Here's my next question since I didn't notice it in your post. Did the IMA light come on? I'm down to daily recals so it's just a matter if time before the pack goes on mine.

 

I knew it, all these yahoos that say 5K to replace a broken battery are full of it.

 

What's a recal? Specific to the Insight?

 

You must have just bought your Accord hybrid, because all Honda hybrids do recals eventually. If the hybrid batter gets pretty weak, the battery meter goes down to zero charge in seconds and your car trickle charges until it's 2/3 charged (about 20 minutes on the Insight). One it's starts, nothing stops it.

 

I've probably had my car for about six weeks.

One thing I do recall when I bought it: When I first started up the car on the dealer lot, the battery meter was 0. After driving it for a short distance, it started to climb. For the past six weeks, it's pretty much always been 3-4-5. Rarely 6. And it hasn't returned to 0 since that day on the dealer lot. It had 151 miles on it at the time.

But something that I've noticed just today (about five minutes ago, when I went for a quick ride around the neighborhood) is when the car has been sitting for a couple days, the battery meter will be 1 or 2 bars lower than when I parked it. Do the batteries dissipate that much energy in such a short amount of time??

 

I actually left my HCH sitting for 90 days under cover / untouched / in a climate controlled garage and the bars barely moved.

 

The battery is 2700 to replace and the other two modules with labor comes out to 4700. Thats how the 5K number come to be. Anyway my IMA light did come on.

 

jkbrooks,

Thanks for the update, and I am *really* glad that Honda honored the warranty.

Can you add any specifics to your adventure that may help out someone in the future that runs into something similar ? I am thinking of who was contacted, who in what agency approved the work.

Cheers, Eric

 

With this battery issue, I'm reconsidering the extended warranty. I declined it at first just because this IS a Honda. But maybe the nearly $1K warranty will be worth the possibility...

 

To be honest with you I really did not have to do much. The IMA light came off and on for about two weeks until the battery was simply completely dead. I knew my battery was gone just based upon reading these discussion groups. When I took the car into the dealer the SM told me that it would be costly and my car was way out of warranty. I did tell the SM that I would be highly disgusted if this were true and I would never buy a hybrid again if I am expected to put out thousands for new battery. I also mentioned the article that is linked in this thread for ammo. The dealer actually went to bat for me. I did tell the dealer on the phone while waiting for Honda corp to make a decision that they basically suck if they dont stand behind the products and I would never buy another hybrid or Honda again. I did this in a polite way. I would have probably paid up to 1K because I really like my car and its fair since I do have over 100K however 5K is pushing it. I have to hand it to them that they do stand behind the product and that says something.