Still at the dealer

My car is still at the Honda dealer....

They replaced the coil. They replaced the sensor. Engine still
misfiring. They cleaned the fuel injectors. Engine still misfiring.
Last I heard they had replaced a fuel injector and are testing it.

I have called the 800# way back when I first started posting here. I
play phone tag with the rep. I ask her to call my cell #. There is at
least a week between return calls that will go by. She never calls my
cell#. She always calls my home # when I'm not here. I have gotten
several surveys regarding recent service that I have turned with
dissatisfied/poor.

It seems like no one cares. The dealership does not call to update me
on the status of the car. I have to call if I want to know what's
going on.

I'm thoroughly discouraged. My husband & I are talking about trading
the car in (when/if I ever get it back) for a minivan. Unfortunately
the only one I want is the Odyessy, but if this is the way Honda is
going to treat me, I doubt we'll even consider it.

 

---------------------------------------------

I feel for ya.

Did you tell us about your vehicle before, possibly under a different
user name, or is this just out-of-the-blue?

Tell us more, or give us a link to the original post.

'Curly'

 

I distinctly remember the original post around two months ago but not
the poster's handle. The general consensus (at the time) was for her to
call the Honda 800 number as she was getting no where with the dealer.

Doesn't sound like things are going very well.

JT

 

Ahhh... The Google Newsread is back to working properly.

Here is the link to my original post

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.autos.makers.honda/browse_frm/thread/7ff5f1237c926f27/d4b4a903ecbf5207?lnk=gst&q=pissed&rnum=1#d4b4a903ecbf5207

When I first took my car in for service (7/30/06) I had an upcoming
vacation & needed the car. The dealer told me it was perfectly safe to
drive & gave the car back to me 5 days after bringing it in although
the problem hadn't been resolved. I kept the car two weeks before I
returned it to the dealer. I believe I brought it back on 8/14/2006.

I've had the car for a day or two here and there and the engine light
keeps coming back on. At which point I return the car to the dealer.
This last time I had the car for almost a week & the engine light came
back on.

The car is back at the dealer as of today 10/5 after having just picked
it up again on 9/27.

I called the 800# as suggested. The person calls me back perhaps a
week later if she even bothers to call at all. I called last week and
spoke with someone who said they would have a call returned
immediately. Still haven't heard from anyone. I called today & the
rep. claims everyone is at lunch & she will put a note on their desk to
call me when they get back. The case was closed because they couldn't
get in touch with me. I'm beyond upset. They have called & left
messages. I call & leave messages also. They have my cell #, but
never have called it. I'm not gone any more than anyone else. My
husband is home all day because he work from home. He's taken a total
of 2 messages for me.

I am going to keep calling Honda till they let me speak with someone
that is going to do something for me.

I'm so annoyed.

Is there anywhere else I can turn?

 

Tell your dealer you want to know the OBD-II error code for EACH INSTANCE
the car was bought in with the light on.

Those codes (a letter and four numbers) are CRITICAL to ANY sort of
diagnosis. They should have recorded the code each time. If they did not,
then they are sloppy.

It is impossible to diagnose an MIL illumination without knowing the error
code. Period. Full stop.

 

In the beginning I was told the engine was misfiring on all cylinders

The misfire codes are P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P0305, &
P0306.

It only misfires when started from cold in the morning. I'm sure
they're only able to get the error in the morning first thing. They
can't recreate it after so they wait for it to cool down. I know that
is part of the problem why they've had the car so long, but it seems to
me they've had it plenty of time to be able to fix it.

They replaced the coil, replaced the sensor, cleaned the fuel
injectors, replaced a fuel injector.

I'm waiting to hear what's going on now.

 

Your state Attorney General who's office generally has a consumer
affairs office.

JT

 

Did these all happen at the same time? I don't think so.

P0300 means a random misfire
P0301 means a misfire in cylinder 1
P0302 means a misfire in cylinder 2
etc...etc...etc.

I find it highly suspicious that you've got a misfire code for EVERY
cylinder your car has. Has anybody ever checked for a loose intake
manifold, or a leaky manifold gasket?

Or for that matter, an air leak ANYWHERE?

 

maybe the crank sensor is loose and rattling about. that'll give random
variation in the crank's angular velocity readings and throw codes like
that...

none of this is really the point. the point is, the dealer needs to fix
it, and fix it *now*. if they have to replace the whole drive train and
control system to achieve that, so be it.

 

kelly, come on, be an adult here. you have remedy in law if you can't
get willing cooperation from the dealer or manufacturer. call an
attorney that specializes in lemon law returns. then buy another car
from a different dealer and never ever return to these clowns again. EVER!

seriously, get a grip on the situation and stop wringing your hands like
a victim. no one wants to hear that. they want to solve the situation
and move on.

 

Or maybe the OP needs to find a different, more competent dealer.

(How do some of these idiots retain their franchises?)

 

----------------------------------

Now things are starting to make more sense. I can understand them
replacing an injector if they think you've got flooding / misfire
troubles. I don't know the whole story, but if this problem only happens
after the Honda has sat overnight, you may have a _dribbling injector_.

Did anybody ever suggest that you should use injector cleaner a couple
times a year to keep you Honda working it's best? You should, or at
least a few tanks of gasohol per year.

Look at what you owner's manual says about 'starting the engine'. It
describes starting in extreme cold, high altitude, and when flooded.
Almost any injected car can get flooded if one injector isn't sealing
shut. It allows all the pressure in the fuel rail to dribble into
cylinder 'x' overnight, and in the morning the engine spins but won't
start for a while, if at all. V6 isn't as bad because one 'bank' of
cylinders isn't flooded nearly as bad as the others, but with a
four-banger you're screwed if you don't know to hold your foot to the
floor and just crank it until it blows a big black PUFF and sputters to
life.

I think your dealer is a dope.

'Curly'

 

I have many choice words for you, but I am an adult therefore I will
just keep them to myself.
I came here because I needed advice on WHAT TO DO. I don't need your
condescending tone. I apologize if I am not as well versed in cars and
as knowledgable on what options are available to me. If I was I
wouldn't have the need to post here.

I will check into the lemon law. I did a quick look online and saw
that the NC lemon law covers cars purchased in NC. My car was
purchased in MA and is currently being serviced in NC.

Thanks for that advice.

 

sorry you feel slighted kelly, but what i told you is the truth. the
only way a dealer can hang on to a vehicle this long and run the clock
out on you is if you let them walk all over you, and with respect,
that's exactly what you're letting them do. they can't do it if you
don't let them because you have legal rights. but /you/ have to stand
up for yourself and use them.

do you think the dealer would try the same trick on me? if not, why
not? that is the question you need to address - it's not about the car.

 

what the **** ever!!!

I don't know how loud I can yell or how many phone calls I can make to
the dealership or the 800# as others have suggested.

i have other things going on in my life that i don't have time to
devote hours to this problem everyday.

i did contact an attorneys office & i am gathering all the
documentation they have requested. we'll see where we get with it.

 

Kelly, the Beamer pulls this stuff so often on so many
different people it's obvious to me he is dealing with his
own issues. Granted now and then he has something
constructive to contribute, and with luck he won't package
it too stupidly. But he does sometimes, and this exchange is
a prime example.

Do not let it get you down. Take the constructive advice of
the others here.

 

Phone calls are fine initially, but I have always found that putting the
issue in writing is more useful because you have a written record. If the
reply comes in the form of a phone call rather than a letter, make a memo
for the record of what was said and so forth,

 

tww

because i don't think i have much to stand on in way of the lemon laws
of MA or NC i was beginning to think of other options. NC lemon law is
for cars sold in NC. MA lemon law is for cars sold in MA. my initial
research shows my car wouldn't come under either because of the mileage
being 46K.

the other day i wrote down a list of dates to i could keep track in my
head of everything that has happened. today marks 51 days my car has
been at the dealer since 7/30.

i think contacting the state atty general and perhaps a reporter that
investigages consumer issues might be a better way to go along with a
letter to Honda. someone above this moron i've been dealing with on
the 800#.

does anyone know who i should address my letter to at honda or an
address?

 

Thanks Elle.

 

Why not just picking up your car from the dealer (with a tow truck if need
be) and having it brought elsewhere?