Acura TSX Security System Questions

parker19 · August 2003

So everything was fine with my new TSX. Then one day, something went wrong, now the remote and the power locks dont work. They say there is a short in the system but they've had the car for days and haven't figured out the problem. They say they'll take care of it. The car is less than a month old. At a certain point, is there any recourse I can take if they can't figure out the problem or the problem keeps popping up after they eventually fix it?

Thanks

xplorx4 · July 2003

Did anyone opt to have this system installed in your car? If so, what did you pay?

uncledavid · July 2003

My Acura dealer wanted $795 for the basic version. I decided to pass. The car has an alarm and an the chip in the key. Also, I frequently use a wheel lock. If it still gets stolen after all of that, I have insurance.

automophile · August 2003

This sounds like a simple problem in the remote receiver / door lock circuit. It could be a loose connector, a short in the receiver or some other similar issue. Don't get too worried about it, yet.

If it cannot be fixed, there are now clear Lemon Laws to protect you. A little research on the Web can show you the details. If a car cannot be fixed in a given amount of time, the manufacturer must replace the car or buy it back.

boz10 · October 2003

I have had my TSX for about 4 months. After the first 3 weeks I had a couple of instances where my key FOB wouldn't deactivate the security system. I used the key to gain access to the vehicle, not thinking much of it and after about 5 minutes of driving the alarm went off. I pushed the unlock button on the FOB and turned it off. This happened 3 times in 4 days. I brought the car to my Acura dealership and they were unable to repeat the problem. They told me "no fault found". I figured it must be a computer thing and forgot about it. Well just recently I had some suspension work done to my car as I posted on "Acura TSX" thread and when I went to pick-up the car my FOB once again wouldn't work. This time because I was at the dealership I got a technician to look at it. Not only would the FOB not work, my power door locks wouldn't work with either of the switches on the front doors. The interior lights wouldn't light up with the door open. I could turn them on manually by depressing them but couldn't turn them on by opening the door or taking the key out of the ignition cylinder. My turn signals were dead as well. The technician worked on the car for over an hour and couldn't figure it out. I was pretty ticked off and left the garage into the showroom for a coffee. A few minutes later the service advisor tells me the car is ready and works fine. Although the seemed to have fixed itself once again. No one could tell me exactly what the technician did to fix the car. I wasn't happy but went home anyways. Well guess what, my FOB wouldn't work yesterday (Sunday) so I decided to take it back to the dealer first thing this morning. As it still wasn't working this morning I thought "great". Until the alarm went off mid-way through my drive. This time the FOB wouldn't turn it off. I had to pull over and use the key in the drivers side door lock to turn it off. My actions reset the system. When I brought it to the dealer once again they were unable to create the problem. The technicians said they talked to Honda/Acura engineers in the US and no one has a clue as to what the problem is. Now I am forced to drive a car which may at anytime sound an alarm or have turn signals which may not work. I am seriously p'd.
BTW all fuses have been checked and they are fine. Does anyone have any ideas?

uncledavid · October 2003

The problems you are describing influences the fundamental operation of your car. You obviously can't drive the car safely if the alarm goes off randomly while you are driving. What if the beeping of the alarm distracts you and causes an accident?

If Acura can't get it completely fixed relatively soon, you should be covered by your state's lemon law. In other words, either Acura fixes your TSX so that it can't be safely opperated, or they buy you a new car.

I would do the following:
1) Try to get your dealer to look at it one more time. Let him know you are about to contact Acura USA.
2) Contact Acura USA's main Consumer Service office in Torrance. See if they can help.
3) Contact your state attorney general's office for information on the lemon laws in your state. I feel confident you will be covered.

FYI: This is the California Lemon Law, typical of many states -

If the manufacturer or dealer cannot fix the vehicle to conform to the warranty within a "reasonable" number of repair attempts, then the manufacturer must replace the vehicle or reimburse the buyer or lessee for its purchase price, whichever the consumer prefers (less a mileage offset for the consumer's use of the vehicle prior to the first repair attempt), subject in certain cases to arbitration that the consumer may or may not accept.

The Lemon Law uses a presumption as a guideline for determining whether a "reasonable" number of repair attempts have been made on a new vehicle. In order for the buyer or lessee to use the Lemon Law presumption, all of the following must be true:

The vehicle must be one that qualifies as a "new motor vehicle" as described above.

The vehicle's problems must be covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

The problem(s) must occur within the first 18 months of delivery or 18,000 miles on the odometer, whichever occurs first.

The problem(s) must substantially reduce the use, value, or safety of the vehicle to the buyer.

The problem(s) are not caused by abuse of the vehicle.

The manufacturer has not fixed the problem(s) after four or more attempts or the vehicle's problem(s) could cause death or serious bodily injury if driven and the manufacturer or dealer has made at least two unsuccessful repairs attempts; or the vehicle has been in the shop for more than 30 days (not necessarily in a row) for repair of any problem(s) covered by its factory warranty and if the warranty or owner's manual requires you to do so, that you have notified the manufacturer about your problems. (Best done in writing.)

FYI: Here is a site that lists lemon laws by states =
http://autopedia.com/html/HotLinks_Lemon.html

(Moderator: This site does not compete with Edmunds)

automophile · October 2003

I would bet that the problem is in the wireless receiver for the fob. Press the dealer to replace it.

xplorx4 · October 2003

Why would the receiver affect the interior door lights? Hmmm. But I agree, there's a faulty control module somewhere. Whether it's the receiver unit or the security system control module, it's hard to say.

boz10 · October 2003

Unfortunately here in Canada I don't think there are any clear Lemon Laws. The problem happened 3 times last night over the course of 4 hours. FOB doesn't deactivate the security system, use the key to gain access and turn the car on, drive 10 minutes with no turn signals, alarm goes off, turn the car off and stick the key in the door and turn off the alarm manually. It happened again this morning and I took it to the dealer again!!! This time I left it there for 6 hours and showed up earlier this afternoon hoping to re-create the problem. Of course the problem was non-existent. I spoke to another technician about the problem and he decided to order something called a multi-plex. He hopes that this is the problem. I hope he's right.

automophile · October 2003

Don't the lights come on when you open the doors with the fob? It is all tied together.

Good Luck!

boz10 · October 2003

The lights inside only come on with the FOB when the system is working properly. When my intermittent problems come up the only way to turn on the interior lights is to manually push them. BTW I talked to the dear this morning and the multi-plex should be in this afternoon. I'll drop off the car in the morning and post the results.

automophile · October 2003

That's my point - it is all tied to the receiver. Ask the dealer to replace it or at least disconnect it for a while to see if it is causing the problems.

dudka · October 2003

Doesn't the OEM alarm have fuel cut off? If so, how are you able to start the car and drive it only to have the alarm go off on you later on? I think it is the alarm unit that is at fault.

xplorx4 · October 2003

It doesn't have a fuel cutoff, it has an ignition cutoff that prevents a would-be thief from starting the car. Once the car is started, driveability is not affected.

robr2 · November 2003

Bad immobilizer chip in the key/receiver in the ignition?

pbanerji · January 2004

I was reading through my TSX owner's manual yesterday and noticed a reference to a "Key Number Tag". Have you all received one with your car? What does it look like? My keychain has a little strip of paper on it with a barcode and a 4 digit number on it. Is that it or should I have received something else?

kagedude · January 2004

I think that is it.

new_to_houston · May 2005

Hi folks,
I bought a TSX over the weekend. It sure is a blast to drive. But twice when I got in and started the car, the horn started sounding loudly with the headlights blinking. So I turned off the ignition and hit unlock and it stopped. But its happened twice in a few days, so I am wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem. Looks like its something to do with the anti theft system.
Any thoughts??

eric326 · June 2005

I've had my TSX for over a month and put 1500 miles on it. Everything was perfect until today - suddenly I couldn't get the lock-confirm beep. I carefully checked each door, trunk, even hood, and made sure all are closed. I even turned the car key to made sure the trunk was indeed closed on the dashboard. Still there's no beep no matter how many times I push the lock button on the remote. I can hear the sound of locks everytime I push. The remote seems working fine since it can lock/unlock the doors. Does anyone know what the problem could be? Is there a switch that turn the beep on/off? Thanks!

pghsteelers · August 2005

Hi! I bought my TSX in February and am having the same problem. Dealer is telling me they've never heard of this before, so I'm very glad to see your post. My alarm has been doing the same thing intermittently since I got the car. Very often it happens after I've put gas in it. (??I know it sounds stupid) Like you, if I press "unlock", it makes it stop. They had it for a week and said they could not replicate the problem and they "adjusted the door".......Not sure what that's supposed to do. They're not listening to me when I explain this is happening when I turn the key, not open the door. UGH! Anyways, I was wondering if you've gotten yours fixed and if so, what was the problem? HELP PLEASE!!!

pghsteelers · August 2005

Hi! I bought my TSX in February and am having a problem with the alarm going off periodically since I got the car. It happens when I turn the key. Very often it happens after I've put gas in it. (??I know it sounds stupid) If I press "unlock", it makes it stop. The dealer says they've never heard of this. They had it for a week and said they could not replicate the problem but they "adjusted the door".......Not sure what that's supposed to do. They're not listening to me when I explain this is happening when I turn the key, not open the door. UGH! Anyways, I was wondering if anyone else has heard of this or has any ideas. (I saw another post from May that sounds like the same situation.) HELP PLEASE!!

boz10 · August 2005

In response to your alarm problem read my post #96 in this thread. I was going nuts at the time and it took my dealership almost a month to finally do something about it! My problem ended up being something called a multi-plex. After countless visits to the dealer and consulting with the technicians I pleaded with them to change the "brain" of the security system. The changed the "multi-plex ??" and I haven't had a problem since. As you can see by my post a couple of years ago I was quite aggrivated but am since very happy with my purchase. No problems since.

saruhhh · September 2005

Do you lock the door as soon as you get in? I do this and then sometimes move my purse around, or look for a new cd, or something else, all before I start the car. After so many seconds (not sure how many) that the doors have been locked, the security system turns itself on. Then, you put the key in and try starting the car, setting off the alarm. I do it all the time. It would seem that this shouldn't happen, as the key supposedly has some microchip telling the car that it's the right key. But, it doesn't work that way. It took me a few times to figure out that my locking the door and waiting to start the car was setting off the alarm.

softwareguy · October 2005

Have any other TSX owners had their cars broken into?

Mine has twice so far. Both times my car was locked with the alarm set and they broke into it without setting the alarm or breaking glass. I don't think a jimmy bar was used either because there aren't any scratches on the glass and the rubber seals were not disturbed (there was an even coating of pollen across them from the trees).

I spoke with my local dealer and he indicated that a few other TSX owners have experienced the same thing. The only thing he can figure is that someone has duplicated the transmitting signal used by my remote.

Anyone else out there experiencing this - particularly in the San Francisco Bay area?

Thanks,

xplorx4 · October 2005

Not happened to me. I live in San Jose, work in San Mateo.

If no damage was done, what did the thieves take that tipped you off to the break-ins?

I rarely leave anything that appears valuable in plain sight inside the car. Thieves usually break in when there's something worth taking.

cathy2 · October 2005

Also, when buying the car, should I install any other anti-theft device? Is this a frequently stolen or broken into car? The elevated door locks bother me; I am used to them dropping into the door. Not sure if this makes a difference.

lpretzer · November 2005

Yes! I live in the city in the Pacific Heights area and my car has been broken into 4 times in the last 6 months! The first time I thought that maybe I left it unlocked by accident... but it was broken into again last night and I was on the phone with my boyfriend and he heard me lock it because now I make sure I hear the horn go off. It's nice to know that I am not alone, but man it pisses me off!

The first time they took my manuals and registration, the dealer told me that was strange and not to worry about it. This last time they took gum and my badge at work because I have NOTHING in my car.

Have you gotten any answers? I'd love to hear what you have done -- I have not reported any of them to the police, because nothing significant was taken, but I am curious about how many other people are having this problem.

Thanks for posting.

sfpdf · November 2005

My TSX has been broken into at least 6-8x on the streets of Noe Valley. The first time the thug got some sunglasses, CDs, and my owner's manual. I reported it to the police and dealership, both of whom were completely unhelpful, and in fact, the salesman at the dealership looked at me as if I were crazy. I stopped keeping anything of value in the car (when it had been in the car previously, it had been out of sight), and in the subsequent entries, all the thugs got was loose change which I used for meters. About 2 weeks ago, they broke my locked glove box, which will necessitate a multi hundred dollar repair. The dealer has offered to take one hundred dollars off the price of repair, but as to anything with the alarm system, is pointing its finger at Acura USA. Acura has been downright abusive, and is pointing its finger at the dealer, my insurance company and the police. I'm sick about this whole thing. If the anti-theft system can be foiled so easily, I think that this is a design defect which Acura should correct. Now that I've seen these posts, I am going to contact the consumer hotlines of of the local TV networks and the CA Dept of Consumer Affairs. Stay tuned.

johnny420 · November 2005

I'm sorry to hear about your experiences, but I have to ask, what exactly do you expect any security system to do? Any car can be broken into simply by smashing the window. Coupled with the fact that most people these days simply ignore car alarms, you have a situation where cars can and will be broken into.

I don't know where you park your car, but it seems to me that the best solution for you would be to store the car in a more secure location.

I've been through this myself with other cars, and it truly sucks, but I don't think any security system is going to foil a determined thief. It sure isn't the dealerships issue. I think the fact that they offered to work with you on the price of the glovebox is a show of good faith. Acura USA should never be abusive to one of its customers, regardless of the issue at hand.

Good luck getting your problem resolved.

sfpdf · November 2005

I expect the alarm to go off if the car is entered by some means other than a key or the authorized alarm. Look, I'm sure a physics Ph.d. from Cal Tech could come up with all types of novel ways to foil the ani-theft device which would likely cost Acura millions of dollars to protect against, but I think that the people who have found some way to override this alarm are just some low level street thugs who might otherwise break in a window. I suspect that Acura could modify the alarm with relative ease and at reasonable cost, at least when you consider how many of their customers are at risk.

btw, I live on a nice middle class street in Noe Valley; other than commuting to my car in Presidio Heights (which I don't think is going to be more secure anyway; one of the posters lived in Pac Heights), I don't think that there is much I can do. There are virtually no pay parking spots to be had in my neighborhood. And anyway, isn't this why someone buys an anti-theft system in the first place?

I appreciate your good wishes at least.

softwareguy · November 2005

Hi:

Sorry to hear you've been a victim too. You were broken into during the night, right? Where did you purchase and get it serviced? I purchased in Oakland, but get services done at Marin Acura.

I've spoken to both dealers now. It's a known issue. Which ever dealer told you that it's strange and not to worry is full of it. Here's what these two dealers told me they think is happening:
1: (Marin Acura) Someone has copied the remote code that unlocks my car (also know as "code grabbing" - research it on the Web). This dealer suggested that I just use my key to lock/unlock the car and don't use the remote.

OR

2: (Oakland Acura) Someone has an Acura master key to this model. They suggested I "be more careful" about where I park my car. -Thanks, never thought about that!

Based on the research I've done, I think Marin Acura has it right -code grabbing is the most likely and easiest.

Who's doing it though? I find it hard to believe that someone is just waiting in your 'hood for you to come by and press your remote and grab the code, then open up the car at night. My theory is that it's an inside job. Someone at the dealer's service dept has one of these code-grabbing devices and copies the code while it's in for service.

How did I come up with this?
1: They have plenty of time to do it while no one is looking, plus they have access to your home address so they'll know where to find your car in the middle of the night.
2: When I first had my car serviced at Marin Acura, the technician who worked with me seemed to be REALLY interested in which part of The City I lived and particularly if I parked in a garage or not. I thought he was just making conversation, but within 2 months, I had my first break in.
3: They only stole stuff a car enthusiast would want.

Suggested fixes:
1: Don't leave anything of value in your car. I know it's a pain, but I don't even leave my manual or registration in the car any more.

2: Get the code changed on your car by the dealer. I'm not sure how much it costs, but if it IS an inside job, they're just going to copy it again.

3: Get an after market alarm that uses a random code EACH time your unlock/lock your car. Currently, there are not code-grabbing devices that can beat this system. I purchased a Clifford system (~$600 installed) and I'm very pleased with it.

Good luck, let me know how you do or if you have other questions. Yes, this is a [non-permissible content removed], but you've got to love everything else about the TSX!

softwareguy · November 2005

Johnny-

See my recent response to the gal in PacHeights that has the same issue. Thanks for the tip on locking the glove box. I lock it out of spite, thinking that they won't bother with it, but you've proved me wrong.

You're doing the right thing by taking anything valuable with you as you exit the car. I would also suggest that you get an after market system. I got a Clifford and am happy with it. I wasn't happy about spending extra $$ for this, but I feel better knowing that some punk's plan to use his special electronic device to enter my car is foiled.

The Acura alarm system is an Anti-theft system, not a true security system. It will help guard against theft, but does little to prevent break ins. The after market systems use random codes each time you lock the car. -Unlike the Acura system which uses a single code, which can be copied by a code-grabbing device.

Being a premium brand, you'd think that Acura would have included this anti-code grabbing technology, but I guess it takes a while for the industry to catch up with the thugs out there.

kennethsf · December 2005

Just came across your post. My car was borken into
on Noe about the beginning of October,
via the homemade master key. The dude stole my
work bag with laptop, didn't have much else in
the car.

Last month SF police caught the guy. He
was using a homemade master key to get into the
car [late model acuras], then would look for
the valet key to steal the car.

Send me a note and I can give you more info if you
need it.

sfpdf · December 2005

Just saw your reply; thanks.

I'd be particularly interested to find out if 1) the police recovered any other stuff, if you know, and 2) if you spoke with either/both of Acura USA or your dealership and if they said anything helpful.

nave13 · April 2006

the safeguard company and number came with my car. sort of, i paide 345.00. colorado springs, co.

tsxmods · April 2006

Is there a way to reprogram the remote? The computer does not allow access to the multi-information display. I keep getting the .... Driver Unknown "Customize" Impossible -If you unlock the door with the key, ofcourse it won't let you access the menu, but when unlocking with the remote, it should allow access to the menu. This is for the 06 tsx. Thanks!!

sfheart · May 2006

i was wondering what year is your TSX?? and where did you buy it???

thats weird this is happening only in SF...... :confuse:

robby5 · June 2006

Hi ...recently bought a tsx 2006 with exactly the same problem....two solutions...return to dealer to have him program the fob...or check your fob's that they are identified driver 1 or driver 2 on the back of each. If not then have the dealer change your fob's because they are not the right ones...I bet that your seats don't move automatically with your fob's...they should. good luck

dmaccioc · August 2006

Hi Robby5, thanks for the info. I just bought an '06 a week and a half ago and am experiencing the same issue, strange that they unlock the doors but otherwise aren't programmed properly. I'm the only driver of the car so it's not such a huge problem, but it'd be nice to be able to tailor features through the multi-information display. Back to the dealer I go!

clm8 · August 2006

You don't have to go back to the dealer. I just set mine last week. Hold the "lock" and "unlock" button down at the same time. The red light on the remote will light. At that point, once you lock and unlock the door via the remote, the car will recognize your key and you can set your preferences.

bechgirl4215 · October 2006

I just purchased a 2006 TSX that had come off a 6 month lease. I did receive the driver 2 remote, but the dealership gave me a replacement remote since the orginial owner did not turn in the driver 1 remote. My problem is I can not program driver 1 on the MID. Does anyone know how to fix this problem, or do I have to go back to the dealer?

johnny420 · October 2006

I think it can be done by the owner, but for the life of me I can't remember how. The stealer should have taken care of this when you received the remote, so I'd make them do it. Wish I had better info.

anjacura · January 2007

Any updates from contacting the consumer hotlines? My 2006 TSX has been broken into twice now in Noe Valley. We must be victims of the same thieves. Both times I had no sign of a break in. I suspect they've grabbed my alarm code, but I've also heard about thieves taking your VIN to a dealer and getting a master key made. In either case, I think an after market alarm system is about all I can do at this point. I will file a police report this evening.

anjacura · January 2007

But if you use the key to lock the car, it won't enable the alarm right? So then if you use the remote to then turn on the alarm after locking the car with the key, couldn't they still copy your code?

anjacura · January 2007

The dealer showed me how to do this today...you have to put the key to the on position then click the lock key on the remote. Do this four times and you will hear/see the doors locked. Then click to unlock the door and it should be reprogrammed. If you are doing it with two remotes, unlock the first and then the second at the last step.

tsx6 · March 2007

Hi - i know it's been a while since your post on acura break ins. Just came accross the forum, my 06 acura was broken into twice in the past 3 months, SF area, no damage at all to the car/no signs and so the first time around i thought i might have forgotten to lock the car. lost golf clubs, laptops, portable GPS, shawl and a watch all kept out of sight - filed a police report, but would like to get more info on what other follow thru items that you did. aftermarket alarm, change remote code thru the dealers etc anything else that i should be aware of?

thanks much!

lpretzer · March 2007

I am the gal that posted back in Nov of 2005, after the first few times my car was broken into. I then just dealt with the fact that this was part of this car and living in the city and left ABSOLUTELY nothing in my car and had the trunk locked from the inside so that they couldn't get in. Last night someone broke into my car, electrically rolled down all the windows and stole my golf clubs out of the locked trunk???? I am BAFFLED at how this happened?? Has anyone else had this happen? I am so over this problem and have not really heard of any great options.

Thanks for any help.

jaz2 · August 2007

Argh, I have now fallen victim twice to the 2006 TSX thieves, once in Noe Valley and the other on Sansome Street and Green Street . Both times happened on a Friday night, so now I will well remember not to leave a SINGLE thing in my car. Thanks for the various suggestions... I think I will go get a Clifford alarm with the random code... and ask my dealer about this problem and see what their two cents are.

natsf · September 2007

I just recently had my car broken into on leavenworth and chestnut. I unfortunately had my work bag which included my laptop in my trunk...yes, my own stupidity to have it in there. I was absolutely dumbstruck when i got to my car and saw that it had been broken into without any signs of forced entry. I couldn't figure it out and started to doubt whether I had really locked it even though I knew I had. I lost all credibility with my insurance company and my boss/company since they thought that I had obviously just left the car unlocked. THANK YOU for giving me back my sanity! Has anyone thought of actually trying to legitimately stop these LOSERS. If it is an IS job, could Acura be held legally responsible through a class action lawsuit? Seriously, who wants to own a car that has been broken into 6-8x! I'm obviously not an expert on this but I think the police or Acura should take responsibility and address the problem. It's been affecting a large amount of SF civilians since 2005 and should come to an end now!

marksf · November 2007

Wow -- just found this forum. Just had my 2004 TSX broken into this week in San Francisco, and very similar location to yours, natsf. I also thought I was going crazy wondering if I forgot to lock my doors or something. Nothing significant stolen since I don't leave anything major in my car, but still annoying. This is the second time in the last couple years.

Interesting story about the first time I was broken into:
I have a 2004 TSX, but the morning after the breakin, I found the installation/user guide for the stock navigation system on the ground next to my car, but for the 2005 TSX. There's no reason why I would have the 2005 documentation in my car, so the thiefs obviously brought it with them. Not sure if they were targeting my Nav system or just using it to help break in, but it certainly means that they were targeting the TSX. They hit paydirt w/ the 2 computers and digital camera I had in the car (not in plain sight). The fact that the manual I found on the ground was an installation guide leads me to believe that there is some insider involved (probably from a dealer).

I'm doing a casual "stake-out" by watching my car out my window late at night, but the anger motivating me to do that will start to subside I'm sure. I think I'm going to get one of those random-code systems installed. And of course make sure NOTHING is left in my car at night.

pat · November 2007

Welcome to CarSpace - keep us posted.

Acura TSX Security System Questions

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