2007 CR-V AWD - Bent-Valve's Daily

I had just been posting in whatever thread I open recently and decided that I should separate it from Panther and Mazda stuff.

A little background, I bought this 2007 CR-V with 104k, its an EX with leather seats, blah, blah blah. The cd changer had committed suicide and when I put oil in the gunk I could see in the valve cover told me it hadn't been cared for quite right. I wouldn't have looked a CR-V but a dealer suggested it and after I did look at it I wish I had gotten one years ago. For a daily it is great, good mileage, AWD, 4 seats, and the right height to just slide right into the seat and out. Pyro likes the hatch for when we shop better than her truck.

Since I was driving a semi at the time I had it serviced at a shop, changed all the fluids, or so I thought. You'll see why I wonder if something was skipped soon.

Fast forward to last week, It has 196000 miles now, I had put a new battery in before  winter and knew the starter was going bad. The starter died a few days ago. So I put a starter in, whoo-hoo, it cranks better than ever.

Next morning five miles to work:

It was just a starter? How could I screw that up?

It would chug when I tried to give it throttle. Turned around, went home and got the RX-8, went to work. That night it didn't show any codes. The check engine light was on, but no codes? I reset it.

I did another update on my OBD reader. Next morning on the way to work it fired off again. I got the code this time:

VTEC system solenoid! I was kind of happy, I mean I was trying to figure out how I screwed up a starter install, had nothing to do with the starter! Chugged to work since I was close.

When I was putting the starter in I noticed the antifreeze wasn't blue, not even close. So I stopped and got Seafoam and dumped the WHOLE can in the oil. (oil life was at 50% btw) Got distilled water, antifreeze and oil change. Drove the chugging Honda home. Dumped a 1/2 can of Marvel Mystery Oil in on top of the Seafoam. Ran it some and let it sit overnight.

Next day I start by draining the antifreeze, filling it with distilled water and running it up to temp. Then draining that out. The pictures tell the whole story, and yes that is the antifreeze that came out.....

No that's not tea, or honey, or .... whatever... So I filled it up with new BLUE antifreeze.

Now onto P2646, low electrical signal or low oil pressure in the solenoid. Supposedly the first thing you do is change the oil. I knew my oil was not that old and I had kept it changed since I got it.

The solenoid is behind the engine, you will need a mirror and light. There's room if you're a really limber person to get your arms back there.

Once you take it out (connectors, 3 bolts, 10 mm heads) it has a gasket screen that sometimes is clogged. Go ahead and clean that up.

Put it back together, easier said than done, change the oil which is really brown / black. And so far no code. There is another screen on the block under the belt tensioner. If it throws another code I'll clean that one too, but the first wasn't that dirty.

I want 2 things, drive this to 200K miles, only 4k to go. Then to drive it to 204k miles, that will be my 100k in it. I guess I might try to get another 100k out of it, so 3 things really.

No code but did a hard brake check.

As the large white SUV started across the road in front of me all I could think was "but I just fixed it". Antilock brakes will lock briefly and squeal tires if you bend the brake pedal.

We didn't hit them and the people behind us didn't hit us but that was a close one.

If kid#2 heads far north these are on the short list. My niece has one and I like it. 

I have seen these screens plug up enough to throw the code on at 40k miles if poorly serviced and short trip driving. Especially a driver who never winds it out. Newspaper delivery use specifically. You probably did fix it. Make sure you run the revs up at least once a day when the engine is fully warmed up.

These are popping on my Radar as a DD candidate.

Also yes, the VTEC solenoid placement is problematic.

TurnerX19 said:

I have seen these screens plug up enough to throw the code on at 40k miles if poorly serviced and short trip driving. Especially a driver who never winds it out. Newspaper delivery use specifically. You probably did fix it. Make sure you run the revs up at least once a day when the engine is fully warmed up.

I think it is fixed also. We went to dinner and shopping and it didn't go off. 30 miles or so.

I'll post any maintenance here and the next thing is to flush the brakes. 

I should have taken pictures of the starter install. I found you can get the intake out but it is tight.

For a month my CR-v drove just fine, no codes, anything. Then it decided it was jealous of the Grand Marquis getting all the attention.

Hooked to a trailer heading into town to get lumber the right rear brake stuck. SOOooooo ......

A c clamp to push the piston back in. And a pile of parts, sorry RockAuto I needed them quick...

Line up my sockets. This Craftsman Rachet has been with me for 43 years. Yes it has gone through a couple of sets of insides. But it is part of a set my dad gave me. I still have the carb wrenches! They are tiny box end wrenches that look like something for a mouse.

Didn't take long to pop it all off. The disc is ruined from the heat, its blue.

And back together. The pic doesn't show the blue nicely but its a color many gunsmiths would love on their work, minus the ruined metallurgy.

Sharp eyed readers will notice the date change on pics. I didn't have any DOT 4 at home, I suctioned out the reservoir and filled it with clean fluid and pumped a bit through the system while bleeding the brakes. 

Stay tuned, next months episode will contain .....................  

I'm a huge fan of these cars. I put my oldest daughter into one last fall as her first car. I've even thought about getting one for myself but I'd prefer the boxier earlier gen CRV for ultimate dorkiness factor.

My sister had the prior gen. She drove it until it got wrecked I think, now bought a 2013 and loves it.

Its not a car / suv you look at twice until you have one. Then you love it.

Service is pretty easy on most things, the brakes are quick to change. The K motor just keeps running. Its not a powerhouse but its not a complete slug either. It flat towed a ZX2 from Tennessee to Missouri, about 525 miles. I wouldn't recommend that though, if the tire had blown like it did when I was towing it with the Ridgeline it would have put me in the ditch.

To finish another 100k I think I would do a few things.

1) run cleaner through the intake / combustion chamber to remove build up

2) replace the timing chain and tension parts

3) flush all the transmission fluids

I do have a shimmy that is probably an axle and I need to replace them. When I was on the road commercial driving I had the struts replaced at a local shop I trust.

On this months installment of Bent-Valves daily we tackle the shimmy in the steering.

Oh and this happened this morning:

No, not the tpms light the 200000th mile!

So I have a shimmy when I accelerate, it might be the constant velocity shafts, its not the tire balance.

If you have to do this its pretty quick, here is the first one. Jack it up, pop the tir off, loosen the axle nut, 2 nuts and a bolt holding the ball joint. Pop it out of the trans, and its disassembled.

It was a little loose but not terrible. I am not an expert on CV joints but I understand the left one usually wears more. Let reassemble!

Oh, BTW I have used this thing for everything but a tire. Its great for prying the lower arm down to get the ball joint lined up.

Its flat and easy to use for this.

Onto the passenger side!

And then I found this, like I said I'm no expert, that said, I don't think a cv joint should be THIS flexible and loose.

Yup, found my shimmy.

And just so you know, the axle nuts are tough, tougher than this 1/2 extension.

Stay tuned next month for nitrous, turbo and supercharging, just kidding, I wanted to see if you were reading or just looking at the pictures! LOL. I'm sure something will need attention though!

Same Bat Time! Same Bat Channel!

Edit: I got started about 7, replaced them, test drove it, put everything up in the barn, showered and posted this by 9:54. So they aren't hard.

Change the rear diff fluid. 

Seriously.

Even when you think it's working smoothly, new rear diff fluid makes the car more pleasant to drive. It's usually the most neglected maintenance of AWD Hondas, and it makes quite an impact on smoothness of operation. 

Drove to work today, steering wheel was steady, no shimmy in the front end,

Back end? 

Just ordered rear cv shafts from Rockauto. The front was bad, but I think the rear is worse, I just couldn't tell with the front end shaking like it did.

-- Good advice Cousin_Eddie, I'll get it changed in the process of doing the rest of this.

In reply to Bent-Valve :

check tire balance!

Out of balance tires don't clank. They are seriously worn, I am taking it easy until I get them replaced.

Although the tires probably need balanced.

I have gone quite a while without maintenance except oil changes and easy stuff, its not surprising that things need attention.

In reply to Cousin_Eddie :  

Very important advice, indeed.  We had a 2007 with AWD that was in the family from new.  I took it past 100k and always serviced the diff wit this stuff:

 You have to remove the small skid plate to get to the fill/drain plugs, but it’s easy.  Stick to the recommended change interval or else it will start getting noisy.  A fluid change will generally quiet it down.

The CRV was a wholly enjoyable utilitarian vehicle.  Well balanced too!

Is the CRV , civic based?

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

Originally yes it was, used the same parts if what I saw was true. I am not sure it still shares those same parts.

If it does maybe a an awd civic could show up at the Challenge.

No pics ,sorry.

Got the right rear cv shaft in last night. It went good except for ripping out the traction sensor, breaking a good sway bar connector and smashing my middle finger between the compressed strut and the a arm.

    Ok so it wasn't quite as easy as the front.

I'll do the other side tonight or tomorrow and get pics. You have to take the entire rear suspension loose to get enough distance to get the shaft out.

On the humorous side, a sound effect person for movies could have used my combination "yelp - oww - gah" for an academy award when I smashed my finger.

I had mentioned earlier in this thread that I had gotten a CRV for my 16 year old daughter. Recently I had to get it inspected and do a little maintenance on it. It took me less than 1 mile of driving it to realize that I am a full blown jackass for daily driving a Land Cruiser (pictured in background). I really need to get one of these for my own.

What great cars these are.

I have pictures some where from changing rear cv shafts. Then last week it munched on the left rear bearing.

So here is a gratuitous parts porn shot:

The plugs and coils are for the RX-8. The hub is for the CR-V.

I'm pretty sure I put it back in clocked different than it has been for 201k miles and that made it commit suicide.

I just got some more done on the porch I started 2 weeks ago. I'll work on the Honda tomorrow.

I need one more piece of metal. And some sealant around the door and some corners of the metal.

I'll post more later.

I really need to get one of these for my own.

What great cars these are.

This is one of my favorite modern car designs for just being a good car.  Plenty of foibles but enough Honda-ness to make me like it enough to fix it. Even replacing the evaporator after the compressor explodes isn't too bad once you saw through part of the dashboard as Honda recommends.. 

I always keep an eye out for 5spd CR-V of this gen and Elements for dirt cheap, but unfortunately since they're good they never seem to be dirt cheap.  

Vigo said:

Blah blah blah -- compressor explodes isn't too bad once you saw through part of the dashboard as Honda recommends..

  I have been waiting for the black death explosion thing, I DID NOT know I would be sawing through the dash.....

Bump. Abuse. Gratuitous pic.

5000 lb. Capacity trailer w 500 lb welder. Class one hitch. Someday I need a better hitch, on a bigger vehicle. 

Also, have you ever tried to organize every tool you have?

Version 2, 16 feet of pegboard. Buckets of broken / extra / cheap tools I'm getting rid of.

I'm on the down hill run of reorganization. 

Bent-Valve said:

To finish another 100k I think I would do a few things.

1) run cleaner through the intake / combustion chamber to remove build up

2) replace the timing chain and tension parts

3) flush all the transmission fluids

On point 2, there is a little 3 bolt mini cover on the side of the timing drive cover that will get you access to the chain tensioner so you can take a peak and see how far it is extended. This will give you an idea of how worn the chain is. It took 170+k of long oil change intervals and short trips for my moms to finally throw a cam position code. I have a pic somewhere of how far the tensioner was extended. I'll see if I can find it.