2017 Infotainment Hardware Changes, Yes Already

[Ben&Jen]

Just got off the phone with the dealer and I was approved for a replacement. He said to wait, as the current part number is not available now. He will call when they get them in. I will update at a later date....

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[Boosted_01_R]

Just got off the phone with the dealer and I was approved for a replacement. He said to wait, as the current part number is not available now. He will call when they get them in. I will update at a later date....

What was the issues you gave them ? Also is it being replace with the new generation Infotainment ?

 

[Ben&Jen]

What was the issues you gave them ? Also is it being replace with the new generation Infotainment ?

I have had issues up and down, freezing and 1/2 reverse screens and the spinning wheel in the dash. I was there about 5 times for the same issue.

This is my daily driver, when navigating, BT streaming, when getting a call, it would freeze, or I could not connect the call. That was my final complaint.

 

[lightthief]

I feel like anyone who hasn't had an issue with the infotainment system is either in denial or very fortunate.
The Touring seems to be particularly susceptible and I suspect its because of the memory the garmin system eats up.
Yes new models will get new features but I'd put this software easily up there with some of the buggiest and unfinished I've ever encountered.
And for a closed system where they don't actually have to account for anything other than what they themselves designed I think it's pretty shameful.
For me it's a very serious dent in what is otherwise a very nice car.
Most of it could and should be fixed with a software update.
I don't think it's entitlement to ask for software to work as intended, which this system clearly does not.
Even though the hardware may be not very powerful the needs of the software also aren't very high. They did a poor and sloppy job coding it, plain and simple.

 

[Deleted member 5421]

Even though the hardware may be not very powerful the needs of the software also aren't very high. They did a poor and sloppy job coding it, plain and simple.

Hi - I agree with you that a system should work. No one has stated anywhere in this thread expecting a system to work is tied to entitlement.

My touring has exhibited no system issues other than sub rattle. I accept I may fortunate. My 2016 model was manufactured in June of this year so maybe it's an uodated software version.

You mention "the needs of the software also aren't very high". Can you please share what technical info you have insight into in which you based this statement on? Thank you.

 

[bostondan]

I agree that we are entitled to a functioning infotainment center. My touring has had numerous issues, only one of which was fixed with the software update (muting issue).

I do not assume that the car software will be absolutely perfect, but I had expected it to be vastly better than it is. It gives the appearance of being reasonably good, but then has so many bugs that show up randomly and would not be noticeable on a test drive. Reviews also did not point out these bugs when I bought the car in January.

A phone with crappy software that isn't being updated can be replaced with a competing phone that does have good software at a cost less than $600. I have no recourse with my Civic because it is too expensive to just write it off as a mistake and buy a new car just because of the infotainment center. Also, despite being much less expensive, most phones do get updated pretty frequently, as opposed to what it seems like is happening with the Civic system.

Since this is a car, not a phone, which I paid a good amount for, I expect the following:

- It works reasonablly well right from the start (maybe some people have had good luck, but obviously many of us haven't), OR
- Updates are provided to actually make it work close enough to the way it is advertised, OR
- If they discover that the original hardware cannot possibly do the functions originally advertised, the hardware gets replaced

I do not care what the 2017 model can do. I only ask that my car does what was originally advertised without requiring frequent reboots, crashing during phone calls, lagging with my backup camera (causing me to think there is nothing behind me when there is), or other annoying things that a reasonable person would not consider within reasonable expectations of how the system should function.

/rant

 

[Design]

Hi - I agree with you that a system should work. No one has stated anywhere in this thread expecting a system to work is tied to entitlement.

My touring has exhibited no system issues other than sub rattle. I accept I may fortunate. My 2016 model was manufactured in June of this year so maybe it's an uodated software version.

You mention "the needs of the software also aren't very high". Can you please share what technical info you have insight into in which you based this statement on? Thank you.

The Android OS uses around .5 - 1 GB RAM in a typical UI (up to 2 GB if enabled with Google Now). Although no one has evaluated Honda's firmware, I don't see any reason for RAM usage to exceed 1 - 1.5 GB except when running the internal GPS app as described above. Even then, Android's LMK should remove background applications if/when memory usage is above 95% or so.

The issues have been well documented in several threads (freezing, loss of audio, etc). And they suggest this has more to do with how Honda wrote the HU's firmware vs. hardware limitations. Otherwise we'd being seeing excessive lag vs. complete loss of functionality. But we won't know for sure until someone much smarter than us (and with a lot of time on their hands) can perform a stress test.

 

[lightthief]

Hi - I agree with you that a system should work. No one has stated anywhere in this thread expecting a system to work is tied to entitlement.

My touring has exhibited no system issues other than sub rattle. I accept I may fortunate. My 2016 model was manufactured in June of this year so maybe it's an uodated software version.

You mention "the needs of the software also aren't very high". Can you please share what technical info you have insight into in which you based this statement on? Thank you.

What I mean is that from a programming perspective, none of what the infotainment system needs to do is at all hardware intensive.
CarPlay and android auto are essentially just shells the system has to make room for so that doesn't require any processing power. It just has to make room to let them do their thing.
The garmin system is also self contained. They literally just ported the code from an actual garmin.

Outside of that it needs to play the radio?
Decode mp3s?
Back up camera is its own system that it just switches the display over too.
Sensing is completely separate as well, thank god.
So is the dash. You'll see it wait for information from the infotainment system if it ever goes out.

There isn't anything the system needs to do that the processor from a $50 android tablet and a 1gb of ram couldn't do and do well. iOS snuck by on literally half a gig of ram for a long time and it was a smooth experience.

But instead they half assed reskinned a version of android. Didn't optimize any of the apps. Left obvious things like multiple app pages and an Install app for non-exsistent apps just sitting right there.

They didn't clean up the code so it has a memory leak. Their "brilliant" solution to that is to have the system supposedly reboot every night, except it doesn't.

Why is there a web browser? A calulator?
Those aren't features. They are left overs from a base android install they didn't bother to take the to remove.

Yet they still took the time to ensure there was no root access and that's certain things disable when you drive. Why? Because they'd get sued over those things. The rest they just pushed out with no announcement they intend to fix any of it.

I could go on and on about it.
My touring was one of the first delivered and almost every quirk that's been posted on this form I've experienced and recorded video of, but there is no point hassling the dealership about it.
They can't do anything.

 

[Deleted member 5421]

My touring was one of the first delivered and almost every quirk that's been posted on this form I've experienced and recorded video of, but there is no point hassling the dealership about it.
They can't do anything.

That would bother me also. I'm sorry you're having to deal with that.

I can't imagine though that there is not an update that will come out to fix. Did they already update your system with the audio TSB update I read about in another thread?

 

[kperalta]

Honestly, while a significant number of users on this forum have experienced head unit issues it shouldn't have to be said that it isn't a majority. My touring has only been affected by glitches at random that were easily fixed by resetting or not driving the car for a while. Not doubting the validity of the issues that have been reported on here, but you all have to remember hardware can come out with errors the same as software.

I know people who absolutely HATED their iPhone 6S Plus while others had no issues whatsoever. Same goes for basically any device out there. Some people report the PS4 being a giant pile of sh**, but mine has been absolutely flawless since I bought it on release day. I'd love to post more examples, but I've just owned so much hardware that I loved that other people hated, and so many that I've hated that others have loved, due to issues.

All explaining aside, I swear if we can put a 2017 HU in a 2016 I'm doing it just because that's awesome! Well, if it's updated anyways.

 

[lightthief]

Honestly, while a significant number of users on this forum have experienced head unit issues it shouldn't have to be said that it isn't a majority. My touring has only been affected by glitches at random that were easily fixed by resetting or not driving the car for a while. Not doubting the validity of the issues that have been reported on here, but you all have to remember hardware can come out with errors the same as software.

I know people who absolutely HATED their iPhone 6S Plus while others had no issues whatsoever. Same goes for basically any device out there. Some people report the PS4 being a giant pile of sh**, but mine has been absolutely flawless since I bought it on release day. I'd love to post more examples, but I've just owned so much hardware that I loved that other people hated, and so many that I've hated that others have loved, due to issues.

All explaining aside, I swear if we can put a 2017 HU in a 2016 I'm doing it just because that's awesome! Well, if it's updated anyways.

So this is where ideology comes up against experience.

"My touring has only been affected by glitches at random that were easily fixed by resetting or not driving the car for a while."

People seem to think this system like a phone or gaming console, but it's not.
Those systems have to contend with hundreds to thousand of outside developers making a broad spectrum software on a platform that has to be versatile enough work in a variety of ways.

This system, on the other hand, has a strict set of functions it was designed to perform from a single development team. In that way it's closer to a vacuum cleaner or a watch than a phone. All pieces should be accounted for and function properly.

There is no excuse for having to reboot it at all, even occasionally, because there isn't anything in the system that shouldn't already be thought through.

To say not driving your car for a while is somehow totally acceptable is rather astonishing to me.

You do have problems with your system, just like many other people, the difference is just that they don't seem to bother you as much.

 

[lightthief]

That would bother me also. I'm sorry you're having to deal with that.

I can't imagine though that there is not an update that will come out to fix. Did they already update your system with the audio TSB update I read about in another thread?

Had it applied yesterday. Supposedly anyway, I'm not convinced the dealership actually did it. The firmware still reads oct 2015.
It's been even more finicky since.
Bluetooth decided to default itself back to off randomly though it was on when I left the dealership.

Coming up on a year with only one software patch for one problem doesn't give me much confidence they have any actual plans for updates.

Meanwhile Ford, Hyundai, and BMW, have all managed carplay updates for models they never even announced support for in the first place.

 

[Deleted member 5421]

Had it applied yesterday. Supposedly anyway, I'm not convinced the dealership actually did it. The firmware still reads oct 2015.
It's been even more finicky since.
Bluetooth decided to default itself back to off randomly though it was on when I left the dealership.

Coming up on a year with only one software patch for one problem doesn't give me much confidence they have any actual plans for updates.

Meanwhile Ford, Hyundai, and BMW, have all managed carplay updates for models they never even announced support for in the first place.

I've owned several BMW's. That is not a brand you want to hold up as an example of problem-free engineering.

 

[kperalta]

So this is where ideology comes up against experience.

"My touring has only been affected by glitches at random that were easily fixed by resetting or not driving the car for a while."

People seem to think this system like a phone or gaming console, but it's not.
Those systems have to contend with hundreds to thousand of outside developers making a broad spectrum software on a platform that has to be versatile enough work in a variety of ways.

This system, on the other hand, has a strict set of functions it was designed to perform from a single development team. In that way it's closer to a vacuum cleaner or a watch than a phone. All pieces should be accounted for and function properly.

There is no excuse for having to reboot it at all, even occasionally, because there isn't anything in the system that shouldn't already be thought through.

To say not driving your car for a while is somehow totally acceptable is rather astonishing to me.

You do have problems with your system, just like many other people, the difference is just that they don't seem to bother you as much.

For a while I mean like 1 hour, and the only reason I mention phones and consoles is because as of now the HU seems to have similar components to them (motherboard, ram, processors, etc) not comparing the importance of them. The only problem with my system is that occasionally it won't stop beeping as if it's receiving an physical input of some sort, or a blank screen which has only occured once.

Considering the HU runs android, I would expect it to have issues like an android phone. While I don't care much about the issues as other people, it's also very clear mine hasn't glitched to the point where the HUD won't work. It's absolutely unacceptable that Honda isn't replacing those HUs right away when such a fatal error occurs, and if that happened to me my dealer would hate me even more than they already do.

Edit: also saying they haven't thought through it all the way is like saying apple hasn't completely thought through their software considering millions of people buy their new release phones and download software the day of. They should just not intergrate all this stuff considering the uncertainty of the performance

 

[Deleted member 5421]

Meanwhile Ford, Hyundai, and BMW, have all managed carplay updates for models they never even announced support for in the first place.

Ps. It's a $300 option in BMW's.

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