VIN character that designates engine

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Is there a particular character of the VIN for a Honda CR-V that designates whether it's equipped with a 1.5 liter turbo, or a 2.4 liter? I'm looking through for sale ads and they don't always indicate which engine it has, and it would be much easier if I could just tell by looking at the VIN...
 
8th digit

Looks like a 3 is the 2.4 and a 2 is the 1.5. Easily find it after the H, which is the 7th alpha.
 
Looks like "3" designates a 2.4 liter, and a "5" designates the 1.5 turbo...
 
What year and engine and transmission are you looking for?

The 2015 and 2016 still had the normally aspirated (non turbo) 2.4 L engine.

The 2015 was the first year for the CVT (some say Honda and Toyota are the only ones who make a reliable CVT) but 2015 had a design problem with the engine causing vibration in the cab, and also the rear-end had vibration problems (actually at 3 different speed ranges) look on Youtube about it. There is a fix for the engine vibration problem but is is a technical service bulletin, not a recall, so Honda will not pay for it if you already own the vehicle. If you buy a Honda Certified used vehicle from a Honda dealer they will do the TSB before selling it, but there still is nothing to fix the rear-end vibration problems on the 2015. The TSB for the engine involves putting new rubber spacer mounts on the radiator. The vibration in the rear end does not have any TSB or recall on it to fix it, but the 2016 and newer had been redesigned so the engine and rear end does not vibrate (as often) but it still can, but extremely rarely, and not anywhere as bad or as long as the 2015. I bought a 2016 with 19,788 miles on it on Feb 18, 2020 and the rear end vibrated once a couple of days after I bought it, but the rear end was also out of alignment just slightly enough to be out of speck and cause the vehicle to slightly pull to the left only noticeable on long straight roads which is why I did not find it on the test drive. I had the Honda dealer align it the next week, and it does not pull, and has never vibrated again, and I have put 1,100 miles on it since then.

The base stripped down version model LX of 2017 ( and maybe the 2018 and 2019, I do not know for sure) still had the 2.4 L normally aspirated (non turbo) , but the higher end models EX, EXL, and Touring of the 2017 and newer have the 1.5 L turbo. Now even the base model of the 2020 has the 1.5 L turbo.

Supposably, the fuel dilution problem is fixed in the 2019 and newer models, but there have been some electrical problems with the 2019 models (discharging the battery completely in less than a day). Check the Honda CR-V forums to see what years have what problems.

The fuel dilution problem is said to happen if you always short trip the vehicle (never drive it long enough for the oil to get hot), and live in cold climates. So short trips in the winter are bad for it.

Also there are some who complain that the 1.5 L takes way too long to get enough heat into the cab in the winter. So there may be problems defrosting the windows and heating the cab, but I do not know for sure about this.

For me I narrowed it down to 2016 being the year I wanted because it has the 2.4 (non trubo) and the engine and rear end vibration problems are mostly fixed. ( The engine will idle slightly rough if all the loads are light, it will go into lower RPM idle if head-lights are off, and fan is not at high speed, and AC is off), but even then is not that much of a vibration. I always drive with the head-light on so I never have any problems with it.

Some say the charging system on Honda CR-Vs takes too long to recharge the battery after you start it in order to conserve fuel, but if you turn on any decent load such as the head lights, or fan on high, or AC then it puts the alternator at the higher 14 volts output and the battery will recharge faster. Again, I always drive with the head-lights on so this is not a problem for me, but almost all of my trips are for at least 30 minutes so even if I left the head-lights off it would not be a problem.

You should change the CV-T fluid every 30 K miles (25 K miles if severe), and the rear end fluid every 15 K miles ( but in light service without many turns like a lot of highway you could go every 20 K miles ). There is a Youtube that if you let the rear-end fluid go too long without changing it the rear end could chatter in turns, and if that happens to change the fluid and then drive backwards making left and right circles for a while to get the rear-end to work proper again.

There are Youtube videos of how to change the engine oil and filter, CVT fluid, and rear end fluid on Honda CR-Vs. They are all super easy to do on a Honda CR-V. One thing, if you do it yourself you definitely want to use a torque wrench set to the correct torque for what ever you are tightening, and new crush washers. All the threads are aluminum. With a torque wrench, and new crush-wasers they should easily last the life of the vehicle, but abuse aluminum threads and you could have problems. NAPA sells good low cost non-electric torque wrenchs in 3/8 and 1/2 drive. I keep a 1/2 inch torque wrench with short extension and socket wrapped in a small rug next to the spare tire to torque the lug nuts to 80 Lb/Ft if I ever have to change to the spare. Be sure to always put your torque wrench at 0 when not in use so you do not keep stress on the spring in them. Some say the disks on the brakes on Hondas can be warped if you over tighten the lug nuts. I do not know if that is true, but why take the chance.

There is a Car-Fax used car web site you can search for used vehicles on and they will have free Car-Fax reports. Auto-trader is an other good site to search on but only about 1/2 of there vehicles have free Car-Fax reports. I only looked at vehicles that had Car-Fax reports that showed regular oil and filter changes. I did not want to take the chance of buying a vehicle that someone did not change the oil and filter on often enough.

Check out the different Honda CR-V forums, and look at the post for the year of vehicle you are interested in.

Check out Wikipedia Honda CR-V there are different generations for vehicles where the vehicle is basically the same for several years that is called a generation. In general you do not want to buy the first years of any generation but the last couple of years of a generation the problems usually have been found and fixed before the vehicle was made.

If you really do your research you will come to the conclusion that all brands of vehicles have problems. Some more severe and or more common than others.

For me the 2016 model year CR-V was a good choice after researching other makes and models, and then the different years of the CR-V.
 
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There is a neat thing about the key-fob. If the battery is completely dead (you can even remove it) and you put the key-fob next to the start button, there is a field coil that magnetically couples enough energy to the key-fob to power it so you can start and drive the vehicle even if the battery in your key-fob goes bad.
 
Originally Posted by grampi
Is there a particular character of the VIN for a Honda CR-V that designates whether it's equipped with a 1.5 liter turbo, or a 2.4 liter? I'm looking through for sale ads and they don't always indicate which engine it has, and it would be much easier if I could just tell by looking at the VIN...


Only the LX model has the 2.4L engine.
 
If you're going to change the CVT fluid yourself watch several of the YouTube videos before doing it some of the videos leave out some of the steps. For example after you put 4 quarts of CVT fluid in you have to close the system and then run the engine and shifted into each of the transmission selections Park, reverse neutral Drive sport low for a several seconds each position at least three times and then shut the engine off and you should give it some time to settle down before opening the system again like 15 minutes to a half-hour because some have reported problems with it flowing out the Overflow if you do it immediately afterwards and then you have to open up the fill and overflow again and then add the last half a quart until it comes out the Overflow and then seal the system and you are done doing a CVT fluid change.

Also note that when you do a CVT fluid change you only change about half the fluid because the other half stays in the torque converter when you do the change but that is okay if you do it every 30,000 for normal used or for 25000 for severe use. As soon as you run the vehicle the old fluid does mixed with the new fluid but again that is okay and that is the rate of exchange you are supposed to do with them.

Some people say you should only use Honda brand CVT fluid in them others say that you can get away with using other brands that are cheaper.

The CVT is a very expensive component and I wouldn't take the chance with a cheaper brand fluid.
 
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Also note the vehicle must be level so you want to use level ground when you do any fluid change to get a correct reading of the fill level when you fill the vehicle up with that fluid.

Be especially careful if you are changing more than one fluid in that particular time there have been reports of people accidentally using the wrong bottle for the wrong part of the vehicle and putting the wrong fluid in a section of the vehicle when changing multiple fluids in one job.
 
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I am looking at 2016-2018 models with ONLY the 2.4 liter engine. I don't want the turbo...
 
You can find plenty of 2016 upper end models like EX EXL and touring with the 2.4 liter engine non turbo charged with low mileage and good car fax's showing the oil change history regularly if you look on the sites I suggested and just take several weeks to do it. People are returning them from the 3 and 4 year leases and there are plenty of them out there.

One thing I wish my ex model had was the power automatic liftgate in the back instead of having to manually open it or manually close it. some of the EX and EXL models have it but not all of them, fot the EX and EXL model the power liftgate in the back was a option, all of the touring models have it

I upgraded the light bulbs for the interior lighting to Precision LEDs because it gives much more light. there is a switch on the passenger side by the two front interior lights right behind the windshield in the center that that you can move forward into the door mode that will cause those two lights to come on with the one dome light in the back which will give you much more lighting when you open the door at night.
 
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The base LX model does not have electric adjustable seats and does not have fog lights on the bottom front of the car it also does not have the right lane camera on the right side mirror that is very useful every time you want to change lanes over to the right. Also the lumbar section of the seat not only is it not adjustable on the LX model, but the exe EX, and EXL and touring have a lumbar adjustable seat and a 2 range heating system built into the seats and that's very nice for your back. The LX model does not have that.

The EX model has the right change camera and the fog lights on the bottom front of of the car and electric power seat but the seats are cloth which can be a good thing when you get in it and the car has been sitting in a hot sun.

The EXL model has a automatic dimming rearview mirror in the center behind the windshield and leather seats and a big bass speaker in front of the drivers seat. It also has a fancier dual-zone automatic climate control. Navigation is an option on the e x and XL model in it may not have it.

The touring model has all the options but it also has bigger rims which means there is less rubber between the rim and the road so you get a little bit stiffer ride on bumpy roads but it handles better at high highway speeds.
 
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Sounds like the LX has the options I want. No power seats, which I hate, and I don't need any of the big brother stuff either...just more things that can and probably will break...
 
Originally Posted by grampi
Sounds like the LX has the options I want. No power seats, which I hate, and I don't need any of the big brother stuff either...just more things that can and probably will break...


The one option that the LX does not have that rules it out for me is the camera on the bottom of the right side mirror that shows in the center of the vehicle the length of the open area behind you when you go to change from the left lane to the right lane.

It even shows lines that give you the ability to easily judge the distance between the vehicles to your back on your right side when you are changing from the left lane to the right lane. I use it everyday that I drive the car and changing from the left lane to the right lane. The back right of the vehicle is a big blind spot even with the right side mirror it's hard to judge a vehicle in that area.

The camera that comes on automatically when you use the right turn signal is very useful. and for that reason alone I would not buy the LX model.

The LX model has 16 in steel rims that are more prone to rusting.

The EX and EXL models have 17 inch alloy wheels that are not prone to rusting.

the touring has 18in alloy wheels that are not prone to rusting.


if you're always going to be driving where you don't have to change lanes from the left lane to the right lane then the camer not being on the LX model it's not a big deal but for driving around the city of Pittsburgh it is a big deal for me.
 
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one thing the LX model does not have a moonroof which when the vehicle gets much older is a possible source of water leaking in.

All the other models have a moonroof. But at least they have a sliding panel that lets you completely block off any sunlight coming through the moonroof if you want to block it off.
 
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Originally Posted by JimPghPA
Originally Posted by grampi
Sounds like the LX has the options I want. No power seats, which I hate, and I don't need any of the big brother stuff either...just more things that can and probably will break...


The one option that the LX does not have that rules it out for me is the camera on the bottom of the right side mirror that shows in the center of the vehicle the length of the open area behind you when you go to change from the left lane to the right lane.

It even shows lines that give you the ability to easily judge the distance between the vehicles to your back on your right side when you are changing from the left lane to the right lane. I use it everyday that I drive the car and changing from the left lane to the right lane. The back right of the vehicle is a big blind spot even with the right side mirror it's hard to judge a vehicle in that area.

The camera that comes on automatically when you use the right turn signal is very useful. and for that reason alone I would not buy the LX model.

The LX model has 16 in steel rims that are more prone to rusting.

The EX and EXL models have 17 inch alloy wheels that are not prone to rusting.

the touring has 18in alloy wheels that are not prone to rusting.


if you're always going to be driving where you don't have to change lanes from the left lane to the right lane then the camer not being on the LX model it's not a big deal but for driving around the city of Pittsburgh it is a big deal for me.

All wheel types are prone to corrosion. Alloys may not rust, but if they aren't taken care of by cleaning them very often, the clear coat on them pits, and eventually it peels off and the wheels start getting this white powdery look, which is a form of corrosion...I also like that the LX has no moon roof...just another place leaks can start, and I wouldn't use it anyway...
 
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If you can chose between a black or tan interior, I highly recommend the tan. The black show dust way too well and the interior seams to be a dust magnet. Also at night the black makes it hard to see any items in the vehicle.

There are also Youtube videos on how to change the engine air filter and the cabin air filter. They are also super easy to change on the 2.4 L and the dealer charges too much to change them.

I just bought my 2016 CR-V last February and have never driven it in snow, but the dealer had just put on 4 new all season BF Goodrich Advantage A/T Sport with the three peak mountain snow flake (3PMSF) symbol and rating. In the past I always bought a second set of rims for a winter set of Bridgestone Blizzak tires on all 4 tired for the winter for all our cars, because that tire has very good snow traction and even has traction on ice, even glare ice with powder snow on it which is extremely slippery even though they are not studded. I looked on the internet tire sales site "Tirerack" and they give the winter rating of several tires. The all season BF Goodrich Advantage A/T Sport with the 3PMSF rating that I have on my CR-V scored an 8.9 on the winter rating, and the latest improved version of the Bridgestone Blizzak scored 9.3 so while the dedicated winter tire did score slightly higher, this all season scores quite well for its winter performance. I have not used them in the winter yet, but I plan on using them next winter instead of going through the hassle of changing on and off winter tires, and hopefully they will perform good enough so I will not have to have a dedicated set of winter tires in the future, if I always have a good set of these tires on it.

There are recent improvements in the rubber compound and also in the design of the multiple zeg-zag grooves that now allow a tire to be a good tire to use in the hot summer heat, and still have the 3PMSF rating that all season tires could not have in the past. If you buy a set be sure they have the 3PMSF symbol and rating. There are still older versions of these tires out there for sale that do not have this most recent very significant improvement.

There are Youtube videos of the BF Goodrich Advantage T/A Sport with the 3PMSF rating performing in snow and they perform good. Even though I have not yet used them in snow, I recommend you put a set of them on any SUV you drive in OHIO. Also the Sport rating means they perform well in summer weather, actually it mean they perform so well that they can be used on cars that drive a little fast around turns in summer conditions, so they are good for highway driving in the summer. The new rubber compound allows them to not wear out in the summer heat, but still be soft enough in cold temperatures to still have traction, and the sipes provide traction on slippery winter roads, and the new design of the sipes does not allow the tread to flex too much when the tires are new and have thick tread. Which is something that was a problem with previous designs.

Also check out several Youtube videos on how the rear seats fold on the Honda CR-V. They are a very clever and very easy to use design. Check out several of the videos so you see all the different things about them. Also they are entirely mechanical with no electric motors to go bad.
 
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Because Honda and Toyota have been the vehicles with the most reliability and fewest problems when researching what vehicle to buy, I also researched Toyota vehicles on Youtube, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recalls and problems reported, and the Toyota forums, for the different Toyota vehicles. Toyota has done something clever with there CVT transmission. They now have a gear drive low for pulling out, and then switch to the CVT at higher speed. This allows there CVT to have better ratios and avoid the high torque problems of initially pulling out at low speeds. It sounds like a good design that will last even longer, but there have been some complaints about it, so I am not sure it properly shifts between the geared low and the CVT. It may have some design bugs to be worked out.

There are other complaints about the multi-speed Toyota transmissions shifting up in gears too early on some of the Toyota forums.
 
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Also note, you can not run Bridgestone Blizzak snow tires in warm weather because the soft rubber on them will wear out very quickly in warm or hot weather.
 
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