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

cindy4 · May 2005

Another forum member had posted the Honda Service Bulletin 04-078 in an earlier post (about 2 weeks ago). When I went to the Honda dealer, the service rep. did pull it up on the screen but when I asked him to print it out for me, he claim he could not do this.

I tried to goggle the service bulletins online but have been unsucessful so far. Hope this helps

zenghe · May 2005

Hello,
Just wondering if anybody was having the same situation and what the possible root cause it is.
My Odyssey's instrument panel indicators (door indicators, air-bag indicator, seat belt indicator) flashed once about 3 weeks ago while I was driving. I brought it to the dealer and nothing negative was found. Today on my way work, it happened three times. With a blink of eye, everything was back to normal. Five or ten minutes later, it flashed again.
Can anybody tell me what can possiblily cause this? Loose connection or wiring problem, or something else?
Thank you so much. :mad:

andrea222 · May 2005

I have a 2000 Honda Odyssey van and I replaced the timing belt and all of the other belts 2 months ago. Last night, the van stalled on the freeway and fortunately we were able to coast off the freeway safely. The Honda dealer who did the timing belt job said that one of the bolts came off and the timing belt broke. He said he has NEVER heard of this happening, that they were ordering the part from another city and they were paying for the whole job to be done. I assume this is because they are thinking that it probably broke because of something done by them when they fixed it. He then told me that after it's fixed, they'll check to see if anything else needs to be fixed. Here's my question: couldn't this problem have caused damage to other things? Shouldn't they therefore be responsible for that as well? I know nothing about this stuff, please help. Thank you!

lcd1 · May 2005

I think I got the same problem. Dealer can't duplicate it. The occasional noise seems to come either from the steering system, front suspension, engine mount, or brakes. My noise seems to come when the car is moving slowly forward or reverse and steering wheel is turning.

lcd1 · May 2005

I seem to have the same noise problem. At first I thought it only happen when in reverse, but it also happen when moving forward. Since the noise only happen at very low speed, and since I almost always have to back the car out of a parking space, my first conclusion was that the noise only occurs while going in reverse. If you figure it out, please let me know. The dealer can't hear it, naturally.

oneconsumer · May 2005

I think that Bulletin is for Honda technicians only.

macakava · May 2005

On some vehicles, you simply disconnect the battery (the +ve terminal will do) for at least 15 minutes and the memory will reset/lose its contents and fix this problem. Try it and see.

macakava · May 2005

Sounds like the familiar ABS self checking on start-up after a period of rest.

After you driving to the dealer, the self check was already done - that's why he cannot hear it.

rmzip · May 2005

Unfortunately, mine only had 7K on it and is only 2.5 months old. The only reason I gave them the diagnosis is because they had dismissed the problem all together. They replaced the bearing and problem is fixed. The service guy told me that they had a run of bad bearings on new cars in the late 80's and Honda found that it was due to how they were tied down during transport. He also told me that bearings for the 05 Odyssey's are on backorder. It certainly won't stop me from buying another one in the future. I have owned 8 Honda's and this is the first time I have every had a problem. Besides, you just can't beat the Odyssey!

rmzip · May 2005

My '05 did the same thing, but after 7K miles I no longer hear the noise. It sure did concern me when I first heard it.

armstrr · May 2005

Any updates on this? I just purchased a 2002 EX-L with the exact symptoms. Dead quiet during city driving. On the highway...above about 60mph, there is a "whine" or whisling noise. It goes away as soon as i take my foot off the accelerator. I shut the radio and a/c and cruise...no change. as long as the gas pedal is engaged this noise is quite noticable.

user777 · May 2005

andrea222,
i am no expert - but someone needs to provide you some response. so here is some general information which i hope is helpful. apologies to the engine experts out there...maybe this will get the ball rolling and someone will answer this question more accurately and correct me if i err...

i've had a vehicle with an "interference design" break a timing belt and the results were not good...bent valves... because in an interference design engine, when the timing belt goes, the sequencing of the pistons moving up and down in their cylinders, and the valves opening and closing to pull in air, then stay closed during compression and combustion, and then open again to exist combustion gasses, then repeat the cycle, gets out of step.... when that happens, as the pistons get near the top of their stroke in their respective cylinders, they make contact with the valves that are now at the wrong position at the wrong time. there's the interference...the pistons and the valves occupy the same space (but at different times) and its the timing belt that keeps the pistons and valve action marching to the proper beat.

personally, i sold the vehicle because the cost to repair was prohibitive. i believe the mechanics that looked at my vehicle said it would involve new valves at the very least and a new top end to the engine (potentially)...

i think by the latter, they meant that the cylinders would potentially have to be re-machined (the diameters made true (uniform) on a special machine and made very slightly larger than before the mishap) and with that corresponding new piston rings to fit so that everything was matched and the motor didn't consume oil as it ran.

The pistons ride up and down in the cylinders, with their rings sliding on a very thin film of oil - and if the cylinder is not true, or the rings not sized appropriately then more than a thin film of oil is required as the pistons ride up and down, and it gets consumed at an atypical rate (the exact mechanism i'm not sure, probably it's partially burned). They also want to make sure that the piston, rings, cylinder and corresponding valves develop the proper compression (ability to take air at ambient conditions and raise it in pressure to the proper amount that when combined with fuel and spark, each cylinder does it's proper and a balanced amount of work).

so probably, no one can tell you how much damage there is unless the top of the engine is taken off and they examine it - and possibly until it is partially repaired.

i think these articles might be helpful to you (i hope in this case it is acceptable to post these links for you without violating the rules):
http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/2000/May/09.html
http://www.2carpros.com/topics/valves.htm

so the answer to your first question is unfortunately yes, more than the broken timing belt can be damaged in the process.

as to your second question - if i were you, i'd probably go to an independant shop and inquire with a knowlegeable mechanic servicing Honda vehicles what the potential damage may be and how much it might cost to repair. maybe it's just a new belt, maybe it's a belt and valves, maybe it's a belt, valves, and re-machined top end, or maybe it's a replacement engine.

you are smart to acquire information before they attempt repair so you understand the extent of potential damage, and i hope the dealer takes care of you.

good luck.

armstrr · May 2005

if it is extensively damaged, I personally wouldn't have the engine repaired. I would look into a replacement engine...i know clean JDM engines for 90-93 accords with 30-50K can be had for $800 or less + install...just my thought if there are engines available for your vehicle.

isellhondas · May 2005

Where would you ever find a 90-93 Accord with 30-50K on it?

aaronwi · May 2005

Just finished my testing the air on our 05 EXL.

Drove for 55 minutes with the air on (no AC). Stopped at a red light for about 2 minutes. Here's the stats we got:

Air outside: 70F
Air Inside: 73F
Air coming from the vents: 74F

AC was off and we were pulling fresh air from outside

Hope this helps..

oneconsumer · May 2005

Thanks.
Did you see "AC Off" sign or jsut blank in your display pannel when you did the test drive?
What is the manufacture date of your Odyssey?

stacey8 · May 2005

I was driving my 2001 Odyssey a couple of days ago when suddenly the check engine light and the TCS indicator came on. I checked my gas cap like the owner's manual said. It was fine. I've made a couple of short trips since then and the lights are still on. The weird thing is I've noticed no change in the performance of my van since the indicator lights came on. I do have 85,000 miles on the van, but it's been working fine.

isellhondas · May 2005

But the dealer can quickly hook up his scanner and know exactly what is causing the problem. Just because the Odyssey is "working fine" doesn't mean there isn't a problem.

just4fun2 · May 2005

Take it to AutoZone, they might be able to pull up a code for you and they don't charge for their service.

stacey8 · May 2005

My dealer is over an hour away. Can I take my Odyssey to any auto repair place?

stacey8 · May 2005

Thanks for the tip about AutoZone. Unfortunately the nearest one is about three hours away. And the nearest Honda dealer is over an hour away.

user777 · May 2005

the TCS indicator may be on because someone has pressed the TCS button to disable traction control. Did you check the state of the TCS button? Also - are you sure it is the check engine and not the maintenance required indicator that is illuminated?

isellhondas · May 2005

A good independant garage with the right equipment should be able to pinpoint the problem for you. Stay away from the "chains".

hondaodd · May 2005

Hey- any shop guys out there that can help- much appreciated. What is the the proper torque pounds for the rear wheels on a 98 Odyssey. The rear rotors are a little warped but I've heard if you back off the lugs and re-torque them to proper the shimmy will often go away. Also- how big a pain is it to reattach or replace the hot-cold heater slide control cable on this thing? Do you have to take alot of that center dash apart or is there a short-cut? Last but not least- what is realistic shop time for timing belt replacement on the 98- it LOOKS like easy access but I'm guessing it's not so simple! Thanks in advance!

-Jason :confuse:

glasschime · May 2005

This article came out in yesterday's Cleveland Plain Dealer/Driving
It affects 2000 through 2004 Odysseys as well as Pilots, Preludes, Accords, and Acuras.
http://www.cleveland.com/autonews/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business/1117272771306010.xm- l&coll=2

One lady had the transmission on her 2001 Odyssey replaced FOUR times in less than 100k miles. They offered her an additional 75k warranty as opposed to replacing this "lemon".

I've had three recalls on my 2003 Odyssey since it was purchased in 02'. That is enough for me. Now I have two good reasons to switch to a Toyota Sienna.

The second reason is that I'm not at all happy with the service department where I purchased my Honda. They are in N.Olmsted,OH.

There is one sales rep in particular that I can "thank" for driving me away.

Each time I would bring my vehicle in, she insisted on calling me "Hon" or "Dear". I quietly asked her to address me by my last name instead. Her response to this civil request was to scream loudly at me (in front of other customers) "I call EVERYONE honey". She then accused me of calling her a lesbian. Her manager stood by and watched while she launched her abusive tirade. He did try to shush her up. Kept patting her on the back, pleading for her to "keep it down". When I asked him why he allows his personnel to speak to customers like this, his excuse was that she even talks to HIM like that.

I would have contacted the owner of the dealership if I had thought it would do any good. However, it will just be easier to trade in the Odyssey for a Sienna instead. I've already visited Toyota's service department. They assured me they don't employ individuals who behave like this towards customers who pay 30k+ for a vehicle.

sto · May 2005

Ok I have a question - I picked up my Ody on Tuesday early evening last week and noticed next day there is a very small/tiny piece of debris that was painted over by Honda factory. What worries me is that it is on the side panel below window, so if and when it fells out, it exposes the undercoating and from there to rusting is a short trip. I also checked the Honda Service History booklet that van came with and I see that two different people "verified" good paint job on this van ! When I took it to the dealer they said I need to talk to the service manager -who was out for a long weekend - but everybody agreed that it needs to be fixed and couple of advisors even suggested that they may need to scrape it off/sand it off and repaint the whole panel. So my question is - should I ask for some price break or amount back because the van had a paint flaw, which everybody sees now, yet they signed off in the Honda Service History booklet as vehicle with a good paintjob. Any advice is appreciated.

jipster · May 2005

How small and tiny is this piece of debris? If it is barely noticeable, I would either ask them to compensate me the cost of a side panel paint job and leave it alone OR tell them to repair the tiny area affected with compensation. I don't think I would have them repainting an entire side panel.

I agree you are due some sort of compensation because it is a flawed paint job.How much is hard to say? I'd say at least $200....up to maybe $600.IMO

lsg1 · May 2005

I have a 2001 EX and the rear lift gate does not have its normal easy lift to it, and does not stay up at all. What would cause this, and if I have the extended warrantee, would this be covered under the warantee?

macakava · May 2005

Sounds like the liftgate struts(i.e shocks) have gone bad. These help to lift the rear door and control the movement and position.

If not covered under warranty, these are easily accessible for quick replacement by a DIY mechanic.

gujnpowder · May 2005

When operating the rear wiper on my 2001 Ody, it sounds like someone running their fingernails down a blackboard. I'm on the third wiper blade. A new blade is OK for about a month and then the noise begins. I've cleaned the blade, etc., etc. It's still noisy.
Any ideas?

huntfamilyfla · May 2005

We purchased a 05' EX with leather in November of 04'. We really love the vehicle but came across what I believe to be the same noise as you. For me it starts around 50MPH or so and stays steady up through 70 or 80 when you have enough wind noise around the vehicle that it sort of disappates. I asked my local dealer about this and immediately they asked if we had installed the luggage rack. This was the ONLY after-market option we elected to have put on the vehicle of course. He said that this was the cause. I have not taken them off yet though to be sure. I hope this helps.

John
Tallahassee, FL

huntfamilyfla · May 2005

I went on vacation this week to south west Florida. On my way down I noticed that the vehicle just wasn't blowing cold air anymore. I took the vehicle in on Saturday to the local dealer. They claim that the condenser must have taken a hit by a small rock or object that punctured the condenser causing all of the freon to leak out. They put it up on jacks and allowed me to view the freon escaping from the condenser. :sick:

Needless to say, I was EXTREMELY :mad: upset when they told me it would be over $800 to replace the condenser which included $320 for the part, $50 for overnight shipping and the rest in labor. Normally I am pretty levelheaded about things but I nearly came unglued considering I paid list price for the vehicle AND purchased an extended warranty.

I wish this had happened at home for me to deal with my local dealership. I called my salesman on Saturday afternoon and to his credit I received a message today (Memorial day) that he would hopefully have an answer for me on Tuesday.

Enough of this particular situation. My reason for the post is to ask anyone else if:
a.) They have had a problem like this with the condenser
b.) Has anyone ever taken the time to look and see where it is located? :confuse:

In my humble opinion this is a poor design due to it's very close proximity to the ground and little if any protection from foreign object damage.

macakava · May 2005

Are you running your wiper on dry glass? Sounds that way.

Wipers work most efficiently and quietly on wet glass with water acting as lubricant.

macakava · May 2005

Through a habit I have practised for over 30 years, I have always lined the entire front of my radiator(engine, transmission, etc) behind the grill with a window screen wire mesh. This helps to protect insects from clugging the rad fins and also the occasional small stones that could caused damage to whatever it hits while going at 80+mph into the engine compartment. All 5 family vehicles have this protection, which is very simple to do.

I never had any problems with radiators or condenser damage in our vehicles.

isellhondas · May 2005

This should be taken up with your insurance company under your comprehensive.

It's not the car's fault this happened anymore than it would be if the rock had hit your windshield.

I don't know that it's a "poor design". Most modern cars are built pretty much the same way. I know some people have hooked up screen mesh to prevent this from happening but my fear is that this may impede air glow to the radiator and condenser?

I realize you are upset but I think the chances of this happening again would be pretty slim.

utahclimber · May 2005

We bought an 05 Odyssey strictly on the engines ability to perform well & give us great gas mileage. It hasn't.

We are currently getting an average of 18 mpg city or highway despite the sticker stating 22 mpg city & 28 mpg highway.

Two other couples with whom we are friends purchased 05 Odyssey's and both get around 30 mpg (straight off the lot).

We have had it in the dealership 4 times, full diagnostics, nothing. No check engine lights, nothing shows up despite the fact that we are getting 18 mpg.

Option
We've taken this to the Regional Manintenance Director for Honda and he has essentially told us that's the breaks to which I countered, 'you're telling me that I just bought an expensive gas burner?" 'I guess,' was his reply.

He offered to drive it this next Wednesday for the whole day exactly as the EPA suggests and see if he can get better gas mileage; if not, then we don't know what we are going to do.

SOLUTIONS
What has been the experience of others with the 05 Odyssey, what kind of gas mileage did you get?
Does anyone have suggestions as to how or what we so do with our Odyssey? Should we demand a new one?

Please let me know ASAP.

Thanks,

Darrell

jaysmith · May 2005

Cindy - Did you ever get this fixed? We just bought an 05 EX Odyssey, and above 50mph, there is a wind whistle on the passenger side. It's driving me nuts. What did they do to fix it? Thanks!

isellhondas · May 2005

You have posted this in other forums and people have responded to you there.

stacey8 · May 2005

I've checked the state of the TCS button already. And yes I'm positive it's the check engine light.

gujnpowder · May 2005

Thanks for the reply - -

I definitely wait until there is enough water on the rear window before starting the wiper. I learned very quickly that with just a mist it would "screech" at me. Now, I usually wait until there is a lot of water, run it for a couple of passes and then turn it off until very wet again.

I even tried bending the arm a little thinking that a change in angle might help. It didn't.

cindy4 · May 2005

We don't have the luggage racks installed. The good news is that the techinician has agreed with the general location of the noise. I am scheduled to take it in today but will have to reschedule till later this week because of a last minute conflict. I will pass along what they find...and if they corrected the problem. Thanks for the reply.

user777 · May 2005

is it possible that you have a lot of wax on the back window?

cindy4 · May 2005

I had an appointment with the dealer today but will have to cancel because of a conflict so later this week looks better. I will post another item when I have returned from the dealer...and can state that this noise has been eliminated. In the meantime, I used 2" wide tape to seal the bottom portion of the driver's side windshield black trim this past weekend while driving 3 hours to family members in another part of Florida. Yes, I know, it looked funny but it kept my sanity not listening to this noise. Thanks for the reply. More to follow.

macakava · May 2005

No problem with air flow in our 5 family vehicles with the screen mesh as the engine temp remains normal, with the vehicle idling or moving.

The 1,000's or 1,000,000's of holes in the mesh material are providing uninterrupted air flow. All insects and fine stones are trapped before the radiator.

rsblaski · May 2005

Had the same problem with my '05 Ody. I had it about a month when it happened.
Took it to the dealer I bought it from and he said the same thing about stone damage. To maintain good customer relations, the dealer picked up the whole tab , including two day's car rental before even telling me about it.
Hats off to Desert Honda, Las Vegas, NV.

psg · May 2005

The only obvious place I saw was through the dipstick spout. I know there is a plug somewhere on the top of the tranny, but how do you get to it? It looked like it would be more trouble then it would be worth. I plan on changing the fluid myself and want to have everything lined up first. I'd hate to dump out the old fluid and have to tow my 2004 Ody to a garage because I can't get new fluid in. I definitely dont feel the need to provide that kind of entertainment to our local Honda service folk!

ehickey · May 2005

I have 127kilometres (70,000 mi or so) and took my Odyssey in for its type 2 service. They came back amoung other things both front struts were leaking and needed to be replaced. I have never had a vehicle yet that had one strut leaking let alone two.

Anyone else have this problem?

pisciotta · June 2005

Hi just so you know its a funny thing my car died and I gave it a jump due to dirty battery terminals but my automatic sliding door problem fixed itself (it reset itself) the doors are working fine now but now my SRS light is on...lol I guess this has to get reset too.

cindy4 · June 2005

An update on our Honda Odyssey Whistling Windshield (see post # 4666 and #4672).

I brought our Odyssey to the Honda dealer Tuesday to eliminate the whistling noise coming from the drivers side windshield area. After the repair, the technician mentioned that one of the clips holding the drivers side windshield trim up against the windshield was missing but was later found located down in the wheel fender area. This was part of the problem. However, he said that the main problem was the windshield in this area was not properly sealed to the frame thus creating an area for wind to blow pass this area and into the Odyssey. This area received additional sealant and new clips to correct this defect. In the drive home last night and to work this morning, the noise so far has been eliminated but Im still keeping my fingers crossed that this repair is a permanent fix.

The most disturbing thing I heard was that I overheard the technician mention that this was about the fifth time he has repaired this defect on 2005 Odysseys.

What does this say about Honda quality when owners who pay a premium for the Odyssey?

I purchased a new Honda to avoid inferior workmanship but now find that this has been a common defect.but not so much that it warrants a Honda Service Bulletin or better yet, not leaving the factory with such poor workmanship. Why isnt Honda controlling their processes back at the factory?

I not ready to give up on Honda yetbut the honeymoon is over. The lesson learned from the 2 trips and 5 hours of time at the dealership dealing with this factory defect is dont believe the marketing; Honda Odysseys are not perfect.

macakava · June 2005

The 2005 is a first year vehicle, which is most likely to have bugs that would be addressed/corrected in subsequent years. I am sure that most/all these first year bugs would be eliminated in 2006 and beyond. This true of all manufacturers, be it Lexus, Acura, Infinity,Toyota, etc whose names are associated with high quality. The first year consumer is the "guinea pig" for any product.

One is best to avoid the first year model from any manufacturer and buy in the second year or later. The 2004 Quest was a great example.

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)