I have read through numerous posts concerning the replacement of the IMA battery, but was certain that getting additional information couldn't hurt!

My facts are relatively simple. My 2005 HCH has 99K on the odometer and the IMA and Check Engine lights both went on simultaneously for the first time (to the best of my memory) the other day. I later noticed that the Charge/Assist gauges shows both charging and "assisting," the IMA battery level gauge reports 6 "bars" and the "auto stop" indicator no longer shows any activity.

When I brought the car into the Honda dealership they put it on the analyzer and said the code indicated that the IMA battery needs replacement. For what it's worth, I have had my HCH dealer-serviced at the suggested intervals since I purchased it new (though over the past 4 years, not the dealer from whom I purchased). There are two facts about my situation that are possibly worth noting:

1. Immediately before the IMA/CE lights went on, the HCH's starter battery had gone pretty much dead, as a result of the trunk lid having been left ajar. It wouldn't start for a couple of days, and then when the weather warmed up a bit it started without need of a charge or cables. But it was drained to the point where the radio presets needed reprogramming, etc.

2. I reviewed my service records. At about 67K (2010) I reported both sluggishness going up hills and decreased gas mileage (from about 38.5 mpg combined — with about 50% stop and go driving on very local jaunts — to 35.5 mpg). The dealer found no cause. Those events did not seem to occur suddenly, and have not gotten perceptibly worse until very recently.

My dealer said the replacement battery would be about $3,200 (unclear whether that included installation), but that he would "talk to Honda" and see if he could get me some help. (Overall, I have been happy with the service I have received at this dealership.) I did not signal any commitment to getting a new battery installed by the dealer. I neglected to ask him the "what if" question, i.e., I don't replace the IMA battery and just keep running the car with the lights on (though I get that even if this is feasible, it is still dangerous given that it essentially negates possibility of a warning from the check engine light).

Does anyone have any thoughts that might ease my plight or should otherwise consider based on the scenario I have described?

Also, has anyone done business with the aftermarket hybrid battery business, Bumblebee Batteries? I would consider a non-factory replacement if it would save me significant money and/or would provide a better product. I would definitely not be thinking about performing the replacement myself, and am uncertain about the logistics, given that they are in Portland, OR and I'm in Silver Spring, Maryland. (I was not very impressed that the links to their FAQs on the Bumblebee website — which appeared to address the logistical issue — have not functioned when I have tried them over the past several days, despite trying a couple of different browsers.)

Any advice that you have — including whether the vehicle could continue to function over the long-term as a "non-hybrid" if I didn't replace the battery — would be much appreciated!

 

Yes. Bumblebee Batteries is a great bunch. No problems.

I swapped my IMA battery pack out over Christmas break.

The hybrid is happy with the new IMA battery pack. The hybrid owners are happy with the new IMA battery pack. 50 MPG so far on the most recent fill up. 60 to 70 MPG down McDonald Street in McKinney, Texas (hitting the lights, 5th gear, cruise control). Nerd driving is fun again.

My take on the experience: http://www.theyeagergroup.com/2004_H...placement.html

The full website which will give more background info on the car: http://www.theyeagergroup.com/Civic_Hybrid.htm


If you have further questions let me know.

 

I recently bought from Bumblebee Batteries and it was easier than I expected. I ordered online and had it shipped directly to the mechanic. (Check with the mechanic first, if you do go this route. Some will only install hybrid batteries from Honda only.) It went by FedEx and took 1 week to get from Oregon to Boston. The mechanic installed it, and all the error codes went away (P1600, P1570, and P1449).

I had a timeline that I needed this done in, for a state re-inspection test, and I told Bumblebee this and they delivered it 3 business days earlier than when I told them I needed it by.

The warranty for the Bumblebee is 3 years, but I went for the extended warranty, additional 1 year, for $150.

Last year, the dealership told me it would cost me $3000 for a refurbished battery, since my car was out of the warranty period, but would "talk to corporate" to see if the price would come down. After some follow-up phone calls on my part, they told me it would be $1500, which I didn't go for. Anyway, this year I went for the Bumblebee. It's more expensive, but it is new, rather than refurbished, and has greater capacity.

The IMA system is now working like it was when I first got the car. Before the new battery was installed, I drove with the IMA light on for many months, and I knew it wasn't happy by the way the IMA battery guage would suddenly go to full or fall off faster than it should be possible. With the new Bumblebee battery, it's sane again. I can't attest to the longevity of the Bumblebee since I just got them. (When I was researching the Bumblebee batteries on their website, I encountered no broken links, and the FAQ pages were all operational. This was in March, so they might've just fixed it since the original post in January.)

Overall, the whole process was transparent to me. I never saw the Bumblebee battery because the mechanic handled everything, and just gave me the paperwork that came with it. When I called Bumblebee about my timeline, they were very understanding, and said that they had already talked to my mechanic. I don't know what they talked about, whether it was logistics only, or whether they went into technical detail about the installation, but the installation went without a hitch.

By the way, a friend of mine went a similar route, but his mechanic would not use non-Honda batteries, so he couldn't go with Bumblebee even though he wanted to. After installation, the IMA light was still on, so he had to go to the dealership to re-flash the software, which did turn off the IMA light.

I'm thankful to all the people who have posted about their IMA battery issues. I've been reading on the forum for over a year, trying to decide what to do about my IMA battery issue, that I was finally forced to decide on due to state inspection tests. Now I can post my experience about this issue and maybe help somebody else in their decision.

 

Thanks for the testimonial. Glad things are went well.

MY Civic Hybrid has shown no issues and is running great.

 

I had the hybrid battery light on my 2004 civic hybrid but at the suggestion of my repair shop simply replaced the 12V battery to see if that would help. That battery was 10 years old but I never had any problems with it! In any event, after two days with the new 12V battery my hybrid battery light went out, and as I continue to average between 42 and 45 MPG all is well! What a relief as my repair shop suggested about $2,500 to replace the hybrid battery!

 

Ten years on your 12volt. That is extraordinary. Glad that made a difference in how the IMA system read the situation.

 

I own a 2005 Civic Hybrid - my engine check and IMA light just came on. Now I did some research and found a company that sells remanufactured battery packs for approx. $1,451 with return. They also had a video that shows the replacement process. It takes about 30 minutes if you have the technical abilities. You should have a good volt/ohm meter and know how to use it and some miscellaneous tools.
GreenTecAuto.com - check it out.

 

Make sure that "remanufacture" battery pack has all new and balanced cells. If so, it should work fine.

 

Doc,

This company has three options available. One has a Rebuilt IMA Battery for $1,451.00, another has Battery Pack with New Cells for $1,995.00 and the Best option with Battery Pack with New 8.0Amp Cells for $2,250.00. Warranties are 18 months, 36 months and 48 months. If you go to their shop the installation fee is only $250.00.
This is some great information for owners of hybrids. Please pass it on.

Jerry

 

That is fantastic to offer those choices.

I would personally stay away from the "rebuilt". I agree the best option is the "hotrodded" version of the battery.