[Kristy3]

My husband and I just bought a 2004 Odyssey on Wednesday. We found some issues with the van and took it back to the dealership. They had expressed they would fix it, but when they talked to the man in the service garage he basically shut us down on all but the safety features. I'm a little more than upset, but I have been searching this forum for different things. I have done searches and I don't think I've found all my answers. If it has been covered before, I am really sorry. I tried searching the forum with every search combination I could.

So, we have a DVD player. The screen will flicker when you hit the DVD button up on the radio, but the player itself doesn't seem to turn on and it doesn't suck the disk in at all. I have seen on here that disconnecting the battery or the fuses will work, will that work even if the DVD player doesn't attempt to take the disk?

I saw the instructions on replacing the light behind the clock, so we are going to try and do that, but the radio controls don't light up either. I'm assuming we can replace bulbs when we replace the clock lights. Anyone had this problem and it is something different than the bulbs?

We have controls for the radio on our steering wheel. Sometimes they work right. Sometimes the down button turns the volume up, the up button cycles through presets and the preset button moves the station up. Anyone experience this? We are hoping it's just a crossed wire, but we'll have to wait until we get the van back to look.

It's in the shop getting the brakes looked at. They claimed the brake noise and the shimmying was due to new brakes. I don't think so. It only really happens at higher speeds and it sounds almost like a Big Rig's engine brake.

Listing it all here (plus the things I've left out) makes me wonder why we didn't just return the stupid thing today. I love the van, I really do. I just wish it would work with the features they advertised. Anyway, if anyone has experienced this or has any idea what these things could be caused by, I'd appreciate any advice.

 

[tom34diy]

So, how many miles are on it and did you buy it from a Honda dealer?

Sorry everything does not work, but it is a seven year old van. Can't help with the DVD, but I'd make sure there is not a disc stuck inside already. If the eject button does not remove it (if there is one inside), maybe there is a pinhole where you can insert a paper clip to push it out.

As for the radio controls, this is a common problem just with the way the controls were made. We just got used to ours doing that and quit using it. Some things just aren't worth fixing.

On the brakes, are you sure they are the cause of the noise? I would be concerned about that noise, and most importantly, I'd make sure the transmission had the recall work done if you VIN fell in the range of the recall. It was to install a cooling jet. You can look at where the transmission fluid would be put in, and if it is covered where you cannot put in fluid, then you probably have the cooling jet installed. Or, go to a dealer and ask them to check the records, or maybe just check car fax and see if the recall work is still outstanding. Good luck.

 

[Kristy3]

It has about 97,000 miles on it. The reason we think it's the brakes that make that noise is because when I rode in the very back, it shook a bit when the brakes were hit. I'll check the transmission when we get it back.

I think what annoyed me was the attitude of the dealership. They were all "Yeah, we'll fix everything for you." Then when we show up, they told us too bad so sad. They were just not very friendly about the whole thing.

Thanks for your help!

 

[tom34diy]

One other thing you might want to double check is that the rear side windows operate. Those power motors are known to stop working. And, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the timing belt should be replaced at seven years or 105,000 miles, so yours is due by age. That is a $700-$1,000 job, but very very important. I doubt it has been done and could have played a role in the prior owner's decision to trade.

BTW, we really liked our 2004 EX and even liked some things on it better than on our 2011. I expect it will provide you many years of good service.

 

[Kristy3]

The rear side windows work. It's good to know what to check.

The two days we had it before we had to take it back for the brakes, I really liked the van. I like Honda's in general, so I may be biased.

Thanks for the warning on the timing belt. We are going to be taking a trip with the van this coming weekend (Assuming it's in running order), it's good to know what to check before we leave. I mentioned it to my husband and he said on the paperwork the timing belt was already changed. I know it said the serpentine belt was changed, but I'll have to double check the timing belt. The people who had the van before us took it to the dealership for all it's maintenance. They took really good care of it. It had oil changes like clockwork, transmission fluid flushes and checks, and it was all documented.

Thank you guys for all the advice and things to check for. It's really helpful!

 

[psu ody fan]

I will point out that it is a major mistake to take the dealer at their word that they would fix problems you found. Always get something like that in writing. Better yet, you should have had them fix these items prior to signing any paperwork to buy the van.

 

[VARam1500]

Regarding the brake noise, we recently had one of the rear brake rotors start to get warpy and it made the same kind of sound (like a jake brake). I took the caliper off and pulled the rotor. I took to to a shop and had it turned for $20 and the noise went away. It was pretty easy to do.