Car wont start

490

Asked by Sherryl Mar 04, 2016 at 07:23 AM about the 2006 Acura TL FWD with Dynamic and Navigation Package

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have replaced starter, battery (4 times) & alternator and car still wont start
without jump. I disconnected the hands free because there were reports of it
draining battery. lights work now as does remote to lock/unlock etc but when I
turn key, it just clicks & then nothing.

34 Answers

4,910

Did you check alternator belt? Start it, go to parts store or mechacnic and ask them to check charging system, don't turn it off! If OK go home let it run for a little while, than shut off car and take off battery cables. Next day put cables back on, if starts battery good and something before this test something was draining it. I would recoonect hansfree, usually this takes days to drain a good battery. This at least start point.

6 people found this helpful.
490

Belt was replaced yesterday when Alternator was changed. Before I changed Alternator out, I was disconnecting Positive battery cable every afternoon so I wouldn't have to jump every day. When I reconnected Battery cable, it would start right up. Something is definitely draining Battery...What next?

7 people found this helpful.
4,910

If it starts every time you disconnect battery than reconnect later and starts, car battery is ok but if left for a day or so connected and wont start something is dedefinetly draining battery. If its newer car and sits MANY days without starting it and battery is connected its normal to drain battery, maybe even to point where wont start. But not if its a few days. And if your driving it and its OK the charging system is working so alternator OK {battery is only needed to start the car & for alarms, etc when car is off). I would look for something obvious, like lights (even in trunk, under hood,etc) door ajar. If not take to a good mechanic that knows electrical, could be something not obvious like alarm, etc. Hope it works, let us know! If u really have to u could jus drive and disconnect battery when u have to turn off. But when u reconnect make sure cable is snug & be careful of acid on battery. It will burn you or eat clothes. Make sure you where safety glasses a spark could ignite acid and don't get on skin!

2 people found this helpful.
490

Thanks for your imput. Will putting it on a diagnostic machine pinpoint the problem? The mechanic that put alternator on, doesn't have one & I'm pretty much tapped out financially.I have been disconnecting battery cable both before alternator was replaced & in the past couple days. It's easier that jumping it but I have to reset nav & radio codes every time I do. Nav takes a while to reset itself but I'll take this solution until problem can be resolved.

2 people found this helpful.
4,910

If your mechanic doesn't have analyzer, not tryin to sound critical but he may not b qualified enough to find problem that's why said good trusted mechanic that knows electrical. Hope u find it!

1 people found this helpful.
490

Back to square one on this for now.I am disconnecting positive battery cable every night until I can get it to my friends mechanic in a couple weeks. Has anyone else had these problems?

3 people found this helpful.
4,910

Take test light between battery and battery cable, light will go on with battery drain. Take out fuses u know or suspect r causing drain till light goes out. Than u at least know system involved

3 people found this helpful.
490

Still dealing with the same problem. Car is back at NEW garage again trying to troubleshoot problem.. Wouldn't start yesterday after sitting 1 day without driving it. Garage said have towed so I did. Would NOT start yesterday, but today mechanic says starts every time??? They are now trouble shooting the hands free system & say they are also checking to see if Acura/Honda will cover it as so many problems reported with it

1 people found this helpful.
40

Having the same problem with 2007 Acura TL. Mechanic is trying to figure out what is draining the battery/why it's not starting but it starts every time it is in the shop. Computer is saying hands free system but it is disconnected and still having the same issue. Sometimes lights, ac, etc turn on but car won't start, sometimes lights flicker, sometimes they don't turn on at all. @sgurney what was the problem with yours?

4 people found this helpful.
490

Same problem, They say HFL but I disconnected it & still have same issue. There is a Class action lawsuit filed against Honda & I joined it.. By David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com Posted in News Acura HandsFreeLink Problems Cause Battery Drain Lawsuit July 2, 2016 — Acura HandsFreeLink problems have caused a class-action lawsuit that alleges the HandsFreeLink drains batteries and keeps draining batteries. The HandsFreeLink lawsuit was filed against Honda, parent organization of Acura and one of the first companies to use Bluetooth hands-free technology, calling it HandsFreeLink. The system allows a driver to "pair" a smartphone with the car, but according to the plaintiff, Honda should have warned consumers about the alleged defects that cause batteries to drain at alarming rates. In addition to the toll on the battery, the alternator and other components of the electrical system take a beating, leading to failures and expensive repairs. Plaintiff Janice Pfeiffer says she purchased a 2006 Acura MDX in 2008 and by 2012 her Acura experienced its first drained battery, followed by a repeated schedule of jump starts, replacement of the alternator and several batteries. Pfeiffer says she finally learned in 2016 the HandsFreeLink system was to blame and had been causing a strain on the electrical system. The lawsuit says Honda messed up when it created the HandsFreeLink unit to stay on even when the ignition switch is turned off. This always-on status creates a constant "parasitic drain" on the electrical system and a series of dead batteries. The plaintiff says she and other Acura owners are left with the choice of replacing the HandsFreeLink units at a cost of at least $1,000 each or disconnecting the HandsFreeLink units from the vehicles. Even if an Acura owner chooses to replace the unit, the lawsuit says there is no guarantee the new unit won't get stuck in the "on" position. Despite knowing about the issue with its HandsFreeLink since at least 2005, the plaintiff says Honda has only issued internal service bulletins to its dealers without recalling the vehicles or extending the warranties. Acura dealers were sent a service bulletin in 2005 that said the HandsFreeLink systems can get “locked up” in an “on” position and the “system staying on may cause a dead or low battery while the vehicle’s ignition switch is off.” Dealers were told to replace the units with the same allegedly defective units, causing repeated trips to replace batteries once the problems reoccurred. In a service bulletin sent to Acura dealers on December 6, 2008, Honda allegedly said the HandsFreeLink “control unit has an internal problem, which creates a parasitic current draw of 250mA.” One of the symptoms of the problem was the battery would be so drained that it could not start the vehicle. The plaintiff also claims the system can reset and hide the original problem from technicians. Then the system can get stuck in the "on" position once again and the problem repeats itself. Some owners have complained about replacing batteries up to four times, with the response from Acura to disconnect the HandsFreeLink unit. "The hands free link system that uses bluetooth to connect to your cellular phone is defective. It kills the car battery, always drawing current from the battery even when the car is parked and not running. Had battery replaced all ready. Manufacturer suggested repair is to disconnect the hands free link from the vehicle." - 2006 Acura TL owner / Champaign, Illinois "...the blue tooth hands free on the steering wheel has killed 4 batteries and caused me to be stranded after not using car for two days. this car I bought brand new, more money than I ever should of spent on a vehicle and it is a disgrace!" - 2006 Acura TL owner / Vero Beach, Florida Included in the class-action lawsuit are all Acura vehicles equipped with HandsFreeLink units with the alleged defects. The Acura HandsFreeLink lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California - Janice Pfeiffer, et al v. American Honda Motor Company Inc. The plaintiffs are represented by Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, Seeger Weiss, Carella, Byrne, Cecchi, Olstein, Brody & Agnello, P.C. and Baron & Budd, P.C.

11 people found this helpful.
490

Update on what is going on with my 2006 Acura TL. Still has days when it won't start & needs to be jumped. One thing I have noticed is that the security system is engaged ALL THE TIME. CONTINUOUSLY BLINKING. I don't know it this is enough to drain battery or not. Please give imput

3 people found this helpful.
490

Went out yesterday morning to start car & again had to get jump; mind you I drove the car all weekend. Had to reset radio code, no prob with that. I also had to reset Nav System; serious problem over night the screen developed a star break in screen & a crack in dash on passenger side. If car had noot been locked I would think Vandalized. I'm at wits end with this darned car. Suggestions anyone?

1 people found this helpful.
10

Try replacing the ac clutch relay, read some reviews saying that it gets stuck or shorts out. It's like $6 at any autoparts place. Got mine at orielly tonight and they had it in Stock. Hoping that fixes my issues, just replaced the alternator for the second time in a week.

1 people found this helpful.
490

I may be missing something here because I don't see the correlation between battery drain & HFL stuck in ON position! Please advise if this fixes Your problem. I disconnected HFL as instructed from overhead box & it still engages, I just read an article about disconnecting it from the steering wheel?? Guess Ill try that next

1 people found this helpful.
490

Well, I have now replaced 5 Batteries. This one was 10 months old & thankfully under warranty. I'll update again as soon as it kills this battery

1 people found this helpful.
20

It's your stupid HFL (hands free link) not turning off. I'm disconnecting mine permanently right now....

2 people found this helpful.
20

i HAVE rdx NOT DRIVING IT AS MUCH AS i USED TO IN 5 T0 6 DAYS BATTERY DEAD SOMETHING MUST BE DRAINING BATTERY BUT THEY CANT FIGURE IT OUT ??????

2 people found this helpful.
490

My HFL was also disconnected & some way it is still over riding & killing the battery

3 people found this helpful.
490

Okay, the saga continues on my 2006 Acura TL.Now I seem to have Gremlins. I promise you what I'm about to tell you, really happened and I have a witness. About 3 weeks ago, I decided to do my grocery shopping at night at my local Walmart. I was after 11pm when I completed my shopping. I used my remote to open the trunk and my friend helped me load groceries in. I then used the remote to unlock the car doors. When I got into the car, all my windows were down. I asked my friend at the same time he was asking me, (why I put the windows down). I told him that I didn't. I was baffled as there is no button on remote or car door to put all windows down at same time. I put windows up & started to leave when I noticed that my "SUN ROOF" was also open. hummm. When I disconnected the HFL several months ago, the sunroof also stopped working. I tried using the controls to close the sunroof but it would not close. I moved the car to a well lit location, removed the top control cover that has the controls & plugged the HFL switch back in. I closed the sunroof & drove home trying to figure this out. What say you now!!! The caer still doesn't start without a jump if it isn't started for a day or so. I solved that by buying a portable charger/air compressor that stays in my car.

5 people found this helpful.
30

Hi Sherryl I have the same problems with you. Luckily, I had founded the problem when I removed all of the wires for power seat and memory seat. Hope this could help you to troubleshoot.

3 people found this helpful.
490

I replaced battery again with a higher grade battery with a 3 year warranty. A battery last me about 9 months before I have to start jumping it. At 11 months it test dead. HFL is definitely the cause. My daughter who is an ace mechanic came in from LA. and removed the whole thing and taped off all the wires. We'll see how it goes now. I did find out about the Gremlins that put down all my windows & opened my sunroof. If you use your remote to unlock your doors & then push it again; the windows go down & sunroof opens. Weird as heck!! I hope that my problem is solved.

2 people found this helpful.
20

I have a 2006 Acura TL I love my car. Until about a month ago my Altinator went out and I replaced it. Then replaced the battery because it kept dying. Now it still dies. Disconnected the hands free and still dies. I have the exact same problem as you Sheryl so I am gonna follow your thread. Thanks hopefully there is a answer for this issue

2 people found this helpful.
20

I am currently having the drained battery issue with my 2006 tl and my hfl is disconnected from overhead as well. Sounds like there is no answers and I am tired of getting jumped every time I turn off my car.

2 people found this helpful.
490

My daughter who is one heck of a mechanic, finally went in overhead and COMPLETELY removed the HFL. Harnesses, wires the whole enchilada. She taped off any wires that may or may not retouch in the future and threw everything in the trash. I also upgraded my battery to a more heavy duty one that has a three year warranty. So far, so good and this was around Thanksgiving. One other thing I did was invest in a charger/air compressor that I am able to keep charged & handle by myself if I ever need to again. The combination of all these things have solved my problem as of now. There really is not a solution to this problem until Honda gets off their DEAD ARSE and makes good on the faulty HFL. It's a rotten shame to have it and not be able to use it. There is a Class Action Lawsuit (of which, I am a party) but I'm sure that I will be dead and gone LONG before Honda does anything about this issue. Good luck. I'm 70 years old, you may outlive them. lol.

2 people found this helpful.
490

I just received further information regarding the Lawsuit against Honda (ie) hands free link and will attach:Steve W. Berman, Managing Partner To: coolnana109@yahoo.com Apr 11 at 7:27 PM Acura HandsFreeLink Litigation Update: We are pleased to share that on March 26, 2018, Judge Jon S. Tigar denied the majority of arguments made by American Honda Motor Inc. in their Motion to Dismiss. Judge Tigar’s order represents a victory for consumers. Judge Tigar explains in his order that Plaintiffs sufficiently allege a defect within Honda’s exclusive knowledge, and that Honda withheld information from Plaintiffs, so a large number of Plaintiffs’ consumer protection and warranty claims can now move forward. A status conference is scheduled for the end of the month. Plaintiffs are excited to move past the motion to dismiss stage and begin exchanging discovery in earnest. We look forward to building on the momentum of this recent win by undertaking robust discovery in the next few months and moving for class certification later on this year. Thank you, Steve W. Berman Managing Partner Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP 1918 8th Avenue Seattle, WA 98101 206-623-7292

4 people found this helpful.

Just wanted to say I'm having the same problem with my 2005 Acura TL my HFL has never worked since I bought the cad but I bought it used. I do know when u stick the key in the driver side door and turn it 3 times and hold it....it rolls your windows down and opens your sunroof. Also I just by luck have an 11 yr old son who was the only one who could get my car started every single time when I couldn't. He only tapped the dash middle speaker kinda hard but not to hard and it starts every time. I'm baffled by it....really

490

The Saga of the Acura TL continues. The electrical system will probably crash at some point in time & put us all walking. The thing with the sunroof/windows will happen just by holding the open button also. Since the HFL was completely removed and taped off, it starts like a champ (knock on wood). I love my Acura and it will be my last car

2 people found this helpful.

Wow i am having the same problems expect i haven't gone around to disconet the HFL which i might do soon. After not driving for 2 days, my TL doesn't start and i am getting fed up with it. At this point i am thinking of selling the car and moving on to Lexus.

I had the same problem and after taking it to an electrical specialist, it was the amp (under the console) draining my 2007 TSX. Now it's doing it again. Car is fine when I lock it. If I don't lock it, something is draining the battery. Back to the shop again! ERRRR

20

I got the same problems and done everything this thread has suggested over the years. This week I think I've finally figure it out. I'm changing the combination switch(35130-SAA-J51). I've noticed how my car reacts to how I put the key in and turn the ignition. Just jamming it in and turning the ignition it won't crank, but when I take my time and do it slow it works. Been doing this for almost a week.

2 people found this helpful.
10

Had the same problem took it to my mechanic specializing in electrical problems. It was the voice activated feature for the radio that caused the drain. Disconnected that feature and it seems to have worked so far.

1 people found this helpful.

I disconnected HFL 2 years ago when battery was being drained. Started fine for 2 years. Wouldn’t start recently. Installed brand new battery. I had the alternator tested (came back fine). Car starts one day. Won’t start the next. Extremely frustrating. Connected OBD reader. No codes. Internal and external lights work. Windows go down slowly when car is ‘randomly acting up’ and won’t start. No clicking noise. Just nothing. Regarding post above about windows and sunroof opening, that is a feature on the remote when the unlock button on the remote is held down, rather than just a quick press and release.

I’m having the same problem with my 2005 Acura TL! I’ve dumped way to much money into this damn car! 3 alternators 3 starters 3 battery’s and here I sit again won’t start grrrr

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