Sorry to hear what is occurring, I'm also experiencing daily recalls and dropping to 1 bar, set an appointment for Monday at the dealer.

Driving around town today it dropped to 1 bar then after 3 miles it recharged to half bars but i get spurts of assist which last less than a second, called them again to notify and some Idiot tried to explain to me the mechanics of how the IMA system works. I ask him how does the Honda class action lawsuit work because I know how my car functions lol.

 

condor63, the scenario you described sounds like mine. I remember the first time at 29K miles that the problem occurred while driving down the freeway. I had never before had a recal with my HCH. With that first recal, however, it took 15 miles for my gauge to read accurately.

Now that my recals have become a daily occurrence, they usually begin about a half-mile from home and take about three miles to self-correct. Ordinarily I won't have another recal until the next time I start up my car, although sometimes now they can occur more frequently.

I found Honda to be helpful and courteous in resolving my issue. They were able to witness the problem, although no error codes occurred. There was never any cause for argument on either side, and I didn't have to twist any arms to get a good solution.

I hope it goes equally positive and pleasant in your case, as it should. I know it's hard not to be frustrated, but I always try to assume that people want to do the right thing. I think it's generally counterproductive to become adversarial, and I get better service by remaining good-humored and relaxed. In my case with Honda, everything went as well as possible under the circumstances.

Good luck with your appointment.

 

That's sound advise Steve and thanks, I'm going there Monday and act like the conversation never occurred, even with the recalls I'm still averaging 43 mpg.

Just frustrating that when I need IMA it's never available (entering Freeways), I'm getting tired of babying the battery and projecting when to utilize it.

With ICE only cars now getting 40 MPG why even bother with the complications of Hybrids, i can officially say that this is the last hybrid for me, it was all about the $$ saving and in the last year I've saved over $2400.

 

Yesterday my dealer called and said the new IMA battery had arrived. This morning it was installed in just two hours. Now my HCH seems to be operating normally. I already filled the tank to check the fuel economy, which I hope will return to normal (5 MPG higher than lately).

Has anyone else heard of an IMA battery failing this soon? (Less than 30K miles since new). The majority of my miles have been easy freeway cruising at 65 MPH, and I've been extremely careful to avoid battery depletion. My original software was the '09 version which was supposed to prolong battery life, later updated to the '10 version. I'm scratching my head wondering what could have caused such an early failure.

 

That's great news Steve ,Congratulations. Dealer experienced one recalibration on my vehicle and stated after talking to corporate that it's normal due to the heat here in the Mojave desert.

They said it's been documented but i feel i got the brush off even after I stated it's occurring 3-4 times a day, corporate is going to call me tomorrow to discuss the problem further.

Again Congrats!

BTW my 2010 has 23k miles, checked the mpg today and averaged 40.6 after 375 miles.

 

Good luck, Richard. In a couple of months when you get cooler weather, you'll know for sure whether there's any support for their theory about the heat. Maybe others here can give you a heads-up on that.

Or, maybe you'd like to trade up to an as-new '09 with a virgin battery pack?!?

 

That is one of the earliest Pack changes I have heard of so far Steve, but all it takes is one stick to become week and you get recalls! And that is probably all that was effecting your HCH. H

 

My car was exactly what I wanted for its first two years. My mileage was in the low 60s every tank. My best tank was 66mpg. Now, after three years and a couple of software updates, I hate it. I spend more time charging the IMA battery than getting assist from it. Every Monday morning, after having not driven it over the weekend, and every evening after work, when the car is hear soaked, it uses the 12v battery and starter to start.

There is, in my opinion, a dangerous lack of power when it decides to recal, particularly with the A/C on. And, of course, IT decides when it's going to recal - it might decide to recal just as I'm trying to turn left through a gap in traffic. And instead of getting much needed assist, I get nothing. It seems like it takes forever for the gas engine alone to build up enough torque to even get the car moving.

This car is very unpleasant to drive. My mileage is still above EPA (high 40s), but the lack of driveability is what makes me want a different car - can't wait to trade it for something else.

 

Cooler season will tell but after reading the manual I really don't have a leg to stand on concerning the IMA issue other than getting a IMA fault than they'll be forced to replace the pack.

Even with the recalls I'm still averaging 43+ mpg and when I get the recall around town I drop it into second and have all the torque and power charge that makes it manageable.

Excerpt from the manual:


Charge/Assist Gauge

The gauge reading may drop near
the bottom under driving conditions
that require IMA motor assistance
for a long time, such as prolonged
acceleration or climbing a long hill.
The IMA motor will recharge the

battery as you continue driving.

Since the level is not read directly,
small sensing errors can, over time,
cause the gauge to read higher than
the actual battery level. The system
will then perform a correction, and
the battery level gauge reading will
drop suddenly. When this happens,
IMA assist and Auto Idle Stop are
disabled until the IMA battery is
sufficiently recharged by normal

driving.

This correction of the battery level
gauge is normal and does not
indicate a problem. If the IMA
battery develops a problem or
becomes deteriorated, the IMA
system indicator will come on. If this
happens, have the vehicle checked

by your dealer as soon as possible.


If the IMA battery is too hot or too
cold, the IMA system limits the IMA
battery’s output power to protect the
battery. This disables the IMA assist
and Auto Idle Stop, even though the
Battery Level Gauge may show that
the battery is well-charged.
Therefore, if the motor assist is
frequently used, the battery
becomes hot and starts to limit its
output power.

It takes the IMA system a few
minutes in cold weather to normalize
the IMA battery’s output power, and
about 15 minutes in hot weather.

 

My 2009 did this also Steven. It started failing at 45-50 k kms mark (I now have 58 k km) I took it in 3 times to Honda and the Local Service Manager told me they would replace battery. Then I got a call back from them and Honda Canada had overruled them and said NO!

Next Service I will raise the issue again, I am bound to win as I have mor ewarranty than I believe the battery has life.