I have an '03 Civic Hybrid with about 75 000 kilometers on it. Two weeks ago I had to replace the 12 volt battery. It would not start the car and would not hold a charge. The IMA battery was at less than half a full charge. I replaced the 12 volt with a Walmart battery and after about a 15 minute drive the IMA was completely charged. I was proud of myself for having saved a bundle by not taking it to the dealer. Over the past two weeks the IMA has slowly discharged again so that it is always at less than half. The only thing that seems to charge it is the braking. I have taken it out on the highway a few times and the charge did not move one bar. Any suggestions?

 

Take it to the dealer.

 

It's been pretty warm. Have you maybe been a little more agressive with the driving? I know when it gets real nice out I tend to not pay as much attention to how I drive. My Bar tends to stay around the middle for my city driving. Do you see it ever go to the charge mode? Also, having the headlights on helps charge the battery (well, it doesn't actualy do any charging but it does make the car charge the battery) If you have used the lights on your car less lately then that would account for the lack of charging you are used to.

 

I am in agreement to take it to the dealer. I don't know what the Canadian warranty is but the USA warranty on the IMA system is 80,000 miles or 128,000 kilometers. It shouldn't cost you anything to have it fixed at the dealership.