Went to leave Thursday morning for a quick trip, moved the Honda behind the MH and hooked up the tow bar. I needed to adjust the brake cable between MH and toad and do a few other things so I turned it off.
About 15 minutes later I went to start it and only got a relay click. After several attempts I noticed that when I first turned the ignition on, the "D" light on the gear indicator was lit (green) for a few seconds - the "P" indicator was red and the shift lever was in park physically as well.
After a few seconds the green "D" light would go out and only light up again if I moved the gear selector.
I'm suspecting that somewhere a circuit thinks that the vehicle is in drive and won't let me start it, no matter where the physical shift lever is. I've tried it with the shift lever showing Park, Neutral and still no joy.
I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar or has any ideas before I look into having it towed for service (on a flat bed).
P.S. Didn't totally ruin the trip, convinced the DW to drive one of our non-towable vehicles behind me to the campground around 80 miles away.
Thanks
Chris
2003 Dutch Star 4005
1999 Dutch Star DP 3865
2001 Honda CRV - Ready Brute Elite Tow Bar/Blue Ox Base plate
Retired Canadian Army WO (1971-2000)
All of the starting stuff is interlocked with the brake switch. Do the brake lights work? If not check the 15 Amp fuse in the under hood fuse box, if that's OK check the brake light switch. Next in the fuse box in the car check fuse #10 and #7 both 7.5 Amp fuses, they are also in the shift lock system.
Rock the steering wheel back and forth to make sure it is not locked.
2000 Sea Breeze F53 V10 - CR-V Toad
Some RV batteries live a long and useful life, some are murdered. Get a Digital Multimeter and Learn How to Use It
garm144;
Good point, never thought to check the toad brake lights etc, will check them out along with the fuses. I did have a quick look at fuses in general but I was a getting frustrated with the toad by that time and may have missed something.
Now that we are back I have the time and patience.
I wish you success with your CRV problem. I am a CRV owner but fortunately have never had that problem and I hope I never do. I hope you will post the "fix" in case some of us ever do have a similar issue, thanks, Don
2003 Dolphin Model 5380, Workhorse 8.1, 04 Honda CRV, Brake Buddy, Blue Ox, Banks System, Garmin 7200.
The clue that makes me beleive that it is a dead battery is you said when you went to start it it just "clicked". (and your observation of the shift lights not being right, dead battery) That is an indication that the battery is dead or a battery cable is loose or dirty. DO you have a good volt meter? If so check the battery first. That is also the first step in troubleshooting any electrical problem. Batteries do fail just like this ,one time they work and the next time just a few minutes later they don't. Just an educated hunch on my part. P. S. your Honda is 10 years old, the first battery probably lasted 5 years and the second battery is now 5 years old and probably seen it's life.
Let us know what you find out.
Othertonka
2004 Southwind 32VS 8.1 Workhorse chassis
2002 CRV Toad
U. S. Gear Unified brake system
Retired Fire Captain, SFD
About 15 minutes later I went to start it and only got a relay click. After several attempts I noticed that when I first turned the ignition on, the "D" light on the gear indicator was lit (green) for a few seconds - the "P" indicator was red and the shift lever was in park physically as well.
After a few seconds the green "D" light would go out and only light up again if I moved the gear selector.
Thanks
Chris
I also think you have a dead battery. My Honda Odyssey has similar engine/transmission (I think). When I first turn on the key, my lights for the shift indicator illuminate exactly as you have described. The only difference is that mine cranks. Let us know what you find.
Fred
Fred & Vicki
Richmond Hill, Ga
2000 Holiday Rambler Endeavor/Freightliner/330 Cat
2000 Honda Odyssey toad w SMI Silent Partner braking system
Tire Sentry monitoring system
Just an update;
Checked all the fuses an all are OK, brake lights work etc.
The battery was OK according to my meter, but I replaced it anyway as it had run down on me a couple of times before and was old and dirty.
The "D" light being on for a few seconds is a non-issue according the owners manual. This is normal. and a relief in a way as it probably rules out a transmission lock issue.
Still won't start - I'm suspecting a bad starter solenoid or a bad starter. When the rain stops here I will give the starter a couple of "taps" with a hammer to see if that is the problem.
If not I guess it is a tow to a garage for an mechanic to look at it.
remember if you have to have it towed, make sure they use a "Sled" type tow truck where they put the whole car on a flatbed type so the wheels do not turn. You can not use a tow truck that just picks the front wheels off the ground. The details are in the owners manual. 4 down or 4 up is the way I remember it.
Did you carefully check each cable connection for corrosion? At the age of your vehicle, the battery cables (especially) and starter cables can start getting pretty cruddy looking.
You can't really test a battery with a normal voltmeter UNLESS you are monitoring the battery voltage while someone engages the starter. (Batteries can be near dead and still measure 12V on a DMM when unloaded. Put a load on it, though, and that voltage will drop if the battery is not up to snuff.) When the starter is engaged, you'll see the voltage drop down a couple of volts even on a good battery. On a weak/bad battery, the terminal voltage will drop to just a few volts (and all of the lights on the vehicle will dim/shut off).
Could you have someone engage the starter while you measure the battery voltage? If you don't see the voltage drop, that is most likely because of corrosion on the cables between the battery and the starter, or the battery ground(s). Also check the ground(s) that run from the chassis to the engine. It could be the starter relay as well. If you know what you're doing, you can bypass the relay and see if the starter spins.
But clean and inspect ALL cables that involve the battery/starter circuit before buying anything else. (At some time in my past (not all on the same vehicle) I have replaced a battery, relay or starter only to find out the problem was a bad/corroded cable connection. Now I always inspect and clean the cables first.) Inspect the cables carefully to make sure the insulation hasn't been compromised and allowed corrosion to attack the copper in the cable.
Good Luck,
~Rick
2005 Georgie Boy 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22 (Class A)
Rick, Gail, 1 girl (16-Angel, Lexi96.org), 1 girl (11), 2 boys (12 & 9).
2001 Honda Odyssey, Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.
I've check all the connections/cables and they are good. I've tried tapping the starter motor, but it is difficult to reach and my taps weren't the hardest.
Still hear a relay "hum" when I turn the key. I need to wait for the DW so I can be under the hood to locate the sound.
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