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Well, best case scenario if its all in software and fixes are coming... but if its some faulty chip, there is no way Acura will pay for replacements....
my 2020 seems ok for a week of car play waze and blue tooth audio. Only had glitch first day when I got the car.
ArmV7 is actually just the instruction set architecture, not the hardware. The SoC is actually TI's Jacinto 6 EX (aka DRA75x). Interestingly, it uses the ARM Cortex-A15 microprocessor, which is actually also used in the Nvidia Tegra 4 that powers Audi's latest MMI systems. However, the Tegra 4 uses 4 of those cores, while this Jacinto only uses 2. They're both roughly of the same vintage (circa 2014), and while yes the Tegra is objectively better and higher-end, Audi's MMI is far more advanced, powerful, and thus more demanding (consider that it has to power up to 3 screens including a virtual cockpit). In theory the less powerful and lower-end Jacinto should still be more than enough for what Acura is trying to do with one single screen.
One interesting thing to the note; the older version of Audi's MMI (still with the virtual cockpit) used the older Tegra 3, which is actually slower than the Jacinto 6.
In other words, I don't think it's a matter of an underpowered processor, and probably something with the software implementation.
Your post is actually reassuring as I have better faith in software to be fixed (either by Acura or by the community at some point) than the hardware to be replaced...
In the more than a year I have owned this car, there has been only one update that improved anything, and it was fairly minor and changed something that should have been baked in from the get-go, which is the ability to zoom the map.
Your post is actually reassuring as I have better faith in software to be fixed (either by Acura or by the community at some point) than the hardware to be replaced...
CPUs are fine, but the motherboard might have some custom chips that have crapy design and generate faults/errors that crash/lock OS. I am really hoping its only software....
The built-in Nav software is alleged to have been at least partially outsourced, to HERE. Or to whomever HERE contracted with, and so on, and so on.
Which raises the question: is the base trim, without built-in Nav, any better behaved than the fancier ones many of us paid extra for?
HERE used to be Navteq. My 2008 BMW had a Navteq system, and the traffic info in that was superior to the traffic info on this. This one looks better, but doesn’t really work much better although it is faster to search for stuff and easier to input. But I bought that car in 2007 and the RDX in 2018. Eleven years is huge in this field.
Go to the Navteq site, and it says that the map in my RDX is the most current. That map has not had any updates since the car came out 17 months ago. Pitiful.
HERE used to be Navteq. My 2008 BMW had a Navteq system, and the traffic info in that was superior to the traffic info on this. This one looks better, but doesn’t really work much better although it is faster to search for stuff and easier to input. But I bought that car in 2007 and the RDX in 2018. Eleven years is huge in this field.
Go to the Navteq site, and it says that the map in my RDX is the most current. That map has not had any updates since the car came out 17 months ago. Pitiful.
NAVTEQ/HERE provides the mapping data and the manufacturer (often the manufacturer of the actual nav unit. I think Alpine used to make most nav units for Acura) writes the rest of the software - the reason why navs are so different.
Yes, my 2009 335 nav was heads and shoulders above the Acura nav.
Traffic is provided one of two ways - via HD radio from local ClearChannel stations or via Sirius/XM who seems to get their traffic info from aliens flying over Wisconsin. Acura gets the traffic info from Sirius, so if you don't pay for Sirius traffic then you don't get it. BMW got their traffic info from HD radio. ClearChannel traffic is far closer to Waze than Sirius is
It is more than that. I could be driving on a road, and it is green and other roads around me are green. Then my road goes gray while other roads around me stay green. One road near me is always red, whether there is traffic on it or not. From what I can see, the coverage is spotty, inconsistent, comes and goes easily, and is rarely timely and accurate. In short, for me, the traffic info is useless because of how spotty and unreliable it is.
Acura gets the traffic info from Sirius, so if you don't pay for Sirius traffic then you don't get it. BMW got their traffic info from HD radio. ClearChannel traffic is far closer to Waze than Sirius is
So are you saying that after my complimentary Sirius subscription runs out, I'm going to lose my traffic? Or is there a way to pay for traffic without paying for the full Sirius package? I've only had my car a couple of weeks, but I've already decided Sirius is not something I'm willing to pay for.
If I don't have traffic, I'd probably just end up using Waze or Google. Which negates one of the big reason I got the Tech instead of the Base. I still double check route/travel time between my phone and the internal nav, but I use the nav because I like having it up there on the dual-screen, and I think it reduces my data usage significantly on longer trips.
ETA: before I get a "LMGTFY" response, it took me about 30 seconds to come up with the answer. Sirius Traffic is $4/mo, up to $9/mo for Travel Link. But it says on the website "Customers who buy or lease a new properly equipped vehicle are eligible to receive a 5-year trial subscription to SiriusXM Travel Link." So I'm guessing I don't have to pay for it anytime soon. I'll have to read the manual though to find out, unless anyone has the answer at the ready.
Last edited by Waetherman; 10-23-2019 at 11:09 AM.
NAVTEQ/HERE provides the mapping data and the manufacturer (often the manufacturer of the actual nav unit. I think Alpine used to make most nav units for Acura) writes the rest of the software - the reason why navs are so different.
Yes, my 2009 335 nav was heads and shoulders above the Acura nav.
Traffic is provided one of two ways - via HD radio from local ClearChannel stations or via Sirius/XM who seems to get their traffic info from aliens flying over Wisconsin. Acura gets the traffic info from Sirius, so if you don't pay for Sirius traffic then you don't get it. BMW got their traffic info from HD radio. ClearChannel traffic is far closer to Waze than Sirius is
I thought Acura moved away from SiriusXM traffic for the 2019+ RDX and was getting it from HD radio, hence the HD icon showing on the navi map when it was getting the signal.
ArmV7 is actually just the instruction set architecture, not the hardware. The SoC is actually TI's Jacinto 6 EX (aka DRA75x). Interestingly, it uses the ARM Cortex-A15 microprocessor, which is actually also used in the Nvidia Tegra 4 that powers Audi's latest MMI systems. However, the Tegra 4 uses 4 of those cores, while this Jacinto only uses 2. They're both roughly of the same vintage (circa 2014), and while yes the Tegra is objectively better and higher-end, Audi's MMI is far more advanced, powerful, and thus more demanding (consider that it has to power up to 3 screens including a virtual cockpit). In theory the less powerful and lower-end Jacinto should still be more than enough for what Acura is trying to do with one single screen.
One interesting thing to the note; the older version of Audi's MMI (still with the virtual cockpit) used the older Tegra 3, which is actually slower than the Jacinto 6.
In other words, I don't think it's a matter of an underpowered processor, and probably something with the software implementation.
I agree dual core A15 should beat Tegra 3. As I seen variations of chromebook benchmarks, and dual core A15s seem to be enough in 2013......
For the price range of the car I understand why Acura went cheap on software developers and hardware. I hope they can patch this, but I'm starting to have my doubts.
The car is already one of the "cheaper" luxury car for the size, and I don't think Acura is willing to spend too much money for consumers that already bought the car.
I am at most expecting the promised android auto update, and 1 - 2 map updates. Maybe 1 to avoid false advertisement.
Issue is we are getting a car with panaromic sunroof, 10 inch infotainment (buggy though), strong horse power, larger size, 10 speed transmission (programming can be better), and reliability of a Honda. It's difficult to find a luxury car this size, reliability, and performance for the price. So Acura had to go cheap somewhere.
Even though the CX-5 is 5-7k cheaper, it still has a lot of compromise for the price. The Lexus NX300 cost as much as the RDX with a lot more compromises.
As long as the car lasts 200k miles without major repairs, I'll be happy.
I don't think Acura is willing to spend too much money for consumers that already bought the car.
That might be the only disagreement I have. I think Acura will pay to fix the infotainment issues if they are well known. I've heard from a friend who works at Honda that the RDX isn't selling as well as they'd hoped, and if the infotainment complaints are the problem, spending a few million on a software update to increase sales because that would be a small price to pay for increased owner satisfaction and loyalty and word-of-mouth recommendations.
That might be the only disagreement I have. I think Acura will pay to fix the infotainment issues if they are well known. I've heard from a friend who works at Honda that the RDX isn't selling as well as they'd hoped, and if the infotainment complaints are the problem, spending a few million on a software update to increase sales because that would be a small price to pay for increased owner satisfaction and loyalty and word-of-mouth recommendations.
The third-generation model helped the RDX nameplate set an all-time annual sales record of 63,580 units in 2018, a 24 percent increase over the previous record set in 2017
Over the past year, RDX has posted 12 straight months of sales growth, with 11 record months
Year-to-date, RDX is the retail best-seller in luxury's largest segment, the retail #2 luxury SUV and the retail #3 model in all of luxury
New RDX buyers are younger, more diverse, more highly educated and more affluent than those who purchased the previous generation model
RDX has realized double-digit increases in conquest sales against substantially all luxury competitors
The RDX A-Spec is hitting its mark and attracting younger buyers – RDX A-Spec has double the number of under-45-year-olds than the rest of the RDX line
It is more than that. I could be driving on a road, and it is green and other roads around me are green. Then my road goes gray while other roads around me stay green. One road near me is always red, whether there is traffic on it or not. From what I can see, the coverage is spotty, inconsistent, comes and goes easily, and is rarely timely and accurate. In short, for me, the traffic info is useless because of how spotty and unreliable it is.
But it is really accurate over that dairy farm in Wisconsin. Sirius/XM traffic is very dated and, like you said, next to useless.
XM used to have a traffic station and FEMA was initially using that during the early part of Katrina. I had boots on the ground and we had far different information - that's why I'd never pay for Sirius/XM, or what they pass off as traffic.
I thought Acura moved away from SiriusXM traffic for the 2019+ RDX and was getting it from HD radio, hence the HD icon showing on the navi map when it was getting the signal.
The 2019 RDX Navigation Manual (p71) states HD Radio or the internet, no mention of SiriusXM as the source. The only mention in your listing for SiriusXM was for the first generation AcuraLink, the RDX is on the next generation AcuraLink (LINK). And while Acura states in your link traffic is only available free for three years, there isn't even a package in the next gen AcuraLink that lists traffic as an add-on option after the three year period. Acura is all over the place with their documentation and I really trust very little of what they have written down as it contradicts itself or has no trustworthy definition of how services actually work.
The 2019 RDX Navigation Manual (p71) states HD Radio or the internet, no mention of SiriusXM as the source. The only mention in your listing for SiriusXM was for the first generation AcuraLink, the RDX is on the next generation AcuraLink (LINK). And while Acura states in your link traffic is only available free for three years, there isn't even a package in the next gen AcuraLink that lists traffic as an add-on option after the three year period. Acura is all over the place with their documentation and I really trust very little of what they have written down as it contradicts itself or has no trustworthy definition of how services actually work.
Interesting. Thanks for the correction. That means that Sirius cut back on what they were paying Acura. A win for the consumer.
And one interesting piece, I called Acura Customer Service and AcuraLink folks back when I read the 3 year traffic statement early in my ownership (Jun18) about how to continue traffic use. They had NO IDEA how this would be accomplished and they had nothing setup in their system for it.
@ceb My sales guy said it was done via cellular connection - the same that's used for AcuraLink and which also provides system updates. That seems to line up with what you linked to.
@not2envy : some of what you say may be true, but I would point out that you're literally quoting a press release from Acura. I took a look at the numbers from GoodCarBadCar.net (which for some reason doesn't list the RDX on their small or midsize Luxury SUV charts, only on their all-vehicle reports) and at least for the last quarter, here are the numbers - first number is total sales, second number is percent change from last year same quarter:
I just got one of those e-mailed ‘vehicle health reports’. It said my auto idle stop was working properly. But it is not. It is not working at all. So I hit reply and said, no, my auto stop is not working at all, under any circumstances. Will I hear anything? I doubt it.
I just got one of those e-mailed ‘vehicle health reports’. It said my auto idle stop was working properly. But it is not. It is not working at all. So I hit reply and said, no, my auto stop is not working at all, under any circumstances. Will I hear anything? I doubt it.
I consider that perfect function of idle stop.
It's probably in purgatory because of one of the many conditions that can cause it to be disabled, including low battery charge. Mine does that once in a while, but sadly it eventually gets enabled again.
And one interesting piece, I called Acura Customer Service and AcuraLink folks back when I read the 3 year traffic statement early in my ownership (Jun18) about how to continue traffic use. They had NO IDEA how this would be accomplished and they had nothing setup in their system for it.
The AcuraLink website is a mess.
Our 2014 MDX Tech needs an active AcuraLink subscription to get traffic data. No AcuraLink, no traffic.
The current generation of AcuraLink doesn't get traffic data from XM radio. Ever. Only 1st generation AcuraLink did that.
The system in 2019+ RDX gets traffic data from an HD radio data signal by default. This is provided by HERE. If the HD radio data isn't available, allegedly it can get traffic data from AcuraLink, assuming there is any available for a particular area, but I assume there needs to be an active subscription for that to happen.
The documentation of all of these issues is so poor that about all we can do is assume.
And don't even get me started on "my salesman told me...", or "Acura Client Relations said...".
It's probably in purgatory because of one of the many conditions that can cause it to be disabled, including low battery charge. Mine does that once in a while, but sadly it eventually gets enabled again.
I don’t like it either, but, concurrently, my trip A reset setting does not work, and I tried to set the auto parking brake, and that didn’t take either. These things should work as planned. Let me turn off the stop when I want to, that is how it should work.
I suppose I could pull the connection on the negative terminal, but one look at it and I was uncertain how to do that.
My plan is to wait for the next update and take it from there. I have no hope that my dealer would have any solution.
It is totally unfathomable to think that almost a year and a half since this car was introduced that they have yet to fix these stupid annoying bugs in the infotainment system. It's fine to accept when a car first comes out that there will be bugs, but a rational person would expect these to be dealt with within the first 6 months after release. The first update did little, the second really screwed things up, the next one fixed a lot of stuff but many remain. The last update was insignificant and here we are, almost November 2019 and the car came out at the end of June 2018.
Totally unsat. "It's a great car" for a car is true (for me anyway), but it's beyond long enough for any company of significance to fix software problems in a freaking car infotainment system. We're not talking Boeing 737 MAX here, we're talking basic operation of a modern car.
I don’t like it either, but, concurrently, my trip A reset setting does not work, and I tried to set the auto parking brake, and that didn’t take either. These things should work as planned. Let me turn off the stop when I want to, that is how it should work.
I suppose I could pull the connection on the negative terminal, but one look at it and I was uncertain how to do that.
My plan is to wait for the next update and take it from there. I have no hope that my dealer would have any solution.
I don't use auto parking brake, but that shouldn't get disabled.
Have you tried rebooting the infotainment system from the diagnostic menus? ( Three-finger salute on the touchpad buttons to access it ).
Disconnecting the battery ground cable is the nuclear option, but it isn't hard. You just need a 10mm wrench ( crescent or socket ) to loosen the clamp bolt, then pull it off. Then push it back on and retighten the clamp bolt. Try not to let the wrench touch both battery terminals, or you will get a surprise.
Access to the battery is easier if you pull off the engine air intake plumbing.
Our 2014 MDX Tech needs an active AcuraLink subscription to get traffic data. No AcuraLink, no traffic.
The current generation of AcuraLink doesn't get traffic data from XM radio. Ever. Only 1st generation AcuraLink did that.
The system in 2019+ RDX gets traffic data from an HD radio data signal by default. This is provided by HERE. If the HD radio data isn't available, allegedly it can get traffic data from AcuraLink, assuming there is any available for a particular area, but I assume there needs to be an active subscription for that to happen.
The documentation of all of these issues is so poor that about all we can do is assume.
And don't even get me started on "my salesman told me...", or "Acura Client Relations said...".
Are you sure about HERE providing traffic? AFAIK, ClearChannel provides traffic info over HD. Perhaps the AcuraLink traffic data is provided by HERE, but I suspect that it is provided by Sirius/XM. If HERE is providing the info, then we can all forget it. I just looked on HERE and it doesn't show the closure of a major road right down the street that's been closed since it washed out on the 8th of July and won't reopen until mid/late December. Google shows the closure.
Oh, and when my sister bought her ILX in 2016, the salesman told her that map updates are free and come OTA.
I don't use auto parking brake, but that shouldn't get disabled.
Have you tried rebooting the infotainment system from the diagnostic menus? ( Three-finger salute on the touchpad buttons to access it ).
Disconnecting the battery ground cable is the nuclear option, but it isn't hard. You just need a 10mm wrench ( crescent or socket ) to loosen the clamp bolt, then pull it off. Then push it back on and retighten the clamp bolt. Try not to let the wrench touch both battery terminals, or you will get a surprise.
Access to the battery is easier if you pull off the engine air intake plumbing.
I think MADD meant removing the start/stop wire from the battery terminal, not the required "take off the neg wire to reboot the system."
I don't use auto parking brake, but that shouldn't get disabled.
Have you tried rebooting the infotainment system from the diagnostic menus? ( Three-finger salute on the touchpad buttons to access it ).
Disconnecting the battery ground cable is the nuclear option, but it isn't hard. You just need a 10mm wrench ( crescent or socket ) to loosen the clamp bolt, then pull it off. Then push it back on and retighten the clamp bolt. Try not to let the wrench touch both battery terminals, or you will get a surprise.
Access to the battery is easier if you pull off the engine air intake plumbing.
what is that screw for on the top? Does that need to go too? I am thinking of the pull the neg off and do a whole system reset.
The diag menu, the three finger one, is for infotainment, IIRC, not basic car systems.
Are you sure about HERE providing traffic? AFAIK, ClearChannel provides traffic info over HD. Perhaps the AcuraLink traffic data is provided by HERE, but I suspect that it is provided by Sirius/XM. If HERE is providing the info, then we can all forget it. I just looked on HERE and it doesn't show the closure of a major road right down the street that's been closed since it washed out on the 8th of July and won't reopen until mid/late December. Google shows the closure.
Oh, and when my sister bought her ILX in 2016, the salesman told her that map updates are free and come OTA.
It's HERE. Whether that's good or bad is neither here nor there.
From the original press release at launch of the 2019 RDX:
"The RDX's all-new navigation system, developed in cooperation with HERE, offers many improvements,
including enhanced graphics, customized vehicle icons, 3D buildings and terrain, turn-by-turn directions
displayed in the instrument cluster and more. The system includes free quarterly map database updates for five
years. The system includes the HD Digital Traffic feature, which alerts the driver to current traffic conditions and
can display alternate routes around gridlock. It features expanded coverage including many surface streets
within the U.S., allowing the driver to choose faster, less congested routes. HD Digital Traffic is subscription free."
In case it hasn't been said enough times, this whole system is brand new, and expected to migrate through the Acura line going forward.
For better or worse.
But current Honda vehicles also use HERE traffic data via HD radio, and HERE provides the road mapping and POI data to Garmin, as they have for decades. ( HERE used to be NAVTEQ ). Current Hondas run Garmin nav software on their touchscreen infotainment systems.
what is that screw for on the top? Does that need to go too? I am thinking of the pull the neg off and do a whole system reset.
The diag menu, the three finger one, is for infotainment, IIRC, not basic car systems.
Correct on three finger / diagnostics menu, but you mentioned vehicle settings and AFAIK that involves the infotainment black box.
You made me look. Never mind about air intake, I was thinking about a different vehicle.
I think the grey connector serves a battery temperature sensor, and if you aren't familiar with the locking tab system on those connectors, I wouldn't mess with it. Shouldn't be necessary.
The bolt/nut with the red circle attaches the main battery ground wire, that runs to the chassis. Disconnecting this is probably easier than releasing the terminal clamp, and it will power down everything because everything grounds through the metal vehicle chassis.
The bolt/nut with the blue circle is the clamp that holds the terminal onto the battery post.
The whole battery is enclosed in an actively ventilated box, which is why the connectors are weird.
It's HERE. Whether that's good or bad is neither here nor there.
From the original press release at launch of the 2019 RDX:
"The RDX's all-new navigation system, developed in cooperation with HERE, offers many improvements,
including enhanced graphics, customized vehicle icons, 3D buildings and terrain, turn-by-turn directions
displayed in the instrument cluster and more. The system includes free quarterly map database updates for five
years. The system includes the HD Digital Traffic feature, which alerts the driver to current traffic conditions and
can display alternate routes around gridlock. It features expanded coverage including many surface streets
within the U.S., allowing the driver to choose faster, less congested routes. HD Digital Traffic is subscription free."
In case it hasn't been said enough times, this whole system is brand new, and expected to migrate through the Acura line going forward.
For better or worse.
But current Honda vehicles also use HERE traffic data via HD radio, and HERE provides the road mapping and POI data to Garmin, as they have for decades. ( HERE used to be NAVTEQ ). Current Hondas run Garmin nav software on their touchscreen infotainment systems.
Interesting. Thanks! That's an advantage over the subscription based Sirius/XM from earlier Acuras.
and, of course, you've gotten your free quarterly map updates...
Thanks for the 3 finger refresh. Youtube is great! This is the 2nd time my entertainment unit has locked up in 9 months and had to the 3 finger salute.
The problem described in the first post:
"The infotainment screen started dimming/brighting intermittently every second, and at the bottom of the screen a message saying "Drive mode change unavailable" would keep appearing and disappearing about every 10 sec or so."
10-22-2019, 06:41 PM
