ERROR CODES on App, but not dash

[SAletaP037]

I had all these similar issues. Turned out to be a bad battery. Replaced the battery and no problems for the past year. The electronics are sensitive to voltage drops though no quite as bad as Ferraris which freak out after even a few days off the battery tender.

 

[DocL]

I had all these similar issues. Turned out to be a bad battery. Replaced the battery and no problems for the past year. The electronics are sensitive to voltage drops though no quite as bad as Ferraris which freak out after even a few days off the battery tender.

So then why hasn't his dealer tested the battery voltage and put a new one in? Seems like the ability to diagnose and repair these cars is too complex on the dealer level.

 

[DocL]

No — no remote start with the NSX.
Yes — the app lets you send directions to the car. And that’s actually very helpful. I use it frequently. What’s more, you can retrieve the most recent 5 or so downloads, even if they’re a month or two old. {Not all such systems store map downloads. Some are “use-it-or-lose-it”.}

On the car’s dash, under the “Home” menu, there’s an Icon for AcuraLink. Interface has been pretty-much seamless. No issues. Well....no issues other than that the app keeps telling me that the sky is falling. Other than that? No issues.

I never dove deep enough into the cars APP capability.

And btw, my 2016 Chevy Traverse can be started from any location that my cell phone can connect to the internet. You'd think that Acura could have incorporated that into their halo car.

 

[LandLawMan]

I had all these similar issues. Turned out to be a bad battery. Replaced the battery and no problems for the past year. The electronics are sensitive to voltage drops though no quite as bad as Ferraris which freak out after even a few days off the battery tender.

Wanted to give you guys an update. And I would appreciate any thoughts or ideas from any of you Tech guys.

It happened again. I was doing about 7,000rpm in 4th (you can probably guess the mph) on a straight, level, 6-lane road. There was slower traffic ahead of me. Obviously. I went to flash my headlights, but accidentally grabbed the downshift paddle. The tachometer flashed — as it should — telling me that it’s got too many rpm’s to downshift right now. All good. Then, a few seconds later, all drive power ceased, and I coasted — eventually — to a stop. The dash immediately flashed with 7 different error messages (“All Wheel Drive System Problem”, “Brake System Problem”, “Hill Start Assist Problem”, etc). The car went into Limp Mode. When I collected my thoughts and assessed my situation, I headed for an exit. The steering shook pretty badly, even at only 25mph. But because the car has power steering and drive motors at the front wheels, it’s difficult to tell whether the shake was due to one, or the other. Difficult for me, anyway.

After taking lots of picture evidence, I found a pull-off, and I shut it off. Fired it back up, and......it was as if nothing ever happened. The next day, the dealer said there were NO ERROR CODES STORED AT ALL. Even their datalogger that they engaged last time, failed to record errors. Good thing I took pictures.

They installed a new battery today (which is why I quoted the above post here). So the plan is: Drive it hard and see if it happens again. If it doesn’t, then viola. Problem solved.

Here’s the odd part: My goofy Acura App gave me five error messages on July 25th....when there was nothing at all wrong with the car. Then the car had a nutty on July 27th. Coincidence?

 

[Silver F16]

Visit your dealer 3 times. Document everything. Get an attorney involved. Get your money back and go buy 4 Civic Type R. It sounds like the dreaded wire harness issue.

 

[DocL]

Considering I’ve taken a lot of personal attack’s when I mention that these cars have major problems, and are a pos, if you want my advice send me a PM.. There’s a reason I tell people not to buy this car.

 

[RyanRA]

The frequency of the errors is disconcerting. I have been fortunate enough to have about 6000 trouble-free miles. By the way, do you have any modifications in your NC1 ?

 

[DocL]

Visit your dealer 3 times. Document everything. Get an attorney involved. Get your money back and go buy 4 Civic Type R. It sounds like the dreaded wire harness issue.

Each state has different requirements. It’s not necessarily three times at the dealer.

I also love it when people chime in saying their car has xxxx miles with no problems. Like me, do you think the OP gives a shit about your flawless car? If I were the OP I’d be afraid to drive the car more than 10 miles from home, and that’s not what he expected when he bought a halo $150k car.

 

[RyanRA]

Each state has different requirements. It’s not necessarily three times at the dealer.

I also love it when people chime in saying their car has xxxx miles with no problems. Like me, do you think the OP gives a shit about your flawless car? If I were the OP I’d be afraid to drive the car more than 10 miles from home, and that’s not what he expected when he bought a halo $150k car.

Zing...

 

[DocL]

Zing...

There’s a specific Florida owner who that is intended for.

 

[MasterNSXTech]

I just can’t believe that no codes get stored. A warning light comes on? There will be a code stored to show the reason why that light came on.

Perhaps they’re on the right track by going for a battery? It’s conceivable that there’s some kind of voltage fault and all of the control modules which run on the 12v system are getting their memories cleared. Maybe.

Sounds like they set up the PCM to take an onboard snapshot that could be pulled out later. But if something cleared all the codes, the snapshot would get deleted as well. The best way to figure out what’s going on would be to connect the Honda Diagnostic System to the car and capture some manually triggered 30second snapshots of some of the suspected control modules when the car goes haywire. Unfortunately in this situation, it seems like they’re going to have to going around 140mph or so to duplicate the problem.

 

[LandLawMan]

The frequency of the errors is disconcerting. I have been fortunate enough to have about 6000 trouble-free miles. By the way, do you have any modifications in your NC1 ?

None, other than solid turbo charge tubes. And the dealer installed them. Good question, though.

 

[DocL]

I just can’t believe that no codes get stored. A warning light comes on? There will be a code stored to show the reason why that light came on...

The same happened thing happened with my car. But I guess two people on here that can confirm this happens isn't a big enough sample size. SMH.

 

[LandLawMan]

It’s conceivable that there’s some kind of voltage fault and all of the control modules which run on the 12v system are getting their memories cleared. Maybe.

I’m pretty sure they said exactly that.

They said that that the electrical system on this car is vulnerable — more so than most cars — to voltage fluctuations. They said that just a mere fraction of a second “under-volt event” could cause the control modules to have a nutty, and clear all the codes, and order the car into Limp Mode.

‘Master, perhaps you know the answer to why they so specifically asked me if the engine icon FLASHED, or if it merely illuminated. I think it was the latter. I mean, there was a lot going on: Unexpectedly losing drive power at — ahem — a fairly high rate of speed, commands your full attention.

What do you think they were thinking when they asked if the engine light FLASHED?

 

[extrapolator]

Each state has different requirements. It’s not necessarily three times at the dealer.

I also love it when people chime in saying their car has xxxx miles with no problems. Like me, do you think the OP gives a shit about your flawless car? If I were the OP I’d be afraid to drive the car more than 10 miles from home, and that’s not what he expected when he bought a halo $150k car.

As a neutral observer and prospective buyer of a gen 2 NSX, I appreciate reading both the bad and the good. It gives an overall view of the NSX's reliability. I don't believe the 'good' ones are posting as a nah-nah-nee-boo-boo.

 

[DocL]

As a neutral observer and prospective buyer of a gen 2 NSX, I appreciate reading both the bad and the good. It gives an overall view of the NSX's reliability. I don't believe the 'good' ones are posting as a nah-nah-nee-boo-boo.

Well sales are doing well. 10 cars sold last month if that's not a warning to anyone wanting to buy the car.

 

[LandLawMan]

As a neutral observer and prospective buyer of a gen 2 NSX, I appreciate reading both the bad and the good. It gives an overall view of the NSX's reliability. I don't believe the 'good' ones are posting as a nah-nah-nee-boo-boo.

I also like to hear of the successes, as much as the failures. So thank you, RyanRA. What really both infuriates and fascinates me, as why some people keep retelling the same experience and opinions over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.

When someone behaves this way — in real life or on a message forum — I have to conclude that such behavior is designed to benefit the speaker, far more than the listener.

And we’re all supposed to post information and stories which help our fellow enthusiasts — not just to make ourselves feel better about ourselves.

So, if you’ve had 6,000 trouble-free miles, I want to hear about that. And I’m grateful to RyanRA for saying so. If, however, RyanRA got on practically every single thread in this forum, and said how wonderful his car has been OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER....We ALL might understandably get a little tired of it. We all might want to say to RyanRA: “I get it. You love your car. You need not say it again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again.”

or or maybe that’s just me.

 

[DocL]

Landlawman. If you truly want some advice from someone else who has experienced this, and I'm not talking about me, I have kept in touch with another fellow who's car had your exact problems and his car was bought back. However I'm not going to keep extending my offer to help much longer. I'm going to be gone fairly soon from the NSX community.

It's up to you. This is my last offer to help.

 

[RPM217]

I also like to hear of the successes, as much as the failures. So thank you, RyanRA. What really both infuriates and fascinates me, as why some people keep retelling the same experience and opinions over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.

When someone behaves this way — in real life or on a message forum — I have to conclude that such behavior is designed to benefit the speaker, far more than the listener.

And we’re all supposed to post information and stories which help our fellow enthusiasts — not just to make ourselves feel better about ourselves.

So, if you’ve had 6,000 trouble-free miles, I want to hear about that. And I’m grateful to RyanRA for saying so. If, however, RyanRA got on practically every single thread in this forum, and said how wonderful his car has been OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER....We ALL might understandably get a little tired of it. We all might want to say to RyanRA: “I get it. You love your car. You need not say it again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again.”

or or maybe that’s just me.

BTW, DocL, was that guy, saying over and over again, how much he loved his NC1, so much so, that yes, I was sick of hearing what a fantastic car it was......................until, it wasn't. His experience turned him from a "raving fan", to a hater. If you were treated, as he was, I'd be curious to how you (or anyone else) would react. DocL, has been a fantastic help to countless owners, when he owned his NA1 NSX, and a fan of the NC1 until.

Landlawman. If you truly want some advice from someone else who has experienced this, and I'm not talking about me, I have kept in touch with another fellow who's car had your exact problems and his car was bought back. However I'm not going to keep extending my offer to help much longer. I'm going to be gone fairly soon from the NSX community.

It's up to you. This is my last offer to help.

Take him up on his offer, what do you have to lose?

 

[DocL]

Thanks for the kind words RPM. My offer to assist may be gone in 3....2....

 

[MasterNSXTech]

I’m pretty sure they said exactly that.

They said that that the electrical system on this car is vulnerable — more so than most cars — to voltage fluctuations. They said that just a mere fraction of a second “under-volt event” could cause the control modules to have a nutty, and clear all the codes, and order the car into Limp Mode.

‘Master, perhaps you know the answer to why they so specifically asked me if the engine icon FLASHED, or if it merely illuminated. I think it was the latter. I mean, there was a lot going on: Unexpectedly losing drive power at — ahem — a fairly high rate of speed, commands your full attention.

What do you think they were thinking when they asked if the engine light FLASHED?

What were they thinking? Probably they were trying to feel out if they should be looking more towards the engine side of things or the hybrid side of things.

When the MIL (malfunction indicator light...or check engine light as most call it) illuminates solid, it means a fault was detected that can affect emissions. When the MIL is actively flashing, that means an engine misfire is being detected, and you should stop the engine as soon as possible to avoid damaging other components like catalytic converters, dilute the oil with unburned fuel, or perhaps cause actual physical damage to the engine.

So asking if the MIL was flashing is them asking if the engine was still running fine and perhaps the cause for all the calamity lies in another system.


Since nothing can be duplicated when it's under the watchful eyes of a NSX technician, it’s a pretty worthwhile guess to just throw a battery at it. Not a particularly cheap 12v battery on this car (think it’s about $400). But it doesn’t involve taking half the car apart testing circuits and so on.

 

[Tom239]

If Honda has bought back several NC1s that exhibit this problem
(and I have no reason to doubt DocL's reports that they have),
then they have several failing cars at their disposal. Honda could
be putting instruments on those cars and driving the hell out of
them until they figure out what is wrong.

Is anyone satisfied by the story that weak 12V batteries are
causing finicky systems to misbehave? If it's true, the electronics
are not designed well. Any logic circuits in a car should be run
off a power supply that's immune to typical voltage fluctuations
in the car's electrical system. You should see a battery struggle
to run lights, power seats, and so on before any of the control
systems start to misbehave from low voltage.

A typical home computer power supply can maintain steady
5V and 12V DC outputs even if the AC line voltage wobbles
all over the place. This is not rocket science.

Since nothing can be duplicated when it's under the watchful eyes of a NSX technician, it’s a pretty worthwhile guess to just throw a battery at it. Not a particularly cheap 12v battery on this car (think it’s about $400). But it doesn’t involve taking half the car apart testing circuits and so on.

Is Corporate on the case or aren't they? The customers shouldn't
be doing their testing for them. So far there seems to be no better
guidance than to swap 12V batteries (which are only a couple years
old at most, so why are they bad?) and hope for the best.

 

[DocL]

If Honda has bought back several NC1s that exhibit this problem
(and I have no reason to doubt DocL's reports that they have),
then they have several failing cars at their disposal...

Is Corporate on the case or aren't they? The customers shouldn't
be doing their testing for them. So far there seems to be no better
guidance than to swap 12V batteries (which are only a couple years
old at most, so why are they bad?) and hope for the best.

Corporate doesn't seem to care too much. They outsource the entire buyback protocol to Stericycle. When the car is taken back we really have no idea what is going to happen to it afterwards.

I also don't understand how a weak battery can render the car useless. Doesn't it have an alternator? Or does it have something to do with CANbus or hybrid system. I've said it before and I'll continue to say it all day long. The car is an over engineered complicated POS. What other car dies in the middle of the road if one LED light goes out in the third brake light.

I've offered to help out LandLawMan, but it seems to have landed on deaf ears. So I'm now rescinding my offer to connect him with the owner who had his exact problems. Done. I'm no longer offering anyone any help. Go track your car and pretend there is nothing wrong with it.

 

[DocL]

...Take him up on his offer, what do you have to lose?

My offer is now rescinded. Why should I care about someone else possibly having a serious problem that could cause a crash and injury?

See how quick that turned around RPM? You can say my altruism is no longer applicable to people who may need help in dealing with AHM.

 

[LandLawMan]

What were they thinking? Probably they were trying to feel out if they should be looking more towards the engine side of things or the hybrid side of things.

When the MIL (malfunction indicator light...or check engine light as most call it) illuminates solid, it means a fault was detected that can affect emissions. When the MIL is actively flashing, that means an engine misfire is being detected, and you should stop the engine as soon as possible to avoid damaging other components like catalytic converters, dilute the oil with unburned fuel, or perhaps cause actual physical damage to the engine.

So asking if the MIL was flashing is them asking if the engine was still running fine and perhaps the cause for all the calamity lies in another system.


Since nothing can be duplicated when it's under the watchful eyes of a NSX technician, it’s a pretty worthwhile guess to just throw a battery at it. Not a particularly cheap 12v battery on this car (think it’s about $400). But it doesn’t involve taking half the car apart testing circuits and so on.

Thank you to all those who replied.

While they haven't see this this exact problem before, the dealer said that they have seen one other car with a “similar” problem. They installed a new battery in that NSX, and it solved the problem. That was two years ago. If it happens a third time with me, I’ll be forced to take the next steps.

Forgive this bit of rambling, but here's why I’m still onboard, even though the NSX has twice seriously malfunctioned:
The only other supercar with comparable tech, and that actually gets driven, is the 918. (Does anyone actually put miles on the la Ferrari or the P1?) I looked at 918’s for sale, and the HIGHEST MILEAGE car I found, was a 2015 with 3,800 miles. For $1.65 million. There is no argument that the NSX’s tech is more sophisticated and more complicated than that of the 918. When you really think about this, the NSX is the bargain of the century, and having a few of them malfunction is entirely within the realm of predictability. So I’m still in.

Now, had I paid like $75k for an un-complicated and un-sophisticated mid-engine Chevy with a push-rod antique engine, and that Chevy malfunctioned?......I’D BE PISSED!

end of ramble.