Brake System (Amber)

[bluecivicsport]

Own a blue 2018 Honda Civic Sport Hatchback, 6MT. Awesome car.

I have a rebuilt title for front end cosmetic damage (important detail, since I'd otherwise be taking this in for warranty service and not posting about it at 11:30 at night) and I just recently had the Brake System light come on. As I rolled up to a corner I activated the Brake Hold, saw the brake hold system indicator, and as I stopped at a light the green indicator disappeared, and the amber Brake System light turned on.

I've done some investigating, and it sounds like this problem is possibly something inside the VSA. I don't have access to an HDS without going to a stealership, so I can't get the exact DTS code to investigate further. What would you suggest I do next? Would buying a honda-specific DTC help? If it's an intermittent issue, would clearing the code enable brake hold again?(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IVJLXCK/ref=emc_b_5_t)

Another note; in the process of doing an aftermarket stereo install I mis-wired something in the harness which shorted out a 10A fuse. I fixed the harness, replaced the fuse, and everything worked as expected. I'm wondering if somehow the VSA was involved in whatever was messed up in that short circuit. Besides this Brake System and the absence of the brake hold function, there doesn't appear to be any other issues with the car.

My primary concern is that there is something un-safe about the vehicle now that the VSA is disabled or damaged in some way. As far as i understand, it operates on top of the hydraulic brake system, so the brake system itself is fine, I just lose extra functions VSA provides me.

I also want to make sure another larger portion of the car hasn't been damaged (ECU, for example) that could cause me major headache down the road. I'd rather catch an issue early while I'm not immobilized.

Thanks for any help. I'm new, so I apologize if you've seen a thread before that I couldn't find in my search.

Edit: I also do not have a functioning backup camera. The aftermarket stereo came with the wrong voltage transformer, so I'm not able to power the backup camera yet. I don't know how that would ever cause a brake system indicator, but I'll throw in the info anyway.

Sponsored

 

[shoegazer]

Does the parking brake function normally when you engage and disengage it?

 

[fitter_here]

It could be this service bulletin, I had similar problems, the updated the VSA software.

 

[bluecivicsport]

Does the parking brake function normally when you engage and disengage it?

Yes, parking brake works normally so EPB seems to be unaffected.

It could be this service bulletin, I had similar problems, the updated the VSA software.

Since I’m going to have to do an out of warranty repair, what is the cost for an update like that? I’m guessing there’s no other option besides the stealership for that.

 

[fitter_here]

Mine was covered under warranty. You might not have the choice to go to the dealership.

I never use Brake Hold or the Parking Brake

 

[bluecivicsport]

Mine was covered under warranty. You might not have the choice to go to the dealership.

I never use Brake Hold or the Parking Brake

I'm not a brake hold fan either, it's a bad habit to get used to. I'm MT so I use the parking brake, but no problems there.

I think I'll find someone with an HDS and see if I can clear the code. I won't be using brake hold again, so it shouldn't be a problem. I'll let you know what I find.

 

[fitter_here]

Keep us informed of what you find.

 

[bluecivicsport]

Keep us informed of what you find.

I bought that amazon code reader I linked above. I found a few, a leftover codes from back when I disconnected an airbag indicator during a stereo install, and a VSA clutch pedal stroke sensor error. I cleared the stroke sensor error and brake hold works as normal. I may still have that software issue with my VSA, it's in the right date range, but I'll see how this holds up for now.

Sidenote, that DTC reader is nice. I would recommend it. It's slow but it's also cheap.

 

[fitter_here]

Do you have the EPB maintenance option on your DTC reader.?

 

[bluecivicsport]

Do you have the EPB maintenance option on your DTC reader.?

I believe it does. It gives me access to the EPB sensor values and I can manually put new ones in. I haven’t tried anything since mine works fine so far, but it seems like I could make changes now if I did my own brake service.

 

[fitter_here]

Could you take a picture with model number of you DTC reader
I'm looking to buy one with the EPB maintenance option
Thanks

 

[SCOPESYS]

Own a blue 2018 Honda Civic Sport Hatchback, 6MT. Awesome car.

Edit: I also do not have a functioning backup camera. The aftermarket stereo came with the wrong voltage transformer, so I'm not able to power the backup camera yet. I don't know how that would ever cause a brake system indicator, but I'll throw in the info anyway.

Something sounds a little odd there .. "Wrong voltage Transformer" ??

What Aftermarket Stereo did you get that was not 12v ??
Hope you figure it out .. seems a little strange.

The typical issue with aftermarket Radios and the Honda Backup Camera, is that the Radio does not supply the 2 "Digital control lines" to switch the camera between it's 3 narrow/mid/wide angle modes. The camera stays stuck in the mode that corresponds to no control. An easy fix is to either pre-wire it in the mode you want, or put in a simple 3 way switch to manually select the modes.

 

[fitter_here]

I believe it does. It gives me access to the EPB sensor values and I can manually put new ones in. I haven’t tried anything since mine works fine so far, but it seems like I could make changes now if I did my own brake service.

Thanks, I found your link to your DTC reader, I find it a bit expensive ($240 Cdn, before taxes) I'll keep resetting the EPB manually when I do my maintenance.

 

[bluecivicsport]

Something sounds a little odd there .. "Wrong voltage Transformer" ??

What Aftermarket Stereo did you get that was not 12v ??
Hope you figure it out .. seems a little strange.

The typical issue with aftermarket Radios and the Honda Backup Camera, is that the Radio does not supply the 2 "Digital control lines" to switch the camera between it's 3 narrow/mid/wide angle modes. The camera stays stuck in the mode that corresponds to no control. An easy fix is to either pre-wire it in the mode you want, or put in a simple 3 way switch to manually select the modes.

The aftermarket head takes 12v like normal, but the stock one generates a 6v camera power output that this one does not. They sent me a 5v transformer when it should have been six. It would likely work on 5v, but they’ll send me a new one so I’d rather just do that.

 

[SCOPESYS]

The aftermarket head takes 12v like normal, but the stock one generates a 6v camera power output that this one does not. They sent me a 5v transformer when it should have been six. It would likely work on 5v, but they’ll send me a new one so I’d rather just do that.

Ahh, by Transformer, you mean a 6v Voltage regulator converter.

Something like a 7806 ($2 component) that could easily be wired into the the new head Units wiring.

Once you get that 6v DC power going to the camera, you should be up and running.

Sponsored