TSBs

Home FAQ Main Page Contact Search

A partial Honda TSB list (as compiled by the Unofficial Honda FAQ...)
you came from: Master List > General Info

Go straight down to the list of models...

Some important notes:
Most of these are actually EXPORT Service Bulletins (ESB). They're the same as Technical Service Bulletins (TSB), but meant to be read by people in markets other than the USA, and may cover issues North American models may not have. If you want to see TSBs and other information for free, there are only a couple of sources that I know of: here, and EBSCOHost. But neither of these are complete.

Your local dealer will be happy to look up (for free) any TSBs that have to do with your car, but the Honda software they work with has some limitations. Namely, that the service advisor cannot find any TSBs without two things:

a specific symptom, and
your vehicle's unique identification number (VIN).

Without these two, it's hard to locate TSBs unless a particular problem is so widespread that it's become public knowledge. And even then, it's not like 100% of cars will experience the problem outlined in the TSB. Instead, it's just an increase in probability. That is, instead of the usual 0.001% trouble rate for most parts, it may go up to 0.03%. Yes, that's considered a disaster. Honda's recent automatic transmission problems might have a higher rate than 0.03%, but I'm not sure.

Honda will allow you to access and download as many TSBs as you wish, but for a price ($10 for three days, for example). Go to this site: https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/logon.asp

Anyway, an intrepid Honda owner dug these ESBs up from a publicly-available website and made them available to me, and I posted them here, where they shall remain until somebody tells me to take them down.

A warning note here: You CANNOT just bring a TSB to the dealer and force him to perform the work described therein. Automobiles are complex devices, containing tens (hundreds?) of thousands of parts. "Running changes" are performed constantly as issues arise. Every week or every month, a new problem is discovered and fixed, and this is normal for ANY sort of mass-production item in ANY industry. Automaker record keeping is meticulous for this very reason. Somewhere, somewhen, there is stored every snippet of information that was generated during the days that your car was built (it's called the "build sheet", and Honda will provide this upon request ONLY to police agencies or insurance companies).

Honda KNOWS what your car has installed in it.
Honda KNOWS if your car was one of those that got a bad part, or was assembled with a particular problem.
Honda KNOWS if your car was among those that was built with corrected parts.

If your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is not among the affected, DON'T call the dealer and expect to get your problem fixed for free; it WON'T happen. And even if your problem IS covered by a TSB, the dealer is under no obligation to provide the fix for free unless the car is under warranty. If they do fix it for free, it was a FAVOR to you. Be happy and give the service advisor a kiss.

List of models
Accord
Civic
CRV
Element
Legend / Acura TL
Odyssey
Pilot
Prelude
Miscellaneous
Other
Sulfur smell (Toyota TSB, but applicable to all catalyzed cars)

Even more TSBs are available at EBSCOHost.

There used to be a login for EBSCO that was freely available over the Web, but this has recently (Dec/08) been removed. You now need to login through the site of something like an educational institution, or your local public library. You need to obtain a username and password from the institution you choose, and you must enter EBSCO through the link on that institution's Web site. The login prompt is different depending on your institution. I have a login from my local public library's Web site (the prompt asks for my library card number).
Once into EBSCO, you choose Auto Repair Reference Center from the menu on the left, then navigate to your car.

The one downside to EBSCO is their Repair Procedure documents, which are not useful at all, being mostly generic instructions not specific to any particular make or model. Don't use EBSCO's Repair Procedures as a substitute for a good shop manual.