[coolcat]

Hello everyone! It's me! I'm back! :grin:
LOL, I'm sure nobody remembers me.

I owned the very first Ridgeline sold in Milwaukee, a beautiful black '06 RTL on which I took delivery in March of '05. (At least, Hobbs Honda said it was the first they had sold and they claimed they had it before any other dealerships) I loved that truck but had to sell it in '09 due to financial issues. I was one of the original members around here.

Well, 7 years later I've got my income back up and business is booming so I finally took the plunge and bought another Ridgeline! I picked up my "new" black 2010 RTL w/Nav down in Mesa, AZ last week Wednesday and drove back home to Milwaukee. She is a beauty! With 175k on the clock she does have her issues but I'm confident that I'll be able to get them all sorted out. First up will be a new set of tires and tpms sensors, probably along with a lift since I'm planning to put on 265/60-18 BFG T/A KO2s. I always wanted to get a set of KOs on my first Ridgeline but never got the chance because those darn Michelins just wouldn't wear out.

Among the other things I need to figure out are:
- Trunk handle doesn't open the trunk, must use the key
- Rear seat legs don't fold (metal pulleys already ordered)
- TPMS system error, but I'm hoping this is just the sensors (new sensors already ordered)
- Need a tonneau cover (probably another Access roll-up)
- Paint needs some help, going to a detailer for a full buff, polish and wax to see if that helps
- Need a trailer brake controller
- CD Player doesn't work and if the Nav screen gets opened it won't close again without pulling the radio fuse.
(I don't play CDs anyway, may just leave this alone)
- Cup holder fingers need replacing, looks like an easy job, and inexpensive
- Headlights, DRLs and fog lights are all a bit "dull", maybe detailer can address that too
- Front bumper is just a bit out of alignment, especially on the passenger side
- A couple of dents on the passenger doors, hoping paintless dent removal can fix them
- Window tint is faded and needs to be replaced
- Both front doors have torn weatherstripping from what appears to be attempts to gain entry to the vehicle, need to replace that
- Maybe a Line-X to spruce up the bed after the AZ sun has bleached it in spots, also a couple replacement bolt cover plugs

Boy, when I write it all down like that it seems like a long list but most of it is either minor or just accessories that I'm thinking about. I'm already falling in love with this truck, the dark gray/black interior is everything I always wanted it to be. My only dislike in my old Ridgeline was it's poop-brown interior.

Thanks to all of the members who have kept this site alive and have found solutions to so many issues over the years. I'm already gaining insights into a couple of the things I need to get fixed. I look forward to becoming an active member here again!

 

[Flyboy]

Welcome back!

 

[speedlever]

Welcome back coolcat... member #389!

I should nose around and see who has the lowest member number and is still active.

It's probably T Mac... member #3. But I don't think he's really active on the site. So I'll have to keep looking for someone that actually posts and is involved in the forums.

 

[Carsmak]

Welcome Back, Coolcat...

I'd guess that's even much lower than my number

 

[Flyboy]

And don't forget the radiator, and was the timing belt/ water pump done....

 

[speedlever]

Welcome Back, Coolcat...

I'd guess that's even much lower than my number

Yep. You are member #811 Mak. And you predate me.

 

[tmy3329]

Congrats on your purchase & Welcome Back to the ROC!

 

[coolcat]

Trunk lid issue was the valet switch in the glove compartment. Duh!
New tpms sensors didn't fix the error, new tires are amazing though! Now I guess I'll have to take it to a dealer to figure out what's going on with the tpms. New sensors are all good though, confirmed by Discount Tire when they installed them and programmed them to the truck's ecu.
Dad's Silverado suffered a mechanical failure yesterday and I had to go rescue him and pull the trailer back. New Ridge pulls it with just as much ease as the old one did.
Detailer suggested having hood and roof repainted, he said there's no clear coat left so waxing would be a waste of my money. ☹

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[coolcat]

Oh, and my Truxxx lift is scheduled for delivery on Friday. I'm giddy with anticipation!


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[coolcat]

I noticed an oil spot under the Ridge the other day. Not too happy about it I took a look underneath right away, looked to be coming from the oil drain bolt. I was due for an oil change anyway so I jacked it up and prepared myself for the oil change. I wasn't prepared for what I found. There is no oil drain bolt, in it's place is this stupid rubber toggle bolt nonsense which obviously doesn't seal properly and is leaking oil from my beautiful truck onto my beautiful driveway and garage floor.

I discovered this thing to be a Dorman "HELP!" toggle bolt repair plug. It is a piece of crap. Sigh. Looking into better repair options now. The Time-sert kit looks to be the best repair available and it gives you a steel insert so the chances of re-stripping the threads are next to none. At $130.42 on Amazon it certainly isn't cheap though.

 

[Carsmak]

Are all the threads completely gone. Someone posted about partial stripping and used a Fumoto drain valve, and could catch the inner "1/2" of the threads.

$130 seems high, maybe call around, that would be easy for a good shop, and I can't imagine parts & labor it being $130, and I'm in high as the sky pricing CA...

 

[henni]

And you predate me.

 

[coolcat]

I couldn't see if there were any threads left toward the back of the hole without completely removing the plug that's in there. Without having a plan to fix it I didn't want to go through the hassle of removing the toggle bolt. Where I could see the threads were completely gone. My trusty neighborhood mechanic doesn't have the Time-Sert kit for it, so I guess I'll have to call a few of the larger shops to see if they have it and get a quote.


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[coolcat]

Truxxx lift was installed Sunday night and got a new alignment on Monday morning. The Ridgeline is now huge and beastly! I absolutely love it. I had been experiencing occasional rubbing at full lock, especially if I also hit a bump at the same time. Now with the lift that's all fixed.

I also had the airbag recall work done on Monday, so the truck is safe again.

I talked to the dealership auto body shop after the airbag work was done about getting a quote repainted the faded areas. They gave me the quote but also took pictures of the entire truck and close-ups of the worst faded areas. He said that there has been a problem with the Civic that were painted black doing exactly the same thing and that Honda has been giving some customers a completely new paint job because of it. They are submitting the pictures to Honda to see if they can get that done for me as well. I'm not holding my breath but that would be pretty awesome.

I also got my Time-Sert kit and an oil drain valve. I may try to tackle that tonight because I am getting sick of making sure I park over the drip pan.