2016 Touring keeps popping ABS/VSA Motor 40A 38233-TBA-A01 multi-block fuse

[dick w]

Twice now, on starting the vehicle, the 4A "ABS/VSA MOTOR" segment of the 38233-TBA-A01 multi-block fuse has fused. This sets off many warning lights/messages. ABS, CMBS, TPMS, RDM, Brake Hold, Hill Start Assist, ACC, EPS, EPB, are among the complainers. (The vehicle runs fine, but many of these safety systems are, presumably, non-functional.)

The first time it happened, back on the 20th of October, the dealer blamed a bad cell in the battery, replaced the battery, but no indicators/messages went away. Then they figured out that the fuse segment fused, but the fuse was on backorder at Honda. (They blamed the fuse fusing on the battery. Not clear how a battery fails a fuse, but, well...) The car was in this "lots of warning lights/messages" state for almost two months between the dealer's regular service backlog, both to get the original "diagnosis" and then to get it back in after the part arrived, plus the waiting for the backordered part to get to Honda and then to the dealer.

We got the car back on the 14th of December with dealer reporting "installed fuse, retrained, all errors cleared" but no hint they'd looked for what caused the fuse to fail in the first place. (I did ask...)

This morning, upon starting, all the lights and messages returned. I have a service appointment for the 17th of January. I've asked them to order the fuse ahead of time so at least that doesn't hang us up this time.

Anybody else seen/resolved repeat failures of the ABS/VSA motor fuse? (And problems with ABS/VSA motor wiring or the motor itself--the root cause of the fuse fusing?) Aside from finding a clueful dealer to work on it, that has less than three weeks of service backlog for anything, any suggestions?

 

[calonzo]

I would check the wires and connectors on the ABS/VSA Module to see if there is any damage. They could be shorting out. Although, I don't know where the module is located.

 

[shoegazer]

^this^

I'd start looking for anything obvious. Frayed/pinched wiring or wet connectors (wet from fluids) immediately come to mind. Also... trace it from the under the fusebox to the ABS thingy. The fault could be anywhere as I understand it.

I'm happy to shoot and post any pictures for comparison.

 

[dick w]

Inspired in part by your replies, I went looking--apparently something too hard for the dealer techs to do. In less than five minutes, in a dark carport, with a small flashlight, I found:

‑ cable clamp clip under ABS motor not seated in firewall
‑ loose bracket holding loom connectors dangling down in engine bay near accessory drive belt (not clear where it is supposed to be fastened, but it belongs somewhere)
‑ abrasion damage on several conductors and loom cover on several terminations of harnesses attached to loose bracket; bare copper showing from several wires--one of which is, based on wire gauge alone, likely the power conductor supplying the ABS/VSA motor.
‑ cable clamp clip nearest bracket not fastened to inner wing structure

This is a not very good picture of the bracket and its harnesses, as I zip tied it up to a bracket under the coolant overflow tank, to keep it out of the drive belt you can see below. The most damaged conductor happens to be the big white one. ABS/VSA motor supply? Seems likely.

The back story on this is that the "harness, engine room" was replaced by the same dealer back in March, less than 2,000 vehicle miles ago, due to rat damage. (When I picked up the car after that work, I spotted, and had to have them address, several harness clips loose as well as trim clips missing around the hood weatherstrip. Subsequently, I found the fuse puller missing from the fuse box lid. I replaced the fuse puller at my expense, rather than fight with them over a $1.90 part.)

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. The only work that's ever been done that involved that harness and that bracket were done by them less than 2,000 miles back. To have part of that harness and a tie-down bracket now hanging down in the path of the drive belt doesn't seem like it's my problem to pay for.

 

[calonzo]

Inspired in part by your replies, I went looking--apparently something too hard for the dealer techs to do. In less than five minutes, in a dark carport, with a small flashlight, I found:

‑ cable clamp clip under ABS motor not seated in firewall
‑ loose bracket holding loom connectors dangling down in engine bay near accessory drive belt (not clear where it is supposed to be fastened, but it belongs somewhere)
‑ abrasion damage on several conductors and loom cover on several terminations of harnesses attached to loose bracket; bare copper showing from several wires--one of which is, based on wire gauge alone, likely the power conductor supplying the ABS/VSA motor.
‑ cable clamp clip nearest bracket not fastened to inner wing structure

This is a not very good picture of the bracket and its harnesses, as I zip tied it up to a bracket under the coolant overflow tank, to keep it out of the drive belt you can see below. The most damaged conductor happens to be the big white one. ABS/VSA motor supply? Seems likely.

The back story on this is that the "harness, engine room" was replaced by the same dealer back in March, less than 2,000 vehicle miles ago, due to rat damage. (When I picked up the car after that work, I spotted, and had to have them address, several harness clips loose as well as trim clips missing around the hood weatherstrip. Subsequently, I found the fuse puller missing from the fuse box lid. I replaced the fuse puller at my expense, rather than fight with them over a $1.90 part.)

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. The only work that's ever been done that involved that harness and that bracket were done by them less than 2,000 miles back. To have part of that harness and a tie-down bracket now hanging down in the path of the drive belt doesn't seem like it's my problem to pay for.

Glad you found the issue, and then some. Sorry that you will have to fight with the dealer to get it fixed.

 

[shoegazer]

Yeah... I'm not impressed with that service department (or the specific tech).

I mean... the good news is that you seem to have identified a relatively inexpensive problem to fix. If push comes to shove; you could repair, splice, heat shrink, etc... the damaged wiring yourself.

I believe I saw that fuse thingy on Amazon Prime as well.

Good luck.

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