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I decided to research California's "lemon law," and found that if the dealer is unable to fix the problem within a reasonable number of attempts, a buyer is entited to a replacement vehicle or a refund, minus a reasonable charge for usage. I am a law student and my father is an attorney, so we decided to write a demand letter to Acura.
It's good to know that I'm not the only one with this problem.
I had the same problem and the dealer (Radley in VA) diagnosed it as an improper windshield seal. They resealed it and I have not had problems since. See messages 922 and 923 for more detail.
I was shocked in March of 2006 to find that the engine control module (ECM) was stolen out of my RSX. The car was parked in my driveway. What was confusing was that the alarm of the car never alerted me to the theft and there were no visible signs of break in or damage to the exterior of the car. I did not understand how the thieves were able to bypass the alarm system of the RSX. I called Acura Customer Care to express my concern about this apparent vulnerability. There was nothing that they could offer me to assist me in preventing this type of theft from happening again.
I forgot about this incident until the morning of December 1, 2006 when I discovered that once again the ECM had been stolen from my car while it was parked in my driveway (I have no garage). Once again I turned to Acura Customer Care to try and help me prevent this from happening a third time. And once again I was left with no confidence that this type of theft can be prevented.
This type of theft has become so common in the San Francisco bay area that the parts department at Acura of Serramonte has now started to stock the ECM. So this problem is not mine alone to bear.
I have done some research on this problem and I have my hypothesis on how the thieves might be gaining access to the interior of my RSX.
I believe that the thieves could have a "jiggle" key which allows them to open the car door and bypass the alarm. Alternatively, they could have a master key or perhaps they are able to pick the door lock of the car.
Lastly, it is conceivable (but less likely to me) that they have intercepted and stolen the RF code from my keyless entry fob and then programmed this code into a fob of their own.
I am unable to come up with any plausible strategies to counter any of the above methods for bypassing the RSX alarm system.
So my question to the forum users are this:
1) Have any of you experienced a similar kind of break in to your RSX?
2) What are your thoughts on how these thieves may be bypassing the RSX alarm system?
3) What ideas do you have to prevent this from happening again?
While I love this car, if this should happen to me a third time I will have no choice but to sell it and get a car that would be less likely to suffer this kind of unwanted attention.
Thank you for any assistance or expertise you can provide on this most upsetting subject.
Sincerely,
Chip Isaac
Scot
I think the dealer is full of B.S. ... Yes, the computer "learns" how to adjust the fuel/air mixture, and ignition timing, based on feedback. But it is a FINE adjustment and I really cannot see it making too much of a difference in MPGs.
Acura has no solutions whatsoever. The only thing I can do is use people's garages when I visit. I also don't have a garage, but I pull my car down my driveway and crawl out the hatch. The doors can't be opened so they can't get at the computer. I intend to rid myself of my beloved car as well. Fortunately, I have a Ducati so it doesn't completely immobilize me. If you do hear of a solution, please email me at xsnos@aol.com.
I can only commiserate with your plight. Trust me, someone will steal the computer again and again and again. The police say that there are kids scouring the streets with cell phones, locating cars and calling into the theft ring. They steal in the wee hours of the night and the car alarm DOES NOT GO OFF!!!!
I am filing a report with Consumer Reports so others may be alerted. I don't know what else to do! The mechanic said it is not possible to take the computer with me when I park the car as it requires reconfiguration every time the unit is removed from the car, something that ostensibly can only be done by an Acura mechanic.
The frustration is augmented by the loss of my Integra out of my driveway a few years ago, stripped, totalled and dumped in 12 hours by professionals in my neighborhood. I foolishly bought another Acura, a mistake I will never make again. VW is starting to sound very inviting. Who steals a Bug??
I hope the New Year will give you peace and prosperity, and a new car!!!
from a fellow Acura target
They didn't have an original key, so I went to the dealer.
Well, the key what they give to me have 5 digit code what i need to put in the system with break pedal and start the car.
My bad luck, the car still wanna start, full pump is not starting.
The security system work on disabling ignition and full pump, maybe that is problem.
Can somebody help to me!!
I just replaced my passenger side headlight (a tight spot, but not tighter than driver's side), but when I went to start the car it would not start. All of the power works, so I rule out the battery. It tries to turn over, then, when it cannot catch, goes to a series of fast clicks, in which the lights and other battery using things flicker. I may have plugged the cord back into the bulb part upside down, but when I tried to start it with it unplugged, it would still do the same thing. I haven't tried turning it over, maybe I have it upside down, maybe that would work because of some kind of polarity thing. In the process I dropped the bulb and bracket into the bottom of the engine compartment and used a screwdriver to fish it out. I don't think I hit anything that would have shorted something out (the power was off when I was doing this), but I think something electrical is happening. If I go to the car right now, all power operations work, it's just when I try to start it, it seems something electrically related is not working. Any suggestions? I was trying to save whatever money it would have cost to get my mechanic to replace the light.
Bummer about all of those SF thefts. I live in Santa Clara and have taken my car up to SF (Pac Heights, Marina areas) a handful of times and haven't had a problem yet. I sounds like it might just be a matter of time.
Bill
And don't worry about the headlight being plugged in wrong (or not at all)... that won't cause the car not to start!
I have the same problem starting my RSX too. I have an '02 Type S. Drove up to the gas station, filled up, and then wouldn't start. Just clicking noises from the starter. A boost didn't help and I checked the voltage. The battery voltage is fine.
Have you found a solution yet? I'm really hoping it's not the starter. I hear they're not cheap!
Let me know,
Thanks
Pete
are you documenting your install at all? ive been wanting to install a pc inside my '06 since I got it but i think im going to wait a little while. what are you using the mini for?
As far as the Mac Mini goes, I did not document the install, but the RSX is setup pretty nicely to where you can get an indash screen and put the Mini (or PC) in the glove compartment without modifying anything. You have to have basic wiring knowledge, but basically if you know how to install an aftermarket headunit you can install a computer. The only tricky part was organizing the wires so I could put the dash panel back in once it had both a headunit and the screen mounted to it. (I still dont have a perfect solution to this) The dash snaps apart by hand so I could easily take it apart and take a few pictures to give you an idea of what I had to do. Let me know if youd want that and I can do it tomorrow.
Anyone know how to replace the bulb in the headlight? I'm hoping it's something I can do myself and not take it in to a mechanic and get charge an arm and a leg.
Thanks for any help you can offer!
But I don't see how wiring the computer and adding a new head unit would prevent the locks from getting power.
I'm suspicious of your remote starter/alarm.
In playing with my locks, I did notice that with the key IN the ignition, but the engine OFF - the locks do NOT work. (I assume to prevents dumb-dumbs from locking the keys in the car). If your remote starter allows your key to be removed and the car remain on, it has to be tricking the car into thinking the key is really there. It almost sounds like the car is thinking the key IS there when its really NOT and thats why it wont let you lock them.
I just purchased a 2002 RSX from a private party. It is an automatic with 97,000 miles. I wanted to mention some things just to see what you guys might think and if you've had similiar issues...
1. There are 2 small oil seal leaks which I knew about when I brought the car to my mechanic. the seller took $1000 off of the price to pay for the repair. I thought this was somewhat odd for an Acura even at almost 100k miles, but it is what it is. I'm getting it fixed.
2. There is a small area right above the rear bumber (near the wheel) where there are some ruse bubbles. not a lot- like maybe .5 inches x 2 inches. i was hoping to bring it to a dealer to get it fixed under warranty, but it is JUST over 5 years old so I think I'm gonna have to pay for it myself. Again, I thought this was a little strange considering the car isn't that old. Is this gonna be expensive?
3. The car makes a slight squeeking noise (comes from the front right) when the engine runs on some cold mornings for about 5-10 minutes. Again, only on a cold AM, and it always goes away. Is that something to be concerned about?
4. I notice that once in a while when using the AUTO-climate control, sometimes the car will blow in hot air and then cold air right afterwards, instead of simply shutting when the temp is right.
Thats it. I know it sounds bad, but I really LOVE the car and just wanted to bounce these things off some of you guys since I got it recently. Mine was taken care of pretty well and not driven hard by the previous owner, so I'm pretty confident its a good car. I've always been a Honda guy, so I felt like this was the logical step up...
Anyways, any feedback would be appreciated!
Thanks
I have an '02 also and just switched mine, although I was getting the appropriate code.
But I just saw a lexus rx300 that was giving similar misfiring codes and it turned out to be one of the O2 sensors.
I believe that when this car was being assembled, the bulbs were mounted in the headlight assembly BEFORE the headlight assembly was attached to the car. I even wondered if I could remove the assembly from the car. As I looked around, I realized that I couldn't do that w/o removing the bumper first! NO WAY! :surprise:
As another poster pointed out however, its going to be next to impossible to reproduce for the dealership.
I wonder how they justify this being 'normal'.
THANKS I APPRECIATE ANY HELP
I have a 2002 Acura RSX and I can't get the darn thing out of park. I know how to do it manually, but I was wondering if anyone knew the permanent fix to this problem. And how much do you think it would cost if I took it to a dealership?
Thank you
The maintanence light goes on every once in awhile. When I get oil changes they usually reset it. It is on now, and I am wondering if considering the mileage I have, I need some other sort of maintanence. Please let me know anything I should do.
Thank you!
The dealership didn't have an RSX to show, but pointed out other Acura models don't have the small metal flap where you put the gas nozzle in. Looking to confirm or deny if the flap exists on the RSX.
Thanks for the help.
D
also, recently I stopped at a stop sign i noticed the car "jump" forward. after that, it wouldn't go faster than 45 mph. any ideas on what it could be? I've also had regular oil changes on the car and its well maintained.