Car: 2003 HCH Stick, 110,000 miles

My car runs like a top. I love it.
I wish that I could buy two more like
it and mothball them when this one wears out.

On my last tank if gas, I averaged 48 MPG with
the A/C on and a bike hanging off the back.

The car starts, runs and shuts off like it normally
should. There are no unusual sounds, vibrations,
or emissions. Power is normal. The hybrid battery
holds a full charge.

I'm wondering if at some point something triggered
the lights to come on.

Any help would be very appreciated.

 

Depends on the codes that it reads. There's always a reason the lights come on.

 

I feel your pain. My 2003 HCH CVT also runs like a top. At 120,000 the dreaded christmas lights came on. Bad IMA battery and replaced under warranty. (CA car)

No warning, no signs, awesome milage, the lights just suddenly all came on. Knock on wood, I'm at 210,000 right now and getting around 49 mpg and running real strong. Sorry I couldn't be more help, but everything just happened one morning.

 

Your story is common. We would be happy to discuss your battery options with you. The car tries to hide battery problems until the bitter sweet end, and the IMA light is not thrown until your battery has reached 10% of it's original performance or less. Since this deterioration happens slowly over time, it's difficult to realize the slow performance loss over time. Only when you experience a brand new battery will you realize what you were missing.