Honda Odyssey: Problems & Solutions:(1995-2004 Models)

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  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    My Honda data base access from home has been temp disconnected until they can beef up the security so I will have to remember to check from work tomorrow. Sorry that I havent been on until now but been busy..I will try and post from work if I can...
  • kwh2kwh2 Member Posts: 3
    mliong, you are right, it is wind noise!
    This technican guy is smart: he taped the possible spot from one to another, until he found the right spot. It turned out it is from the front windshield. After he resealed the front windshield, the problem is fixed. The right technican can make huge difference.
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    The code is for a communacation line problem bettween the abs,tcs, and pcm. The most common problem I see alot is with some type of creature chewing on wires causing poor connections and opens in circuits. If you look around and see no wires chewed on then it could actually be a bad ABS/TCS control unit or a bad PCM. Try clearing the code and see if it resets. One last thing to check for would be the ground on the r/s(passenger) side of engine compartment next to the windshield washer reservoir. You will need to check for and make sure it has a good solid connection and is a good ground. Voltage drop test it or measure continuity bettween it and the neg battery terminal. Good luck
  • mschafermschafer Member Posts: 317
    Thanks. It is currently at the dealer - has been for 3 days; and they no longer even return my phone calls. I'm going to have to head over there today and try to break into their party.

    Last conversation two days ago with the service advisor and the technician was that the technician couldn't really figure things out. He thinks that battery is bad - it's not. He's going to replace the ABS/TCS control unit at $700 and then the PCM at $1000, if the control unit doesn't fix it. Sounds like he may just be fishing in the dark, although the advisor claims that he is a Master Technician.

    Your comment about the ground could be important. In getting this car ready to sell, I removed the lighting harness for the 100 watt headlight bulbs, and that ground point is one that was loosened to remove the harness. Btw, there's also another ground point which I loosed inthe process - over on the left side just in front of the battery and above the left headlight. Gotta go over there today and see what's going on.

    Another thing that was done just prior to the problem appearing was that I hosed off the battery connections to wash away some terminal corrosion.; and water went all over everything in the engine compartment in the process of hosing.

    Btw, the code resets immediately when cleared, so something is amiss.
  • mschafermschafer Member Posts: 317
    The new ABS/TCS control unit didn't fix the problem, so the guy got serious about looking for bad connections; and found a broken wire. He didn't say where or which one.

    Bottom line was a $12.00 part and 3.5 hrs labor. The service writer said they had a lot more time in it than that, but felt they could only justify that much. Total was about $260.

    Thanks again, for your good input!
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    Glad to hear all is now ok. The hard code like you had is the kind of problem I like to chase because its not like chasing a ghost as in the intermitant problems. Total cost of repair was not bad either, although that kind of depends on where the bad connection was. Anyhow glad to hear all is good again.
  • mschafermschafer Member Posts: 317
    Most of his time was spent whistling in the dark. Even though he was a Master Tech, he didn't seem to have a clue. It was my prodding through the Service Writer and directy to the Tech on the phone that got him looking for bad and/or connections. Only after replacing the ABS/TCS control unit to no avail was he willing to look for the simple solution; and he found it.

    There's an old adage when it comes to trouble shooting problems: "If you're walking around a ranch in Texas and you hear the sound of hoofbeats, look for horses - not zebras."

    It's a sad commentary that so many of today's car repair techs are no longer mechanics; and are only able to fix a problem if their computer tells them exactly what and where to do it.
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    I guess the trade is mostly to blame for the parts changers of today. Atleast around hear any way, everything is all about making hours and money and very little about quality and ability. Most places would rather buy a customers satisfaction one after another rather than pay a good tech a decent salary to satisfy the customer..
  • mschafermschafer Member Posts: 317
    Around here it seems to be the same, especially at the Hendricks Automotive Group Honda store near me. Maybe that why so many of the good ones start their own shops.
  • janmapjanmap Member Posts: 5
    I have 2000 EX. Recently the automatic door on driver side stopped working. It happened 2 times before and the honda technician advised me that he just reset the computer by removing the fuses controlling the door. I have tried that but the door still doesn't work.
    Does any one know what is the procedure for resetting the computer controlling the door operations? Any other advice?
    BTW I removed the fuses from primary secondary and indoor fuse boxes.
    All the fuses were o.k.
  • brianxbrianx Member Posts: 3
    I just got my 2003 ex-l for a little two weeks. I already to to take it in for re-alignment and a rattling noise coming from the passenger sliding door. They fixed the aligment but seem rattling is still there and it seems to be louder than before I took it in. I just want to know if any you have had experience with sliding rattling?
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    You will want to pull out the fuse in the under dash fuse box on the right(passenger) side, top row 4th fuse in and leave it out for 30 seconds. The clock should go out as they share this fuse for back up. Doors should now work however if they dont then try and hold the open/close button on the dash until the door completly opens or closes.
  • leonardmpleonardmp Member Posts: 14
    Hello, have a 2003 EX, when I press on the brake pedal, I hear a small "wooshing" noise, very faint. I think this is normal, but just wondering what you all think.

    Thanks.
  • dave594dave594 Member Posts: 218
    What you're describing is perfectly normal. It's the power brake booster making the noise when you push down on the pedal.
  • leonardmpleonardmp Member Posts: 14
    Thank you very much dave594.
  • wedge23wedge23 Member Posts: 4
    I have a 99 odyssey LX

    When I turn the ignition off and remove the key the radio stays on and slowly fades to off.

    I showed this to the service tech, he said, "Wow, never seen that before".
    After spending the day looking at this and my sliding door problems, they had no resolution to either problem.

    Suggested that I turn off the radio everytime.
    Also said that if they were going to spend more time they would have to charge me because they would have to take the dash apart.

    For my sticking doors, they gave me a can of silicon spray and told me that the doors are a known problem that they can't fix.

    I feel there is a serious safety issue regarding the doors. Does this sound like a legal issue?

    Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
  • janmapjanmap Member Posts: 5
    It's amazing. I have followed your instruction precisely. Pulled out fuse #4. wait 30 sec ... and then Bingo: the door worked at the first attempt. This looks like a Harry Potter's trick. There is no way you could figure this out from the manual since fuse #4 is described as Clock, Backup.
    Thx a lot.
  • wedge23wedge23 Member Posts: 4
    Just like others, the front end does the shake rattle and roll.

    This happens at 40 kmh and at 100 kmh ( 25 and 60 mph) At 40 kmh the steering wheel is vibrating with about a 1/4 inch wobble.

    I have had tires rebalanced, alignments done etc.
    No resolution and my tires are wearing out prematurely.

    imhip2 had similar problems, any resolution??
  • wedge23wedge23 Member Posts: 4
    I read about your problem, tried to email but it kicked back undeliverable. So I posted my own. Have you had any resolution to your door problem?

    I am also having problems with my doors. I have a 99 Odyssey LX. Almost from day 1 the doors have been hard to open at times.
    They know about the issues and have given me silicon spray to spray on the rubber seals. - Big deal!

    The tech at the R Hill dealership says you have to lift slightly on the handle when you are opening it.I told him not everyone has the strength or leverage to do this. He just shrugged and said "Oh well"

    There was also a recall regarding the doors in 2000 I believe. I'll have to check my records.

    I also broke the left passanger handle and the dealership in Richmond Hill fixed it for free.

    My doors continue to stick and are almost impossible to open at times, especially after long periods of driving.

    I believe that there is a serious saftey hazard here.
    For example
    What if you had to get the kids out quickly because of say a fire or an accident.

    I think there is a design flaw. They use the same handle for the rear and front. If you look at the Caravans, their passanger handles "break" to the front rather than to the back like the Honda.

    I appologise to all if this is alittle long winded.
    Can anyone else shed some light?
  • wedge23wedge23 Member Posts: 4
    I agree completely with you regarding the safety issue. We have the same concerns with our kids and the same problems.

    Have you had any luck?

    I will persue the same in Canada.
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    If your van is out of warranty and your dealer can not help you out or doesnt want to help you then you have two choices. One choice is to stop in at a dealer and buy a tube of Shin-Et-su greese, take a small amount on a rag/shop towel and rub into the top sub seal real good. This is usally the seal that sticks. Option two is to purchase and install the seals in the bulletin one of which is a new sub seal. not all vans get the other seal which is the large opening seal that goes all around the door. Past experiance has pointed to the sub seal as the most likely source of the problem and changing it or lubing it has done the trick.
    As for the lifting by the handle trick..I dont recomend that as the handle can break. A better thing to try for those that can is to pull on the handle as you mormally would and then reach up to the top of the door and pull out to unstick the seal at the top sub seal. Good luck
  • rms41rms41 Member Posts: 80
    The fuel filler door won't click shut and so the sliding door won't open. This is a 2003 LX (no power doors). Anyone have this problem?
  • bg18947bg18947 Member Posts: 184
    With the recent warranty extension on 2000 Odyssey transmissions will Honda give any credit to folks like me who bought the extended warranty. I feel that the value of my extended warranty is being diluted. No problems yet, but I would hate to find that my transmission breaks down or shows symtoms right after both warranties expire.

    Thanks!
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    If you look inside the fuel door you will see the striker that holds against the pop button to keep the door closed. You may need to bend that a little so that it hits the button on the way closed but releases when the button is pussed in.
  • rms41rms41 Member Posts: 80
    Thanks! That was exactly what was needed to be done.
  • lisahhhlisahhh Member Posts: 22
    If you have brought your van in to the dealer for the sticky doors prior to the warranty expiration, and are still having problems after your warranty expired, they (sticky doors) should still be "covered" since the problem exisited before the warranty period and was never fixed. (And probably never will be, since this is a problem that has been around since the ODY was born.)
  • ruiaruia Member Posts: 5
    Just got the van, on cold days I am having trouble starting the engine. It takes 5 or 6 cranks before it kicks in.
    The Honda manual recommends to push gas petal halfway then start the van.
    This seems to work but has anyone had any similar problems?
  • luckykluckyk Member Posts: 11
    Just got mine too. Less than a week.
    How cold? No problems for us - low 40s. SoCal.
  • ruiaruia Member Posts: 5
    30's. It is ok in garage, but if I go out and leave it outside for more than an hour, it takes 5 or 6 cranks before it starts, I had a 2000 accord and never had this problem. Maybe the two just start up differently.
  • rogerberkowitzrogerberkowitz Member Posts: 31
    First time on the board in a long while. The radio on our 99 EX will not come on. I checked the fuse which seems to be ok (interestingly enough there is a 10 amp fuse in that spot, while the manual says it should be a 15 amp fuse). The only thing I can think of that might have sent a 'shock to the system' is that we gave a jump start from the van 2 days ago...the same day I'm told the radio stopped working. The anti theft light is blinking, I have my code, but cant even get to the point where I can enter the code. Any suggestions or help out there?
  • lovemyhonda2lovemyhonda2 Member Posts: 1
    To replace one lost remote keyless pad, you must bring in the one you have and they will reprogram another set for you--cost is approx. $20 to do so. Hope this helps!
  • mschafermschafer Member Posts: 317
    Mine has 2000 miles on it, and just started to have intermittant starting problems. When it happens - and it doesn't always do it, you can crank and crank and crank; and the engine acts like it's not getting any spark to the plugs (like a disconnected coil wire on older cars). If you stop and turn the key to the complete off position and try again, it will crank right up. If you don't turn the key to the complete off position, you can try to crank again; and it still won't start. Methinks it's an electrical gremlin in the computer system somewhere. Scared the h*ll out of me the first time that it happended, because I was a long way from home at the time.

    Auburn, have there been any TSB's on this?
  • ruiaruia Member Posts: 5
    When this happened I thought it was my imagination. I think this is a big problem because you stated it perfectly, when you are far away and you get in your car, you damn better expect it to start, especially given the price we payed for these vehicles for dependability. I hope honda looks into this. Has any one had any problems with previous years? OR is this another one of Honda's improvements for 2003.....
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    I will have to look into this further as I see it on other Honda boards. I was just in Honda school for the week and they knew nothing but I will try tech line when I get a chance. The only thing I saw on the subject had suggested possible imobilizer problems seeing the key. They say due to too much metal in or around the key ring. I will get back to you as soon as I can next week..
  • richh4richh4 Member Posts: 2
    Hi, wanting to get into the Honda world!!! My 3 main questions to all are ...Is the extra money worth it to purchase the changes in 2002/03? The extra upgrades...are they worth the cost or are there problems associated with them? Also considering the 2001 ..what major problems (besides sliding doors) should one worry about? Lastly...maybe one should stick with an AWD Chev SLT for the same price?...all replies are welcome...Thanks.
  • bdaddybdaddy Member Posts: 171
    Regarding 01 vs. 02 or 03 Honda, it all depends.... There were significant improvements made to 02 and 03 models (+30 hp., 5 speed tranny, rear disk brakes, side air bags, marginally better stereo speakers, etc.) It would depend on the price you could obtain for an 01 used model. The one thing against you is that Odysseys hold their value so there probably won't be much of a savings on used vs. buying new.

    I can't/won't comment on the Chevy as I'm not a big GM fan from past vehicle experiences.
  • aristotlearistotle Member Posts: 123
    Hi all, We have a 2000 Odyssey. It has done close to 35,000 miles. We have had good luck with the van so far. I took it to the dealer last week for the sticky door problem and he has ordered new seals which I hope to have installed soon.

    My next question is about extended warranty since the manufacturer's warranty will expire at 36000 miles. Is it worth spending $1200 to get a 7 year/100000 extended warranty? I thought Honda makes great cars and vans. If the probability of occurrence of major repairs is close to zero I don't know if I should spend that much money on a warranty. I know this is very subjective but am still looking for some advice.

    Has anyone got close to 100000 miles on their Odyssey? Any major problems?
  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    Only you can decide if it's worth buying the warranty in your case. If you do decide to buy you should not spend more than around $900. A little searching on the internet will allow you to buy for that sort of price unless you live in Florida.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    There are several warranty discussions here like the Honda Extended Warranty and Finance one. You may want to try an Advanced Search in the Odyssey boards for specific posts about what others paid.


    Steve, Host

  • bg18947bg18947 Member Posts: 184
    Keep in mind my post about the value of my warranty being diluted with Honda extending coverage of the transmission on 2000 Odysseys. At this point, I would say don't buy it unless you think something else will likely break. Pay for what you think it's worth less the transmission coverage, since the revised original warranty on the A/T covers a longer period than the contracted extended warranty. I've inquired with Honda Financing to see what they have to say about extending the transmission coverage on top of the problem warranty on my contract. As far as I'm concerned they have voided the contractual terms by making the transmission portion of the coverage worthless.
  • vandyman1vandyman1 Member Posts: 1
    The lamp for the dashboard clock on my '00 Odyssey has burned out. The dealer said the $2 lamp would require $80 worth of labor to replace because they have to take apart the dash. Does anyone have any experience with this? I would love to believe that this is a really bad joke but can not see any simple way to access this lamp.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    There's a thread on this from last October:

    steve_ Oct 29, 2002 4:00pm

    (There's another one about two posts after my message).

    Steve, Host
  • jbhattjbhatt Member Posts: 5
    I have a 2002 Odyssey EX-L which my wife is driving.

    Since the last couple of days, she has been complaining about a loud whistling or howling noise when driving on the highway. At first I thought it happened because it was a windy day, but it seems like the noise is more consistent.

    It is quite loud and I don't remember such a noise before this.

    We have checked that all doors, windows or vents are shut tight.

    I do plan to take it to the dealership tommorow but I wanted to be better prepared.

    We have had a lot of snow here and I am wondering if there is some snow/ice stuck in some weird place on the van.

    Allthough the noise does seem to be be from the front windshield. I am wondering if it could be a badly sealed windshield.

    Has anyone experienced this problem?
  • tjutju Member Posts: 20
    Buy the extended warranty! There are hundreds (thousands?) of us out here in Honda-land who relied on Honda's reputation for bulletproof reliability and didn't buy the warranty. Boy, are we sorry now! The transmission on my '99 LX failed a few thousand miles out of warranty. My non-powered sliding doors require repair every few months. My cruise control just failed. And, the final insult, Honda decided not to extend the warranty and reimburse repairs on '99s when it did so for more recent models. This Odyssey was my first, and will be my last, Honda.
    PS: Earlier posts in this discussion group will tell you the names of Honda dealers who will sell the warranty (7/100) for under $900.
  • bdaddybdaddy Member Posts: 171
    Contact Honda's corporate office regarding the transmission. I've heard of 99 owners who got Honda to foot the bill, even if out of warranty.
  • rockycowrockycow Member Posts: 114
    the only noise that I am familiar with in the Ody is the one created by improperly installed cross bars in the roof rack due to mislabeling. The fat part is supposed to be in front like a wing. That is if you have crossbars. Let us know what you find out
    rockycow
  • crusher1crusher1 Member Posts: 9
    Go to an electronics store (Radio Shack?) and tell them you want a bright LED with a holder to fit in dash of car. A standard white LED is rated at 3.6 volts at 0.025A (25mA). To be safe you assume while running max voltage of Van electrical system is 14.2 volts You will need a resistor in series with your LED. You need to drop around 14.2 - 3.6 = 10.6 Volts at a current of 25mA which by my calculation yields a resistance of around 424 Ohms (10.6 volts divide 0.025A = 424 ohms). Resistors come in preferred values and 424 Ohms is not a preferred value, so you could use anything in the range say 470 - 560 Ohms at 1/2 watt rating ( 1 watt is better). The lower the Ohm rating the brighter the light but the shorter the life will be. LED's can last tens of thousands of hours if run at rated current. Look closely at LED and you will see one side is round and the other side is flat. The round side of LED is connected to the Positive side of power, with flat side to negative (ground) side. Resistor can be on either side and should be soldered to LED. If you connect LED wire to wrong side of power it won't damage it, it just won't light up, so reverse connection and it should work. Some LED's are already rated for 12volts but the light output might be much lower or brighter and burn out quicker since it will be running at an average of 13.2 volts. Print this out and take it to the electronics store. They may even solder the wire and resistor to the LED for you to make the sale. The parts should be under $5.00
  • wpalkowskiwpalkowski Member Posts: 493
    Have you scraped ice/snow off your windshield recently. You could've damaged the windshield weather stripping and that may be causing the howling.
  • mliongmliong Member Posts: 231
    wpalkwski is right.

    Look at the weather strip acround your windshield. If it is even creased out, it will make that howl.

    My minivan never did that again after my dealership fixed it for me - they said it happens a bit when you take your car in for a car wash.
  • mghorethmghoreth Member Posts: 14
    In a previous post, I told my good fortune of Honda America covering my '99 transmission in full (parts, labor & rental). I had 58K on it when it failed a few months ago and no extended warranty.
    Well here's even BETTER news. They have now reimbursed me for all related misc trans. expenses that I had incurred (flush and labor for solenoid change) earlier. This amounted to almost $300. I cashed the check yesterday.
    The also sent me a letter extending my warranty to 7years/100K miles.
    This is the same policy they have on the '00-'01.
    Will I buy another Honda? ABSOLUTELY!

    My advice - Push Honda for everything. When they call you after the repair, tell them how happy you are that they replaced the transmission BUT....

    I never had to get angry or upset, just persistant!

    Good luck.
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