Thanks for experimenting with the VSA fuse.
Here's a few questions:

How low does the tire pressure have to be so that you can't disengage VSA with the switch?

Maybe you can deflate tires just enough to drive on sand but not quite enough to affect VSA?

What tire pressure do you use for beach driving in soft sand?

What tire pressure do you use for serious washboard dirt roads?

 

I don't know about the VSA and tire pressure, but the TPMS will warn you if pressure is below around 28psi. It got into the mid thirties here last night and this morning I had two "low tire" warning lights! Both tires were around 27psi. I double checked by using 2 different gauges.

 

this a response for mcdume

I didn't quote here because the comp will freeze.

The TPMS is tied to the VSA system, with low pressure apparanty the # is 28PSI and lower, the TPMS tells the VSA no, you can't be turned off. 28 is way to high for sand driving. Don't take a chance air down properly.

part two was answered by hiPSI

thirdly, I am a fan of 15PSI on sand with these tire. they are technically not a sand tire so the lower the better. I might use 18PSI if the tire had more sidewall and could get a bigger footprint over the sand

washboard dirt roads you can use much more pressure Each road condition is a little different, it would depend on the actual depth of the ridges, but try 25 first then 20. you need enough air to prevent pinching the tire and rim while still giving you the smoothest ride you can get

I hope that helps, j

 

What about the VSA disable button?

 

What about the VSA disable button?

He said it comes back on when the tire pressure is lowered, regardless of the switch setting.

 

Interesting information. Is the fuse you had to remove listed in the owners manual or did you need one of the supplemental manuals to figure out which fuse to pull?

 

Seems like it would be easy enough to rewire the VSA disable switch to actually disable VSA beyond the tire pressure limitation. Perhaps a first mod to be documented.

 

Actually, the fuses are clearly labeled inside the fuse cover. pop the cover turn it over, only thing, hope you have younger eyes than i do, better bring your magnifiers.

The VSA has two fuses the 20 AMP appears to run the sesnsors, the 40 amp runs the VSA motor.

I pulled just the 20

 

Seems like it would be easy enough to rewire the VSA disable switch to actually disable VSA beyond the tire pressure limitation. Perhaps a first mod to be documented.

I remember reading on this forum something about that, I got the impression it would take an expert to do it. but it would be something I would do if I could.

 

Interesting information. Is the fuse you had to remove listed in the owners manual or did you need one of the supplemental manuals to figure out which fuse to pull?

I see two VSA fuses in the secondary under-hood fuse box.

#2 is a 20 Amp VSA FSR
#3 is a 40 Amp VSA MTR

Wondering if one or both need to be pulled.

If a person did alot of off road sand driving it might be nice to put a switch in series with the fuse to make in more convenient to totally diable the VSA. Warranty issues may apply.

Also with the fuse removed does the VSA activation indicator still come on to remind you that it is disabled?

Never mind. Geeeez I'm a slow typist. Three responses to captmiddy's question while I was posting

 

lowrider90
thanks for the tire pressure advice and workaround
mcdume

 

He said it comes back on when the tire pressure is lowered, regardless of the switch setting.

Ohhh ok, gotcha. thanks!

 

I see two VSA fuses in the secondary under-hood fuse box.

#2 is a 20 Amp VSA FSR
#3 is a 40 Amp VSA MTR

Wondering if one or both need to be pulled.

 

I just pulled the 20amp based on a previous thread. It worked.

 

SNIP If a person did alot of off road sand driving it might be nice to put a switch in series with the fuse to make in more convenient to totally diable the VSA. Warranty issues may apply. SNIP

Today I put together a Rube Goldberg fix for the issue. Essentially, I wired a remote interrupter circuit where the fuse would be. If interested, the procedure is as follows:

1. Buy an extra fuse to fit in the 20 A socket. The amperage doesn't matter, it just has to fit.

2. Get about 10' of 16 gauge automotive primary wire and double it into 2 strands. Tin both of the wire ends.

3. Pry the clear plastic top off of the new fuse. Inside, break the copper fuse between the terminals.

4. Solder the previously tinned wires to the terminals from the top of the fuse using a soldering pen. After soldering, melt two small grooves into the top of the plastic fuse large enough to allow the plastic top to be replaced with the wires exiting out the side. (Note: you may be able to simply install two female terminals to the wires and plug them onto the male terminals of the fuse socket. I didn't think it would be as secure.)

5. Fish the wires through the rubber firewall grommet, routing them past the emergency brake.

6. Install a 20 Amp inline fuse into the circuit somewhere under the dash. (My guess is that the solder joints on the "Interrupter Fuse" will melt before the 20 amp inline fuse, but better to be safe.)

7. I installed a simple rocker interrupt switch (without an indicator light) into the blank plug next to the "VSA Off" switch.

8. Remove the 20 amp VSA fuse and replace it with the newly cobbed together "Interrupter Fuse", routing the wires out of the fuse box beside the main red hot wire, and replace the cover. Throw the old fuse into the glovebox in case you need to replace it.

After securing all wires and tidying up, you should be all set. Throw the switch one way and you have continuity, throw it the other and it interrupts the circuit - just like pulling the fuse but a lot easier, especially in foul weather!

If your Ridge blows up after this modification, you're on your own!

 

Nice modification.
Doesn't sound Rube Goldberg to me.

Nicely done and good instructions.

This mod would sure be nice for those that "air down" for sand pounding on beaches or sand dunes frequently.

I haven't taken my Ridgeline to my favorite sand dunes YET but will probablly do so in the future.
Will have to consider this mod.


Although I haven't looked thoroughly at this fuse box and the VSA fuse wiring yet, I was wondering if the wires entering the fuse box for the 20amp VSA fuse are easy to find and are easily accessible.

My thought was to leave stock fuse alone and cut and spilce (solder) a wire and ON/OFF switch in series with the output (fused side) side of that fuse unless those wires are too hard to access.

Both methods would work fine but yours would be easier if the input wires to the fuse block are not that accessible.

Thanks and appreciate any further info on this.

 

Sorry, I missed something. Why doesn't disabling the VSA work for this type of activity?

 

Sorry, I missed something. Why doesn't disabling the VSA work for this type of activity?

When driving in the sand we "air down" the tires for better floatation and traction.

The TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) senses this and turns VSA back on, overriding the VSA ON/OFF switch.

 

Ahhhh. Gotcha. Thanks...

 

Sorry, I missed something. Why doesn't disabling the VSA work for this type of activity?

When driving in the sand we "air down" the tires for better floatation and traction.

The TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) senses this and turns the VSA back on, overriding the VSA ON/OFF switch.

 

I didn't consider looking for the existing wire because:

1. I would need to rip apart the thick wire bundle to find it.

2. It would be an irreversible modification and I'm leasing the vehicle. I wasn't sure how well this would work and didn't want to get into any warranty issues with Honda. At least this way, I can just install the "interrupt fuse" while I am at the beach, then uninstall it and tie it up under the firewall someplace.

Honda sure didn't take beach driving into consideration when they designed the fail-safe system for the VSA.

SNIP
Although I haven't looked thoroughly at this fuse box and the VSA fuse wiring yet, I was wondering if the wires entering the fuse box for the 20amp VSA fuse are easy to find and are easily accessible.

My thought was to leave stock fuse alone and cut and spilce (solder) a wire and ON/OFF switch in series with the output (fused side) side of that fuse unless those wires are too hard to access.

Both methods would work fine but yours would be easier if the input wires to the fuse block are not that accessible. SNIP

 

Excerpt from service manual attached. FYI.