2016 Civic 1.5L Turbo Surges at Highway Speeds (45–70 MPH) S.B. #16-028

PhotoVoltaire

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Flat yes and on hilly terrain I expect it to drop a little when going uphill but you can notice it between hills.
That certainly sounds odd to me. Mine only seems to do that on hills, and only if I'm using Econ. Without Econ, it manages to maintain a constant speed whether I'm on flat terrain or going over a mountain pass.

The issue on this thread topic was different, though. It was more of a constant, repetitive, front-to-back shaking, and the RPM needle would bounce up and down. It made no difference whether cruise was on or not. I'm pretty sure it only affected us early adopters, though, but I could be wrong.
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IronBorg

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That certainly sounds odd to me. Mine only seems to do that on hills, and only if I'm using Econ. Without Econ, it manages to maintain a constant speed whether I'm on flat terrain or going over a mountain pass.

The issue on this thread topic was different, though. It was more of a constant, repetitive, front-to-back shaking, and the RPM needle would bounce up and down. It made no difference whether cruise was on or not. I'm pretty sure it only affected us early adopters, though, but I could be wrong.
Just got back from dealership. The tech was able to determine it was a problem and did a hard reset on the ECU. It’s working fine for now so we’ll see how long it stays. I think it is a similar issue to the rpm fluctuations like this thread is about. It’s just on a smaller scale. I will report back if the issue returns.
 

IronBorg

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The issue has returned. The dealer has told me to wait until an update for our car is released. At least they know it is an issue. I’ll report back when I have an update.
 

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I have the si 6 speed with the surge problem as many of you have described. Is this tsb only for cvt transmissions?
 

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I have the si 6 speed with the surge problem as many of you have described. Is this tsb only for cvt transmissions?
Yes. It changed programming of the controller for the engine/transmission. I believe it changed the learning and time constants for a PID loop or similar.
 


IronBorg

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Any firmware updates for the 2018 Civics yet? I'm having oscillation with a stock 2018 Hatch CVT. The cruise will not hold at highway speeds (75 mpg) it constantly drops and accelerates on flat road with no one in front. I have Nav with sensing as well. Any idea what it could be? Would KTuner fix this if I flashed the ECU?
 

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My cruise control still oscillates. I'm going to take it to a different dealership. The first time I took it in the tech took me out in his 2017 1.5 t civic and it did not do this, it held the speed perfectly but they could not figure out why mine was doing it. So I took it back again to them at a later date and a different tech didn't want to help and said it was normal which was not true because the other tech's civic doesn't do this! I know it has something to do with the software because if I'm locked on to the car in front of me it will hold the speed perfectly but if I'm on my own it will oscillate.
 

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Understand that if it is a software issue, the dealer techs have ZERO way to troubleshoot/diagnose/repair on their own and are 100% dependent on Honda already having agreed there is a problem, and documented it, along with developing and releasing any fix. Even if that has happened, it's not a simple matter of plugging the car into Honda and Honda replying back "Aha, this car has out of date firmware and may exhibit X symptom."
 

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Understand that if it is a software issue, the dealer techs have ZERO way to troubleshoot/diagnose/repair on their own and are 100% dependent on Honda already having agreed there is a problem, and documented it, along with developing and releasing any fix. Even if that has happened, it's not a simple matter of plugging the car into Honda and Honda replying back "Aha, this car has out of date firmware and may exhibit X symptom."
I agree it will take Honda noticing there is a problem, however this does require a tech at a dealership to take notice first and actually talking to Honda assuring them that it is a problem to begin with. Maybe the tech was having a bad day the second time around. I have a phone call planned with Honda this morning and I'll see if they want me to return to the same dealership or another one.
 

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I agree it will take Honda noticing there is a problem, however this does require a tech at a dealership to take notice first and actually talking to Honda assuring them that it is a problem to begin with.
Agreed, this has to bubble up from the field. But I've always wondered whether the techs actually do or what their experience is when contacting Honda Tech Line. Do they get put on hold for an hour because their call is so important? Do they get told that Honda has never heard the complaint before? In short, do they get stonewalled just like customers do? The thing is the techs don't get paid to not fix things, so they have mixed motivations at best. Sure they want to help the customer. But they have to eat too.

I don't think--but would welcome an insider's knowledge--the dealer gets warranty claim reimbursement for spending time agreeing there is a problem to which there is no fix/issued TSB, or for sitting on the phone trying to talk to the Honda Tech Line for an issue that Honda hasn't yet copped to as a problem. This whole ugly scenario is one reason I like Tesla's attempt to break up the agency sales and service model.
 


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My 2016 touring civic does this as well at approx 67 to 79 mph on open round without a car in front. My dealer had no answers.

Question: would a hondata flash fix this issue inherently?
 

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I'm updating all of my posts, My 2018 does this at 35 mph as well not just at highway speeds.
 

IronBorg

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My 2016 touring civic does this as well at approx 67 to 79 mph on open round without a car in front. My dealer had no answers.

Question: would a hondata flash fix this issue inherently?
No Hondata or Ktuner will not fix this issue. I bought a Ktuner thinking it might fix it but it did not. It was not my only reason of buying one but I was hoping it would fix it. Also there is a TSB out for your 2016 surging issue. https://www.civicx.com/threads/2016...-at-highway-speeds-45–70-mph-s-b-16-028.2507/
 

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Just got mine done @ the dealership today and showed them the TSB screenshot. Let's see if it actually fixes the fluctuating issue.
 

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I just purchased a used 2016 touring with 35k miles and I noticed the issue. I didn't buy the vehicle from honda but I brought it in yesterday and they completed the updates, charged me $99 plus tax and that has resolved the issue as of now and increased the combined mpgs to 37 from 33 after 2 tanks of gas.
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