Living with a Honda FR-V

In connection with changing wheels or servicing brakes, another note came to mind that was prompted by a question in a Facebook group, namely where to place the jack at the rear. So I place the jack in the middle of the rear frame and lift the whole back end at once, which gives me access to both wheels at the same time. 

Jan  2025 

15 most often Honda FR-V K20 consumables 

This is a list of most frequent consumables to keep the FR-V running fine. Than it is perhaps followed by the VTC and Vtec filters, serpentine belt and brake service kits /gaskets, calliper pistons, pads, lubrication, brake fluid/. 

1. gasoline 95+  - my long term AVG consumption 7,4L/100 or 38 UK mpg  /calculated mathematically/ 

2. spark plugs - DENSO KJ20DR-M11,  NGK 6711, I prefer NGK

3. engine oil - 0w40 SN/A3 - winter or all year round,  5w30/40 SN/A3 - hot summers or high revs applications

4. engine oil filter - Mann W 610/6, Purflux LS 350, BOSCH P7077,  all as good as Honda for 1/2 the price

5. air filter - Mann C1430

6. gearbox oil - Ravenol MTF-2 75W-80, /likely/ as good as Honda MTF for 1/2 price

7. power steering oil - Ravenol PSF-Y, /likely/ as good as Honda PSF for 1/2 price

8. coolant - ready mix Honda CF

9. tires - R17 215/55,  R17 215/50,  R16 215/60,  R16 215/55

10. cleaning - active foam, car shampoo, wax, rags - I use Bosh Aquatak 110 portable power washer / a review is coming up

11. cockpit filter with active coal - Purflux AHC220-2, Mann CUK 2327-2, Mann is better

12. wipers blades - driver 65cm, passenger 48cm 

13. headlights bulbs - D2S Osram Xenarc Night Braker, going to replace for LED system

14. fuel additives - Liqui Molly Benzin 5129, Pro-Tec OxiCat, to keep injectors and catalytic converter in shape

15. windscreens and head lights washer liquid - antifreeze all year round

Dec  2024 

Another useful things for the garage and DIY servicing

Regarding to the 300K milestone, I had to sort out some tools and material. All of them were widely available and thankfully on the cheaper side. Apart of the fuel filter shoes, all delivered from local parts and tools stores. 

1/ coolant filling container  - coolant replacement with this funel is ever so easy and quick

2/ torque wrench - 3/8" socket  7 - 112 Nm, for delicate jobs like the head cover and valves

3/ Permatex super gray  - gasket maker, I couldn't get hold of Honda bond but Permatex should be equally good 

4/ Honda 12341-RTA-000 - oem head cover gasket

5/ valve adjusting tool and feeler gauge  - another very simple but useful tools

6/ starter motor AS S6221S 

7/ Honda 15845-RAA-A01 - oeom VTC strainer, front VTC filter

9/ fuel filter shoe PMU-033 - long and complicated shipping from Asia

10/ front brake repair kit - Febest set of 2 pcs

July  2024 

From the Baltic to the Adriatic

Just back from a very nice trip to the Hel Peninsula and the Sopot area in Poland.

We’ve just returned from a wonderful trip to Poland, visiting the Hel Peninsula and the Sopot area. The FR-V performed flawlessly, covering over 2,000 km without a single issue. We drove there and back almost in one go, stopping only 2–3 times for fuel or a quick coffee. Each leg took around 12–13 hours, and the journey was smooth, with no major traffic jams or problems.

Our calculated average fuel consumption was 7.25 L/100 km (about 39 mpg), while the car’s onboard computer showed slightly better figures of 6.8–6.9 L/100 km (40–42 mpg). There were three of us in the car along with a reasonable amount of luggage, and we drove at typical holiday speeds, mostly with the air conditioning on.

The average price of E10 fuel in Poland was about €1.60 per litre. On the route, there is one toll section on the A1 motorway between Gdańsk (Ruszcin) and Toruń (Nowa Wieś). Shortly after arriving in Sopot, we experienced a heavy downpour, within minutes the roads turned into rivers 10–15 cm deep. The storm lasted around two hours, but aside from that, the weather and the entire trip was excellent. 

Jan  2024 

Another toy to the garage  

Although I got an air compressor with some air powered tools, I recently got this little cordless impact wrench. For me a useful tool as I change the wheels at least twice in a year, plus when doing the brake and suspension service. 

Its size, weigh vs delivered power and value is a reason to mention it. Its by the well known budget brand Parkside. The full name is Parkside Performance PPDSSA A1 12v. It has a solid brushless motor and takes 12V 2-5 Amps batteries. With the big battery it weight less than 1,5 kilo and delivers as pre manual up to 300 Nm of torque. That's is lot of power for such a little guy. It looks like a direct clone of the Milwaukee stubby 12v costing btw at least 5 times more. The Parkside is currently selling across the EU for under 50€ /without the batteries/ but 17,18, 21, 23 mm 1/2 inch impact socked are included. Some good reviews on the Y-Tube. I tighten the wheels circa at 100-110 Nm and the wrench is able to unscrew the nuts very easy.  It is small enough to fit under the wheel arches and narrow places when working on the suspension or brakes. 

Along with the wrench I bought two working lights taking the same batteries as the wrench. A piece for 10€. They have magnets, tripod holes and can be bent to some 10 deferent positions. Very handy and powerful lights, useful everywhere in the households, workshops, outdoor activities and so on. 

Dec  2023 

Catalyst converter theft

It is really a nasty issue, until is possible to sell them to scrappers or export them it wont stop.  Also punishments for tracked down thieves  /if there are any at all/ and the middlemen needs to be a way harder.  

To nick it is very easy and takes only few minutes. Often happens during the day on carparks, private drives and so on. So if you one day find your FR-V without the catalyst convertor, the car is basically write off.

To buy an original CAT + lambda and other parts that will get be missing or get damaged + to have it fit will likely cost more than the car itself. Buying a chines/polish one from the E-bay or similar sources - costs but also contains 10x less precious metal so will last accordingly and might not past the emission tests or triggers the EML, but looks like the only option. 

Making a "decat" - simply welding a pipe instead, is also possible, but it needs some changes to the engine ECU and of course in the EU is illegal. Buying an another car and keep this as donor, or the other way round is not an ideal too, but certainly a way. Similar to locking wheel nuts, there is an option to make some sort of a CAT protector to discourage the morons. Some inspirations are on various webs. I have been thinking of this a lot and soon or later /hope wont be too late/ will create something for sure. Maybe in connection with the steel engine bottom cover, that I am planning to put on soon.  Will post an update.  

Dec  2023 

Tire pressure

According to the manufacturer, the FR-V with R18, N22 and K20 engines uses 16" or 17" wheels with these tire dimensions: 205/55 R16 or 205/50 R17. However this doesn't stop you to use a deferent rims or tires size /until they fit or are approved/ but in this country it is basically illegal and can result to MOT failure, the car technical license detention, or even policy lost. To sign deferent wheels sizes to the cars log book would legitimize them, but it is often a cumbersome proces.

For the summer I use 16 inch wheels with 215/55 - these are slightly bigger than the stock, the sidewall grown up from 113 mm to 119 mm, the width from 205 mm to 215 mm and the overall diameter from 632 mm to 643 mm. There is +1 Km/hour speed difference among them which is within the 3% tolerance. For the winter, from half of November up to half of April than 215/60 R16, this set lifts the car for another 11 mm, so the clearance from off the shelf tire set is 16 mm greater. 

The manufacturer recommended tire pressure  /its on a label on the driver’s doorjamb/  is 2,2 bar or 32 psi all around for all three FR-V models. I personally find that a bit low and inflate them a tad higher on 2,4 bar / 35 psi. Underinflated tire causes more rolling resistance which uses more fuel. In overinflated tyres, the sidewalls and tread become harder and the contact patch on the road shrinks. This change in footprint can reduce traction and performance. Driving with varying tire pressure  /or wheel sizes on the same axle if there would be such a dumb/  may cause a drag to one or other side or even the VSA to malfunction. Air pressure in tires is directly proportional to the fuel mileage, so people tend to put extra air into the tires which on the other hand shortens the lifespan. 

Sept  2023 

Again RUST protection topic

Undercarriage rust, is something I addressed straight after the vehicle purchase at about 175K Km, as I already had mentioned in the DIY section.  Luckily my FR-V came from the sunny Italy so had not been much attacked by the rust, despite its age. 

There is also lot of talk about the rear inner fenders - sound seals being stuck straight onto the body. People has a problem with the material they are made from. The general meaning is that they hold moister and the body under rusts even faster, so many bin them. I took them down, to see how bad it was under them. Well, have look - fit as fiddle.

It really was perfectly healthy considering the cars age, they weren't soaked, moldy or anything like that /only full of dust/. I gently power washed them and within 1-2 hours on the sun they were dry as bone again. Yes they are made kind of carpet-isch material but they have the ability to dispose of water pretty well. When I power washed them it didn't seem going into them, water rather flowed down.  

Anyway I decided to coated them.

Bought for the job 6 cans of cheaper underseal material and applied several layers onto them from the outside, allowed enough time for each layer to soak in and dry. Then I sprayed the cars fenders itself, again with several thinner layers with a focus on the corners and the body joints. It took another 9-10 cans do the fenders and sills all round.

Recently I peeled one of the inner fender off, to see how it was doing. After 5 salty winters all was fine and healthy, no trapped moisture or rust developing so far.

When mounting them back I have used little plastic washers to raised them off the tin to create a fine gap.   

April  2023 

Sweet 17

Though she doesn't look like, she is 17 this year.

A bone here and there aches, eyesight is getting week, some scars, but very little to no signs of orange skin. Starts on her first crank, never moans and still looking well. After over 265K she still rides Like a Lady.

Dec  2023 

Fuel economy

As the fuel prices gone crazy this year, I have made a spread-sheet of passed distance, avg fuel consumption and also price per liter.

The lowest price in 2022 was in Jan/Dec - 1,45€, the most expensive petrol was in Jun/July between 1,85-2,10€/liter. Most of the fillings were made in Slovakia, 1 or 2 in Hungary /prior to the Orban's ceilinged price/ and several in Austria or Czech. The price differences reflected rather the station position than the country. All fuel is the E95 or E95+.

All records and calculations are made manually, with almost 100% accuracy. 

Month  -  Distance   -   Fuel cnspt.   -  Price/lit € 

1. Jan   -   402 Km    -   8,96 lit/100Km - 31,5mpg   - 1,46€  

2. Feb  -   938 Km    -   7,89 lit/100Km - 35,8mpg  -  1,49€

3. March - 526 Km   -  8,41 lit/100Km - 33,6mpg   - 1,60€

4. Aprl  -   1664 Km   - 7,25 lit/100Km - 39,0mpg   - 1,70€

5. May   -  869 Km    -  6,94 lit/100Km - 40,7mpg   - 1,75€

6. Jun   -  1813 Km    -  7,03 lit/100Km - 40,2mpg   - 1,92€

7. July   -  2465 Km    -  6,68 lit/100Km - 42,3mpg   - 1,90€

8. Aug  -  2367 Km    -  6,89 lit/100Km - 41,0mpg   - 1,71€

9. Sept  -  1893 Km   -  7,08 lit/100Km - 39,9mpg  - 1,62€

10. Okt  -   2048 Km   -  6,87 lit/100Km - 41,1mpg   - 1,67€

11. Nov  -  1981 Km   -  7,33 lit/100Km - 38,5mpg   - 1,64€

12. Dec   -   491 Km   -   8,03 lit/100Km - 35,2mpg   - 1,48€

2022 TOTAL : 

17493 Km - 7,16 lit/100Km - 39,44mpg - 1,70€

I still think that my fuel consumption results of this old, little atmospheric engine pushing 2 ton box /the car + an average family load/ are not bad at all, or has the fuel price thought us to drive more economically? 

Dec  2023 

My FRV work-shed

Little by little my FRV garage - shed is growing.

Basically its an older building with a roof extension, that I use now as a garage and warehouse and previously had already partially restored. The building is on my property right behind the main house, with a good access its own yard and though it has a garage built in /as usual it's not ideal for working round the car/ I have decided to rebuild the extension. Once upon a time it served as chicken farm. 

This opened shed will offer lot of light and space around and above the car. If the money lets and enthusiasm stays the future plan is to get a proper post car lift. So I started with the floor - repaired the old concrete and boarded up the walls. I also utilised couple of old windows, than laid el. cables, and from the outside where an old kennel used to be I have put up another shelter for the mowers, firewood, and my trailer. The whole garage front has a massive wooden folding door. 

April  2022

DBV Arizona R16 J7.5 ET 35

The Spring photo-collection

I have taken these photos just before the Easter 22. The FR-V got new wheels DBV Arizona R16 J7.5 ET 35 + 215/55 summer tires that I bought and put together in the winter /been extremely lucky to find them/ .  Couldn't wait to pop them on to see how 35 mm offset is gonna look like. No need for the 5 mil wheel spacers I was previously using on the rear axle, that I was not truly happy with, the spacers almost completely covered the central hub edge. Now all is well, the rims sits just right. The wheels are neatly aligned or slightly poke out of the body line.

March  2022

Valves clearance

The second most important K20 service job

Modern engines use self-adjusting hydro lifters, but this is not the case of K20  /neither the R18/.  The recommended inspect interval by Honda is 40-50K Km. As I try to be hard on this motor and tend to shorten the service intervals rather than prolong or skip, from now and on Im gonna def stick to this. This simple and relatively cheap / 80-100€/ procedure will help to prevent premature engine failure.  

So my FRVs valves are finally done, with a huge embarrassment said first time in her life after 245K Km. As is well known the exhaust camshafts is the K20a weakest point. Damage or excessive wear wasn't made yet /perhaps due to the well oil maintenance or mature driving style/ but the exhaust camshaft on the 4th cylinder would soon develop a substantial wear. To sum up one inlet and 7 exhaust valves need to be adjusted. Well done to the H3Garage that carried out the surgery. Next time I'd like to try to do it myself or with an assistance. At least an excuse to spend a day with a buddy in the garage  :)   

Feb 2022 

Where is the engine code

The other day I needed the engine code. If you don't have the original FRV paperwork, the code can by find on the block. On the K20 its located to the right off the starter under the TB. The engine code can be useful when buying certain spears that have variations. The other essential codes are the VIN number or paint color code that are on located on the right strut tower. 

Jan 2022 

Buying an used Honda FRV

From time to time, I am checking the FRV adds and prices. Obviously there are many shit-boxes starting from as little as 500€. Then there are the typical 16-18y old family daily vehicles priced round 1000-2500€. The better half with some work done starts from 3000-3500€ - these are well kept often the executive trims owned by people who loved them. Best copies with full history, usually with R18 engines under the bonnet goes round 4-6000€ or more, but these are quite rare. The highest price I have seen was close to crazy 10K €. I think Honda FR-V is in better demand now, when was originally selling.  

So quickly what is to look for when buying a used Honda FRV. 

Rust, rust and rust - wheel arches, fenders, sills. Brakes love to hang or seized, especially if the car is not being used often and parks outside. Half shafts with CV joints suffer from an excessive wear and often shakes under the load. A snapped shaft under the flywheel is also common. Listen to any weird noise from the power steering pump and other aux belt bearings and mainly the AC compressor that is a pain and expensive to fix. Crank shaft oil leak from the clutch case or timing lid, oil leak from vtec valve area, round the head cover or sump. Once hot, no valve taping should be heard and under no circumstances the timing chain. Look for oil spots or sediments in the radiator and water traces under the oil lid. Constant idling revs with no jumping is another important. Test the VSA on-off function. From the interior the power window switch and glovebox locker are prone to brake have look at them. Hand brake should hold solid on 6-8 tooth. Good idea to bring a OBD scanner to see the history and a multimeter to check the batt and alternator. If is there enough time pull out one sparkplug - should be dry and of brownish color - too black or white indicate rich/lean mixture, wrong timing, oil burning.  So just a few tips. 

Jan 2022 

A Winter mishap

It is couple of days after the Boxing day,

we are heading to my in-laws. From the roof of an opposite coming GHV flies off a piece of ice big as a car wheel hitting our left A-column. A sledgehammer impact with an ice-firework. The floe splits into 2 main pieces. One slid to the right across the front windshield with almost no harm, the second kept up along the left side chopping off the wind deflector, window trimming, left wing mirror and damaging the door with the handle. Few smaller pieces hit also the roof, leaving small dents. It took us several seconds to work out what the fuck had happened...

The lorry disappeared.

I picked up some of the debris some as far as 50m behind the car and on a nearby carpark taped back what was possible. Next day, when we got back home I summed up the injurys and order new - 2nd hand parts. The main part was a new mirror. I found only one suitable for about 65GBP. The actual repair wasn't that bad. Bent door handle popped back fairly easily, windows trimming and deflector could have been reused though with some minor defects.

Since most of the spares comes from UK sold cars, here comes the question - is it possible to fit a passenger wing mirror of a RHD FR-V that I bought, to the LHD FR-V on the driver's side ?  Well it is, but after I mounted it, I soon discovered a little drawback. The mirror looks, fits, works ok, but since it was designed to be on a passenger's side of a RHD vehicle it can't be fully tilted as a driver of a LHD car would need. So I striped it to the bits and replaced the guts from my old mirror. Now all is as had been and works like new - the indicator, heating, folding and the adjusting. 

Oct-Nov 2021 

Autumn trips

Beautiful late summer and autumn trips

1/4 of million Km on the clock, still doing well and looking great. 1st. 4 pictures Štiavnické tajchy - famous artificial water reservoirs in the Štiavnica Mountains with the Sitno mountain /1009m/ at back. Than The High Tatras range from the Polish side and last 2 images a water reservoir somewhere in Košice region.

Aprl 2021 

To see and to be seen

The car has xenon lights that I like /with the auto height adjustments and washers/ but to be honest they are rather on the dark side. The MOT is quite strict about these so not much to do here, I have only replaced the original D2S bulbs for a set of Osram Xenarc Night Breaker Laser + 200 %   /pair 95€/ . While the 200% effect took place by no means, they are a lot better than the previous ones. I have also change the number plate lights, all interior and boot lights, reverse light, front sidelights and the front fog light bulbs for Philips LEDs, so now all of them are of the same color round 4500K and looks just right white cool. As I drive a lot at nights, I have added a pair off small but powerful auxiliary Hella lights /85€/ again with 4500K LED bulbs. The front fog lights were rewired and now also works as DRL on 50% of their strength  /or as before like normal fog lights on 100%/.  

At first I have tried some cheap E-bay LED bulbs but soon bin them for Philips. They were flickering, going purple and lasted not even a year. The other advantage of this little tuning is the power /and consequently fuel / consumption, for example the front fog lights were 105W now 10W, all the small bulbs /sidelights, number plate, interior, glovebox/ about 50W now up to 5W.  

Sept 2020

Nutritional supplements

They boast to help with cleaning injectors, CAT, valves, keeping the system free from water, carbon, improving the emissions, economy and bla bla bla. Do they really help, or is it only a marketing gimmick followed by a placebo effect. Are they recommended by car manufactures ?  I don't know and it seems like nobody does, except the salesman. For the last 2 years, I have been using every 3-5K Km an injector n fuel delivery system cleaner, than once a year a Lambda-CAT cleaner and for the engine at every 2nd or 3rd oil swap a Liqui Moly flush. I can not honestly say I feel the FRV drives better or does better MPG. But I do know that my fuel consumption is not bad /avg 7,5 - 38/, oil consumption is close to zero, no problems at emission tests or any overheating, weird noise or smoke out of the pipe. Whenever I pull the spark plugs out, they are lovely dry brown-isch, or when the PCV and TB are inspected, they are carbon black soot free /this one si rather thanks to the regular oil swap/. And this does for me. So I'll stick to this habit. 

Summer 2019

The Alps trips

Our FR-V trips to the Austrian Tyrol's Alps Innsbruck-Saltzburg-Dachstein area. I think by now We have repeated them like 4-5 times

The journeys are 1500 - 2000 Km with avg fuel consumption round 7Lit/100Km - 40MPG. Weather is rather rainy with late summer temperatures, although we have had few very nice days. Our FRV does well both performance and economy wise.

Our first trip to Wolfgang's lake took 5 days, 3 of which we slept in the car /two adults/. The FRV is just made for that, all six seats can be dropped almost flat to make double bed, a bit bumpy and hard but nothing few blankets could manage and create a mobile B&B. There were only two of us so our stuff fit reasonable well under the seats. We parked in caravan places so it was safe and with sanitary facilities within the reach. Next morning we made up only the front seats to carry on driving. A roof box would be ideal for such a trip. 

Spring 2018

Wheels and tires 

Summer is on the way so the tire swap.

Honda FRV wears by default 205/55 R16. The rim size is J6 /or J6.5/ xR16 and has 64,1 mm central bore,  5x114,3 bolt pattern.  Kia, Mazda, Lexus, old Freelander, Toyota, newish Dacia - Renault, Opel van from 2014, Citroens cross something, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Nissan, Hyundai... are swappable.

Nothing wrong with the stock rims but many people "upgrade" them to 18" or even 19".  Less cushy - more pushy?  Maybe.  What I find unpleasant on the default wheels is not the rim size as much but the 50-55 offset number. Doh!  Why couldn't they put on something like 35-40mm at the first place. I have quickly sold the OEM wheels and got a set of Ronal, fairly heavy duty and strong rims of this size: J7xR16 ET40. My second set is even wider  J7.5 ET35. By jumping from 205 to 215, from J6 to J7.5 and from ET 50 to 35 the car got wider on the axle for about 35-45mm  /prox 20mm on each side/.  While it doesn't show off or draw attention /so I don't get pulled over, vandalized or have MOT problems/  I def feel a deference on the faster roads and cornering. I have tried several tire sizes and ended up with 215/60 R16 for the winter /good to plough higher through the snow/ and 215/55 R16 for the summer. My future plan is to go to R17.  But this got to be registered to the log book that brings good deal of bureaucracy to the proces.  Meanwhile sitting on 55-60 sidewall cushions, makes the ride comfortable and wades easy through the potholes and retarders and also prolongs life to all the undercarriage components. 

September 2018

FR-V at pull

No doubt that Honda FRV with N22 under the bonnet is a great puller, although for the regular caravanning or builders sort of usage ones gonna be better off with a CR-V, Rav4, Freelander... car style /in this age, size category/.  But is the Honda FR-V with K20 petrol engine any good at pull?  - To what I have gone through - def yes, if taken easy. Just not to forget you don't have the torque.