2023 RDX with about 33k miles, bought 3/2023.

AIS (auto idle stop) has not been engaging the last several days.

Car gets driven a lot and regularly and weather has been mild (70s-80s, low humidity as I'm in CA).

Does this mean the battery will need to be replaced? I guess they'll be checking it when I take it in next time.

 

I had the same experience with my BMW. It very likely means that your battery needs to be replaced. For these stop/start systems, my recollection is that if the battery is not charged to at least 80%, the system won’t turn off the engine.

 

Invest in one to rule it out!

 

If you have a voltmeter you might want to check the voltage of the battery after a reasonably long drive. With engine off, the voltage should be around 12.6 volts DC or higher. Something around 12.4 volts or lower indicates a potential issue.

 

Mine did the same thing last year (2022 model, so similar time frame to you), and it was the battery. At least you get that type of warning sign, vs it just not starting one day.

 

True. Maybe the best use of AIS is as an early warning system!

 

Did you have to pay for the replacement (like a wear and tear item) or was it replaced under warranty?

 

I noticed my AIS wasn't working as often, but I wasn't really concerned about it at the time.
I happened to have it in the dealership for a recall, and they mentioned the battery was bad. After I replaced it with one from Costco, the AIS returned to normal.

Mine is a 2021, and it had 99k miles at the time.

 

I have a 2020 with almost 49K on it (WFH). If it sits for a while -say a week, I will throw it on a trickle charger and 99% of the time the AIS works.

 

I actually didn't even look into warranty coverage - if it's like any other battery warranty I probably would have gotten a bit of money back but at the end of the day I got my replacement from Costco and have their warranty now.

 

According to the 2022 RDX warranty document:

"New Vehicle Limited Warranty ............. Every new Acura is covered, including the 12-volt battery, for 4 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first."

Seems to be a fully free replacement, as long as the 4 year/ 50k mile limit has not been reached.

 

Well shit. I assumed they would classify it as a wear item like brakes. Good to know for sometime next decade when I get another new car!

 

Needs a new battery, make sure you put an AGM battery in it, I just replaced the battery in my 19 last year, was like $250 I think for AGM Interstate battery.

 

Costco has AGM for $170. My battery is 6 year old and AIS still works (sadly)

 

I was going to buy one at Sams club, it was Duracell, but trusted Interstate more, actually paid $222 with my buddies discount.

AIS is so dumb to me, wish there was a was to permanently engage Sport +.

 

Not sure if I understand your question but you can set the drive mode to Sport+ and as far as I know it will stay that way until you change it again.

 

If you have access to Costco, Interstate is their battery supplier.

 

Not a question and correct, the annoying part is having to set it every time, small nuisance though. First world problems! LOL
Sure with a tune it can be removed.

We're team Sam's Club, not sure why lol

 

Pretty sure the Sport+ drive mode locks out the AIS and you don’t need to remember to hit the AIS button each time. The potential down side is driving in Sport+ all the time.

 

Yes but what I was referring to, is that each time you get in to drive, you need to pop it into Sport + to not deal with AIS or turn AIS via the button each time. It sucks that setting has to be toggled each drive cycle. stupid EPA BS

 

I didn’t realize that you needed to put it into Sport+ each time. I typically drive in Sport mode and it doesn’t move or default to anything else.

 

Yup always turning the knob lol

 

The car is in for service. They checked the battery and found it to be bad. It's covered under the manufacturer warranty so I don't have to pay anything.

 

^ that's beautiful! Awesome to hear.

 

Another consideration, at least for some of this time of year, is the use of the seat warmers. Couple their use with the stop/start of AIS and relatively short trip driving and you have a perfect scenario for running down the battery.

 

^ Good thought there!

I'm a seat cooler year round guy myself but I'm also a year round shorts guy too! LOL

 

I don't use seat warmers at all. But I like the silence and zero NVH from AIS when sitting at a light.

 

Changing the battery doesn't seem to have resolved the issue. I have an appointment to take it back in next week.

 

It will be interesting what they find. There is a voltage sensor attached to the negative terminal of the battery that is known to easily damaged.

 

Service advisor says they contacted Acura and they were told that the system goes through a learning process after the battery is replaced so it can take up to 2 weeks before the AIS starts kicking in normally. In the mean time, temperatures have dropped here quite a bit, so it may be a while before I find out whether the system is actually working.

BTW, if it was not covered under warranty, service advisor said battery replacement would have been $350.

 

$170 @ costco. Way too much

 

That must come with the complimentary wallet flushing service.

 

Too funny!!

 

I'm starting to wonder if the service advisor is giving me the run around on this one. I asked AI/grok how long it takes for AIS to start working normally after a battery replacement and it says AT MOST 50 miles, while in most cases it should actually start working immediately.

Assuming they don't fix this, I'll be sitting on 2 unresolved issues

- Squeaky brakes
- AIS not working

Not happy about this. I think I may have to contact Acura and have a chat with them.

 

There are some steps in the procedure at AIS relearn that might be worth a try. No guarantees they would work but i don't see any chance of harm.

 

^^^^Agreed. Waiting up to two weeks to see if something has been fixed seems nuts to me.

 

If it does not work after your battery is fully charged, you most likely need new battery. The load test they do might not always identify the issue.

its BS. I had my battery discounted and reconnected,
and AIS worked immediately.

 

I will give it a try when I get the car back.

I also sent an email to Acura last night.

 

They just put in a new battery and I've driven at least a couple of hundred miles since then without it kicking. Several 20-30 minute trips including lots of highway driving.

Are you thinking the battery they put in may be defective?

AI/Grok said it might be the alternator, the ECU, or some other electrical issue.

 

the new battery might not be fully charged or defective.
if you have charger, charge you battery fully and it has to start working immediately or you have a problem. There is no 2 weeks wait, its BS.


could be other issues too, but there is no 2 week wait after disconnecting