Hello all,

I have a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid which has about 55K. I purchased it used in 2010 with 32K and the previous owner drove it only sporadically. About six weeks ago, the IMA and check engine lights began to come on (the check engine light consistently and the IMA off and on -- more off to date). The codes that came back were P1600 and P1449 -- indicating IMA battery decline.

Questions:

1. The car is still driving normally, so I haven't been in a rush to have the repair done. Am I correct that it will be obvious when the new battery is needed (but not come on suddenly)? Am I doing any damage to the vehicle by continuing to drive it when it otherwise seems to be operating normally?

2. I know that the extended warranty has officially expired. What is the likelihood that I will be able to get Honda to pay for the battery anyway, given the vehicle's low mileage? So far, they have offered me a small discount.

3. What are some good sources for Honda hybrid batteries other than the dealer?

Thanks for any help,

Brian

 

Hi Brian,
My dealer said I could keep driving the battery and allow it to continue to decline. It won't hurt anything.

My IMA light tends to go off when I drive the car every day. When it is driven sporadically, that light will come on. I guess it likes to be driven.

 

Was in the dealership today, they said the warranty had been extended on the battery, 10 years, 100k...might want to check again.....also was told you can run with out it....good luck

 

My battery died all of a sudden. The milage did go down 1st though. went from about 39mpg to 32mpg

 

i have a 2000 honda insight. The IMA light came on a couple of weeks ago was running fine. now the red charge indicator light came on and the car shut down. Will replacing the big battery pack repair this? The battery is only 3 years old but, according to dealer, has no warranty. Also, where or how is the most economical way to replace? thanks

 

I'll recommend to first change 12 volt battery (The one on engine compartment) since if this is not holding any charge will cause a overload at high voltage battery and charging system, if problem still you could be sure high voltage battery is damaged.

 

 

Thanks for your advice. I did check the small battery and it was dead. Put another one in and ran fine but I still don’t think the big battery pack was charging right. The green would show at times but not much. The local Honda dealership told me that the battery is not warranted being that they replaced it under warranty 3 years ago. This doesn’t seem right to me. Seems like a 2500 dollar battery would be warranted no matter who paid for it and especially since it is only 3 years old. Do you happen to know anything about this. Thanks so much for your help.