Semi OT: Honda CR-V Opinions Please............

[Dave M]

OK, still searching for a vehicle. It will be my wifes daily driver and will e used to haul bikes, skis, canoes, possibly tow a hobie cat etc...........

Just went and looked at a high mileage (150k miles / 250k km) 2002 AWD CR-V EX. It spend every winter in Florida (source of high miles) and was driven 90% of the time on the highway. I know the owner and trust him. All service was performed at Honda and the thing does not have a spot of rust.

The SRS and engine light are on. No symptoms associated with the CEL and I'm not afraid of the SRS light. The thing drove great, everthing felt tight and it was as peppy as I'd expect for a small SUV with a 2L engine.

He lives in a small town where everyone drive pick-ups and has had difficulty selling it. For some reason, everyone who has shown interest around here (larger urban center) becomes afraid of it (CEL, SRS, high miles). These suckers and hard to find and usually go for ~$8,000.

I offered $5,000 and he bit. I asked him to let us sleeep on it and we're calling him tomorrow night.

What am I missing here? I know its not a lemon, but too good to be true? Is the CEL on this thing unlike others (which tend to light up to keep service departments busy )? What about the SRS? What could that cost me (assuming I can't remedy it myself)?

Thought I'd share,

Dave

[repenttokyo]

my ex GF's dad had a CRV that he put 500 000 km's on in two years - driving from Cornwall to Mtl and back every day. Car was IMMACULATE inside and out - nothing to indicate that amount of mileage. It was the same year as the one you are looking at. In my opinion, highly reliable automobiles.

[632 Regal]

I would venture a guess that the SRS light is reset-able at the dealer at a nominal cost. The CEL might be similar to the BMWs and possibly you can check the code somehow. Clear and wait for new code?

[Tiger]

Car is worth $7000 in clean condition according to edmunds.com with the mileage. That is assuming no problem with it. So $5000 is a good price since he didn't even try to have it fixed before he sell it.

[Ferret]

The most common cause of Hondas throwing the SRS lights are the seatbelt pyro units. Practically all of my old uni mates that owned hondas at one point had to deal with an SRS lamp cropping up.

It's usually caused by the connector under each front seat - they're extremely vulnerable to coke bottles escaping from the weeks shopping or a whining brat having a tantrum and kicking the crap outta the back of the seats.

Stick your head under both front seats, locate the connector on both sides, pull them apart, spray with contact cleaner and reassemble. Start her up and see if the SRS light disappears... the connector will be obvious because all SRS wiring is shielded in bright yellow sheathes. If I remember correctly, hondas use the generation of SRS systems that self-reset every power on. (Also check for fuses - if one's blown the SRS controller pulls power off a different circuit which you wont find, and it'll throw the error lamp)

If it's throwing a CEL and not running rough, there's a good chance that one or the other of the two O2 sensors is on the blink - this is just speculation but I bet it has one upstream of the cat and one downstream. I've just gone through this diagnosis on a Toyota MR2 - get it code read to see what it's throwing a wobbly about.

Doubtful that you're going to spend a fraction of the $2k saving you make sorting the warning lamps out.

[Dave M]

The most common cause of Hondas throwing the SRS lights are the seatbelt pyro units. Practically all of my old uni mates that owned hondas at one point had to deal with an SRS lamp cropping up.

It's usually caused by the connector under each front seat - they're extremely vulnerable to coke bottles escaping from the weeks shopping or a whining brat having a tantrum and kicking the crap outta the back of the seats.

Stick your head under both front seats, locate the connector on both sides, pull them apart, spray with contact cleaner and reassemble. Start her up and see if the SRS light disappears... the connector will be obvious because all SRS wiring is shielded in bright yellow sheathes. If I remember correctly, hondas use the generation of SRS systems that self-reset every power on. (Also check for fuses - if one's blown the SRS controller pulls power off a different circuit which you wont find, and it'll throw the error lamp)

If it's throwing a CEL and not running rough, there's a good chance that one or the other of the two O2 sensors is on the blink - this is just speculation but I bet it has one upstream of the cat and one downstream. I've just gone through this diagnosis on a Toyota MR2 - get it code read to see what it's throwing a wobbly about.

Doubtful that you're going to spend a fraction of the $2k saving you make sorting the warning lamps out.

Thanks for all the feedback, especially the above by Ferret. I've access to a OBD II reader so will hit both the CEL and SRS issues ASAP.

Keep em comin,

Dave

[Paul in NZ]

my brother in law had one...earlier model,nice little wagon,the auto was brutal on "power downshifts" but i nice practical little wagon,we even did a little off road trip in it.

[Bill R.]

won't be able to pull srs codes with a obd reader. There are around 30 codes for the srs on a 2002 crv depending on whether it has side airbags in the seats and if it has belt tensioners. There are 3 possible variations in the 2002 crv, with driver and passenger front airbags, with d and p bags plus belt tensioners and with d and p bags , tensioners and side air bags in the side of the front seats. Honda has a way to pull the codes without a scan tool using a breakout box on the dlc connector. Shorting pins 4 and nine and counting flashes at the srs connector, they also have a special tool to reset the light after pulling the airbag codes. Its available from Majestic honda for about 4.00 plus handling and shipping , so order other stuff as well such as oil filters,air filters etc to keep the shipping ,handling down.

Part is 07PAZ-0010100 , Your generic obdII tool should pull up the honda engine trouble code, unless its a honda specific code which is quite common. Let me know the code in that case. If you want to spend the money and plan on having the honda for awhile you can buy the autoenginuity enhanced honda scan tool for around 500 using your laptop. This is the cheapest scan tool around that will enable enhanced functions on honda.

Thanks for all the feedback, especially the above by Ferret. I've access to a OBD II reader so will hit both the CEL and SRS issues ASAP.

Keep em comin,

Dave

[Dave M]

won't be able to pull srs codes with a obd reader. There are around 30 codes for the srs on a 2002 crv depending on whether it has side airbags in the seats and if it has belt tensioners. There are 3 possible variations in the 2002 crv, with driver and passenger front airbags, with d and p bags plus belt tensioners and with d and p bags , tensioners and side air bags in the side of the front seats. Honda has a way to pull the codes without a scan tool using a breakout box on the dlc connector. Shorting pins 4 and nine and counting flashes at the srs connector, they also have a special tool to reset the light after pulling the airbag codes. Its available from Majestic honda for about 4.00 plus handling and shipping , so order other stuff as well such as oil filters,air filters etc to keep the shipping ,handling down.

Part is 07PAZ-0010100 , Your generic obdII tool should pull up the honda engine trouble code, unless its a honda specific code which is quite common. Let me know the code in that case. If you want to spend the money and plan on having the honda for awhile you can buy the autoenginuity enhanced honda scan tool for around 500 using your laptop. This is the cheapest scan tool around that will enable enhanced functions on honda.

Thanks Bill, I was hoping you'd respond. I was referring only to the CEL when mentioning pulling codes. I have copied your advice regarding the SRS and will investigate. Is the price you quoted correct ($4.00)? Sounds cheap? Anyhow, I'll check myself.

Any other thoughts? I've heard the AC is an issue on 02/03s (we have little use for AC, but it could represent additional bargaining leverage). Do you concur?

Dave

[Tiger]

Don't bargain anymore... you are likely to lose that friend of yours... you know it is good deal.