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2016 Pilot electrical issue, possible keyless control unit, panel / relays flicker, alarm goes off unexpectedly

30273 Views 79 Replies 45 Participants Last post by  gabrielaserrano
Our 2016 Pilot has an annoying issue. When it is turned off, the panel lights flicker. You can hear the relays clicking behind the panel. The headlights come on. Often the car alarm randomly goes off. The dealership has had it 3 times. This 3rd time around they want to charge us $800 to replace the Keyless control unit. The dealer has had it 2 other times (Cost us $80 first time and $250 the 2nd time) and nothing was resolved with this issue. It seems they are just throwing darts at possible solutions. They won't guarantee this will fixe the issue. They will not refund us the $800 if this part isn't even a problem ;-( To our knowledge, we don't think we have had the issue occur when the car is unlocked. It doesn't happen every time the car is locked. It is definitely sporadic. Anyone else have similar issues?
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I assume that they have tried replacing the start/stop button already. It could also be a door, window or hood switch not indicating that they are all closed when the car is locked or a wiring issue to one of the switches. Are there any B codes showing up when the car is scanned?
After asking for the car back without moving forward with their suggestion to replace the unit, we read in some of these threads that there was a recall on the start / stop switch. We are the 2nd owner but we planned to ask for the history on that recall next week. It's the dealer's "flow chart" that led them to a diagnosis of replacing the control unit. We can also ask the dealer tomorrow about B Codes. My husband has some mechanical experience and actually worked on harness issues for quite a few years with Delphi so we aren't completely naïve but certainly don't have access to any diagnostic equipment or extensive documentation. We located the control unit behind the glove box just to make sure all the connections were secure. The dealership had not even done this so we wanted to make sure there wasn't a connection issue, loose wire to the unit, etc
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Yes, there is a recall on the start/stop switch for the 2016 model year and if the switch is faulty, it will show a keyless start error on the display and also you will get a B12C5 code when the car is scanned. I had to replace mine a few months back but did not have issues with the alarm, just the walk away locking not working and the Keyless start error. You may want to invest in a cheap bluetooth scanner as it will save you money in the long term. I use Bluedriver but there are other cheaper ones out there.
Its not a recall, its a warranty extension. TSB 20-117.

The vehicle may not start upon first press of the ENGINE START/STOP button. Also, MID displays the error message KEYLESS START SYSTEM ERROR, and DTC B12C5 (Engine Start/Stop Switch Failure) is stored.
American Honda is extending the warranty for the keyless start system on these vehicles to 9 years from the original date of purchase or 125,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Our 2016 Pilot has an annoying issue. When it is turned off, the panel lights flicker. You can hear the relays clicking behind the panel. The headlights come on. Often the car alarm randomly goes off. The dealership has had it 3 times. This 3rd time around they want to charge us $800 to replace the Keyless control unit. The dealer has had it 2 other times (Cost us $80 first time and $250 the 2nd time) and nothing was resolved with this issue. It seems they are just throwing darts at possible solutions. They won't guarantee this will fixe the issue. They will not refund us the $800 if this part isn't even a problem ;-( To our knowledge, we don't think we have had the issue occur when the car is unlocked. It doesn't happen every time the car is locked. It is definitely sporadic. Anyone else have similar issues?
HI, I am having the same problem with my 2016 Pilot. I took it to the dealer and they checked it with the computer and said there were no errors. I had issues earlier with the keyless control unit (start/stop button) and replaced it on my own. Now this issue. I replaced the battery. I read it could be the door sensors or the hood. sensor. It's become a nuisance. The only thing that stops the alarm is to partially disconnect the battery. Let me know if you find a solution.
We had the dealer replace the keyless control unit and this has seemed to resolve the issue. The keyless control unit is a module that's behind the glove compartment about an inch and a half thick. 4 × 6 inches in diameter.
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We purchased our certified used 2016 Honda Pilot EXL AWD 1.5 years ago. I’m having an issue with the dash lights flickering and the anti-theft going off repeatedly the last two evenings. We had to unplug the battery last night for it to stop. Any suggestions on where to start?
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2016 pilot. Had a keyless trouble message, took to dealer, battery was low. Also, had alarm going off several time randomly while we were in house and key not near car. Dealer replaced the battery. Also noted was that the dealer would not install the extended warranty on the start/stop button. Asked why they didn't do it and they said they can't replace it with a good one because they didn't get an error code when they scanned it. Guess they didn't believe me when I told them about the keyless message on the display. After about 2 weeks, the alarm went off again randomly. Thinking of disconnecting hood alarm connector but was hoping to find a video of how to take off the black cover about to access connector. Also, looked to find a fuse that was specifically for the alarm system but could not find alarm on any of the fuse diagrams. Any help appreciated in explaining how to remove the cover under the hood adjacent on both sides of the hood latch. Thanks
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I'm having similar issues with my 2016 Pilot. Six months ago, I replaced the battery because it was the original one. Then the start/stop button failed. I bought one at the dealer and went to You Tube and replaced in 30 minutes. Now the damm alarm keeps going off. Some people on this forum and You Tube said it could be the door sensor so I replaced the one on the drivers side. The alarm kept going off so I partially disconnected the battery just to stop the alarm. I did more research and read that disconnecting the hood sensor can stop the alarm. I also took my car to the dealer and they did not discover anything when scanning it. I'm really frustrated. I read on this forum that the issue could be the Keyless Control Unit. One user had similar issues and replaced it and it seems ok now.
We had the dealer replace the keyless control unit and this has seemed to resolve the issue. The keyless control unit is a module that's behind the glove compartment about an inch and a half thick. 4 × 6 inches in diameter.

Did your warranty cover the keyless control unit? How much did you pay if they did not cover it? Thank you so much.
It was not covered under warranty. We paid $700 for part and labor.
It was not covered under warranty. We paid $700 for part and labor.
Thank you. Would you happen to know the part number?
38320-tg7-a420-m1
Attached is a picture of it.

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Its not a recall, its a warranty extension. TSB 20-117.

The vehicle may not start upon first press of the ENGINE START/STOP button. Also, MID displays the error message KEYLESS START SYSTEM ERROR, and DTC B12C5 (Engine Start/Stop Switch Failure) is stored.
American Honda is extending the warranty for the keyless start system on these vehicles to 9 years from the original date of purchase or 125,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Just got my notification a couple of days ago.
Does anyone know if, when the problem occurs, does the starter eventually work again? Or it this a case where, when it stops working, it continues to fail? If the latter, I would like to think that American Honda would proactively replace the part, rather than possibly have one of their customers get stuck in a hazardous situation.
145739
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I am having the exact issue described. I replaced the start / stop switch but no improvement. While I troubleshoot, i installed a manual lever switch on the positive battery post, allowing me to disconnect the battery when i turn off the car, knowing that the issue won’t set the alarm off and drain the battery. Major pain but working.
Has anyone ordered the part and tried to install the set?

Thank you.
We purchased our certified used 2016 Honda Pilot EXL AWD 1.5 years ago. I’m having an issue with the dash lights flickering and the anti-theft going off repeatedly the last two evenings. We had to unplug the battery last night for it to stop. Any suggestions on where to start?
Same thing with my 2016 EX - dealer replaced ignition switch (so they said) and it still does same thing.
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