2002 Honda CRV - Advice?

[gman88667733]

Went to see an 02 CRV petrol auto SE last night. It has done 92k miles. On the test drive when I gassed it, the EML came on and it spluttered a lot and seemed to go into limp mode, the fault code was a VTEC code of some sort. I checked the oil and it looked reasonably fresh, golden brown colour.
The garage have said that they will fix the issue and call us back to test again. So assuming they do, that's all OK.
My big question was, the accelerator pedal in both CRV's I have tried have been quite stiff, they needed to be pressed quite firmly, is that correct?

Also, the steering was quite heavy, compared to our 2003 Kia Sorrento which has ridiculously light steering. Again, is that just how they are?

The car overall was nice, all new tyres, quite clean and tidy. The folding table in the front didn't fold up all the way, but I expect that is an easy fix.

The engine ran really smoothly and the gearbox seemed to change fine, no clunks or whines that I noticed. I'd expect to take it on a very good long drive if we tested it again to make sure. Plus the air con works fully, which is a huge bonus...!

They want £2150 for it, but have said they will sell it to us for less given the hassle with the test drive. What realistically would be a good price? It has a full history up to 72k miles, but patchy after that. Last owner for 10 years and the garage have known it for that time.

Any advice or input?

Edited by gman88667733 on Saturday 27th July 08:44

Edited by gman88667733 on Saturday 27th July 08:53

[gman88667733]

What were the symptoms of the VTEC issues?

[gman88667733]

So assuming they sort the current issue and it revs freely and all the way, it should be ok? Obviously I'll try it a good few times

[gman88667733]

It's frustrating, it seems like a clean car and I'm looking to get one asap!

[gman88667733]

I expect so, but WBAC is notoriously stingy...
I understand that garages always command a premium because of warranties and such.

What do you think I should do in this situation? I actually really like the car, it seems like an honest car. The VTEC thing I'm not too worried about, because if I see it again, it will have been fixed.

I really just want to know if the steering is supposed to be a bit heavyish, the last one I saw was a bit too. Plus the heavy/stiff accelerator pedal.

Cheers

[gman88667733]

Also - what would a good price be? If I could get it down to £1750 or so, is that okay?

[gman88667733]

So the strange issue has been sorted, it was the VVT oil solenoid apparently. I've asked about whether the heavy steering is an issue, they are taking it for a long run and then getting back to me.

[gman88667733]

So I saw it again last night. The issue is completely fixed and it drove fine. I really gave it some beans and it didn't play up whatsoever, after a good 20 minutes or so driving.

The steering was fine too, just a tad heavier than our other car. They agreed to extend the warranty to 6 months, so we agreed to buy.

Looking forward to getting it home!

[gman88667733]

The discs seem okay, pads were starting to get low.

It is going for an MOT and service before I collect it, so hopefully if it flags up on the MOT, i'll negotiate that with them.

[gman88667733]

First job will be an auto transmission oil change I think. Is it recommended to double or triple flush them through? I would imagine it has never been done, so it'll be fairly urgent for peace of mind.

I'm hoping to DIY most jobs on this car (never have before) but I figured now is a good time to start!