2008 CR-V - Questions ...

[guruprasad]

We recently bought the 2008 CR-V LX 4WD. We are thrilled by the buy so far. Would love to hear on following:

1. Seats - Seem a little stiff compared to our previous vehicle - Acura 3.2 TL. Is there some auto-lumbar setting that we would need to adjust?

2. Hand rest - Seems a little short in length. Any OEM or Honda part that will provide longer hand rest

3. Hand rest - cloth cover - My wife complains that the thatched cloth cover is little irritating to her skin and she prefers a vinyl cover than the cloth. Any options on this?

4. Passenger air-bag indicator: Even when there is no passenger, the indicator would not show "OFF"? Is this normal? If so, would the passenger side air bag deploy in a crash even when there is no passenger?

5. Rear seats - I thought the rear seats are reclinable? If so, where would I find the control for this?

6. Cargo shelf - Is there a way to get the cargo shelf from OEM or otherwise?

Thanks for your help.

[cuzofjade]

we have a 2007 model so i am not certain if all applies to your year model...

1. Seats - I have the same observation. I dunno if there's any adjustment.

2. Hand rest - yes a bit short especially for people with longer arms. not sure for any OEM part.

4. Passenger air-bag indicator - for 2007 Owner's Manual, it states in page 31:
This indicator alerts you that the
passenger’s side airbag has been
automatically shut off. It does not
mean there is a problem with your
side airbags.
When you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, the indicator
should come on briefly and then go
off (see page 61). If it doesn’t come
on, stays on, or comes on while
driving without a passenger in the
front seat, have the system checked.

:confused:

5. Rear seats - is this what you mean? :confused:

The angle of each rear seat-back can
be adjusted separately. To change
the seat-back angle of the rear seatback,
pull up on the release lever on
the top of the seat-back.Move the
seat-back to the desired position,
then release the lever. Make sure
the seat-back latches in the new
position.

if it is, it is in page 94 of 2007 Manual... (or check Index page for "Reclining the Seat Backs")

6. Cargo shelf - If 2007 fits for 2008, then i guess you can find it here.

http://www.accessories-honda.com/store/product_info.php/cPath/32_121_124/products_id/697
http://www.handa-accessories.com/crvint07.html

[Black Pearl]

I have an 07, but I am sure that they are similar enough to answer some of your questions.

1. The seats are stiff. It is a criticism in many reviews. I know of no lumbar adjustment. The 08 EX-L has a new fancy power seat, but for us EX and LX owners, I don't believe there is a lumbar adjustment.

2. The arm rests are short, another frequent criticism. It is a shame they couldn't have put in normal sized door handles (too large) and normal sized arm rests (too small). Before long you will probably notice that the visors are rather tiny as well. I know of no replacements.

3. My wife says the same thing. I somwhat prefer the cloth rests to vinyl. I don't know of any fix other than a long sleeve shirt.

4. Try buckling the seat belt with no one sitting in the seat. You should see the off light come on. I believe the OFF light only comes on when the seat belt is buckled but there is not sufficient weight on the seat to trip the sensor. The vehicle will not release the air bag in case there is a child sitting in the seat. If no one is sitting in the seat and the seat belt is not buckled, the air bag will not deploy even though the OFF light is not illuminated.

5. The rear seats do recline. Pull the release at the top of each one of the three seat back and the back will move to where ever it is positioned. I don't think that they will fully recline to a flat position. The front seats will if you move them forward and remove the head rest (it pulls out of the seat). I don't know anyone who has a back that can recline like that though.

6. Becareful with the cargo shelf. I don't think they are available other than as a replacement part which would be rather pricey. The sites shown above are selling cargo covers, which is a retractable sheet that covers the cargo area but can not be used as a shelf. The shelf is a hard plastic hinged shelf. It can be removed and set on the floor of the cargo area, it fits right into the floor. When installed as a shelf, it does have a 20 pound weight limitation. It serves as both a security cover and a shelf.

I bought the cargo mat, which is a perfectly fitted rubber mat that fits on the floor. I found it to be a nice accessory if you carry wet or muddy items in the back. I also bought the cargo net which I found rather useless, I have yet to find an occasion to use it. I bought bungee cords of various lengths which work nicely with the tie downs. You can buy genuine Honda accessories at HandA at discounted prices. The shelf though I don't believe is sold as an accessory. Someone had one up for bid recently on this forum.

Good luck with your new purchase and Welcome to the club.

[garywi]

Does anyone know where they put the subwoofer in the 2008? Is this really the two speaker bass system with amp that is sold as an accessory in the 2007?

Thanks

[OSX2000]

This should clear up a couple things for many of you:

2007 and 2008 models are identical...unless you've got an EX-L. The only changes for '08 are the addition of a power driver seat, dual-zone climate control, and premium stereo system, but again, this only applies to the EX-L trim.

[cderalow]

Does anyone know where they put the subwoofer in the 2008? Is this really the two speaker bass system with amp that is sold as an accessory in the 2007?

Thanks

subwoofer goes under the seat, same as in the 2007 EX-L/Navi models

again, subwoofer only in EX-L models

[garywi]

I went and looked at an 2008 with sub. Yep, right under front seat. Asked if I could order one and install in my 07 EX. Nope, the wiring harness for the sub will not plug into the 2007 radio.

[Binky]

The '07 EX-L Nav models come with a pair of "premium" front door speakers and "premium" tweeters (by Pioneer) along with a factory amp and under-seat sub woofer. (The front speakers and tweeters each have different Honda part numbers if you search under EX-L Nav vs. EX-L w/o Nav).

I bought an end-of-the-year '07 EX-L (Nav-less), one reason was I didn't care for the subwoofer in the Nav model so I opted for the EX-L w/o Nav. My in-laws bought an '08 EX-L with the factory sub under the passenger seat - sounds muffled compared to the rear door Honda woofer/amp system I installed. (The amplifier displaces the under-seat drawer.) It's a "plug-&-play" Honda harness and requires removal of the stereo head unit, glove box, right front passenger rocker sill plate, "loosening" of the passenger seat mounding bolts and popping the rear door panels off to do the installation.

Check out College Hills Honda pod cast for the portable nav unit installation (http://www.collegehillshonda.com/artman2/publish/CR-V_38/Podcast_Episode_81_-_Honda_CR-V_Portable_Navigation_Installation.shtml). It will show you how to remove the dash/head unit/glove box, etc.

Tools required include a phillips screw driver, a couple of sockets, and instruction sheet (downloaded from any number of Honda accessory websites) and patience. Sounds pretty involved but its quite easy if you're comfortable with that sought of thing.

I replaced the front door speakers with the "premium" speakers standard in the Nav models for a more full sound (~$18.00 ea. Can't beat that, the standard speakers cost ~$50ea. - go figure) and after installation - what I discovered was much improved bass response too. In addition, the tweeters in the Navi models are "premium" grade but they cost slightly more (~$34 ea.) - I'm not sure I'll replace them yet.

I added the rear door woofer system (~$300) with Honda amp. It adds stronger bass response than the stock Nav system - not sure how much power the under-seat amp pumps out. Output and cross-over are adjustable. The passenger doors act as a more efficient enclosure than the smaller under seat subwoofer IMO. If the gain is turned up too far there is some signal clipping at higher volumes.

I'm pretty satisfied with the sound of this set-up for no more than about $350 and an hour or so to install everything - it's all Honda parts and doesn't require you to hack into any of the factory harnesses. The factory subwoofer standard in the '08 EX-L (both Navi & non-Navi) doesn't sound as strong. The enclosure is pretty small compared to the rear doors.

My local Honda dealer met the price points (~25% discount of list) and even got the parts in over-night.

For what it's worth the Acure RDX has an eleven speaker system including a sub enclosure behind the right rear liner panel, a front dash center speaker and right/left rear quarter panel speakers.

[garywi]

Hi Binky, I looked at majestic honda's diagrams. I see the premium speakers you reference. Also, I noticed there is a preium amplifier in the EX-L with navi picture. Does the EX have a amp or premium amp? If not, does the preium amp connect to the EX radio?

G

[Binky]

I can't say for certain anything specific about the standard amps. By looking at schematics it appears there may be two (2) external amps in the NAVI models and an additional amp mounted on the subwoofer enclosure under the passenger seat. This IS diiferent than the rear door system I installed. I noticed an amp (or what I initially thought was a computer module) behind the passenger foot well cover - which also needs to be popped off to provide access to route the wiring harness. The installation instructions identify it as the "vehicle unit" on page 8 (step #28).

The harness in my EX-L is presumably the same as that in the LX. If so it may be helpful to know that the harness connects into the head unit in two (2) locations and also patches into the existing harness via the vehicle 17 pin connector (page 9, step #33). From what I recall this connector was not in use before added the rear system harness but was pre-installed with the standard harness. I can't say with certainty the harness is identical in the LX/EX/EX-L models but it is highly likely they are.

The amp provided with the rear door woofer system is mounted with a bracket provided with the installation kit. The wiring harness is routed from the head unit, behind the dash, along the passenger side door frame to the amp located under the passenger seat. Routing the harness takes the majority of time for this install.

Then remove the rear door panels to provide access to the speakers. I had my son hold the panels so it wasn't necessary to release the door latch mechanism, nor the power window switch connector.

Installation instructions here (http://http://www.handaaccessories.com/crv/07bass.pdf)

[garywi]

Thanks again.

G