I really enjoyed watching the resurrection of this Pilot, learned loads and delighted to see it running. Well done Eric, thanks for bringing us along. Regards from Galway, Ireland 😉👍💚🍻
@@ericthecarguy Wow yeah you're right, that's next level work!! Also that frame coating looks fantastic, have you been able to tell how well it holds up over time? I'd be really interested in using it if it does a good job :)
As a Pilot owner of 13 years and Honda vehicles for 36 years, this has been a fantastic series. The insight, wisdom, and pragmatic approach of man -vs- machine is awesome. It's entertaining, educational, cathartic and clearly connects a lot of "kindred spirits" based on all the comments. Actually, your audience is great and I learn additional morsels from their comments as well. What a gift, and I thought Christmas was over.
I inherited my son's 2008 Pilot that I bought him in 2011 for High School and then college. I swapped him my Tesla Model X as our new apartment life while our new house is built for the next year has no electric car charging hook up. Being a teenager at a time that we worked on your own cars in the 70's, I really appreciate all the pilot videos as insight to the workings and engineering. Way more that I could attempt but very informative. My son didn't take the greatest care of it but always changed the fluids and the timing belt at 100,000 miles. No rust whatsoever, and a little cosmetic care and I find that I like it better and better and may not give it back, thanks to you. You really have a talent for presentation and video editing. Keep it up!
For a guy that has a distaste for SUVs you sure put a lot of love in this pilot! All joking aside 1980s- mid 2000s are golden era Hondas with great designs and deserve to be preserved. People say the new ones are also designed with longevity and the technician in mind however with as many Chinese derived parts and Chinese derived computer modules in every new car the jury is out on them.
I have an 07 Honda pilot, you were a part of the inspiration that led me to Honda's in the first place, after having previously owned a 1st gen Durango. I will say you are a 100% right, these tend to be money pits. My only issue was getting it registered in MD, the process for safety inspection etc is ridiculous out here. But trust me, from one pilot owner to another, you did a really good job, that thing runs amazing and will put my 07 to shame anyday.
Nice job Eric! As an original owner of my 2003 Pilot (with only 170k!), I'm thrilled you picked this project up and dug deeply into it. Sure you've helped me with so many other car repairs over the years, but now this one is close to home :-) Cheers! Oh and feel free to stop by if you're in northern California to check the throttle sensor on my Pilot with your Bosch scanner
That’s right. The computer sees 0V and 5V as short-circuits to either the ground or supply, so the sensor runs on a range inside that. Pretty clever in my opinion.
Also the blade is never fully closed. Always has slight angle. Or else no air would ever get in if something happen where blade was frozen/ stuck. Just happens to be %10 open.
@@fritzhusselmann2023 Yup. The extra 10% either way allows the ECU to run a circuit test. When he got his OOR error on the original TPS it's because the dead sensor was returning less than 10% position just like if the sensor was unplugged.
Thoroughly enjoyed all the Pilot overhaul episodes! I find myself rooting for you especially when you encounter an extraordinarily difficult repair situation and overcome it! I find it quite satisfying to see a machine reborn to its former glory brought back from the dead! I don’t work on vehicles to much anymore but I can still enjoy watching your content Eric wondering how I would handle it. I look forward to seeing more of your legendary videos in the future!
I just put about $4000 into my 2006 Dakota to get it ready for inspection. Now it feels like new again. Will get a few more years out of it before the new truck payments start. Hopefully will get a better offer at trade in.
My girlfriend drives an '04 pilot with 320,000 miles all original. Still passes emissions inspections and no lights. Once in awhile the tranny will slip but it immediately goes away if popped into neutral and then drive again. She enjoyed watching the rebuild but she wants a new one LOL. It drives very nicely though, I've owned many Hondas pushing 300k but all were 4 cylinder cars. Never seen a v6 do it until recently.
Love that you did this despite the numbers not making sense. Finaly someone on youtube understood what we want to see. It is very easy to destroy something and film it, it is 1000 times harder to bring something back to life while having to worry about camera angles. Congradulations!
Totally enjoyed ur rebuild on ur Pilot. I'm watchn u instead of my local news now. I've been routing for u the whole series. I owned a 97 Camry & when I went to a pick n pull, I was a kid in a candy store so it doesnt take much to excite me about cars.😂🤣. Like I told u before, everytime u get in it & drive, u get a grrat appreciation of ur vehicle. Enjoy! 😁
I have a 2005 Honda pilot with 387K miles and runs like a champ ! Drove from Boston to Delray Beach Florida without any issues except hitting a deer 🦌 on the way back home, was able to drive it all the way back home and bought all parts color match in salvage yard. My oil pan is leaking going to try doing the Honda bond myself. Great videos !!!
I basically did the same thing to a GMC Acadia 2 years ago. My sister had a budget of close to nothing and wanted a newer SUV. Bought a 14 Acadia with trans problems. Dropped the power train out, swapped in a used trans and went through everything else. $2k later and a bunch of time. She basically got what a $15k truck does for $5k. Couple little minor repairs since and its still going strong.
Goenitz Lopez I actually like the 3.6l. Lots of power and decent fuel economy. You just have to keep up on maintenance. My sisters was lacking on oil changes before purchase. Intake was carboned up, pcv system plugged and sludges up rear head a little. Took care of those issues and fine since. It burns 1 qt every 2k, but it now has 190k on it so! I had a 3.6l Impala that was flawless since it was maintained properly. On all the 3.6l I have worked on, only did 1 timing set to date.
I love Eric’s channel because he uses common sense and he explains everything down to the smallest details. He really should have his own television show
That generation of Pilots is kind of classic. They look cool. Also, used to have a Ford Freestyle with an electric throttle body and I'm pretty sure they're suppose to be open a little bit all the time.
Your using a hammer to adjust the idle speed reminded me of when I was a B-52 crew chief in the USAF and we would have an engine not start because the starter control valve would get stuck in the closed position. The corrective action for that was a "vibrasonic adjustment" of the starter control valve with an HM-1 (hammer)
I love my 2003 Pilot EX-L with rear entertainment system. It’s been a dream to own and drive. It really is one of the best cars Honda has made in the last 20 years.
So, because of your question on the TPS, I figured I'd dedicate some time to help the guy that made me want to pursue a career in Honda! I logged into my IN, formerly ISIS, account and found that the readings on your tool for 10% fully closed and 90% fully open are exactly what they are supposed to be according to Honda. Your new/used tps is actually reading perfectly
WOW..great job. I bought a 2 owner 03 pilot w/ 234k off of Clist..was running good until a couple weeks ago. cooling system. Replaced the batt, thermostat, oil change, power steering pump. Next is the radiator, ATF change. I dont hve the tools to do major stuff like a timing belt or head gasket. Just need it to hold on until tax time lol. Great channel
@EricTheCarGuy, Thank you so much for sharing this valuable information with us. I own a 2005 Honda Pilot EXL (which I have owned for a little over 10 years now with 214K Miles, I bought it with 144K Miles on February 2013) and every time I watch these videos of the Honda Pilot series I can only wish that it was my car that you took on the project of updating everything on the car. I can relate to how you have fallen in love with that model year 2003 Pilot as the 2005 model is the same in many aspects.
Great video. This popped up in my feed today so I need to go back and watch the videos leading up to this one. I am a longtime pilot owner. We have had several of these vehicles from 2003 to 2007 models. I don’t think they are a bad investment at all. I have bought several of them with higher miles. With good maintenance and part replacement at home have been able to keep them running very well for a reasonable cost and no car payments. The only thing that seems to kill them is my kids having accidents and deer lol. Otherwise, these things will run a long time with proper maintenance.
I've got an 08 Pilot with 220k mileage. Has some oil burnage and needs new tires, but I own it outright and it drives WONDERFULLY. I really love my rig.
Really enjoyed the resurrection of this Pilot....all great videos. $6,000 plus the original vehicle cost sounds like a good price for a like-new Honda Pilot that is now good for at least another 200,000 miles. Our '03 Odysseus is runnng fine with over 300,000 miles with no major work other than a transmission rebuild at 120,000.
I thought i was the only person that goes this deep into pilots. I buy busted ones for pennies and bring them all the way back to life then then sell to friends and family. Im building an army of pilots. I love the cart you built. I feel spoiled now because i just use my snap on motorcycle lift and raise it all the way up to the subframe and unbolt it. I get the whole engine assembly transmission and subframe out in under an hour.
I have an 04 pilot that was a one owner with 74k miles and man, it's been the best vehicle I've ever owned, doesnt really get the greatest mpg but I've never thought twice about driving it anywhere and it's been all over the U.S.
Awsome !!! Excellent Job. You are a master mechanic! Thank you !!!working with cars for many many years and I learn for you a lot!!! , specially to be humble.
This Honda Pilot series is up there with some of your best videos Eric.Can't wait to see the new shop when you move in.As always Eric keep them videos coming and remember stay safe have fun and stay dirty.
Eric trying to prove a point The SUVs are endless money pits but is also rewarded for all of his hard work with a Honda Pilot that will probably last up too easily 400,000 miles now
I love this series. It’s great to see things being torn apart and learning from a Professional. Over the years, especially during the pandemic I had learned a lot on my own vehicle. You give me more confidence to work on my vehicle, figure things out. I also no my limitations as well. Doing brakes scares the crap out of me. Those are something that they are going to have to be done next year. I’ve been trying to learn how to do things, save some money, gain knowledge, the odd tool along the way. A little over 15 years ago, I had no idea to even change my oil. I did my first oil change that long ago and was a complete disaster. Oil everywhere, I did it on the public street(which I found out after where I live is very illegal), overfilled it, didn’t change the oil filter and rove it to work. On the way home, the extra oil that was burning out of the exhaust, made anyone behind me go into a complete fog. Didn’t help it was winter and it was a really foggy morning(this was pre 2005 I might add). After getting back into used cars in 2014, with every car, I learned something or I tried to.I learned how to do oil changes(the right way), tires, spark plugs, engine codes etc. Even though it’s been 8 years since I started learning how to do my own work, I wanted to thank you for being apart of that along the way. While I would never do a project like the Honda, the little things that I was scared to do, I can do without help, driving to my mechanic or dealership and saying, “fix this I don’t know what’s wrong.”, manuals, RUclips etc now. I can’t wait to see your next project Eric. Thanks for being apart of my DIY journey. I enjoy being apart of yours as a mechanic and learning along the way.
One of my friends has a 2001 Accord V6 Coupe, she absolutely loves that car and it needed a new transmission at like 170k. She was torn between just getting a new transmission or getting a new car, and decided on getting a new transmission since they don't make cars dead simple anymore.
Great series! I really enjoyed seeing you resurrect your Pilot, especially how you overcame each obstacle. Your ingenuity is incredible, especially how you make repairs that will last.
This video exemplifies what i LOVE about this channel! Bravo Eric for showing yourself falling down a pit of impossibility only to climb out once again using only your brain. it was scary watching you cut away that metal, but it was also very vindicating watching you encounter, and solve such a bastard of a problem. I wonder if you say the same thing i do in these situations, "oh screw you, you're not gonna beat ME!"
One of his best episodes as it shows his refined problem solving skills. Really like he includes viewers in his running commentary as he expertly moves forward through some pretty daunting challenges. He's one of the very best on RUclips!
Hi Eric, You must likely won’t read this but… I love the video.. Specially since I have a big family with 3 kids, so we needed a big SUV yes or Yes…So I bought a 2003 Pilot a few months ago, very good condition. No rust, but still it’s a car that has almost 20 years on the road. So some work its needed. I wish one day I had the time/Money/experience and Space to do all of this you did to my car. I love this thing. Plenty of space for my family. Anyway, great video series. Cant wait to see what do you with it.
I know you were a master tech at one point. How much of the stuff that you were doing these days is far beyond that which is on any exam? You can be proud of yourself.
I got one of these first-gen honda pilots (05) and it runs like the wind, it's nice to see that there is a series to come to if I need to replace the front end.
now that i have my 05 pilot, i have to say that i am super jealous of yours. only thing i dont envy is that yours does not have 4x4. still great work man. i need to get my oil cooler installed in a more permanent fashion
This is why we are doing this. To finally see an old car having a new life. 9:45 Eric the Bolt Bender honestly the first time i see a bolt snapping because I don't trust Chinese screws, and nails, etc.
Notice the grade 8 held up. I left that part of the video in to show that there is a big difference in fastener grades and you should always use the correct type. Thanks for the comment.
I know I will get flack for this, but I ran Sam's Club generic Dextron III ATF ($2.27/quart) in our old 2001 Odyssey for over 121K miles without any issues, using Lubegard friction modifier (black bottle). Everybody on the Acura and Odyclub forums said that the world would end if I did so! The fact is, those early transmissions had design defects in them and no matter what fluid you used, they would just plain fail. The US Honda engineers did know about this issue (taking a light-duty car transmission and trying to make it work in a 6Klb. van) but the Japanese management wouldn't listen (my former boss works with one of the former Honda engineers and got this story direct from him) so between my sister's 1999 and our 2001 Odysseys, we went through six transmissions total before they both were towed to the scrapyard. I bought a 2007 Odyssey and 2007 Acura TL because that was the first year that they really beefed-up the automatic transmissions to last. I'm now running Valvoline Maxlife synthetic ATF in my current Hondas and Acuras (The Sam's Club closed so no more cheap ATF available). I just can't stomach spending $10/quart for ATF, especially when I buy used vehicles and needed to do multiple drain-and-fills (8-10 on our van I believe) in order to get the fluid clean enough for my liking. I'm not recommending this for anybody else, just reporting what I am doing and that so far, it has been working well for me.
Did the subframe on my Odyssey for a transmission rebuild. After watching this, oh man did I get lucky. I chased all the threads and everything went back together. Glad I didn’t have the drama Eric did!
Congrats from an avid follower in Dayton, OH. Your never-give-up attitude in the face of frustrating problems like rust and stripped bolts is much admired. Keep up the great work!
Eric.. Before you throw that Welder away. Pull the cover and check the incoming power.. There's likely a fuse or thermal coupler, or even the main switch can go bad; you can just bypass them. Check for a fuse in the plug end too-- I've seen a fuse right next to the prongs before. Maybe where it connects to your board, just needs cleaned. Just look, I'm sure it will jump out at you. These things don't just break, it's something simple.
In 2020 I bought a 2002 Acura MDX.. It's essentially the same vehicle as yours, except with 3 rows of heated leather seats and a 3.5L Honda Vtec.. Otherwise, I believe the AWD system is very similar. Man, these are good little cars. Mine is in incredible condition and only has 160k miles on it.. really cold dual climate AC with the rear vents in the center. I only paid $1700 for it here in Oklahoma. But that's not normal. lol.. These things sell for $4500 around here, I just got lucky and found this on craigs list and it just happened to be a rich kid around 19 years old and his rich mom. She was in a brand new Denali or Navigator, and was telling me how they were about to go straight to a dealer and buy a brand new car for him.. So they didn't really care about the low price I offered them, they took it. lol.. I'm so happy with this thing.
@@ericthecarguy yeah.. your videos are gold-- and really convinced me to go Honda, and this thing just fell in my lap. Best vehicle deal of my life. lol.. Absolutely not a drip of oil anywhere on this thing. I just can't believe I got it for so cheap.
I believe the TPS reading displayed is the absolute value, which has a bit of tolerance with open/closed readings. The computer is able to compensate for those values once it learns what MAF/MAP values correspond to which throttle position values.
Tha is a tight fit and ding it by yourself! That had t take 4 times as long. Holly cow! When thing bad tey go bad, Both Welders, damn! I was thinking hole and a drill but the body saw opened the whole thing. That was a heck of a side step. Great job to stay calm and stay with it. I always try to tell myself dont get too pissed and just stay wit it. You creatd the problem, now just fix it. SOme times you leantn how not to fix something before you learn how te best option works. Great job. Great video post. This has given my some motivation to work on my 09 Pilot.
I own 2 Accords both with the k24 and J30 and I will say they are the best damn motors Honda ever built. Even though the Pilot series was a lot of work it was well deserving and helps those of us with those kinds of engines.
Great series of videos rebuilding the Pilot, I enjoyed watching all of videos on the Pilot. You now have a vehicle that will last another 200-300,000 miles.
Lol. “They are finger tight. But I’m gonna use a 300+ ft/lbs tool. Then manually torque to 90ft/lbs” soon as he put the tool it beeped. Man. You are strong. ;)
@@ericthecarguy Thanks for showing me this. Does this 3rd gen inspection video carry over similar things from the 2nd gen TL's? Just wondering since I have such a hard time finding info of my 02 TL-S.
@@ericthecarguy Thanks for this link! I've actually been driving mine since 2010 starting at 112k miles and have over 165k miles on it now. I only bought it because I knew the transmission was replaced by noticing the blue mark on the engine. It drives quite well and has not had any major issues other than a slight vibration in the steering wheel at high speed. Thanks again for your reply.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
This is really cool to see early 2000s SUVs being restored like old classic cars. Hope to see more of this soon
I really enjoyed watching the resurrection of this Pilot, learned loads and delighted to see it running. Well done Eric, thanks for bringing us along. Regards from Galway, Ireland 😉👍💚🍻
Thank you!
That subframe bolt was a serious repair, great job. Amazing seeing the Pilot on the road!
Thanks! This one was even better in my mind. ruclips.net/video/wou4sk8Xt9k/видео.html
@@ericthecarguy Wow yeah you're right, that's next level work!! Also that frame coating looks fantastic, have you been able to tell how well it holds up over time? I'd be really interested in using it if it does a good job :)
As a Pilot owner of 13 years and Honda vehicles for 36 years, this has been a fantastic series. The insight, wisdom, and pragmatic approach of man -vs- machine is awesome. It's entertaining, educational, cathartic and clearly connects a lot of "kindred spirits" based on all the comments. Actually, your audience is great and I learn additional morsels from their comments as well. What a gift, and I thought Christmas was over.
Thank you! I agree, I do have an amazing audience. I'm grateful for each and every one.
Yes Rick....it is also Amazing what we learn from others comments!!
I inherited my son's 2008 Pilot that I bought him in 2011 for High School and then college. I swapped him my Tesla Model X as our new apartment life while our new house is built for the next year has no electric car charging hook up. Being a teenager at a time that we worked on your own cars in the 70's, I really appreciate all the pilot videos as insight to the workings and engineering. Way more that I could attempt but very informative. My son didn't take the greatest care of it but always changed the fluids and the timing belt at 100,000 miles. No rust whatsoever, and a little cosmetic care and I find that I like it better and better and may not give it back, thanks to you. You really have a talent for presentation and video editing. Keep it up!
I love to see old cars get a second lease on life. Without you this would have ended up in the crusher.
That thang aint old- she was barely broken in- just in a shit rust area of the country 😉
Hi cannot call the scar old because I graduated high school in 2002. An old car is from the 70s
For a guy that has a distaste for SUVs you sure put a lot of love in this pilot! All joking aside 1980s- mid 2000s are golden era Hondas with great designs and deserve to be preserved. People say the new ones are also designed with longevity and the technician in mind however with as many Chinese derived parts and Chinese derived computer modules in every new car the jury is out on them.
I have an 07 Honda pilot, you were a part of the inspiration that led me to Honda's in the first place, after having previously owned a 1st gen Durango. I will say you are a
100% right, these tend to be money pits. My only issue was getting it registered in MD, the process for safety inspection etc is ridiculous out here.
But trust me, from one pilot owner to another, you did a really good job, that thing runs amazing and will put my 07 to shame anyday.
Thank you!
Nice job Eric! As an original owner of my 2003 Pilot (with only 170k!), I'm thrilled you picked this project up and dug deeply into it. Sure you've helped me with so many other car repairs over the years, but now this one is close to home :-) Cheers! Oh and feel free to stop by if you're in northern California to check the throttle sensor on my Pilot with your Bosch scanner
I think the tps is a potentiometer with a minimum and maximum voltage of the 5v signal. 10% of 5v at closed and 90% of 5v at wide open(0.5-4.5v)
I had similar thoughts, but you said it better than I would have
That’s right. The computer sees 0V and 5V as short-circuits to either the ground or supply, so the sensor runs on a range inside that. Pretty clever in my opinion.
Indeed. My '95 Ford Ranger TPS goes from 13% to 94%. Anything above 88 or 89 the computer senses as WOT.
Also the blade is never fully closed. Always has slight angle. Or else no air would ever get in if something happen where blade was frozen/ stuck. Just happens to be %10 open.
@@fritzhusselmann2023 Yup. The extra 10% either way allows the ECU to run a circuit test. When he got his OOR error on the original TPS it's because the dead sensor was returning less than 10% position just like if the sensor was unplugged.
Thoroughly enjoyed all the Pilot overhaul episodes! I find myself rooting for you especially when you encounter an extraordinarily difficult repair situation and overcome it! I find it quite satisfying to see a machine reborn to its former glory brought back from the dead! I don’t work on vehicles to much anymore but I can still enjoy watching your content Eric wondering how I would handle it. I look forward to seeing more of your legendary videos in the future!
Thank you!
AGREED, Could not have said it better myself. GREAT VIDEO SERIES, SIR ERIC.
This has been a wonderful series! I love that you also replaced the headlights that's often overlooked. Thank you Eric!
Man, nice work! I have a 2003 Pilot, with no plans to get rid of it, so this is inspiring to see what can be done with a lot of love and elbow grease.
I just put about $4000 into my 2006 Dakota to get it ready for inspection. Now it feels like new again. Will get a few more years out of it before the new truck payments start. Hopefully will get a better offer at trade in.
My girlfriend drives an '04 pilot with 320,000 miles all original. Still passes emissions inspections and no lights. Once in awhile the tranny will slip but it immediately goes away if popped into neutral and then drive again. She enjoyed watching the rebuild but she wants a new one LOL. It drives very nicely though, I've owned many Hondas pushing 300k but all were 4 cylinder cars. Never seen a v6 do it until recently.
Love that you did this despite the numbers not making sense. Finaly someone on youtube understood what we want to see. It is very easy to destroy something and film it, it is 1000 times harder to bring something back to life while having to worry about camera angles. Congradulations!
Totally enjoyed ur rebuild on ur Pilot. I'm watchn u instead of my local news now. I've been routing for u the whole series. I owned a 97 Camry & when I went to a pick n pull, I was a kid in a candy store so it doesnt take much to excite me about cars.😂🤣. Like I told u before, everytime u get in it & drive, u get a grrat appreciation of ur vehicle. Enjoy! 😁
I have a 2005 Honda pilot with 387K miles and runs like a champ ! Drove from Boston to Delray Beach Florida without any issues except hitting a deer 🦌 on the way back home, was able to drive it all the way back home and bought all parts color match in salvage yard. My oil pan is leaking going to try doing the Honda bond myself. Great videos !!!
Esther's Waltz (No.9). What a wonderful choice of music !!!!!!!! Thank you always for the great videos!!
I basically did the same thing to a GMC Acadia 2 years ago. My sister had a budget of close to nothing and wanted a newer SUV. Bought a 14 Acadia with trans problems. Dropped the power train out, swapped in a used trans and went through everything else. $2k later and a bunch of time. She basically got what a $15k truck does for $5k. Couple little minor repairs since and its still going strong.
You in Florida I need a good reasonable me mechanic
Sounds like itll last for a lil bit but that 3.6 is just a trash motor unfortunately
Goenitz Lopez I actually like the 3.6l. Lots of power and decent fuel economy. You just have to keep up on maintenance. My sisters was lacking on oil changes before purchase. Intake was carboned up, pcv system plugged and sludges up rear head a little. Took care of those issues and fine since. It burns 1 qt every 2k, but it now has 190k on it so! I had a 3.6l Impala that was flawless since it was maintained properly. On all the 3.6l I have worked on, only did 1 timing set to date.
That has to be an immense sense of satisfaction. Great Job Eric. Thanks for the series.
Thanks!
I love Eric’s channel because he uses common sense and he explains everything down to the smallest details. He really should have his own television show
That generation of Pilots is kind of classic. They look cool. Also, used to have a Ford Freestyle with an electric throttle body and I'm pretty sure they're suppose to be open a little bit all the time.
Yeah. Agreed. They are the best looking of the bunch. The only beefs I have are fuel consumption and tire noise
I think it tells a lot about Eric that he enjoys working on that regular car. Keep it up!
Your using a hammer to adjust the idle speed reminded me of when I was a B-52 crew chief in the USAF and we would have an engine not start because the starter control valve would get stuck in the closed position. The corrective action for that was a "vibrasonic adjustment" of the starter control valve with an HM-1 (hammer)
I love my 2003 Pilot EX-L with rear entertainment system. It’s been a dream to own and drive. It really is one of the best cars Honda has made in the last 20 years.
Pretty slick cart you made there! Takes all the guesswork out of things.
So, because of your question on the TPS, I figured I'd dedicate some time to help the guy that made me want to pursue a career in Honda! I logged into my IN, formerly ISIS, account and found that the readings on your tool for 10% fully closed and 90% fully open are exactly what they are supposed to be according to Honda. Your new/used tps is actually reading perfectly
Eric, next time you need a grade 8 bolt, check your local Caterpillar dealer. They carry sizes nobody else does. Great series on this PIlot!
NOW, I feel comfortable in making my decision in that 06 Ridgeline I’ve been eyeing !!! Tnx eric
Eric, your videos couldn't have come at a better time. I too just bought the same vehicle with 210k miles. Thanks for posting.
Eric, your welding has come a long way! I remember when you couldn’t lay a decent bead for anything! Practice practice practice.
Honestly, the new welder is a world away from my old one. It helps a lot when you turn the knobs and stuff actually changes.
WOW..great job. I bought a 2 owner 03 pilot w/ 234k off of Clist..was running good until a couple weeks ago. cooling system. Replaced the batt, thermostat, oil change, power steering pump. Next is the radiator, ATF change. I dont hve the tools to do major stuff like a timing belt or head gasket. Just need it to hold on until tax time lol. Great channel
Idk it might've just been the music... but I swear you looked very graceful during the time-lapse.
@EricTheCarGuy, Thank you so much for sharing this valuable information with us. I own a 2005 Honda Pilot EXL (which I have owned for a little over 10 years now with 214K Miles, I bought it with 144K Miles on February 2013) and every time I watch these videos of the Honda Pilot series I can only wish that it was my car that you took on the project of updating everything on the car. I can relate to how you have fallen in love with that model year 2003 Pilot as the 2005 model is the same in many aspects.
Great video. This popped up in my feed today so I need to go back and watch the videos leading up to this one. I am a longtime pilot owner. We have had several of these vehicles from 2003 to 2007 models. I don’t think they are a bad investment at all. I have bought several of them with higher miles. With good maintenance and part replacement at home have been able to keep them running very well for a reasonable cost and no car payments. The only thing that seems to kill them is my kids having accidents and deer lol. Otherwise, these things will run a long time with proper maintenance.
I've got an 08 Pilot with 220k mileage. Has some oil burnage and needs new tires, but I own it outright and it drives WONDERFULLY. I really love my rig.
OG Eric back at IT AGAIN Slayed IT this time.
I don’t think I’ve done anything more than check the oil under a hood 😂 but i searched Honda pilot and this came up. Thoroughly enjoyed this video! ❤
Really enjoyed the resurrection of this Pilot....all great videos.
$6,000 plus the original vehicle cost sounds like a good price for a like-new Honda Pilot that is now good for at least another 200,000 miles.
Our '03 Odysseus is runnng fine with over 300,000 miles with no major work other than a transmission rebuild at 120,000.
I thought i was the only person that goes this deep into pilots. I buy busted ones for pennies and bring them all the way back to life then then sell to friends and family. Im building an army of pilots.
I love the cart you built. I feel spoiled now because i just use my snap on motorcycle lift and raise it all the way up to the subframe and unbolt it. I get the whole engine assembly transmission and subframe out in under an hour.
I did basicly the same thing to a 1990 240 SX from GA. in 1998 and 11 years later it still drove like a new car when I sold it.
The smile on your face as you lifted the pilot back up!!! Love to see it, great job!
I have an 04 pilot that was a one owner with 74k miles and man, it's been the best vehicle I've ever owned, doesnt really get the greatest mpg but I've never thought twice about driving it anywhere and it's been all over the U.S.
Super excited to hear this thing whiiine!
Five out of five stars and thank you for such great videos. This helps out the honda owners tremendously.
Awsome !!! Excellent Job. You are a master mechanic! Thank you !!!working with cars for many many years and I learn for you a lot!!! , specially to be humble.
Always liked the older pilots. That 3.2 liter is such a great engine. Thing looks brand new. It’s good to see it get a second chance at life.
I have 2006 with 225k. I’ve replaced all the suspension and some monies bodywork. I just keep putting money in it… lol . Nice content!
Dremel tool with either a carbide router bit on the end or any of their smaller stone bits for prepping for the welds.
Great to see you again, even repeats! Thank you.
This Honda Pilot series is up there with some of your best videos Eric.Can't wait to see the new shop when you move in.As always Eric keep them videos coming and remember stay safe have fun and stay dirty.
Eric trying to prove a point The SUVs are endless money pits but is also rewarded for all of his hard work with a Honda Pilot that will probably last up too easily 400,000 miles now
Good job Eric you successfully scared me away from buying anything with that many hard miles. Good job
I hope I scared you away from buying a used SUV.
I love this series. It’s great to see things being torn apart and learning from a Professional. Over the years, especially during the pandemic I had learned a lot on my own vehicle. You give me more confidence to work on my vehicle, figure things out. I also no my limitations as well. Doing brakes scares the crap out of me. Those are something that they are going to have to be done next year. I’ve been trying to learn how to do things, save some money, gain knowledge, the odd tool along the way. A little over 15 years ago, I had no idea to even change my oil. I did my first oil change that long ago and was a complete disaster. Oil everywhere, I did it on the public street(which I found out after where I live is very illegal), overfilled it, didn’t change the oil filter and rove it to work. On the way home, the extra oil that was burning out of the exhaust, made anyone behind me go into a complete fog. Didn’t help it was winter and it was a really foggy morning(this was pre 2005 I might add). After getting back into used cars in 2014, with every car, I learned something or I tried to.I learned how to do oil changes(the right way), tires, spark plugs, engine codes etc. Even though it’s been 8 years since I started learning how to do my own work, I wanted to thank you for being apart of that along the way. While I would never do a project like the Honda, the little things that I was scared to do, I can do without help, driving to my mechanic or dealership and saying, “fix this I don’t know what’s wrong.”, manuals, RUclips etc now. I can’t wait to see your next project Eric. Thanks for being apart of my DIY journey. I enjoy being apart of yours as a mechanic and learning along the way.
Thank you! BTW, you might find the info here useful for your future repairs. www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/
@@ericthecarguy I signed up after many, many moons or not. Thanks for the help Eric.
We just replaced a transmission for 07 pilot. Learned alot!
Watch you deal with that bolt (my secret nightmare) was enlightening. Thanks for taking the time to post all this!
Amazing lessons, tips, and education!! Thank you sir! One day I may do the same to my '10 Pilot 4x4.
One of my friends has a 2001 Accord V6 Coupe, she absolutely loves that car and it needed a new transmission at like 170k. She was torn between just getting a new transmission or getting a new car, and decided on getting a new transmission since they don't make cars dead simple anymore.
Great series! I really enjoyed seeing you resurrect your Pilot, especially how you overcame each obstacle. Your ingenuity is incredible, especially how you make repairs that will last.
This video exemplifies what i LOVE about this channel!
Bravo Eric for showing yourself falling down a pit of impossibility only to climb out once again using only your brain.
it was scary watching you cut away that metal, but it was also very vindicating watching you encounter, and solve such a bastard of a problem.
I wonder if you say the same thing i do in these situations, "oh screw you, you're not gonna beat ME!"
That, is the essence of "staying dirty". Thanks for the comment.
One of his best episodes as it shows his refined problem solving skills. Really like he includes viewers in his running commentary as he expertly moves forward through some pretty daunting challenges. He's one of the very best on RUclips!
Hi Eric,
You must likely won’t read this but… I love the video.. Specially since I have a big family with 3 kids, so we needed a big SUV yes or Yes…So I bought a 2003 Pilot a few months ago, very good condition. No rust, but still it’s a car that has almost 20 years on the road. So some work its needed.
I wish one day I had the time/Money/experience and Space to do all of this you did to my car. I love this thing. Plenty of space for my family.
Anyway, great video series. Cant wait to see what do you with it.
I know you were a master tech at one point. How much of the stuff that you were doing these days is far beyond that which is on any exam? You can be proud of yourself.
I got one of these first-gen honda pilots (05) and it runs like the wind, it's nice to see that there is a series to come to if I need to replace the front end.
Good thought process on that pesky frame bolt up front, Eric.
i recently purchased a 2003 Pilot from of owner with 343,000 miles, second transmission was installed 30K ago. great car.
I really enjoyed watching this series of videos.
Nice Job Eric
This one rocked!
Great series!
Was worried about the dipstick as the engine was going in. Glad it wasn't a casualty.
I LOVE TO SEE YOU WORKING ON CARS
now that i have my 05 pilot, i have to say that i am super jealous of yours. only thing i dont envy is that yours does not have 4x4. still great work man. i need to get my oil cooler installed in a more permanent fashion
This is why we are doing this. To finally see an old car having a new life.
9:45 Eric the Bolt Bender
honestly the first time i see a bolt snapping
because I don't trust Chinese screws, and nails, etc.
Notice the grade 8 held up. I left that part of the video in to show that there is a big difference in fastener grades and you should always use the correct type. Thanks for the comment.
"Acuity" makes an awesome hall effect TPS for K series motors. I have one on my EP3. Too bad they don't make one for a J series.
Idemitsu type H+ is exactly the same as Honda DW-1 and it's available at regular parts stores!
I know I will get flack for this, but I ran Sam's Club generic Dextron III ATF ($2.27/quart) in our old 2001 Odyssey for over 121K miles without any issues, using Lubegard friction modifier (black bottle). Everybody on the Acura and Odyclub forums said that the world would end if I did so! The fact is, those early transmissions had design defects in them and no matter what fluid you used, they would just plain fail. The US Honda engineers did know about this issue (taking a light-duty car transmission and trying to make it work in a 6Klb. van) but the Japanese management wouldn't listen (my former boss works with one of the former Honda engineers and got this story direct from him) so between my sister's 1999 and our 2001 Odysseys, we went through six transmissions total before they both were towed to the scrapyard. I bought a 2007 Odyssey and 2007 Acura TL because that was the first year that they really beefed-up the automatic transmissions to last.
I'm now running Valvoline Maxlife synthetic ATF in my current Hondas and Acuras (The Sam's Club closed so no more cheap ATF available). I just can't stomach spending $10/quart for ATF, especially when I buy used vehicles and needed to do multiple drain-and-fills (8-10 on our van I believe) in order to get the fluid clean enough for my liking. I'm not recommending this for anybody else, just reporting what I am doing and that so far, it has been working well for me.
Great video Eric, thanks a million for sharing it with us
Awesome to see its running under its own power again @EricTheCarGuy
Did the subframe on my Odyssey for a transmission rebuild. After watching this, oh man did I get lucky. I chased all the threads and everything went back together. Glad I didn’t have the drama Eric did!
Congrats from an avid follower in Dayton, OH. Your never-give-up attitude in the face of frustrating problems like rust and stripped bolts is much admired. Keep up the great work!
My first car was a first gen honda pilot, quite the indestructible car. Great in the snow
Very good job Eric .
"Be Seeing You" 👌
cleanest 03 pilot i have seen! i own one too, love the pilot.
Eric.. Before you throw that Welder away. Pull the cover and check the incoming power.. There's likely a fuse or thermal coupler, or even the main switch can go bad; you can just bypass them. Check for a fuse in the plug end too-- I've seen a fuse right next to the prongs before. Maybe where it connects to your board, just needs cleaned. Just look, I'm sure it will jump out at you. These things don't just break, it's something simple.
I believe I already mentioned that I fixed the welder and I'm giving it to my grandson.
@@ericthecarguy Sweet.. I wish you would have done a video on it. I'm always down to learn about the things that break.
In 2020 I bought a 2002 Acura MDX.. It's essentially the same vehicle as yours, except with 3 rows of heated leather seats and a 3.5L Honda Vtec.. Otherwise, I believe the AWD system is very similar. Man, these are good little cars. Mine is in incredible condition and only has 160k miles on it.. really cold dual climate AC with the rear vents in the center. I only paid $1700 for it here in Oklahoma. But that's not normal. lol.. These things sell for $4500 around here, I just got lucky and found this on craigs list and it just happened to be a rich kid around 19 years old and his rich mom. She was in a brand new Denali or Navigator, and was telling me how they were about to go straight to a dealer and buy a brand new car for him.. So they didn't really care about the low price I offered them, they took it. lol.. I'm so happy with this thing.
Awesome. BTW, I'm a former Acura master tech. You're right, they are the same vehicle. Thanks again for your comments.
@@ericthecarguy yeah.. your videos are gold-- and really convinced me to go Honda, and this thing just fell in my lap. Best vehicle deal of my life. lol.. Absolutely not a drip of oil anywhere on this thing. I just can't believe I got it for so cheap.
I believe the TPS reading displayed is the absolute value, which has a bit of tolerance with open/closed readings. The computer is able to compensate for those values once it learns what MAF/MAP values correspond to which throttle position values.
Dope Mechinac Eric def is top mechanic on RUclips.
Awesome video series Mr. Eric!!! It is truly a continuing honor to view your work, trials, and tribulations!!! Thank you, Sir!!! 🥇🏆
Excellent work. In your costs round up it would be interesting if you cost the labour too.
Hey Eric the vibe I get from this video is just perfect! One of my favorites from you!
And one of my favorites on RUclips in general
Tha is a tight fit and ding it by yourself! That had t take 4 times as long. Holly cow! When thing bad tey go bad, Both Welders, damn! I was thinking hole and a drill but the body saw opened the whole thing. That was a heck of a side step. Great job to stay calm and stay with it. I always try to tell myself dont get too pissed and just stay wit it. You creatd the problem, now just fix it. SOme times you leantn how not to fix something before you learn how te best option works. Great job. Great video post. This has given my some motivation to work on my 09 Pilot.
Well Eric you have come a long way with that Honda Pilot great job
I own 2 Accords both with the k24 and J30 and I will say they are the best damn motors Honda ever built. Even though the Pilot series was a lot of work it was well deserving and helps those of us with those kinds of engines.
The J series engine is one of the best engines made in my view. The automatic transmissions bolted behind them, not so much. Thanks for the comment.
Great series of videos rebuilding the Pilot, I enjoyed watching all of videos on the Pilot. You now have a vehicle that will last another 200-300,000 miles.
Makes me happy every time you mention that cart. I know that feeling when you build something and you're proud of it.
Congrats Erik, very good work!
Lol.
“They are finger tight. But I’m gonna use a 300+ ft/lbs tool. Then manually torque to 90ft/lbs” soon as he put the tool it beeped. Man. You are strong. ;)
I will trade you my 2005 Pilot. About the same mileage. Mine never let's me down. Nice work!!!!!
Amazing! Now do a 2nd Gen Acura TL!
I might. ruclips.net/video/pI_wno4uJb8/видео.html
@@ericthecarguy Thanks for showing me this. Does this 3rd gen inspection video carry over similar things from the 2nd gen TL's? Just wondering since I have such a hard time finding info of my 02 TL-S.
I recommend avoiding the 99-03 TL's in particular. www.ericthecarguy.com/forums/topic/1999-03-acura-tls-and-cls-pattern-failurers/
@@ericthecarguy Thanks for this link! I've actually been driving mine since 2010 starting at 112k miles and have over 165k miles on it now. I only bought it because I knew the transmission was replaced by noticing the blue mark on the engine. It drives quite well and has not had any major issues other than a slight vibration in the steering wheel at high speed. Thanks again for your reply.