Honda strikes again - roof rack bolt issue

[JHZR2]

We bought our 2014 Odyssey new this past summer. It had been living in a display in the dealership.

The vehicle had never seen snow and no salt. No rain for much of its life being in a display.

The van has a roof rack and cross bars. We didn't need to put our Christmas tree on the roof, so I figured I'd take off the cross rails, to help with aerodynamics. No big deal, right?!? Well for six of eight, no.

The other two? Felt some resistance, let off and went the other way a bit. Tried again, nothing.

One of them just spun and spun from the start.

Poorly chosen materials, bad design, monkeys who wrenched too tight???

One way or another, now I've got issues. And the darn van is so high that it's tough even for me 6 ft 4-5in to work on. No idea how is best to fix this. I'd say that I'd just put the cross rails on and leave it be...

But they won't tighten either now.

Any ideas?

The thing that holds the screws looks like this:

My complaint with our integra was generally poorly chosen materials. My Saab had a design just like this where torx bolts screw into a female threaded hole on the car, saw tons of salt, and I'd routinely install and remove the rack yearly for skiing. Ugh!!

 

[Hokiefyd]

Are you saying that the weld nuts in the van just spin when you try to tighten them, or take the bolts out for the remaining two?

I'd take it to the dealer and let them play with it.

If it was a display in the showroom, who knows who's wrenched on it putting on and taking off different accessories for show. The Pilot in my local dealership has all sorts of junk on it: window shades, a kayak attachment with kayak on the roof, a hitch receiver bike rack with a high dollar bike from the bike shop down the street, etc. That Pilot is guaranteed to have something scratched or damaged on it from all that handling.

 

[Rand]

take about 40 pictures of the van from all angles.

then take it into the dealer for them to fix it.

When it comes back scratched.. have them fix that too.

 

[JHZR2]

Yes, the torx screws are neither tight nor loose which is the issue. I think when I loosened and tightened them, they became seized. I wasn't particularly hard on them, but the female part spins. I can't imagine that they are welded in. If they are, I wonder if I could douse them in penetrating oil, super glue them in place, and then remove them.

Even if I did that, not sure how I can fix this. I wonder if I'm going to have to replace the main roof rails...

 

[Trav]

It looks like a rivet nut, get a bolt the same thread and a nut with washers. Holt the bolt and tighten the nut against the rivet nut to squeeze it tighter.
Worst case put a couple of tack welds with a mig on it.

 

[NHGUY]

Honda....makes it simple..again.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Trav
It looks like a rivet nut, get a bolt the same thread and a nut with washers. Holt the bolt and tighten the nut against the rivet nut to squeeze it tighter.
Worst case put a couple of tack welds with a mig on it.


You mean like this sort of thing that I did on my Saab?

I was wondering if it was like that...

Problem is, the rivet nut keeps spinning so I can't get the bolt further in or out. It just spins. I'm starting to wonder if I should cut the head off (it still is holding the cross rail holder so I can't actually get to the spinning river but that the screw is seized to), so I can get penetrating oil in and then work on it more easily

 

[Trav]

Yes that's it. have you tried the cordless impact on it while applying a little force on it by twisting a screwdriver between the pieces?

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Trav
Yes that's it. have you tried the cordless impact on it while applying a little force on it by twisting a screwdriver between the pieces?


I tried a cordless impact but not jammed in place. Good idea. There's just only 1-2mm of space with the rest of the rail still on there... So not sure if I'll have the access to jam it tight, at least without destroying the screw first...

But cutting the screw off might be a good move.

Lots of anti seize for the reinstall.

 

[Bluestream]

Take it to the dealer for warranty..

 

[Papa Bear]

Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Take it to the dealer for warranty..


That's too easy .....

 

[spackard]

Does this .pdf help?
http://www.bernardiparts.com/Images/Install/2014_Odyssey_Crossbars_AII49699.pdf

N.B.: 7.3 lbf-ft. torque for the screws.

Actually, I don't see how you have genuine Honda crossbars, as the .pdf shows 8 plastic screws and a very light torque spec, and you're looking at metal screws and thinking of nailing them with an impact wrench.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Take it to the dealer for warranty..


That's too easy .....


Actually with my travel schedule between now and Christmas, it's easier to spend a few minutes DIY than have my wife and I have to make two trips, with a three year old.

Especially if an attempted fix might be real easy.

If hard, yes, that's what warranty is for.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: spackard
Does this .pdf help?
http://www.bernardiparts.com/Images/Install/2014_Odyssey_Crossbars_AII49699.pdf

N.B.: 7.3 lbf-ft. torque for the screws.

Actually, I don't see how you have genuine Honda crossbars, as the .pdf shows 8 plastic screws and a very light torque spec, and you're looking at metal screws and thinking of nailing them with an impact wrench.


That's precisely what I have. You remove the plastic screws to open the holes to install the bolts.

Our van was pre installed with all that gear. Who knows who monkied on it...

Impact is just on the hope that the impact could break some corrosion/seizure.

 

[spackard]

Okay, well with a T30 head I could see someone at the dealer easily using more than 7.3 lbf-ft to install the crossbars.

 

[JHZR2]

Terrible pic but this is how I've left it:

Thing is, I can remove one of the two bolts, and rotate it around. But the spinning one only comes out a thread or three so not much space to work or jam an implement in to stop the nut from spinning.

 

[Doog]

Somebody assembled that post delivery and stripped 2 fasteners. Take it back.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Yeah, it looks more and more like someone at the dealership damaged the weld nuts during installation. Normally, weld nuts are strong and don't give any issues (as with your Saab). But, anything can be broken to the point of, well, breaking. Maybe they were under pressure to get the van on the floor before opening on a Saturday morning and they got the impact gun out. They could have cross-threaded them, too (but you'd probably have sensed that immediately).

I would absolutely take this to the dealer who installed it (if they're within a reasonable distance) and let them fool with it. Let them take down the headliner or whatever else needs to come out to fix it right.

 

[JHZR2]

Sure hope they're rivet nuts, not weld nuts. Looks like the roof rails can be replaced without dropping the headliner... Worse comes to worst.

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Yet another $tealership fail. Nothing to do with the manufacturer themselves.

This is why $tealerships have such a horrible reputation amongst consumers. If they don't cheat you, they do incompetent work.