Thanks DougD! That's helpful to know. FYI--I'm still waiting for Honda to get back to me about helping me out.

 

Just wanted to let everyone know: Honda came through!!!!! They replaced the IMA battery at no charge even though it's not under warranty anymore. Thank you so much for the suggestion!!!

 

Very nice. Glad Honda came through. I think they are well aware of some issues with the 2003 model.

 

It must feel like a new car, I'll bet!

 

It does run better, but suprisingly not THAT much better. I'm in Las Vegas though, where the temperatures are always over 100. I think that makes a difference.

 

Temperature definitely makes a difference!

NiMH batteries get hot as they are charged anyway, and when in the heat things get even worse.

Admittedly I don't know a lot about the HCH specifically, but I know that other (larger) NiMH packs require active cooling to stay within a temperate range.

The GM EV-1 (may it rest in peace) ran the A/C while charging, if the temperature was too high. I'm just using this as an example. The HCH battery is only a fraction of the size, but the same principles apply.

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M