Honda FR-V chat

Q20 - Hi there, just a quick one about the wheels. What other rims can I put on. TIA Tomas, UK

Hello Tom, thanks for visiting the web, Honda FRV rims factory size is  J6 or  J6.5 x R16 and has 64,1 mm central bore, with 5x114,3 bolt pattern. Offset is 40-45 mm. But you can use any Honda wheels up to R19 - 19".  Yes with those the ride is gonna by bumpy and the axles will suffer, but in boyracer's terms less cushy more pushy. Personally I don't think its worth. I run 16" in the winter with higher profile tires and 17" lower profile for the summer season and they been absolutely fine. Now Kia, Mazda, Lexus, old Freelander, Toyota, newish Dacia - Renault, Opel van from 2014, Citroens Cross, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Nissan, Hyundai and Tesla has same bolt pattern so are swappable as long as they have  64,1 mm or more central bore  /some Toyotas are less for example/ and physical fits in view of the offset. Dan. 

Q19 - Hi I have only just discovered your Web page and I have already, bookmarked it and added it to my Google homepage. I'm praying that you can help me? The serpentine belt or belts 🤷🏻‍♂️ on my FRV edix 1.7 (D17 engine I think?) are so shot they will go at any point but I have asked everywhere and nobody can tell me what belts I need, you are my last hope 🤞🏼😬 If it helps, my reg is BC06OPA, Liam COE, UK

Hello Liam, thanks for visiting the web, I hope this helps. Honda D17A engine has two belts /apart the timing belt /. One runs the AC compressor + alternator that is driven out of the big crankshaft pulley, the other one connects the power steering pump with the smaller outer crankshaft pulley. They are quite similar in length however the power steering belt is longer and narrower:  power steering belt length 1025-28mm / width 14,3mm / 4 ribs, AC belt length 985-6mm / width 21,3mm / 6 ribs .  ContiTech or Gates are recommended brands and both together wont be more than 25-30€ - GATES 4PK1028, GATES 6PK985. 

Q18 - Hi Daniel, It is easier for me to write you like this directly on email because I need some prompt answers from you 😁I had the same knock sensor problem (P0325) on my ex CRV 2nd gen. (K20A4 engine) and since yesterday I have it also on my FRV... Back then I tried replacing it with various aftermarket knock sensors which didnt work, only solution was buying and replacing it with Honda OEM. Just wanted to know, for how long did you drive your FRV with check engine light and faulty knock sensor before replacing it? Except jerky engine behaviour and higher fuel consumption, I guess there are no other things that can hapen to the engine. I will probably order one through "amamaya" for the price around 100e with delivery to Serbia around 7-10 days. Thanks in advance for your feedback! All the best! Nikola. 

Hi Nikola,
I had the car with a nonfictional knock sensor for about a week and done about 100-150 Km on it. It behaved as normal with occasional jerks and obviously with the EML was on, that made me nervous. My first sensor /e-bay circa 15€/ didn't last long, learned my lesson and got the OEM one /local Honda dealer circa 95€ as per 2018 or 19/ that is fine till now. The car basically don't need a knock sensor for it to run, but the ECU adjusts ignition timing /should it need/ on the data from it. Obviously there are other more important sensors without which it wouldn't even start. I think a week with a bad one should be ok, if you willing to put up with the jerks and taking the ride easy. Perhaps use the higher oct fuel 98-100 that is more resistant to unwanted knocking. The Amamaya is fine and reputable also prices are fair, shame the hefty shipping and tax for us over here in Europe. D.

Hi Daniel, Thanks for fast reply! I just received OEM knock sensor from my local Honda representative, it was around 150e. Could you please share with me, if you remember, what was the exact torque when installing the sensor? I found online some manual but for K24 engines and it says 31 Nm.

Hi, yes 31-32 nm is correct. D.

Q17 -Hi Daniel, Could you please help me out locating AC relay, if you could send me pic of your relay box and mark the correct one. I was searching online and check the relay box cover but I am not sure that it is the correct one. Issue is that when I turn AC on/off I dont hear "click" sound, so I guess the relay is blown. Thans a lot! Nikola

Hi Nikola, all aircon relays and fuses are in the outside box. You have 2 fuses and 2 relays. For the compressor clutch and for the AC fan separately. Picture included - it is of my 2.0 /hope you can see the red pencil circles :) / 1- clutch relay  2- fan relay  3 - fan fuse  4 - clutch fuse

Hi Daniel, Thanks a lot for your fast feedback and help! Could you just tell me one more thing, are these two relays (both for ac clutch and ac clutch fan) identical?

Hi Nikola, you are welcomed :)  It is /both/ a Denso relay, not very expensive /+- 10€/. It should be this one: Honda Part Number: 39794SDA004, Denso part: 156700-2680.  When you pull your old one out on its side is a number, just doublecheck it.  D. 

Hi Daniel, sorry for bothering you this much... Just one more question regarding these relays. What is their current 20A or 30A for both? Because I have for ac clutch some replacement relay 20A and for ac fan I have this denso 30A, so I am not sure if it is oo or not. I cannot find Denso here in Serbia so probably I will put some Bosch adequate replacement, just want to make sure before that what is the coreect amperage for both positions.  Thanks again for your fast feedback!

Hi Nikola, Im not 100% sure about the amperes, should I say, I'd its 30A. It used to by Omron but Honda ditch them and went with Mitsuba or Denso. I'd look for these too. Apparently AC clutch relay is a fairly common issue at various Hondas. I know about a Denso 2nd hand one round here out of Accord 8. But they also appear on the Ebay for abut 15-25€. It is a common part and at the main Honda dealer should not be a problem with availability. Best to ask them also about the amperes and than perhaps look for a cheaper option :) D. 

Hi Daniel, I checked with our official local Honda dealer and they replied with some crazy price of 40e for OEM relay they have on stock... I will try this Bosch replacement (0 332 011 007) today that I found and see if it works, it is 1:1 replacement for that oe Honda code that you sent me. Hope it works, let you know soon.

Q16 -Hello, I Like your Website I am owner of Honda Fr-v diesel 2.2 2005. Can You Help me who is the Reverse backlight Switch located. If it possible with Photos. Best Regards. Willy, Austria

Hello to Austria and thanks for visiting. The reverse switch on FRV N22 diesel, is on the gearbox pointing forward, but I have FR-V K20 so can't take the real picture of it as mine is located slightly elsewhere. But here is the Honda FRV N22 catalogue drawing, you can't miss it look for the cables, there are two switches above each other and you want the top one - reverse. The bottom switch is a speed sensor that is much more expensive and has a L shape connector. Reverse switch Honda FRV N22: 28700-PHR-003. 

Q15 -Am looking for fuel filter location on my Honda frv, Nkosinathi

Hi Nkosinathy, Fuel filter on the petrol FRVs /as on most of petrol Hondas/ is submerged in the fuel tank, with an access from the cockpit under the rear middle seat. It is an assembly combining an electric fuel pump, fuel gage float, and the main filter, that is not replaceable on its own, only as the whole unit. Than the pump has its own now yet a replaceable, little filter. Honda doesn't appoint the service interval /as per the EU Honda FR-V user manual/ but a good time to have look at it would be somewhere between 60K to 90K Km. In the  DIY section @210K  are some pictures with part numbers and a description how to replace it. Please have look.

Q14 -Hello Daniel, I recently bought exactly the same 2005 FRV (executive) with K20A9 engine and I have, for now, one very stupid question for you :) How should I reset avg. consumption? I press and hold the button on the odometer but nothing happens... Thanks a lot friend ! Nicola.

Hi Nicola. Congrats to your purchase, hope you will be happy with the car, and don't worry its not a sily Q. The average fuel mileage, /in metric land liters per 100Km/ will always gets reset when you reset the trip meter,  /or if you for what ever reason disconnect the battery/. To reset a trip meter press and hold the Reset Knob until the number jumps to 0.0 . When you press it only briefly you are selecting the display mode: 1.driven distance since last reset  /1000Km is the maximum it goes to/, 2.estimated milage left on the remaining fuel, 3.average fuel consumption based on the actual circumstances - the longer you leave it less precise but more average gets. The Reset Knob has also an another function, you might not know about, you can adjust correct outside temperature /if you think its incorrectly displayed/ and by turning the knob you control the brightness of the instrument cluster. 

Q13 -Please advise the tightening torques for the front seat bolts, I removed the seats to fix the middle passenger seat. It won't move back, it's jammed. I really liked your topic "Rust protection". I plan to use your experience. Bogdan

Hi Bogdan, thank you for you msg. As per the floor nuts holding the chairs, I don't think you need a precise torque, just tighten them as firm as you can obviously within a common sense span. To adjust the front middle seat forward or backward, pull up the lever on the right side of the front edge, move the seat to the wanted position and release the lever. If it is stuck apply more pressure or wiggle either with the lever or with the chair or if find access /probably from the back/ use wd40 on the mechanical parts. The strap on the right side operates only the seat-back. Happy to see the tips comes handy. If you don't forget please send us 1-2 pictures of your FRV to finish the entry. Cheers. 

Q12 -Hi Daniel, what a lovely website you have here. My question to you is have you replaced the drivers master window switch yet? I have just purchased a lovely example of FRV recently and need to replace this. I have bought a master switch from the breakers and looks for some clear instructions on how to replace - if you have? Thank you Mike.

Mike, I got the original one still holds fine. So the job is not terribly difficult but rather fiddly. You have to take off the air vent panel  /the wooden or black one depends on what car you have / above the switch since underneath of it is a screw holding the master switch. For that you can use those plastic pry bars. Than there are another 3 screws holding the switch in its place that are accessible from the bottom, a long flexi screwdriver will help. The switch has 2 big plugs be careful not to brake them or the wiring.  Than pull the old switch out through the opening /it also have 4 clips on the sides/.  Before putting all back in reverse order, plug and try out the new switch first. Good luck with the repair and thanks for visiting the web.

Q11 -Hi Daniel! Congrats for this website and the DIY tutorials! I find the drivers seat position in my FR-V a little bit uncomfortable for me on long trips. Lumbar support and lateral feet support are poor and also, I would like to have a few more centimeters in seat length. Is there any driver chair fitting from Civic or CR-V without major changes? The fitting should be quite similar, but I don't know if it will fit. There's some space in the left side, few centimeters to the door panel, but on the other side, the middle front chair is basically sticked to the drivers chair. Are there any mods for this? Or should I try to a custom build company? Thank you! Bogdan.

Hi Bogdan and greetings to Romania, while I agree the seats are a deal smaller than the CRVs ones, I don't find them terribly uncomfy  /nether my Misses, and we also have or had a Mondeo or Corolla/. We have done trips like Bratislava - Innsbruck almost in one piece or Gdansk, Switzerland, Scotland, and my 85Kg 185cm didn't complain more than usual. Sure there're much better sofas out there, but FRV is an old family van not a sedan. I have seen somebody ditching the front middle to create more room, but I am not aware of swapping them out for any of kind. Perhaps it is possible. You wont know till you try out. Custom build seats sounds hot but cant even imagine the price. Any mods regarding the seats I have come across was only the upholstery, which in theory could alter the shape of it if you stuff the parts you finding now poor. Thanks a lot for visiting the web and adding your motor. 

Q10 -Hi Daniel! I found your blog just today. (2024.06.12) I'm an owner of a 2.0 FR-V executive since last year. Do you still drive the car? Any new DIY tips available? These are very helpful, I hope you continue to post here. I have the same extreme camber problem as most of the FR-V owners. Do you happen to remember the part no. for the adjustable rear upper link? I'd very appreciate that. Btw I'm in the "neighborhood", Hungary. Not so many FR-Vs here but I see more and more of them since I own mine. 

Cheers Balázs, Greetings to Hungary, and thank you for visiting the web. Yes I still have the FR-V, though recently I had an itch to trade it in for a CR-V but kept it at the end.  Happy to see that the little tips are coming useful. I'll be replacing a wheel stud soon so will make an another one out of it. The upper arm part number is: 52390-SJF-000 and 52400-SJF-000 on the other side, but these are the original non-adjustable that Honda sells. The ones you mean are by Hardrace or a no-name cheaper variant here.  The cheaper pair will do the trick as well and comes with the bolts on the top. After you replace them it will require a wheel alignment. Good luck :)  

Q9 -May you kindly assist me with locating the fuel cut off switch for a Honda FVR 2006 model. Peter.

Hi Peter, the "fuel cut off" INERTIA SWITCH is in the cockpit in the front passenger area by his/hers left knee on the LHD cars /opposite side on the RHD/. To access it, got to drop down the glovebox and its bolted /one bolt/ to the middle console proximately as high as the cup holder is. 

Q8 -A great web, some good information, I would like to change the transmission oil myself, do I have to use the Honda oil or is there a cheaper alternative and how much oil I need to buy. Ludwik, Poland

Hallo, the full fill of M6 gearbox of K20 model is 2,2 lit. /N22 have a deferent tranny thus deferent fill/ As per regular service at home condition it is not possible to empty it all, round 0,5 lit always stays in. So if you get 2 bottles you'll be fine. Honda MTF is expensive 24-28€ per liter and not always available but its the best /only/ option. However I been successfully running Ravenol MTF2 /+-10€/. Need to say, I have shortened the service intervals  /35K/  - as with all the fluids as a matter of facts. So pricewise it doesn't differ that much, but the oil stays hopefully in a better condition.  Have a look here:  Gear-box oil replacement  @240K

Q7 -Hello, Just wondering what the part number is of the shoe replacement filter, the filter at the bottom of the fuel pump Any help would be appreciated. Wouter.

Hi Wouter, the one I used in my DIY service was by Masuma part number MPU033, bought long time ago on Amazon. Shipping + the  EU VAT and duty was 5x more than the item itself, so I got several of them. Some I gave away or sold /it fits to other models too/ one or two I'd like to keep, if you interested I can spare you one. Its exactly the same as the original. /Honda FR-V 2.0 2006/ I wouldn't think so that Honda officially sales it separately only as a part of the filter assembly, but ask them. Take care Daniel. 

Hi Daniel, Thanks for the info. I am interested in MPU033 filter. How much would it be, shipment included to the Netherlands? Another question, I am replacing the rear upper control arms at this moment I can't het the top bolt out. No space to put a spanner on or a ratchet. How did you do it? Thanks, Greetings, Wouter

Regarding the upper arm, unscrew and pull out the front bolt first /the one without the bush on the arm closer to the wheel/ so rear one will be free to play or wobble with the arm while pulling the bolt out. Just unscrew it and than pull out towards the engine of the car, so if doing the right side arm pull it to the left. There is room for that. Use plenty of penetrating oil and a small pry bar or stronger screwdriver. The fuel filter shoe + postnpackage to NL 25€  /15+10/.  PM me please frv@danielpetrasko.com

Q6 -Halo, just a quick question what is the best oil for frv? Jan, Czech rep. 

Hi, you haven't specify the engine, so the best oil is always the one manufacturer recommends. However its very important how you use the car and in what climate. I run Valvoline 5w30 A3/A4 SN and this winter I've tried Total 0w40 also A3/A4 SN. I will see how it does and perhaps might stay with it onwards.  Regards Dan. 

Q5 -Congrats for your website from a designer and frv owner from Spain. One thing that I saw but not in your comments is about the day lights. Can you tell me about them. In Spain are not permitted oficially so I hope to find a way to detach them for the revision and not to be sanctioned for it. Leds are not permitted neither :( David

Greetings to Spain, if you go to the DIY section and scroll down to Fog lights - DRL @200K you might find some explanations. Never the less I do know home added LED bulbs are illegal so one might run into the problems using them. But to add a DRL or auxiliary lights is permitted. DRL lights are obligatory now. I have transformed the factory fog lights to DRL via a control modul /widely available/ so they are automatically lit on circa 35% of their luminous intensity straight after starting the vehicle and with the fog light switch they can be turned on to the full power or turned off. Yes I am running LED bulbs in them /not legal/ but having the xenons headlights, all my lights are of same temperature so they don't attract unwanted attention. The modul and the way how it works is fine and I believe legal too, I passed the MOT tests several times and was driving in many European countries without problems or advisory. However nowadays I prefer using the original fog lights as a DRL, because they lit the back lights too that I prefer having on. The pair of added Hella auxiliary lights is EU permitted and passes the MOT /here also I run LED bulbs/.  They are attached permanently to the bumper with separate wiring, relay, fuse and a cockpit switch. 

Q4 -Good afternoon! We are preparing design for printing on the HONDA FR-V (grey) Is there a possibility that you could send me a vector file (drawed or real) with size and dimensions? Looking forwrd to hearing from you! Marta, Latvia

Hi Marta, all what I have regarding the dimensions is this jpg picture, perhaps it will help, best regards Dan

Q3 -I am Adzam from Malaysia. Saw your website about your FRV... it is very nicely and beautifully done! I have a 2005 1.7 Edix VTEC... bought it at a used car in 2020, so its been about 3 years now.. i really love it. Fell in love the very first sight when i came about a review on youtube.. never knew this kind of car exist! In Malaysia we have a small group of Edix enthusiast.. we exchange information about its maintenance. Well, thanks again for the beautiful website!  Bye

Hi Adzam, thanks for visiting the web and your kind words.  I do agree the FRV/Edix is kind of an odd car. Until a friend of my haven't show it to me, I had no idea about it either.  Its good to be a part of a grupe to share the info, especially if the car is not very common.   Here in Slovakia is no such a group only some Hondas, but its usually about Civics.  Been on few meets and find only one other FRV. But I have been a member of few FB groups. I think I saw some Edix pics from Malaysia on the web. Some cars were very well kept and customized. So wishing you good luck with your Edix and many happy kilometers .  Regards Daniel. 

Q2 -First of all I want to congratulate You creating such great blog about Honda FR-V. I have a question about 10 mm spacer You installed on rear shock absorbers. Can You share model, ordering number? I want to install it on my 1.8 litre FRV. By the way, did You change rear absorber Springs? I'm looking for good replacement parts. Kind regards, Wilhelm Zajaczkowski 

Hi Wilhelm, thanks for your email, and kind words /sorry for my late answer spotted it only today/. Well, the spacer I inserted, I got of the Ebay from somebody in Ukraina, for really no money of that time /a kit delivered about 20-25€/. I just looked at it now they heavily shoot up. /links below/ I bought 15mm ones as the thinnest they were selling and had 5mm cut off. The 10mm spacer had showed up to be enough for me. I have not replaced the springs or shocks, they were about fine, but its a good idea to do it on one go. For the springs F and R, there is a good 3rd. party producer - LESJOFORS. For the shocks, especially if you have xenons, Id recommend the original Honda. The 555 is an another good /Japanese/ producer for undercarriage parts and joints, just to mention.  :) Best regards Dan.

Q1 -I have Honda FRV 2,0 petrol and have recently replaced the knock sensor but the error come back - P0325, where is to be the problem? Martin.

Hi Martin,  well have you used the original Honda one to start with? If not this is likely your problem. Its reported that most of the aftermarket sensors don't work or work only for a short time. Other culprit is a lose or bad wiring or even the ECU. Driving with a bad sensor will eventually damage the engine. They usually last  200-250K.  I have done mine at 197K.  Part number: 30530PPLA01 /+-100€ /, regards Daniel.