Longevity?

JEFMT · 08-26-2010, 02:52 PM

The IMA battery pack on our 2001 MT just died at 160,000 miles. We're trying to make the decision: Put Sparky down and buy a new vehicle or replace the pack? What's your experience with a new battery pack and with durability (i.e., will the 3 cyl. rubber band last for 160,000 more?)

Leeper · 08-26-2010, 05:31 PM

Your very vague question will get a very vague answer - MAYBE.

Without knowing all the details of your car no one can come close to accurately answering. Give us the history of the car, condition, your intent, etc and maybe we can help in some way

boogetyboogety · 08-26-2010, 06:36 PM

MAYBE.

But if you bother to search here in the forum, and call our redoubtable sponsor for guidance, you might be able to come up with an intelligent answer.

If it was me, though, I wouldn't even blink... I'd drop another battery in it and drive it until the wheels fell off. Getting another car would cost you much, much more than just refurb'ing yours...

Leeper · 08-26-2010, 07:25 PM

We know nothing about "Sparky" - is it a trashed salvaged car? What is the rest of the car like? What other issues might there be? Did you just purchase it and therefore have no history on it? Is it cherry with the exception of the battery issue? Without knowing these little details we can't tell much of anything here.

JEFMT · 08-27-2010, 12:35 PM

We're the original owners. We've maintained the car religiously, even post-warranty. The death of the IMA was the first major mechanical problem with the car. We have a leaky seal that needs replacing but that's somewhat routine maintenance. We're in a dry climate so body deterioration is not an issue. We had noted that the discharge-recharge rate was declining slightly in the last year before complete failure. IMA failure occurred during a cross-country road trip in Eastern Oregon, 100 miles away from the nearest gas station, so we kept driving for about 300 miles more.

BTW, I appreciated the info about the software changes. We had wondered about the mysterious 5 mpg drop. If you replaced the IMA battery, would you ask for a reset that emphasizes mileage over battery life?