Case Study: Acura MDX plagued with charging system issues

Nov. 28, 2023

The owner of this Acura was concerned about the charging system error message in the instrument cluster.

Related To:

Vehicle: 2017 Acura MDX, AWD, V6-3.5L (J35Y5), Automatic Transmission/Transaxle

Mileage: 129,459

Problem: The owner of this Acura was concerned about the charging system error message in the instrument cluster. It had been on for a few days. Another shop had already replaced the battery sensor, but that did not fix the problem.

Case details: The first thing the second shop did was to check for diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). The technician retrieved the following DTCs:

B1192 Gauge Control Module Lost Communication with Battery Sensor ECU (LIN BUS Connected)
B1193 Gauge Control Module Lost Communication with Steering Switch (LIN BUS Connected)
P16E3 PGM-FI-Battery Sensor LIN Communication Error
B1196 Gauge Control Module Lost Communication with Battery Fan (LIN BUS Connected)

After finding the DTCs, the technician decided to call ALLDATA Tech-Assist for some diagnostic advice. The Tech-Assist consultant said that the LIN bus circuit is connected to the battery sensor, battery fan motor and steering switches via the clock spring. He recommended disconnecting one charging system component at a time to see if the communication codes, along with the other codes, could be cleared. He added that it would be best to start with the battery fan.

The technician began with the battery fan as suggested and he was able to clear all the DTCs.

Confirmed repair: The battery fan motor that was shorting the LIN Bus was replaced and the technician took the Acura for a test drive. No further charging issues or warning messages were found. Fixed!

Reprinted with permission from ALLDATA.

About the Author

Richard Diegle | Senior Automotive Editor for ALLDATA

Rich Diegle has been in the automotive industry since 1978. After graduating from a local community college, he began working at a Nissan dealership as a used car technician. Since then, he’s worked as a Nissan and ASE master automotive technician, shop owner, marketing copywriter, automotive editor, public relations manager, instructor, ALLDATA Tech-Assist team manager, and a senior automotive editor.