[Maui Civic Guy]

Hi folks! I need some help. Here is what is going on with my air conditioning...

My wife recently spilled a bottle of juice on the dash of our 2012 Civic LX. After cleaning up what liquid I could without pulling the dash apart, the Climate Control Panel died. None of the lights would illuminate and the fan would not turn on. However the temperature control and AC compressor button still seemed to work. But with no fan, it was useless. All the fuses were fine. I removed the panel, cleaned the circuit board with contact cleaner, but no luck. Its a fairly complex looking board with multiple chips on it so I concluded that the electronics must be fried.

I ordered a new HAC panel from eBay. (Honda discontinued the part for the 2012 so the only thing I could find was a used one) I matched the part numbers and received a replacement from supercarparts for $35. Im guessing a lot cheaper than it would have cost if I could have found a new one out there! After plugging in the new panel, everything immediately began working fine, BUT, I don't seem to have control of the Recirculate function. When I turn the car on, the orange recirculate button will light up and it appears to be in that mode, but if I toggle it off, it will NOT come back on. The button now is inoperative...until I turn the switch off and restart the car. So it works initially but, you can't go back in forth between fresh air mode and recirc mode.

Is it possible that this is a software issue that Honda could fix? Or does it sound like a problem with the new HAC panel? I am considering ordering another panel and seeing what happens, but I'm not so sure there is anything wrong with it.

Any ideas, wisdom, or advice?? My thanks to anyone who does!

 

[Teeps]

That's the problem with buying used parts.
I have a call in to see if PN 79500-TR0-A01ZF is superseded to a new/improved(?) part.
If not and it is truly discontinued; that part may be available as the next largest module...

 

[Maui Civic Guy]

Thanks Teeps! That is the same part number I was using to search online. Please let me know what you find out. I believe the 2012 model was the only year that they used this part. Looks like it changed for 2013 with the new interiors.

 

[Teeps]

Sad to say it's true.
Not only is that part discontinued, it is not superseded and AHM does not have any in stock.



You should call Honda customer relations and ask them why a critical part is not available for a 4 year old car.
I use the word critical because without a functioning HVAC panel the windshield defogger system may not work as designed.
Mention to them that they could be in violation of FMVSS regulation.
Standard No. 103 - Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems - Passenger Cars, Multipurpose Passenger Vehicles, Trucks, and Buses (Effective 1-1-88)
This standard specifies requirements for windshield defrosting and defogging systems.
eCFR — Code of Federal Regulations

Then post a complaint to NHTSA web site.

 

[silvic15]

A part for 2012 has been discontinued?....Weird.

 

[mreggball]

so are we saying if anyone with a 2012 has the HVAC panel go bad, there's nothing that can be done?

 

[Maui Civic Guy]

Thanks for looking into it. I will have to give Honda a call about this. Its pretty surprising that the part is already discontinued, maybe Ill try another used part and see if it will work? At least its blowing cold air now, thats the main thing.

 

[Craig]

Investigate this part # 79500-TR0-A01ZB

 

[Teeps]

Investigate this part # 79500-TR0-A01ZB

Submitted inquiry.
Curious, where did you find that number?
It that is a superseded number then there is a problem with Honda's parts inventory system.
As in the frame above, the line MOD: with value "D" means discontinued.

 

[Craig]

^^^ Hondapartsnow site show the new items number.

 

[Teeps]

^^^ Hondapartsnow site show the new items number.

Just got reply on pn 79500-TR0-A01ZB
The Honda Parts System shows it (79500-TR0-A01ZB) to be good.
They have 17 parts in stock. MSRP $184.85

If 79500-TR0-A01ZB is the correct part number for the OP's car. Then he is in business, just needs to get a new one.

But, I'm still baffled as to why that part was discontinued... with a dead end.
The parts catalog available on Honda Service Express shows the discontinued part number with a note to see dealer.
No reference to PN 79500-TR0-A01ZB was found.

Interesting.

OP if pn 79500-TR0-A01ZB is the right part, for your car, that hondapartsnow has it considerably cheaper than a dealer.

 

[ZeroTX]

The heck? U.S. auto makers are required to stock 10 years worth of replacement parts from what I understand.... if they ran out, they have to make more.

 

[Teeps]

The heck? U.S. auto makers are required to stock 10 years worth of replacement parts from what I understand.... if they ran out, they have to make more.

You are right, and it appears the other part that Craig found, on Hondapartsnow.com IS good.
Why the old part number was suddenly discontinued, without a super-secession chain is a mystery.
Maybe the Dealers(?) know.

I don't know what the relationship is between Hondapartsnow.com and Honda Ltd. or American Honda.
Or, why the other number that replaced the discontinued part was not listed in Official Honda Parts Catalog.
Only to say that a new part is available, you just have to know how to find it(?) Baffling to me for sure....

 

[Craig]

Try to locate the test procedure for the HVAC system and see what results are.

May have to try the 8th gen sequence.... unless someone here knows it.

Will the old panel restore the inop recirc ??

 

[Maui Civic Guy]

So whats the difference between the 79500-TR0-A01ZF and the 79500-TR0-A01ZB?

 

[Maui Civic Guy]

Craig, the old panel only controls the temperature, everything else is dead...so I don't know how I would test it.

Is is it possible that there were variants of that part made in the same year (2012) that would cause them not to be interchangeable?

The used panel I got looked exactly the same and the part number on the back matched. I'd be willing to spend the money on a new one if I knew it would work.

Thanks for all the input guys. Especially thanks to Craig and Teeps

 

[Maui Civic Guy]

I see the part 79500-TR0-A01ZB on Hondapartsnow.com and all the other Honda parts websites but there is no diagram or description to verify that it is the correct part.

Are you sure this is the replacement? Im just hesitant to order it with no description of what ill actually get

Thanks!

 

[Teeps]

I see the part 79500-TR0-A01ZB on Hondapartsnow.com and all the other Honda parts websites but there is no diagram or description to verify that it is the correct part.

Are you sure this is the replacement?

Im just hesitant to order it with no description of what ill actually get
Thanks!

That's a question to ask hondapartsnow.com.

The part numbers are the same out to the last 2 letters.
In the past letters that appeared in the last series of digits indicated color of the part or the vendor/manufacturer of the part.

 

[Maui Civic Guy]

I emailed the Hondpartsnow.com tech department to get more info on the 79500-TR0-A01ZB part.

I will let you know what they say!

 

[Craig]

Being a 2012.... they will have to provide something.

I would be sure that the linkage for the recirc is not bound up in any way.