Lmo0913

So after numerous intermittent crashes, my infotainment system (including all the speakers in the car) was pronounced dead on June 12, 2019. The car has been sitting at my dealer since then, awaiting new parts. I've been told that they are replacing the CPU and that the part is back ordered, with the latest ETA being July 3.

I'm wondering if anyone else has gone through the same thing and had Acura actually replace the CPU for the infotainment. I keep dreaming that the delay is due to a brand-new updated bug-free CPU that they've just manufactured

The good news is that I've been driving a loaner MDX A-Spec that I actually really like.

Madd Dog

First I’m hearing this.

dukeh62

Yup, mine was replaced a while back after it locked up during the 2nd or 3rd time I had used CarPlay. Took them 17 days to diagnose and get parts. I haven't tried CarPlay since, so unfortunately I can't tell you if the new system have fixed my issue. I do, however, recall reading others on here saying a replacement did not address the CarPlay crashes.

oz13ms

Makes me wonder if the CPU is upgradeable; I'd throw serious hardware in there in a heartbeat if I could (pending power draw of course).

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

that's not how that works.

tecwerks

It has been a year with these buggy infotainment systems. If its hardware, fix it an replace ours (EXPENSIVE). Or is Acura in denial. If its software with issues that have been going on for. year and someone in my Company has not fixed the issues by now I would fire them and get someone or a 3rd party to fix the damn issues. Its getting ridiculous.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Don't buy 1st year models. We see it time and time again, the 1st year models are always beta testers. by the 2nd or 3rd year, most components have been upgraded to fix the first year woes.
The "Gotta have it's" will always pay this price.

samiam_68

It's not the hardware. It's crappy software (Java/Android) created by crappy developers (outsourced I'm sure) using crappy methodologies (Agile/CI/CD).

hockeyaddict

Its software not hardware. Make sure you're on the latest 1.1.2 version. I havent had a single infotainment crash since owning the car 4 months ago.

oz13ms

how does it work?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

can you upgrade the chip in the ps3? ps4? xbox one s?
can you upgrade the chip in android phones? apple phones?



no. no you can't.

oz13ms

Not with that attitude! My reply was an earnest one so no need to be snarky.

I believe most infotainments run off of mobile SoC's (for example Audi uses Samsung Exynos chips). Considering the Acura system is literally an android fork I imagine there are similar possibilities to swap in more powerful hardware. The true bottleneck would be if Acura would actually release their fork which I imagine they would never, ever, do

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

shiet, show me an example of swapping an SoC

tecwerks

So what? Then I expect that if the problems are fixed in year 2 with lets say improved hardware I expect Acura or any other manufacturer to replace it.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

hell no. that's not how it works either

you gotta buy the latest product to receive the better hardware.

Each year, there will be revisions and behind the scene fixes to make the car better..since YOU bought the first year, you are stuck with it.


The "gotta have it's" will always pay this price.
You could have waited to buy the next gen RDX, but instead wanted the latest and greatest shiny thing from Acura



we see it time and time again from auto manufactures to phone manufactures...the people who wait in line to get the hardware on the very first day, ALWAYS get bitten

tecwerks

Do not know how you can make a statement like that unless you have a different hardware version. And if you do I sure would like to know that. Have had the latest software version for months and am still having issues.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

I also agree that it's software.


in 2006, NASA repurposed the original Playstation chip, the MIPS R3000 CPU, to fly the New Horizon probe to Pluto.

if NASA can do this with an OLD ass chip...from 1988......

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

reading further on the NASA mission, NASA always uses tried and true chips instead of using the latest and greatest, cutting edge chips...FOR this very reason. cuz they dont want to fuck up their missions. lol

For example, The Orion spacecraft destined for Mars is using an IBM chip made in 2002.

tecwerks

I guess the deeper concern is WTF then? I mean real deep. If owners are reporting Intermittent Infotainment and by that I mean not only Apple CarPlay but also Nav, Driving mode indicator on screen error, resets etc....and other owners say all is well then You are going to need someone really good at debugging and coding. I would start though by replacing either the Acura Project Manager of Software development or if its outsourced its time maybe to find another 3rd party with better developers. Acura seems to be just kicking the can down the road and taking all the time they want in the hopes that by luck the problem will resolve itself. In the meantime I try not to over tax the Infotainment system. Bluetooth only and still have occasional hiccups but not as often.

mathnerd88

I worked for NASA. I believe they use the older chips because it is cheaper. The government has cut down their funding significantly. Trying to come up with new designs and new chips would cost $$$$ vs using tried and true chips which would cost $$. They've been outsourcing their missions to companies like SpaceX, which uses cutting edge chips. It's really all about cost saving measures.

It's not like NASA is having hundreds of thousands of missions. It would be cost prohibitive to continuously design new chips for only a few missions. Acura is selling hundreds of thousands of vehicles (perhaps millions across their lineup) in the next couple of years and will likely use similar chips in their upcoming vehicles. It makes sense to design new chips and new software because they can buy it at mass volume at a discount while also trying to compete with other car manufacturer's infotainment designs.

And while it probably sounds amazing that they use old chips to fly to Mars, or Pluto, the actual commands are not. That's why there are so many switches on board. It's either on or off. Each chip has probably simple commands, and not like our cars where one chip handles a million tasks at once so it is easy to get bugs in software unlike NASA when they're using simple commands. It's actually much harder to code new chips on the iPhone and Android than the ones on NASA. That's why companies like QUALCOMM and Apple spend billions on R&D every year. How much do you think NASA spends on software development?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

awesome input!

tecwerks

My BS meter just went in to hyperdrive. I worked at Los Alamos for 33 years beginning with ARPANET development In the early 80’s. And total USA sales were only 160k for ALL models so I doubt your sales figures as well as your technical ones.

mathnerd88

Did you read my post? Hundreds of thousands over years and I wrote (perhaps millions.) Not one year alone. Acura/Honda isn’t just purchasing these chips for one year.

And I did work for NASA. I collaborated with SpaceX for the CRS missions for the ISS. I might not know much technically with the actual software development, but it’s pretty obvious why NASA can still get away with using older chips.

tecwerks

I still do not get the connection. We are talking about a damn Car infotainment system. It’s not a space mission.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Lol sell the damn car already

PAPI007

My cousin bought a new 2020 RDX and has already had 1 infotainment freeze, so obviously these issues have not been fixed.

PAPI007

Don't worry, It's Coming!

acuraada

Hardware or software, it's a problem that Acura needs to address and have failed thus far.

Why would they bother ? It's selling like hotcakes, let the minority take their complaints online. Typical old fashion auto industry mentality.

Btw, Tesla can easily swap out their infortainment hardware and upgrade to next gen. So all that SoC or "that's not how it works" is all a guess. Swapping out "cpu" in this case just means swapping the hardware that powers the infortainment, cpu, memory, and storage however they are bundled together. Why pick on the nomenclature?

DriverOne

BTW, Tesla also gets billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies and explodes into fire.

acuraada

What taxpayer subsidies? Please explain. So ICE cars don’t need to worry about catching fire, right.

Madd Dog

Yeah? Well I design and repair guidance systems for NASA and am a purchasing agent and tester of guidance systems chips which I personally install in launchables.

You could say I am a combination brain surgeon and rocket scientist, and I still can’t get my USB music to play for a couple of hours without screeching.

DriverOne

These: https://www.nationalreview.com/2015/...s-phil-kerpen/

And this: https://www.latimes.com/business/la-...531-story.html

acuraada

Oh, you mean like this?

“They shored up the deal with an agreement to give Tesla $195 million in transferable tax credits, which the automaker could sell for upfront cash. To make room in its budget, Nevada reduced incentives for filming in the state and killed a tax break for insurance companies.”

wow, insurance companies need tax breaks??

or the federal tax credit of $7500 to EV buyers? Tax credit you can claim regardless which maker of EV or hybrid you buy from?

or do you not know about the gov’t subsidies to our lovely corn farmers?

Right.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

being facetious here;

What Does CORN have to do with Acura's!?

acuraada

Acura takes gas with ethanols. No?