Honda Forum

[rogue]

Hi,
New forum member here..
Recently bought an FR-V 2.2 iCDTi SE. [55 plate]
not a bad car.
Seems to have less power than my previous car (Dodge Caliber 2.0CRD) even though it has the same bhp on paper.
Doesn't have the same punch of power when you put the hammer down.

Servicing wasn't too painful. smaller of the services just cost me £150 (inc engine flush and emmisions test) Car needed new rear disks and pads.. another £210 (ouch)

Strange "droning" noise from the front at the moment. Personally i think it's wheel bearings or CV joints. Honda tell me it's "road noise".. I don't think so. It's off to a garage on friday for "explorative surgery". I'll keep you posted.

One a minor note. Is there a way to get to the speakers without taking the whole door card off? I think my current speakers are.. poorly. and i want to upgrade them.

Any comments welcome.
rogue.

[gchild]

Hello mate. interesting to hear your experiences.

I don't have a FRV yet, but set on getting one!

I've so far driven a 2.0 sport which was very punchy - and i have a 2.8l merc at the moment!

What's the mileage on yours out of interest?

[rogue]

Hi,
Mileage at the mo is about 91K.
The iCDTi drives more like a petrol even though it's a diesel. There isn't the obvious turbo cut in at about 2-3k revs. the turbo is always spinning.
My last few cars have all been TDi's so it's taken a while to get used to the engine.

I got the FR-V as i now have 4 kids to look after all under 11!. (don't ask).
Plenty of leg room for everyone even with the middle two seats pushed full forward.

[gchild]

what sort of economy you getting?

[rogue]

Well thats a good one.
I have a bit of a lead foot.. i like the loud pedal a little too much.,
but so far on commute run i get about 34-35mpg and on a long run at about 70-75mph i get about 40mpg.
I'll find out later this year how it likes a REALLY long run out as I'm driving from huddersfield to Rouen in the summer!!

[gchild]

loud pedal - i like it!

i'm currently checking out at 2.0 SE - i'm hoping it won't dip below 30mpg in town. the official figures are pretty poor.

how are you living with the SE spec - i for one will miss crusie control if i go for it

[rogue]

The SE spec is ok just a little low really.
I'm missing the cruise control my Dodge had.
also it's a single disk CD player. don't know if it's MP3 yet. and being a built in radio it's not really upgradable.
I've seen on a few web sites that you can add an MP3 player / ipod cable onto the back of the radio but it's a faf to get to.

I'm going to get the windows blacked out soon, for the kids really but it does improve the look of the car.
Also i want to get front fogs fitted but i'll need to get a price first... won't be cheap.

[gchild]

Let me know what you get quoted for tints, as i will definitely get this done if i go for an SE. I heard that the rear window being curved is quite a hastle to do, so watch out for that

Likewise fogs, but gessing it will be pricey, and you need a new stalk for teh controls etc?

[Fogeyspasm]

The rumble is likely to be road noise. Hondas are known for it. Otherwise it could be the turbo as this is spinning all the time. The noise is more like a lowish whirring that becomes noisier as you accelerate. Its a characteristic of this diesel engine as there is supposed to be no turbo lag and a lot broader power band than other diesel engines. This is why you don't notice the surge like the dodge. The Hondas is a smooth continous surge. When we first got ours i pulled out a slip road in a 40mph zone and at the point it changed to national speed limit floored it through the gears to see what the acceleration was like. Less than 2 miles later i looked down and realised i was very much in excess to what i should have been and rapidly dropped back to the limit
It all happened with no fuss, no surges through powerbands, just nice swift and progressive acceleration. The diesel engine is a very refined smooth running unit but its only drawback as far as i can see is its not as economical as some other "Massey Ferguson" style bang and clatter units found in other makes. We get minimum 35mpg maximum 45mpg.