HomeLink transceiver

[AC_MDX]

No, I found that up long time ago because I always work in my car, and whenever I want to open the garage door, I always have to put the keys in and turn the key in order to make the home-link garage door opener to work. Otherwise, the home-link remote will not work and I cannot open my garage door. I have a rolling code garage door opener, but I don't think that matters..

AC

Originally Posted by Bill_de

Is that something you found a way to program? I parked my car last night with the doors unlocked so I would not even use the key fob to unlock the door. I went out this morning, opened the door and reached in and hit the HomeLink button. The garage door opened as usual. This is a 2011 Tech.

It was an early one built in 2010. I wonder if they added that.

[ken88]

I have a rolling code garage door opener unit as well but I can always open the garage door with the HomeLink transceiver even with the ignition key out. This is what I don't understand why Acura would allow that if somebody breaks into the vehicle and use the Homelink to get access into the house. The safest way would be to disable the HomeLink when the ignition is turned off.

[JL_SS]

Originally Posted by ken88

The garage door opener remote transmitter was programmed to work with the
HomeLink transceiver in my 2008 MDX and I can open and close the garage door with the
HomeLink transceiver. The problem is if I leave my MDX in the street,
somebody can open my garage door by using the HomeLink transceiver. How do
you prevent the transceiver from opening my garage door if I leave my
vehicle outside the house?

Thank you so much for all your advice.

Our garage door interior wall mounted opener switches have a lock mode. when engaged, the remotes do not work. Perhaps look into obtaining these for your openers (I assume you do not have them, otherwise you wouldn't have an issue). Our openers are Raynor brand.

[TheJimbo]

Originally Posted by Bill_de

I parked my car last night with the doors unlocked so I would not even use the key fob to unlock the door. I went out this morning, opened the door and reached in and hit the HomeLink button. The garage door opened as usual. This is a 2011 Tech.

Same experience for me this morning. I always park in my garage, doors unlocked. After reading this post last night I went into the garage this morning, opened the driver's door, pressed the button and the garage door opened. I didn't have the keys in the ignition, in fact they were still inside the house when I tried this. I have a 2012 Tech

Both of my previous Mercedes would only allow the opening of garage doors remotely with the key turned to "on" or "run." I'm surprised Acura doesn't do this too. Major security issue. Thanks to the OP for bringing awareness to this issue.

[AC_MDX]

After reading the posts below, I am puzzled right now because I went to my X and all the power equipment was working without the key in the ignition. Seats, everything.... That I remember the power seats and other electronics stopped working after a while and I had to use my keys to enable the accessories to work again.

I wonder if the accessories still work if the alarm goes off.

I will need to play with it this weekend. I am locking my garage door Opener from now on at nights until I find out more details.

I remember too testing my battery drain current when the X engine was off and it took several minutes for the power to drop down to a trickle where it seemed like all the electronics were completely off off.

[AC_MDX]

I opened a support ticket at "HomeLink.com" last night. The ticket
is appended below. I have not received any response back yet.

AC

================================================

HomeLink Support support@homelink.com
10:28 PM (17 hours ago)


Thank you for contacting HomeLink support. Your question has been received. You should expect a response from us within one business day.

.


Question Reference #XXXXXXXXXX
Summary: HomeLink Contact Us Message
Date Created: 11/27/2012 09:28 PM
Last Updated: 11/27/2012 09:28 PM
Status: Unresolved

This message was sent 11/27/2012 11 : 16 : 49 PM.

Name: XXXXXXXX
Phone:
Email: [link removed]

City: XXXXX
State: tx

Reason for contacting HomeLink: Other
More specifically: Did not specify

Vehicle: 2011 Acura MDX

Garage Door Make/Model: (Age: years)

Prefers to be contacted by email.

COMMENTS:

On the Acuras the Home link remote is always on even when there are no keys in the ignition and after you leave the vehicle for hours. Anybody can break into the vehicle and press the remote to open the garage and break into the garage/house where the remote is programmed for.

Is there any way to disable the home link remote when the keys are not in
the ignition?

It is a grave security risk to have anything programmed in the home link
remote.

[Bill_de]

I was thinking about this. If your garage has a pedestrian door, it is probably easier to break into the garage than into the car. Plus, the car has an alarm. In fact, it's easier to break into most houses than into the MDX.

So, although it would be nice to have the ability to turn the HomeLink off, don't get a false sense of security if they fix it so you can.

[ken88]

To AC_MDX: please let us know what would be HomeLink response. I absolutely agree it is a big security issue when there are so many opportunists waiting to break into any vehicles to get access to the house.

The point is it is not easier to break into a house than the MDX. Why take chances when you can simply disable the HomeLink power so that you cannot open the garage door.

[Bill_de]

I'm not saying the extra precaution isn't a good idea. But after they get into your garage, wouldn't they still have to break into the house from the garage?

[ken88]

Once they get inside the garage, thieves just close the garage door and enter the house and you know what they will do next.....

[AC_MDX]

After not receiving any answer back from HomeLink, I called them and they said that this is an Acura issue and to contact the dealer since Acura did not wired the HomeLink device to the accessory power but to a permanent power source.

I guess we will need to contact the dealer about this issue and maybe we should send a note to Acura with all of our signatures so that they can address this issue and have a fix for this, if possible.

AC

[ken88]

To AC_MDX: agreed. The sooner this security issue is brought to Acura's attention, the better it is. May be a recall is justified to fix this issue so that the HomeLink device is wired to the accessory power and not to the permanent power source !!!! I am quite surprised how can Acura miss this important security issue.

[Bill_de]

It's not just Acura. I had 3 GM and a Chrysler product that worked the same way.

Until somebody here was astute enough to recognize it as a possible security issue, how many people complained to the dealer about it.

In all my years in the insurance business I never saw a claim where a house was broken into by using the garage door remote first. Usually breaking a window or kicking in a door is quicker, and you don't start alerting the neighbors by setting off the car alarm.

But, if it adds just a little to a customers piece of mind, Acura should make the change. It might be as easy as moving a wire to a different terminal at the fuse box. If you can find the HomeLink wire, connect it to the radio terminal.

[AC_MDX]

I just finished talking directly to Acura. My case # was: B012012-11-2902157.

In short they told me that they cannot do anything at this time and that they recognize now that it is a security issue, so they recommend not to use their HomeLink system as a precaution, or to use a garage door opener disable button during the evenings to partially mitigate the potential misuse of the HomeLink remotes.

They mentioned that they will provide this feedback to Acuras internal departments so that they can potentially fix it in the future.

The Acura Telephone # is: 800.382-2238 in case anybody wants to push Acura to do something about it or to force Acura to send Acura owners a notice saying that Acura owners should not use their HomeLink devices because it is not safe.

I wonder if we can open a class lawsuit to push Acura to provide a fix for this or to provide a refund for a practically unsafe/non-usable feature.

Anybody is a lawyer that can share some input on this? I will recommend all of us calling Acura about this issue and spreading the word about this issue to your family and friends who own Acura and/or Hondas? to make sure they are safe from people breaking into the vehicle and using the homelink remotes to break into the houses through the garage. Better safe than sorry.

Acura should send a notice to their owners so that they are aware of this security issue.

We should open a sticky section on security issue and put this post in that category for owners to avoid potential security issues.

I am going to look at the Acura electronics diagrams. I have already some ideas on how I can device something to fix this issue, but I need the time and information to find out what is the best way to do it.

AC

[Bill_de]

Originally Posted by AC_MDX

I just finished talking directly to Acura. My case # was: B012012-11-2902157.


AC

But didn't you post below that you have to turn your key on to open your garage door?

As a public service, maybe you should have the garage door opener manufacturers notify their customers not to clip the remotes onto the sun visors.

If this was really an issue you've had heard about long ago, before there was any HomeLink. Garage door openers have been around for decades with no major problems ... until you see it on the internet.