Customer Spent $4000...and it STILL Doesn't Start! (Acura MDX)

The owner of this 2010 Acura MDX has been waiting for a month for me to make the trip and diagnose his unpredictable 2010 Acura MDX that intermittently refuses to fire up.
The green "Immobilizer" key blinks on the dash when the car is acting up, setting a mysterious "D-2" fault in memory.
This was a tough diagnosis due to the intermittent nature of the problem.
You will NEVER guess what the problem is!
IVAN'S PICO WAVEFORMS:
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OPfhhQM7Qyv7n6rwacdIEKVLiEaQmlNg?usp=sharing
THINK TOOL PROS:
www.amazon.com/dp/B08XXWHQVJ?ref=exp_pinehollowautodiagnostics_dp_vv_d
Enjoy!
Ivan

[@NewLevelAuto]

You surely don't owe me a thing. Glad to share the knowledge and happy it led you right to the problem! Great video brother , see you soon!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Thanks Keith! I shall call this the "Keith Kick Test" from now on :))

[@diymisfit_Mechanic_UDX404]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics went from a tap test, to a kick test. That escalated quickly lol

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

@@diymisfit_Mechanic_UDX404 also don't forget the patented "Keith Tug Test"😁

[@rysacroft]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics I think you need to invest in a rubber mallet :)

[@TechTimeWithEric]

I also owe Keith one, it was 2 bad fuel injectors in my mom's van and a faulty rad cap causing the water loss

[@JoseSilveira-newhandleforYT]

What a weird problem! Luckily, Keith (the encyclopedia of weird cases), was able to save you the time it would take to chase goblins down the wiring. Great diagnostic and hats off to Keith.

[@calholli]

It's not really that weird when you have water dripping from your windshield. smh...

[@scientist100]

@@calholli the answer is not that obvious if you dont know. What makes us master techs is that we know what to look for. Loose connections, contact points that may break a wire with vibration and especially, what to test.

[@milesmahan]

Yes​@@scientist100

[@Bellathebear777]

In the early 90s I came across a 1982 Honda Accord for sale. It was covered with dirt from sitting. The owner was driving it, & it cut out on the freeway. Everything shutdown. She took it to Honda, & they replaced all kinds of parts. A few days later it happened again, so she took it to another shop, & they continued to replace everything they could think of. She drove away, & it cut out again. She had it towed home again, & was afraid to drive it. I bought it for 300 hundred bucks. I was grateful for all the new parts! It made it home , without cutting out. I spent a few hours going over everything under the hood. Then, While letting it run, I started grabbing the wires underneath the dash, & It shut down. It was a connector green with corrosion. I'm not sure how the water made its way under the dash, but I paid 50Cents for the connector at the JY. That sure was a nice little car.

[@mousegouse]

$4k for "Green Crusties" 😮...... This proves that Ivan is always right about never using the parts cannon without a proper diagnostic. Well done 👍

[@RexerYTRexer]

I doubt he paid 4k for those parts especially cuz they are from ebay not even dealer, they charged me 1200 for the whole immobilizer system (key ignition and everything thats talking in that circuit)

[@mousegouse]

@@RexerYTRexer Can't leave out the labour Bro, it's Parts and Labor. So whoever did the previous diagnostics didn't do a good job.

[@kain0m]

I mean Ivan was ready to pull the parts cannon trigger, even though the owner already played swaptronics...

[@ahf5471]

The owner was too fucking stupid to Google? Apparently so…..

[@nickbee1291]

Keith is a man with impeccable memory and experience! Good person to have in your corner. Good find!

[@trippplefive]

that guy is like the yoda of auto diagnostics

[@johnnywood8082]

@@John-wz3iu he have a channel?

[@diymisfit_Mechanic_UDX404]

@@johnnywood8082 kzbin.info But he hasn't posted since he left Staten Island

[@iFixJunk]

The owner of the Acura was my favorite part of this video. A good-natured guy, in spite of spending lots of time and money on this problem. He even participated in the video!

[@JBlake-moon-shdo]

I truly miss Keith's 3 min long video's. Glad to hear he's still got his head in it. Hope his wife and son are loving the new life.

[@Mickey_Bauer]

I have an 04 Maxima with intermittent click-no start issues. I've tried new brushes, new solenoid on my starter, new relay, new grounding cable, i checked voltage drop on positive and negative side i even tried a new starter and a new battery - couldn't get rid of the problem. One day i just grabbed a handful of wires under my dashboard and wiggled them and the problem was fixed. The car has been starting super strong for a few years with zero issues. (The new starter was returned and i'm still using my old original starter) After a few years the same issue is back but not as bad. It's time for some wiggle-wiggle again. I may try kicking some things too 😄

[@TheShop10]

Keith has diagnosed thousands of cars. How in the heck did he remember hitting the left kick panel in a Honda? Incredible. Good friend to have.

[@jovangrbic97]

OMG, the Keith guy is clutch, I mean talk about random facts and remembering odd cases, that's nuts!!!

[@montestu5502]

That was incredible! That’s wild that Keith pulled that from memory. Now, fix that smoke alarm chirp….😊

[@montestu5502]

@claura - Dang man you have to write in the appropriate language. What kind of stupid BOT are you? I write in English, you respond in English. Is it that difficult? How are BOTS going to take over the world with this ignorance?

[@TheFrenchPug]

My favorite fixes are the no parts required ones. That was going to be a biatch to track down though. Amazing Keith ran across that and kicked the panel and found out. Divine intervention. Our cars here in So Cal are only impacted by heat. We have no rain or rust so ideal conditions for cars to survive. You'd be amazed what you see still running out here.

[@Sandmansa]

Hey Ivan, when you asked yourself the question "would I have found that failing footwell connector on my own?" I think you would have, given the right circumstance. But I'd say Keith just earned himself lunch. LOL. But my personal experience tells me, does the vehicle have a sunroof? If answer is yes, it may be worth a look in the footwell areas for signs of water intrusion. This is great content Ivan! A perfect example of what to look for. Thanks for sharing this.

[@TonyRule]

No, now Keith owes Ivan lunch - the diagnostic charge is less!

[@relentless6156]

another awesome video good job and big thanks to Keith 😎👍🏾

[@Agent-nw3it]

When you call Ivan as the last resort and he has to call his last resort :)

[@rafflesnh]

Up until the point you rang Keith, you were so convinced it had to be a module problem and not a wiring/connection issue. That it turned out to be the latter after all must have left your mind reeling a bit, Ivan. Feel for you. Experience can be painful, but you just passed another milestone. ✌Thank you for letting us be a part of that journey. 👍

[@TreyCook21]

I know you would have got to the cause eventually, but you had already told yourself that it was a module problem and definitely not a wiring problem. Several modules were already tried and sitting on the table. That experience Keith has really pays off, and now this problem will not phase you again! You know... until you check that wire first and it's completely clean.

[@lovetolearn5253]

In all honesty I believe you would of found the problem. I know Keith helped short cut the find but I do believe you would of found it eventually. Its nice to have someone as knowledgeable as Keith in your corner. You just gotta know when to call him. It's a better learning experience when found on its own but unfortunately time and money doesn't always make it possible.

[@spaceghost8995]

Would HAVE not would OF

[@roxanneabbott8424]

Love these complicated cases, makes my brain think!!! Great job Ivan and Keith!!

[@baxrok2.]

Amazing. Thanks Keith and Ivan !

[@W.Khairi]

Your diags are becoming more interesting as u go along, Thanks a lot for sharing.

[@wadet73]

Reminds me of the reason why my parents got such a good deal on the 2001 Durango they bought in 2006 and i still drive today. The ignition switch behind the key tumbler and lock was shorting out and when you tilted the steering wheel to driving position, all the dash lights, radio and front blower would go off, tilt uo and it all came back on. It was replaced with a Mopar OEM unit and it worked great til 2019. I replaced the unit again with a Dorman unit snd it's actually built a little stronger and does not flex like the oem/Valeo unit. Its channels like yours, Eric O and Rainman Ray's that help me keep 2 20 plus year old Dodges on the road and running great! Great job as usual Ivan!

[@calholli]

I have a 2002 ACRUA MDX that I bought early 2020.. It has 3 rows of leather seats that fold down, heated seats and heated mirrors, moon roof, COLD dual climate AC that works TOO well.. it's AWD; has 3.5L vtec (j35A3) engine. It's in emaculate shape, zero rust, zero dents, not a single drop of leaking oil anywhere on this thing.. It had 155k miles and I got it for $1700 off of FB marketplace. lol.. over 2 years later and I'm still thrilled about it. It's such an incredible car........ It has an interference engine though, and I'm not sure if it has ever had a timing belt done on it. So that's on the list of things to knock out sometime in the future... I love these things though. Absolutely flawless design, even back in 2002. Everyone is trying to copy this exact crossover shape/ style and function, ect... -- and Acura got it right all the way back then..... I used my Xtool D8 to make extra keys and fobs for it. What a find-- I'm still pinching myself.

[@notsureigaf]

That feeling at 26:30 when you pop the connector out and a hail of green dust follows 👏

[@tiredoldmechanic1791]

I'm surprised that you don't have the terminal ends for those connectors. Somebody will forget and put that fuse back in. Cutting the wire and bypassing the connector might have been a better option.

[@bigfoot9445]

I was thinking similarly. would have been easy to bypass the factory connector, just for that one wire, and leave it adjacent to original where it would have been fairly obvious for the next guy. but great diag in any case. Thanks for sharing it Ivan!

[@kastooMcFry]

Good job. Always love the No Part Required repairs. Keith is brilliant for having remembered that problem. Miss his videos. Thanks!

[@HollomanUFOLanding]

Brilliant deduction! I had such a grin on my face when you found the pesky problem!!

[@user-sv8is9wn6v]

Another happy customer. Well done!

[@Ram14250]

Great fix! Keith came through with help! That's awesome! The owner looked overjoyed to know it's going to be fixed!

[@swallowinn4410]

Good job Ivan & Kudos to Kieth as well. In diagnostics you can never have too much experience. Even more critical with intermittent failures. Makes for a very good video. Glad your customer is satisfied.

[@carltonlane8931]

Great diagnosis,Keith the legend,also you for asking,you are both very good diagnosis techs,and the best bit ,you found the cause,and the fix.

[@luisz5443]

Fantastic job. Always a pleasure seeing and learning from your videos. Thank you so much for posting them.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Thanks Luis!

[@vinces8974]

That was awesome, you and Keith never fail to impress Ivan !

[@qusaykambal6903]

Very good diagnostic ❤ i followed you since one year ago and i get a lot of information every time i watched your video

[@armandm4587]

Just wanted to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas. I also want to thank you for reaching out to us all, providing some of us how to properly diagnose and make repairs. Your skills and knowledge in which you provide is so beneficial for us all, thank you.

[@volchip]

You had a fault to VBAT and the immobilizer output is an open drain transistor with some series resistance to the transistor drain. The +5V is the normal logic that this immobilizer output is pulled up with a resistor at the partner to this module. All automotive outputs must tolerate VBAT so a fault list this one does not destroy an output resulting in a new module. Faults like this are the bane of electronics.....

[@paulgilliland2992]

Keith and Ivan . Two legends of automotive diagnostics.

[@gregjones8501]

Crazy how Honda builds cars with pattern failures that luckily transfer from vehicle to vehicle. I always say they’re not perfect but very well built cars! Great find bro!

[@agmc4me]

Nothing beats experience. You were narrowing it down. Great diagnostic work

[@weshawkins7165]

You are fantastic with that scope, would not have found it without the scope and your knowledge of using it. People like you and Keith are invaluable.

[@rbilardo47]

Awesome job. Best diagnosis I've seen. Weird problem, but you handled it well. Great job. You're the best.

[@Afrattzz1]

Great job Ivan!

[@michaelyheaulon5835]

Great Job Ivan! Keith did not not disappoint.

[@bornforparadise7517]

Great diagnostic ! As always

[@jackiemay9471]

keith defazio top graduate of the staten island school of diagnostics and every weird wired auto the man is a legend

[@hhn2002]

One of the best automotive diagnostic channels on yt imo.

[@High_Tech_Mountain]

Awesome case study as always. Thank you so much for sharing. Always enjoy them!

[@StarsAutoSport]

Great work! Amazing content as always!

[@kevincampbell8298]

Good old water intrusion and of course Keith and his wealth of stored information..

[@rickchowsr2532]

Great diag Awesome advise Keith. A very interesting case study

[@armandolios4561]

How much talent an knowledge between you and Keith. have a great day!

[@chuckb9867]

Phenomenal work here

[@sergiotrevino6422]

Great job for sharing. I am sure you would have found the issue after the owner called you back. Great to have friends, we can't know it all. But you do a great job at it. Love the analysis you do and explanation! God Bless you!!

[@scottschulte1157]

Ivan these customers don't know how fortunate they are to have you. You are absolutely at the top of the automotive diagnostic food chain.

[@boilertech44]

Great Video Ivan! I was leaning towards the wire problem since it had the parts cannon already shot at it!

[@chrissmith7655]

Hi, Kudos to Keith and to you to have the humility to ask him for help. If you don't ask you don't get. Many thanks for ALL your excellent and VERY informative videos. From Nr Liverpool UK.

[@TwilightZoneX]

Amazing work !!!!!!!

[@AP9311]

Wow, that's very intermittent problem!! But Keith to the rescue!!! He saved your ass on that one lol. Glad he remembered the specific problem and got that connector fixed. Great video and great job, Ivan! Many thumbs up!

[@bryangardner4370]

What have you done to me??? I don't own an Acura or a Kia or any of the 30 other vehicles you've repaired. Your video's are backyard mechanic crack...just can't leave it alone. Love your systematic approach and thought full presentation. Your knowledge astounds me. Thanks for the great videos and for sharing.

[@billrimmer5596]

This was really a good one!! I never miss an Ivan video!!!

[@flatdaddio]

Wow!! That's crazy!! Great fix Ivan!!

[@glenncox3986]

Love the videos Ivan. No criticism here just an observation. You can buy bulk assortments of OEM male and female connector pins for all makes and just re-pin the bad connector pin(s). It's very easy to do once you get the hang of it which I know you have the skill set. A special crimping tool is needed and an assortment of pin extractors for releasing the pin, all of which is very inexpensive. With a little practice there is no need to order harnesses or disable other systems in the car and the repair is 100 percent at the time of diagnosis.

[@patriot2164]

Love how Keith has had that problem before , Master Tech ! Thanks Ivan !

[@paulb4496]

A love for your job and a photographic memory are "must haves" to be a good diagnostician/repairman. I am an instructor for the local Hvac apprenticeship and have been a repairman since 1973. Awesome video YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!....

[@wwdiesel]

That one was wild indeed! You would never find a problem like that without the aid of a scope unless you just accidently stumbled up on it. Great diagnosis and video. Amazing what problems a few green crusties can and will cause.

[@luismarty1685]

Thank you Ivan. We just bought a 2012 MDX.

[@ryans413]

Kieths a legend what doesn’t this guy know

[@rpturbo]

Man what a great video. Your my newest favorite channel! I enjoy watching your troubleshooting skills, and have learned a thing or 2 from you. Electrical is probably my least favorite thing on a car, so I love watching people who are good at it.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Thanks Rick! Plenty to learn every day, welcome to the unpredictable world of auto diagnostics 🙂

[@mike-yp1uk]

I like the pulling of all resources and a fix. Awesome content

[@AutomotiveServiceExcellence]

interesting case Bro thanks for your sharing

[@jamesbruno5896]

Very interesting Ivan! Keith for the win!

[@dilanmedina2565]

That MDX body style were notorious for water leaks through the roof rails and A pillar and water would always find its way behind the MICU. Good find 👍

[@davidmcclain5180]

Wow, Keith to the rescue. That call saved a bunch of time. You would probably have gotten there but man oh man, what a fix! Super cool!

[@mtebaldi1]

Great troubleshooting repair video Ivan as usual.

[@hatemaster2475]

First amazing patience tracking that down ,but that rite there is a great example of what water can do to today's vehicles. I literally can't count how many problems my shop has seen because of leaking sun roofs,windows seals,door seals.but excellant video again my man

[@jerryleejohnsonjr1377]

Another happy customer, great job!

[@mmichaeldonavon]

Yes, Ivan, unbelievable. Nice that you gave Keith the credit on this fix - makes you an honorable man. Oh, I flew into Binghamton, once, in the Winter, and there was snow piled VERY high on each side of the runway. I was working on my Commercial license and my instructor was with me. He was actually delivering something there, and offered me to fly the trip for more experience. Was a memorable trip. ha, ha.

[@jamram9924]

Tenacity certainly pays off Ivan. Don’t forget that little lifeline your friend threw your way! Excellent information.

[@seanmiller678]

Truly amazing! also + 1 for experience! Go Keith...

[@moreblessingncube6877]

I've been watching your work, so informative. What is the scan tool you're using .

[@DaveSender66]

You gotta love identifazio!!!! Nice work Ivan. Water leaks and electrical connectors are never a good mix. Ivan would you be so kind as to tell us where you sourced your tweezers and other connector cleaning tools? Please keep up the incredible case studies Ivan loving every bit of it!!!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Thanks Dave! Tweezers were a gift from a viewer years ago...

[@aleksandrzinkevics1253]

happy days!! You can not describe this moment in words when u found it!! Time well spend watching, and happy end finally!

[@johnlenoir1023]

holy cow that it was amazing who would have ever thought a dang connection and a kick panel is going to affect your smart key crap

[@aeroearth]

Plug and socket just there as an aid to enable original manufacture. Without sealing boots over both plug and socket and in an area close to the door hinge, adjacent to the sunroof drain and under a windscreen, that is a GTF design feature where GTF means "Guaranteed To Fail" Permanent fix is to remove both plug and socket housings, cut off male and female terminals, cut back wires to a corrosion free area and solder join each wire pair in turn with heat shrink over each soldered joint, then heat shrink over whole soldered joints area then inject neutral cure silicon sealant around every wire at both ends of the large heat shrink to make effectively a hermetically sealed joint. Great fault analysis Ivan and Keith!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

That would definitely be a long term fix! Interior connectors are never sealed since the manufacturer never expected them to get wet 😅

[@boblynch7348]

Man, that was a tough one. An impressive diagnosis!

[@Bwelsh1981]

Nice. I feel bad for this poor guy. These things shouldn't happen. Proves that Information is key to everything. Great job as usual Ivan!

[@DIYDaveOK]

Crazy problem. Even crazier Keith had seen it. Great video. Thanks, Ivan!

[@geraldnoe649]

You originally said. It’s intermittent and only occurs when you move the steering column, so it has to be wiring. Then you see the raised voltage and completely forget how the problem occurs and start chasing rabbits. Thankfully Keith pointed you again to the right path because it always had to be a wiring issue.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Had nothing to do with the steering column. That was just a coincidence. Those rabbits are tricky 🐇

[@matthewdale174]

It just brings a head shake and grin when you call Keith and he’s spot on. Either way Ivan you were all over that You knew what the fault was. Nothing wrong with the “Phone a friend” Especially intermittent issues

[@robertoruiz7069]

That was a great vid IVAN>you've done a lot of the green crusty's ones before but this was special in that you asked for help,and Kieth DAfacio came through with a needle in the haystack idea and it was right on the money.i really think 90 % of mechs,would just keep firing the parts canon until the barrel melted or the customer ran out of money.what makes it such a good lesson is THAT IT'S AN INTERMITTENT ISSUE.Those are the hardest to repair.I'm sure this guy had no issues paying you for travel time.i know if it was me>>i would send a stretch limo to pick you and your wife up and take you back wherever you wanted to go.haha

[@cyberfunk3793]

I had the same type of no start problem intermittently on a 2006 Accord. First problem I fixed was the ECU that had some damage from water dripping from the AC system. It was actually physically corroded the aluminum box and insides so I cleaned it up, put some spray plastic type stuff meant for circuit boards on the ecu board and sealed the casing better. That corrected the problem for a while but the final fix was to simply replace the ground wiring after which I had no issues with starting and no longer the green immobilizer symbol.

[@snoopy81]

I like the way u explain,good job.

[@htownblue11]

Wow. What a case study. And Kieth might be the GOAT…..This is what you love to do Ivan. Solve the mysteries others cannot. Wow.

[@mikechiodetti4482]

Nice fix Ivan! Absolutely Amazing how a small amount of corrosion can shutdown a vehicle!

[@chuckreed2677]

Your a top notch troubleshooter, I'd hire you in a second. I do have one constructive criticism comment. I've watched a lot of your video's and I've heard you say a few times it has to be a module. I was an electronics technician for 40 years and I have seen some weird stuff, bad grounds and crusties acting like resistors that can cause some weird results. So maybe don't be so quick to say it has to be a module even though you are usually right. Please don't take this as negativity, I give you top marks on your skills and I'm still learning too. In fact I learn a lot about cars from you. Keep the videos coming.

[@toreybrown9521]

That was it, you got my 2011 acura mdx up and running after 3 trips to honda, new immobilizer and reprogramming and still intermittent issue exactly like this car. I took your expertise and advise and now it's all good. Thank you so much

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

That's awesome!! You would think the dealers would know about this apparently common issue lol!

[@latamoongashka7429]

wow!!!! I am impressed. I love your content.

[@noelcastle3986]

Great diag very interesting and Keith saved alot of time , you would have eventually found it on your own I'm sure.Location of connectors seems to be key kick panels seem to be a common place for water to seep into . Watching lots of diag videos over the last few years connector issues and green crusties always in vulnerable areas either inside or outside the cabin. The customer is ecstatic hopefully can resell the parts cannon ammunition on ebay again and retrieve some $$$$.

[@windward2818]

After cleaning the contacts mate and un-mate the connector a couple times. Then apply Deoxit D100 in the needle applicator bottle to the male pins re-connect and test for proper operation. If operation okay, you can then seal the wire side of the connector with Grote Ultra-Seal. The Ultra-Seal will keep the water out. Usually the power feed and power return for a specific function will route through a common connector. In this case, if you do not have the ability to replace a pin, you could add a connector and move the circuit power (which has the bad pin) and the return using a Deutsch DTM 2 Pin connector. You can select either a bent style crimp pin or a barrel style pin. Most common are either Tin plated or Nickle plated. Pins with Gold plating are available but very expensive. If this is done it is generally good practice to tie wrap the added connector to the parent connector.

[@fredautos]

I'm really impressed With your awesome Diagnostics... You indeed Nailed It!.. Green Cruistes...4k grands for replacement of innocent parts😢

[@chalangshingaly502]

good job . nice work thank you