[GreenMTN]

Hey guys, I have been reading the forums for a while and I've really learned alot of great info. I'm about to pull the trigger on a 06 RTL with a 114k, they guy is pretty firm on price at 13k. I pulled the Carfax (clean no accidents)and it has been regularly serviced at the Honda dealer and had the timing belt,water pump and spark plugs done at 100k. The body is in fantastic shape with almost no scratches and no dents/dings. He told me he had it repainted about 3 months ago. He told me it had some heavy scratches from carrying boards along the top of the cabin and a bunch of touch up areas he tried to do himself that didnt turn out right. I drove it and it drove excellent. On the 06 what major things should I look for besides the already mentioned things that have been done to it? Also is there any noticeable differences in the body from the 06 and 09? It seems like the 09 catches my eye more but I cant pinpoint why.
For some reason though the paint job makes me nervous, it does come with a 3 year warranty though.
Any thoughts/info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!

 

[Dnick]

Hey guys, I have been reading the forums for a while and I've really learned alot of great info. I'm about to pull the trigger on a 06 RTL with a 114k, they guy is pretty firm on price at 13k. I pulled the Carfax (clean no accidents)and it has been regularly serviced at the Honda dealer and had the timing belt,water pump and spark plugs done at 100k. The body is in fantastic shape with almost no scratches and no dents/dings. He told me he had it repainted about 3 months ago. He told me it had some heavy scratches from carrying boards along the top of the cabin and a bunch of touch up areas he tried to do himself that didnt turn out right. I drove it and it drove excellent. On the 06 what major things should I look for besides the already mentioned things that have been done to it? Also is there any noticeable differences in the body from the 06 and 09? It seems like the 09 catches my eye more but I cant pinpoint why.
For some reason though the paint job makes me nervous, it does come with a 3 year warranty though.
Any thoughts/info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!

Well.... first I'm wondering what the interior looks like? And what kind of RTL is it (sunroof?, Navi?).

Given the timing belt service has been done, you're one up there.

I'd say look at the paint job receipt.... IF he paid more than 2 or 3 thousand for that paint job, you might be looking a good deal. A lot depends on values in your particular area. New paint is nice, especially given some areas start to wane (mirrors, top rear plastic roof panel). Not having done any research, and not knowing what area you're in, I'd throw a wild ball park value on an average 2006 RTL at around $10K. If this is better than average, new paint, TB replaced ......

You may be finding a good deal. Is he the original owner? Have you seen good maintenance records? If you don't find a reason NOT to buy it, well then you know what to do!

 

[GreenMTN]

Sorry,Interior is very good, NO sunroof(which apparently is somewhat rare in the RTL model) No navi either. He did have the factory stereo replaced with a nice Pioneer DD unit which has the back up camera on it along with having all the steering wheel functions working too. He had a trailer shop install a trailer hitch with a 7/4 pin harness and also a brake controller as well. There is a nice "Bakflip" Tonneau cover to. Like I said he has all receipts(which were done at the Honda dealer) for the Water pump,Timing belt and spark plugs. Carfaxs shows it being serviced regularly at the Honda dealer. I'm in the Denver area and trucks seem to sell very high here. I'm seeing 06 RL's going for 15-16k at dealers here.
Curious on the radiator what I should be looking for. The RL was originally from Arizona if that makes any difference. Thanks

 

[Dnick]

Sorry,Interior is very good, NO sunroof(which apparently is somewhat rare in the RTL model) No navi either. He did have the factory stereo replaced with a nice Pioneer DD unit which has the back up camera on it along with having all the steering wheel functions working too. He had a trailer shop install a trailer hitch with a 7/4 pin harness and also a brake controller as well. There is a nice "Bakflip" Tonneau cover to. Like I said he has all receipts(which were done at the Honda dealer) for the Water pump,Timing belt and spark plugs. Carfaxs shows it being serviced regularly at the Honda dealer. I'm in the Denver area and trucks seem to sell very high here. I'm seeing 06 RL's going for 15-16k at dealers here.
Curious on the radiator what I should be looking for. The RL was originally from Arizona if that makes any difference. Thanks

You might want to know what he was towing with it, and how often. Other than that, it sounds like you're good to go, price comfort being your only determination. I wouldn't worry about the radiator right now... you can take care of that after you bring it home. Just make sure your radiator & tranny fluids are looking good. Also be advised that if you start experiencing any "phantom" electronic anomalies, you might want to revisit that aftermarket hitch harness. OEMs are pretty much exclusively recommended here. It's not uncommon that reports of electronic gremlins get resolved when members take out aftermarket hitch harnesses & replace with OEM. You may not suffer this fate, but be advised to keep this in mind, should you begin to suffer mysterious electronic issues.

You'll find plenty of "check this" and "check that" advice here as time goes by. Many things for you to monitor, if that's your style.

 

[McChizzle]

... On the 06 what major things should I look for besides the already mentioned things that have been done to it? Also is there any noticeable differences in the body from the 06 and 09? It seems like the 09 catches my eye more but I cant pinpoint why. ...

In addition to the timing belt, one thing some high-mileage Ridgeline's have to deal with are cracked engine mounts. They sometimes need to be replaced when approaching 100k. I'm at 70k+ on my 2009 and the engine mounts are starting to crack. I'll probably replace the mounts soon.

The 2006-2008 is quite a bit different from the 2009-2014 models. Honda did a big update to their 2009 model year with over 50 changes to the exterior, interior, and powertrain. Here are some graphics I made to help highlight some of those changes. Personally, I prefer the look and powertrain improvements of the 2009-2014 model years with the 2012 being the last best mechanical improvements made to the first generation Ridgeline. I hope this helps and let us know if you want to know more.

 

[Carsmak]

Hey guys, I have been reading the forums for a while and I've really learned alot of great info. I'm about to pull the trigger on a 06 RTL with a 114k, they guy is pretty firm on price at 13k. I pulled the Carfax (clean no accidents)and it has been regularly serviced at the Honda dealer and had the timing belt,water pump and spark plugs done at 100k. The body is in fantastic shape with almost no scratches and no dents/dings. He told me he had it repainted about 3 months ago. He told me it had some heavy scratches from carrying boards along the top of the cabin and a bunch of touch up areas he tried to do himself that didnt turn out right. I drove it and it drove excellent. On the 06 what major things should I look for besides the already mentioned things that have been done to it? Also is there any noticeable differences in the body from the 06 and 09? It seems like the 09 catches my eye more but I cant pinpoint why.
For some reason though the paint job makes me nervous, it does come with a 3 year warranty though.
Any thoughts/info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!

Check the Trans Dipstick, Should be red, and the coolant should be bright blue. If those are good the remainder of the truck sounds pretty good. You may want to know more about the trailer hitch & wiring and what it was there for. Also down the road you may want to check the front bank (4-5-6 Cylinders) like in the next 25k and then plan on Valve adjustment between now and the next timing belt.

FWIW, I'm partial to the build quality of the 06-08 from Alliston, Ontario, Canada, seems over the years there have been a lot of little things posted by various members.

 

[GreenMTN]

Great info,thanks. Whats the cost of having the engine mounts changed out?

 

[McChizzle]

Great info,thanks. Whats the cost of having the engine mounts changed out?

My dealership said it's a labor intensive repair and others ROC members have reported prices around $2k+ to accomplish the replacement. A lot of stuff has to be taken off the engine and the engine lifted slightly to replace the mounts. The cost of parts could be around $350+.

As Dnick said, knowing how much the owner towed with the Ridgeline will be a good piece of information to have. Towing a heavy trailer frequently will put the Ridgeline in the "severe service" category for maintenance intervals. Towing puts a lot of stress on the transmission and engine mounts (lots of torque twisting of the engine).

 

[McChizzle]

If you make the purchase, another thing you should pay attention to is the tailgate support cable. This one cable has to support a lot of weight when hauling loads that extend beyond the bed and the cable is prone to rusting inside its protective sheath. --It's a cheap fix.-- Since this Ridgeline is coming from Arizona, you may not need to worry about the cable failing prematurely due to rust (unless it came from a place like Flagstaff, AZ). This issue is something a few Ridgeline owners have reported as a hidden problem that can sneak up and bight you in the a&$ because there is no easily observed warning signs unless you take the time to carefully inspect the cable from time-to-time.

 

[speedlever]

Just have the motor mounts inspected. There have been a few reports of bad motor mounts, but it doesn't appear to be very widespread. Some are liquid filled, so if you see something leaking that looks like dog pee, it's probably a ruptured liquid filled mount.

I have 126k on our Pilot and right at 100k on my RL and am not aware of any motor mount issues. Yet.

 

[Dnick]

One thing all high-milage Ridgeline's have to deal with are engine mounts. They often need to be replaced when approaching 100k. I'm at 70k on my 2009 and they are starting to crack. I'll probably replace the mounts soon.............

Great info,thanks. Whats the cost of having the engine mounts changed out?

I agree with Speed. You'll be one of the unlucky few if you have to put in new mounts. That's not to say it can't happen. I'm at 160K miles & coming up on 11 year w/o signs of mount issues.

Also be aware with the pics above that there are variations. None of the old model (2006-2008) pics are shown with fog lights (an accessories item) for instance (vs. newer ones shown with). ...........(erroneous info deleted by author)........

 

[McChizzle]

... And the pic for 2008 RTX includes the accessories grill, which I really like, but the truck came with the same grill as all 2006-2008 models (looks like electric grill heating element). You can add that accessories grill to any of them, but it came on none of them. ...

Dnick, where are you getting your information on the RTX? Although that honeycomb style grille can be purchased as an accessory, Honda's press releases, brochures, and press kits all have it as standard equipment. They call it the "accessory grill" or "sport grille" but it's listed as standard equipment for the RTX. I've never seen a photo, or in person, an RTX that had the standard grille. Can you point me to some official documentation or a photo of an RTX with a standard grille to help prove the point so I can update the Wiki?

All those photos reflect standard equipment, no accessories, or the photo collage would almost never end (there are lots of accessories out there).

 

[Dnick]

Dnick, where are you getting your information on the RTX? Although that honeycomb style grille can be purchased as an accessory, Honda's press releases, brochures, and press kits all have it as standard equipment. They call it the "accessory grill" or "sport grille" but it's listed as standard equipment for the RTX. I've never seen a photo, or in person, an RTX that had the standard grille. Can you point me to some official documentation or a photo of an RTX with a standard grille to help prove the point so I can update the Wiki?

All those photos reflect standard equipment, no accessories, or the photo collage would almost never end (there are lots of accessories out there).

So you're gonna' make me work, instead of making unsubstantiated claims? Well, I never...... :act018: :act024:

Let me see what I can find. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

 

[Dnick]

Dnick, where are you getting your information on the RTX? Although that honeycomb style grille can be purchased as an accessory, Honda's press releases, brochures, and press kits all have it as standard equipment. They call it the "accessory grill" or "sport grille" but it's listed as standard equipment for the RTX. I've never seen a photo, or in person, an RTX that had the standard grille. Can you point me to some official documentation or a photo of an RTX with a standard grille to help prove the point so I can update the Wiki?

All those photos reflect standard equipment, no accessories, or the photo collage would almost never end (there are lots of accessories out there).

So you're gonna' make me work, instead of making unsubstantiated claims? Well, I never...... :act018: :act024:

Let me see what I can find. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

Give that man a kewpie doll ! I WAS wrong it seems .... but the info is soooo scattered. Your references were clear as day however... nice work. The best indications I found were in parts lists for the RTX & Honda specs that refer to "chrome grill".... which is listed as "accessory" for all the other models.

So I certainly learned something today. I have to say that I've never encountered a "factory" RL with that grill ..... which apparently came only on the RTX from the factory. Best confirmation for me was in this post below by Wrenj1..... he bought a new RTX & it came with that grill; at that point I was convinced, even before seeing your official references (nice work by the way). It should be noted that ANY model (2006-2008) could be bought with the accessories grill as well, as a dealer installed option.
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/261885-post12.html

 

[McChizzle]

... I have to say that I've never encountered a "factory" RL with that grill ..... which apparently came only on the RTX from the factory. Best confirmation for me was in this post below by Wrenj1..... he bought a new RTX & it came with that grill; at that point I was convinced, even before seeing your official references (nice work by the way). ...

Dnick, I did read something somewhere (nothing official) that said Ontario would ship the RTX with only one thing different from the RT, it was shipped with alloy rims, and then the dealership was required to add the honeycomb style grille, hitch, and wiring harness before they could sell it as an RTX. I don't know if that is true, but it could help explain some things.

 

[McChizzle]

You might want to know what he was towing with it, and how often...

... You'll be one of the unlucky few if you have to put in new mounts. That's not to say it can't happen. I'm at 160K miles & coming up on 11 year w/o signs of mount issues...

GreenMTN,

This is why Dnick's advise on finding out if the current owner has towed much with this Ridgeline is important. The more torque twisting the drivetrain has gone through the more worn the engine mounts are likely to be. Constant heavy acceleration or towing heavy things makes the engine twist more than just regular driving. As the engine mounts begin to wear, the engine can twist more and more which will create greater torque steer. If the torque steer feels excessive, then it's possible that the engine mounts are starting to give, but it's not proof; the mounts need to be inspected to really know if they need replacing. If the owner has not towed with this vehicle, then don't worry about the mounts. If he has done a good amount of towing, I would checkout the engine mounts for cracks because it's an expensive repair that you will need to factor into the coast of ownership for this particular Ridgeline.

You can't go wrong with purchasing a Ridgeline; they are great trucks. Good luck on making your decision.

 

[GreenMTN]

Guys thanks for all the great info, it def helped with my purchase. So I did indeed purchase the 06 RTL yesterday. After looking at the receipt he had for the timing belt I felt confident the truck had been cared for. Like I said it has 115k on the clock. Last May with 100k on it here is what he had done at the Honda dealership according to the receipt.-
Timing belt
New belt for A/C,Power steering pump&Alternator
New front and rear camshaft oil seals
Timing belt hydraulic tensioner
Right side engine mount
Water pump
Spark plugs
Total cost $1680
Now it looks like the dealer had some things on the receipt which they "suggested" should be done of which apparently he declined. They are-
Valve adjustment
Brake system fluid exchange
Re-seal main bearing cap bolt(found small engine oil seep)
Now how important is the valve adjustment? I did some research and some people say do it at 105k miles other say leave it alone until you hear something. I'm going to do all the fluids myself-diff,tranny etc. Since they put new coolant in when they did the water pump I'll leave that alone. As far as the towing he had a small trailer he towed around for his business. He showed me the receipt for the work he had it put on last April so there was only about 15k miles of towing done on the truck.
So far I love the RL, its so functional and so many little things about it that I really like. I did notice a vibration when I hit about 70 mph on the highway. Im hoping its the tires as they are at the end of their life. I will be getting some 245/70/17 General AT 2's put on tomorrow so I'll report back after their on. Here are a couple pics

 

[speedlever]

Some have done the valves and found no issue. Others have found the valves out of spec. It's a gamble as to what you'll find.

The problem is that the exhaust valves tend to get tight as they wear into the seat, reducing clearance. Instead of noisy, they will be silent. But you can burn a too tight valve. I think you run more of a risk of engine damage with too tight valves (silent) than too loose valves (noisy). Ergo, I am baffled by the Honda directive to only check the valve clearances if noisy.

Totally your call. You may find this thread of interest:
Check your valve clearances at 50K miles (or less) and not 105K as Honda recommends. - Honda-Tech

Personally, I'm a fan of spending a few hundred bucks at the TB/WP service to have the valve adjustment performed. I figure it's cheap insurance... much like changing out the radiator to protect from the SMOD.

 

[Carsmak]

In addition to the thread Speed Referenced, there are also a few threads here on the ROC about Valve Adjustment and like Speed said, with the J35 motor, most are finding it where the valves are tight. This thread shows a lot of notes on DIY Valve Adjustment and here is a thread which is similar to what I'm experiencing, a very slight rough idle during cold "below 30 degrees" and no I didn't say 30 below. Valve Adjustment @156k miles

Otherwise I think you have an excellent example of an '06 Ridgeline RTL

As for the Radiator, did they change it with the timing belt or did they just change the coolant? I would inspect the Radiator when you have a chance and plan on replacing it because of SMOD (Strawberry Milkshake of Death)

Here are all the related Radiator and Transmission threads if you haven't found them all.

Happy Reading & Good luck

Radiator Failure @ Cooler Lines

Best Radiator Replacement

Pictures of Corroded/Rusted Radiator Fittings

Radiator Fail on 2006

UOA on ATF

Anatomy of OEM Denso Radiator

Poll(Never Posted) on Radiator/Trans Cooler Solution

Recent Radiator/Transmission SMOD!!!

Radiator comparison: Denso/Spectra/OSC

YouTube Video of Leaking Spectra...

There are a few newer threads but I'll have to find the links...

 

[Dnick]

Since you're off to such a great start maintenance-wise with your "new" Ridgeline, I'd cough up the bucks & get the valves adjusted. Maybe Radiator too, but only not if everything looks OK.

BUT be sure to get the brake fluid changed / bled. This really a "must" that most ignore. Should happen every 3-5 years minimum. Also Power Steering fluid if it has not been done.... you can see if it's dirty (use Honda PS fluid only - you can do that yourself for sure).