bachimik000

Hi well i have an 2004 acura tl with the abs and vsa light on and i was wondering is there any particular sensor making go off and if thats the problem where can i get one

AcuraCake

iTrader: (3)

Might be a wheel speed sensor, is the /i\ light on too? You can get a free code scan at Aamco and see what they tell you.

bachimik000

Yes the triangle with exclamation point light is on as well. Could it be that only one sensor is making all ofbthese lights go on or is it multiple sensors.

Project_CLean

iTrader: (2)

It could be just one. But again, we won't know,or YOU won't know until you get the code read.

pomranky

I have a similar issue while working on my 2005 TL.

My /!\ , VSA, and ABS lights all started coming on about two weeks ago. They would ALL come on at once and then ALL go off. There wasn't any type of pattern. They would come on about 25% of the time the car was on.

I called around and found that Tuffy reads ABS codes for free. Awesome (or so I thought). They said DTC 51 (Motor Lock), 52 (Motor Stuck OFF), 61 (Low +B-FSR voltage, & 62 (High +B-FSR voltage) showed up on their scanners. They wanted $108 to investigate it further. Since they read the codes for free, I figured I would give them my business and that they would do just as good as a dealer (probably a bad assumption) so I let them diagnose further. They called about an hour later and said my alternator regulator was bad. Supposedly when the technician took it for a drive and looked at the output from the alternator it was reading high at times...causing the lights to come on. They wanted $400+ to fix it so I said "thanks but I'll fix it" and picked it up. They said a place like AutoZone couldn't accurately test the alternator regulator under different loads and I definitely needed a new one. When I started the car, the /!\ was on and no other lights (first time ALL three hadn't been on or off). After driving it away, the VSA light came on shortly thereafter. I took it back and asked if they perhaps had forgot to put in a fuse, etc. They claimed they didn't do anything and it was just "coincidence." Well...perhaps.

I bought an alternator from AutoZone for $179 with a lifetime warranty. Everywhere else was $200+. I got the thing installed and noticed an awful squealing noise. The new alternator had a bad bearing. Ugh. Oh - and my lights weren't any better. They were the same as when I had driven away from Tuffy AND my ABS light still went on and off at times. I bought another alternator from AutoZone but before putting it in I had my old one tested. It passed but they said that machine couldn't test the regulator - that could only be done on the car. Ok...so I reinstalled the old alternator, went back, and had it tested. Passed.

So now I'm left with a worse problem than when I started . I have the /!\ light always on, the VSA light that comes on shortly after starting to drive, and then the ABS light that goes on and off at random times. Sometimes the ABS comes on when I first start the car, other times when I'm driving, totally random. I also have another brand new alternator in my trunk but I'm a little hesitant to put it on because I don't think that's the problem.

I ordered a diagnostic tester (Innova 3160B). I figure I will try to read the codes and see what I can find out. I'm not too great with electrical but I'll give it a shot. If I can't figure it out or it's taking too long, I'll go to the dealer and have them check it out. If I do that, I'm tempted to put the other new alternator I have in my trunk on the car just to rule that completely out of the picture. The last thing I want is to pay another $100+ bucks to have someone tell me I need to replace the alternator. I figure when I finally determine the problem (and if it actually isn't my alternator) I'm going to walk into Tuffy and demand my money back.

Thoughts? Has anyone had the same codes? Same lights going on and off?

smcafee

I have /!\ and VSA lights on and was looking to purchase the Innova 3160b as well to read the Acura/Honda DTC codes. However I emailed Innova and their reply was that none of their units can read the Honda/Acura specific VSA codes - only SRS codes.

I also conclude that this means that their units will not be able to clear VSA codes which, while not always necessary as many codes clear themselves when the triggering event clears, would be helpful for running a real-time monitoring sessions of code activity. That is probably only possible by the Honda/Acura diagnostic device.

So now I am looking to troubleshoot the issue with my VSA manually. As an former Service Technician I don't really want to pay for someone else to diagnose and repair what I know I can do myself, plus my trusted service shop does not have a DTC capable device.

As soon as my Helms manual arrives I'll start troubleshooting and post results.

One thing to keep in mind is that there are 1) codes generated by shared systems and 2) codes generated by and used exclusively and solely by the ECU, TCS, SRS, ABS, or VSA systems. Keeping this in mind, along with an awareness of which system lights are on or off, will help isolate with the initial isolation of the root cause of a issue or problem.

For example, I would expect a wheel speed sensor issue to illuminate both VSA and ABS, since those systems utilize the braking system in their operation. On the other hand I would not expect a Yaw Rate Sensor error to generate anything other than a VSA code, being a component used exclusively by VSA. Hopefully the manual trouble flowchart will be useful in isolating the issue that I (and many others) are having.

pomranky

If you go to the Innova site, look up 3160B, and then click the ABS Coverage link it says the unit will read any TL from 1997 - 2009. My unit seems to be working fine and giving me specific codes I need to work with.

I believe my /!\ light is always on (and then the VSA light comes on when I go about 25mph) is because I need to do a VSA Sensor Neutral Position Memorization. However, when I get to step three in the service manual it says to short the SCS circuit. I don't have the HDS unit (just my Innova 3160B). Can I do this with just a wire or something? I believe I found where the SCS plug is located - just near the brake above all the fuses. Will this be satisfactory for step three and then I can go on to the following steps?

Blkdout04tl

I’m working on the same problem today (2004 TL). Had a bad front driver wheel speed sensor which I had a hell of a time replacing. Ended up having to take off the knuckle & drill out the old sensor (in the process destroyed the lower ball joint). Making it more challenging camber sleeve was seized on lower ball joint as well. ABS light is now off. VSA traction control light are still on only. Engine light is off now too after replacing O2 sensor (bank 1sensor 1 on the back side near firewall). Checked my brake fluid level (ok). I cannot be any help to ur? However just that I’m in the same spot & will post once I get the problem resolved. I am going to try and discharge the system by disconnecting batt. & pairing hot/neg together for 10min or so seeing that I did just replace sensor & O2 sensor which I don't think is going to help.

Blkdout04tl

Still waiting on my friend that works on Honda's/Acura's to get back to me to see if he has the scanner to see what is going on. He's very hard to get a hold of. Disconnecting the batt. didn't help as I suspected.

Blkdout04tl

Had my Honda guy clear the code with his VSA scan tool this morning ($20 bucks). Code came up as the module being the problem. Could have just needed cleared. He said sometimes it just gets a hiccup dep. on what set it off or work that was done. Been driving it all day (with it rainning today, so its fully tested) with no problems. Hopefully it will stay off & not come back in a few days. Looks like you have to clear it after any ABS light is tripped. If anyone got it to clear on its own please post.

EarlThePearl

iTrader: (4)

Bumping this thread from the dead. Can this VSA scan tool be purchased anwhere, or do you have to go to the dealership to have this /!\ code cleared.

flyromeo3

this is the scan tool I have which clears abs codes too.