thephantom

I started my car tonight and this is what I noticed:

1. The auto-on light did not work, I had to turn the headlights on manually.
2. The instrument light comes on for about 10 seconds and then turns off, so I had to drive without being able to see my speedometer, temp guage, tach, and fuel guage.
3. When I rev the engine, the tach doesn't move and all the gauges such as fuel stays in the "off" position (empty, cold, 0 MPH)...
4. When I put the car in reverse, the auto-down side mirror doesn't work.
5. Backup camera doesn't work.
6. NO SH-AWD!!!!!

#6 is kinda cool. I can feel the car has a loose feeling when turning and "lighter" during acceleration. I can also peel out very easily from a dead stop like in my old TL-S. I don't hate this malfunction since we don't have any snow on the ground. I am willing to bet I'd get better gas mileage because of this.

I am going to make an appointment in the morning to have this checked out. Have you guys ever experience these symptoms??

alfadoctor

To me it sounds like you lost one of your major fuses. There are major and minor fuses. The major ones are under the plastic cover in the engine compartment. Pop the cover and see if one has popped. They have a clear top so you can see into them. Otherwise it is a minor fuse (smaller plug in style). Major fuses blow because of a major electrical fault like a bad ground or a major wire going to ground. Minor ones generally pop because of a short.
If you can sort out before you take it in for service what is wrong you can save your wallet a major hit. However long it takes to find and fix is at the shop rate. If it takes 3 hours you are charged 3 hours.
Knowing the symptoms is a first step to helping the service writer know where to point the mechanic.
Help everyone on the board with what was found and how it was fixed...please.

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

Battery.

db22

Another case for Acura giving us a voltmeter?

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

It probably wouldn't do any good, most of the times the battery has a charge (to the point that auto stores will say they are good) yet they still cause issues.

oo7spy

I bet it doesn't restart.

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

Are you saying he should find his acura care number, and check on the towing options?

thephantom

Thanks guys for the input. I looked in the fuse box last night but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. My battery is about 1.5 years old.

Do you think AWD can be disabled via a fuse?

hondaxacura

IDK, but the Acura shop foreman told me that a low battery can do weird things to the RL. I haven't had a chance to see it first hand. Does disconnecting and reconnecting the negative battery lead work? Sometimes it fixes things. Worth a shot!

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

Do you own a battery charger?

IMO anything that is electronic, including the AWD, can be affected.

You may also find that the AWD is a separate issue than the gauges.

EL19

iTrader: (4)

Yea probably a low battery especially with the cold creeping in. When my alternator died, the first error message that popped up was SHAWD system malfunction

thephantom

I have no lights or messages in my cluster. Weird thing is, my hazard lights work but the directional lights don't. Navigation and radio works but no backup camera. Headlights work but no auto-on feature. Center console lights are fine (radio, auto climate control heated seats...).

I have an appt tomorrow at 12:30, we'll see what happens.

db22

$2.99 for a voltmeter at Harbor Freight. They may not be very good but OK for a relative measurement.
But, it sounds like a re-flash is necessary of the main CPU or course they will probably want to charge you for a new CPU.

thephantom

The car is still under CPO and I also have extended warranty, so I should be covered.

thephantom

Just as I had suspected, it was a fuse. After paying $61 to have the fuse replaced and the emissions message cleared, I blew the same fuse about an hour later. So, I went back to the dealer and they replaced the fuse and BAM, blew the fuse again. The tech replaced the fuse one more time and everything is good so far. The tech actually left me a bunch of fuses, just in case.

getakey

I would be concerned after blowing 3 fuses. Something must be amiss

mitchkramez

^^ I agree... something's not right - something pulling is grounding out or shorting - if it was just pulling too much current (like a failing blower motor or something) it'd just melt the fuse down, not blow it... strange indeed... keep us posted!

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

ditto

XXBogey

What fuse was causing the problem?

thephantom

The one that's second from the back in the middle row (15 on the fuse) next to the dead pedal.

I have a feeling my cell charger had something to do with it. After the third fuse the tech installed, I pulled out the phone charger and everything has been good since. I'll keep an eye on it today and keep you guys posted.

One good thing is, now I know how to disable SH-AWD!

mitchkramez

phantom,
I had a similar setup happen in my '03 pilot from my cheapy usb charger i had in the center console - only in that case, it melted down the fuse on my remote start - removed it and spliced in a new fuse and no problems since... hopefully that's all it is for you too!

thephantom

Well, back to the drawing board. I have a feeling my remote starter is causing this issue. There was a wire hanging near the fuse box and I "tucked" it behind the plastic piece right near where my shin is. The wire felt like it had electrical tape around it and I must screwed up the ground or something.

mitchkramez

Yikes, remote start in an RL wrapped up with electrical tape... should have heat shrink tubing instead, that electrical tape will dry out and become a liability (i guess it already has)

oo7spy

My manual says the fuse second from the back on the middle row is for "Meter" and is rated for 10A. The second from the front is rated 20A. What gives?

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

Remote start?!

Since we aren't dealing with a stock car it could be anything.

thephantom

Maybe the Acura Tech tried to mask the problem by installing a 15A... smh.

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

That's no bueno... I'd call them on their BS... the last thing you want is a short circuit in this car.

thephantom

Update:

I went to Sound Sensation/ Micorp in Auburn, Ma today and they gave my remote starter install a "once-over". It tool about an hour and a half for them to fix my issue. The installer told me there were 5 wires that were "chaffing" causing the short. They also rewired my trunk sensor that Rayco disconnected. Lastly, he programmed the system to disable the key when the alarm is triggered.

I'll keep an eye on this for the next few days, but I feel good about it.

mitchkramez

It pays to have good people install your remote start system, IMO, if they are only charging ~$200, you should be really careful with who you're dealing with. I installed our remote start in our 2003 Pilot soldered and heat shrink tubed every splice cleanly - took me about 8 hours to do (something I had never done before) If I had to do it again, I'd find the best shop in town and pay them whatever they asked... It was fun to do it once, but it's too easy to screw things up badly - especially on our expensive cars - I'm not sure I'd ever put one on an RL though... maybe...

thephantom

Completely agreed. Rayco was one of the three "Viper-Certified" installers in MA, and the closest to me... that tells you about the certification. Sound Sensation is not technically a Viper dealer, but they carry Clifford, which is basically the same thing. These guys also perform installs of most after market accessories for almost ALL auto dealers in the area, so they have to know what they're doing.

The remote starter has been problem-free for about a year now, until the wire chaffing issue. Other than that, I'd highly recommend a remote starter especially if you're in the cold weather region.

mitchkramez

Agreed - i love the remote start on our pilot - I put in the Astrostart brand (directed electronics, the same people that make the viper etc...) And it's been really great. At the time I put it in I was able to get into their installers area because of a weak password system (which has since been fixed) but that was a huge help in the installation, telling me exact locations of things and the pitfalls to avoid for my specific vehicle. Our local remote start installer charges about $400 for the installation of the system - I bought it online for less than $100. There's something to be said for the amount of time the installation cost me though

oo7spy

Hopefully the "chaffing" was due to outside damage to the wire insulation. If the wire gauge is not capable if carrying the amount of current drawn through it, the insulation will melt and cause the short. If this were the case, fixing the insulation will only temporarily fix the problem until it melts again.

It is likely that the installer put the 15A fuse there to allow for more current to the remote starter. However, 5A is A LOT of current. I would try putting a 10A fuse back and see if it doesn't blow. That is, after checking with the manual to see what the original stock fuse rating was.

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

^^

thephantom

I checked the diagram and it should be a 10A fuse. I bought some 10A fuses from CAP and replaced the 15A with an 10A. So far so good.

mitchkramez

I'll tell you what deal I WOULDN'T be going back to...

thephantom

Well, this is the dealer I have been avoiding for a long time time. Unfortunately, they are the closest to me and the only who had an opening the next day. A few years ago, they charged me $350 and kept my TL-S over the weekend to fix something that they never fixed. A couple of months later I took my TL-S to my mechanic neighbor and without telling him what was "repaired", he pointed out problem right away, and the part was never replaced. When I left the dealership this time, the adviser asked me if I wanted to bring the RL back in to have a complete diagnostic done... I told him I'd call... NOT.