Original owner of 2003 HCH, new battery covered fully by Honda in November 2011 when i was at 105,000 miles. They cited "good will" on the paperwork, turns out a class actions lawsuits stimulated action. Flash forward to January 2014.... Out of date emissions inspection, check engine light one. Honda says I now need a new battery. Because the code days "battery deterioration". WTH? 2 1/2 years and 18k miles since last battery. I don't feel any difference in performance and can get full charge on IMA battery, never goes to zer.. They generously offered to pay half @ $2300. I said we were advised 3 years 36k miles....nothing I can find in writing. Sigh. Dealer says because we didnt pay for it, it was covered under extended warranty (which I wasn't notified existed) we have no warranty and we are responsible, they are being generous offering to pay for half. I asked both dealer and Honda America if I'd paid $1 if I would have received 3 yrs/ 36k mile coverage. Answer from both= yes. I'm waiting to hear back from rep by COB tomorrow. Thoughts?
I'm over a barrel, can't pass emissions without resolving check engine /battery. Blek.

 

I have a vague recollection that somebody at Insight Central sells a device that shuts off the signal causing the CEL, so that an HCH I with a failing/failed IMA battery could still pass smog.

 

Almost. I sell a device than can protect/manage a poor/weak battery.

You simply install it, clear the code (by pulling the 12v battery negative for 30 seconds) and the IMA battery will operate at a much lower lever and hopefully not trigger any relevant codes before you get tested.

A grid charger will also likely get rid of the codes and restore some battery performance.

There are quite a few options.

All the info is on IC.

http://www.insightcentral.net/forums...ch1-civic.html

 

Try driving the car down a quiet street about 20 mph, and turn off the ignition for 2 secs.
https://www.greenhybrid.com/forums/f...modules-30339/

 

Andrew,

Please stop stalking old-dead threads and injecting your highly irregular and limited solution. IMA pack failures are fairly common, and the vast majority of the cases are IMA packs that have truly deteriorated. There are other solutions, and yours is well outside the known effective solutions.

There are other sources that readily document IMA pack issues and a variety of solutions.

 

You need to lighten up, Keith. If this method is so "ineffective", how come it worked on my car and on Alex's car? Get your head out of the sand.

 

Who's Alex? The one guy in London on some other forum?

Your description and "theory" about how this works is contrary to how these systems are known to work. When the ignition is off, the pack is isolated from the main terminal leads, so there can't be any "surge", and even if there was some sort of "surge" as you theorize, NiMH batteries wouldn't respond any more favorably than when subjected to full regenerative braking.

Unless your pack was in a horrible state of health, six weeks of self-discharge isn't enough to flatten a NiMH pack. I had a pack in storage for 2.5 years, and it still measured 60V; however, it can definitely be long enough for the BCM to say, "WTF happened to my SoC since last on?" or to register a significant voltage imblance, which can throw a light.

A simple 12V reset or fuse pull is all that's needed to "reset" the system. The BCM loses the SoC calibration and initiates a pack charge. I suspect this is what happened in your case, and you incorrectly attributed the "fix" to your technique.

As I've worked directly with 7 IMA packs over the last 9 months, I think it's safe to say that I've learned a lot (with so much more to go), and "head in the sand," is not an accurate description. Your ignorance and dedication to this contradictory technique is far more representative of your description.

"ineffecitve" = a technique resulting in "magical" results that can't be logically explained and relies on anecdotal evidence ("well, it worked on mine and Alex's!").

I appreciate the spirit in which you're operating. I really do. it's just that you're very misguided in your advice. A simple 12V disconnect for 30 seconds is all that's needed to reset the BCM and force the car to charge the IMA pack. It will do this even on packs that are truly deteriorated to the point that they need to be removed from the car (as is confirmed by subsequent pack/stick testing).

Steve

 

Yes, Alex was the one who informed me of this method. He posted it on civinfo.com..

"A simple 12V reset or fuse pull is all that's needed to "reset" the system."
Tried them both. They didn't work.

 

I don't think California HCH 1's have to get a smog check? My 2003 HCH with 244,500 miles has never been required to be smogged.