bpowa

Im frustrated. Not only the Hands free link sucks down my new battery. It cost quite a bit to replace.

Is there any way we can get a partition going. I dont know how or where to start.

Im sure many Tl's are left stranded, due to battery drain.

My sits with a new battery fully charged for 2 days and its out. I unplug the HFL and dome lights don't work. Pretty frustrating.

It makes me hate the car!!! I have been driving my 2002 4runner to work everyday and it has 207k miles. It makes me love the 4runner due to no it not having issues.

To be honest, Crap like this makes me want to sell it.. Sucks because I take care of the TL more than anything.

Lets get a Partition going... Im going to write Acura!!!

pohljm

Sell it

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

why would acura ever want to cover this themselves? they're making money off of us every time one fails.

agreed. it sucks, but what are you gonna do? just unplug the damn thing.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^and I dont even think Acura makes them.

p.s. the car is almost 9 years old.
and you most likely bought the car used, so why would Acura "recall" this when its not even a safety issue.

replace or remove the unit. and move on.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

didnt Acura partition from Honda long ago?


the correct word you are looking for is petition.

anx1300c

iTrader: (2)

I was wondering why in the hell he wanted to build a wall.

aIRpeACE

iTrader: (2)

what~~~

Adobeman

I guess I missed the news about it being such a rampant [safety] issue that a recall would ever be even considered. On the other hand that would explain the myriad of stranded TLs I see daily.

bpowa

Well with the amount of HFL units going bad, you would think they would take care of it.. I had this replaced a year and a half ago because it was static. Now it just doesnt work.. Fine.. But draining the battery.. Its frustrating.

You guys might not have issue yet.. Let me know when you park at a airport, or wherever and press the alarm and nothing happens.

Yeah. Ill suck it up and buy another unit. Good luck when you need to call AAA. when yours go out.

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

Damn sorry to hear about this issues. HFL has never failed me in any TL I have owned I wonder why all the issues.

bpowa

Well the initial one, was just static.. I can understand that.. But draining battery Especially a new battery.. Sucks when you head out to work and need a jump start. Especially when you have the cables in the trunk. That opens electronically.

I didn't plan on replacing it. I was planning on just unplugging it but that takes out the interior dome lights.

This is what the previous poster says to do. Im sure he does not have it fail yet.

Many are faithful of their cars, branded, and bias.. OK fine, I get it. I was like that before also. But after owning many vehicles.. Its just that.. A vehicle... Im more pissed that it takes out the battery unexpectedly.

MODS feel free to move to the bluetooth section.

Kaiii

iTrader: (1)

My suggestion:
Unplug the faulty HFL module.
Then, if you want bluetooth capability, AND if you want to add bluetooth audio, get this immediately:


Works perfectly for BT audio and voice calls, and has auto-connect. For $40, it's not a big deal to replace the stock HFL - AND you get BT audio. Just do it.

Acura604

what year/mileage is your TL?

Kaiii

iTrader: (1)

Oh forgot to mention that that's the one I got when I discovered that my HFL died. Exceeded all my expectations and I was happy that I didn't have to replace the stock HFL module for a stupid absurd price. If you have any questions about it feel free to ask

ez12a

lol they will never recall this because it doesnt pose a safety hazard.

Your car will never die because of the HFL while driving. It might die while parked in a garage though which doesnt physically hurt you.

And the car is at least 5 years old.

IamaTL

I too like to complain.

96SC4

Never had a problem either
Hope it doesn't start to act up now
Never heard of this issue

JPerkMr954

Anyone care to elaborate on this, I just picked up an 05 TL 2 days ago, and I'm just on here reading and trying to learn. What is this about, what Is the issue and what is the fix?

Will Y.

A number of TL owners had their HFL (Bluetooth) units stop functioning (it'll say "booting up" if you select the Bluetooth info in the MID) or drain the car battery by failing to shut down within 30 minutes of ignition shut-off.

Acura issued a TSB back in '07, IIRC.

When the HFL goes bad, it can be either: a) replaced (with a new HFL @$180 through AZ vendors or price-matching dealers) in about 10 minutes, or b) repaired oftimes if the existing HFL circuit boards are removed and baked in the oven @385*F to close up defective solder joints.

The HFL in my TL failed about 6 years after getting the car. I bought and installed a new one, which has been working great for the past couple of years, as I didn't know about the baking repair at that time.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^another solution would be to completely remove the unit itself and have no HFL.
truth be told, i never use the HFL and if mine goes out, I'd just take it out.

JPerkMr954

I was just reading the manual this morning and going through the prompts to try and set it up to be able to use my phone with the feature. Should I not use this, as to possibly prevent the issue from occuring. I have a 05, and I see that you mentioned about a TSB in 07, I guess I'll find out if I have a problem.

Will Y.

Go ahead and set up the HFL.
Mine never had the power drain issue-- it just went bad after operating really well since new.

If your HFL develops a problem, you can replace it, try baking or just disconnect it per justnspace's post-- disconnecting it should not affect any lights (I think OP may have pulled the fuse, which controls more than just the HFL, or he bumped the light switch while disconnecting the HFL).

The TSB was issued after Acura encountered the issue, but it applies to most 3G TL models preceding the TSB.

ds03

This just happened to mine yesterday. Unit went bad & started draining the battery so I had to disconnect. Only impact besides lost bluetooth is lost voice recognition for navi. Time will tell if I miss either. $40 car kit does look interesting though.

I hate cars

Mine started draining the battery a couple months ago and the upper center console was warm all the time so I removed it. It always functioned fine even when it was draining the battery. I'm not the least bit upset, the car is 8 years old. I used mine quite a bit so I plan to buy another when I get the time.

For what it's worth, I noticed for a week before I pulled it out that the engine turned over slower while starting it so the warning signs were there. If you drive your car every day or every other day it's not likely you'll have to worry about a dead battery if you pay attention to it while starting.

DMZ

As I recall, the TSB was for '04 models up to a certain Vehicle ID #. Mine was included in that recall.
.
.

ds03

Yep, same thing here. Started cranking slower & the HFL unit was warm without the car running so an easy diagnosis. I agree with the OP that these things should not be failing like they are, but not much we can do at this point other than remove or repair.

cokorote

iTrader: (1)

How do you remove or unplug the HFL unit?

ds03

Do a quick search... lots of instructions out there and only will take 10 minutes or so. Once you have access to the unit just unplug. You will also lose voice control of the navi unit if your TL has that.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

of all my friends that have TL's, I do not know ONE person who uses the cumbersome, non-intuitive voice commands...

and why is it the only command that we do remember is "what time is it?"
when the clock is being displayed at all times, anyway...

Will Y.

See posts 219-221 in this thread: https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=898915
"Temperature- 72" and "radio- FM- xx.x" are cumbersome?!

I occasionally use voice commands when both hands are on the steering wheel.

bla8291

Ever since I got my TL, I've never had the opportunity to use the bluetooth/voice command. While I was getting my TL, the dealer rep told me they had to change the battery because it was low...I instantly knew (from lurking through Azine before) that it was the HFL that went bad. About a week later I went through the work of dismantling the overhead console to disconnect it. It was warm to the touch (almost hot!) despite not using the car all day. I disconnected it, left it in there, and put the console back together.

Since then, the only time I've thought about the bluetooth functionality was from reading Azine, and from trying out the voice command (which I quickly realized didn't work because of the HFL). It really doesn't bother me that much, and for navi, I just use my phone anyway (when I need directions), since it's got updated maps and live traffic.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

LOL, we live in a microwave world. I want everything this instant.

you mean, I have to wait for it to finish beeping in order to say a command!?

I'll just reach over and hit the climate control button.

letsgomario

I used the HFL to answer calls and I found it to be easy to set up and very useful to talk on the phone without holding the darn phone. My is booting up so I guess it is faulty. There are some videos on YouTube that guide you through the process of replacing one. The cost of the HFL is under $200 and for me, it is worth it. I still love my car though.

4play

maybe this is what's causing my drain issues. gone through 4 new batteries in less than a a year. but i have an aftermarket headunit. would this still cause the stock handsfree to drain the battery?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

you can easily find what is drawing your battery by hooking up a multimeter and testing

Trunk Monkey

iTrader: (1)

If they didn't recall their shitty AT's and the dashboard crack over the airbag, then they sure as hell won't recall HFL

4play

is there a way to fix this by removing it without losing light or roof functions? i dont even use the hfl

Will Y.

Yes-- see the thread linked in post 30.

By disconnecting or removing the HFL, you will lose voice controls if you have a Navi car, but nothing else.

hyunh311

Can it still be the HFL, if the battery comes back to life after I jump start it. Once the car is running, I'm fine and the battery is good. I'll drive it a few days and then one morning the car wouldn't start again. Find out the battery has no charge......Is this due to the HFL?....Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^you'll either need to disconnect the HFL
or take a multimeter to the battery.

with the car off, the battery should read 12volts.