I ran across an old post about an "internal bulletin" at:

https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...eriation-6755/

The link in the post is dead. Is this for real? I'm in the exact situation -- 106K miles, IMA light sometimes, steady check engine light (both of which went off for no good reason after I got my oil changed and got the DTC P1449 news - deteriorating IMA battery).

If this is real, I'm inside the mileage. If it's not, I'm hosed and out nearly $4,000US.

Saving carbon emissions is fine and dandy, but if it's not ECONOMICALLY competitive, it's just greenwashing BS. With the premium I paid for the hybrid plus this expense, I could have bought, paid for, and fueled some monster truck for the last 4.5 years/106K miles.

Decidedly less smug, Dave Howard (stoatly)

 

The battery on my 2003 HCH died at 120,000. Dealer changed it out and everything was covered under warranty. I'm in California and the IMA componants are covered for 10years or 150,000.

Howard

 

Sadly, I'm not in CA. To make things worse, I wanted to see what's going on with the lights going off (so to speak) so I got a scanner. The only error code was the single P1449. So why were the IMA and check engine lights off if the dealer's techs didn't clear the error? I cleared it and I've been driving around with the thing attached and no errors. Very strange. Now I'm not even sure the darn thing is really bad. The laptop I'm typing this on had a NiMH go bad. They hold less and less charge and the stress on the other cells accelerates the deterioration. Batteries don't spontaneously get better. I don't base that on a single laptop -- I support computers, cell and sat phones, UPSs -- I deal with a lot of batteries all the time.

On the bright side, the car still works perfectly. 50+ MPG over the life of the car.

Now I have to figure out what to do with the dealer. They made me pay for it in advance....

 

Pay for what in advance?

 

The IMA battery module. The Honda dealer in Santa Fe considers it a "special order part".

- Dave

 

I have and 2003 HCH1 that is ULEV instead of SULEV. From what I've read the IMA battery is only covered up to 80k miles.

Is this correct?

 

End; yes you are in correct.

I'm in CA, and they said the same thing. Contact Honda directly, they may pay for part of it.

 

I'm pretty sure Honda has extended the hybrid component warranty up to 100K from 80K (outside of CA). I get mine serviced in Santa Fe as well and they informed me of that. You might ask. But maybe it's too late?

 

Any updates on this?

 

My car; (Car @ the dealership right now, in Orange county, CA)

2004 HCH I manual - 89k.

Same situation. IMA light sometimes, CEL all the time. Battery failed.

Honda covered it.