Tech tips From a Honda reset to food cars cautions HONDA MAINTENANCE RESET
to their new owners but to those of us in the repair industry who may unknowingly come in contact with them. As you know, food waters are highly contaminated with sewage and chemicals of all sorts. Now all of a sudden, a simple scratch on your hand that comes in contact with carpet padding or any other part of the car can easily lead to a nasty staph infection or worse. 1. Turn the ignition switch to ON. A technician from the Northeast told us 2. If oil life is more than 15%, press the he was working on a car that had a data SEL/RESET knob repeatedly until the line problem, and he traced the problem to engine oil life is displayed. the air bag module. When the passenger’s 3. Press the SEL/RESET knob for about 10 seconds. The engine oil life and the main- seat was removed and the carpet pulled back for access to the module, the technitenance item code(s) will blink. cian said his hands started to burn and the 4. Press the SEL/RESET knob for another smell was overpowering. fve seconds. The maintenance item After thoroughly washing his hands, he code(s) will disappear and the engine oil put on two pairs of blue nitrate gloves and life will reset to “100.” a high-quality breathing mask. The metal Resetting maintenance items cover of the module was eaten through. We 1. Connect the Honda diagnostic system don’t know if it was from the chemicals in (HDS) to the data link connector (DLC). the water it was submerged in or the super 2. Turn the ignition switch to ON. strong soaps and disinfectants used to clean 3. Make sure that the HDS communicates the car afterwards. The technician replaced with the vehicle and the engine control the module and wire harness and noted his module/powertrain control module (ECM/ fndings on the repair order so the service PCM). If it doesn’t communicate, trouble- advisor could inform the unsuspecting shoot the DLC circuit. customer. This is important because this 4. Select GAUGES in the BODY ELECTRICAL car will more than likely have a lifetime of with the HDS. unusual problems. More importantly, what 5. Select ADJUSTMENT in the GAUGES with is the customer being exposed to as he the HDS. sits in the car and breathes the air coming 6. Select MAINTENANCE MINDER in the through the HVAC vents? I suspect some ADJUSTMENT with the HDS. nasty bacteria is living in areas that the 7. Select RESET in the MAINTENANCE best of detail shops can’t get to. Keep an MINDER with the HDS. eye out for anything that doesn’t look or 8. Select the individual maintenance item smell right, wear gloves, masks, eye protecyou wish to reset. tion and even clothing protection when dealing with a suspicious car. FLOOD CAR CAUTIONS For your own safety and well-being — be You may very well be coming into concareful! ● tact with food vehicles as a result of the Hurricane Sandy tragedy. These cars Information for these Tech Tips is courtesy of pose a very serious health risk not only Identifx Inc. See www.identifx.com. Using the 2010 Accord as an example: The vehicle must be stopped to reset. If the required service is performed and the display is not reset, or if the display is reset without doing the service, the system will not show the proper maintenance timing.
50 | May/June 2013
