Honda vsa codes

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Andrew1972

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My 2007 Acura MDX has lit up with abs, sh-awd, vsa lights on the dash. The code it stores shows is:

Vehicle stability assist16


Does any one know the Honda / Acura codes?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Trav
Does this car have VCM? Code P2647? If so welcome to the nightmare of Honda VCM.


No vcm it's a 3.7 version of Honda v6. It normally shows a the exact code like yours in the nav screen. This code is specific to the abs, vsa , sh awd system as all are disabled but no check engine light on.
 
That make life a lot easier. Without VCM the Honda V6 is a great engine. Any idea what the code is, i would suspect a fuse, relay or a bad wheel sensor.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
Most likely a bad wheel sensor.


I say on a tsx forum the same thing with this code and three others. However it did not specify which wheel.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
That make life a lot easier. Without VCM the Honda V6 is a great engine. Any idea what the code is, i would suspect a fuse, relay or a bad wheel sensor.


http://www.piloteers.org/forums/82-2012-2015-pilot/70873-vcm-disable-new-better-way.html

Some guy on the Pilot forum created and is selling a device that disables the VCM. It is a resistor which lowers the coolant temp sensor reading by a couple of degrees and therefore tricks the computer into thinking the coolant temp is out of VCM-ready range, and therefore disables VCM.

Does it make sense, Trav?

I have been using it for a few months and it works great!
 
Originally Posted By: SilverGGA
Originally Posted By: Trav
That make life a lot easier. Without VCM the Honda V6 is a great engine. Any idea what the code is, i would suspect a fuse, relay or a bad wheel sensor.


http://www.piloteers.org/forums/82-2012-2015-pilot/70873-vcm-disable-new-better-way.html

Some guy on the Pilot forum created and is selling a device that disables the VCM. It is a resistor which lowers the coolant temp sensor reading by a couple of degrees and therefore tricks the computer into thinking the coolant temp is out of VCM-ready range, and therefore disables VCM.

Does it make sense, Trav?

I have been using it for a few months and it works great!


That's great! It sounds like a decent fix for this nightmare, any info if its working on the early VCM I engines? Where can you get this?
Thanks for posting this, VCM is really totally worthless garbage, the engine runs so much better when its disabled.
IMO Honda should be forced to disable this for free with a PCM flash upon request after all it was only for their benefit to bump the CAFE numbers.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Originally Posted By: SilverGGA
Originally Posted By: Trav
That make life a lot easier. Without VCM the Honda V6 is a great engine. Any idea what the code is, i would suspect a fuse, relay or a bad wheel sensor.


http://www.piloteers.org/forums/82-2012-2015-pilot/70873-vcm-disable-new-better-way.html

Some guy on the Pilot forum created and is selling a device that disables the VCM. It is a resistor which lowers the coolant temp sensor reading by a couple of degrees and therefore tricks the computer into thinking the coolant temp is out of VCM-ready range, and therefore disables VCM.

Does it make sense, Trav?

I have been using it for a few months and it works great!


That's great! It sounds like a decent fix for this nightmare, any info if its working on the early VCM I engines? Where can you get this?
Thanks for posting this, VCM is really totally worthless garbage, the engine runs so much better when its disabled.
IMO Honda should be forced to disable this for free with a PCM flash upon request after all it was only for their benefit to bump the CAFE numbers.


It supports quite a few vehicles. The developer owns a Pilot so it was first developed with the Pilot in mind, but as you know, there are many similar Honda/Acura vehicles and all the newer ones share the same plugs. There are other owners who have used it with success.

I bought it by messaging the person with my PayPal info and we transacted through PayPal.

http://www.piloteers.org/forums/15-classifieds/73657-vcmuzzler-disabling-vcm-now-available.html

Info thread and development:

http://www.piloteers.org/forums/82-2012-2015-pilot/70873-vcm-disable-new-better-way.html
 
Last edited:
From the look of it it should work on the earlier ones. I was looking at this problem from an oil pressure switch mod, basically telling the PCM the engine had pressure but not enough to activate the VCM using a resistor.

I like the way he has gone it better if it works with the VCM I engines. I will contact him, maybe the oil pressure mode is still needed for the early ones i don’t know.
Thanks again for posting this,
 
Trav-
exactly what are these "nightmares"? I have an '08 with VCM II and its been flawless. The reliability ratings in CR and auto trade journals do not reflect anything abnormal (and I've been watching). Perhaps the VCM II sample size is too small to report and the reliability ratings apply mostly to the 4 cyl?
 
VCM I issues were engine sludge especially on the front bank, failed spool valve.
VCM II ferocious oil consumption, cylinder damage, cam damage, spark plug fouling and failed spool valves x2 on this version.
They both vibrate terribly the VI worse than the VII but not by much, the VI takes engine mounts that cost over $1300 and the VII mounts cost about 1K plus labor
In an attempt to make the vibration less noticeable.

These are serious problems with these engines, serious enough for Honda to be sued over, it is poorly engineered and poorly implemented on these engines.
I was one of the first to find the issue on VCM 1 engines, i was called all sorts of stuff including a heretic for posting such awful things about Honda.

Well when a lot of these engines hit the 100K mark they were dropping off, i was vindicated. It happens without warning at all, pull up to a red light or stop the car and all of a sudden its only running on 3 cylinders with the dash lights lit up like a Christmas ornament


http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/23/honda-settles-class-action-lawsuit-engines/

http://www.hondaproblems.com/trends/excessive-oil-consumption/

http://motor.com/magazine/pdfs/102013_05.pdf

One of many threads about this, i had pictures up of the engines internals at one time until the picture hosting site went commercial.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3284911/2
 
Originally Posted By: Trav

That's great! It sounds like a decent fix for this nightmare, any info if its working on the early VCM I engines? Where can you get this?
Thanks for posting this, VCM is really totally worthless garbage, the engine runs so much better when its disabled.
IMO Honda should be forced to disable this for free with a PCM flash upon request after all it was only for their benefit to bump the CAFE numbers.

Agreed.

Honda should do this many years ago. The problem is they have to restate the actual MPG with non-VCM engine, and this probably the reason they didn't do it.

Thinking about VCM problem, is it better if 1 bank off for few minutes then other bank off ? Alternate bank to bank every few minutes may solve the sludge problem ?
 
The best thing you can do for these engines is keep the PCV valve changed and use a full synthetic oil that can handle the heat changed at lower OCI!
Honda really dropped the ball on this this, the thing is so small it clogs quickly under certain operating conditions like OLM oil changes, conventional oil, extended eco mode operation.

This has to be the most poorly designed PCV system ever, the thing is Honda still uses it. Unbelievable.
The engine breathes on through the small holes on the upper left. these pictures are applicable to VI and VII VCM engines. It just about works well enough on non VCM engines but is totally the wrong system for the VCM ones.
SAM_0150_zps7pqolh16.jpg


To make matters even worse look at the size of the PCV end it has to draw through. it does have a little rattle ball inside.
SAM_0155_zpsgg3wpwrn.jpg


Even more disturbing is it draws in unfiltered outside air from right behind the radiator fan no less. they couldn’t put it on the rear cover where the air is probably a bit cleaner and still, no we force the $hit down it with gusto.
SAM_0157_zpstpuur7hm.jpg


They continue to use this in 2015 models (no idea about the 2016 yet), once the tiny valve is clogged its only a matter of time before the engine begins to sludge especially on the front head which on the V1 VCM can be a 100f or more degrees hotter when in constant eco mode.
These are the same engineers that know which oil is best for your engine. LOL
 
I continue to feel that Honda's oil specification and change frequency was completely mis-applied to the VCM engines. 5W-20 conventional works just fine on a non-VCM engine, but you can't run conventional oil for 10-11k miles in a VCM engine. Someone at our church lost an engine in their 2008 Odyssey EX-L. I didn't get details, but it sounded like the VCM issue. I asked how often she changed her oil, and with a sheepish grin, she said she would try to take it when the light went off, but it was sometimes months after the light first went off...and she drives over 2k miles a month.

Yep...sounds about right. Run a Jiffy Lube oil change for 12-15k miles, and that's what happens.

Maybe my folks' 2014 MDX will fare better. It specs 0W-20 oil, which is nearly always synthetic. I'm on dad to have it changed every 5k miles. I think he's doing closer to 6-7k miles. Still better than running conventional to over 10k. Their engine is so smooth, you simply can't tell how many cylinders it's using. I hope it stays that way.

Otherwise, my personal position is I won't buy a used VCM vehicle if I can't confirm the oil change history on it. This system seems to put too much load (in terms of temperatures, etc) on the oil for them to have recommended 5W-20 at such long intervals.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
The best thing you can do for these engines is keep the PCV valve changed and use a full synthetic oil that can handle the heat changed at lower OCI!
Honda really dropped the ball on this this, the thing is so small it clogs quickly under certain operating conditions like OLM oil changes, conventional oil, extended eco mode operation.

This has to be the most poorly designed PCV system ever, the thing is Honda still uses it. Unbelievable.
The engine breathes on through the small holes on the upper left. these pictures are applicable to VI and VII VCM engines. It just about works well enough on non VCM engines but is totally the wrong system for the VCM ones.

I agree that this is a bad engineered PCV system for a Honda engine with/without VCM.

The worst PCV system should be award to Volvo, it is complicated and under the intake tubes. To change it you need to remove some parts so the total labor is about 2-3 hours, the part cost is not cheap either.

At least in a Honda V6 you can change the OCV in less than 5-10 minutes and part doesn't cost more than $10-15.
 
Trav-
Thank you for your response and insights. Much appreciated. I'm familiar with the articles/posts you reference. They are not so dire.The Motor magazine piece explains how VCM works and mentions oil consumption more as a side issue. Regarding "ferocious oil consumption", the CR study posted in the General Topics forum fails to mention any Honda among the 30 worst oil consumers.
PCV replacement/maintenance is not required by Honda and most people don't even know their Honda has one. This probably contributes significantly to the VCM issues. I clean mine every 10k miles and also use 5-30 PP with 4-5k OCI. Perhaps this explains why my VCM Honda has given me zero problems.
In my opinion, VCM requires more attention than a typical driver is aware of.
 
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