Advice: Brake/Battery Light, Now IMA Failure

[Green Bean]

Hello!

I had a previous thread regarding my brake light and battery light coming on which the dealership could not diagnose as there were no codes. I ended up replacing the ground straps myself but it didn't solve the problem. I took it to the dealership again and they told me they couldn't find a problem that the IMA was good and that I should just "monitor" the situation. Now, the IMA is dead; this is the third IMA battery system that was put into the car and is 2 years old. Honda has informed my local dealership that it is not uncommon for these batteries to fail if not charged properly, i.e. their conclusion is that I haven't driven the car enough so that it's charged. I mainly used the car for commuting to work and I have taken several longs trips. Honda told me I could replace the IMA battery for $2300. I'm debating what to do--give up, replace the battery and have it fail again, etc. Any advice? Has anyone ever encountered this situation? I love my car but it seems Honda has left me on my own. Thank you.

[Hybrid-Battery-Repair]

Check that your AC relay is not stuck on. It's a known problem and will drain your 12V battery overnight.

Originally Posted by Green Bean

Hello!

I had a previous thread regarding my brake light and battery light coming on which the dealership could not diagnose as there were no codes. I ended up replacing the ground straps myself but it didn't solve the problem. I took it to the dealership again and they told me they couldn't find a problem that the IMA was good and that I should just "monitor" the situation. Now, the IMA is dead; this is the third IMA battery system that was put into the car and is 2 years old. Honda has informed my local dealership that it is not uncommon for these batteries to fail if not charged properly, i.e. their conclusion is that I haven't driven the car enough so that it's charged. I mainly used the car for commuting to work and I have taken several longs trips. Honda told me I could replace the IMA battery for $2300. I'm debating what to do--give up, replace the battery and have it fail again, etc. Any advice? Has anyone ever encountered this situation? I love my car but it seems Honda has left me on my own. Thank you.

[Hybrid-Battery-Repair]

I just re-read your post.

The brake battery light coming on is not necessarily the battery. It is a problem somewhere between the motor and the DC-DC converter.

If it comes down to it, you can start swapping out the inverter and DC-DC converter to see if they solve the problem. I have a set for $300 that you can return if they aren't the problem (less shipping and a 10%% restocking fee). We can also give you the instructions on how to put them in. If it is the battery, we sell a BetterBattery for $2000.

Originally Posted by Green Bean

Hello!

I had a previous thread regarding my brake light and battery light coming on which the dealership could not diagnose as there were no codes. I ended up replacing the ground straps myself but it didn't solve the problem. I took it to the dealership again and they told me they couldn't find a problem that the IMA was good and that I should just "monitor" the situation. Now, the IMA is dead; this is the third IMA battery system that was put into the car and is 2 years old. Honda has informed my local dealership that it is not uncommon for these batteries to fail if not charged properly, i.e. their conclusion is that I haven't driven the car enough so that it's charged. I mainly used the car for commuting to work and I have taken several longs trips. Honda told me I could replace the IMA battery for $2300. I'm debating what to do--give up, replace the battery and have it fail again, etc. Any advice? Has anyone ever encountered this situation? I love my car but it seems Honda has left me on my own. Thank you.

[gilbertguy]

It is winter time anyways so pull the relay out and charge up the 12V to see if that fixes it. Let us know what you find. Also if the IMA does need replaced don't waste your money at the dealer, spend $2K and get a Better Battery from Hybrid-Battery-Repair.