kken54, be aware that for most people the capacitor fix did not work, and neither did the oven bake. I tried everything on my module and ended up buying a replacement. Also, keep in mind this thread is very old. If you use your HFL a lot I suggest you bite the bullet and get a new module.

 

i installed my brand new module and now its saying no information available and my phone buttons on my steering wheels aren't working.. it worked when i first installed it, then when i put everything back together it gave me issues

 

I only had 1 hfl board but its in the oven as we speak.

 

did it work?

 

I put it in for 8 minutes at 385 degrees let it completely cool down and did it again at 8 minutes 385 deg.

LOL to be honest, I don't think it was ever broke. I looked into the manual and I was pairing it wrong.

But my HFL/Bluetooth features all function normally. So the oven routine definitely did not ruin the unit.

I was say if you have problems this is definitely worth trying for free before purchasing a replacement.

I put foil down on a cookie sheet. I made 4 balls with a little bit twisted at the end, you will see 4 very small holes in the circuit board where they fit into the prongs on the car. I used those holes. This got the unit lifted off the cookie sheet.
I then folded up a piece of tin foil to make a little fort to cover the unit.

There was no solder dripping or any negative effects that I saw. The plastic connector piece was not melted or distorted either.

However I did notice on a couple pieces of solder that I inspected before the oven looked as if they had a little more shine to them, as if the solder heated and "settled" or formed a little better. Similar to a cold solder and you stick the tip of an iron in the solder to heat it up and let it settle in.

For a free method I would try this first. Whats the worst that can happen? You buy a new board that you were gonna have to buy anyway???

 

Mine finally got bad enough that I pulled it. I have to say I think this thing was drawing the battery down for a long time. The first few times I started the car after removing the module it started quicker than it ever has since I put the new battery in it over a year ago. The previous Optima scared me many times barely starting the car after sitting overnight.

I noticed the car getting harder and harder to start so I felt the console and sure enough it was hot. My HFL has always worked fine, never any sort of problem or failure. It was still working when I pulled it out.

I'm not sure if my subwoofers were the culprit but the rare time I really crank it up the one rattle I have is from the upper console and the whole upper console and windshield move a lot, at least 3/8", probably more. So I'm guessing the vibration may have sped it up but I can't complain since I've owned it since Dec of '05. I'm going to guess the subs can't be that big of a deal since many people have had failures before me that didn't have subs in the car.

 

I had a battery drain issue as well, but I never seen a hfl booting up message or anything. As far as I can tell the Bluetooth has always worked.

My car takes longer to start than any Honda I have ever owned. I have to hold the key in start position for about 1-2 seconds longer than I feel I should have to. It is definitely not a bump start. It is a hold until started.

I really enjoy the hands free feature of this car. The voice is clear and people on the other side that I talk to say this is the cleanest sounding of the other Bluetooth stuff I use in my work truck etc.

 

Guys for some reason the 04-06 bluetooth module is about $25 cheaper than the 07-08 one. I am trying to identify the difference.

So far i have this photo of an 06 module:


And this photo of an 07 module:
http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/...l/P1040044.jpg

As you can see, the 06 module has a daughter card while the 07 does not. I guess it is official that they are different right?

Thanks,

 

even the component layout is significantly different. acura must have had manufacturer modify hfl module design

 

My 07 type s didn't have the 2nd smaller board.

Wonder if the 04-06 are more prone to have this problem due to different board?

My Bluetooth seems to work well. I used it yesterday without a hitch.

 

consider yourself lucky. noboody wants to see the booting up indicator for their bluetooth when they are about to get on a hour long telecon

 

I see your avatar says you have a 2007 TL. Did you know the 2007-2008 TL comes equipped with the "auto-start" or "One-touch start" feature? You just simply turn the key to the run position like you're going to start the car and let go. The car will continue to crank until it starts on it's own.

You don't need to "hold the key in the start position for 1-2 seconds". Just turn the key to the start positon for 0.1 second and let go and the car will start on its own.. One of my favorite features.

 

I have this same problem. My CD player, bluetooth, and tilting side mirrors all went out within the same 3 month span. Are these all on the same fuse or something? Trying to figure out whether these are isolated, separate instances or all related somehow. I am hoping the latter - my car is a 2005 non-nav.

I have 111k miles

 

Did you know that this auto start feature you speak of only applies to Automatic transmission equipped models?

With a 3rd pedal comes the tedious task of holding the key until the car is started.

 

2006 TL (base with Nav) is 39770-SEP-A02ZC is the part number for 06.

 

Wondering if the 07-08 module will work in the 04-06.

Anyone tried?

 

my 05 tl hfl just took a crap too actually i been took a crap. it was saying BOOTING . but today i took it out and gave it about 10 taps and it work again but now it just stop working again and say booting. my question is mine say version 1.01 is there and updated on i can buy ? like the 07-08 or a 05 version with a updated version other than 1.01

 

lolol I assumed you were automatic

 

Haha, no I have a 6 mt. It's ok.

I have had this conversation more than once. Hence my automated response.

 

Mine has been flaky for a while ... I actually blamed it on a poor bluetooth implementation in the iPhone 5 as that is when I started noticing issues with it not always pairing. A couple of days after replacing my battery, my phone would no longer pair. That was my only issue ... I removed and reconnected the unit, but to no avail. I got it to pair with the phone once more and that was it.

This BT implementation is to convenient. No baking, tapping or soldering for me right now ... I have ordered a new one and will be putting it in later today. Thanks to this thread for the troubleshooting done and supplying a part #. This is in an '08 TL.

 

I purchased a new HFL module online from a Florida dealership for $190 inc. tax & shipping. The same module from my local NoCal dealer was $290 plus tax. Once I installed it my battery drain problem disappeared. Unfortunately I am still unable to pair my phone, but now I don't have to jump start it every other day.

 

The newer board does not have a second card because it seems that they were able to fit all the components onto one board by make it it a layered board. This means that instead of there being leads/lans/vias/traces on two sides there are multiple layers of these traces inside the actual board. See the two big black chips on the newer board? Those are on the previous versions daughter board. In the picture in your post it's underneath the board on the right towards the top opposite the side where all those silver dots form a square (these are nodes). This is typically done because the fewer boards and connecter you have to purchase to produce the board, the cheaper it is and mroe profit you make on it.

Although the boards may be different, they should still operate as the software should still be the same since it still has to communicate with the same car. If I remember correctly all 3G TLs can use any Bluetooth Module interchangeably. In fact a tech service bulletin calls for an updated module if it was produced before a certain year, which means they are backwards compatible.

edit: dammit, just realized this is old

 

My HFL in my 04 never worked even when I bought it in 05. Every single time I used it the people on the other end said it sounded like I was driving through or underwater. So, I just took it out completely, and use the ear piece from my Samsung.

 

LockDots,

If what you are saying is true, brand new 04-06 modules should be a single board w/o a daughtercard and identical to the 07-08 boards.

We can confirm this with a simple picture. Can anybody take a picture of their replacement 04-06 module and/or report the existence of a daughtercard?

Thanks everybody for their help.

 

A problem you didn't bother to fix or troubleshoot?!!
I'm appalled!

 

My car was out of warranty, and Acura wouldn't goodwill me new one. Or, pay $150 or however much a new one is for something I never used anyway.

 

I just removed the electronics as described in this post. Placed the HFL on a cookie sheet , sitting on two allen wrenches and baked it at 385degrees for 9 min. I let it cool off for 10 min, and then reinstalled . IT WORKED AND IT COST NO MONEY TO REPAIR. good luck.

 

Please report back in a week or two and let us know if it is still working. In my experience it will stop working or work intermittently after a couple of weeks of hot days.

 

I have an 07 TL with the same problem as other with a non working HFL. Does anyone on this post know if you can completely remove the module, or does it effect other operations in the car? Reason I ask is that rather than replace the module I'm thinking of getting a whole new system with Bluetooth capability and not not using the factory radio. Is it possible to integrate a different radio into the system, or am I asking for problems? I've been unhappy with the response of the HFL last 6 months it worked anyway, as I usually have to say the name 3-4 times before it gets it right to make a call. I'd be keeping all the speakers. Thanks

 

You can remove the module. I don't think it should affect the nav voice commands (if you even use them). You CAN swap the radio but it never looks right and you're looking into a fair amount of work aka money.

 

NOOOOO!!!

So my galaxy S3 was paired to the car, has been since I bought it two years ago. The last few days I've been unable to get the car to pair with the phone.

I've turned bluetooth on and off on the phone
I've deleted the phone from the car's HFL

I'm pretty sure I need a new HFL, is that correct?

Is Acura the best place to get this at?

 

^try the baking method first! Can't hurt anything!


I did the baking method a few months back, and it's still working. I figured, it's worth a try before I throw it out!

 

Greetings Fellow HFL Sufferers,

I'm new to the AcuraZine community, and my 2006 MDX HFL has also failed. These posts are three years old. My hope is that there have been some good developments and that some of the earlier posters will get notification of new interest in this thread.

Any updated recommendations are certainly appreciated!

 

Okay, feeling foolish. Was trying to view this on my phone and couldn't see the additional pages, which are more current.

 

so i've been living with my new HFL module for about 2 months. sadly, although its working for the most part, its not consistent.

++incoming calls always work
--outgoing calls from the HFL menu work half the time. after the dial command, the phone connects to my contact but no audio is heard on HFL. To correct the problem, i switch my phone to speakerphone/earpiece and then BACK to bluetooth and boom, 2-way audio is good

very disappointing

 

I had this problem with mine in the past as well. A firmware update to my phone fixed it. I would see if there's an update for your phone. In short, it's your phone not switching completely. To be sure, try it with a few other phones.

 

given my nexus 4 with vanilla android (4.3.x) and no overlays, it sucks that sw manufacturer can't get the bluetooth right. jelly bean was plagued with bluetooth issues so i believe what you're saying

fingers crossed that the new kitkat update (4.4) next week will fix the bluetooth issues

 

Well, I'm another cookie sheet convert!

So far it works. I read some comments/questions on how to raise the boards off the cookie sheet with many just sitting the PCBs on AL foil stands. I made balls of aluminum foil, pressed one side flat, then made "stilts" out of wooden toothpicks pressed into the alumina foil bases. I used the wooden toothpicks since wood wouldn't create a "heat sink" effect on the circuit boards.

I also used some foam in the housing to maintain pressure on the boards to I keep them together. Without pressure on both sides the boards may bow, but getting a piece of foam under the boards and still get them back onto their pin mounts in the housing was too challenging. If it fails again, I'll try foam on both sides.

Thanks to all for their recommendations.

 

Foam isn't going to allow the heat to dissipate which is the entire problem in the first place ^

 

Not to mention that's a fire hazard. If you're generating enough heat to melt solder, what do you think is going to happen to that foam?