Honda Hyrbid left undriven for a year

Nuw

Hi all,

Quick question, how bad is it to leave a honda civic hybrid (2009, so with the HCH2 system) left undriven for some months (close to a year)? Is it a garanteed IMA battery failure? Or is it a case of getting them charged again with a long drive?

Also, what would be the symptoms to expect if the battery is failing?

Thanks all!

slave1

Aside from the EV battery the 12v battery will have suffered damage, even if you can charge it back up again it will have severely reduced life and will die at very short notice

Nuw

The 12v battery shall be replaced before driving the car (as I'd do with any car really after such a long period not being used) but do you mean the IMA battery will die soon as well?

slave1

No, I have not a clue but instinct would infer a battery left dead for a long time will suffer irreparable damage but I am open to correction on that...

Nuw

If my understanding of NiMH tech is correct, it should be fine if its charge didn't drop below 40%, in which case, it might need a full discharge/charge to recalibrate, but I'd like to have other opinions on this

n97 mini

Sticker under the bonnet says if it's going to be stored that the engine should be run for 30 minutes once a month to charge the battery. So YMMV, but I'd start it up and see how you go. I'd probably change the engine oil first.

Nuw

Thanks it's been sitting on a dealer's forecourt for a while I wonder if they did run it once a month as prescribed... doubt it though... I guess I'll have to go see it and take it from there. Any symptoms to look out for?

zilog_jones

That generation of Civic Hybrid seems more prone to battery failure than others. Considering this and the state it's been left in, unless you're getting it dirt cheap and looking for a project I'd avoid it.

Nuw

Thanks guys, anyone know how to tell if the battery is failing? I'll still go and have a look at it, if everything else is spot-on (gearbox oil changed, documented service history and all...), it might still be worth it as a refurb battery can be found around the 800€ region, so depending on the price it may still be a good buy, me thinks. what do you guys reckon?

zilog_jones

I don't know too much about the Honda hybrids, but I've noticed a trend with American Gen 2 Prius ('03-'09) owners in the past few years go from "reconditioned batteries are fine" to realising that many only last maybe a couple of years and then just die again. I think the problem now is the age of the batteries more than anything else - and that era of Civic Hybrid is pretty much in the same boat.

There's a test procedure for checking the health of Toyota/Lexus traction batteries using an OBD-II reader and some apps, but I don't know what's out there for the Hondas.

Markcheese

Is there a battery charge indicator on the dash? It may not have dropped if it was at full or nearly full going into the dealer.. Can you take it for an extended test drive and see does it recharge fully.. And maybe even see does it hold charge till next day / after weekend....

zilog_jones

You really need to be able to check the individual block voltages to have a good idea of the state of the battery - any big disparities with voltages would suggest there are problems. It could behave during a test drive and not show any potential underlying issues.

Nuw

The pictures seem to show battery is nearly full, I'll definitely take it for as long a test drive as I can to see how it behaves, that won't happen til the weekend though..

unkel

Nuw wrote: »

a refurb battery can be found around the 800€ region,

And then you will have to find someone to stick it in. Probably not that easy either. And unless you get the car very cheaply, not worth the hassle and the risk to me.

Offer to take it off the dealer for €2k and you will sign a waver that it is a trade sale, car is for parts and you don't need a warranty

If he laughs at you, walk away.

Nuw

unkel wrote: »

And then you will have to find someone to stick it in. Probably not that easy either. And unless you get the car very cheaply, not worth the hassle and the risk to me.

Offer to take it off the dealer for €2k and you will sign a waver that it is a trade sale, car is for parts and you don't need a warranty

If he laughs at you, walk away.

Fitting the battery seems to not be that big a job on the civic, once you know where to look, could probably do it myself tbh.

I'll have a look at the car and see what the dealer says, might be that he had the battery changed himself before selling or something (would find odd he didn't advertise that though but who knows).

What I'm after now is information on how the car behaves with a failing battery, is there any sign that make it obvious?

n97 mini

The battery failures in that generation are in hot climates. The automatic (CVT) transmission was originally agressive at keeping engine revs low and used the IMA a lot. In the Arizona desert the battery couldn't take the heat. There was a software update that made the transmission less aggressive, at the expense of fuel.

If there is a battery fault the IMA light comes on. Other than that there is very little to go on. One thing that can happen is when just cruising the first few bars of regen are on. This means it's recalibrating the battery. If it's continuously happening it can indicate a cell or two are on the way out. It's normal for it to happen in winter though.

I have the 2004 model. They are great cars and totally under rated. Cheaper than the Prius, much better to drive, and very similar economy.

n97 mini

I should add I wouldn't really worry about the battery. Even if it's completely bolloxed (very unlikely) you'll still get 40+ mpg. The beauty of the Honda hybrids is they're very simple, and the good fuel economy is as a result of a number of design features besides the battery.

unkel

n97 mini wrote: »

I should add I wouldn't really worry about the battery. Even if it's completely bolloxed (very unlikely) you'll still get 40+ mpg.

I was suspecting this. Hence my suggestion to bully the dealer into accepting a pittance for the car. Worst case scenario you'll end up with a half decent low tax reliable petrol car (with no regen) for half nothing

n97 mini

unkel wrote: »

I was suspecting this. Hence my suggestion to bully the dealer into accepting a pittance for the car. Worst case scenario you'll end up with a half decent low tax reliable petrol car (with no regen) for half nothing

Dealers, being what they are, are unlikely to accept a low ball offer. Much more likely to send an unsold car to auction. That being said, it should be possible to pick one up for half nothing privately.

unkel

Agreed. Many dealers went bust in the crisis because they rigidly stuck to the "it owes me" principle which was more than the car would ever sell for.

Nuw

So, went to see the car this weekend, it drove fine and the battery seemed to be holding its own, assisting when it needed to, regen when it made sense and not overly... however, no service history whatsoever, interior looked a lot more tired than mileage would suggest (mileage checked out during the history check I ran though), leather had some tear and looked really tired... exterior was not in a better state with swirl marks on the paint, rear bumper didn't sit perfectly on the back of the car (on the driver side)...

Nothing that would have put me totally off if the price was right, around 3k would be reasonable in my eyes, but dealer wants his 6k and won't budge...

So off I am to fetch a good exemple, if you guys know of one feel free to post here, I'll have a look  I'd be looking at dealers as I'm not in a position to keep two cars, nor be without one, which would mean trading in.

n97 mini

Nuw wrote: »

I'd be looking at dealers as I'm not in a position to keep two cars, nor be without one, which would mean trading in.

You're going to pay a premium by buying from a dealer. If you could at all advertise your own (privately) at price to sell the same day as you buy.

Nuw

It would be ideal to sell before I buy, and I'm aware I'll pay for the privilege but it's less hassle for me as my schedule is quite full these days unfortunately and I'd like to have it sorted as quickly as possible.

WonderingJu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/107851471#Comment_107851471

How did this work out for you, Nuw? I am looking at buying a 09 Insight. Engine and body in great condition and low mileage but the IMA warning light is coming on and there seems to be no power coming from the hybrid battery. Where did you source a refurb that time? Any recommendations on who could install and what that might cost?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122050619#Comment_122050619

The thread is 6 years old and the poster hasn’t been active for 3 years.

LIGHTNING

Please don't drag up old threads. Create a new one of you want.