March 2019 - Four Clarity PHEV Recalls!

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Koi Seth

New Member
Hi all,
Just thought I'd pass this along. I took my car in to the dealer because after my first fill-up, the HV range was 1,000mi! :) Unfortunately, this wasn't accurate :( It happened again after my 2nd fill-up, same thing. Perhaps because I only had two fill-ups in 6 months?

I purchased the car in Sept 2018. So today the dealer said he performed four recalls, one of them fixing the fuel range display issue. I said I never heard of these recalls, he said they were brand new!

BTW, I also complained about the noisy engine when in HV mode, they said its normal.
 
4sallypat said:
HV Charge can be noisy.
Regular HV mode is still quiet...
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Compared to EV mode? No, sorry but you're either just used to it or ignoring it. Its not loud, yes, but it's there, and EV is silent enough that even the 70MPH non-charging noise is "loud" for me. It's worse on stop-and-go traffic (either freeway or local) when it's noisy And quite jarring every time the ICE kicks in after using up what electric charged you've re-gen. I just finished a 2-week trial of HV, since my gas to electric cost is so bad, ~50% expensive kWh v gas, and the on and off of the ICE was just too much. It's not as noticable on freeway speed when you have a good flow but you'll still get the higher noise level when ICE runs the wheels And charges the battery to keep it's level as much as possible.
 
JulianClarity said:
The engine should be considered quiet regarding its capacity.
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Coming from a loud Land Rover that makes so much noise (engine, exhaust, and chassis) this Honda is super quiet in comparison!

For a 1.5L engine, it hardly makes any noise at all in HV mode. Love it - compared to the awful, heavy, clunky, rattly Range Rover....
 
1) We still love or 2005 Galapagos Green Element 5-speed with 204,000 miles, but damn is it noisy!

2) Since our Clarity seems to be performing as designed, is it still the opinion of the group to leave well enough alone and pass on any SB’s? I ask because we’ll soon be at the dealer for the A01 that just popped up. They confirmed the first oil change is free, as is the brake check. $20 or so for tire rotation, but I like to do those myself, and will probably plan those for every 10,000 miles.

3) I’d feel differently about an actual recall. I would assume those would only be issued for a safety issue.
 
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Fast Eddie B said:
1) We still love or 2005 Galapagos Green Element 5-speed with 204,000 miles, but damn is it noisy!

2) Since our Clarity seems to be performing as designed, is it still the opinion of the group to leave well enough alone and pass on any SB’s? I ask because we’ll soon be at the dealer for the A01 that just popped up. They confirmed the first oil change is free, as is the brake check. $20 or so for tire rotation, but I like to do those myself, and will probably plan those for every 10,000 miles.

3) I’d feel differently about an actual recall. I would assume those would only be issued for a safety issue.
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I’d have the 18-097 SB installed personally. I was having trouble with my work charging stations, which was rectified by that SB. I don’t know where you charge normally but it was a royal PITA to not be able to charge.
 
Loud engine in the Clarity? Lol, try driving a Subaru if you want to experience a NOISY engine! My previous ride, a '17 Subaru Outback clattered and rattled like crazy on cold engine startup. It's a common trait loved by some and scorned by others that is common with all Subaru engines. For me, the 1.5L engine in the Clarity is like a soft little sewing machine, even while in HV Charge mode.
 
JustAnotherPoorDriver said:
Those are TSBs I think, not recalls.
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Definitely. So many people still don't understand the difference.

There have been ZERO recalls on the Clarity since inception.

However there are multiple TSB's. And those mentioned above so far are nothing new...they've been talked about here for 6 months or more.
 
Are people on this forum still convinced that certain SBs have degraded the performance of their Clarity PHEVs? I may not be sensitive enough to detect any degradation after having all of them installed. I got a flu shot, too; maybe that dulled my senses.

I was sitting at an outdoor restaurant in California yesterday when a black-and-silver, chauffeur-driven 1959 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II (the first year with a V-8) drove by right next to me. Listening to the purr of its smooth engine, I smiled and remarked to my wife, "Our Clarity in EV drive mode is quieter than the engine in that Rolls Royce." *

*Note that I was remarking only about the RR's engine. I am making no comment at this time comparing Hybrid drive mode to the engine in a black-and-silver, chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II.
 
I don't know. Before I had the system power problem, I didn't have SB's applied. The car was getting good range (but our temps were warmer). It seemed to me to lose EV range when I applied the bulletins even though coincided with cold weather. i.e. I know cold weather reduces but it seemed like too much of a drop. My mental model at the time was that they adjusted how much of the actual battery I had access to (i.e. increase the safety zones of the virtual battery at both ends). Now I've had the SB's for months, and its my normal. All I have is my perception - no actual data.

The dumb thing for me personally is that I almost *never* use a public charger. If I did or had plans to, I'd call the SB updates a win. i.e. seems to address the system power problem. But when my car was new, I went out of my way to use public charger (almost to say I did) like a right of passage, but I now never do.

So *if* its the case that I actually reduced access to some of my battery with the SB updates, I would of preferred to have slightly increased EV range instead of the SB fixes. Also *if* the virtual battery did change, maybe it will mean my battery will last longer.

So long way of saying I don't know, but my car felt like it had more EV range pre-SB's.
 
insightman said:
Are people on this forum still convinced that certain SBs have degraded the performance of their Clarity PHEVs? I may not be sensitive enough to detect any degradation after having all of them installed. I got a flu shot, too; maybe that dulled my senses.

I was sitting at an outdoor restaurant in California yesterday when a black-and-silver, chauffeur-driven 1959 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II (the first year with a V-8) drove by right next to me. Listening to the purr of its smooth engine, I smiled and remarked to my wife, "Our Clarity in EV drive mode is quieter than the engine in that Rolls Royce." *

*Note that I was remarking only about the RR's engine. I am making no comment at this time comparing Hybrid drive mode to the engine in a black-and-silver, chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II.
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I won’t know for sure about the SB effects until this summer when the EV range gets out of its winter depression. But I can say I’ve been extremely happy with the car the winter. It’s been a fine winter car; warm and comfortable with predictable handling, great brakes, and adequate EV miles.
 
insightman said:
Are people on this forum still convinced that certain SBs have degraded the performance of their Clarity PHEVs? I may not be sensitive enough to detect any degradation after having all of them installed.
Click to expand...

My experience also. The range issue was fixed just as the weather started to get cold. On the few warm days we have had this spring, I've seen EV ranges in the low 50's! The EV range seems to be more accurate that the HV range estimate by the way. The SB for the charging issue (SB 18-097) was very helpful because my car would have interrupted charging issues at home. That problem was solved by the update.

I also don't consider any of these SB issues to be recalls.
 
JulianClarity said:
The engine should be considered quiet regarding its capacity.
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Sandroad said:
I won’t know for sure about the SB effects until this summer when the EV range gets out of its winter depression. But I can say I’ve been extremely happy with the car the winter. It’s been a fine winter car; warm and comfortable with predictable handling, great brakes, and adequate EV miles.
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Yes, this is my concern as I live in the hot part of So Cal.

Instead of hearing from everyone complaining about the winter effects causing reduced EV miles, you will have hear the hot climate areas complaining soon as we use A/C more months than not.
 
UPDATE:
Here are the exact recall codes that were applied:

18-096: 6CW00, Emissions Warranty CD Product Update
18-089: 6SV00, PHEV Abnormal Water Temperature Reading PUD
18-091: 6PH00, Range Display Incorrect PUD
18-090: 6VT00, EVTC Failure Misdirection PUD
 
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Koi Seth said:
UPDATE:
Here are the exact recall codes that were applied:

18-096: 6CW00, Emissions Warranty CD Product Update
18-089: 6SV00, PHEV Abnormal Water Temperature Reading PUD
18-091: 6PH00, Range Display Incorrect PUD
18-090: 6VT00, EVTC Failure Misdirection PUD
Click to expand...
That looks like the list, based on this thread from last year. You only get 18-097 if you ask. By the way, the dealer knew perfectly well these were not "brand new", because they are dated '18, not '19. And, he knew these were service bulletins, not recalls. I'd be wary of what that dealer tells you in future!

https://www.insideevsforum.com/comm...is-a-complete-list-of-service-bulletins.4099/
 
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