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I work for a Honda dealer so I can get the factory battery for @80. The Exide extreme at local Bj's is @100. The Exide has a much higher CCA rating. I don't know if that is worth paying more for. I live in RI so I need a battery that can handle the cold.
BTW, the reason I am replacing the battery is because it cranked slow this morning when the car was sitting in the sun. It started fine but then the AFS light started flashing. I don't know if that is because of the low battery or not but I know how finicky the RL gets when the battery is going.
I installed the new Exide battery but the afs light is still flashing. I'll check with my techs at work if they can pull the code using our honda readers. It is probably the stroke sensor in the rear wheel well. At least I hope that is what the problem is.
That is why I assume the problem is that stroke sensor. I was thinking about pulling it apart tonight but I am going to wait and see if my techs can pull the code first.
My tech was able to pull the AFS code. It was a suspension stroke sensor code. I forget the number. Anyway, he cleared the code but it came right back on. I drove home with it flashing. The next time I started the car it wasn't flashing. I started the car and drove a few more times yesterday and today and so far no light. I plan on taking the sensor apart when I have some free time to check for corrosion. Maybe it was the battery and it took a few days with the new battery installed for it to reset. I doubt it but maybe. Lol
I removed the stroke sensor today. There was some minor corrosion on one of the springs. The springs themselves were fine but there was some build up on one of them. Maybe it was arching? I cleaned the spring and scrapped the contact using a dental pick. I put it back together and started the car. The AFS light started flashIng. I took it apart again and this time I cleaned the back plated using contact cleaner. I also bent up the small two prong contacts that touch the back plate just a bit. I put it back together and now it is working prorperly.
Do you think it would be helpful if I stated a new thread explaining how I fixed my AFS sensor? That way if someone else searches for AFS they will find it.
I am not sure how to tag a thread but I did just search for AFS and this thread pulled up. That should be good enough. I meant to take pics while I was doing it but I was short on time.
Well it lasted for a few months but the AFS light is back on. I took the switch apart and it is contaminated worse now than it was a few months ago. I could tell the oring that seals it was too flat to seal it properly. I should have used silicone all around the opening to seal it. Well I didn't then and it appears to be too late now. One of the gold screws was so rusted it snapped in half. I found a spring from a pen that fit and I cleaned up the rust using contact cleaner but the light is still on. Looks like I'll be buying a new stroke sensor. I hate paying almost $200 for such a simple sensor. I guess I could do the .02 fix listed here but I assume that limits the AFS working up and down when going up and down hills or when the car is loaded with weight. I would like it to work properly.
Last edited by beekermartin; 01-15-2016 at 09:35 PM.
The resistor fix will keep the headlights from moving vertically.
Exactly! I would like them to work properly.
I am going to try to clean the sensor better. Maybe try some sandpaper on the contacts. I also picked up a package of random springs from Home Depot. The pen spring wasn't a perfect fit. Hopefully one of the springs in the package is a better fit. I will post my results. If it still doesn't work I will probably order a new one. I couldn't find a used one on Ebay.
Back to batteries, have we found any aftermarkets that fit the RLs huge positive terminal? That was one of the reasons I thought we were stuck with the Acura batteries - that huge positive terminal needed room and most of the aftermarket batteries didn't have the space for the terminal to sit properly.
Back to batteries, have we found any aftermarkets that fit the RLs huge positive terminal? That was one of the reasons I thought we were stuck with the Acura batteries - that huge positive terminal needed room and most of the aftermarket batteries didn't have the space for the terminal to sit properly.
Chris
I got the Exide from BJ's. It fit properly and has been working great so far.
Do you mean the terminals or the fact that it has to be a flat top battery?
There are plenty of aftermarket batteries that work. The terminal size is standard, but the batter top needs to be flat/flush for the fuse housing to sit on.
Success! I took apart the stroke sensor again today. This time I used a wire brush to clean up the contact area on the cover of the sensor. I also used a pick to clean out the contacts inside of the sensor where the springs sit. I then cleaned it using brake cleaner and contact cleaner then blew it out with compressed air. I also sprayed some PB Blast in the outside where the sensor connects to the suspension to help it turn easier. I found a spring in the package I bought at Home Depot that was about the same size as the gold springs when compressed. I put it back together and reinstalled it on the car. Once I verified the sensor was working I removed it and then taped off around the opening and sprayed it with Leak Ender 2000 to seal it. I also used some electrical grease in the plug to prevent any moisture from getting in there.
Success! I took apart the stroke sensor again today. This time I used a wire brush to clean up the contact area on the cover of the sensor. I also used a pick to clean out the contacts inside of the sensor where the springs sit. I then cleaned it using brake cleaner and contact cleaner then blew it out with compressed air. I also sprayed some PB Blast in the outside where the sensor connects to the suspension to help it turn easier. I found a spring in the package I bought at Home Depot that was about the same size as the gold springs when compressed. I put it back together and reinstalled it on the car. Once I verified the sensor was working I removed it and then taped off around the opening and sprayed it with Leak Ender 2000 to seal it. I also used some electrical grease in the plug to prevent any moisture from getting in there.
Hopefully this problem is fixed for good!
Well it worked for 12 hours. This morning the warning came on and the afs light is flashing. Time to order a new stroke sensor.
Back to batteries, have we found any aftermarkets that fit the RLs huge positive terminal? That was one of the reasons I thought we were stuck with the Acura batteries - that huge positive terminal needed room and most of the aftermarket batteries didn't have the space for the terminal to sit properly.
Batteries+ sells Duracell batteries that fit the RL, however even though their vehicle application software says both the SLI24 and SLI24M fit, one of them does not and I don't remember which it is. On one of them the pos and neg terminals are reversed.
For the record, Bosch batteries do fit out car, but you do have to reverse the cables. My positive is now towards the back of the car and the negative cable is towards the front. I did have to modify my battery cover for this setup to work, but it does work. Freaking Germans, doing everything backwards Or is the other way around?
Interesting timing for me. I work for a Honda dealer and we took in a 2005 RL today. It has almost 200k and is going to the auction so I can take a few parts off of it if I need them. Nothing to diminish it's auction value of course. So I removed the stroke sensor to see if it was corroded. Sure enough it was. So I had two non working stroke sensors. I was able to use the cover from mine and clean up the sensor part of the one I removed today. The cover was corroded so bad there was no contact left on it. The sensor itself I had to scrape the corrosion out of one of the spring sockets but it looked good when I was done. I also now have three good gold springs. Anyway, I but my Frankenstein stroke sensor together and installed it tonight. So far it is working properly! My fingers are crossed.
Needless to say this is a poorly engineered part in terms of it being waterproof. I am surprised the sensor isn't sealed better than the oring that is used. It obviously flattens over time and does not properly seal the sensor. Considering this sits in the wheel well and is splashed with water directly I am shocked Honda didn't seal it better.
Last edited by beekermartin; 01-30-2016 at 10:32 PM.
Is it safe to assume that seal is not upgraded in newer models? It might be the case that we're going to see newer models getting the same problem as they reach 05 RL's age. I think I'm going to take mine off and seal it properly before it gets corroded like that.
For the record, Bosch batteries do fit out car, but you do have to reverse the cables. My positive is now towards the back of the car and the negative cable is towards the front. I did have to modify my battery cover for this setup to work, but it does work. Freaking Germans, doing everything backwards Or is the other way around?
Yours wasn't like that from the start? Mine has always been like that.
Is it safe to assume that seal is not upgraded in newer models? It might be the case that we're going to see newer models getting the same problem as they reach 05 RL's age. I think I'm going to take mine off and seal it properly before it gets corroded like that.
I assume they are the same. There would be a different part number if it had been changed.
I am going to wait a few days to see if my Frankenstein stroke sensor continues to work. If it does I will take it apart again and seal it with RTV.
The AFS light is back on and flashing again! I took apart the sensor and it is corroded again! When I finished putting it together the last time I told myself to get some silicone to seal it. Well I never did. Water must have gotten in there again! I cleaned the rust out but one of the two "fingers" that touches the back of the cover broke off. I reassembled it anyways and used silicone to seal but it isn't working. So my long battle to fix the stroke sensor has come to an end. I need to order a new one. If anyone is able to fix theirs I highly recommend sealing it when you are done. The o-ring that seals it must compress over time. My RL is a 2005 so I am not surprised. Regardless it is not a well sealed part considering it sits in the wheel well and gets splashed with water. Honda should have sealed it better.
I will say that when the AFS light is flashing like now the headlights are aimed much lower. It must default to the lowest setting when the stroke sensor fails. This really limits the throw when the high beams are off. When the AFS is working I almost never need to use my high beams. With it not working I am using them all the time. I don't know what happens if you use the "cheap AFS fix" that is on this forum???
The potentiometer range is 150-4500 ohms. One of those ends will be full down and one will be full up. The "cheap fix" recommends using two 2250 ohm resistors so that you fix the vertical alignment in the middle.
The potentiometer range is 150-4500 ohms. One of those ends will be full down and one will be full up. The "cheap fix" recommends using two 2250 ohm resistors so that you fix the vertical alignment in the middle.
Gotcha!
Can you verify if the part I linked to is the correct one?
05-03-2015, 01:02 PM
Or is the other way around? 
