Honda push button start problem

Shopping around for price and value is good practice however every repair shop is in business to earn a profit, this is what one of the vehicle owners posted above;

I dropped my car off at the independent shop, picked it up a few days later and so far it has started on first push every time. From the invoice it appears this shop followed the recommendations from the Honda TSB. My bill was $743.

Big savings.

I have a 2014 Honda Accord Touring V-6 turbo and had absolute hell with batterys. Long story short if you don’t have a battery with at least 650 cold cranking amps computer will not recognize it. So I went spent $200 and got a battery with way too many cold cranking amps. Those AGM batteries are super expensive but the car is running. Good luck

I suppose such a thing is possible, but I’ve never heard that before here related to any make/model. There’s quite a few things that can create a no-crank problem. Indeed, they can be frustrating to diagnose.

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@cdaquila Carolyn is there any chance of closing this old multiple people thread ?

2015 Accord Crosstour, same issue Starter System error and starter needed to be replaced. $800!!
Gave tech Honda Service Bulletin 16-002 to be sure resolved as Honda suggest. Honda needs to warranty this issue, RIP OFF! Not happy a starter should last longer and if this many people know of issue it means defective!

Starter motors needing replacement at the 4 year mark isn’t that unusual. Apparently this tsb also requires some extra work to rotate the TC ring gear one bolt-hole for some reason. Even so $800 for a replacement starter job seems reasonable to me, even w/no ring gear involvement.

I have a 2013 Honda Accord EXL as well and have been having this starter issue for a month or so with 65,000 miles.

Could finally not get it to start on 5 or more attempts last night. Brake pedal was not as squishy as normal. Steering wheel kinda locked. turned off car completely a few times to start over. Nothing.

Had AAA out this afternoon to check battery hoping would do the same thing. Didn’t start right before he got here. he hooks up batter sensor testing unit, DOES NOT JUMP, and it starts for him.
Said the battery was in GREAT health. Over 11 amps or whatever. I tried a few times after he left, no problems starting. He said NOT the battery, and not the starter for sure. Maybe brake sensor.

Will NOT take to Honda, they will just f me for 1,000.00 I’m sure. I’ll call my local Honda garage guy and see what he says, at least there I know i won’t get f’d. and he’s probably fixed a ton of these. Honda, you better recall this shite. Be sure to submit a complaint. we’ll get our money back at the very least in a class action.

Axel

It isn’t that difficult to diagnose this issue really… Just push the start button twice to turn on the “ignition” and then go straight to the starter relay and trigger it manually by jumpering it… See if the starter works when told to work via the jumper at the starter relay receptacle.

At least thats what I would do…it removes the computer control to the start relay and starter…

Hi,
I am having the same problem for 2013 Honda Accord Touring. Did you get t fixed? what was the issue?

And here’s a good one @shadowfax. For the record what is “the” start switch on that car?

So you’re saying that because I thought the start switch in this 5 year old thread was bad, we should condemn all push button starts? That’s why you dredged up this ancient thread?

While I’m looking at your results, look at mine for “bad ignition cylinder”

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk02wjYfZ841BCmlE8UXcV5ius88bOA%3A1589072405472&source=hp&ei=FVK3XqjsGdq1tAa08rCADA&q=bad+ignition+cylinder&oq=bad+ignition+cylinder&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzICCAAyBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB46BAgjECc6BQgAEJECOgUIABCDAToECAAQQ1C7AligFmDxFmgAcAB4AIABeYgBkA6SAQQxNi40mAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpeg&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjoyv2BjKjpAhXaGs0KHTQ5DMAQ4dUDCAg&uact=5

So, congrats to us - we’ve proven that sometimes things break. That doesn’t mean push button starts are worse than non-push button starts. Especially since beneath the steering column, they work the same way in modern cars.

IMHO this thread shows the start button isn’t the problem.
Greedy dealers and mechanics who don’t bother to do basic troubleshooting are the problem.

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When simple, inexpensive, easily repaired systems are as functional as vastly more expensive to own and repair systems why must we have no alternative but to buy ever more needlessly technically complicated and expensive systems? The fobs for keyless operation of a vehicle and the system that it operates is comparable to Hummers sold as family station wagons. It’s just outrageous, expensive overkill. If I lose the key to my 2000 Ranger I will be forced to pay an outrageous amount to purchase and program 1 or more replacement keys. I don’t need such technology and never have. And the system offers no way to over ride the “anti theft SKYHOOK.”

Far too much of what the public is sold is just gimmicks and gizmos. Like huge tail fins and tons of gaudy chrome on 1950s models we are being made suckers to feel we NEED all the bells and whistle$ that cost so much and actually accomplish nothing. But how can we do without it you say. When this pandemic and financial BUST comes to a close I have a hunch that Kia and Hyundai will be offering some very basic transportation at very basic prices to a very basic market of buyers who just want to take care of their need for basic, reliable, inexpensive transportation.

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If your premise were correct, you’d have a point. But as has been covered many times here, the systems work exactly the same way.

In the push button system, you push a button, and a computer polls antennas to see if an authorized key fob is present in the car. On finding one, the computer begins the start sequence.

In the key-start system, you put a key in a hole and turn it, and a computer polls antennas to see if an authorized key fob is present in the car. On finding one, the computer begins the start sequence.

Acting like the push button start has added some unique complexity to the system ignores the fact that that complexity was already added long before push buttons became common. Push button starts came out because someone realized that it’s silly to make the driver fish around for the key just to complete a circuit when a simple momentary switch will accomplish the same thing more conveniently with no drawbacks.

Unlike huge tail fins and chrome, the transponder start system actually has a purpose. It eliminates thieves hotwiring your car to steal it. If they want to steal it, they need a tow truck or in rare cases a bunch of illegal and expensive technology, and that sidelines the joyriders and amateurs while simultaneously getting rid of the obnoxious steering wheel lock that used to serve as “anti-theft technology,” and was so ineffective that The Club became a big seller.

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Apparently opinions vary @shadowfax. But that’s no surprise.

This is so Funny ! I got the same year car- Same model- Exactly same mileage- Same issues faced- Same current problems- Same Battery replacement- Even same brand- Same price quoted for fix - Like you I also don’t know what to do now. :frowning:

Similar, but I believe different, problem: 2015 Honda Accord, push button start… intermittently won’t start.

TLDR: if it’s not the battery, the starter, or the key fob … what is it?

Most of the time when I push the button, it starts right up - no problems.

Occasionally, when I push the button, the car turns on (dash lights come on, radio comes on, etc) … but the engine doesn’t start. It doesn’t even try to start: the starter doesn’t turn over, nothing happens at all (except for the car turning on - it’s like if you turned an actual key to the ‘on’ position instead of turning it to the ‘start’ position).

If I push the button enough times (usually a couple, but on occasions it takes 20+ pushes) … at some point, the starter engages and the engine turns on no problem.

The shift lever is in park, the brake pedal is depressed. I changed the key fob battery just to be sure; it made no difference. The car battery is fine (it doesn’t sound like a weak battery, and when the starter finally engages it has no problem starting). Since the starter never turns over when I’m experiencing the problem, I’m guessing it’s not the starter (the starter works 100% of the time WHEN IT ENGAGES - the whole problem seems to be the starter isn’t getting ‘activated’).

But what would be a likely culprit for intermittently keeping the starter from engaging?

See if your brake lights are on or off the next time this happens.

@lion9car - good point, I see what you’re getting at there.

By watching the brake lights, I was able to rule out the car ‘thinking’ my brakes weren’t engaged.

Using the same logic, I’ve been trying to also rule out the car ‘thinking’ the stick shift (it’s an automatic) wasn’t in park. Unfortunately, there is no ‘parking’ light. I have been trying to ‘wiggle/jiggle’ the stick shift, and think I have ruled that out. At least - I can’t get it to consistently start/not start by applying pressure to the stick shift in any particular direction that I’ve tried. In short: I can’t get any kind of consistent behavior regarding starting, that seems to be tied to physically moving the stick shift.

Any other ideas? Something simple I missed?

It would helpful to know if there was at least a little action/sound at the starter. If the solenoid is moving the plunger, it may be felt or heard by someone who’s right there with a finger on the starter motor and maybe a stethoscope, too.

If that action is detected each time the start button is pushed, that points to a problem with the solenoid/plunger or the copper contacts that are supposed to be bridged when the plunger’s disc moves far enough to contact both contacts. That’s what sends a powerful 12V to the starter motor.

If there’s no reliable action/sound there, the problem is probably electrically upstream of the starter solenoid.