Charge Lid Problem

D

David Towle

Well-Known Member
Even though I rarely charge my car, preferring to use HV Charge, about twice a week I get the warning that the charge lid door has opened and have to get out and close it. I'm tall so at first I thought maybe I was hitting the switch with my knee but that doesn't seem to be the case. Anyone else have this issue?

Or maybe its just telling me to please plug me in more often?
 
Hmm...a little charge door envy of the fuel door?
Let me put in my swami robe and turban, peer into my crystal ball and try to diagnose this sight unseen and long distance. And since I’m not an EE, mechanic, or Honda employee, this obviously isn’t going to be something you can take to the bank.
I’m thinking it’s either a mechanical latching problem or the solenoid is being energized by some kind of short.
I notice that mine has no obvious adjustment to the door hinge or the door prong with the hole that the latch mates with. Also, the latch itself on the right side of the door opening does not appear adjustable either. So, unfortunately, it appears it would take a fair amount of disassembly to make any latch adjustments.
I also notice the latch is spring loaded to remain outward in the locked position and the solenoid momentarily pulls it in to release the door which has a metal tab behind the hinge side to spring it open. So mechanically speaking, what could keep it from fully engaging the hole in the door prong it mates with?
Well, you could check that there is no debris in the prong, latch, or door opening area that would keep the door from fully closing and the latch entering the hole in the door prong. Also push the spring loaded latch on the R side of the door opening to see that it freely springs back to the left and is not sticking. It looks to me that the way it works is that once the latch enters the hole in the door prong, it ain’t goig anywhere until the spring pressure is relieved and it moves to right to clear the hole. If it’s entering the hole and the spring pressure is as strong as it is in mine, I don’t see how it could let the door come loose without the solenoid acting on it.
So that’s the mechanical side of my crystal ball which leaves the dreaded intermittent electrical gremlin type of problem. That’s the one my trusted mechanic says he hates more than any repair he does due to the time it takes to diagnose and run it to ground (sorry, bad electrical pun).
If the solenoid is being energized and activated on its own it could be a short in the dash button, the solenoid, or any where in between. If that’s the case it’s time for warranty work by a dealer mechanic who probably has as much experience as I do on the Clarity. But all hope is not lost. If you get past the “Sorry, we can’t recreate the problem, so there’s nothing to fix.”, then they will pull up a Honda diagram on their i-HDS and hopefully trace down the fault.
Best wishes and let us know what you find out fixes it. I know it would aggravate the you know what out of me and I would worry I’d miss the warning and knock it off backing out of the garage one morning in a hurry.
 
Ken (as usual) wrote up a good summary. If it was mine, I would try a small amount of spray lube in the latching mechanism inside the door. And I would make sure I FIRMLY push it closed.
 
KentuckyKen said:
Hmm...a little charge door envy of the fuel door?
Let me put in my swami robe and turban, peer into my crystal ball and try to diagnose this sight unseen and long distance. And since I’m not an EE, mechanic, or Honda employee, this obviously isn’t going to be something you can take to the bank.
I’m thinking it’s either a mechanical latching problem or the solenoid is being energized by some kind of short.
I notice that mine has no obvious adjustment to the door hinge or the door prong with the hole that the latch mates with. Also, the latch itself on the right side of the door opening does not appear adjustable either. So, unfortunately, it appears it would take a fair amount of disassembly to make any latch adjustments.
I also notice the latch is spring loaded to remain outward in the locked position and the solenoid momentarily pulls it in to release the door which has a metal tab behind the hinge side to spring it open. So mechanically speaking, what could keep it from fully engaging the hole in the door prong it mates with?
Well, you could check that there is no debris in the prong, latch, or door opening area that would keep the door from fully closing and the latch entering the hole in the door prong. Also push the spring loaded latch on the R side of the door opening to see that it freely springs back to the left and is not sticking. It looks to me that the way it works is that once the latch enters the hole in the door prong, it ain’t goig anywhere until the spring pressure is relieved and it moves to right to clear the hole. If it’s entering the hole and the spring pressure is as strong as it is in mine, I don’t see how it could let the door come loose without the solenoid acting on it.
So that’s the mechanical side of my crystal ball which leaves the dreaded intermittent electrical gremlin type of problem. That’s the one my trusted mechanic says he hates more than any repair he does due to the time it takes to diagnose and run it to ground (sorry, bad electrical pun).
If the solenoid is being energized and activated on its own it could be a short in the dash button, the solenoid, or any where in between. If that’s the case it’s time for warranty work by a dealer mechanic who probably has as much experience as I do on the Clarity. But all hope is not lost. If you get past the “Sorry, we can’t recreate the problem, so there’s nothing to fix.”, then they will pull up a Honda diagram on their i-HDS and hopefully trace down the fault.
Best wishes and let us know what you find out fixes it. I know it would aggravate the you know what out of me and I would worry I’d miss the warning and knock it off backing out of the garage one morning in a hurry.
Click to expand...
Yes it gives an audible/feelable click every time I close it so that's not the issue. I will try a light lube on it. If it is an intermittent electric issue I will just wait till it gets worse to go to Honda, unlike Ken I park on the right side of my garage (of course the wife gets the left spot next to the entry door) so there's no risk of me knocking the door off at home.
 
I'd open my Volt charge door all the time on the 1st gen Volt getting into the car from keys hitting the button in my pocket. i don't think I've had this happen more than a time or two in the Honda since it has to be pushed down for a longer period of time. The second gen Volt doesn't have an electric release, so that has gone away now.
 
Ray B said:
Another thought - perhaps an inadvertent long press of the key fob charge button?
Click to expand...
I haven't changed how I keep the FOB so it would be strange if it all of a sudden started happening. But I do have it with a lot of other keys in the bottom of my pocket under the wallet.
 
My charge door fob button gets pressed in my pocket fairly often. I had the same problem with the 08 Sorento fob opening the window in the tailgate. I finally cut a little square out of the rubber over that contact and it no longer opens the window.

I'm not sure I'd mess with the one for the Clarity.
 
The Gadgeteer said:
There is a questionably placed yellow “L” shaped manual charge door release down by your left foot. I have unknowingly hit it or caught it with a pant cuff more than once.
Click to expand...
I had to go out in my garage with a flashlight to look for it. Sure enough a yellow L shaped release is there above the dead pedal rest. Learned something new today!
 
Mowcowbell said:
I had to go out in my garage with a flashlight to look for it. Sure enough a yellow L shaped release is there above the dead pedal rest. Learned something new today!
Click to expand...

There is also a manual release for the fuel door behind a panel on the driver’s side of the trunk. And there is a manual way to get into the car (and then into the trunk or hood) with the physical key. So no matter what the state the electronics or any battery (12 V, HV, or fob), you can always access everything manually. (And even I have been unable to lock myself out of the glove compartment! LOL) Well played, Honda, well played.
 
Wow, the collective wisdom here is staggering and much appreciated. I never even thought of the fob or manual release being triggered inadvertently or not closing the door firmly if the latch is a little tight.
I think my crystal ball needs new batteries.
 
Here is a pic of the manual release lever
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The Gadgeteer said:
There is a questionably placed yellow “L” shaped manual charge door release down by your left foot. I have unknowingly hit it or caught it with a pant cuff more than once.
Click to expand...
Great observation but I don't see how I could pull it with my feet unless I was driving barefoot!
Anyway you guys have given me so many ideas to try and figure out what's happening I really appreciate it. What a great forum! (and car)
 
KentuckyKen said:
There is also a manual release for the fuel door behind a panel on the driver’s side of the trunk. And there is a manual way to get into the car (and then into the trunk or hood) with the physical key. So no matter what the state the electronics or any battery (12 V, HV, or fob), you can always access everything manually. (And even I have been unable to lock myself out of the glove compartment! LOL) Well played, Honda, well played.
Click to expand...

Not being able to lock the glove box is very irritating to me. When it gets a little warmer (soon here in LV) I'm going to look into adding one. Sometimes it easy, sometimes not.
 
I have been meaning to post about this for a while. Mine will do that once every few months. I've even had it happen while I was just cruising down the highway. I wonder if somehow I might inadvertently be snagging the yellow hook, but I also wonder if maybe something isn't hooking just quite right every time with the latch.
 
A little OT, but on the subject of charge lid doors...
I am bewildered that such a thing can be opened from inside with the push of a button, with the time taken for software programming to detect it's condition, and then tell us when it's open, BUT IT'S SOMEHOW TOO HARD TO LET US CLOSE IT WITH THE SAME BUTTON! :)
 
CyberDyneSystems said:
A little OT, but on the subject of charge lid doors...
I am bewildered that such a thing can be opened from inside with the push of a button, with the time taken for software programming to detect it's condition, and then tell us when it's open, BUT IT'S SOMEHOW TOO HARD TO LET US CLOSE IT WITH THE SAME BUTTON! :)
Click to expand...

Cost effective. Much cheaper to simply release a latch and let a spring open the lid than to use a servo to move the door into the close position and then latch it.
 
afaik, the button will not work if the car is moving (not sure if it'll open if you're stopped and in D, will have to try it out.) Same with the trunk button.
 
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