Honda Odyssey problem

[mtnbkr]

I got a call from my wife yesterday that the van was making a noise like a pressure washer and was spewing steam.  My immediate thought was that a radiator hose had burst.  No sweat, I'll pick her up, then get a replacement hose.  When I got there, the hoses were intact and there was no obvious pooling of coolant.  I started the van, which ran fine and without making any noises.  I drove it to a nearby Walmart a half mile away.  No issues, but while idling in the parking lot, it makes the noise and spews steam from *somewhere*.  I take care of my biz at Walmart, then drive the van home (3 miles).  No issues and the event didn't happen again.

Because an oil change was due, I went ahead and did that, then ran the engine to check for leaks.  While the engine was running, I decided to set up my phone to capture video.  The link below is the video.  It appears *something* is pumping out coolant under high pressure, but not continuously.  In the video, it's doing this while I turn the steering wheel side to side.  

Video: http://s1100.photobucket.com/user/allencb/media/Odyssey_Engine_zps9a99cab0.mp4.html (van sounds loud because the phone is in the engine compartment, it actually runs smooth and quiet)

It's definitely coolant as there was a small puddle under the passenger side of the van after this.


Any ideas?  

I'm glad I bought the extended warranty.  I'm also glad this happened now rather than next month because the warranty expires on the 26th.  I bought this 2007 model van in 2010 with 34k on the odo.  It now has 96k.  In that 62k, I've replaced the AC, the timing belt (prematurely due to a failing tensioner), the steering pump, some other lesser bits, and the entire transmission.  Now this problem.   I had planned to keep it till it hit at least 200k.  Now I'm not so sure.  

Chris

[Boomhauer]

It does not bode well that you had that many problems with some of them major (transmission, steering pump, AC etc ) before 100k miles. Id look at the water pump.

If you can, Id get it fixed and sell it now before the value really goes down once it hits "high mileage". Being that you brought it at 34k this wouldnt happen to be an ex-rental or fleet van, would it?

[mtnbkr]

No, it was a privately owned vehicle according to Carfax.  Plus, I don't think Honda Odysseys are typically rental/fleet vehicles (at least I've never seen one).

Chris

[bedlamite]

In the video, it's doing this while I turn the steering wheel side to side.  

Check the power steering fluid level and color. IIRC, they used an integrated cooler on the PS. There was also a rubber O-ring they should have recalled and replaced with a Viton one in that model.

[mtnbkr]

I just heard back from the dealership.  It was the AC pump pressure valve.  It was stuck open.  The green liquid was AC coolant dye.  Something AC-related was my first thought after not seeing a burst hose because it happened when I turned the AC on, but then it happened withe AC off, so I moved onto other possibilities.

It is covered by the warranty, so no money out of my pocket, but it would have been a $600 repair.  The extended warranty has officially paid for itself (transmission was covered under the 100k drivetrain warranty for "Certified" vehicles).

Once we get it back, I'm going to document all of the issues we've had and get in touch with Honda to see if they'll extend the warranty on this "Certified" vehicle.  If not, we're going to consider selling it and getting something else.

According to Kelly BB, it is worth roughly $9k in a direct sale.  We can easily cover a $5k note for a 2yr term.  If we get an SUV, I'll sell my 4Runner to extend the budget a bit (and realize savings in terms of insurance, taxes, etc).

Chris

[Boomhauer]

I would dump that thing in a flash...you have a lemon IMHO.

[mtnbkr]

Selling it is an option, but we have to temper that with the fact that we already have one car payment.  I can handle another one, but it will eat into our discretionary funds, leaving us less resilient to unforeseen issues.  I can't make a move until we find out what Obamacare is going to do to our benefits this Spring (our open enrollment is in March).  In the meantime, we'll try to avoid driving the van unless necessary.

That said, a $600 repair thrice a year (far greater than what we've already dealt with not including the transmission) is still lower than the cost of payments on a suitable replacement. 

Chris

[Tallpine]

Couldn't be ... everybody says that Hondas run 200K-300K without any problems at all 

[K Frame]

Let's see...

a Nissan, a Toyota, and now a Honda, and you have the audacity to claim that Subaru is an iffy proposition?

At least when I put mine in the shop next week it's going in for routine (but expensive) maintenance, not the latest episode of HOLY CRAP, WHAT NOW???

[Harold Tuttle]

My brother has a Honda Pilot.
Its an SUV Odyssey

[mtnbkr]

Let's see...

a Nissan, a Toyota, and now a Honda, and you have the audacity to claim that Subaru is an iffy proposition?

At least when I put mine in the shop next week it's going in for routine (but expensive) maintenance, not the latest episode of HOLY CRAP, WHAT NOW???

The first two were older or higher mileage vehicles when we got them.  The Nissan only had 2 problems, its sin was leaking fluids due to those problems.  The Toyota had a whole host of issues, but none were fatal.  Only the Odyssey has experienced problems we couldn't ignore safely.

Of the half dozen Subaru owners I know personally, all but one (you!) have had serious, "time to call AAA", issues.  One had two engines fail in under 100k, another replaced her transmission twice, and yet another had an engine failure on a brand new Outback (less than 20k miles and he had to fight to get it replaced).  Only one, Mr multi-engine-failure, swore off the brand.

Then again, they didn't drive around like an old man.

My brother has a Honda Pilot.
Its an SUV Odyssey

Um. yeah?

Chris

[Tallpine]

routine (but expensive) maintenance

Yeah, I always wondered about any other car make - if you take it in once every year or so and spent hundreds/thousands of dollars on "maintenance" if it would last a long time too 

My daughter/SIL just bought a used Honda "Fit".  I hope it is better than the Subaru and Toyota and Ford that she/they have gone through.

[charby]

Yeah, I always wondered about any other car make - if you take it in once every year or so and spent hundreds/thousands of dollars on "maintenance" if it would last a long time too 

My daughter/SIL just bought a used Honda "Fit".  I hope it is better than the Subaru and Toyota and Ford that she/they have gone through.

Preventative maintenance goes a long ways in the longevity of a vehicle. I do my own work but I follow the manufactures maintenance schedule in the owners manual. Most of the times its just fluids and filters. 

[Tallpine]

Preventative maintenance goes a long ways in the longevity of a vehicle. I do my own work but I follow the manufactures maintenance schedule in the owners manual. Most of the times its just fluids and filters. 

I can't remember all the stuff that my mom has to do to hers every couple years, but there's some things that I never heard of changing in the life of a vehicle unless you were tearing something down.

Seems like it was about $1500 worth.  I figure that's a fairly major repair.

[lupinus]

The first two were older or higher mileage vehicles when we got them.  The Nissan only had 2 problems, its sin was leaking fluids due to those problems.  The Toyota had a whole host of issues, but none were fatal.  Only the Odyssey has experienced problems we couldn't ignore safely.

Of the half dozen Subaru owners I know personally, all but one (you!) have had serious, "time to call AAA", issues.  One had two engines fail in under 100k, another replaced her transmission twice, and yet another had an engine failure on a brand new Outback (less than 20k miles and he had to fight to get it replaced).  Only one, Mr multi-engine-failure, swore off the brand.

Then again, they didn't drive around like an old man.

Um. yeah?

Chris

Rented a subaru on a trip back to NJ with the wife.

Was a great car...till it broke. Even broke it was still nicer than the G6 they gave me as punishment for breaking their Subaru 

[charby]

I can't remember all the stuff that my mom has to do to hers every couple years, but there's some things that I never heard of changing in the life of a vehicle unless you were tearing something down.

Seems like it was about $1500 worth.  I figure that's a fairly major repair.

People don't work for free, tools cost money, got to pay for the building, taxes, etc.

When I change my tranny fluid, I probably have close to $70 in fluid, oil changes are $30 with the oil and filter I use.

Parts, fluids, it all adds up.

[Boomhauer]

People don't work for free, tools cost money, got to pay for the building, taxes, etc.

When I change my tranny fluid, I probably have close to $70 in fluid, oil changes are $30 with the oil and filter I use.

Parts, fluids, it all adds up.

Routine maintenance is cheaper than a ride on the hook and a stay in the shop...but $1500 every two years...I'd sure like to see what that consists of and such.


I still say that that many problems in less than 100k in a normal daily driver vehicle, particularly one that is fairly decently cared for, is a bad sign. A vehicle should hit the 100k mark easily with nothing more than routine maintenance, most of which is fluid changes as Charby says.

[Tallpine]

Routine maintenance is cheaper than a ride on the hook and a stay in the shop...but $1500 every two years...I'd sure like to see what that consists of and such.

I still say that that many problems in less than 100k in a normal daily driver vehicle, particularly one that is fairly decently cared for, is a bad sign. A vehicle should hit the 100k mark easily with nothing more than routine maintenance, most of which is fluid changes as Charby says.

I don't remember the list of all the things they required my mom to have done just to satisfy the warranty 

Our little 2006 Chevy - everything that has gone wrong with it in 80K miles is stupid crap with the keys and shifter and door latches, etc etc etc.  I dunno if it is a good vehicle engine & transmission wise but I don't think the rest of it will last that long to find out.      I'm totally pi$$ed with it right now    (spent all yesterday afternoon getting the anti-theft system straightened out so we could start it again)

[K Frame]

"Then again, they didn't drive around like an old man."

Seems to me that that may be serving me well, as I'm not coming in here every three months going "I was driving really, really fast and stupidly and something broke on the car. Again." 

[K Frame]

Who's sinking $1,500 every two years into routine maintenance?

I'm not.

This is the 105K timing belt replacement. You do NOT want to cheap out on this particular maintenance item with ANY car that has timing belts and an interference engine. The results WILL be catastrophic if the belt breaks.

At the same time the timing belts are replaced in a Subaru, it's prudent to replace the water pump. The labor to replace the timing belts is virtually identical to the water pump, so you do them at the same time. My water pump is showing signs of leaking, so I'm not all that upset at it. I don't like where Subaru has chosen to put its waterpump, but you live with it for the many other positive attributes of the car.

I'm also having the outer axel boots replaced. They're torn. Another thing that goes bad.

This is a 2006 Outback. I bought it 2.5 years ago. I fully expect it to last me at LEAST another 5 to 10 years.

The Outback that this one replaced was a 1997. I had it just shy of 10 years. I had one wheel bearing go bad, had to do the timing belts, and had the head gaskets go. I also did the brakes and replaced the tires. Over the life of that car I figure I averaged about $200-$300 per year routine maintenance (stuff that I had to farm out to a shop).

I don't think that's bad at all.

I would have kept it, except at 14 years old, it was starting to exhibit signs that I was going to have to put a LOT of money into it. The power steering seals were leaking, the oil pump O ring was leaking and oil usage was increasing, the AC was starting to get a bit wonky (but still worked), the brakes were going to need to be replaced, the exhaust system was showing signs of major problems, and I was having rust starting to come through around the windshield (which had been replaced before I bought the car due to a bad stone chip).

I buy used cars. I let other people take the depreciation and deal with any recalls, and I buy very carefully.

Any car/brand can have problems.  And any other can CAUSE problems that he attributes to the car/company. One of my favorites in that vein was a former coworker (he was a moron) who changed his oil and put in brake fluid instead of oil. Of course, the engine blew in short order. To this day he insists that it was Ford's fault, not his, and he won't buy another Ford because they won't honor their warranty... Right.

[K Frame]

Oh, and Chris?

I've known probably triple the number of Subaru owners you have, if not more. Quite a few of my friends and acquaintances have them, I'm quite active on several Subaru owner's boards with probably 10,000 to 15,000 members total, and I've been to a number of club events.

Out of all of the owners whom I know personally, having met them in the flesh, I can think of only one who has had a spontaneous engine failure. It was due to a timing belt failing, which was fixed under warranty without hesitation.

I can't think of anyone reporting a sudden onset transmission failure, either among the owners I know, or board members.

So, I really have to put your friends' experiences with their Subarus down to either owner abuse/inattention or a cluster anomaly.

As a class, though, I can say without reservation that the Subaru owners I know are generally extremely pleased with their Subarus, and many have multiple current and past Subarus and have every intention of purchasing another Subaru.

I have absolutely no doubt that my next car will be a Subaru.

Or an Aston Martin.

But probably a Subaru. :)

[Scout26]

While this may cause the end of the universe as we know it, I do have to agree with Mike.  


Once my Saab hit the 12 year mark (and Saab had gone TU), I started doing research on what would replace it.  

My needs were: good FWD or preferably 4/AWD.  Manual Transmission. Enough space to haul a couple dead deer/hunting&camping gear/football/baseball crap and the like.  Good warranty, good history of quality.


And I talked to people about what they drove.  When I talked to ones that owned Subaru's they were almost* unanimous in their praise for not only their cars but also the company and the dealership near here^#.

Like Saab, they came up with solid designs and only slightly modified them to improve the quality based upon customer/field experience and input.   Not radical re-designs year after year after year like the other car companies.   Plus it was made here, in America^@.

And with USAA I got over $5,000 off the list price.    Yes, That is correct.  I got a new $23,000 car for $18,000 and change after plates and taxes.   I checked Kelly Blue book a week or so ago and my car is STILL valued for much more than what I paid.

And I know how to drive in bad weather having lived here in Chicago for 30 years^%.  


*- One guy who had a Tribeca complained about it's poor weight to power ratio with the four cylinder engine.  The car is simply to heavy and gets poor gas mileage compared to their Legacy.  Which he uses as his everyday driver (he sells to grocery stores all over the Chicagoland area and puts on 50-60k miles per year.)  
 
# Gerald Subaru, 3.6 miles from my house straight down Naperville Rd.  They also provide a free lifetime powertrain warranty above and beyond Subaru's.  They got great reviews from the Subaru owners I talked to about their customer service.  Not one "They screwed up and fixed it" story, all "They do great work at a great price" stories.

@- Lafayette, IN, we drive by everytime we go to Indianapolis.   (It's on the Bataan Memorial Hwy in Lafayette.   )

%- Except the four years, I was in Germany.  On a Mountain.  In the Schnee Eifel.  Where we would look down at the tops of the clouds.  

[41magsnub]

I declare today APS Subaru day!  Let it be written.


I can't imagine a Tribecca with a 4 banger.  My mom has a 2006 with the 6 and while it is decent, it is certainly not overpowered.

[brimic]

I prefer to pay for parts and maintenance than car payments, but I'm a cheap bastage.
My everyday driver (not a Honda) is 16 years old,has a 1/4 million miles on it, ain't pretty, but I haven't made a payment on it in 14 years.
I figure if I have to budget $50-100 a month to keep it up, I'm still way ahead of making regular car payments.

[Tallpine]

I'm also having the outer axel boots replaced. They're torn. Another thing that goes bad.

AFAIK, you can't replace the axle boots.  You have to replace the axle.  Maybe they have changed ...?


I'm sure Subaru is perfect for many people.  We had a bad experience with a used one from the only dealer in this half of the state, so I'm pretty sour.

Also, my mom and a neighbor have one, and I find the seats to be too low and hard to get in and expecially out of.  Our crappy little Chevy is much more truck-like and it is bad enough (a half ton 2wd pickup is about right for me - not too high and not too low).