HandsFreeLink System Troubleshooting (2017 2018 2019 2020)

NOTE: 

• Check the vehicle battery condition first - Refer to: Battery Test (2016 2017 2018 2019 2020)
• Before you troubleshoot, make sure to follow the General Troubleshooting Information - Refer to: How to Troubleshoot the HandsFreeLink System. 
• Make sure the cell phone with Bluetooth is Acura approved and configured correctly. Online, go to www.acura.com/handsfreelink, or call the HFL customer service at 888-528-7876.
• You must be able to duplicate the client's concern to successfully diagnose the problem. If you cannot duplicate the issue, have the client demonstrate it.
• Once the symptom is duplicated, contact the HFL customer service at 888-528-7876. Many HFL issues are related to the cell phone and not the HFL system.
• See if you can duplicate the symptom in a known-good vehicle under the same conditions. If you can, it is probably a characteristic of the system.
• Always use the client's cell phone to successfully diagnose the problem.

1. Determine possible failure area (Bluetooth cell phone, others) 1

   - 1. Make sure the cell phone with Bluetooth is approved by checking www.acura.com/handsfreelink, or call the HFL customer service at 888-528-7876.

   Is the Bluetooth cell phone approved?

   YES 

   Go to step 2.

   NO 

   Explain to the client that the Bluetooth cell phone is not approved. Recommend they get an approved Bluetooth cell phone. Go to handsfreelink.honda.com for a list of approved Bluetooth cell phones.

2. Determine possible failure area (Bluetooth cell phone, others) 2

   - 1. Check if the Bluetooth cell phone has any special requirements (software version, configuration, etc.). Call the HFL call center at 888-528-7876 for help.

   Is the correct software version loaded and is the Bluetooth cell phone properly configured?

   YES 

   Go to step 3.

   NO 

   Explain to your client that the Bluetooth cell phone software needs to be updated or the Bluetooth cell phone needs to be configured properly. If the HFL call center is able to help configure the phone, direct your client to contact the HFL call center for proper phone configuration and then their Bluetooth cell phone manufacturer or carrier (if necessary).

3. Determine possible failure area (Bluetooth cell phone, others) 3

   - 1. Check the features of the approved Bluetooth cell phone at www.acura.com/handsfreelink, or call the HFL call center at 888-528-7876.

   Are all the features approved?

   YES 

   Go to step 4.

   NO 

   Check and see if the phone's feature that is not approved is the same as the client complaint. If the complaint is about the feature that is not approved, the vehicle is OK. Explain to the client that the feature is not approved to work with the HFL. Recommend they contact the HFL customer service at 888-528-7876 to discuss approved phones and configuration issues.

4. DTC check

   - 1. Check for HFL DTCs.

   Are there any HFL DTCs indicated?

   YES 

   Go to indicated HFL DTC's troubleshooting.

   NO 

   Go to step 5.

5. Problem verification

   - 1. Try to duplicate the problem or have the client demonstrate the problem using the clients approved cellular phone.

   Can you duplicate the problem?

   YES 

   The failure is duplicated, go to step 6.

   NO 

   Intermittent failure, the system is OK at this time. Most HFL concerns are related to the phone or how the client is using the HFL system. Recommend they contact the HFL customer service at 888-528-7876 to discuss approved phones and configuration issues.

6. HandsFreeLink control unit check (substitution)

   - 1. Pair the clients approved cell phone with Bluetooth to a known-good vehicle (same model, year, and trim), and try to duplicate the problem.

   Does the cell clients phone with Bluetooth have the same problem on the known-good vehicle?

   YES 

   Call the HFL customer service at 888-528-7876, not tech line, to make sure clients the approved cell phone with Bluetooth is configured correctly and has the correct software. If the cell clients phone with Bluetooth is configured correctly, it is either a characteristic of the HFL system, or a characteristic of the particular approved cell phone with Bluetooth being used. Explain to your client that this is a system characteristic. Another cell phone from the approved cell phone with Bluetooth list may give more favorable results.

   NO: Without AcuraLink

   Check the software update about the HandsFreeLink control unit . If it does not have the latest software, If the software is the latest, replace the HandsFreeLink control unit .

   NO: With AcuraLink

   Check the software update about the telematics control unit if it does not have the latest software, If the software is the latest, replace the telematics control unit .