Hi folks,

I went to DMV today to renew my Honda Civic Hybrid 2003 registration and they gave me this Emission Recall #R83 request to complete my renewal. I hear this is a software update to the IMA battery. Lately I have been hearing a lot of bad news about how a recent software update degrades MPG of car and I am so much hesitant of doing this update. Another fact is that Honda is doing a big class action about IMA battery issues as well which makes me feel even worse that DMV is forcing this update. Does anyone have some experiences about this? Do I have any choices to avoid this update? Or is this update completely different and I will be safe?

Thanks a lot!
H

 

The IMA software update that you are referring to (the bad news update) is an update on the HCHII, the second-generation HCH. The update that I think they are telling you to have done is probably the one for the first-generation HCH that had to do with the catalytic converter sensors. So yeah, I think you are safe to have that done.

The information should be listed under Honda technical service bulletin # 11-043

 

Which state's DMV was that?

What did R83 say exactly? (Searched for it, but did not find it via Google.) Hard to see how an IMA issue would trigger an emission recall. I expect the car would be within emissions limits even if the IMA was pretty much fried.

 

Thanks folks for reply. Really appreciated. Yes, as Gairwyn pointed out this seems to be a software update which sets the thresholds for oxygen sensor. And this is in California.

 

The catalytic converter sensor update for the HCH I is "amusing". It makes the car stop warning that the catalytic converter is failing when it isn't. Honda replaced who knows how many good converters because of the original software. Apparently they were replacing the converters without bothering to run a smog check to see if it really had failed.