ALARM issues related to BCM acting up...

[calonzo]

My 2017 honda civic Touring developed a similar set of issues. Dealer attempted to reprogram the BCM which did not resolve the issues was advised it needed to be replaced. Also advised the part is on back order. The work around suggested by the dealer until the part arrived was to disconnect the battery when parking the car and then reconnect when ready to go again.

a little inconvenient but it did allow me to continue using the vehicle. I did forget to disconnect the battery several times after the dealer attempted to reprogram it and of course the car malfunctioned.

about two weeks later. I was heading to my car for my morning commute and when I lifted the hood to reconnect the battery, I found that I had forgotten to disconnect it the night before.

I expected the battery to be totally drained but the car started up just fine and has been fine ever since. no issues at all over the last 2 weeks.

The only reason I can think of for the problem disappearing is that perhaps Honda sent out a Over The Air update to fix the issue.


I've read that many manufacturers do this but I can't seem to find any articles that confirms Honda is one of them.

Anyone have any info? Anyone else ever experience issues with the BCM that suddenly disappeared?

I am not aware of any way they can do over-the-air updates.

Is your issue related to the alarm or to the battery draining?

How long was the issue happening before it seems to have fixed itself?

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[swopie]

I had two issues that happened intermittently at first and then began to occur almost everytime I shut the car off:
1. shut the car off, exit the vehicle, 10-15 minutes later the alarm goes off. when I return to the car the dash is lit up and car seems to cycle endlessly between accessory mode and "ready to start mode", relays clicking, etc.
-or-
2. shut the car off, 5-10 seconds later the car comes back on in accessory mode all by itself and stays in accessory mode until battery drains or until battery is disconnected. It took me awhile to figure this out since the car woul go into accessory mode after I exited the vehicle and then when I returned to the car hours later, the battery was mysterious drained. I caught this by accident one day because I shut the car off, and sat inside to take a cell phone call, and I saw the dash light up even though I never touched the start/stop button or toched the keyless remote.

I then had the dealer run diagnostics, etc. These issues continued for 2 weeks after the dealer looked at and then both issues suddenly disappeared. been working perfectly for last 2 weeks.

 

[calonzo]

How old is the battery? If it is more than 3 years old and it comes back again, I would get a new one. Low voltage can cause all those issues.

 

[swopie]

thanks for the suggestion. the original battery was almost exactly 3 years old. battery was replaced and issues continued to occur

 

[calonzo]

Sounds like the BCM is to blame, but don't know why it is working now. Maybe it happens in the colder weather only?

 

[swopie]

as expected the bcm issue has returned. car goes into accessory mode 2-3 minutes after shutoff. alarm sometimes sounds 5 or so after shutoff I'm back to disconnecting the battery when I reach my destination. Seems to confirm that this is an electronic/hardware issue, not a software issue. Dealer diagnosed BCM is failing and ordered part 6+ weeks ago. Talked to them today and they still show this part on back order and they have no idea when it will be available. They indicated they have other customers who have been waiting 3 months for this part. has anyone located a reliable source for this part. I tried ordering it from 2-3 sources. websites indicate it's available, I place my order and next day, I get an email indicating it's on back order with no expected delivery date. seems to be part and parcel of the whole global microchip shortage.

Even if I manage to locate the part, it's my undestanding I still need to have the dealer program the module so it matches the security code for the anti-theft/alarm system. Otherwise it's not going to start. I've seen some coders/analyzers for sale for around $1200. I think those devices will work on my 2017 honda civic as well as my wife's 2018 honda CRV. I plan to keep both vehicles for a few more years so it might be a worthwile investment for me. My question is, even if I buy one of the devices, will I be able to program the new BCM on my own or do I need a special code only able available to dealers to get it to work?

 

[calonzo]

How much does the dealer charge to reprogram the BCM? It can't be more than $100 or so, can it? Seems like overkill to spend $1200 in the off chance it happens again.

 

[swopie]

How much does the dealer charge to reprogram the BCM? It can't be more than $100 or so, can it? Seems like overkill to spend $1200 in the off chance it happens again.

good point, I'll ask the dealer, after I confirm that I can actually get the part myself. A place called Hona Factory Parts claims to have it in stock for $280.00. I placed an order yesterday. Let'see if they can actually deliver.


You're right. from what I understand, installing and programming is probably a 45 minute-1 hour job. reasonable charge for this this service in my opinion would be $100-$200. However, some service departments I've dealt with in the past get a little funny when you bring your own parts.

I did find some bi-directional analyzers out there for $200 to $700. The Foxwell NT510 for $199 looks promising. says it can program ECU. I was thinking about buying a scan tool anyway so I can read and clear error codes on my own.

 

[brotard]

good point, I'll ask the dealer, after I confirm that I can actually get the part myself. A place called Hona Factory Parts claims to have it in stock for $280.00. I placed an order yesterday. Let'see if they can actually deliver.


You're right. from what I understand, installing and programming is probably a 45 minute-1 hour job. reasonable charge for this this service in my opinion would be $100-$200. However, some service departments I've dealt with in the past get a little funny when you bring your own parts.

I did find some bi-directional analyzers out there for $200 to $700. The Foxwell NT510 for $199 looks promising. says it can program ECU. I was thinking about buying a scan tool anyway so I can read and clear error codes on my own.

Any Update?

I've been waiting since March and still haven't been able to get it fixed.

 

[swopie]

Any Update?

I've been waiting since March and still haven't been able to get it fixed.

I wrote note to the manufacturer of the FOXwell tuner. they replied and said this item cannot be used to program a new BCM. On a whim I called the dealer 1 week ago to inquire about the status of my backordered BMC and miracle of miracles they finally received it. got installed 3 days ago, parts, labor and programming came $900.00 and it is working fine.

 

[calonzo]

Glad to hear it. But probably not as glad as you! LOL

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