Honda CR-V Owners Club Forums banner

(2024) CR-V BCM Issues [Merged Master Thread]

88K views 318 replies 76 participants last post by  Bigmad Vick 
#1 · (Edited)
So I woke up this AM and I go to start up my 2018 CRV was dead in the water. No lights, accessories nothing. I jump it and get it started, let it run for about 30 min and then go take it for a drive to get all the systems reset. I get home and go to turn off the CRV and it will not turn off! I get glitching electrical problem where it seems to be struggling to turn off. After several more attempts it finally goes off. I go back in the house to get some coffee and breakfast and when I go back out to the garage, the CRV has turned itself on in Accessory mode.

To make a long story short, this happened all morning. I had already checked the battery, battery connections, fuses, etc. Everything looked fine. Did some research and made sure that the shifter was fully in park as I had read that sometimes if it is off by mm's it would not recognize it being in park. I finally had enough and called the dealership and they told me to bring it down. I dropped it off and they called me back 30 min asking if I turn it off with my foot on the break keeping it in "Accessory mode" and wanted me to come back, pick it up, and monitor it. That way I would not have to pay the diagnostic fee. I agreed I would, but about an hour later they called and said it had turned on Accessory mode by itself and would send it over to the shop to have it looked it.

Another hour passed and they called back and said the shop manager is pretty confident that the issue is the Keyless Access Control Unit as he said its not a common problem but on the tech bulletins this is an issue with the Honda Pilot right down to the last detail. I am at 61k miles so this is not going to be under warranty and I am looking at $729 for parts and labor. The Service manager said they have never seen this problem before so it was a first for them there.

The big problem is the Keyless Access Control Unit is on back order and could be weeks to months till it comes in even on "critical" back order. That fine and all but that means my CRV will drain the battery every night until it is fixed unless I disconnect that battery, but that still means resetting the systems every time the battery is reconnected. I am going to go tomorrow and buy a 12 volt battery maintainer so I do not have to keep disconnecting the battery when I have it at home. I will have to limit my errands to a few hours so that battery does not completely drain but will bring my portable jumper just in case. Its like ghost has taken over my CRV.

Has anyone experienced anything even remotely similar to this ??? Do you agree that it could be the Keyless Access Control Unit? I was thinking it was possibly the ignition, but the dealer said it was not. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.
 
See less See more
#3 ·
TDN's advice is good, it's hard to read unformatted text. Just try reading any medieval manuscript.

I'm not sure what you mean by "the ignition". That can mean anything from the entire system that creates spark to just a keyhole ("Is the key in the ignition?").
Of course I agree it "could" be the key-less access system, it could be a lot of things.
If the dealer says there is a TSB on this it's pretty likely that is the problem.
You could approach Honda to see if they'll make some accommodation since it's a known problem, but that would cover some cost, not the wait.
The parts problem is an issue for many. It's not likely you'll find a Pilot that new in a junkyard, but some are tied into large networks, you might find one.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Dealer said though that other cases were on Pilots, not CRVs.

I imagine that unless it is a known weakness in design by Honda on CRVs, they will be unlikely to offer any good will warranty coverage exceptions. And this is the first I have heard of this on CRVs, but of course any random component can and will fail.
 
#5 ·
Found one member here who had the issue on a 2017. He used the key to shut the lock the door and shut off the alarm. Give it a try.

On other Hondas it appears as if there is a message with a scanner "Keyless Access Control Unit Problem". Here's a description on an Odyssey:

Didn't find the exact location in a CR-V (in the Cabin Control Unit, perhaps?) but it appears that several relays are contained therein. The relays are the same part number, I would mark them then swap them around to see if a sticking relay could be causing the issue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: williamsji
#6 ·
You can get a used module from Search Results

Sometimes a weak 12v battery creates issues like these.
 
#8 ·
IF you can reasonably verify the dealerships assessment that it is the KACU at fault..... maybe seek a replacement via a pick and pull junk yard.

Junk yards are probably already picked clean of key parts and modules in this current supply chain crisis, but it may be worth a try seeing if you can go pick and pull a KACU from a junked CRV, and then take it to an independent service provider to install it. That might get you back up and running until an actual new part can be secured. Though in fairness, a picked KACU from a junked 2018 CRV probably is "good as new".

What you likely will not get is agreement from the dealer to install a used part picked from a junkyard.. which is why I said go with an independent service provider.

Before doing anything major though.. I would be double checking wiring and connector harnesses, and reseating control relays just to be sure this is not simply a loose connection somewhere.
 
#10 ·
Came across this thread on a Civic forum. Several people with the same issue including a CRV and an Odyssey. Sounds like the fix is to replace the BCM.

Keyless Starter System Glitch? Car turning on by itself to accessory mode.
The general theme of that thread is 1) head scrathing by the dealer (which clearlfy indicates it is not a widespread problem) and 2) indicates that the dealer had to call in Honda Customer Support Engineering to isolate the cause, and they eventually settled on the BCM as the cause. That is exactly what the dealer should do.

So... clearly there are some Hondas with this issue presenting in the field, but it is not common enough that rank and file Dealers are aware of the cause of the symptoms presented.

Of course I also see the usual rants about why no Honda recall as the issue "appears to be common". LOL... sorry folks but projecting your particular problem with a handful of other owners does NOT equal common at all. Besides, recalls are only for safety issues, like fuel leaks, dangerous suspension issues, etc. The correct action if Honda saw a concern-in-numbers in the field would be they would issue a TSB and issue a field campaign notice to owners. But you know what.. if there are only say 50-100 cases world wide in any given year in a field population of millons is not worthy of a TSB campaign. BCMs are expensive and replacing millions of them would be nuts when there are only a small number of instances reported in the field.

I did however see that at least one of those Civic owners did get warranty exception consideration from Honda so they only paid a very small fee to the dealer to get this resolved. This is what Honda in fact does when they know their may be an issue with a small number of vehicles.. and hence they apply good will exception for the owner, but do not do a broad recall campaign.
 
#18 ·
I opened a case with Honda of America and was told my case was escalated up to a District Manager. They also confirmed the issue with the dealership. In the meantime, I have been been keeping it hooked up to a 6 amp batter charger/tender at home so when the car does turn on randomly, my battery is not completely drained.

Today I ran into another problem, while at the store, my alarm went off with my dog in the car. So if the alarm is armed and the accessory mode turns on, it will set off the alarm. So now I cannot lock my CR V when I am out anywhere.
 
#25 ·
So I think my work around for locking the CR-V without anti-theft activation is to pop the hood release before getting out of the car. I can lock the doors and the anti theft system should not activate as the red light on the dash does not flash. Once the hood is pushed down and locked, the lights will flash and the anti-theft system is activated as the red light will flash on the dashboard.
 
This post has been deleted
#22 ·
There have been a handful or reports of issues with BCMs... but it is by no means an epidemic in gen5 CRVs. I'm not even sure that more than a few were actually Gen5s, as I thought some of them were older gen4s.

I know it sucks.. but random failures are random failures. They can happen to any vehicle at any age or mileage. Yours just happens to be with a component on long lead time back order.
 
This post has been deleted
#20 ·
Lovely. I opened a case with Honda Care North America a week ago and got that same message about it being forwarded to a District Case Manager. I called today to check up on it and the person I spoke with told me I should hear from them by the end of the week LOL. I am not holding my breath.
 
#23 ·
By the way, the BCM recall by Honda... nothing to do with CRVs. It's for 2018-2020 Accords and Insights.


My wife's Accord was in this recall. It was a simple software fix performed at the dealership. She never had any issues with her vehicle, and that is not surprising as Honda states in their communication that a software flaw was allowing a particular set of driver actions in conjunction with vehicle action that might trigger the cascade of alerts lights and cause the rear camera to malfunction.

Here in our forum, discussion around BCM is fairly limited, but yeah.. there are some failing in the field. But again, not in any numbers that trigger owners to stampede NHTSA or CarComplaints.
 
#26 ·
#27 ·
No, that will cause all the electronic systems and sensors to loose power.

Which means when you go to start the next time, the vehicle has to perform a complete reboot of all the systems and a host of system self-checks and cross checks... which results in the nasty light show on the instrument display until you drive above 15 mph for at least 10 minutes. And also, no telling how much stress this puts on all the systems and sensors.. which are meant to be on standby power when the vehicle is off.

Better to put it on a smart charger/maintainer over night at home. If away from home a lot, then go with a solar powered smart charger/maintainer.

Here is an analogy for you, from the electronics world or PCs: you can power down at night or simply put your computer to sleep at night. Which one is more efficient? The reboot will take 20 seconds to several minutes.. depending on your particular PC, but wake from sleep only takes a few seconds and the PC is ready to go.. exactly how you left it when last used.
 
#29 ·
Finally heard back from Honda of North America (15 days to be exact) Case manager was very nice and seemed helpful. She said she had never heard of this issue and is going to reach out to the dealership today and run this up to her boss. Ironically, a 30 min later, I get a call from the dealership. Sounds like Honda is going to replace the Keyless Access Control Unit as soon as the part comes in from being back ordered. Keeping my fingers crossed!
 
#30 · (Edited)
Thank you very much for keeping us informed on your progress with Honda. It is valuable information for fellow members who may bump into a similar or same issue in the future.

Your results here are a case study in the value of working with your dealer to open a case with Honda Customer Support for issues like this that crop up after warranty expires. (y) In other words, working the escalation process with Honda can and does result in positive outcomes for warranty exceptions in some cases.
 
#31 · (Edited)
So an update on how its going or not going with my CR-V...........

Last weekend the battery finally gave up the ghost and had to be replaced. Even leaving it on a charger over night could not get it over 10.5 volts. I ended up replacing it with an AGM battery and installed a top post battery disconnect to make it slightly easier than having to disconnect the cables every time.

In addition, the problem has escalated. It is now to the point that unless the battery is disconnected, the accessory mode will be on and will not shut off. As soon as the battery is connected, bam, accessory mode turns on and sometimes I cannot even get the engine to turn over. Also what is even worse, after driving, parking and trying to turn off the engine, 9 out of 10 times I cannot get the engine to turn off.

This is beyond frustrating. Its been a few weeks since I talked to the case manager at Honda of America, so I called back just to see if they have reached out to the dealership about the repair. Though I did not talk to the case manager, the person I spoke with did and said they have not talked to the dealership yet as they are waiting to hear back from the District parts manager.

I have a feeling one of these days my CR-V will start by itself, put itself in gear, and take off never to be seen again.
 
#32 ·
So an update on how its going or not going with my CR-V...........

Last weekend the battery finally gave up the ghost and had to be replaced. Even leaving it on a charger over night could not get it over 10.5 volts. I ended up replacing it with an AGM battery and installed a top post battery disconnect to make it slightly easier than having to disconnect the cables every time.

In addition, the problem has escalated. It is now to the point that unless the battery is disconnected, the accessory mode will be on and will not shut off. As soon as the battery is connected, bam, accessory mode turns on and sometimes I cannot even get the engine to turn over. Also what is even worse, after driving, parking and trying to turn off the engine, 9 out of 10 times I cannot get the engine to turn off.

This is beyond frustrating. Its been a few weeks since I talked to the case manager at Honda of America, so I called back just to see if they have reached out to the dealership about the repair. Though I did not talk to the case manager, the person I spoke with did and said they have not talked to the dealership yet as they are waiting to hear back from the District parts manager.

I have a feeling one of these days my CR-V will start by itself, put itself in gear, and take off never to be seen again.
That's rough. Sounds very similar to what mine was doing. I also had to disconnect the battery or it would go into accessory mode at a random time later and risk killing the battery. Fortunately they found an error code for the body control module also known as a multiplex control unit. The downside - it was on back order and they had no idea when it would arrive. It apparently interfaces between the display, sensors, doors, windows, ignition, security system, etc.
 
#35 · (Edited)
Yep. It stinks. Hopefully your dealership elevated the backorder priority given the vehicle is inoperative. The 30 day sliding date was the same at my dealership. In the end it was down for about 2 months.

Might want to keep an eye on ebay as sometimes used parts become available. Unfortunately there seems to be a different Honda BCM part number for each trim. Probably wouldn't hurt to call local junk yards. Sometimes dealership will install used parts to get you going.

Seeing a few of these anecdotals makes me wonder if BCM failures are becoming more common in addition to the part shortage/shipping issues.

I have seen a few posts on some forums indicating that replacing the BCM resolves the issue. The dealership believes the issue is the Keyless Access Control Unit as the Shop manager found the same issue on their 'Techline" postings. I communicated to the Service rep that I have read on several forums that the issue could be related to the BCM, yet it was dismissed as "Google is not a reliable source compared to our Shop Manager."

I am not expert, but from my research it is probably one of the two. But when they want to replace the Keyless Access Control Unit I will make sure to ask, " What if that does not resolve the issue?" and direct again to the BCM.
I hope he's right otherwise there could be another 2-3 months of down time. It becomes tempting to trade it in. Used cars have big value these days unless they aren't working. The proverbial rock and hard place.
 
#37 ·
My vehicle is just under 5 years old and suddenly while parked and off in my garage the panic horn started blaring and the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. Horn stopped and I could only get in with the manual key. I was able to start and drive to the dealer. They told me the body control module BCM went bad and it’s no longer under warranty. Unfortunately, the part 38809-TMM-A21 is backordered and the ETA is end of March. I am stuck with a vehicle that must have the battery disconnected and reconnected for each use!!! Not to mention what other damage might occur while driving with a bad BCM for that long period or longer! My hands are tied and I really don’t know what to do. I called Honda support and filed a case and also a case with the NHTSA. I know about 800k Hondas were recalled because of BCM problems but the CR-V wasn’t part of it. If anyone has any help or suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it!!
 
#40 ·
Actually you do know what to do -- and you have done so. You went to the dealership and ordered the part, which you must wait for -- no choice. You also know that you have to disconnect the battery when not using it. You are just going to have to wait it out. My only suggestion is if you are uncomfortable with the CRV in its current state -- how about considering a rental ? Expensive but maybe a better choice for the time being. Good luck and I hope you get the parts you need quicker than March.
 
Top