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

rockycow33 · September 2004

I put 192K on my 90 accord without ever touching the injectors. I would sure run some fuel system cleaner through the tank before I spent that kind of money at 42K. You also might call the Honda zone rep maybe he would spring some new injectors for you. I would also take the car to a different dealer to see if you get a different response. But, go and get some fuel system cleaner and pour it in the tank; there are a bunch of them on the market sorry don't know which one is best.

scmelvin1959 · September 2004

You need to check your transmission. Have the dealer run the computer scan and look at the code that comes up. Also go to www.honda.com and sign up for owner link and see if your vehicle is covered under the extended warranty for transmissions. The vans were sold with 3 yr, 36000 mile warranty; the transmission recall warranty extends that to 7 yrs, 100,000 miles.

I just today got American Honda to pay for a new transmission for my 1999 Odyssey even though it was at 109,000 miles. The deal is they will pay for the part, I pay for the labor, not to exceed $500 paid out on my part. Not too bad since the quote from the Honda Service Dept was $5,000+ for a new transmission.

My only symptoms were: check engine light and then intermittent TCS light.

Check the transmission recall on your vehicle!

Susan Melvin

paguy2 · September 2004

Thanks for responses. I also have 92 Accord with 160K miles and never touched fuel injectors. Dealer says that something electrical wrong with them. Also, he says transmission is OK. I will take it different dealer to get second opinion.

Kirstie_H · September 2004

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fibber2 · September 2004

Fuel injector is a fairly simple component. Pressurized fuel (35 psi or so) is fed to it from the fuel rail (pump and regulator maintain this). An electric solenoid and return spring hold a plunger closed until it gets a signal from the engine computer. The computer sends a signal that lasts a certain duration, telling the plunger to open and let fuel pass thru to a tiny oriface. This oriface determines the spray pattern, which lands on the back side of the open intake valve.

So what can go wrong?
1) The intake valve can be dirty, absorbing and interfering with some of the spray.
2) The oriface can be clogged, limiting/reducing the spray.
3) The plunger can be clogged or sticking
4) The solenoid could be weak, connector could be high resistive, etc., reducing action or interfering with the timing.
5) Engine management computer could be compromised.
6) Fuel rail pressure could be low (fuel pump and regulator).

At issue:
1) There is no user replaceable fuel filter (tank mounted, IIRC), so maintaining the system is more difficult. If the injectors were clogged, it might happen again unless the tank is checked for contamination and cleaned.
2) Why would 6 injectors be electrically defective? Could be a bad batch - mfg defect, I guess... Or the engine computer or fuel pump/regulator is bad. But any of these cases might be covered by the Fed Emissions Warranty. Something you should check into.

I would first try a cleaner and see if it doesn't help. Chevron Techron is supposed to be pretty aggressive stuff. Also, some garages & quick oil change places have a solvent cocktail that they plumb into your fuel rail and run thru the injectors.

Let us know what you find???

Steve

09norcim · September 2004

Hi:

I got front brake pads changed, rear pads adjusted and engine oil changed on last friday on wife's 00 Odyssey (62000 miles). On Monday she found the check engine light on. I disconnected the battery to "clear it", but the light came back after 30 mile drive.

Dealer wants $88.00 to check service codes. I just paid him $90.00 for brakes.

We bought this Honda certified used at 40,000 miles. I noticed that during 22,000 miles we put, the air filter was never changed or asked by dealer to be changed (all oil changes were done at dealer).

I cannot afford any high repair bills. Will the Auto Zone read check engine light codes.

Thanks for replying and any suggestions are appreciated.

just4fun2 · September 2004

Auto Zone does not charge for reading codes. Go ahead and take advantage of this offer, it might be something that you can fix yourself. Good luck.

isellhondas · September 2004

It's very doubtful the brake job had anything to do with the check engine light.

Be sure to check to make sure the gas cap was tightened enough to make it click several times.

That is, by far, the most common cause of this.

bren3 · September 2004

Has anyone out there had problems with the rear vent windows rattling when open?

Thanks

semperparatus · September 2004

I'm finalizing the purchase of a 2004 Honda Odyssey and am curious to know what people think about the extended warranty offer. Is it worth the additional cost? I've been offered a 7 year/75,000 mile warranty for $1,295. Is this a good deal? I'd appreciate any and everyone's thoughts. Thanks.

rockycow33 · September 2004

you can do better. email me at rockycow@msn.com. I got a 7yr/100K/0ded for my CRV for $795

4thcar · September 2004

I was reading the owner's manual and realized that the dealer did not give me the "Key Number" for my 04 Ody, which I will need if I ever need a replacement key. I called the dealer. He told me that All I need is the VIN number (he could not locate the key number anyway). Is this true? Anybody have experience on this? Thanks!

pantherfanstan · September 2004

Bob....Did you ever find a solution? I have the same problem in my 2000 EX. Stan

geosulcata · September 2004

Thank you,
Just took mine in and you were right. They replaced the EGR valve.

rik1 · September 2004

I took my 2000 Odyssey to the local mechanic to have him check the CEL. He told me the code returned referred to the EGR (flow insufficient?) and said I should bring it to the dealership because it should still be covered. The problem is that the next appointment available is not for another month and I have a long trip coming up. Is driving with an EGR problem safe or will it potentially cause the van to either break down and/or cause damage to the engine? Thanks.

schaefer1 · September 2004

When I turn on the headlights they do not always come on. The running lights and all other lights work but not the headlights. No fuses are blown and no codes are on the computer. It is fixed usually after playing with on other electrical items like the seats/ heater. Anyone ever had that problem?

2kody2 · September 2004

My 2000 ODY LX steering wheel vibrates between 65-75 mph. Have 40k plus miles on original Firestone Affinity tires. Looking to replace tires with Michelins. Any suggestions outside of wheel alignment with new tires?

ggs · September 2004

Wheel vibration is usually caused by tire wear, so replacing the tires (which requires an alignment anyway) is probably all you need.

dave594 · September 2004

Try checking tire pressure and balance first. Those usually will take care of the problem. Are the tires wearing evenly or does it wear more on one side than the other? Does the van pull to any side on a flat surface? If not, I wouldn't bother to do an alignment.

chandi · September 2004

I have the same problem with Odyssey 2000. I took it to my local auto shop and they ran a computer test and was able to told me that the issue is with the "EVAP Leak Tank System" code # P1456(90). Please let me know what part I need to buy? Because I call my Honda dealer and they want to run the dignostic again and will charge $90 just for that.

chandi · September 2004

have a problem with Odyssey 2000. I took it to my local auto shop and they ran a computer test and was able to told me that the issue is with the "EVAP Leak Tank System" code # P1456(90). Please let me know what part I need to buy? Because I call my Honda dealer and they want to run the dignostic again and will charge $90 just for that.

mariau · October 2004

Did you say your catalytic converter was replaced under warranty? My dealer (and my Honda Care Vehicle Service Contract) both say it is not covered... much to my dismay since an $800 part replacement at 85,000 miles is VERY painful.

hoca · October 2004

i told delivery of a new 2005 Odyssey last week and when we are travelling on the highway, my wife and i noticed some wind noise. Anyone else have this problem?

lisa · October 2004

I have a 2000 ODY with 85K miles. I had my trans replaced about 6 months ago. Soon after taking it home I thought I was still having trans probs - it was surging, running rough. I brought it back in July and got the infamous "could not duplicate" response.

Brought it in last week and insisted that there WAS a problem. Told them to drive it between 55 - 60 mph and note the surging and roughness. What they found was a prob with the EGR valve. $250 to fix.

I googled EGR and found that Honda has extended the warranty on the EGR to 8 years/80K miles. Of course I was 5K miles over, but after a call to the district Honda office (and being VERY sweet...) they approved replacing the valve free of charge. (I think the fact that I brought it in early July with the SAME prob clinched it.)

I picked my ODY up today and it runs like a dream. I'm thrilled.

By the way, the guy at Honda told me that it's caused by "cheap gas". I did fill up with the 93 octane. We'll see how it goes.

robr2 · October 2004

lisa - re the cheap gas comment. It may or may not have caused the problem. The comment may be based on the fact that no name gas stations do not use fuel additives that clean your fuel system. As such, using no name 93 octane isn't any better than using no name 87 - especially since 87 octane is all that is called for in the Odyssey.

I don't kow the brand that you use but IMHO, I think the brand name fuels - Mobile/Exxon, Shell, et al are better for you vehicle.

paguy2 · October 2004

Follow up to my previious messsage. Honda dealer told me that Fuel Injectors need to be replaced ($700) Check Engine light was coming on my 2002 Ody Ex (41K miles).

Took it to different Honda dealer. Check Engine light was off and he said he can not find any problem. Of cource, Check engine light came on again after couple of days. Again took back to dealer. He said that EGR valve needs to be replaced and it would be about $200. Replaced EGR valve. After couple of days, Check Engine light is ON again. I will take it the dealer again tommorrow. Does this indicate something? Why do I have to keep paying to dealer for their mis- diagnosis?

lisa · October 2004

Paguy - Isn't your EGR valve under warranty? The EGR warranty was extended to 8/80K for my ODY. I found out by googling it... I just got mine replaced for free.

Your check engine light can also come on if you don't turn your fuel cap enough - you need to hear at least 3 "clicks" after filling up your tank. I believe it's even written there somewhere by the cap.

paguy2 · October 2004

Lisa, Not for 02 Ody. The warranty was extended for 99 and 00 Ody's. That's what I was told by dealer.

It's not related to fuel cap. We tried when I came on first and even after that. Thanks

ace1000 · October 2004

The Honda Care 7/75 plan is fully refundable if it is not used during the coverage period. Has anyone had to use the Honda Care plan to repair/replace the transmission, electric doors, or other expensive problems with the Odyssey to make it worth buying?

hondanut · October 2004

I recently bought a 2004 Redrock Pearl Ody EX and noticed after delivery (unfortunately) that neither the front or rear bumpers matched the body of the car. The rear was 2 shades lighter and the front was a shade lighter. After going rounds with the regional Honda Service Manager (Pacific NW; he has the personality of the "Soup [non-permissible content removed]")they agreed to repaint it at my Honda dealer. According to the dealer, they spent hours color matching the paint. After 5 days away, I'm dismayed that now the bumpers are 2 shades darker than the body.

Has anyone else had this problem? The body guy said the '04s had more paint issues. It only has 2000 miles. I really like the rest of the van but I'm fed up with getting satisfaction and am ready to sell it because of my bad experience. Any comments or advice?

robr2 · October 2004

I'd double check that fully refundable point. AFAIK, HondaCare does not offer that feature - mine doesn't. I checked the website and it doesn't list it as a feature or benefit. I would think that if it did, Honda would tout that.

http://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/Warranty/warr_Care.asp

ace1000 · October 2004

Thanks for the suggestion. I plan to check the agreement when Honda mails it to me to make sure that it is fully refundable if I don't use it or if I don't sell or total the van. The finance manager made a big point of that feature, pointing out that the plan would cost me only the few percent interest I could have earned over the 7 years. We went over in detail all of the situations that would change the fully refundable provision to a prorata refund.

If I don't find the fully refundable provision in the agreement, I will cancel the plan and let the dealer know that I will give them the lowest rating on the Honda survey.

mpnpsp · October 2004

I have an '04 with about 5K miles on it with the same kind of problem. Its been like this from day 1. The dealer has already done rebalancing and alignment but that hasn't fixed the problem. Any suggestions appreciated.

hondanut · October 2004

I have an '04 Ody that had the same issue. Turns out one of the Michelin Symmetry tires was faulty. Of course the tire was up front, thus the steering vibration. I had to take to a Michelin tire dealer (Discount Tire) that had a special balancing machine that could simulate the tire under load. Michelin replaced the tire at no cost.

mpnpsp · October 2004

I also got the tires cross-rotated hoping that if one tire is bad, then vibrations would reduce if the bad tire goes to the back. No such luck. Is there aything other than the tires/balancing/alignment that can be checked?

ody05 · October 2004

I bought an 05 EX-L RES (SPM) and thought that one of the safety features was auto-locking doors when the car went into gear or reached a certain speed.

According to the quick start guide, it is a feature that is available (not just on touring) but the instructions on how to set it up (even though it is not in the tourning marked seciton) do require tourning features.

So, The EX-L apparently does not auto lock the doors as this feature is set to off and there is no way (that actually works on the EX-L) to set that feature to NOT off.

They do (on my EX-L) auto-relock if you unlock the door with a remote and don't open a door after a short while - this period is suppost to be configurable but again, the configuration is not actually available.

In my opinion, Please BE SURE to use your child locks or ALWAYS remember to lock the doors manually when leaving with Children in the Odyssey - unless you paid the money for a touring and gave up the 8th seat, etc.

Anyone have any other experiences with an EX-L to differ with this or add to the issue? If I am wrong, PLEASE let me know and tell me how to fix/configure these things, no pride here to hurt - my kids safety may truly depend on it - the very reason I bought the Odyssey 05.

hondanut · October 2004

Not to sound redundant, but I would get all tires road-force balanced. There is a probability that you have more than one tire with an issue. My tire dealer rotated my one faulty tire from the front to the rear; that produced a vibration in my seat rather than the steering wheel. If you road-force balance all tires and they are within tolerance, you then can eliminate the tires. At that point I'd present the balancing to the dealer and if they don't satisfy, contact your regional Honda representative. Or you could go to a reputable drive line shop for a second opinion. That costs you money and this IS a new vehicle with a warranty. Best of luck; I know it's frustrating.

jmellenb · October 2004

I have a 2004 Odyssey with steering wheel vibration also. I had the tires balanced without success. Then the Honda dealer did a road-force balance. Now its slightly better, but it definitely still vibrates. I dont live near a Honda dealer, so I dont want to use anymore vacation time to deal with this problem. Weve been just driving slower on the highway, but that will be a bummer the next time we go on vacation.

paulc6661 · October 2004

Can anyone tell what the dealer will do in the 7,500 mile maintainence for Odyssey04? How much does it usually cost (I'm in NJ)? Is it worth it? Do I still get the warranty if I skip it or do it by myself? I heard that dealer only does a oil change and rotating the tires for this kind of maintainence job but charge a premium. Of course they do lots of "free" checkings. Please give you input! Thanks!

stever · October 2004

The Edmunds Maintenance Guide will tell you what the manufacturer recommends be done and how much it should cost in your area.

Steve, Host

hpan · October 2004

I bought my 2001 Odyssey EX in Dec 2000 (paid $600-800 above MSRP) and sold it in Sep 2004 at 38K+ miles for $18K+ with the original tires (still several K mi tread left). I did all the maintenance at local Honda dealers.

* 7,500mi: oil change, $30
* 15K mi: oil change, $30
* 22,500mi: oil change, $30
* 30K mi: 30K mi service (tire rotation, oil change, air filter, A/C filter, transmission fluid, brake fluid, etc.), $350
* 37,500mi, oil change, $30
tire rotation every 7,500mi (except 30K mi) at Costco for free

I used regular unleaded (87 octane) from Arco/Valero/Beacon (i.e., no name brand). Never had a problem with the van. Miles per gallon was bwteen 20-25 depending on how much highway/local driving I did.

In short, don't waste time/money to have your car maintained more than what's recommended by the owner's manual. (e.g., ask the dealer to do the oil change instead of the 15K mi service.) Nonetheless, I do recommend send your car to the dealer for maintenance.

jmess · October 2004

The maintenance guide appears to use the more costly and environmentaly unfriendly oil change cycle that 90% of the owners wouldn't need.

stever · October 2004

Yeah, we do that for some makes, for some reason. Most people don't need the severe service interval. A note to the data people using the Contact us form would be a good idea.

Steve, Host

paulc6661 · October 2004

many thanks to steve, hpan and jmess. really appreciate your help!

another issue i would like to seek your opinion. i'm leasing my odyssey04 for 3-yr. term, 15K/year. based on my current driving mileage, i will be over the 45K limit by 6K~8K (the charge is 20 cents/extra mile). i like the van a lot, but not sure if it's worth it to keep the van (with ~52K) at the end of the lease. should i buy the honda 7 years/100K extended warranty? when is the latest time i can buy? is it within first 12 month period or <12K miles? is this warranty tranferrable? please comment! thank again!

buybuybuy · October 2004

Revisited topic but there are many unanswered questions. Most will remain that way as I suspect I should have faith in my Honda repairmen.

When will the corrosion occur if at all?

If you take the vehicle in and they say no corrosion evident then is that it?

Who is to say it won't corrode later?

It's a safety recall that says that the engine could stall and thus result in an accident when driving.

Previous posts mentioned putting some type of grease to prevent corrosion but that is not standard protocol per the recall or adhered to by dealers. Honda Customer Service confirms.

If I am told "no corrosion evident" by the Honda dealer, how much worry is there?

Should I have this checked at 15K and would it be covered "free of charge" if corrosion is evident.

Where does liability sit now that I received an all clear but corrosion later results in an accident after a stall?

Are there signs I should look for that would point to a corrosion situation?

Plenty of doubt and concern but if you received the safety recall you know what an incredibly vague document it was given the fact it stressed that an accident could result. Nice to know with kids in the van.

hbcsc153 · October 2004

Hello!

I would also love to hear the answer to this post. I got the notice on Sat., and have similar concerns as I have only 1,500 miles.

Emil

odyowner2 · October 2004

New owner of a 2000 Ody w/54K (certified). Clean car, rides nice, my wife and I love it.

When I test drove it I noticed there was feedback coming from the steering wheel. Between 20-40MPH the steering wheel gently rocks back and forth. This does not occur during acceleration or braking.

The dealership rotated the tires. I picked up the van and noticed the problem was not resolved. They slapped four new tires on the van. I think the situation is a little better but the steering feedback still occurs. Any ideas?

Also,is there any way to remove the cup holder in the dash to clean it?

Can anyone confirm if I can still buy the Honda extended warranty? The business manager told me I had to buy it when picking up the car. No second chances.

stickguy · October 2004

doesn't a certified van already have an extended warranty?

I think you might want to take the van to a quality suspension place to have everything checked out. It's possible that something is worn in the front end if new tires didn't cure the shaking. Either that, or they aren't balanced very well, although I would expect shaking at higher speeds also if that was the problem.

sseell1 · October 2004

I recently moved to Salt Lake City and need to replace the tires on my '02 Ody. I plan to take the van into the mnts - should I buy all-season or snow tires? Any recommendations for specific brands or models would be appreciated.

Karen_S · October 2004

I'm sure other Ody owners will have some suggestions, however, you might also want to post your question over in Ask Connor at The Tire Rack

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

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

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