rdx4fun

http://www.in.honda.com/Rjanisis/pubs/SN/B070100.PDF It says if there is no sound coming from the radio for the rdx to replace the head unit. It also says to replace unsold ones on the dealer lot. What is the real problem. Is it going to be like the 00-03 tl transmissions and they are all going to fail at some point you think? Notice they dont even go through troubleshooting they just say replace if there is no sound.

catnippants

Well it looks like the clue is right there. "This lead free solder problem has already been fixed in production...' Sounds like they either got a bad batch of solder, or had a soldering issue during assembly. My guess would be a bad solder joint that will likely fail at some point due to thermal stress. If they're gonna fail, I just hope they do before the warranty runs out...

Yuck...nothing worse than a field reliability problem that is intermittent. Now all we can do is worry.

Mike

rdx4fun

Mike, you are right. Thats what I meant, all we can do is wait. I'm sure it will happen to me on a road trip 200+ miles away from home. lol I wonder where the actual problem in the unit is. That would be cool if we could find out attempt to fix ourselfs and if it does not go right just bring it in and have the dealer replace it. I just dont want the dealer taking apart the center console.

catnippants

Yeah that's my worry too....dealer + tools + center console = rattles. Technically though, if they're even going to replace the ones on the lot, then even new ones being sold will have been taken apart.

I'm going to show the bulletin to my dealer. I'd like them to know that I know about it just in case it fails down the road.

Mike

Stevenm

I'm taking mine in Tues to replace the cd player. It quit

rdx4fun

Its just a matter of time before they all go I guess. Can some one with a helms manual please post instructions on how to remove the radio. Just curious as to what is involved.

c_hunter

Too bad they don't give a VIN range -- that would be useful to know.

catnippants

Unfortunately, based on my experience with solder joint failures (still assuming that's what it is) and other manufacturing issues, you can't count on it. It may go quick, it may take time, or it may never go. It may have also been a bad batch of solder that they can't completely isolate to the exact vehicles it was used on - so yours may not even be affected. Traceability with stuff like that is pretty tough to manage. You really don't know. I've decided I'm not going to worry about it. I've got a few tens of thousands of miles before my warranty runs out, and if it fails, it fails. If not, so be it. If it is a safety concern, I have to assume (for my own sanity) that Acura would issue a recall.

I knew I should have never started reading this forum. I should have just enjoyed my car. It's the most fun car I've ever owned.....

Mike

rdxsteverino

Hopefully they didn't use the same batch of lead free solder on any of the brake or steering system components

catnippants

Like I said, I have to assume that if there was a safety concern, Acura would issue a recall. I've been through mfg/reliability issues many times in another industry, and I do know that they can be scary for both the consumer and the manufacturer. I work for a company that values it's integrity - but I do know that there are some out there that would put the buck above safety. I've just been so impressed with Honda and Acura over the years that I have to believe that if any car manufacturer would be honest about a potential safety issue, it would be them.

Incidentally, their comment about replacing the radios on the lot doesn't scare me. Think about it. If you were a company that valued it's reputation for reliability, wouldn't you rather replace the radios BEFORE someone bought them, rather than raise the statistics on the number of vehicles coming in for replacements - and seeing the reliability ratings suffer? Makes perfect sense to me...

Mike

rdx4fun

It is a safety concern with me. More like a mental health issue. If the radio goes out on a road trip with the wife, I could be stuck engaging in conversations for hours. lol

sasair

It would be a panasonic manufacturing problem not an Acura one so any other system shouldn't be affected.

As for the VIN# range, again it would be a panasonic serial number range.

The thing that I didn't like in the servicenews article was that if a customer brings in a failed audio unit, they replace it with a remanufactured one, but if it is dead on the lot before sale, they replace it with a new one. What's up with that? I certainly don't want to end up with Eric's remanufactured head unit!!! lol

rdx4fun

Yea we get one say rebuilt on a monday morning.

chyllintsx

hmm looks like enough ppl had this problem

stappy

I assume the reason for replacing pre-sold vehicles with new radios is to avoid any problems with being able to classify the vehicle as new. And, given that about 12K vehicles are already sold i wouldn't expect them to take the financial hit of tossing out the bad radios. My problem is that they appear to have us playing a game of Russian Roulette with the warranty. As has been stated, this is likely a problem that even if present could fail today, a day after the warranty expires, or never. I understand not wanting to replace all units given the possibility that many will never fail, but i think Acura would do well to consider significantly (preferably indefinetly) extending the warranty on the radio for this particular falure mode.

econman

LOL

To take the Blue Pill or the Red Pill.....

The contentment of ignorant bliss or the hard treachery of the truth?

I liked your advice.
Error is a part of life and is to be expected. This particular error is something that at best is a known unknown and since it is a fuzzy on a non-critical path, I personally choose the Blue Pill here as opposed to the what-if induced paranoia of an improbable probability.

catnippants

Hehe...very well said!

Mike

c_hunter

That cracked me up. I will take a blue pill on this one, and wish I could take more blue pills in general!

mickie

don't we all!

So funny, cause I think we all feel the same way...well said Mike!

catnippants

Hehe....thanks, but it was really econman who made the Matrix reference....I just whined about reading this darn forum!

Mike

DCIANDREW

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but my 2007 RDX radio has gone dead. Sometimes it will come on, but it cuts in and out as if it has a bad solder somewhere. Also when it is hot outside it has a better chance of working which would be an additional clue that it is a bad solder.

Of course now its out of warranty and when I called the customer care center, because I remember reading this, they say my Vin number didn't have the problem. Reading the ServiceNews from January 2007 it says it applies to 07 RDX, which my is and which was purchased before the news letter was released.

Any ideas on how to pursue this and make them honor this? This problem happened once during the warranty period and when I discussed this with the service department they said they couldn't do anything since it was working again.

mifesto

have you ever had any sort of leaks in the car? ever park the car w/ window down during a big rain storm? ever had accident? ever replace front windshield?

sounds to me you have some minor rust issue... it can mess w electrical connections and simple grounding points as well.

TheWrench116

iTrader: (1)

this reminds me of the Xbox 360 red ring of death issue... never had it happen to me guess im the lucky one?.?

DCIANDREW

The only one of these to be true is replacing the windshield due to a rock chip making a crack. As far as rust not a problem out here in Fresno, CA.

Could it be just worn out sure, but I don't think likely considering a known problem was identified and that it happened once when the car was less than two years old. It also happened once this past spring, but on a trip to the SF area this past December and after spending the night (really cold night, frost on the car in the morning) it started this problem. Later that day as it warmed up it started working again but would cut in and out as bumps in the road were hit. Now its more out than in.

From the 2007 ServiceNews

Audio Unit Doesn’t Work, No
Sound From the Speakers

NOTE: This article applies to ’07 RDXs.

If the audio unit display works fine, but there’s no
sound from the speakers, order a reman audio
unit. If the vehicle hasn’t been sold yet, order a
new replacement audio unit. This lead-free solder
problem has already been fixed in production so
future vehicles won’t be affected.

mifesto

I have heard of many windshield installers not applying the glue correctly and water is able to penetrate the interior. maybe that is your issue?