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

15960626465126

Comments

  • stebustebu Member Posts: 204
    That is exactly the procedure for shutting it off. I would only add that you should only have to hold the trip meter reset for like 5 seconds. I know this since I just used it to shut off the light on my Ody this past weekend.
  • mach1mustangmach1mustang Member Posts: 3
    In May '03 after having major lower intake gasket problems (mixing dexcool & oil) with our Pontiac Transport we traded for a new Honda Odyssey. The complaint we have is a loud buzzing sound at many start ups and also turning corners or touching a/c or heat controls. weve had it in shop and the person writing up work order hears it , but no one in the shop can ever duplicate it when testing. some internet postings i've read elsewhere say Honda is famous for ABS system leaks making a similar sound. If this is so , why didn't the Honda tech.s check this out? we have the extended warranty to cover this. only has 8,000 miles. seems they love getting everyone else in to collect service fees as this dealer in Louisville, ky is always over booked. any ideas?
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    Most common for your complaint would be the door open buzzers other than that I dont see what would make the noise on turns. Could it be the door buzzers and if so maybe they just need adjusting..
  • azkid1azkid1 Member Posts: 4
    2002 Ex 57K miles. Errring noise upon light acceleration from stop. Has gradually gotten more noticeable. Dealer says is just normal. Not so, as didn't always do this. Dealer replaced A exhaust pipe at 35K miles, on way home engine light came on, so returned and they replaced O2 sensor. Had timing belt and tensioner pulley replaced at 56K. Noise can also be heard at a stop and thru all tranny positions. Help! PS?, alternator?, AC?
  • stebustebu Member Posts: 204
    I've not had any problem with my Ody, but I've had two previous vehicles that made a noise similar to the one you describe. In both cases, it was due to a low fluid level in the PS reservoir.
  • sbpceapsbpceap Member Posts: 67
    Years ago I paid $3 to Saturn for an extra ignition key. I expected to pay more these days, but I almost dropped dead when my Honda dealer quoted me $36 for the blank, and $80/hour to cut and program it to my vehicle, total cost approximately $140!!!
    I am very impressed with the knowledge so many on this forum have. Do any of you know of a way (e.g. internet or mail order) to get an extra Honda key without getting gouged? One Honda parts internet retailer would sell me a blank for $19, but I'm not a locksmith; what the heck do I do with a blank? Thanks!
  • 100676100676 Member Posts: 1
    has anyone changed out their $1.50 dashboard clock light? based on what the parts guy told me at the dealer, this should not be attempted at home but left to a trained, professional honda technician. when looking at the assembly schematic, it looks like it would be very easy to blemish the dashboard with an errant screwdriver head, etc. i cannot even seem to find the heads to the screws that hold the dashboard/instrument cluster in place.
  • kimo9kimo9 Member Posts: 71
    Is it normal for the rpms on my Odyssey (2004) to hover around 1500 when traveling between 45-60 mph? Only when I accelerate does the transmission drop to a lower gear as one would expect.

    thanks for any input.
  • wpalkowskiwpalkowski Member Posts: 493
    Light bulb itself is easy to change but it's a royal pain in the $%& to get too. Whole front of dashboard starting at the driver's left knee and proceeding clockwise up to clock module have to be taken off in a prescribed sequence. It's not technically difficult, just tedious. Took around three hours to do whole thing - putting it back together was a bit exasperating. (Dropped a screw alongside radio.)
        I have a shop manual so I knew where to look for the bolts but a couple of the clips were balky coming out and even worse going back together. Didn't want to force anything for fear of breaking something and then having to live with a squeaky dashboard. Could probably do it again in a third less time now that I'm familiar with it.
       I guess these lamps are failing much faster then Honda expected. Clock access is one of the few stupidly designed things in the entire vehicle. I've heard it's been improved in newer Odys.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    The key: It is a chipped key hence the initial high cost. Further, it has to be programed via a specialized machine.

    I would advise you to check with another dealer on pricing. Most locksmiths won't be able to help you unless they do huge volume in Honda keys. They can probably cut the key but not program it unless they buy the programming machine. According to a locksmith I know, the programming machine - which works on Honda keys only - is over $1,000 in initial cost and he has to buy the keys in bulk. You have to sell many keys to be profitable.

    Good Luck.
  • mach1mustangmach1mustang Member Posts: 3
    i'll try to duplicate the door buzzer noise when my wife gets home, but i think it had an entirely different pitch to the buzz sound. it sounds as if it's coming from behind the steering wheel, and only lasts a couple seconds at a time. mostly when turning heat or a/c on - off and start up. not sure if it could be air bag sensor when light comes on dash and goes out at start up but that wouldn't explain the other times, even just cruisin' down the expressway. thanks
  • mach1mustangmach1mustang Member Posts: 3
    The buzzing sound vibrates the gauge panel when you touch it while its making the noise so that means the Odyssey has an alarm for something. it should pull up on a code test. why they didn't find it is beyond me. the power doors have a different sound when activated. thanks for any help.
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    The only things I found doing a search on the Honda interactive were,1 a buzzing coming from the starter relay if the key is turned on too slow at start up..cure is too turn the ignition switch faster. 2 a muffler buzz while driving..cure , new muffler. If it isnt either of the two or a combo of the two then it will be one of those things where the tech will need to hear it so try and figure out how to make it happen and let them hear it..Good luck
  • ktcoxktcox Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 Odyssey and the clock replacement took me about 15 minutes. What I did was: 1) remove heater knobs 2) Gently (using a flat blade) remove the bezel that covers the radio and heater assy. 3) Remove the top screw at the top of the speedo display bezel. 4) Using a flat blade pry the right side of clock bezel assembly. Not the clock itself but the whole panel. The clock is screwed in from the rear. 5) pull the right side out just enough to get to the light bulb. 6) replace in reverse order. It was a snap and I was surprised at how easy it was.
  • wpalkowskiwpalkowski Member Posts: 493
    Todd,
       You were able to do this without scarring up any of the dashboard or the bezels? WIthout breaking off the little tabs/lips that hold things together?
        If so, Good for You!!

     You may have found yourself a new job replacing clock lights for Ody owners.
  • ponch49ponch49 Member Posts: 17
    For fear of damaging the dash and not wanting to pay the "over priced" dealer fee, I haven't had a light on my dash clock for over a year. Not wanting to hear my wife comment 'again' on the inability to read the clock at night, I crossed my fingers and decided to finally do this repair yesterday.

    I didn't have to remove any heater knobs on my 99 EX as the prying of the covers and removing the screws provided me the required access to the light. Indeed it was extremely easy and everything went back together properly. Took less than 20 mins and wish I had attempted this before.
  • nobigxfannobigxfan Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2000 Ody EX that I love. I have put 60K miles with very minimal issues. One of the recurring problems I am having is with the rear wiper. The motor works fine, the sprayer is largely ineffective but my problem is that the wiper itself doesn't make good contact with the glass thereby causing only a small portion of the window to actually be wiped. I have tried to adjust the spring tension but not had any luck in improving its performance. The dealer is telling me an entire new mechanism is needed, but surely there is a way to increase the positive pressure without replacement. Anyone have any ideas?
  • phil47phil47 Member Posts: 394
    It's sometimes not just a matter of more pressure, but rather transmitting the existing pressure more effectively to the blade.

    I'm assuming you've got a fresh (flexible) OEM blade installed. Also, make sure the entire wiper arm and blade assembly has been thoroughly washed (take the entire arm and blade off the van and soak it if you have to), and then lube EVERY joint and pivoting connection point on the arm and blade with Silicon spray while flexing them to loosen them up. I do this once a year to my vehicles and always see an improvement.
  • sb2003sb2003 Member Posts: 1
    I have 2002 Odyssey, 18k miles. Since the past month or so, I am noticing a noise (tut-tut-tut- as if it is problematic CV) while turning left, especially if I accelerate while turning. There is no noise if I turn right. Also, you could hear the noise if you accelerated rather fast from a dead stop. I took the van to the dealer, they are saying it is normal and comes from Traction Control system. However, I could reproduce the noise even after I put the traction control off. And why would it come only while turning left? Anybody has any comments? Thanks in advance.
  • nobigxfannobigxfan Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the tip. I will try it tonight.
  • aub789aub789 Member Posts: 19
    Currently own 2002 Ody with 34k. Last week battery died unexpectedly. Took to dealer after jumping, and he says he can find nothing wrong. Brought home fine, then last night again it wouldn't start. I plan to jump it again in the morning and return to the dealer, but can anyone shed any insight into this problem? I'm afraid he'll just tell me the same thing again. I saw a reference on this board mentioning something about a service bulletin (resulting in a new alternator for the owner), but I cannot find a TSB that seems to address this. Any advice will be appreciated.
  • gunturguntur Member Posts: 19
    I have seen similar complaints in this forum but didn't find follow up responses. Here is my problem: Gas pedal is stiffer than what I am used to with my Camry but didn't bother much initially. But over the last nearly 4 years it is getting increasingly stiffer and now it is very stiff especially when the gas tank is nearing the last 5 gal or just about when the light comes on. Dealer thinks it is just a simple adjustment and shouldn't cost me anything !! I will be going later next week to get this looked at. Appreciate if any one could share his/her experience and how they went about solving the problem. By the way, I have Honda Care warranty!. Thanks in advance for your replies.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    We had the throttle cable replaced under the 3/36 warranty about a year ago. I noticed it was difficult to modulate the throttle.
  • rbell2rbell2 Member Posts: 180
    Have any of you Ody owners scratched your front bumper and successfully re-painted it? We have a white '03 and the front right corner of the bumper got "rubbed" on a curb mainly on the portion that turns down and in (about 1/2" x 4" scar). It is clearly visible when walking up to the car from a distance. Of course the bumper is some type of painted plastic composite. I was considering trying to smooth it with a file and then trying the touch-up paint I got when I purchased the car. Any repair ideas before I try this would be appreciated. Thanks.
  • lagerman100lagerman100 Member Posts: 1
    Have an 00 LX that has 80km. It's been great except the sticking doors. Looking for some feedback on an intermittent problem... once or twice a winter for last two very hard to start. Not always a deep cold problem either as today happened and temp was above freezing. Plugs?, injectors?, gas? Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks in advance for any comments!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Try turning the ignition on without cranking for ~2 seconds to let the fuel injection system pressurize. It's a hard habit to get into if you're of the old pump once school, but might be a way to avoid the symptoms.

    Or maybe someone even has a fix? New battery maybe? (eschatfische "Isuzu Trooper" Dec 15, 2003 1:52pm)

    Steve, Host
  • lrshirklrshirk Member Posts: 1
    While I was driving a buzzing sound (similar to a warning buzzer)started from what sounded like the left rear speaker on my Oddy 2000ex. I pulled to check it and when I put it in park the sound stopped. The sound began again when I put it back in drive. The sound is a continuous sound unlike the sliding door-open warning light and is only on when in reverse or drive. Any thoughts?
  • buddyzunigabuddyzuniga Member Posts: 63
    I recently went into the dealership to have my first oil change. When I was called to pick up my 04 Odyssey I read my dealer invoice and to my suprise it stated that 5W/30 was put in my motor. After bringing it to the service clerks attention she stated that the reason why they put in 5W/30 was because they didn't have the recommended 5W/20 in penzoil. I'm not a confrontational kind of person so after she reasured me that everything would be fine I went home. After arriving at home it really started to bother me because I thought about how I had made it very clear that I only wanted genuine 5W/20 Honda oil. As I read the owners operator manual I crossed over the part about the recommended oil (5W/20) and read also that it is very important not to over fill the engine oil as well. I went out and pulled out the oil dipstick and what a suprise, it was over filled by at least a quart if not more. The next morning it took two attempts to get my engine started verses it only taking one attempt on every other start before the oil change. I called the manager and we had the brand new penzoil drained, and the Honda oil filter replaced (which only had 20 miles by now) at no cost. Honda states that using their recommended fluids will preserve the life of your Honda vehicle better than any other oil and is specially formulated for Honda vehicles, then why would they just put any oil in my engine, especially when I asked for genuine Honda oil?
       If you don't mind that's O.K and all fine with me, all I'm trying to say is make sure you know what's being put into your engine. I'm sure if you asked for a glass of whole milk and someone gave you non fat milk it would matter right. I live in southern CA. does the oil Weight matter much and what can happen to a motor that has been over filled.
  • aspesisteveaspesisteve Member Posts: 833
    Buddy,
    I'm with you - the oil cap on the Odyssey specifies 5W 20. The owners manual says 5W 30 can do in a pinch but to get back to 5W 20 the next change.

    My last oil change at the local gas station they kept telling me 5W 30 and I kept saying - NO, put in 5W20 - three times I had to tell them. They told me it would cost $6.00 more - I really don't know if 5W20 cost more per quart, but at least I got what I asked for.
  • buddyzunigabuddyzuniga Member Posts: 63
    At the local Honda dealership they told me an oil change would run me $21.95. After I spoke to the service clerk about wanting Honda 5W/20 formulated by Mobil for Honda vehicles, she told me that it would cost me $4.00 more. Like I said they drained the 5W/30 Penzoil without any additional charge to me. Only question is I can stop wondering if they actually put Honda oil or did they just say that they did? I went down to the local Walmart and they did have Mobil 1 in 5W/20, the bottle did mention something about Honda vehicles on it. The thing is that the price was about $4.87 a quart. One more thing that I found that was strange was that on the first oil change the invoice said 4 quarts and it was over filled, on the second oil change the invoice said 5 quarts and it was at the proper level. Go figure! According to the service clerk my next oil change should run me about $27.00 plus tax. Any advice on how to make sure that they are actually putting in the oil that I want without having to physically standing over someone's shoulder?????????????? P.S I do have a friend that works there as a service tech.
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    Most places will allow you to ask for a specific tech to work on your car so why not ask for the tech you know and have him/her put in the Honda stuff. If your dealer doesnt stock it they can order it ahead of time or find some and bring it in your self. As for the amounts charged out on the repair order that is usally up to the parts man and sometimes they just put in a generic amount as they dont always know which models take what. All Hondas take bettween 3.7 and 5.5 oil so to see 4-6 or 4-5 charged would be normal as they do not charge for half qts.
      Overall does it matter much? Not in the winter as the lower number is more so for the colder temps..
  • chonghwanchonghwan Member Posts: 2
    I just changed my four tires from local Conrad auto store for $300 out the door.
    It is the UniRoyal(Michelin manufactured) and I think that it is a pretty good price and tires are doing okay.
  • buddyzunigabuddyzuniga Member Posts: 63
    Thanks for the feedback. I'll take your advice on giving the dealership a heads-up before I go in for my next oil change so that they can have the oil that I requested. I'll also ask about having my friend change the oil or at least he can make sure they are putting in the oil I want. Thanks again augurn63
  • jmellenbjmellenb Member Posts: 35
    We had a 2000 Odyssey until somebody ran a red light & totalled it, without a scratch to my wife I must add. So we now have a 2004 Odyssey & like many of the refinements. But I've noticed the gas gauge reads about 1/4 of a tank less than it really has in it. Pls let me know if you have any experience with this fuel gauge problem. Thanks.
  • donliznevdonliznev Member Posts: 1
    Folks,

    Using the various tips posted earlier in this thread, as well as experience I gained whilst removing the CD/Radio unit for repair, I was able to replace the clock light in about 30 minutes without rush.

    I found the easiest sequence to be as follows:

    1) Gently pry out the left hand switch recess cover, just below the CD/radio unit. Insert a flat blade narrow enough to go in the bottom of the cover, taking care not to damage the plastic.
    2) With your fingers in the open hole,firmly but gently pry out the whole cd/radio/aircon cover working from left to right.
    3) Put the gearshift lever into D2. IE: As far down as it will go.
    This is the only way that allows the CD/radio cover to come away sufficiently for good access.
    4) Unscrew four screws visible along the bottom of the dash cover that remains in place over the clock etc.
    5) Unscrew the two screws above the speedo dials.
    6) Gently pry away the top black dash cover working from right to left, UNTIL the clock is accessible from the back.
    There is no need to pull this whole cover off.
    7) Now for the difficult part.....
       The old light bulb turns out anti-clockwise a
       quarter turn.
       Insert the new light bulb carefully so as not
       to drop it into the depths of darkness.
       It needs to be carefully turned clockwise a
       quarter turn to snap snugly into place.
       A small flathead screwdriver worked best for
       this purpose.
    8) Test the light before re-assembling the dash covers.

    9)Snap the covers back in reverse sequence to removal, taking care to screw all the screws back in without dropping them into the black holes of darkness.
    The top cover needs to be pulled upwards and then pushed backwards so that the upper brace/lip is engaged, before the screws are put back.
  • bigrejbigrej Member Posts: 4
    I have a daughter whose sensory issues make it
    almost impossible for her to wear headphones. Can
    someone confirm for me that the 2nd row DVD sound
    in the Odyssey can be played over the car speakers rather than the headphones? This could
    be a factor in my purchase decision.

    Thanks!
  • gunturguntur Member Posts: 19
    Today I had the throttle cleaning job done at the Honda Dealer (2nd time since I bought it and first time was within the 1st year for the same complaint and it didn't help much then!)and I was told that throttle needs to be cleaned every 3 years (it costs about $40)!! Gas pedal now doesn't feel as stiff but the technician who worked on it told me that he literally scrubbed the throttle body but it was still sticking. He recommended replacement. Service department called Honda Care and confirmed that it would be covered and so I will have to take it in again. Response to my question from Rob2 (#3191) wrote that he had the throttle cable replaced and I am not sure if 'throttle cable' and 'throttle body' are the same or the former is a part of the latter. Any how it appears that this problem of sticking gas pedal is not all that uncommon for Odyssey. I am in the market for CR-V or Honda Civic, both EX models. Did any one experience this sort of problem with either of these models. Also I would like to get Honda care 0 deductible price quotes for both these models with 75K and 100K miles. Can somebody help me. Thanks in advance!
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    The throttle cable runs from the gas pedal to the fuel system. Ours was binding up and it made it difficult to accelerate smoothly from a stop. My wife says it is starting again - I'll need to check it myself.
  • cinnamonkidcinnamonkid Member Posts: 1
    I want to vouch for the instructions in Reply to Dash clock light by donliznev (#3204). I followed his instructions exactly on my '99 Odyssey. Perfect. Took less than 1/2 hour.

    Let me add two things to this fine description.

    First, it IS tricky getting the switch recess cover off w/o marring the plastic. I found that inserting a flat edge screw driver in the bottom and applying upward pressure did the trick as opposed to trying to pry or jimmy it.

    Second, I had trouble identifying the light bulb once I had the rear of the clock exposed. The back of the light bulb didn't look anything like what I expected. You'll see a tiny round gray piece of plastic on the back of the assembly near the bottom on the side closest to you. That's the light bulb.

    I spent more time trying to get the left hand switch recess cover off and finding the light bulb than anything else.

    At my Honda dealer, the clock bulb replacement # is: 35505-s84-n01. It's $1.67. (Quite a bit cheaper than the $80.00 I've seen others quoted for this job by their dealers.)
  • mpoissonmpoisson Member Posts: 8
    The headphones enable rear occupants to watch a DVD while the front occupants can listen to the radio or whatever else. If you do not use the headphones, then to play a DVD over the speakers, you simply set both the front and back system to DVD.
    What you lose is the ability to listen to 2 different things - not a biggie IMHO.
  • bigrejbigrej Member Posts: 4
    Thanks, mpoisson, for your helpful posting #3209. My wife does a test drive on the Odyssey today, and then we decide!
  • lauroblaurob Member Posts: 9
    I posted a message in mid-Nov. about a brand new 03 Oddy w/transmission type problems. The dealership service manager drove w/us, experienced the problem & made us wait until the tech from CA came. The tech drove the car for 15min, stated it's driving as normal & told them to give it back to us. The service dept has told us, we've experienced the problem, but we don't know what causes it, and if we don't know what causes it, we can't fix it... Great logic,huh? We're still waiting to meet w/the area rep, as we've been told this is the next step. My question is, does anyone have any suggestions on what to do from here? I know the lemon law is available, but I've heard this is a time consuming & often futile exercise...? Any ideas on dealing w/Honda would be appreciated. :)
  • abiggieabiggie Member Posts: 3
    It seems that Honda corpoaration is doing it again. They finally came around and extended the transmission warranty for the 1999-2001 Odyssey without really admitting they had a poor design, and only after many complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Same thing with your experience and I hope it does not cause any safety problems. I suggest keep good records. Indeed, according to a Wall street Journal article in September 23, 2002, at that time Honda said they knew "...of transmission problems with about 2% of the 1.2 million vehicles." That's about 24,000 vehicles. That article also says "...the problem becoms apparent in the first 30,000 miles of driving." This pattern seems to fit in with your experience. Good luck!
  • aspesisteveaspesisteve Member Posts: 833
    Buddy,
    at $4.78 per quart - you're looking at Synthetic.
    One way of gauranteeing that they put in 5W20 is to just buy the 5 quarts and bring it with you - they might even give you a break when bringing in your own oil.
    BTW - I've never changed my oil at the dealer unless I'm taking care of something big - it's too time consuming too far away and too expensive.
  • himarkhimark Member Posts: 2
    I saw a couple of postings regarding CD Player Errors. My problem is exactly the same as posting #1402. Any solutions to this problem? Is there a tool out there I can get my hands on to get the CD out of the changer (I can see it through the open door) without having to replace the entire unit?
  • buddyzunigabuddyzuniga Member Posts: 63
    The $4.78 a qt. oil I saw at Walmart mentioned something about Honda on it in small letters. Is this the same Mobil oil the dealer uses that has Honda written on it in big bold letters that I seen on a hand out in the dealership waiting room? P.S I must have overlooked the fact that the price I was looking at was for synthetic oil, Thank you for bringing that to my attention.
  • kabalakabala Member Posts: 1
    I noticed that at times when I stand on red light the ODDY 2002 engine surges. It happens sporadically. Also has happened while in park….. ANY ideas?

    Another thing, the steering wheel volume control works in reverse sometimes. When I want to increase the volume, volume decreases and reverse. This also is sporadic.

    Any suggestions . Thanks.
  • dave594dave594 Member Posts: 218
    How much does the engine surge? Is it just a few RPMs or a very noticeable, large increase in the RPMs? It could just be a solenoid kicking in to step up the RPMs when you have the AC or defroster working, and that would be perfectly normal. If it's more than that then you need to have it looked at.
  • lzh7ghlzh7gh Member Posts: 4
    I bought 2004 EX-L in Dec.03. Around 1700 miles later, I hear an exhaust rattle under a light acceleration around 1500-1700 rpm. During the light accel, it does not have the usual Honda V6 growl and more like "tinggy" noise. Service manager heard it and recommends waiting until first oil change to address it if the noise is still there. Has any one experience this noise? Could it be catalytic converter?
  • azkid1azkid1 Member Posts: 4
    See #3172, as I have same problem. Let me know what you find out.
This discussion has been closed.

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.