I really hate my '03 TL-S (more like POS) right now.

Driver side HID blew because the ballast unit fried. D/C'd the battery to install new ballast.

Reconnected battery and I knew I had to reset the radio. Entered the code, and it failed. Opened the side up and took the antennae wire out. Entered code. Didn't work. shut car off. reconnected wire. Entered code and still getting errors.

Please help or advise before I chump down more money on the car.

 

Welcome to the forum.

I wouldnt call the car a POS just because something 5 years old failed. Things do happen.

As for the code. Enter it with the car off (key in the run position) Make sure you have the correct code. You say your getting errors, what errors are you getting?

 

There is a radio fuse on the passenger's side interior fuse box. Pull that out for 10 minutes, put it back in and try again.

 

same thing happened to me a couple days ago, with the key in the acc position i took out the antenna cable for 2or so min, put it back in and put the code in, work the first time.
and you call your car a POS why not get a better on or why did u buy it in the first place.

 

I understand about after 5 years, but...

1. Tranny was "fixed" per the recall. I still had to have the whole thing replaced at 45,000 miles. (clutchpack burned out...)

2. Two motor mounts.

3. A/C control (the panel on the dash)

4. failed bearing in steering column (steering sounded like grinding coffee)

5. tail light shorted out (no corrosion, but relay popped)

6. radiator needed to be replaced (amazingly the pump was still good, no negligence, or major hits/accidents, but radiator cracked)

7. HID ballast shorted out.

8. Now the radio doesn't want to respond.

I've had other Hondas and Acuras, but I've never had this many problems with any of them. One Accord I had for 10 years, and I never had this level of problems (I went over 200,000 miles on it). Also I had an Integra and only after a major accident did I have problems (that had 120,000 miles)

80,000 miles on the TL-S and I've had this many issues. No racing, or any of that kind of abuse. And yet, I have these problems. It's a tie between my TL and my dad's 2000 BMW 740i to see who has the most problems.

 

They are the ones you get when the code is "invalid" or not accepted.
The ones where you get 10 tries.

 

it just might be your car, #s 3-8 are not common at all. you never know how the 1st owner treated your car (unless your the first owner)

 

Did you try pulling the fuse yet?

 

hey man... i had to dc my battery last week cuz of the passenger ballast going out and same shit happened to me... acura said they'll charge me 110 to pull radio out, take out antenna wire and input the code.. so i was like forget it... i searched around and fixed it myself!
here's wat i did: tried to put the code in like 50 times... never took it...
here's what you should try doing:
1) first of all, make sure the code is right for your stereo.. if u hv put it in before and it worked, then u r fine... but if this is ur first time, make sure to verify the code with acura. to do this, u'll need the serial number to give to the acura rep. to get the serial, turn ignition to on, turn off the radio, then hold "1" and "6" keys together and turn on the stereo using power button. you'll then see UXXXX (where x is a number) and LXXXX (again, x is a number) toggle on your screen. write down the numbers... ignore the U and L. That's ur serial number u'll need to give to the acura rep.
2) once u verify code is right, then take the car into a garage or a tunnel where there's no radio reception.... i think garage would work better... at least it worked for me... i took my car to the local IKEA in the basement garage level (the lower the better).. parked it... input the code and VIOLA! it worked so try that.... it should work... i don't think there's any reason for you to open up ur dash and dc the antenna cable... you can make it work w/o all that trouble... hope this helps

P.S. those ballast's are expensive man... acura told me it was gonna be 800 to fix the inverter.. i was like

 

btw. this procedure worked on my 2002 tl type s.

 

I had a similar issue and brought it to the dealer to look at. The service rep tried a few things and said that I could have a defective stereo unit that would require it to be replaced if the code would not work. As I was voicing my opinion of that option and of Honda/Acura equipment and policies, the tech said he'd try one more thing, but warned me not to do it often as it can cause problems. He pulled out the main fuse from the fusebox (located in the engine compartment), which, of course, shuts off power to every system in the car. He waited about 30 seconds, stuck it back in, put in the code, and voila ... it worked. No clue why he said not to do it often ... if it can damage something, I'd prefer not to do it at all.

 

Thank you for all of the advice.

I actually used an underground office parking structure to do it and it worked. D/C'd the antennae lead and it worked.

Thanks again.

 

I have been without music in my car since August. The silence is driving me crazier then the Joker himself. I just might pull the whole head unit out and stomp a mud whole in its nuts and walk it dry!!!

I'll try some of the suggestions above and report back tomorrow. Peace.

 

So the fix is just to have very poor radio reception where the extreme is no antenna plugged in at all? I'll have to try it out. I disconnected my battery to mess with my seats and my code won't take either.

 

THAT SHIT WORKS!!!!!!!! After four months of driving in silence the damn radio works! Thak you one and all!!!



But then I was reminded that the CD player likes to eat my cd's and give me Err1.

So now I'm off to find a thread about how to install an AUX! Peace and thanks again!