Honda CR-V 1998-2000

Captain Slow IRL

Any owners on here?! Looking at getting one, is there much difference in mpg between manual and auto? Any typical nct failure areas with them?

Anyone selling one?!

Captain Slow IRL

Any takers on this?!

jayok

Didn't have one, but looked at them at the time.

They came as non-VTEC 2.0 petrols. Solid engine, but a bit of an alcoholic. Considered very reliable, once serviced and no too sensative to service intervals, though a well maintained one is recommended.

Weak point is the rear-diff-clutch-thingy. That is the mechanism that enabled the 4WD. The CR-V isn't permanent 4WD and the rear-wheels only engage when the front wheels slip. What's important here is that the fluid was change at 75k miles and/or 8 years. Most people didn't do this and it results in premature failure and grinding on full lock (as the front wheels slip in this formation).

Beyond that it was based on the most simple and reliable of Honda's development period. As such, a well maintained one will go and go and go.

I suppose those a 98-00 one will be 14-12 years old now, other things to watch would be rubbers, bushes, etc. But these are age related items rather than design problems.

jayok

Oh and on the Auto vs Manual. The Auto box design is pretty old in it and is only a 4 speed. As such, the gears are quite long and makes it sluggish to move and it seems to overrev while cruising.

The manual is a bog-standard solid 5-speed.

In terms of consumption I believe the Auto was about 22mpg whereas the Manual was about 28mpg (no idea of that new fangled l/100km)

maddness

I used to sell Hondas when this model CRV was around and they were very popular. They are very heavy on petrol with low 20's for the manual and even worse for the auto but are typical of the 90's honda with a strong engine and very good build quality.
If its cheap why not.

Captain Slow IRL

I'm looking for something as a relatively cheap runabout, may have to commute later on in the year so looking for something that isn't stupid on fuel consumption.
It seems to be very hard to find any fuel consumption figures for it online.

George Dalton

They drink petrol, especially at motorway speeds.

I wouldn't be an expert on them reliability wise as we only look after a few examples. They seem to be a typical bulletproof Honda though. I think the only parts I have ever had to change on them apart from service parts are a couple of CV joint boots, plus front upper wishbones and lower balljoints are a bit of a weak point. The CV boots and balljoints are cheap but the upper arms cost a few quid.

Captain Slow IRL

Picked up one (1998) yesterday, fuel consumption isn't that bad. I stuck €40 into her and drove about 130 miles. Put up another 20 miles today. If I can get 200 before needle goes back to original, I'll be getting about 34/35mpg out of it.

I have to say it handles excellantly, like a tall car more than anything.

jayok

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

Picked up one (1998) yesterday, fuel consumption isn't that bad. I stuck €40 into her and drove about 130 miles. Put up another 20 miles today. If I can get 200 before needle goes back to original, I'll be getting about 34/35mpg out of it.

I have to say it handles excellantly, like a tall car more than anything.

Congrats - 34/35 mpg is WAY better than I done with the next Generation one (02 - 06) I had.

In terms of handling, your right, they are more car like. It also helps that they've double wishbone suspension!

Best of luck with the car, I hope it serves you well.

Captain Slow IRL

Thanks!

I was taking it easy on the way home, it was dark on roads I didn't know. It's a refreshing change from the beemers I've had!

langdang

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

Picked up one (1998) yesterday, fuel consumption isn't that bad. I stuck €40 into her and drove about 130 miles. Put up another 20 miles today. If I can get 200 before needle goes back to original, I'll be getting about 34/35mpg out of it.

I have to say it handles excellantly, like a tall car more than anything.

Was away when you posted originally.
Had one, but a 00 one so it had the B20Z (150hp) engine rather than the B20.
30+ mpg, but very little town or motorway driving. On the odd occasion I had it on a motorway, I didn't notice much difference in mpg with just two people and zero load. Guzzled petrol when driven hard on the motorway fully loaded with adults and gear for a holidays. Meh.

Mechanic advised me to only use 5w30 semi synthetic in it - he reckons the number one cause of death in them is people either using the wrong oil or going way beyond service intervals and and clogging up the mesh filter in the sump.

Noisy backstards on rough Irish roads due to big-ish chunky-ish tyres and little noise insulation. Fair bit of induction noise from the B20z too.

Mine needed a new rad a few months in, the plastic (GRRRR!) section at the top had cracked just in front of where the top hose joins.

Is the clock working in yours (time clock in middle of dash?) - simple enough fix if you have a soldering iron.
The diff is fairly robust I'd say - mine was grinding and groaning when I bought it but perfect after 2 drains and refills of Honda DPF II. (<€30, + lidl torque wrench, handy job)

Clean the IACV if the idle is rough. Another fairly handy job.

If yours has the hardcover for the spare wheel, the zip is most likely half seized, the vinyl will be after shrinking a bit and the threads holding the zip to the vinyl will be a bit rotten. IE - if you take it off you will have an awful job getting it back on, and may just have to abandon it. Might make a good improvised bobsleigh if we get snow next year.


Drove a 02-06 model recently, much more refined, nicer interior etc. Found it even had more torque down low (gen 1 is very good for a NA petrol without variable valve timing tho!) so I thought the mpg would have been a bit better. I think they did gain about 100kg tho. Also, well out of bangernomics territory for another few years (depending on petrol prices Isuppose!)

Captain Slow IRL

Yeah, I did a little bit of research - the earlier 126bhp engine redlines at 6,3krpm while the newer 140bhp goes to 6,9krpm! I don't think the fuel consumption figures are vastly different between the 2.

Yes, clock is non functioning! What has to be soldered?

I'm aware of the grinding diff, and mine suffers from it. How long did you leave between diff oil changes before it went out of it? I used to work in a main dealership and it was a common occurence there - we just changed the oil and took it off-road to work the diff but it didn't make a lot of difference. (never saw one having to be replaced though, they just kept going!)

langdang

Here for the clock. Hardest part is opening the bloody thing without breaking it.

I did the two fills in the one icy morning. Took it to a nearby industrial estate to exercise the diff (AKA scutting around on the ice ) in between the two fills.
The official procedure describes running all four wheels forwards and in reverse on a lift to "burnish the clutches". Scutting around on the ice was as close as I could get. You may have to make do with plenty of figure-of-8 turns in the absence of ice. Was quite impressed with the handling on icy tarmac with plain old summer tyres!

Perfect straightway afterwards, and still is, no noise when doing tight turns or anything.
Mine had 120k miles on it when I bought it, possibly at some stage it had an atypical Irish owner who actually did some preventative maintenance on it? IE may have been previously changed at 60-80k miles? Dunno, the old fluid looked VERY different to the fresh stuff!

Captain Slow IRL

I'm just after thinking, I was working on one before and reported the clock not working - pulled it out to check for live and earth, both present so advised new clock. Service advisor said it to the customer along with a price for a new one (wasn't cheap, think close to a ton!)

She comes storming back in then saying the clock was working and what were we trying to pull a fast one on her for? Whatever I done taking it out and back in must have rubbed the defective connections the right way!

langdang

Turning on the heating to max temperature through those vents can expand things the right way to complete the circuit again I think. Temporary fix only.

Esel

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

..... I was working on one before and reported the clock not working......

Service advisor said it to the customer.......

The bold bit is what I object to paying for.