The wife experienced a VSA fault light (along with a check engine light)

Complete loss of power. Limped home.

When she got home she turned the car off. She told me about the problem.

I turned the car on for a test drive and the engine power was back but the fault lights remained.

I turned the car off. Turned it on the fault lights were gone.

The VSA switch no longer works. (the light doesn't come on or off)

Trying to make sense of the following terms I've read:

APP sensor
Car running in "safe mode"

I have an appointment tomorrow at the dealership and I want to "appear" knowledgeable.

Could it be that a sensor in the ABS/VSA system malfunctioned and caused the above problem?

I have an electronic throttle controller installed. Is it possible for the ETC to cause this?

 

Probably has something to do with the significantly worse Chinese build 'quality.'

 

ETC shouldn't do anything, though I'd pull it out before going to the dealer. That said, when the VSA detects sliding, it applies brakes and cuts engine power. Was it the VSA fault light or VSA engaging light?

 

This could be an issue but I doubt it. The individual parts may be assembled in China. But the parts are sourced from a variety of places. In the end, the manufacturers of the different components mean more that the actual assembly plants. And from what I've read on another thread the pre delivery inspection PDI) means more than anything else. So if you have a shoddy mechanic here in Canada it doesn't really matter where the car was assembled or where the parts were manufactures in the first place.

They make Civics here in Ontario. I don't trust the union labourers to put together a car. Laziness. ME generation. Lack of caring. etc...I would rather have the Chinese put it together.

 

It was the VSA fault light I think because the engage light has a little OFF underneath correct?

 

LOL


OP,

If I were you, id try removing the etc, and see if that makes a difference.

It is most likely a sensor somewhere, or the electronic throttle itself.

 

So if the VSA was detecting sliding and cut engine power and applied the brakes all the way home then a sensor in malfunctioning. The computer should have kept a record of which sensor went bad. I will remove my ETC prior to the appointment and insist they replace one or all ( if they cant find the one) of the sensors tomorrow at the dealership.

Many thanks for the reply.

 

A bad wheel velocity sensor isn't nessisarily consistent with the check engine light coming on though. Pulling codes is step one to see what the car thinks is wrong.

Note: pulling the battery clears the check engine lights. You're between a rock and a hard place of you have to pull the battery to pull the etc.

 

The ETC is plug and play. Just have to remove the connection to the back of the pedal and re-insert the original. 5 mins max.

Pretty sure it's a sensor issue now. But I'm no mechanic. We'll see tomorrow!

 

too bad these bad apples are on your ignore list...

Cocowheat
Thos92vr4
DiamondStarMonsters
Mike410b
Vanct
Kgb4187
ThEvilOne
Jamy


the Honda dealer near you would love to help you... I suggest you go now

 

Update:

Took the Fit to the dealership today. They plugged in the diagnostic tool and the fault was located in the gas pedal. It is no longer a problem now that I have removed the ETC.

That didn't really surprise me. Once in a while my ETC did funny things to the throttle. But it happened so rarely that I chose to live with it as it is a fun little toy.

I really was hoping a sensor had conked out. I could have kept using my ETC.

I found that at the sport setting 6 was the most dependable. At sport mode 9 it was all wonky. (I am not the first to report this and had read other posts. I bought this gyzmo full knowing) Still I had faith that the newer models might have the kinks worked out. Guess not.

Of course my Fit is still under warranty and wasn't charged a dime.

While there I picked up a new AT shifter (leather wrapped, blue stitching) so it wasn't a total waste of time.

I still don't understand what happens to my engine when the computer detects a problem and the engine goes into safe mode and limps home.

 

can i say i told you (plural: not you specifically Dwalbert) so? edit: something wonky with the board's ad-software. links don't seem to be working. look for the "Engine rev "float" normal?" thread.

putting a cheap (chinese!) 3rd party device that distorts (amplifies/attenuates) the signal between the gas pedal sensor and the ECU is a really bad idea.

Any sensor value way out of allowable range will cause the engine to default to safe data tables with reduced power.

 

The only thing I can do now is lick my wounds and request a refund from the seller. I's a reputable one too. All over this site. Kinda surprised they sell this to noobs like me. Live and learn.

"will cause the engine to default to safe data tables with reduced power"

This explains the term "limp mode" I read elsewhere.

Many thanks!

Edit: Kinda sad. I have done all the cosmetic mods I set out to do. And now I was going to spend some serious money on performance parts. This experience has me rethinking this. It runs good now for what I want. F**K it. It's Uncle Bens and it's staying that way.

 

I'm not sure why an ETC counts as a performance part. I'm skeptical of most performance part claims in general but can at least see a plausible mechanism of action for stuff like cool air/short ram intake. I can even see the point of the integrated ETCs in some cars that change shift points along with throttle response. But a box that just changes the throttle position signal from 45% to 70% or whatever strikes me as mostly silly.

You'd be better off buying an ultra gauge and just watching the throttle position demanded signal.

 

[quote=malraux;1113003]I'm not sure why an ETC counts as a performance part. quote]

Not what I meant. Sorry. Trying to say that I will no longer install parts that may impact the mechanical soundness of my Fit.

And I'm pretty sure a shark fin antenna and a couple emblems and a few blue lights in the cockpit are safe.

The two items I wanted to install were a Progress sway bar and a PRM intake.

I contacted Progress and they cannot confirm that it will match up with the frame of my 2012 Fit sport Canadian model (made in China). Strike one

A PRM intake....pfff....I can't do it. What if my engines craps out? Is the company going to pay for a new one?

I'm done with mechanical mods.

 

I was one of TW Panson's first customers and bought & installed the first version of his "NTD" brand ETC's. I used a "Y" cable connector to also connect a Scan Gauge II. At random times, my '09 Sport Fit would also go into "limp" mode, and the Scan Gauge would show a code indicating a problem with the "throttle position sensor". The Scan Gauge was much more valuable to me than the slight performance gains from the ETC, so I took it out and have not really missed the gadget. Also have never had any codes or "limp mode" episodes since removing the ETC.

I want to reliably get the hell out of the way of a truck or train when the occasion presents itself. Whether the car's ECU was being confused by the inputs of the Scan Gauge and the ETC together, or individually, I don't care. The car works perfectly with no glitches with only the Scan Gauge connected. Good bye ETC.

 

I went to the Ultra Gauge website. Nice looking gadget.

Does the outside temp gauge work in our Fits?

That would be worth the money right there.

 

No. At highway-ish speeds, the intake temp is within a few degrees however. In stop and go situations, under hood temps mean that number is pretty meaningless relative to outside temps. If you check their webpage, it'll have a place to see all available gauges.

 

I did. I admit I don't understand A LOT of the gauges and what they would bring to my driving experience.

Having said this I did resurect an old thread ( waiting for the nuclear fallout)

Ultra Vs Scan Gauges.

Would you mind heading over and maybe write a few lines?

 

I am using this ETC. It is not a Twason(sp). I got it used from a fellow Freak. I have no problems with it. I leave it set at Eco 4 now. I did have a heck of a time getting it to plug in as one of the ends, I forget which now just would not fit. I had to trim it a lot. Actually I forget I have it. Tend to look right past it now.i