Honda CRV/EX BCM

Body Control Module

We're still on our covid recovery. Not dancing yet but definitely on the mend. Still tired with raspy throat and chest congestion. To top it off, we have car problems. Unbelievable problems!

On Saturday, December 31, when we were to set out for Ottawa, our main and newest car, the 2018 Honda CRV/EX, oddly had a dead flat battery. Not just weak, but dead flat, there was nothing there. I couldn't even unlock the trunk. So we took Kate's car instead with the idea that we'd deal with this problem on our return. 

On Tueday, January 3, on our return, we tried jumper cables from Kate's car but that didn't work. The car would turn over but just wouldn't go. Lots of dash lights were flashing for various systems in bad states (anti-theft, tire pressure, etc.). We gave up, it looked awfully bad, and I talked to our local Honda dealer. They recommended we call for a tow truck and bring the vehicle in. They recommended a local company and we called them. We got a jump start from the tow truck (we paid $200 with tip, and Kate asks why didn't I use my CAA?), the tow wasn't needed, and I drove the car to our local dealer (along the way there all systems seemed to return to normal) where they tested and replaced the battery saying my original was tired/worn. At 65,000km I thought that was odd but OK, they know best.

Anyways we came home and covid set in. Maybe a week later I used it once around town when I felt much better. Then one night Kate opened the garage door only to discover that my headlights were on (there's this recommended "auto" setting where the lights come only as needed). That's odd, they weren't on before, so we shut the lights down completely. Covid symptoms returned and we weren't doing much of anything for a few days.

On Tuesday (January 17) I went to pickup our PC Express order (we are shopping on line to avoid exposing people) only to discover that again the car battery on the Honda CRV/EX was dead flat. I called up our local Honda dealer, explained what was going on, said to them there must be a power drain of some sort going on and that I wanted them to look thoroughly at the problem. I also described the odd problem we saw where the lights came on unattended. They recommended again that we get it started or towed and bring it in.

We got a jump start this morning (Wednesday, January 18) from a CAA tow truck and I took it to our local Honda dealer where the service technicians said it was probably a bad battery. I said I doubt that and, in any case, the car is out there, the doors won't lock and the dash is all lit up like a Christmas tree — it's very weird! Things did not return to normal as on the last trip. They think, that's probably because the battery is low. But I'm sure something is radically wrong. Kate gave me a ride home in her car as she had on my previous visit and we left the car with our dealer.

I soon get a call back from our local Honda dealer. Apparently the "Body Control Module" (BCM) has failed. It's an important computer that runs many things and it seems to have run away with itself performing strange acts like turning on the lights, going into accessory mode, unlocking the doors and more on whim at odd times. It's not covered by warranty, it will cost $600 or so to replace, it's on backorder and it is unlikely, given chip shortages, to be delivered anytime soon.

But I say, "we want to take the car to TX in a couple of weeks". Their reply is that ain't gonna happen and the car isn't driveable until this is fixed. There are others in the same boat (similar problems and shortage of parts, there are some very odd stories found with Google). He asked if we needed a car, but fortunately we have Kate's car. I gather some people have been waiting months for the part (on Facebook I found a Goderich CRV owner in the same boat who has waited 6 months (sic!) for the part). Others in this predicament are unhappy using a rental car while paying for their car to sit on the dealers lot waiting for parts. We will be unhappy too if that's our fate.

I got the vehicle identification number (VIN), year and model, for our car and I've spent the rest of the day trying to find Honda supply houses here and in the US who might have the part. There don't seem to be any supply houses in Canada that aren't at the dealers. There are several US sites who seem to have the part but I need to call to confirm. I'd be happy to have the part mailed to us, or I could drive to a nearby US dealer to pick up the part. We will see and we will fight with Honda Canada another day.

Friday, January 20. My research on US sites shows a few sites who seem to have the part I need. They're telling me the part number for the BCM is 38809-TMM-A11 (confirmed when I also supply the VIN); to confirm before calling any of these US sites I call our local Honda dealer and they tell me the part number they have on order is 38809-TMM-CO1. I check for that part on the same US sites and it's not available having been discontinued. I call back to our local dealer and talk with their parts fellow who assures me, they have the right part number, they've done this before, there are differences between the versions in Canada and the US.

So what am I to do? It never rains, but it pours...

Covid — omigod!

Covid Positive

Well, I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. We have been very cautious about our exposure to others during this pandemic. We were well aware that going to the New Year's Day "Hair of the Dog" song swap on Sunday with a gang in Ottawa was bound to increase our exposure and risk. Nevertheless, we did go and it was fun ....

However, we were advised the next day, Monday afternoon, on our way home, that one of the musicians at the party was not feeling well that morning, had done a covid test, and it had come back positive. So we've been exposed. We're both in pretty good health (for our age) and fully vaccinated so the hope was that we really are "safe as houses" — but we're not. Unfortunately, on the way home we stopped in Belleville for lunch with Joan and Ron, they may be exposed as well.

Tuesday we had to do some running around (we had a plumber in for a water leak in the basement and had to get my car back on the road) but we stayed masked and cautious. By the evening I was feeling a bit off, with a tickle in my throat, so we slept apart with me in the basement. I had a tough night and by Wednesday morning it was clear I had something. I had a bit of a fever, my head and eyes were aching, I was hacking, coughing, and spitting up a lot of phlegm. A rapid covid test, using some of my abundant phlegm, came back positive for me, but negative for Kate.

Given my history with asthma and bronchitis I was particularly worried as I was already having some difficulty breathing. We called in to our doctor at the Happy Valley Family Health Team hoping to get a prescription for Paxlovid (the anti-viral) and an asthma puffer. In the interim I started a regime of fluids, Tylenol and Mucinex (which is an over the counter medication for congestion and phlegm). When the doctor had not called back (we did talk the next day) we remembered that pharmacies are now able to prescribe Paxlovid on their own. So we contacted our Jackson's Guardian Pharmacy, talked to one of the druggists, and got a prescription that they kindly delivered. I started immediately on this anti-viral.

By the next day, Thursday, I felt much better and the doctor did get in touch with me. I was out of bed reading the news paper at the time. He was confident that I was going to be fine given my progress over night, health history and vaccination status. He was even a bit skeptical about Paxlovid for most cases.  But he was happy to prescribe an asthma puffer, pleased that I was coming along and happy with the treatment regime. 

Through all of this Kate had oddly not tested positive (until today, Saturday afternoon) but has been having minor symptoms. Today she surely has it. This morning she has a very scratchy voice, a cough, she is tired, her head aches, etc. She's in bed resting as I write and now on the same Rx regime. We expect her to bounce back in a few days. She writes to a friend "I'm now feeling wretched (like I've been chewing on glass) and have finally tested positive. Reg has bounced back quickly — I'm hoping for the same."

We continue to lay low. We are well supplied and can reach out to our many friends if needs be. To all who have asked for an update: thanks for checking in, we're going to be well.

Ps. Kate says she's seen me with worse "man colds" over the years where I've been laying in bed sniffling and groaning for much longer. I'm fine, she's not but will be.

Hair of the Dog

Click image for more photos ...

Gord and Leslie had a "Hair of the Dog" event on New Years Day where a gang of musical friends from the Ottawa community gathered for an afternoon with some food, drink and a song swap at their apartment in the Glebe.

This had been a regular New Years Day levee which has been on hold since 2020 when the pandemic set in. 

The photo album at left shows some of those who gathered to sing songs, play music or be pleasantly entertained by their musical friends (e.g., Kate and I were some of the audience). In the cover photo Gord and Leslie are showing off their dancing skills!

Gord started the song swap with a tribute to Ian Tyson who had recently died. He had rehearsed "Someday Soon" that morning and everyone joined in. It brought a tear to my eye, but a lot of tunes move me. Lots of interesting tunes were sung, e.g., Burning Down the House (Talking Heads), Summers End (John Prine), Honky Tonk Women (Reg on cowbell), and several originals. Gord has played in a number of bands over the years so there's quite a gang with quite the musical breadth.

It was a very successful party with about 20 or so attending from 2:00pm until about 5:30 when things wound down. A great party, the best in a long tradition; we hope this continues for many years to come.

Kate and I had driven to Ottawa on Saturday, New Years Eve. It's a long drive but the weather was warm, albeit quite foggy by times, and the traffic was really light. The party was Sunday, and we returned on Monday, stopping for lunch with our friends Joan and Ron in Belleville. Arriving home late in the day we learn that one of the musicians has tested covid positive, damn!!