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Door opens only with fob

9K views 20 replies 5 participants last post by  kayejack 
#1 ·
Issue with door handle unlock: door unlocks only with key fob. Happened after i stopped for fuel w fob in my pocket. Passenger opened passenger door and horn beeped. Stopped the beeping by locking and unlocking the car w key fob. Now the car will only unlock w fob. Is there a magic sequence required to get back to normal?
 
#4 · (Edited)
I looked in the owner's manual and didn't see any secret button sequence that could of disable the smart entry door unlock. :plain: Most likely need to bring it into the Honda dealership unless someone here could think of another reason.



Are you able to lock the door using the door lock sensor? Are you able to open the trunk from the outside using the button right above the license plate? Does it work on the passenger door handle? Do you see the below warning message in your car?




You could try unlocking the door using the hidden key within the key fob to see if it will trick the smart entry door handle to re-engage.
 
#5 ·
Thx. Great reference. As cited in the manual, the alarm activated and i deactivated the alarm. Your follow-on questions are all "yes". Except i do not get the system problem warning. I tried the hidden key, but it did not trick the system. Good thinking on your part. Thx. I will call honda in the am. I'll follow up w their solution on this site. Thx
 
#6 · (Edited)
What you described sounds like the security alarm activated once the passenger door was opened. You may have been too far from the car (>5 ft?) or for too long (>30 sec) for the car to register that you were nearby... so the security system was triggered. Was the passenger door open or closed when you used the fob to lock/unlock?

Brief mention of the security system activating in >30 seconds is made in these videos. The general 'tip' offered is to leave the fob in car to keep the alarm from setting, especially while passengers are still in the car.
23:23 to 24:45 (Accord Hybrid) - youtu.be/9flFBu9alRQ?t=1403
24:43 to end (Civic) - youtu.be/v05QqlIXmr4?t=1483

When actively beeping/sounding, the security system is disarmed by using the "unlock" button on the fob. However, it sounds like you pressed "lock" before that... and I wonder if that 'confused' the car and/reset something (?). Even if the Smart Entry Door lock selection is still active on your screen, maybe toggling it (and other settings) off/on could help?

Or maybe try a soft reboot of the infotainment system? - https://www.gen3insight.com/forum/2...system-restarting-rebooting-instructions.html

These may be a couple quick things to try before bringing to dealer. My guess is that the dealer will just do a 'ctrl-alt-del' reset on your system anyhow...
 
#10 ·
The door handle sensor is defective. Part is on order and will be installed next week. Question still remains- how does a door handle sensor wear out?
The door handle sensor did not wear out. you were informed that it is defective! Because so many items are mass produced today, a percentage of them just had a bad part on the circuit board or wiring that was not fully soldered.
 
#14 · (Edited)
The door handle sensor is defective. Part is on order and will be installed next week. Question still remains- how does a door handle sensor wear out?
Here are some interesting nuggets on how touch-activated doors work:
  • A touch-sensitive system generates a code that is sent to the car’s control computer module. Another code is generated and sent to the car’s security system control module. That module determines which door lock to activate and sends to the car’s security system control module that then activates the proper door lock. A door-mounted solenoid fires, energizing an actuator rod [which] exerts pressure on the door lock trigger disk, opening the lock jaws [and] energizes a pusher bar that causes the door to pop open.
  • A touch-sensitive door lock relies on special sensors and wiring [to] create a particular area in the door’s surface. [...] Because of the number of connections required, [...] given the hostile environment in which they work (car’s body surface) connection points can wear, causing failure of the touch-sensitivity over time).
  • Over the long term, touch-sensitive door locks can be affected by a number of issues [including] connection failure (time/environment), wire loom failure (wiring in door) and software failure (system memory/update).
  • You can ensure long-term reliable usability be ensuring that your car’s body surfaces are cleaned regularly. Likewise, door frames, body wiring inlets and gimlets and underhood-mounted portions of touch-sensitive systems have to be regularly maintained and cleaned, as well.
Since the unlocking procedure depends on code transmission, cell phone signal can interfere... but I assume that the dealer has taken this into consideration (and removed cell phones from their pockets before diagnosing).

Here's a video on the steps the dealer will undertake to remove/replace the smart handle:
 
#18 ·
Nah, I just have a quirky (creepy) memory that comes in handy once in a while. ;)

Interesting that the driver's door doesn't unlock when the passenger door handle is grabbed. Did all other doors unlock by grabbing the passenger handle, but just not the driver's one?

If this sequence is correct and the driver's door doesn't open when either front handle is grabbed...
1 - touch system generates code to the car’s control computer module
2 - another code is generated and sent to the car's security system control module
3 - the security system module determines which door to unlock
...it seems likely that software is more at fault, as Wifey'sInsight suggested.

That grabbing the passenger door doesn't unlock the drivers door suggests the security system response code (step 3) isn't making its way back to the driver's door (i.e. software/signal issue). The issue started after the security system was activated AND the response code from the security system now isn't working to unlock the driver's door... which sounds like "security system" is a common factor (i.e. need a hard reset of the security system by dealer?).

Maybe there's a receiver in the driver's door handle which would explain why the dealer is changing (?), but more likely the signal receiver is entirely separate from the handle assembly. And software is definitely separate from the handle as well. Will be interesting to hear whether the handle replacement alone will resolve the problem...
 
#19 ·
Unfortunately, if the handle install requires a reset of the security system, we will never truly know if it was hardware or software. Or if replacing any component causes some sort of software application... (like autoplay on windows, where when something new is detected, the software launches to run it)

To be fair, I highly doubt there is software developed for an auto/read launch type scenario. I'm actually surprised that doing a system reset (via factory scan tool/ disconnecting power from module) wouldn't have fixed the issue. The only hardware that seems to be possibly faulty could be the door lock actuator, seeing as the passenger handle didn't open the drivers door.
 
#20 ·
Unfortunately, if the handle install requires a reset of the security system, we will never truly know if it was hardware or software. Or if replacing any component causes some sort of software application... (like autoplay on windows, where when something new is detected, the software launches to run it)
Exactly right, won't know if software was at fault unless service/tech is detailed and forthcoming enough to communicate.

I tried to find the full installation instructions for the smart handle to see if software or other reset was needed, but couldn't get to them. (Need subscription to rjanisis / Honda Service Express to get to the online tech manuals.)
 
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