Good Morning and Happy New Year!

My battery question is actually on my 16MDX not the Blackbird. When I started the MDX this morning, the steering wheel did not move out to its set position automatically. It stopped half way out as the engine started. That is a sign that the battery is weak right? Seems odd with it being so new. Thank you in advance.

 

a weak battery will make the electronics in the car wonky, but not necessarily a "warning sign".....kinda like the battery in a TV remote...the TV remote wont alert you to a low battery but will display wonky behavior.
if you have a multimeter, which I think everyone should own, check the voltage on the battery. when the car is off, the battery should display 12.1- 12.6 volts. anything below this voltage, and you have a weak battery

Very simple to check on the MDX or the blackbird, although Im sure the blackbird would throw a different voltage value.

 

also to note; Factory Acura batteries have ALWAYS been weak.

 

Thank you for the feedback. The voltage now is at 12.2, but I just ran the car for a short while an hour ago. I'll check it again later and see if it drops. I suspected the weak battery possibility, but also another point of interest, I did not run the car since before last Thursday so it was off for 6 days. Still should not be an issue. I may just replace the battery anyway. I'm sure the dealer will not replace a battery that they test to be "good".

 

Sometimes people absent mindedly do things that stop the automatic settings finishing.

With my car opening a door will stop the steering wheel, and so will putting the car into gear before the steering wheel is finished.

 

GK you are right, but I did not do that. I even turned off the car and then restarted. It repeated the same thing, stopping the steering wheel half way out to its final preset position.

 

Years ago, I could never figure out why my RL would not reset the steering wheel and seat to my settings. I even asked the dealer to check it. Turns out, to my great embarrasment, that I was always in such a hurry to back out of my garage that I was putting the car into gear before the car was finished moving everything. Now I wait for the beeps before going into gear. Probably not your problem, RLX-Sport Hybrid, but it is very easy to have this happen because of the time it takes to restore the settings, especially because the steering wheel retracts fully when turning off the car. Definitely a first-world problem.

 

With the previous generation RLs (2005 - 2012), the steering wheel not moving out appropriately at start-up was often a sign the battery had taken a turn for the worse . . . . .

See posts #27 & #29 in this thread:
https://acurazine.com/forums/second-...cement-748846/

 

On the battery issue, I just received my DBPower 18,000 mAh jump starter (as recommended by pgeorg). It's a pretty well put together unit for $80 (Amazon), and I now feel a bit better about the frequent road trips we take in the car, in light of the reported RLX SH battery problems after a couple of years.

 

I called the dealer and they said that if it tests out to be "good" they will not replace it under the warranty. So I will get it over to them for a formal test, and replace it either way (my cost or dealer). The expense is minimal and I would rather be proactive, rather than respond to a dead battery issue at a time that is very likely to be inconvenient. Kind of a bummer.

 

When ever I buy a new Acura....I usually swap out the crappy OEM weak batteries with a top of the line Sears die hard 585 amp battery.....

 

I believe 12.2V is a little low (about 50% charge), when the car is off. Mine is always around 12.6V-12.7V (100% charge) when off, and 14.2V-14.4V when running.

I would do the same thing as you, and just swap the battery for a new one either way......

Most important reason is that the MDX is mostly driven by your wife (I assume)......

 

pgeorg, you are correct. She is the primary driver of the MDX. I didn't bother going to the dealer as I did not have time to do it. I replaced the battery with a Sears model which seems to have resolved the issue. Thank you everyone for your input.

 

My battery died this weekend, and after reading this thread I think I am going to buy a Die Hard battery.

 

This morning I got the electronic parking brake and emissions warning lights and referenced this forum and changed out the battery and all of the warning issues cleared up. Now I will search the forum for what to do when the radio ID 5 digit passcode does not take in the system. Thanks for everyone's guidance on the battery issue, great forum.

 

You will need to re-initialize the system. Section 3 of the TSB: http://www.urvi.net/forumfiles/SB/B16-052.PDF

"Start the engine and park the vehicle in an open area away from trees, power lines, and tall buildings. Remove loose articles, cell phones, and electrical accessories near the GPS antenna. If needed, press the audionavigation power button to turn on the audio-navigation unit. When the Enter code screen appears, press and hold the power button for about 2 seconds. This lets the PCM check that the vehicle’s VIN matches the one saved in the unit. You will hear a long beep when the unit exits the anti-theft mode. Release the button."

 

Tampa,

The bulletin worked like a charm. Appreciate your guidance and pointing me towards the TSB, saved me countless of hours searching the internet or on the phone or at the dealer. Thank you.