The Honda PCX / Forza / ADV150 / SH Forums

Hi all, first post newbie here.

My PCX is a 2018(or 2019 in the US) and has the smart key system. It works great but the last month I've had to leave it sitting for about 3 weeks and came back to a dead battery. I figured it died cause the computer sensors was sitting in standby mode waiting to detect that key to start the engine?

So is there a way for me to turn off the smartkey system if I have to leave it parked for extended periods of time(if over 2-3 weeks) so as to not come back to a dead battery?

You shouldn’t have to turn off any system to get a bike to hold a charge so it’ll start after three weeks. It’s obviously still under warranty I would take it in and let them look at it. Make sure you’re keeping the key when you store the bike inside, away from the bike.

Did you turn on the alarm? It could drain the battery in 3 weeks I think.

So the smart key system doesn't use any power(or negligible) if it's sitting there?

I'm not sure if I turned on the alarm or not, I don't usually bother with it and this is the first time I've left it sitting for this long. I ride it every day so it should have been topped off on electricity before I left it. The key was no where in range of the bike during the 3 weeks.

But is there a way I can turn the system off with the remote?

Never actually happened to me, the longest I left the bike is 1 month with alarm. The alarm was disabled because it was low in battery but it left just enough juice for the scoot to be able to start and recharge.

So I'm thinking there might be something wrong with your PCX if your battery is flat after only three weeks, especially if you didn't turn on the alarm.

I'm not sure if pressing the lock button to lock the knob also turns off the sensor. I know though that if you don't lock it, the knob automatically locks it when the remote is not in range, which means the sensor is continually on searching for that remote.

alx123 wrote:Never actually happened to me, the longest I left the bike is 1 month with alarm. The alarm was disabled because it was low in battery but it left just enough juice for the scoot to be able to start and recharge.

So I'm thinking there might be something wrong with your PCX if your battery is flat after only three weeks, especially if you didn't turn on the alarm.

I'm not sure if pressing the lock button to lock the knob also turns off the sensor. I know though that if you don't lock it, the knob automatically locks it when the remote is not in range, which means the sensor is continually on searching for that remote.

I always park it with the steering lock on and I'm sure the system turned off. Maybe the battery was just a dud as I have left it sitting for 2 weeks before and it starts just fine. I guess I'll just have to try it again next time and see if it does it again.

Too bad it doesn't come standard with a battery voltage meter.

op3l wrote:But is there a way I can turn the system off with the remote?

Does your remote have the key symbol button?
I have the Forza 300 system and turn this off over winter and keep the battery on a maintainer charger as it also has an alarm.

Press the key symbol button until the small led light on the remote turns red.
Do the same in reverse to turn back on and it'll turn green.

op3l wrote:

alx123 wrote:Never actually happened to me, the longest I left the bike is 1 month with alarm. The alarm was disabled because it was low in battery but it left just enough juice for the scoot to be able to start and recharge.

So I'm thinking there might be something wrong with your PCX if your battery is flat after only three weeks, especially if you didn't turn on the alarm.

I'm not sure if pressing the lock button to lock the knob also turns off the sensor. I know though that if you don't lock it, the knob automatically locks it when the remote is not in range, which means the sensor is continually on searching for that remote.

I always park it with the steering lock on and I'm sure the system turned off. Maybe the battery was just a dud as I have left it sitting for 2 weeks before and it starts just fine. I guess I'll just have to try it again next time and see if it does it again.

Too bad it doesn't come standard with a battery voltage meter.

I'm talking about the button on the remote that will also lock your knob. Maybe that will turn off the sensor too.

alx123 wrote:

op3l wrote:

alx123 wrote:Never actually happened to me, the longest I left the bike is 1 month with alarm. The alarm was disabled because it was low in battery but it left just enough juice for the scoot to be able to start and recharge.

So I'm thinking there might be something wrong with your PCX if your battery is flat after only three weeks, especially if you didn't turn on the alarm.

I'm not sure if pressing the lock button to lock the knob also turns off the sensor. I know though that if you don't lock it, the knob automatically locks it when the remote is not in range, which means the sensor is continually on searching for that remote.

I always park it with the steering lock on and I'm sure the system turned off. Maybe the battery was just a dud as I have left it sitting for 2 weeks before and it starts just fine. I guess I'll just have to try it again next time and see if it does it again.

Too bad it doesn't come standard with a battery voltage meter.

I'm talking about the button on the remote that will also lock your knob. Maybe that will turn off the sensor too.

shuiz

Ah yea. Maybe that's the magic sauce here. I didn't bother doing that so maybe that's what caused the battery drain... I'll have to give it a try next time.

Anyone know if for sure this turns off the smartkey sensor?

Do new bikes not comes with an owners manual? Just wondering because so many new owners, lots on FB groups ask questions that were or should be in the manual that comes with every new purchase.

There’s something else wrong here. It’s not the smart key system. Nobody put systems on a bike that fail from the outset and needs some type of special attention. The bike is off all the time until the key gets within 4 to 6 feet of the sensor in the bike. Once it sees the key, it lights up the bike. If you turn your keyfob off there is nothing to search for, so therefore the bike remains off. I have the smart key on my Xmax and I have not had a problem at all in 18 months. The only situation as I said above, where your key could cause a drainage is if the key was constantly under the seat or somewhere, and it was constantly was looking for it.

Also the key fob should last one or two years if it stays on. I’ve never turned mine off and I’m getting about 18 months out of each battery in the fob.

Jge64 wrote:There’s something else wrong here. It’s not the smart key system. Nobody put systems on a bike that fail from the outset and needs some type of special attention. The bike is off all the time until the key gets within 4 to 6 feet of the sensor in the bike. Once it sees the key, it lights up the bike. If you turn your keyfob off there is nothing to search for, so therefore the bike remains off. I have the smart key on my Xmax and I have not had a problem at all in 18 months. The only situation as I said above, where your key could cause a drainage is if the key was constantly under the seat or somewhere, and it was constantly was looking for it.

Also the key fob should last one or two years if it stays on. I’ve never turned mine off and I’m getting about 18 months out of each battery in the fob.

Methinks TS isn't turning off his keyfob (the key symbol on the remote) and it's continually keeping the sensor working. (not sure)

As long as you have switched off the bike with the switch on the bike, then when you walk away from the bike , at a certain distance, like 6 feet, the bike is not in contact with the Fob anymore and it goes to sleep, As in no current drain. Once you come back into range, it alerts the switch to go live , then you can start the bike with the main switch. On my bike, if the key fob isn’t discovered , the ignition switch won’t even turn right or left, it’s frozen until it’s sees the fob.

Again ,I have never switched off my fob whatsoever, and my bike goes to sleep perfectly with no current drain after I walk away.

Jge64 wrote:Once you come back into range, it alerts the switch to go live

How does the bike see the fob if the sensor device in the bike has no power?

Bosch is a good example ;they report that a very small part of the ECU stays alive to receive the signal, it is about a draw of 10 μA, Which in battery that is 50% completed already still would have 41 days of sleep before the battery went dead. A full battery would last nearly 90 days In sleep mode.

http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/3/RT ... a_0712.pdf

Jge64 wrote:Bosch is a good example ;they report that a very small part of the ECU stays alive to receive the signal, it is about a draw of 10 μA, Which in battery that is 50% completed already still would have 41 days of sleep before the battery went dead. A full battery would last nearly 90 days In sleep mode.

http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/3/RT ... a_0712.pdf

That's what I wanted to know if there's something like this in the Honda Smartkey system. There has to be something that's "on" and sensing stuff and thus using electricity if it can detect the key fob coming in range.

I'll have to just try it out next time I leave it sitting, I'll make sure to turn off the key fob and maybe that signals the bike to turn off that sensor too.

Heck, if all else fails... next time I leave it sitting, I'll just yank out the battery. Can't suck battery power if it ain't touching it!

I can’t help thinking that there is something else at fault and the smart key is just a red herring.

I’ve never had a problem with them and don’t know anyone who has.

Maybe you are leaving the key close to the scooter and that might be activating it? Wrap the key fob in aluminum, so that it wont connect, maybe?

Gil wrote:Maybe you are leaving the key close to the scooter and that might be activating it? Wrap the key fob in aluminum, so that it wont connect, maybe?

That's impossible. I live in an apartment complex on the 8th floor. There's 8 floors worth of concrete and steel between key fob and bike and no direct view of the bike.

It is possible I turned the alarm on and that slowly drained the battery over the course of now that I think of it almost a month. I'll make sure to turn the system off next time I leave it sitting and will update back to see if it's all normal.

Based on my experience, If the battery gets really low, the alarm will be disabled automatically but will leave just enough juice to start the scoot.