2001 - 2006 Honda CR-Vs

stever · January 2003

Check the CR-V Owners: Accessories & Modifications discussion for links too.

Steve, Host

joelcal · January 2003

Thank you all for this forum! We are on the verge of buying a 2003 CRV LX. After a 15 minute test drive of the car we want to buy, smoke and smell came out of the exhaust for a few minutes after the engine was turned off, and stunk up the area around the car. The salesman said that was just because it was new and would go away. Does anyone have an opinion? Should we worry?
Thanks!

matt479 · January 2003

Joecal - DO NOT BUY THAT CRV YOU TEST DROVE!!!!

No way in hell is smoke coming out of the exhaust after the engine is turned off normal. Wait for another CRV to be available. There's something wrong with that specific CRV you test drove. Not worth the potential risk!

If you're going to buy it, tell the salesman to throw in a free extended warrantee.

stever · January 2003

Most new cars have a protective spray on the various parts underneath. Sometimes it takes months to burn the stuff off. Some brands take longer than others but I can't remember which ones get the most complaints. I wouldn't worry about it.

<edit> - Someone want to step in and break the tie between Matt479 and me?

Steve, Host

jfigueroa1 · January 2003

as steve just said some parts come with some sort of spray "like some bolts or nut that are little oiled at the assembly line/paint will cure with the heat of the engine" it is all normal must of the car will have that distinctive odor when new inside and out. i have an 02 cr-v. and I had that oily/metal/paint smell."just like a new grill"bbq" at first the instruction tells to heat it up for 30 or so min. before start cooking in it.
Greetings from sunny Miami.
fig

joelcal · January 2003

Thank you for your input! I would say the smoke kept coming out of the exhaust for a minute or so after the engine was shut off. I couldn't stand behind the car. Something burning off sounds possible, but that car had, maybe, 30 miles on it. Odd..... Joelcal

stever · January 2003

"Out" is different from "off". Best go drive another one or two....

Steve, Host

robmarch · January 2003

is different than a burning smell that comes off of the pipes or from the header, etc. If there was visible smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe, I would look for another car. Depending on the color of the smoke, it could be oil burning, which might be relatively normal during break-in, or a sign of another problem, that might not be normal.

thel · January 2003

Just get a different CR-V that is a non-smoker

gatorgreg · January 2003

Here's a link to the article from Dow Jones Business News (thanks to ivtec for the link):

http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/030109/1736000768_1.html

I'm hoping it will be a rebadged CR-V Open-Air that was on display at last year's Geneva show, but the clues from the Honda VP quoted in the article would seem to indicate something different

hersh814 · January 2003

I am not a CR-V owner yet but hope to be soon. I just test drove a 2003 EX yesterday and loved it! Assuming the dealer will give me a good trade on my Odyssey, I'm sold.

I was wondering about the roof rack. Has anyone installed this option themselves? Is it simple to install? It looks like everything is already pre-drilled. I've been checking on-line and it appears I can save $75-$100 by not going through my dealer. I'd appreciate some advice on whether to spend the extra bucks and have the dealer do it or try and do it myself. Please keep in mind, I am a novice! Thanks...

crv139 · January 2003

i put mine on it is very easy to do just have the dealer make you a copy of the instructions

rockycow · January 2003

installation of the roof rack is very straight forward, the only problem I had was that the threads in the roof line were coated with paint and installing the bolts was worrysome in that I did not want to strip the threads. my solution was to run a tap on each thread in the roof and this made installation of the bolts very easy.

rerenov8r · January 2003

GAPDRAGON: Not knowing your specific sitaution I feel that is it is important to consider that spending big money on a 4+ year old CR-V is a losing proposition.

If you were to sell a 98 and acquire a 2003 you would not only have a much moe powerful and responsive vehicle, you'd have something with quite a bit more value than a 98 CR-V with expensive aftermarket parts...

Just as there are few aftermarket parts for CR-Vs, their value falls SHARPLY. This is differnt than the market for Civic parts. If you wanted to sell a "modded" Civic you could probably get a fair amount back, and used Civic parts are popular as well. With CR-V parts you pay a premium when new, and VERY FEW folks want used CR-V parts or modified CR-Vs...

matt479 · January 2003

hersh814 - installing a roof rack on the CRV is very easy. I installed my. Got my rack from http://www.handaaccessories.com/ for $178 + shipping (about $190 total). Shipping was very fast. I'm not sure if the roof rack is apart of this, but the warrantee book states that you'll void your warrantee if you do not use genuine Honda parts. The $ savings is great with handaaccessories.com and the sell genuine Honda parts. Make sure you have an Allen wrench.

h1vc · January 2003

Does anyone make a 4 cupholder center tray for the CRV? WIll the odysseys try fit the CRV. Thanks.

surfbabe1977 · January 2003

Since we live on the East coast, our CRV was made in England. We have almost 2000 miles on it and not one complaint (well except for the lack of speed choices on the windshield wipers, but that's it). We bought the CRV for hubby in November. However, I love it so much, I'm considering buying another one in a different color as a replacement for my aging car in the summer!

An additional note, our CRV had 5 miles on it when we bought it and NO odors/smoke, etc. I'd stay away from that one, regardless of what they tell you!

quaffapint · January 2003

Considering the relative "hotness" of the CRV, is there really a time to buy that is better than another?

I figured I'd wait until end of model year (When is that anyway?) before buying. But, does this make sense? Will it actually save me money to wait?

Thanks...

icvci · January 2003

Now is always the best time to buy. Demand is WAY down after the holidays and dealers really want to get the new year off right.

soccermum02 · January 2003

can't be much different south of the border. Last saturday of any month (making quotas), near the end of summer, dead of winter. Watch the lots and keep informed of inventory. If they are always spoken for in your area, none of this applies.

Good luck : )

ateixeira · January 2003

Greg: I'd like to see the Open Air's features, too. Another option would be a TSX sportswagon based on the Euro accord. Imagine an Outback/XC/allroad style vehicle based on that platform.

-juice

denise31 · January 2003

Does anyone know how I can remove the antenna from my 2003 Honda CR-V so I can take it to the car wash??????

dtruong8 · January 2003

Hello everyone,

I have previously mentioned a while ago about the noise in my 2002 CR-V, coming from the rear driver's side.

I have suspected that the body has somehow been weakened and thus, causing these creaks and groans as weight shifts towards that side.

Hopefully, I took my car to the dealer and explained to them everything. They simply tightened the suspension bolts/screws but to no avail.

I have read in motortrend that their long-term Altima had noises coming from that area also, but the window caused it. I tried opening the windows while driving but yet the same thing occurs.

To this day, I wonder what the noise is coming from and why. Anyone else notice this on theirs?

downeaster16 · January 2003

Hi, everyone! I live in a border town in Maine, and I am considering buying a new CR-V. The two closest Honda dealerships to me are actually in New Brunswick (the nearest US dealership is 100 miles away). After checking out the Honda web sites, I see that, figuring in exchange rates, I could get a CR-V LX in Canada (with standard ABS) for about $1500-2000 US less than a CR-V LX (w/o ABS) in the US.

Has anyone else here from the US bought a CR-V in Canada? Are there other costs (like import duties) or other complications? Would I be able to have the CR-V serviced in a US dealership, should I move elsewhere? Would I lose on the trade-in? If anyone has any experiences they could share, I'd be grateful!

jtn46 · January 2003

The antenna unscrews at the base.

stever · January 2003

Downeaster16, the big issue is that Honda USA won't honour the warranty on a Canadian car. The other issues are a hassle but doable. And you could get an aftermarket warranty. And I hear that Honda Canada's franchise agreeement with its dealers forbids sales to US citizens, so the NB dealer may not deal with you. See this article for more:

What You Need to Know About Canadian Cars in the U.S.

Steve, Host

downeaster16 · January 2003

Thanks for your reply. I had heard that it was common years ago for people in border communities like mine to buy cars in Canada, but now that is almost unheard of, in spite of the favorable exchange rates for US citizens. Your response - and the article - explained a lot. I e-mailed one NB dealer, just to see what response (if any) I might get. It sounds as though, even if it were possible, it might not be worth the hassle to buy a Canadian vehicle and bring it to the US. Time to check out Maine Honda dealers!

stever · January 2003

Nissan Pathfinder fans were snapping them up not that many months ago. But then Nissan USA quit honoring the warranty too.

Maybe NAFTA will open the gates one day.

Steve, Host

rlei · January 2003

Downeaster, just curious, since the nearest Honda dealer is actually in NB, why can't you buy it there and bring it back to that dealer for servive? Since that dealer is close to you anyhow. Or the waranty voids if you bring it out of the country?

Again, just curious.

downeaster16 · January 2003

I had e-mailed a New Brunswick Honda dealership. and their response was that it is against Honda Canada's policy for a Canadian dealer to export their product. They can't sell a car for export to the States, after all. Oh well, it was worth a try!

fjb323 · January 2003

There was a similar scenario with Canadian Odysseys being brought into the US. Honda would not honor the Canadian Warranty through a US dealer. Don't try to be your own importer as it will be more problems than it's worth.
fjb

xccoachlou · January 2003

After poking around the CR-V at an auto show this weekend, I was wondering if the spare tire which is normally outside the car can fit under the "picnic table"? If so, how ugly does the car look with nothing back there?

fern88 · January 2003

I have a 2002 CR-V EX and I'm gonna start looking at a Navigation system for it. Are there any that would fit in the current Stereo/CD area or would I have to get one of those where the screen pops out and turns up.

Any suggestions?

h1vc · January 2003

The area under the table isn't deep enough.

xccoachlou · January 2003

A Mini Spare?

slugline · January 2003

It's intended to be just another storage area, plain and simple. You would find a tarp, jumper cables, an air compressor and a gas can under mine. Or . . . ask a car audio shop what they could do with that volume.

theracoon · January 2003

In Japan they sell a CR-V model called the Fullmark that has a donut-like spare under the table. Because of the RT4WD the donut-like spare has the same circumfrence as the regular tires, it's just not as wide. Also, the Fullmark has a different rear bumper without the notch for the tire and of course doesn't have the spare tire mount.

And we won't even mention the cool radio antenna.

thel · January 2003

in the front on the hood in that photo?

thel · January 2003

to pull the trigger on a new CR-V EX from the boss. After a few months of not getting into the garage in her Tahoe LT, I've convinced the wife to get a new CR-V.

She won't consider the Tribute even though the incentives are very good right now due to the rep that Ford has made for itself the last 3-4 years.

She liked the RAV-4 but its waaay smaller inside and doesn't seem like it will be as nice of a highway cruiser as the CR-V.

Are there any special financing rates on new CR-V's? The local dealer, from whom I've bought 2 other Hondas in the recent past, seems pretty stubborn on getting MSRP for one so I may have to travel a bit to an urban area (St Louis) to get a deal. Anyone get close to $22,000 for an EX?

robmarch · January 2003

blind spot mirror, I think it's required on SUV's in Japan

salong · January 2003

I am in the St. Louis area and I was able to pick one up from an out of town dealer for $21600. The closest I could get here was for $22100. This included a fee for shipping directly to my house. Got a silver EX auto with no DIO. If you are interested, email me and I will give you the details.

salong · January 2003

question for the host. What is with the TMV values for the CRV? It looks as though they are at MSRP for the St. Louis area, but most dealers are taking $500 off without much hassle.
Also, used to be an area that you could enter information about the deal you got so that it could be used in the TMV calculation. Where is this located at now? Thanks

daveghh · January 2003

theracoon,

I used to ant to remove my spare tire on the back, but as of recent I think I like having the tire on the back like it is. To me, it looks more sporty.

stever · January 2003

This article explains the process:
How We Calculate New TMV Prices

Please use our Feedback Form to tell those statisticians what you're seeing in the real world so they can tweak things. Thanks!

Steve, Host

theracoon · January 2003

I've always liked the spare tire on the back, and even went a step farther (with some help from 3M red reflective tape and a center cap):

gatorgreg · January 2003

In addition to the Japanese Fullmark edition as pictured in theracoon's post above, with enough money and effort you can zap the external spare on a U.S. model as well. Here's a pic of k24 rd6's CR-V as an example - definitely a unique look in the U.S. Heres a LINK to lots more pics of k24rd6s CR-V.

tomsr · January 2003

At 10000 miles my oil was changed now at 15000
miles I had it changed again but the technician said there was no oil in the engine.So either he is wrong,adequate oil was not put in at 10000,or
the engine is burning oil. Anybody heard of oil
burning in the new 2.4 engine?

rerenov8r · January 2003

...doesn't mean you don't wanna check it every week or so!!!

My guess is the tech was WRONG -- after all if you had NO oil you'd at least get an oil pressure idiot light lit (unless that bulb is blown as well) you do watch the idiot lights glow at start-up, don't ya?

ateixeira · January 2003

Maybe he said "no oil" but meant "very low oil". I'd check it now, and then again each time you fill up with gas.

As for those creaks and groans, try lubing the various rubber bushings. If they're dry, the metal squeeks through. I'm talking about front and rear sway bars, there should be at least 4 rubber bushings holding those in place. Use some spray lithium grease to keep those quiet.

Beware of groans, I'd inspect the axle boots and CV joints. Our 626 had that and it turned out to be the wheel bearing, and the repair was quite expensive.

The Fullmark looks cool. Subtract that mirror on the hood, and that could be Acura's upscale model. Add features from the Open Air, and voila.

-juice

sriley6544 · January 2003

I have 4,700 miles on my 2003 EX Manual Transmission. Called the dealership to schedule my first oil change, but they recommended that I wait until 10,000 miles for the first oil change then 5,000 mile intervals thereafter.

Does that seem right? Thanks for your help.

2001 - 2006 Honda CR-Vs

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