Immobilizer problem, engine crank but not fire up
10-01-2012, 10:20 AM
#17
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Anyone looking through the forums for this very problem, unfortunately I have had to give in and the car was taken away on the back of a tow truck this morning - I did have a tear in my eye as it's a sight I never thought I would see 
For information, I found out this morning from my local Honda dealer - Blade in Chippenham - that they would not be able to help me as they don't have a Thatcham trained technician...... (apparently you have to have this additional training before you can look at the s2k alarm?) they suggested I took it to another dealer in Swindon! I can really see that my breakdown company will be happy to drive past a dealer 10 miles away to one that is 30 miles away - NOT. To be fair, Blade did offer to get it transported there for me at a cost of £100. Fortunately Bath Honda don't appear to have the same attitude and as a factory fitted alarm (although I have since been informed it was fitted when the car arrived in the UK) of course they could sort it, in fact even if it wasn't the standard alarm they would still take a look. and no...they weren't aware of the Thatcham restriction.
I was absolutely flabberghasted that a Honda dealer was prepared to leave a loyal customer (over 10 year at the garage - albeit some of it with the previous owner) effectively stranded with the only offer of help being to arrange for a tow - at my expense - to another dealer.
I was also very surprised to learn that they couldn't reapir one of their own makes. Astounding! I have never known a main dealer of any manufacturer to turn their own vehicles away. If they can't repair it then who can?!! (well.....in this case all the dealers near them!) Perhaps they should invest in some training????
So, I can only recommend that you don't break your immobiliser in the Chippenham area. I will update on whether or not Bath have been able to assist.
In short, Chippenham have succesfully lost me as a customer, obviously loyalty counts for nothing. Hopefully I'll be pleased that I have discovered Bath Honda who only opened a year ago.
For information, I found out this morning from my local Honda dealer - Blade in Chippenham - that they would not be able to help me as they don't have a Thatcham trained technician...... (apparently you have to have this additional training before you can look at the s2k alarm?) they suggested I took it to another dealer in Swindon! I can really see that my breakdown company will be happy to drive past a dealer 10 miles away to one that is 30 miles away - NOT. To be fair, Blade did offer to get it transported there for me at a cost of £100. Fortunately Bath Honda don't appear to have the same attitude and as a factory fitted alarm (although I have since been informed it was fitted when the car arrived in the UK) of course they could sort it, in fact even if it wasn't the standard alarm they would still take a look. and no...they weren't aware of the Thatcham restriction.
I was absolutely flabberghasted that a Honda dealer was prepared to leave a loyal customer (over 10 year at the garage - albeit some of it with the previous owner) effectively stranded with the only offer of help being to arrange for a tow - at my expense - to another dealer.
I was also very surprised to learn that they couldn't reapir one of their own makes. Astounding! I have never known a main dealer of any manufacturer to turn their own vehicles away. If they can't repair it then who can?!! (well.....in this case all the dealers near them!) Perhaps they should invest in some training????So, I can only recommend that you don't break your immobiliser in the Chippenham area. I will update on whether or not Bath have been able to assist.
In short, Chippenham have succesfully lost me as a customer, obviously loyalty counts for nothing. Hopefully I'll be pleased that I have discovered Bath Honda who only opened a year ago.
10-21-2012, 11:55 AM
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To update, I now have my car back and it seems to be working!
Bath Honda have restored my faith in customer service. When the car arrived with them the computer diagnosis identified the problem as the immobiliser, but the part within the ignition. This was duly replaced, but unfortunately the car failed the 1st time I used it. The car initially started, but once it had been run it wouldn't restart unless left for a unknown (but less than 2 hours) time. Bath Honda picked up the car again and this time replaced the circuit board, returning it to me 2 days after taking it, the second repair at no cost to me. Thank you to Paul and his team.
I hope that John at Blade are now looking at this forum - I was staggered that he didn't know of its existence - so that he can see that a Honda technician is trained to deal with all aspects of a standard Honda. Sadly, I do not appear to be the only person who has had a bad experience at Blade, there are 4 others in my office alone (70 of us), I wonder how many others there are in the area that are also experiencing poor customer service?
Back to the immobiliser problem for anyone else looking for assistance. I had two different symptoms showing. Either the starter turned but the engine didn't fire as the immobiliser had cut the fuel pump, or I just got silence with nothing happening. They both seem to be a symptom of the board.
Bath Honda have restored my faith in customer service. When the car arrived with them the computer diagnosis identified the problem as the immobiliser, but the part within the ignition. This was duly replaced, but unfortunately the car failed the 1st time I used it. The car initially started, but once it had been run it wouldn't restart unless left for a unknown (but less than 2 hours) time. Bath Honda picked up the car again and this time replaced the circuit board, returning it to me 2 days after taking it, the second repair at no cost to me. Thank you to Paul and his team.
I hope that John at Blade are now looking at this forum - I was staggered that he didn't know of its existence - so that he can see that a Honda technician is trained to deal with all aspects of a standard Honda. Sadly, I do not appear to be the only person who has had a bad experience at Blade, there are 4 others in my office alone (70 of us), I wonder how many others there are in the area that are also experiencing poor customer service?
Back to the immobiliser problem for anyone else looking for assistance. I had two different symptoms showing. Either the starter turned but the engine didn't fire as the immobiliser had cut the fuel pump, or I just got silence with nothing happening. They both seem to be a symptom of the board.
03-17-2013, 01:43 PM
#19
I've had a couple of people contact me asking for clarification on how/where I joined the cables that bypassed the faulty immobilser circuit.
Before the immobiliser was fitted there would have been two factory cables going to/from the inertia switch. These cables carry the 12v fuel pump supply to and from the switch.
One part of the immobiliser circuit would then have been tapped into one of these cables by cutting it and splicing in the black immobiliser cabling so that the 12v supply runs alang the factory cable to the "cut", off to the immobiliser via one black cable, through the immobiiser circuit board then back out down another black cable which is joined to the other half of the cut original cable. There on it follows the normal path through the inertia switch to the fuel pump.
What you need to do is effectively bridge the cut in the original cable to bypass the black loop through the immob.
18 months later and the problem has not re-occurred!
Hope this now makes sense, sorry if this seems wordy or over simplistic, but it's been a long day and my brain is tired :-)
Rgds
Mikey
Before the immobiliser was fitted there would have been two factory cables going to/from the inertia switch. These cables carry the 12v fuel pump supply to and from the switch.
One part of the immobiliser circuit would then have been tapped into one of these cables by cutting it and splicing in the black immobiliser cabling so that the 12v supply runs alang the factory cable to the "cut", off to the immobiliser via one black cable, through the immobiiser circuit board then back out down another black cable which is joined to the other half of the cut original cable. There on it follows the normal path through the inertia switch to the fuel pump.
What you need to do is effectively bridge the cut in the original cable to bypass the black loop through the immob.
18 months later and the problem has not re-occurred!
Hope this now makes sense, sorry if this seems wordy or over simplistic, but it's been a long day and my brain is tired :-)
Rgds
Mikey
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