Check emissions system/ electric parking brake issue
 

So today I was driving at a leisurely pace on a highway on ramp (about 50) when I get two warnings in the MID - one says electric parking brake problem and the other says emissions system problem (see pics attached- sorry about the orientation). The parking brake was disengaged and had not been left on and the battery in the car is new (about 10 months on it). I got back to the office and turned the car off, waited 5 minutes and turned it back on but the warnings persisted. When I left for the day (about 5 hours later), warnings came back again. So, car is headed in to the dealer on Friday morning (per Acura service rep it is fine to drive) but wanted to see if there are any ideas about a cause from the collective gurus here. Good thing is, whatever it is it should be warranty work...

Any thoughts about the cause?

my guess would have been battery, but you pretty much eliminated that unless you got a bad one

I thought that at first as well but it looks like RLX Sport-Hybrid encountered almost the same thing in the blackbird previously due to a catalytic converter and there is a TSB as well to reprogram the ecu. So now I am armed with that info and a TSB number for Friday when I go to have it checked out...

It was strange to see the parking brake problem light up pulling onto a highway though... That almost threw me for a loop.

From my experience the electric parking brake warning will come on together with a lot of other warnings, without it being the problem.

I had the same exact problem and started a thread on 12-31-16 about my experience with it. I'm not a forum expert, otherwise I'd post a link here to take you directly to it. But it may help if you go back and look at it. No guarantee that it's the same, but sure sounds like it. BTW, no problems since.
Good luck!

Same issue
 

Do you have an update as to your diagnose, plus the TSB number you found? I have the same problem, now having appeared twice. The first time it went away after 3 days, but just appeared again yesterday (about 2 weeks from the first time). Car appears to drive fine and everything seems to be working, despite the messages.

Thank you.

I had this happen a long time ago. Clearing the codes is step one. Beyond that I can't remember now but I think I had the front Cat replaced under warranty which ultimately fixed the issue. Also have the battery checked. The car is fine but when a code is thrown, lots of lights go off to get your attention.

^^
I suspect your problem was TSB 17-019 RLX-Sport Hybrid, and not a hardware problem......

It could also be the cause of the warning lights you guys are getting......worth mentioning this TSB to the Service Department.....


TSB 17-019 - MIL Comes On with DTC P0430
Applies To: 2014 RLX Sport Hybrid - ALL - ALL
2016–17 RLX Sport Hybrid - ALL - ALL
http://www.urvi.net/forumfiles/SB/B17-019.PDF
http://techinfo.honda.com/Rjanisis/p...nu/B17-019.PDF

Sorry about the lag. Car went in on 5/5 and they cleared the codes (it was pulling the cat error code - nothing for the parking). My service guy didn't know about the TSB so I showed him and he did the update. From that point no problems and no recurrence of the issue.

He did say if the issue happened again they would replace the cat but that it was "highly unlikely" any of the cats went bad at 16k miles. He also noted my "chart" that the car did have the issue for future reference.

Thanks. I had battery issues last year on the RLX which was replaced with a brand new one under warranty. So I doubt it's the battery (and if it is, then something else is wrong and causing unnecessary drain on the battery).

Thanks. Will take this TSB into the service manager tomorrow for my repair. Just like last time, the lights went off today (2 days later), so suspect it's something software related throwing off the car. But will have them check for other possible issues including the O2 sensor which was mentioned in another thread.

You guys are awesome!!!

Glad this was resolved! Pesky electronics....

Update,

Dealer couldn't locate the TSB (likely because I am in Canada and Honda Canada hadn't issued it yet). It did help them pinpoint the issue. They did "1255D8 Software Update" and for now seems to have fixed the problem, but only time will tell.

Thanks again for the forum for the great knowledge and advice!

We are here for each other in good times and bad. Enjoy!

Oh and if something else comes up, reach out to us here and we will be happy to lend a hand in resolving anything else.

I'm of the opinion that every time you take your Acura in for service of any kind, the technicians should install the latest software updates for your model. It takes about 10 minutes, the software is already available for no cost to the dealership, and preventing problems is always better than trying to diagnose and solve them once they happen.
Just my two cents.

Thanks for the update bigred123.

I had similar issues on my 2017 MDX (3 months), I drove on my trip to Las Vegas two weeks ago. I had been driving for 4 plus hours with AC turn on to very low on rear seat (need air flow for 3rd row seat). Suddenly, the car alerted the warning and emission system failure, electric parking failure, collision system failure and more. I soon pulled the car to off ramp and battery cut off the engine itself and I stopped on slope ramp. I turned off the engine and check manual book, emission system failure could due to misfire. I restarted my car, the warning did not go away. I waited for another 10 more minutes to restart. I still saw the warning for all failure. I slowly drove my car to flat area and stop my car and open up the hook to cool down the engine. After 40 minutes, I restarted my car, all warning went away. I drove my car with higher AC setting and stop 10 mins for restroom break for every two hours. I was glad that we got home safe. I did not bring my car to dealer because I did not see the warning again.

Stupid question: Hasn't it been like 2,000 degrees out there of late? I wonder if the extreme heat had anything to do with it?

The temperature was 105F. I guess AC setting may be the cause. I did not see the temperature indicator overheat.

I had the exact same thing happen to me yesterday in my 2017 Acura MDX, It's being towed to the dealership today as I live 120 miles from the dealership.

Spoke too soon. Happened again 2 or three weeks ago. Same response....ok since then. As I said on another post, I hope a pattern isn't starting.

And neither time mine was in hot conditions.

My issue has not returned since I had the software update done.

My original issue with this problem occurred in 2015 during a return trip from main and New Hampshire when I had a xmas tree in the dash...
Long story short I made to the Acura dealer in upstate NY and was told that my Oxygen Sensor was the culprit.
Since it has been changed I have not had a problem...

So it seems as if everyone has solved the same problem with something else. I've heard multiple different parts being changed on the internet, supposedly "solving" the problem. But also just resetting it solving it sometimes temporarily. I've got the same two sensors going off today, everything still works fine. I do have 77,000 miles on it so a little more than the average TLX. I really expected 150k out of it before any type of issue even as small as this because I will still be under 4 years and I expect less than 5 years for electronic problems. It's pretty bad I have a 04 TSX with 160k on it that has never had anything even remotely have problems. But my 2 year old car not only has this come up, but the mud flaps have all started peeling. Hopefully it's just a reset it and drive it deal.

After purchasing my 9th Acura ( RLX Elite Hybrid), I have decided to join the group. This appears to be a great group of Acura owners.
Today I got the same message as I see at the start of this thread. I just had my car towed to my dealer and they are looking into it. I am in Canada so will let them know that TSB 17-019 may not be available to them. Hopefully this is just a simple software issue. However with my "parking brake issue" the parking brake came on when I stopped at a traffic light and I could not move. I turned the car off and while the messages did not disappear I could drive the car upon restarting it. A little scary to say the least. I will let everyone know what happens.

Welcome to AZ, NineAcuras! I guess I'll have to teach you the secret RLX Sport Hybrid owner handshake (I'm a former owner/lessee so I still remember it, LOL). Print that TSB and take it to the service folken at the dealer. :thumbsup:

Looking forward to learning the secret handshake...…:-). I started being a loyal Acura fan with my 1991 Legend but no one showed me the handshake.
As an update - I pick the car up in the morning - the comment was "could be a software issue and we installed the newest software - could be "bad gasoline" (so blame Chevron I guess)"
In any case they say everything is working as it should be......so hopefully..... This is only the second time I have had one of my Acuras towed and the other time I left it at the dealership and bought this car....
So - we will see how the update works - other than that I have been very happy with the car - fantastic performance combined with amazing gas mileage (with Chevron gas...). Unfortunately the RLX (and Acuras in general) are now very underrated by Consumer Reports etc..

Sooooo......update? Hopefully it's all worked out.

Got the car back yesterday - they updated the PCM to 9SA770 #37805-R9S-A77 and EPS to Y3J040 # 39990-TY3-J04. They also suggested that it may have been "Bad Fuel" but I spoke to the manager of the Chevron where I get all my gas and they have not had any issues with their fuel (and I believe Sheryl...:-). I am a little reluctant to use the electronic E brake now - but I guess I should use it a lot right now to see if the issue is fixed for sure......thanks for the follow up.

We also experienced these issues on our 2017 MDX Advance with 52k miles (Just out of warranty obviously)
The dealership indicated it may be the ecm software, however when they inspected it they found it had a faulty "battery sensor" which they are replacing for $215. The service writer seemed confident that this would fix the issue.
Anyone encountered this fix before? I certainly don't want to see the warnings and have limp mode happen again.

When I picked up my 2014 RLX Sport Hybrid, the first day of driving it, the battery died. I took it back to the dealer and they tested the battery and said it was ok, so they charged it up and off I went again. One day later, I got a multitude of warnings in the MID and later the battery died again. When I returned to the dealer, they replaced the battery and found that a "battery sensor" was faulty and replaced that as well. That was five years ago and I haven't had a problem since.

The moral of this story is that a battery issue is one possible cause of multiple warnings in the MID, but having the issue checked out by your dealer for an accurate diagnosis is best.

Emissions, brake , all lights come on
 

I bought a 2016 Acura TLX with 19,500 miles on in June .7, 2019 7 months later 1/24/20 and 5000 miles put on the vehicle now has 24,000 miles. the vehicle all of a sudden a rainbow of lights , emissions electrical problen, ,, battery electrical problem, stability problem, , etc. I was able to drive home but prior to that the emergency brake locks were engaged and didn’t allow me to drive car. I disengaged emergency brakes and made it safely home. I’m not a happy camper right now . This never happened to my former Camry .

Emissions , brake, Christmas tree lights are on.
 

2015 Acura TLX
 

I know nothing of cars but just had this same thing occur on our way from Ohio to Florida. Fiancé was on cruise control on the freeway and suddenly the car shifted into neutral and gave us the Christmas tree lights. We pulled over and let the car cool down. We are now only seeing these two indicators appearing. Car has 56,000 miles and has given me no problems other than this. It is driving fine now and we are continuing on our journey with plans to get it to a shop when we get to Florida. Can someone please explain about this “TSB” and software update (in “25 year old girl who isn’t good with car” terms)? Thank you!

I had the same thing happen on my Acura TLX (2016) last week - so this is a known issue but not a recall per se. Got a SW Patch, (really it's Firmware but thats ok) and am told it's all good now. Advisor told me I have to ask for TSBs (Tech Service BUlletins) when I get my car serviced because they don't do that automatically. So hope knowing that helps others.

Has anyone had any recurrance of the issue after the patch?

TSB = Technical Service Bulletin, for Known issue with the software/firmware of the brains of your car's engine. It's a bulletin that you need to get it fixed, and when you get somewhere they will need to update that SW for you. Think your Iphone has software updates that run at night sometimes, right? Same.

Enjoy your trip!!

May not be the CliffNotes version, but helpful from Wikipedia:

Technical Service Bulletins, or TSBs, are recommended procedures for repairing vehicles. They are a form of diagnosis. Not to be confused with recalls, a TSB is issued by a vehicle manufacturer when there are several occurrences of an unanticipated problem. TSBs can range from vehicle-specific to covering entire product lines and break down the specified repair into a step-by-step process. While sometimes written by engineers employed by OEMs, the majority are authored by the first automotive technician to come up with a repair procedure. Because certain problems may have more than one cause and there is sometimes more than one way to fix a problem, it's somewhat common for there to be more than one TSB for the same problem.

The technical Service Bulletin are emitted by the manufacturer.

One major difference between a recall and a TSB in the automotive industry is that a recall usually evolves out of safety issues at the behest of an organization like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The ensuing recall maintenance/repair work is usually done at no charge to the car owner, regardless of the car's warranty status. Dealers are usually under no mandate to call in cars for which there are TSBs to do the related repairs. Nor is there an obligation to do the TSB repairs for free or at reduced charges to the owner, since the manufacturer does not require the repair to be performed and does not reimburse the dealership for repairs. When the vehicle's manufacturer releases a recall, they not only require the dealership to perform the repair, but will reimburse them the recall's repair.

Some benefits of an automotive TSB are that by widely circulating among dealership service departments and mechanics an engineering-level description and solution for a problem common to type, year, make or model of car, a well-managed TSB process can save technicians troubleshooting time; provide organized, itemized repair procedures; and standardize the repair process. This can also enhance the quality of the maintenance since it tends to be supported by repair history and high-level diagnostic procedure decisions.

NPR's Car Talk show duo, Tom Magliozzi and brother Ray Magliozzi (also known as "Click and Clack"), describe TSBs, saying, "They really just contain advice from the company to the mechanics who fix their cars," in this S.F. Chronicle article, "Technical Service Bulletins Explained." But this Edmunds article, "How Can a Technical Service Bulletin Help Me?" states that if there is a TSB for your particular problem, and it's verifiable by the dealer, then the repair is free to cars within the warranty period.

emissions/brake warning lights in 2019 TLX
 

I've been having the same problem mentioned in this thread for slightly earlier models...the emission and electric brake warning lights. It started in August 2021 and after several hours of troubleshooting, the dealer recommended a new fuel filler neck. Apparently, those are really hard to find right now - it's been "on order" for over two months now, with no ETA as to when it will actually arrive.

My real question: in the meantime, is this car safe to drive? I drive about 100 highway miles a day and am a little worried with these lights flashing the entire time, day after day. (note: the dealer has never directly answered that question for me)

Thanks for any insight!

I had the same issue today, 30k miles, just serviced. Driving down to Maine. The car was fine all day yesterday during the trip and today. Stopped in the evening for a few hours. Started it, started moving and about 50 meters in I get an electric park and emission system warning. Of course it happens when you’re 200 miles from the nearest dealer and out of town after the service center closes. It appears to be running fine, I’m able to engage and disengage the parking brake, the auto brake is also working, cruise control with braking is working. Everything appears to be good but the warning won’t go away even after shutting it down for about 30 min. Sigh, middle of the vacation, the MDX was supposed to be reliable. This is what one gets these days.

might need to use the diagnostic tools to check. I had the same warning lights on my recently acquired 2017 RLX SH. The problem is with the EVAP canister and sensor have water inside so I have to change out the canister unit and the code is cleared. both e brake and emission circuit run through the EVAP sensor. The EVAP canister is the part that controls the fuel gate pop when fuel is full when putting gasoline into the car. but all and all, need to use the diagnostic computer to find out the root cause.

Read post #30 from Hondamore as I would bet that if your car has not had the battery sensor replaced in it's service history, that is the problem .My 2014 PAWS advance model had the same symptoms with irregular warning light messages and I had battery sensor tested at dealership and sure enough, problem has disappeared. Prior, I had replaced two batteries in less than 18 months. I only had 54K miles when my battery sensor needing replacement. Good Luck with the diagnosis at dealer.
Demosan