INTRODUCTION

Hi guys... Well after a couple weeks of looking for a TSX I ran across a 2004 6spd TL for an excellent price and bought it! I must say, it's nice to have a car that I literally don't want to change a thing on. I'm sure in the future I will want to do some mods but all my previous cars I would long for more speed, bluetooth capabilities, better handling, smoother shifting, better wheels ect. but not on the TL. I love it stock. That being said I do have a problem that I knew the car had going into the deal.

THE PROBLEM

The nav unit is intermittent. When the car is on auxillery power the gps/maps/setup screens work well. The climate control screens do not show up and the voice recognition/speaking of the directions results in a hiss/crackling sound NOT a voice. No commands work although the HFL works flawlessly. When I turn the car on the navigation will do one of two things: it will either say "Downloading software... Please wait" after which the screen goes black permanently or it will show the Acura startup screen permanently.

WHAT I HAVE TRIED

I took out the disk and checked for scratches and reinstalled. I checked out the diagnostic screen and I have F-CAN and B-CAN errors as well as the "Navi System Link" screen shows the A/C, Fl-ECU and Meter boxes in red. All other screens say okay. I have read the TSB for Nov 2006 about the F-CAN and B-CAN but still need some help deciphering what they mean. I called Alpine and they said I could send the unit in for repairs but they do not provide technical support. I also called Acura's nav help line and should hear back from them tomorrow.

SUGGESTIONS?

Does anyone have any input? I have searched quite a bit but came up lacking. I know the whole "Take it to the dealer..." but my car is out of warrantee and I only have a Honda dealership nearby. Does anyone know what the F-CAN and B-CAN screens mean? Thanks in advance...

 

is the car still under factory warranty by any chance...if so i would head toward the dealership...if its not still under warranty, you can see if they might do a goodwill fix for you...

 

"my car is out of warrantee and I only have a Honda dealership nearby."

 

What do you mean by "auxillary power"? Also, there aren't any climate control screens.

 

I mean the 1st key position. Like when you can listen to the radio ect. but the engine is not on. I think it might actually be called accessory power.

That's encouraging.... for some reason I thought there were some manual controls on the screen. So then, all functions except the voice recognition feature work when the car is on "accessory power" but still zero response when the engine is running.

 

Any ideas guys??? I know we have some smart people on these boards! A little help would be great...

 

By what you said, the Navi drive is loosing power, hence downloading the new software. Check the fuse for the radio/Nav with the car off and see if it has voltage. If it does, the problem is the navi drive. The navi drive controls the HFL, Climate controls, Radio, Nav and a few other things. A new drive is about 2K from an acura dealership, it is pretty simple to install. You could look on ebay or send your unit in to alpine, I think they charge 500 dollars to fix it.

 

Thanks csmeance, I will give that a try.

 

They have voltage (Fuses 7 and 32). I replaced them just in case and it worked (I think by fluke) for a while when the car was on and then it shut off again.

Alpine is about $180 with priority shipping... I am just wondering if that is really the problem. Would the unit in the back cause the voice recognition to be scrambled/hissing?

Does anyone know what the Fl-ECU and Meter boxes mean in the diagnostic mode????

What does the fact that the F-CAN and B-CAN scans failed mean????

 

F-Can and B-Can are systems that are basically a network in the car. Alot of components are integrated into the Navi system, and when they cannot be detected or when the Navi cannot understand the signal, the red color comes up on them and the failure is noted in the nav logs. Also I have another Idea to solve the problem, though it may take an hour or two of your time. L
Look for the DIY OF DOMS TV NAV TO GO thread and see ONLY the instructions of removing the dvd Drive. Set the drive aside and check the harnesses there for any bent pins and tug slightly on the wires right behind the plug, one by one to see if they are loose. If so, push them back in. When all wires are made sure firmly inserted into the plug and no pins are bend, put the navi drive back into position and Plug in the harnesses firmly, they should click and not wiggle at all. DO NOT SCREW IN THE NAVI DRIVE. Turn the car on, enter the navi code if necessary and run the car for about 10 minutes. Then shut the car off, close all doors and windows for an hour, lock the car. Then return and see if the navi works properly. This procedure is idiot proof and can be done by an 14 year old with no experience in automotive stuff.

 

I will give it a shot. I already have the rear nav unit out so it shouldn't take me very long. Out of curiosity what does this do:

"Turn the car on, enter the navi code if necessary and run the car for about 10 minutes. Then shut the car off, close all doors and windows for an hour, lock the car."

 

Well csmeance, I followed your instructions to the T and it is still doing the same thing. Any other suggestions?

 

When you lock the car, the car shuts off most of the electrical systems. Then after a 10 minute period, the voltage drops to about 20 miliamps from 200. This ensures that all the electronics in the car have shut off, waiting an hour is ideal because if you wait 30 minutes and try, it will not reset the navi/HVAC system as it needs a code after 5-10 minutes after the 20-miliamp change to remember the code, which if you reset to quick, will give no results.

 

I have the same problem,
Is there any solution to it?
Mine is 05 TL
Thank you in Advance

 

MY navi had the same problem and stoppped working for 6 monthes!!! i was so close to sending it out to ALPINE but it just came back on two weeks ago and so far it is working great! I dunno weird stuff!

 

well when i bought my car at the beginning of the year mine worked fine. after a month or so my battery went out because i left the radio on too long while washing it so my nav stopped working for like 4 months then one day while driving to work it started working it worked for another month or so and finally i replaced my battery 3 weeks ago and it has not worked since. it says check your disc. apparently the nav is so weird on these cars.

i came across a thread about this a few months ago that said to try a disc cleaner like the cheap ones that have a little brush to see if it cleans it out. the disc will only spin a few times before the nav realizes that it is not the navi disc so you have to put it in and out a few times to ensure it has spun enough times to clean it. good luck.