Honda Problems

I think what’s happening when you open the fuel cap, Frank, is not a release of pressure, but rather a release of vacuum. As your car uses petrol, the level in the tank gets lower. If the tank can’t `breathe’, allowing air to fill that space in the tank, a vacuum is created. Eventually, the vacuum becomes so powerful that the car’s fuel pump can no longer drag fuel from the tank to the engine and the car stalls.

When you remove the fuel cap, hey presto, the vacuum is released and the fuel pump can do its thing once more. In modern cars, this is often caused by the charcoal canister (a part of the pollution-control equipment) becoming clogged and not allowing air back into the fuel tank. I’ve actually seen cases so bad that the vacuum has actually collapsed the fuel tank under the car (must have been a powerful fuel pump).

Driving around with no fuel cap on is both dangerous and illegal (it renders those pollution controls useless because it allows fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere) so the solution is to find out where the blockage is and replace the relevant parts. Like I said, I’d start with the charcoal canister in the engine bay. It could even be that dust or dirt is blocking one of the rubber hoses that link the pollution gear systems. It might seem like a big problem, but from the symptoms you’ve listed, I think it’ll be an easy fix.

The issue of a lack of performance from the Honda’s 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine is one that has been noted in the past, David. It stems not from the fact that it’s a four-cylinder, rather the way it has been tuned and specified at the factory. Like a lot of Honda engines, the engine was designed to deliver good horsepower and high revs and, while that makes for a sporty feel in the right car, it does nothing for the Odyssey’s role as a people-mover.

The root problem here is that the engine is tuned to make its maximum torque (the force that actually accelerates the car) at 4000rpm. Combine that with the odd nature of the standard CVT transmission and you had a recipe for a car that could feel quite lethargic around town. Throw in a full complement of six bodies and their luggage, and things only got worse.

Unfortunately, there’s no real way around this. You could have the engine retuned with an aftermarket chip in the computer, but it may not do very much except increase fuel consumption. At that same time, you could wave goodbye to any remaining factory warranty as it applied to the driveline. Manufacturers don’t like customers tinkering with that stuff and will usually claim that the modifications contributed to the mechanical failure.

All that being said, I have heard of people `chipping’ the Odyssey’s engine. But of all the examples I’ve seen, the net gain was just 11 or 12 or so kiloWatts; not enough to warrant the cost or transform the vehicle in any major way. Even then, I’d imagine the extra power to be high in the rev range, not down low where you want it.

Honda’s solution to navigation was to equip its lower-spec Civics of this period with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which allowed you to use the navigation apps on your smartphone to interface with the car’s info screen. If you wanted stand-alone, factory satellite navigation, you needed to spend up a bit bigger and buy the VTi-LX version of the Civic which had a Garmin system that also featured live traffic updates.

With the ignition on press Home button, then in turn Settings, Clock info, and Clock adjustment. You can then adjust the time. It is also shown in your owner’s manual.

There’s not much between them, but the Honda is regarded as being a little better than the Nissan overall. It’s well-equipped, good value, and practical. Another to consider is the Mazda CX-5.

It should be ok, but to be sure I suggest you contact Vicroads who will be able to put you in touch with one of their approved engineers. In turn they will be able to tell you if you would be contravening an ADR. By modifying the car you will affect the factory warranty in those areas you change.

There was a lot of trouble with the auto transmission in the Jazz of that era. You don’t say if the transmission that was fitted was new or used; if it were used I would suggest the transmission is the problem. You also mention the fluid being changed, it’s very important that Honda fluid is used, and you say it was when it was changed, but you don’t say what oil was in the transmission before it was changed. The damage might have been done before the fluid was changed. I think you could be up for another transmission.

It’s anticipated that the HRV will get a minor upgrade only.

Hyundai has the Elantra, Honda the Civic, and Toyota the Camry. All can be bought as sedans and all fall within your budget. For mine the Camry represents the best value for the money.