“Engine Management System Problem” in Honda Odyssey – What's This?

You may love your Honda Odyssey but this car will obviously get on your nerves with some annoying and hard-to-understand error messages. A very common message that Odyssey owners see on their dash monitors is the "Engine Management System Problem" warning. This may happen with your car just when you are traveling on the highway.

Engine management system problem message highlights

• Common reasons:loose battery terminals, ECU problems
• How to fix:tighten the terminals, clean the terminals if needed, have the car inspected
• Possible consequences:car may lose electrical power and stall
• Priority level:Medium
• Can you drive?Yes
• DIY repair:Possible
• Repair price range:$0-$750

Is the Engine Management System Problem actually dangerous?

Before we discuss the reasons and fixes for this problem, we need to specify the possible danger that your Odyssey gets when you see this message on the screen. It's usually not about serious problems with the engine. This message also doesn't repeat the functions of the check engine light.

The message means that there is a problem with the electrical connection of the ECU. And because of this problem, the ECU can't get proper power to function well. Also, you may see some other electronic glitches. Like your infotainment may freeze or refuse to turn on.

Here's what usually happens:

• your Odyssey develops some anomaly in its electrical supply;
• this changes the voltage and the quality of power that comes to the ECU;
• the ECU registers that it can't function properly and may fail;
• also, other electronic modules may be sending incorrect signals to the ECU;
• the system throws the "Engine Management System Problem" message;
• you start panicking and calling the dealer who says it's very serious.

This is how the algorithm works. After that you go to the dealer and the mechanic spends an hour or two to repair the vehicle. Many Honda owners will just pay the bill and happily drive away after the message is gone. But if you ask the mechanic or manager what was done, you'll be surprised that it's some minor thing like tightening some bolt or cleaning some electrical contact.

Unfortunately, if ignored, this problem may lead to quite bad consequences. I spoke to a guy whose Odyssey suddenly stalled at 50 MPH when showing this message. He said happened something like a sudden blackout and in a couple of seconds the power was back but the engine was off. He was lucky to safely brake but the dealer then said that the transmission was damaged and required replacement. So, ignoring the "Engine Management System Problem" message is certainly not the best idea.

What are the reasons for this annoying message?

Now that you know this problem may be pretty serious, let's see the possible reasons for it. Surprisingly, you may locate and even repair the initial problem without professional tools, in most cases. One big exception is if your Odyssey was flooded. Water damage to the electrical system may be unexpected and extremely hard to locate, so in this case, you better find a good car mechanic.

Here are the most common reasons for the "Engine Management System Problem" message in the Odyssey:

1. Low and weak battery

Any modern car is highly dependent on the power supply. If the voltage in the system drops badly, you will see some error messages and warnings on the dash. The "Engine Management System Problem" message will pop up even before you start the engine and may stay or go away after that.

It means that the 12V battery is low and its voltage is not enough to power the ECU and other modules. Usually, after replacing the battery, everything comes back to normal.

Here's how you can check the battery:

• take the multimeter and measure the voltage when the car is off - it should be 12.5 volts, on average;
• ask someone to start the car and keep measuring the voltage - it should drop deep when the engine is being cranked;
• measure the voltage on the terminals when the car is running - it should go up to 14.5 volts showing that the charging system is working properly.

If the engine cranks slowly, the lights are flickering, and the voltage is not OK, you may be sure that the battery needs replacement. Also, you may try to charge the battery using a proper charger. If the 12V battery is over 4 years old, just replace it with the new one.

2. Loose battery terminal

Surprisingly, this is a very common reason for the problem with the "Engine Management System Problem" error message in the Odyssey. Maybe, the OEM fastener gets loose over time? Anyway, you need to take the wrench and try to tighten the nuts that fasten the terminal cables. Be careful because you may break the bolts and will need to buy new ones.

Before you tighten the terminals, try moving them to scrub the terminals and the connections a little to make sure they are not corroded. Now, when you are sure everything is tightened properly, you may start the car and see if the problem disappeared.

3. Software issue - reset needed

It's not uncommon for the Odyssey to develop some software problems. It may be one of the minor issues but the ECU will still spot that it can't function well because of this. One of the possible reasons is that the temporary problem with the power supply like the voltage drop or spike changed the way one of the control modules works now in your vehicle.

The easy fix is to just disconnect the battery in your Honda. Disconnect the negative terminal, then the positive one. Wait for 5-10 minutes and reconnect them (positive, then negative). If the problem disappears, you need to carefully watch how your minivan works after that. But if the message reappears after some time, it means you didn't succeed in solving the issue.

4. Ground wire connection problems

One of the ground wires in your Honda Odyssey connects the battery to the body. The negative terminal has a special cable that you may disconnect. This is exactly the ground cable. In the Honda Odyssey, the problem with the ground cable connection is very common and needs proper attention.

To make sure that the ground wire is OK, you need to clean it and the places that it's connected to. Here's how to do that:

• disconnect this wire from the negative terminal;
• clean the connection on the wire and the spot that it touches on the terminal;
• locate the connection of this wire with the car body;
• disconnect it and clean the metal connection and also the body spot that it's connected to;
• make sure you tighten everything properly to avoid issues with the connection.

If nothing else helps you solve the issue, this procedure is one of the best options to try. You can still do this without going to the dealership and spending your money. You will just need some time and a wrench for this.

What can help you diagnose your Odyssey?

You need to pay attention to different helpful symptoms. If your car blacks out sometimes, you certainly need to check the ground wire. If the vehicle throws random error messages sometimes and then drives well, you may want to tighten and clean the battery terminal connections.

When the problem is with the battery, you will feel that the cranking of your engine changed. Now it cranks slowly and it takes more time to start the car. It may even crank intermittently or require jump-starting from time to time.

If you can't locate the problem, the best option is to go to the dealership. It will take them about half an hour to find out what triggers the "Engine Management System Problem" message in your Odyssey.

Final thoughts

Although it's quite depressing to see the unpleasant error message on the screen of your car, this exact message shouldn't scare you. There are several common reasons and you will be able to solve the problem on your own.

You need to know that modern cars are stuffed with a lot of software and electronic control units. It means they may fail just like your computer or smartphone and maybe they just need restarting or resetting.

Also, keep your eye on electrical connections in the car, especially on the battery connections and ground wire. If they fail, you will most likely see several common error messages on the dash.