The "Tighten Fuel Cap" message seems to be a common one on these vehicles. I had it once on my '09. I've learned to turn the cap at least a full turn after it starts clicking -- from recommendations in board archives. I haven't had the problem since.
Diagnostic assistance
Hello, today I had a message on the dash to 'tighten the fuel cap.' I checked the fuel cap and it was tight. I have also been getting g poor mileage commuting short city trips is giving me 12-13 mpg. The engine takes about 3 seconds to actually start when I turn it over. Thoughts on what might be happening?
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Sometimes the seal goes bad on them. You can get a new one at the dealer for less than $30.
Chip H.
Chip H.
Echoing suggestion to inspect fuel cap gasket and tighten to a couple of clicks. The cap is part of vapor recovery / containment - the system can't detect exactly where air is escaping / entering the fill side of the tank - so when pressure conditions are out of spec, will throw the temp code/text message to check the cap. The cap gasket is just easiest to access and the most likely leak suspect.
Perhaps the FSM troubleshoot page will be helpful. Hope this resolution is usable.
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Perhaps the FSM troubleshoot page will be helpful. Hope this resolution is usable.
Thanks everyone. Is it normal for an RL to crank for a few seconds?
A "few" is normal for me but your few might be different from mine. If there is something happening with fuel pressure (related to your error message) it likely has influence over economy and fuel/air delivery at start up. Solve the error message and the other two issues will likely be solved.Thanks everyone. Is it normal for an RL to crank for a few seconds?
How can I tell if I have HDS and how do I use it if I have it? I have an 07 btw.
Kyle,How can I tell if I have HDS and how do I use it if I have it? I have an 07 btw.
HDS = Honda Diagnostic System. All year RL's have a version of HDS - which is basically the text display under the speedo. Follow the directions in the post above or click this link to the instruction page of the factory service manual.
The shortest way to explain the is: you know how maintenance minder tells you its time for an oil change? When that message is displayed in the HDS, you press and hold the reset button to clear the minder. Same goes for clearing the fuel cap message.
Now that you are routinely making sure the fuel cap clicks at least once when tightening after a fill up, the message should not reappear. That is, unless the leak the PCM is detecting is somewhere else in the fuel fill plumbing.
Does that make sense?
Replace the Fuel Cap first, eliminate 1 problem at a time...
It does make sense now. I have only had the RL for about two months, so haven't had to reset anything yet. I will try resetting and if it keeps coming back I will replace the cap.
Just a wild guess, but you "may" have an issue at your gas tank; maybe fuel pump seal? If you're losing pressure when sitting, your longer-than-normal cranking might be getting fuel pressure up?
Do you smell gas at all? If you had a leak at the fuel pump & are losing any fuel, that might account for the loss in fuel mileage, BUT:
I'd say this may be imaginary, given your warning light. As others have said; see if you can't resolve that, or find out if it persists. Then you can check other elements of the fuel system back there.
Do you smell gas at all? If you had a leak at the fuel pump & are losing any fuel, that might account for the loss in fuel mileage, BUT:
I'd say this may be imaginary, given your warning light. As others have said; see if you can't resolve that, or find out if it persists. Then you can check other elements of the fuel system back there.
Actually if you have some Shin-Etsu Grease (Honda Grease for gaskets such as doors and windows) you could try cleaning the gasket on the Gas Cap and then greasing it
Never smelled gas yet, so hopefully it is nothing major.
Kyle,
It's been my experience that a weak battery will generate longer starting times. I have a device called the BatteryMole which tells me how long the starter cranks. If my battery is in decent shape, I rarely see starting times more than 1 second. But if I haven't driven for several days, my battery (which is just over 3 years old) starts to fade (lower voltage available to start) and it will often take well over a second to start. And the BatteryMole will alert me to the lengthy start and my state of charge is low (I've seen as low as 10% when the RL has sat for about a week without being driven on this aging battery).
A long paragraph to say, get your battery checked before you do anything else. A proper load test would be in order.
Here's a link to the user manual. Check what is says about a slow start:
http://4peaks-tech.com/MonitorManual_v1_12.pdf
It's been my experience that a weak battery will generate longer starting times. I have a device called the BatteryMole which tells me how long the starter cranks. If my battery is in decent shape, I rarely see starting times more than 1 second. But if I haven't driven for several days, my battery (which is just over 3 years old) starts to fade (lower voltage available to start) and it will often take well over a second to start. And the BatteryMole will alert me to the lengthy start and my state of charge is low (I've seen as low as 10% when the RL has sat for about a week without being driven on this aging battery).
A long paragraph to say, get your battery checked before you do anything else. A proper load test would be in order.
Here's a link to the user manual. Check what is says about a slow start:
http://4peaks-tech.com/MonitorManual_v1_12.pdf
Thanks, I will at least clean the terminals up, that may be part of my problems as they have a bit of corrosion.Kyle,
It's been my experience that a weak battery will generate longer starting times. I have a device called the BatteryMole which tells me how long the starter cranks. If my battery is in decent shape, I rarely see starting times more than 1 second. But if I haven't driven for several days, my battery (which is just over 3 years old) starts to fade (lower voltage available to start) and it will often take well over a second to start. And the BatteryMole will alert me to the lengthy start and my state of charge is low (I've seen as low as 10% when the RL has sat for about a week without being driven on this aging battery).
A long paragraph to say, get your battery checked before you do anything else. A proper load test would be in order.
Here's a link to the user manual. Check what is says about a slow start:
http://4peaks-tech.com/MonitorManual_v1_12.pdf
Clean the body and engine grounds too while you're at it.Thanks, I will at least clean the terminals up, that may be part of my problems as they have a bit of corrosion.
I prefer to coat everything with never-seize.
I think Honda recommends a multi-purpose grease.
I never noticed (or honored) the "remove both terminals before charging the battery" warning. That really surprises me; and I'm thinking this is an overkill precaution aimed at those who might connect a "less sophisticated" charger that may apply a too heavy charge, or ???
Anyway, it's good to know I guess.
Anyway, it's good to know I guess.
I've taught all 4 of my kids how to properly change a battery, they laugh about 'my' reminder method even to this day.
I told them the sequence is NPPN.
Remove Neg then Pos, Install Pos then Neg.
I said if you ever forget, just remember that you pee between your legs, hence NPPN.
I caught my youngest daughter(22) coming out of my tool/supply room carrying a bat. post cleaner and a jug of never-seize.
She walked by and before I could say a word, she said 'I know dad, I pee between my legs' and she kept cruising by.
She can also change oil and brake pads.
She will make some lucky guy a good mechanic one day....lol.
I told them the sequence is NPPN.
Remove Neg then Pos, Install Pos then Neg.
I said if you ever forget, just remember that you pee between your legs, hence NPPN.
I caught my youngest daughter(22) coming out of my tool/supply room carrying a bat. post cleaner and a jug of never-seize.
She walked by and before I could say a word, she said 'I know dad, I pee between my legs' and she kept cruising by.
She can also change oil and brake pads.
She will make some lucky guy a good mechanic one day....lol.
I changed the gas cap and I can not reset the message with either the reset button or the key method. The manual says it should reset on its own after a few days.
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