate.com/techdata/l7_techbulletin_fs.htm

wakbeigel · February 2001

When we picked up our Ody LX in October, the salesperson told us to avoid using BP gasoline. He told us that BP gas was "too clean". I didn't think about it much, but now I'm interested to kow why. Does Honda really discourage the use of BP gasoline? Since when is clean gas a bad thing? Has anyone else heard the same thing? Any Honda service folks out there want to chime in?

calden · February 2001

Hello Odyssey owners!

We just looked at an Odyssey today and are relatively impressed. But we are replacing a 4WD car (1985 Toyota Tercel wagon - one of the best small cars ever made) and ideally want to have a car that deals with snow and ice with no problems.

What are your experiences driving the Odyssey in winter weather?

Thanks,

Carlos Alden

plcntme · February 2001

Carlos...As a relatively new Odyssey driver (just purchased a 1997 this month), my winter driving experience is someone limited with this vehicle...our other is an AWD, so like you, I had some reservations about purchasing the FWD Odyssey, rather than something like an Astro or Caravan, both which have AWD options...so far, so good, the van handles nicely with it's low profile and design...drove on ice and high winds today, and it handled well...4WD is over-rated in ice...another factor to consider may be the quality of the tires you have or can possibly upgrade if this is a new vehicle...hopes this helps...the advantages of this van so far outweigh any of the others in this class or even an SUV, in less you are looking for significant off-road adventures...good luck!...ss

kenmor · February 2001

We just got an Ody on Saturday--no real experience driving it in bad conditions yet, but we plan on using Blizzak snow tires in the winter months. We live on a hill with a curved drive that gets its share of snow and ice--we have used Bridgestone Blizzaks on our Infiniti G20 and they have gotten us up that hill in 6+ inches of snow. They also handle the ice on our hill very well. We have found that www.tirerack.com offers a fair deal for them. It pays to get the wheels as well--you can save money in the long run by not paying to have the tires mounted twice a year. We replaced our Grand Cherokee--hit on the side at 10mph and it rolled. We are feeling a lot safer saying good-bye to our SUV and hello to an Odyssey. Good luck driving!

wkaiser1 · February 2001

I've had a 2001 Honda Odyssey for 3 months, but only use it on weekends (only 1000 miles so far). But twice now, I've come to the garage I park in to find a completely dead battery. After jumping and driving for an hour or so, no problems. One of those times I think the garage attendant left the lights on (they were on after the car was jumped) and the second time, either I or the attendant left the interior light switch on. (It was on after car was jumped). Is my experience normal? Does it sound like anything is wrong with the battery? Thanks for any thoughts. My previous vehicle was a Volvo wagan, and this never happened.
Will

auburn63 · February 2001

wakbeigel,
I know Honda recomends using differant brands of gas instead of using just one brand all the time.However I have not heard them say not to use BP (on the northeast coast atleast). As far as it burns too clean is strange also, at one point they were saying to avoid Exxon because it leaves behind red deposits that sticks to the inside of the intake and valves.I usaly rotate gas stations from what I was told a while back and have not had anyproblems with fuel as of yet.80,000 on one Accord 262,000 on the otherand 293,000 on a Chevy.Good luck

wkaiser1
As long as those lights were left on then your experiance will be normal, that is too much draw for several days at a time for the battery. Other than that if they were not left on then you may want to have the system checked for a draw.

robertm9 · February 2001

I received delivery of an EX Odyssey last week. After I activate the security system with the remote and then pull the handle of the sliding door, the door motor starts running, the door shudders a little bit, there are a few "beeps", and then the motor stops. The door remains closed, and all is quiet once again. Is all of this normal? It seems like it should not be possible to activate the door motor when the car is locked up and the security system is activated.

richcolo · February 2001

You have described exactly how the power sliders react when they are locked. In fact you will periodically experience this when you have opened the fuel door, causing the slider to lock. Closing the fuel door does not unlock the door, so you get to listen to the whir, clunk, beep, beep, beep routine the next time you try to open the door. If you have kids you should be warned that, if the driver side child safety lock is not engaged, and the inside handle is held in the open position for about 15 seconds, during which the whir, clunk, beep routine is repeating, the door will unlock and open, crashing into the fuel door and nozzle. This sequence of events is not discussed in the Owner's Manual, but happened to a 2000 EX in my home town, (Not to my 1999 EX, which has the safety locks engaged, disabling the inside handles, lest the 3 year old try to make a break for freedom!) I'm told that Honda's tech line describe this as an "emergency egress feature"--that if you are persistent you can open the doors from the inside even when they are locked.

robr2 · February 2001

My doors do the same when they are locked and car is off. t does the same thing when the car is running and doors locked or if the car is in gear.

AFAIK, that's the setup.

Good Luck

braggjac · February 2001

I posted on Ody Probs. and thanks to some helpful folks have verified that the odys do have a 20 gallon tank, but haven't been able to get any info. on the fuel gauge. The gauge reads E and the light comes on even though there is still 6-7 gallons of gas left. Dealer says this is normal; odys have a large reserve. Yesterday, according to the gauge, I had an 8th of a tank left, but it only took 11 gallons. I would like a more accurate assessment of how much fuel I actually have left.

Is my gauge off, or is this indeed "normal"? If the gauge is off, will Honda replace it? Any info. is appreciated. Thanks.

phil47 · February 2001

When my low fuel light comes on, I am able to fill 53 litres (14 gallons). This has been verified on about 6 or 7 occasions. It seems to be fairly reliable. At this point, the needle is indicating about 1/8 the distance between E and F. On one occasion, I found that it took an additional 15 litres of fuel consumption (4 gallons) to get to the E mark meaning I only had a couple gallons left after that. I am now fairly comfortable knowing how much fuel (and range) I have left. Hope this helps.

binkybarnes · February 2001

i took my ody in a few weeks ago to have the cracked spoiler replaced (still on national backorder!) and for them to fix the "broken" fuel gauge/low fuel light that kept reading "E" and coming on with 8 gallons left. service advisor said he called honda techline and they told him this was normal due to the shallowness of the fuel tank. (just as a note, both times i complained about this, they claimed this was GOOD since it gave me such advanced warning before running out of fuel!!! right!! and "empty" reading with 40% of the tank still full is a "safety feature"!) anyway, the dealership just called to see if i was happy with my experience, so i said no. she checked around, called me back and said they will change my fuel sending unit. my question is, for others who have had new sending units installed...did this fix the problem?

maxbuster · February 2001

I have posted in the past similar fuel gauge/light issues as recently posted. In our case, the light comes on and we can only get about 12 gallons in the van. I reported this to Honda's Southeast Customer Service Center and received a written response this past weekend.

They claim the light's normal operation is to come on with 1/4 tank remaining(not withstanding the manual that says 2 gallons which would be 1/10). They state that "no repair can be offered at this time".

Based on all the posts and Honda's response I believe there is an inherent design flaw that they will not (or can not) fix and we all will have to get used to the light coming on too early.

bg18947 · February 2001

I'm wondering if anyone has noticed a change in the effective range of their Homelink remote in the Odyssey. I got my 00 EX in August and was able to open my garage door from about 150ft away. Since the weather has gotten colder, it seems that I have to be within about 50ft. The range of my normal transmitter in the other vehicle does not appear to have been effected by any variations in temp, so it doesn't appear that a change in the receiver ability has changed.

It also appears that the keyfob remote needs to be closer now as well in the winter months. I could understand the battery getting weaker in the keyfob, but it doesn't explain the Homelink issue. Anyone else noticing this on the Odyssey or other vehicles with the Homelink system?

deliad · February 2001

OK, I am getting ready to take delivery of my SS EX 01 in a few days. Waiting for the dealer to give me the VIN.

I have already printed the checklist (thanks to this board),
Still shopping around for the best 7/75000/0 Honda Care warranty. Any suggestions are welcome.

Also is it possible to put a Queen size mattress in the back of Oddyssey. I dont know if the second row seats can be removed .

Thanks,

richcolo · February 2001

Congratulations and enjoy your new van!

Try Greg Allen at GJV1152@aol.com, he quoted me $795 for 6yr/100K/$0 ded, and that's with 32,500 miles already on my 1999 EX. He says the paper work is on the way, and I'll post here either way, if I get it or if it isn't what I expected. (I don't pay until I've looked over the package he's sending.) The local Honda dealer wanted $1195 for the first try, then $1100 since our kids play together and I bought the van from him. He claims $795 is less than cost. We shall see...

The middle seats come right out in a jiffy, but I don't know about queen size mattresses, I use a full-size pickup for that! Seriously, I think the mattress might just fit, depending on how flexible it is, but I have my doubts about the box springs. Either will definitely fit on the luggage rack... be careful getting them up there and back down.

mschafer · February 2001

The second row of seats are easily removable and the third row folds away into the floor. A 4' x 8' (48" x 96") piece of plywood will lay flat between the wheel wells and the front seat and rear door.

However, a queen sized matteress is 60" wide. It won't fit, but I'd bet that a Full Size bed would.

dcrisler · February 2001

The headlights in an EX should turn off after 10 minutes(they will come back on as soon as the key is turned on)... the interior lights will not! You need to train your attendant to hit the master interior light switch on the dash to off.

chanak · February 2001

I just bought the 7/7500 for $755 when my friend and I bought them together. My dealer wanted $805 if bought alone. When you buy the Honda Care, actually it is the application form you will receive from the dealer. The actual contract has to be sent from Honda Care in CA. I have posted my dealer name and address in here before.

sfearing · February 2001

I assume you are going to be sleeping in your van? My wife and I did this on a rainy weekend while our kids were in camp and we were hanging around. Rather than a full-size mattress, however, we used two backpacking mattresses side-by-side with sleeping bags. They are slightly air inflatable and the brand name is ThermaRest. It worked great and it was nice and cozy in there watching a movie and hearing the rain pouring down and drier than the sopping-wet campers. Made it easy to break camp the next morning, too!

treyh1 · February 2001

I know it's been posted before, but it's tough to search 20 messages at a time for a particular topic.

My 2000 has the grommet for the front floor mat to keep it from sliding. Unfortunately, the grommet isn't much good without something to hook it to, and the dealer says he "doesn't know anything about that". Where does the hook go, and how can I get one?

2boyss · February 2001

Hello All!
I have been reading this message center now for 3 days straight 4 hours a day. GREAT INFO! We are going into the Poway Honda in San Diego today to buy our first Van. We have intensly researched the Ody, Toyota Sienna, Mazda MPV and Nissan Quest. This is a big purchase and it has taken us 3 weeks to gather up all the data. We feel we know more about the Vans than the dealer! After all that, and going to the international car show, we have selected the Ody EX 2001.
There is alot of talk on what will go wrong with the Honda. I feel that we are making a good choice. Do you have any suggestions for us? Basically here is what we have found out about the other Vans.
1.MAZDA MVP - do you believe they put in a Ford Motor and are calling it a Japanese made Van?
2.Toyota Sienna - the transmittion is having to be replaced by 15,000 miles.
3.Nissan Quest - The only comment I have is that out of 12 vans compared, consummers report has it listed number. . . you guessed it. .12!
Ok, here's my question. Oh, by the way, we have two little boys.

1. If you had to do it all over again, would you still by the Honda Ody?

THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOUR GREAT!

dj5 · February 2001

"1. If you had to do it all over again, would you still by the Honda Ody?"

Without question we would still buy the Odyssey.
I read and researched mini vans for 6 months before we made our decision. I then shopped for two weeks before we made a deal on an EX ($1000 below MSRP, $25,840 plus tag and tax).

We picked up our 2001 SS EX that on Jan 13, after a three week wait. Drives great, we already have 2500 miles on it with zero problems. Our three year old can get in and out with ease. Sure beats getting him in and out of the 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee that the Odyssey replaced. Personally, I would never buy another Chrysler product.

If your in the market for a mini van, then in my opinion, the Odyssey is the best choice.

binkybarnes · February 2001

i researched minivans for a year and tried to keep a very open mind but the odyssey never left first place in our book. we ended up waiting seven months for ours (i'm up in sacramento) before picking up our silver 2001 EX in september. love it, love it, love it. anyway, regarding the MPV, mazda is owned 30 percent by ford but ford, for some reason, isn't giving mazda a bigger engine to put in the MPV (probably to prop up sales of it's mercury villager). regarding the sienna, it's expensive and you can only get dual power doors on the XLE as a $1675 option...oh, that turning radius sucks. good luck with your ody. i understand the wait in san diego is about 2 months right now? whatever you do, stay away from cush honda! (slimy)

morebhp · February 2001

I just noticed it yesterday. We took delivery of this van on 12/4/99 and have been very careful with it during the 14K miles we have driven it. I have kept it clean with brushless car washes in the winter and hand washes in the summer. I never use harsh chemical cleaners on it. Only mild car wash detergent.

There are already pits of aluminum corrosion forming on the outer lip of all four wheels. I am very disgusted. I think there is a visit to the dealer in my near future.

bg18947 · February 2001

Do you wax your wheels after a wash? It helps protect the clearcoat finish, allows brake dust and other dirt to slide off much easier as well at each washing. Most people do not wax their wheels, and they will take their toll. The usually culprit is salt and gravel that wears the protective finish away. Wax On, Wax Off!

When rotating the wheels, I thoroughly clean and wax the inside of the wheel as well. The inside is usually just silver painted, but it helps to keep it clean from dirt and minimizes oxidation.

elim · February 2001

We bought a 00 EX, delivered Dec/99. It serves as our weekend familymobile replacing a Maxima (couldn't fit 3 childseats) and has served us well. Not as quiet or refined as the Maxima, but you have to remind yourself that it is a van. We did a bit of research and testdrives and narrowed the choice between a Sienna and the Ody. The Sienna priced a little higher, but given it's smaller size, I couldn't get over the fact that you're paying more money for a smaller van. Full agreement with binkybarnes, super turning radius, and very easy to drive. If you've owned Honda's in the past, visibility and sightlines are Honda-ish.

More luxury appointments, perhaps side airbags would be nice. If there is a luxury version of the Ody available in future model years, it probably wouldn't be too hard to talk me into that!

richcolo · February 2001

If Honda ever puts leather seats and front seat heaters in I WILL buy another Odyssey, even if I have to get it from an Acura Dealer. If they don't get around to it I'll just keep the '99 EX for a LONG time. (The average age of the cars I own right now, including the 99, is 17 years; and the average total miles is 116,400). I figure 12 - 15 years and 200,000 - 250,000 is about right for the Odyssey, so I only have 10 years and 167,000 miles to go until I start looking for the replacement! Incidently I have 2 boys myself, and they do keep life interesting.

mmulvey · February 2001

We researched all vans thourghly before buying our '00EX from Tipton (Speak to Dale "EZ" Estell) - we've had it for a year and still absolutely love it - had some minor door problems which we fixed with advice from this forum (Armorall and a pencil eraser!) - they have worked perfectly ever since.

Someone else called Cush "slimy" - While I wouldn't go that far, our dealings with them were not pleasant (we tried two locations) - Poway Honda seemed greedy - were asking for $5,000 over MSRP back then - Pacific Honda were pretty good but the best turned out to be Tipton Honda in El Cajon - a bit of a drive but a great buying experience - friends of ours also bought there on our recommendation and are very happy. Got a great deal on the HondaCare warranty from Tipton too. In defence of Poway Honda, they have done all our servicing and have been fine - maybe the service guys need to tell the sales types how to win and keep customer loyalty.

masshoosier · February 2001

I'd buy again but would be tempted to look further into the MPV. For the price it's a hell of a van and the Ford duratec is solid motor, not the head-gasket-blowing calamaties they put(or used to) in the Windstars. I came close to buying the Mazda but at that time(Nov. 99) the dealers out here in MA weren't acknowledging any discounts, so I passed. Both are great machines and owners of both threads seem to be pleased overall. Can't go wrong either way.

billg7 · February 2001

My salesman put the hardware to hold the floor mats in place were I guess the cassete normal goes and said at the first oil change they would install it, if I asked, which they did. The parts come in a plastic bag.

It is the job of your dealer to install the floor mats, if you bought them from him. They don't do it before they deliver the car, because as I understand it, some people don't want it that way, for some reason. Maybe so they can easily take out the mats to clean them themselves. I would have your dealer fix the problem. the mats should not move around after they are installed with the hardware.

Would I buy the Odyssey over? Yes I researched it carefully before I bought it and it has no really significant faults, that I can see.

vanfan4 · February 2001

We will be in the market by the end of the year for another van and not sure if we'd go with the Odd again. Little things add up, but the biggest thing is the fact that ours is terrible in the snow (yes, even with new tires). This is a big problem for us. There is a lot to love, but there are also things that make me search out the options this time around. We had the smaller Odd (96) and LOVED it. We now have a 98 and we're not as hooked.

mikeinhouston · February 2001

After driving a Suburban for several years my wife has decided that she'd rather have a van. So far we have narrowed it down to the Odyssey and the Mazda MPV. I've got some questions re the Odyssey though.

We do a lot of camping (at least once per month) and while we're not driving up backwoods 4 wheel drive only type roads we do drive up some rough dirt roads to get to various camp grounds. In your experience, how will the Odyssey handle this type of driving conditions.

Also, does anyone have any experience towing with the Odyssey. From time to time, we tow either a popup camper or a trailer with some jet skis (2) on it. How will the Odyssey handle this?

While I've got your attention here are a couple of more questions: is it possible to get leather seating? what's your real world experience re gas mileage (I've seen complaints of around 12 mpg)? any problems with the transmission?

Thanks for the help.

masshoosier · February 2001

You sure you put the year right? The Odyssey was completely re-done in 1999 and is nothing like the 98s on back. New models have traction control which are doing pretty well in the snow.

2boyss · February 2001

Having problems with Honda of Poway. Promised the van at MSRP. Called and said we were coming down to buy it today. Got to the dealership and was told that someone offered them $500.00 over invoice YESTERDAY and the car was sold. I'm so confused.
Who did you use in san diego and what was the salespersons name?
THANK YOU!

acsmith · February 2001

in a word, yes.

billg7 · February 2001

Wow! Talk about a unethical dealer. Any auto dealer that is interested in repeat business would not do that.If you left a deposit and the paper work was written up, it may be illegal.

I think people hear stories like that, and who would want to do any business with him. If that is true you can figure his service shop is crooked also.

mmicot · February 2001

My new EX now has about 2000 miles on it and the mileage continues to be horrible (13 mpg) in 75%/25% city highway combined. An earlier posting said that consumer reports measured a 12/31 city/highway MPG. Hard to believe. I'll know when we take a long trip if the highway is much better, but given that we will put most of our miles on in sububrban driving, I must admit that I am disappointed. I don't think there is much you can do about it, and it's unrealistic to expect much better due to break-in.

mojo66 · February 2001

Don't bother with the Poway dealer--that's a sure sign they are going to mess with you further. If you can't find a dealer in the San Diego area to sell at MSRP or below, you can try Gardena Honda in the LA area (sticker and no added options).

By the way, we've had our Odyssey five months now and love it. Good luck shopping.

odd1 · February 2001

Unfortunately, those nice looking wheels need extra care. A brushless car wash will not take the brake dust off(which is what's pitting the wheels). Invest in a wheel brush and some degreaser and do this at home. Waxing will help to protect them. On my BMW, I got shields that go between the brakes and the rims(after learning about pitting the hard way). I don't know if anyone makes them for the Odyssey.

dmathews3 · February 2001

Do we really need to advertise those chats on every site. It's advertised at the beginning and the people that are interested will be there, for those of us who aren't we don't need you to put it here. After all per your complaints all the time about posting our views in the proper forum I believe the host should honor his own rules or Edmunds.

letmetalk · February 2001

2boyss - I used Pacific Honda and was reasonably pleased. They added a few overpriced options I didn't want and I had to return twice to get the warranty package I wanted. But overall the experience was good and the price and delivery were as promised. Except for the options I paid MSRP and $835 for the 7/100k/$0 warranty. This was in Nov of '99. I would definitely stay away from CUSH in Escondido. I had no luck with them at all, on-line or otherwise. I didn't try Poway.
Dan

fishercat · February 2001

I should take possession of my new 01 LX in 2-3
weeks but the 12-13 mpg I read of in this column
has me reconsidering. I've got a 89 cream puff
Civic with 85K that gets an honest 25/30 winter
and 30/38 summer and can't stand the thought of
another 73 Plymouth with 11/12 year around. Got
the Civic new and after 12 cars,( 4 new) can truly
attest the Civic best by far. Planned on the Ody
seeing me out, here in the wilds of NH but now
wonder. Can an honest person give me a HONEST
answer about expected gas MPG?

nifster · February 2001

Can anyone recommend a San Francisco bay area Honda dealer and pleasant salesman that sells Odys at or below MSRP?

binkybarnes · February 2001

my 2001 ex gets about 22.25 mpg on regular 87 octane unleaded, about 50-50 city/highway driving...i track mpg religiously...when i first got it in september, we got about 19-20 mpg. interestingly, on all highway driving, mileage is not substantially better...only about 23-24 mpg.

timhonda · February 2001

Help, one wheel hit a curb of the corner when turning the Ody to the right. There is a small, deep scratch on the edge of the wheel. I hope there is a solution.

BTW, I just got a '01 SS EX after trading my beloved Expedition. I thought I would miss the Expedition, but driving the Ody has made me forget all about the Expedition immediately. The Ody is actually for my wife. I'm glad I made the trade.

drew_ · February 2001

There are places that can easily fix that sort of damage to the wheel for a fraction of the cost of replacing the rim.

drew_ · February 2001

Those of you living in or close to NY may be interested in Edmunds.com's NY editor contest.

Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

fishercat · February 2001

Thanks for the reassuring reply. We'll be heading Westward in the fall.

Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

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