That sucks, now I know what to look out for when we pick up ours.
Thanks for the info and I hope you get this taken care of swiftly.
Later,
Pat

 

You had the dealer install the crossbars, right?
And the end cap that they removed to install them did not stay on.
Hmmm, well at least they did not drill holes in the wrong place in the bumper like some one else had.

 

With cross bars installed, did you notice new wind noise coming from the roof? I drove mine for week before the part arrived. Ever since after the cross bars installed, I noticed wind noise from the roof at about 50MPH. I'm going to call the Honda shop and see what they can do. Cheers, JK:25:

 

Wind noise from crossbars

Honda service tech. explained to me that the wind noise is expected due to the change in aerodynamic of the roof line. Any comments? JK:3:

 

I'll bet I know what happened.

I bought all my own options and am installing them this weekend. I've already spent more time trying to install the roof racks than I spent on the running boards....and I'm STILL not done with the rack. I had expected the rack to be the easiest install (after the mud flaps of course). First off all, it's IMPOSSIBLE to remove the rack caps without breaking the clips. The instructions state you should put a flat head screw driver through this small little hole and remove the cap. Well....after trying that for 1/2 hr on both sides, swearing about 100 times, and still getting nowhere, I finally pulled a little to hard and the clips broke and off came the cap. With it off, I could at least study the design to see what I was doing wrong. I learned that I should have been sliding it forward ( I guess that's one way of interpreting "remove"...but clearly not the only way). But, even if I had slide it forward, which I had tried anyways, it would have never come off. If I get a chance I'll take some pictures of why. When you poke the screwdriver through the hole, you are bending this little metal clip back so the tab can be unlocked....theoretically. There is a metal stop built into the "bottom" side piece that's attached to the roof. Even with the cap off, you can BARELY move the clip because of this stopper. Even though you might be feeling a fair amount of "give" in the clip, it's doesn't move the actual part that locks the plastic clip hardly at all. It's tough to explain without posting the pic. I'm an engineer (OK a software engineer...but I'm still mechanically inclined). I refuse to believe this is one of those cases where a Honda Technician would have been able to pop that cap right off without the EXACT same problems I'm having. Unless some clips are different than others, I have to believe that if a cap comes off, it's because someone broke the tabs. User "cubsrule" stated he had the crossbars installed, well if you did, the Technician would have either broken the clips and put the piece back on broken, or just replaced the caps. If they didn't have any caps in stock, I'll bet he just threw it back on the best he could. And without the clips, yep...I'll bet it did fly off in transit. BTW....I think the solution is to just rip the caps off, install the crossbars, install new caps, and you'll never have to worry about it again. I can't believe replacement caps would be very expensive. Happy Piloting!!!

 

Cap replacement

I called around today...the caps are $10 (and change) each. No one around here had them in stock. Guess I'll have to order.

 

Backordered!!!

I talked to Tim the other day. He didn't have the caps in stock, so he checked into whether he could order them yet. He could have ordered the left hand side, but the right hand side is backordered until Aug 30th!!! Unfortunately, I broke the one on the right hand side. However, to install the rack, I'll have to break off the left one anyways. My "temp" solution was to put off the crossbar install for now, and just superglue the tabs back on the broken side. I did this a few days ago, and it seems to be holding fine.

P.S. Tim also quoted me a slighty lower price....8 dollars and change.

 

Cross Bar Installation

I had same problem installing crossbar. I was trying about an hour without any progress. Luckly left roof cap came out without any damage, so I invetigated and tried same thing for right side roof cap. After anthor 30 minutes of stuggle, I decided to drill a hole into a roof cap and to undo screw that is holding the latch.. It worked...
I mend hole with rubber cements...

May be you should try to drill a hole if you still have problem with roof cap...

Good luck

 

crossbars produce excessive noise

The wind howl is extremely annoying and destroys everything enjoyable about the previously smooth ride and quiet cabin. It starts at thirty five and reaches very annoying peak at over 65 mph ..All this fusssing about how to install our crossbars is leading to another problem... your annoyance will be exacerbated and patience tested once you succeed in installing these bars that function as reed musical instrument..(not very melodious) ....Possibly crossbars can be positioned so that the aerodynamics won't produce the noise ...hope this forwarns someone....Does anyone share the problem or know the cure....

 

Sounds like an unfortunate situation caused by a poor design. This confirms my decision to wait for Yakima "lowriders" for rack. Even if they make noise, at least they can be removed (in less than 60 seconds) when not needed.

 

possible solution to noisy cross bars

HALLEUJAH ! (MAYBE) I JUST READ CAREFULLY THE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS( AND DIAGRAMS)--OBVIOUSLY, SOMETHING MY MECHANIC (AKA TECHNICIAN) DID NOT DO CAREFULLY...THE CROSSBARS ARE INSTALLED BACKWARDS..THERE IS A LEADING AND A TRAILING EDGE (WIDE VS NARROW)... APPARENTLY, I WAS FLYING MY PILOT WITH ITS WINGS ON BACKWARDS.....DOLLARS TO DOUGHNUTS REVERSING THEM WILL CURE THE NOISE PROBLEM.....HOWEVER, INSTRUCTIONS WARN THAT DUMMIES LIKE ME ARE NOT TO UNDERTAKE THE INSTALLATION CHALLENGE...GUESS THE REINSTALL TASK IS RESERVED FOR THE TECHNICIAN...I REMAIN HOPEFUL AND PERHAPS MY HERETOFORE UNSHAKEABLE FAITH IN HONDA ENGINEERING WILL BE RESTORED...OH..AND I DID GET MY NEW FRONT BUMPER INSTALLED TODAY..PERHAPS THE CROSSBAR INSTALLER IS THE SAME TECHNICIAN WHO DRILLED THOSE EXTRA HOLES IN THE BUMPER .

 

One Question

Just how many free oil changes that that dealership owe you?

 

REVERSING BLADES-BARS SOLVES NOISE

REVERSED THE INDIVIDUAL CROSSBARS MYSELF TODAY. EASY EVEN FOR A DUMMIE ..AND INSTALLED PER HONDA INSTRUCTIONS WITH LONG FLAT AND SHORT FLAT EDGES OF CROSSBARS /BLADES IN RIGHT DIRECTIONS...TOWARD FRONT OR REAR.....AND INSTALLED/POSITIONED AT THE SPOTS INDICATED BY THE TINY MARKS(DOTS) ON INSIDE OF SIDERAILS...WHICH JUST HAPPENS TO BE 800mm APART AND FOR THOSE WHO SPEAK ENGLISH ONLY..THAT IS 31.5 INCHES....(THANKS, WEBSTER'S)
AND HELAS ! THE IRRITATING HOWL SEEMS TO HAVE VANISHED....BUT NOW I AM LISTENING HARDER FOR IT AND WILL BE FOREVER SENSITIVE TO ANY CROSSWIND BLOWING OVER MY CROSS BARS...ON TO THE NEXT SOLUTION...OH...I RAN INTO THE SERVICE MANAGER ON MY RUN TODAY AS HE WAS ON HIS WALK....YEP...I STOPPED AND WALKED...AND HE GOT AN EARFULL...YEP...YOU GUESSED IT..I DON'T GET ANY FREE OIL CHANGES...

 

Just left a Honda service dealer (RE:loose rear caps)
Replaced rear and front caps.
tec said that instrustions said to remove rear caps but they remove the front caps and then slide on easy(Cross Bars) with out problems.

Hope this helps

 

Huh?

Cigar,

Not sure I followed what you were saying about the caps. The instructions (at least the ones I downloaded) say to remove the front caps. I don't know how difficult it'd be to remove the rear caps, but the front ones are impossible. Did you mean to say they remove the rear caps instead of the front ones? Thanks.

 

WNYPilotGuy, I watched the service tec remove the front caps
in 1 min. then tighten some clip then reinstall end caps.
Total of 5 min. to remove and tighten all 4 end caps.

He said this was common problem in the Oddy and had a lot experience in this procedure.

He said they remove the front caps to install the cross bars.
I was mistaken in implying that the rear caps are removed to install cross bars.

 

Done deal.

I did it! Thank you to WNYPilotGuy for his post of pain. (He made a world of difference.)

Here is the deal. DO NOT TRY TO PRY IT UP! This WILL crack the clip. Take your screw driver parallel to the roof line. Put it dead center in the hole provided. Slide the plastic cap towards the front of the vehicle. It will probably take a few times to slide it as each time you do it the plastic stopper has to ride up and over the clip you are pressing. Until it is in the right position (by rocking it a few times) it does not go. Of course when I finally got it, it shot across my garage but it came off clean with no cutting. Basically the main answer is LEVERAGE. If you can get above / behind it and push it away from you it seems to go. (patience helped too, although knowing what WNY already did helped a ton.) I think if you had a second person to just push the tab in and had yourself sliding the the cap it would probably still be painful but much easier.

Thanks for listening to my pain. :2:

 

Congratulations banningjr

I read your last post and thought....hmmm...that's exactly what I did. Well....let me try again on the cap that's still intact. Getting the same results...that damn thing won't budge. Tried rocking it....but it really doesn't rock hardly at all. Did yours rock alot? How long did you have to rock it? I was unclear about one thing. You said put the screwdriver parallel to the roof? Unless you are using a TINY flathead screwdriver, there's really only one way to put the screwdriver in the hold...and that's perpendicular to the rack. You didn't mean the "blade" of the flathead parallel to the roof line did you? And if you did....didn't make any difference anyways. I can't understand why some people can remove it...and I can't. I am mechanically inclined...really I am!!! LOL

I guess I'm still back at the "wait until I can buy replacement caps" phase. When I do get those replacement caps....I'm going to rip those $#%&*!@ caps off and BURN THEM!!!!

 

Re: Congratulations banningjr

WNY, back away from the Pilot! I repeat, back away from the Pilot!

Now, take a deep breath.....count to 10...and let the air out sloooooooooowly.

Feel better ???

It's going to be okay. I promise.

I can't understand why some people can remove it...and I can't. I am mechanically inclined...really I am!!! LOL

I guess I'm still back at the "wait until I can buy replacement caps" phase. When I do get those replacement caps....I'm going to rip those $#%&*!@ caps off and BURN THEM!!!!

 

The screw driver would also be parallel to the existing rack.

I actually used a ladder and opened the rear passenger doors. (I also used a number of words not suitable for any forum.) It seems by pushing from behind the cap it helped leverage it because of that little wave on the side of the cap. The side facing towards the center of the vehicle it where I put my finger and my palm on the wave side. It actually moved less than an 1/8 of an inch for a good 5 minutes and slid back into place. After the 5 it seemed to go just a little farther, at that point I just held it at that and kept pushing it towards the front of the vehicle until it got over the clip. The clip itself is even strange as it veers off at an angle on the top.

I took a picture of the base with the cap off so I will try to load that up tomorrow so some of these comments make better sense. I still think if you could have a second person pushing the tab in while you push the cap straight off might make it easier. (I'd also like to know the trick the Ody guy knew for the 5 minute total pop off- He makes me really feel weak!)

 

AHHHHHHHHHH!

Alright. I tried for 15 minutes tonight and decided that I should quit before I tossed my torx wrench through something.

Let me see if I understand: You need to insert the blade parallel to the roofline into the hole while your simultaneously pushing the cap towards the front of the vehicle?

Tried that a few times and no dice. I'm going to sleep on it and try again tomorrow night!:11:

 

Still confused

Banning,

Not sure how you are holding the screwdriver parallel to the existing rails. The hole is on the inside of the railcap. When you insert the screwdriver, it has to be perpendicular " _|_ ", and not parallel " || " to the existing rack. I wonder if I could take it in for service JUST to have them remove the caps....LOL.

 

OK, I see where you are at, I mean parallel to the existing roof line and existing rails. = If you put it in _|_ It pushes it too evenly, I don't know why. Doing it parallel from the center or above seems to be closer to where the pastic tab needs to come through. One other thing I noticed, once you get it moving you will feel a point at which the tab is being held back by the plastic tab, not the screwdriver. Keeping the screwdriver in at that point actually stops your progress. When you get it at about that 1/8" point (and not letting it slide back) the tab seems to be engaged, just let the screwdriver go and keep the top sliding. Watch the points by the rail and on the very fron of the cover, you can guage your progress off them. I took a look at their instructions again and while it is not written they do give an arrow on removing the cover and show the screw driver parallel to the roof line. (Of course they also show the cap floating above, not in front of the rail.) I also used the biggest screw driver I could find to fit in the hole. Using a pen sized one or PC tech kit size seemed to be too small. I guess a normal sized flat tip with a smaller head would be the best description of it. I'll try to get those pictures up here later today.

For what you've ripped through already you can get this. At least the clip is impossible to bend the wrong way and once you get this thing on there, NO ONE, is going to rip the mounting points off. You'd catch them in the act!

The wind noise people can confirm this but I didn't hear mine howling last night. When installing the bars the short stubby side faces the front on the vehicle and the longer (flatter?) side faces the rear, kind of like an airplane wing.

 

I have a great idea for a video

How about a video of a Honda Technician showing how to properly remove the Roof Caps? I would buy that the day it came out.....or do you think I should just rent it at Blockbuster?

 

forward facing

Mine came from hondacuraworld.com with little stickers on top that said "front" on one side. I'm assuming that edge is the one face the front of the vehicle.

Now if I could just get those caps off.....