HDS and sensor diagnostic

[dagerman]

For any of you who have/had access to HDS, is it possible to tell the last times the factory alarm was triggered and what sensor it was?

I am having issues with my alarm system randomly going off and need to know if the Honda dealer has access to the past data as it does not eaily replicate. Am stationed in Germany and the dealership here has HDS, but when they checked they only checked the sensors at that particular moment.

If I knew which sensor was triggered in the past I could isolate the problem. Any help/ideas are appreciated!

[thunderdome]

the last post u started on this subject,

Factory Alarm going nuts

anitgravityhero said he was goin to try and confirm if hds can be used to find this out ... try contacting him again and see what info he may have for ya ... im guessing he works for honda

[dagerman]

Waited a couple days and thought maybe someone else might know. Have gotten to the point that I am contemplating snipping the factory alarm arm/disarm wires to see if that will at least "turn off" the alarm system. Wise or unwise?

[AntiGravityHero]

OK, I have tested the procedure and here we go:

This assumes you are using the Teradyne PC HDS, other systems are similar

1. Connect to vehicle in the usual manner
2. Enter vehicle details as requested
3. Select mode: Honda Systems
4. Choose Body Electrical
5. Choose Security
6. Choose History Data

...which will result in a screen similar to this:


Any value that shows "ON" indicates the particular reason the alarm was triggered until the history data is cleared. For example, on this particular car, the driver's door lock was unlocked from inside the car and the key was turned while the alarm was armed. These could have happened at different times, so to accurately diagnose your issue, the history data should be cleared first (there is a button that says "Clear History Data" on the Security screen) and then you will have to wait until the next time your alarm goes nuts on you before it can be scanned again.

An exception: If, the first time the car is scanned, it only shows a single "ON" value in the security history, then you've already got the reason and do not need to go through the reset process.

With this data in hand, a technician can then proceed with visual and functional tests of the suspected fault and you'll hopefully be on your way with a quieter car. Note that even though the computer logged, say, a door switch as the condition that triggered the alarm, the problem could be anywhere between the switch up to and including the MICU (the computer that controls everything except the engine, essentially). A good tech should be able to isolate the issue with guidance from the HDS.

It is rare, though possible, for the MICU itself to go wonky, which can be caused by an internal fault, loose or damaged wiring harnesses or connectors, or interference/noise from an external source (audio equipment, HID kits, etc.). For your sake I hope not, they're expensive.

Intermittent electrical issues like this always seem to be really really easy (tighten a screw or move an adjustment nut) or "tear the whole dash apart" hard. Encourage your mechanic to start with the cheap and obvious.

And no, thunderdome, I am not employed by Honda.

Good luck!