oppnyc

Good day,

All below applies to my 2006 RL with 52000 miles. I am second owner. No issues till last few days. I treat my car very well. All maintenance done on time always.

5 days ago right after I started an engine at morning I got various malfunctions (VSA/ABS/SHAWD) messages. By turning engine off and restarting it all went back to normal. No lights. Yesterday an issue re-appeared again.
Today my neighbor (who deals with the cars) used his car computer reader and found out many old DTC codes which he couldn't read. He went ahead and cleaned all of these.
After car was restarted VSA light was on dashboard and it didn't go away. After driving a car for 1000 feet VSA malfunction light appeared.
After reading codes with his car computer reader we got the following:
CALIBRATION FAILED:
POSSIBLE FAILURES
<VSA System>
Yaw Rate Sensor
Lateral Acceleration Sensor
Brake Pressure Sensor
<ABS/TCS System>
Brake Pressure Sensor


Have anyone ever seen this or similar case?
There are three sensors which are suspects
Any recommendations/thought which one is more likely?
Each sensor costs a lot (say yaw sensor is ~800$)

What if I disconnect ground cord on battery? Is there any chance it may re-set these sensors? and if I do disconnect a battery is there any negative impact in general?
Advice please.

Regards,
Oleg

BDoggPrelude

I would venture to say either your battery or alternator are on their way out. The chances that all of those sensors started malfunctioning at the exact time are slim.

oppnyc

To BDoggPrelude:

The battery and alternator aren't an issue. I checked alternator under the heavy load (an engine was running, A/C was on in full power and light on. Meter displayed 13.7 V. As I know this is good results for alternator being under heavy load (14.2 should be without any load and 13.6 and up with the load).

I am open for more suggestions
Regards

DiabloSVRacer

sounds like it could be one of the computers that is broken and that one computer controls all of those components, in turn has errors. look thru some diagrams. you might have to pay that $125 diagnostic fee @ Acura

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

I vote battery.

oo7spy

Battery.

oppnyc

Could you please explain why you say "Battery"? (Twice as main suspect)
I checked it with V meter under heavy load. Heavy load was as follow: an engine was running, A/C was on in full power and light on. Meter displayed 13.7 V. As I know this is good results for alternator being under heavy load (14.2 should be without any load and 13.6 and up with the load).
Am I missing definition of sound battery with above test?

Of cause I will be just happy if it is a battery since it will be a cheapest solution in my case.

Regards,
Oleg

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

First off as you may have read, since you have done so much searching and reading, you understand how sensitive these cars are to a "low" not bad battery.

But the test you are doing is testing the charging system not the battery.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=How+to+Check+Your+Car+Battery

TampaRLX-SH

Your symptoms have been reported before in this forum, and ultimately were battery / electrical as root cause.

The electronics of this car tend to get whacky when a battery is low, failing or there is some interruption in the power source. It is rare that all of those sensors would trigger from mechanical failures. It sounds like they cascaded form whatever triggered them.

Usually the 1st check is the battery, then alternator to assure current is adequate and uninterrupted. If you verify the battery is good and the alternator, check your terminal and cable connections. One member did find the issue with bad terminal / cable connections whilst the battery and alternator were fine.

Disconnecting the battery will reset codes triggered by electrical faults, but keep your Radio and NAVI code handy should they reset when the car reboots.

If the codes continue to return, best to have a dealer diagnose the system.

oo7spy

and

Heavy's post brings up a great point about testing the battery under load. What you did was test the alternator under load. When the battery voltage drops below 9V, the electronic will be seeing a voltage less than 75% of their normal operating voltage. Two things could be happening from here (I don't know which, but both could cause issue). Either the voltage rise is slow and the electrical checks are checking functionality with an exceptionally low voltage to the features, or the jump to 13.6V is very fast which can affect the response of capacitors and inductors.

Either way, like Heavy frankly insinuated and Tampa stated, the battery plays tricks on this car. Even the dealer has instructions from Acura on how to make sure electrical issues aren't the cause of error codes or lights.

When was the battery last replaced?

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

oppnyc

<<When was the battery last replaced?>>
Never. It is original Acura RL battery from factory.(2006)

PS: Ok. Next step is to replace the battery.
DO you think new battery may clean up the error or RL computer needs to be flashed once again?
Regards,
Oleg

db22

The computer is non-volatile RAM so it will probably not need a re-flash. Window, roof presets etc are volatile and may need to be reset. As previously stated, get the codes for the Nav and Radio, change the battery and check the operation of the car. If it works fine then enter the codes and go through the reset procedure for the windows etc. Lastly, reset the error codes that will be set by your original problem by using the 3 finger salute.

getakey

Make sure you get a flush top battery!!!

db22

Yes, and make sure that it is not so tall that you cannot close the hood.

oo7spy

My May 2007 battery went out this past spring. I got the AFS light a few times. Hasn't happened since. If you leave your seat on one of the presets, you will only need to adjust the steering wheel to get back to the same position. You will lose the other one. Everything else is remembered except for radio/nav codes.

oppnyc

Went to Costco, however they don't carry battery for RL (Group Size 24). So I went to Sears and bought brand new (jan 2012) battery (DieHard).
Installed. Battery fits well (might be .5 inch longer).
Now bad news for me: VSA light stays on and after driving the car for ~500 feet "Check VSA system" warning starts flashing.
So I am starting to prepare my budget for strong hit from a dealer.

Should you have any other ideas please post these.
Regards,
-Oleg

oo7spy

How long was the battery disconnected for, and did you keep a charge in the system? You should completely disconnect everything for at least 15 min, and the dealer says to connect the + & - cables together. They also say you should turn the ignition to position (II) with them connected, but I'm not sure how that works with the fob recognition off. You may have to use the actual key.


Those instructions are from an Acura service bulletin to their techs trying to tackle various electronic system lights.

BDoggPrelude

^^^Werd. Sounds to me like the codes just didn't completely reset. Considering the VSA, SH-AWD, and ABS codes all came up at the same time and the new battery made 2 out of the 3 go away I would guess the VSA light is also related to the battery.

The reason why this happens is that those systems, (as well as numerous other systems in the RL), are electronically controlled and are heavily dependent on the electrical system in the car. Once the battery starts going, even just in the slightest bit, those systems stop getting the full power they are designed to. Even if the power to them drops slightly or is interrupted for a second they start to throw codes. Had you continued you probably would have gotten the airbag light next.

oppnyc

To All:
It was a battery which has caused all these errors. As I stated before after I changed a battery VSA error didn't go away and after driving a car for 500 feet VSA malfunction error would flash again and again. Today I took a car to professional shop. A computer clearly indicated that Error 84 is caused by dead battery (which actually wasn't dead in my case, but perhaps it was weak).
A re-set from shop computer didn't help after first attempt. VSA was still flashing, however going deeper into various computer setting I and a my body from the shop have chosen other option (he was navigation too fast, so I didn't catch what that option was) and after that VSA light has gone.
Thank you to all for ideas and suggestions.
Regards,
-Oleg

oo7spy

This just in: A weak battery plagues an RL!

pcloadletter

Just got this error after 40minutes of driving. Continued another 30 to get home. Restart cleared the faults. Battery is a month old.

05RL in NH

[QUOTE...Lastly, reset the error codes that will be set by your original problem by using the 3 finger salute.[/QUOTE]

I give up. What is the "3 finger salute"?

oo7spy

Not all new batteries are good. A bad cell can render a brand new battery useless. Which error did you get? If the battery is indeed bad, it probably won't take long to completely kill it and get a replacement under warranty. It may be worth having the store you bought it from check it.

LL Cool DAve

Trying to get my post up, but now I know not to flip out and check the battery lol

w3aksauce

I've been having the same issue for several months now. The VSA/SH-AWD/ABS lights come on and go away after I turn the car off. I notice it usually comes on when I'm applying a certain amount of brake pressure (slightly hard). I got a safety recall notice in the mail a few months back for a possibly damaged VSA system. Not sure if it applies to your year but mine is 2005. I'm taking it in tomorrow to have it serviced and will let you know if the issue goes away.

w3aksauce

Sorry can't figure out how to edit my posts

UPDATE: Got my VSA serviced earlier today so far so good!

oo7spy

You can only edit within 15 min. There will be a button next to "quote".

pcloadletter

Happened again today on the highway, steady speed. Cannot recreate the problem. A restart cleared the issue, but I am worried because there is only few thousand miles left on the warranty and the new battery may be masking the true problem.

cleptosis

iTrader: (1)

sh is a pain in the ass and only the dealer can help

sOLLEx

Take it back to the dealer if it is a code 84 that pops up on the navi. It may need a VSA modulator if resetting the VSA sensor neutral position memorization doesn't fix it.

pcloadletter

I have a code reader and will check. Could it possibly an alternator as my radar detector was 14.4V with the ac on and 12.2 with it off? I have read that low voltage will trigger all these codes at once.

sOLLEx

If your under warranty still, I wouldn't even waste my time trying to troubleshoot with a code reader. Take it to your dealer and have them check out the VSA code. Your code reader doesn't have near enough brains to tackle the systems in this car. Most won't even clear a cel.

jdh433

I got a bunchof warning lights when I was 190 miles from home. At first I didn't understand what was going on, so I back my car into a parking space and tried to restart it. At that point the dashboard was going off like a christmas tree and the car just died. I had to have it towed 195 miles to my home(have AAA Premium which includes on 200 mile tow per year) and then to the dealer the next day. It turned out to be a bad alternator and the battery got completely drained. $1,000 later it was fixed by the dealer. Very disappointed in Acura/Honda. Their quality is usually better than this.

oo7spy

How certain are you that the alternator was truly the issue and the dealer didn't just chump you for a g'?

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

So is it fixed or are you bitching about having to buy an alt?

Alt dying isnt a "quality issue" its more of a poor preventive maintenance issue IMO

But if its fixed, chive on.

ACURADIOU

I had the same problem 6 months,i clean the battery posts,and the terminals,very clean with antiacid spray,make sure the terminals are tight, i didnt believe at first that the battery in this cars effect but trust me when i tell you it does,switch battery with other car and see what happens,i wish you luck,solving this problem.

cdroadwarrior

My 2006 RL w/Technology Package seemed to be suffering from the same issues as others on this thread, so I am hopeful I can get some guidance on where to go next!

My RL has 155k miles on it and has been wonderful the 2 years that I have had it. About once every six months, I would start it and get a similar list of warning lights on the dash that others were getting (it varies +/- one, depending on my RL's mood). I would then restart it a few times, and it would go away and not be seen again for probably six months.

Then, a few days ago, it came back. And this time, with a vengeance. If I start my car, the error is there probably 75% to 85% of the time, and the following errors usually come up: SH-AWD, VSA, AFS, CMBS, ABS, AIRBAG, and BRAKE. Other than the adaptive cruise control not working, everything else in the car seems to function 100% when this error state is taking place. When I turn on the adaptive cruise control, it turns on, but when i go to set a speed, it beeps and me and doesn't function.

Using this thread, I tested my alternator, and it seemed to be fine (about 13.8 to 14.4 volts, depending on the load and charge state...reading from scan-gauge in car). Also, took the battery out and measured the voltage. Right after removing, it was 13.0 V, and then dropped to about 12.77 afterwards. I then took the battery to two different shops (NAPA and Interstate) and both tested the battery, and said it was about two years old and performing better than the rating, and that it was the correct type of battery. It was measured at 764 CCA, and was rated at 675CCA.

The strange part is, I pulled the OBDII codes (expecting quite a few), and none were listed! Completely clear. I have checked this multiple times. Never a single code.

I thoroughly cleaned the battery terminals and leads, checked the two grounding locations and made sure they were tight, sprayed Deoxit on any of the battery electrical connections I could find (hoping it might help a little bit), reassembled, and I still get the errors (there was a slight run of no errors on a few of the sequential restarts to test it, but then it was back consistently).

I am wondering if it could be a bad wheel-speed sensor, or something similar that would be common to all of these systems? Or is it still likely to be the battery, despite it appearing to be the right specs and testing at 100%+?

I also did a visual inspection of as many of the wiring harnesses and cables as I could see, to see if anything had come loose. I am hoping it is not a computer going bad.

Any help or guidance on where to go next would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

TERRY A KHAN

Having the same errors on my 2011 RL and will be replacing my battery this weekend with Exide AGM Pure Lead.
Will post results

oo7spy

cdroadwarrior, if you have never replaced the battery in your car, just do it. So many times batteries have tested "good" and been too weak for the RL. 2.5 years is probably the average life of a battery in the RL.