****UPDATE****

Well... I brought it to the dealer. So far, the IMA light has not come back on since the software update. Honda won't replace the battery until the IMA comes back on.

The dealer agrees that there is battery degradation, after testing it, but Honda won't replace the battery until they see anohter IMA failure light and fault code...

Currently I have basically "3 bars" of battery power.

- When charging, as soon as the charge status rises to "3 bars", it then jumps all the way to "8 bars".
- When discharging, during use, as soon as the battery level reaches "5 bars" it then drops all the way to "1 bar".

This pattern has repeated itself over and over consistently for the past 3 weeks.

My dealer thinks the IMA light will probably come back on sooner rather than later, at which point they will most likely replace the battery. Until that time, all I can do is monitor, and wait for it to fail.

I've lost a couple of MPG's due to having less battery, but I'm still getting 41-42 mpg instead of the 44-45 mpg I was getting before this started.... Still not too bad....

 

Kind of interesting that Honda is "curing" battery deterioration issues with a software update, but yet the symptoms remain. Would love to the see the source code on their update, in particular, and code that says

if miles < 75,000 and Battery is deteriorated
don't light IMA light and recal daily
else
miles > 75,000 and battery is deteriorated
light IMA Light and smirk because our five dollar software update saved Honda USA $2500 to replace the battery

 

Luckily, I got the 8 year/120,000 mile extension.

I hope they didn't add an additional subroutine to check if the car has an extended warranty.

If extended warranty = yes, and miles<120,000, then IMA lite = off

 

I dunno.

What I read is that the update will help re-balance the cells that are outta wack cause the car allowed too much discharge in the first place. I know this was a problem for me cause I was a total bonehead before I learned how to drive this car the right way.
Cause it takes time to recondition the cells with the probs the update is going to work different for different people. I reckon it depends on how bad the imbalance is and honda is just wants to replace packs that are really bad and not the ones that can be rebalanced with the new update.

ks

 

If so, this update didn't help me....

MY HCH II charges and discharges very quickly:

- Every time I get in the vehicle after being parked a few hours, the battery fully discharges after about two blocks (even if I have 8 bars)
- The lowest sustained setting I have is 6 bars. The instant the battery meter drops to 5 bars, it immediately drops all the way to 1 bar. I can site there and watch it 5-4-3-2-1.
- When charging it always jumps from 3 bars to 8 bars. As soon as it reach 3 bars, I can once again sit there and watch it move 3-4-5-6-7-8.

This cycle of jumping from 3 bars to 8 bars and falling from 5 bars to 1 bar is very consistent.

I'm getting very frustrated. I only seem to have battery power available about half of the time...

I nearly got into an accident yesterday because I pulled out into traffic, thinking I had 8 bars, but when I stepped on the gas, the car moved very sluggishly out into traffic. I barely got out of the way of an oncoming vehicle. I then looked down at the battery meter and sure enough, I watched it count down all the way from 8 bars to 1 bar.

 

Hi Smurf:
Tell your Dealer that every time you get a recal. the Auto is putting you and your family at risk of serious injury do to lack of power? You may want to go directly to Head Office.This subject is talked about on another thread.
Cheers,
Hal

 

Yup that's lousy.

See another dealer too.

ks

 

Thanks again everyone for the replies.

I've got another appointment for tomorrow.

Here's another big question:

Should my HCH II maintain a charge in the battery when the vehicle is parked for a few hours or overnight?

 

your ima should keep the change with no prob.

Check your 12v battery too cause there too many stories of bad 12V batteries creatin all sorts of hell on the soc.

ks

 

I've had mine parked for 3 mths. without any noticeable loss of the SOC. Also a two mth. stint with no problem.
Cheers,
Hal