looking at a $3900 03 civic hybrid with 131K

[quicksilver74]

the guy is selling it b/c after the car had been sitting for about 7-10 days the IMA and CEL came on when he first drove it again. the dealer recommended the IMA battery be replaced but he doesnt want to spend the money so he is selling it cheap.

i have read that i can get it repaired if it is the IMA battery for around $1200.

what i was wondering is can a low charge on the 12V battery cause those lights to come on? i'm hoping to get the specific codes it threw tomorrow. also i asked to drive it for a day to see if i can find out anything about it.

what can i check to see if the IMA is the problem? is the car a good deal at $3900? book value is close to $6000.

let me know what you think. i need a new car to replace my 09 F250 diesel that is getting 17 MPG for my new commute of 90 miles a day!


*update* the dealership offered to replace the battery at half price. seller would have the work done but i would pay $1505 to get the new battery and he will provide all the paper work showing the battery was replaced by the dealer.

it is still under book value and would have a brand new battery. does that sound like a good deal or should i chance it on the old battery lasting a while?

[seilerts]

It ought to be possible to get a good used Insight for less money, and this gives you 10 more MPG. As far as the battery from the dealer, as far as I know it is not "new", but one cobbled together out of salvage and dealer service center cores. Hybrid-Battery-Repair can give you more details, you should contact Ron directly.

[quicksilver74]

i called but didnt get an answer.

i was under the impression that the battery pack from the dealer would be all new, not remaned

[MN Driver]

I've read and heard that they are unused but what you are getting is not new in terms of production date. It's old stock because Panasonic produced them in bulk batches and once they stopped, that was it. From what I understand the packs get charged and then shipped with a fast option so they can get installed to be used immediately. The stock could be from 2006 when the Insight and 1st Gen Civic production stopped, but that is only speculation on my part, could be sooner than that. The new sticks from Honda starting with the 2nd Gen Civic hybrid are designed without PTCs and in an incompatible double-stick form factor that the 1st Gen Civic and Insight cannot use. Panasonic requires a huge quantity to begin production and I don't see there being any chance of new packs being produced.

You asked about what you can check. The definitive answer comes from the check engine code. Find out the code and post it here or do a quick search and if its a common IMA code, you'll find it either here or from Google with Honda Insight Pxxxx with the code replacing the P code you get. One important detail, the Civic Hybrid will likely have a 12v battery light triggered when the IMA light is on, you might not get too far before the 12 volt battery discharges and you can't drive it any farther.

FWIW, $1505 sounds like a much better deal than most Insight owners are getting for an out of warranty replacement.

Since you are on the Insight forum, we'll prod you to get an Insight. Do you require the back seat? If not, you should get the 1st Generation Insight, gas mileage is nicer on this side of the world.

[quicksilver74]

i will be needing a back seat since we will have a baby here in the next 3 weeks.

the codes were 1447 and 1449

i looked for a civic based forum and everything i found catered to the "ricer" crowd rather than anyone with a hybrid model. it seems like there is information out there but it is just scattered over lots of different sites.

i never thought about owning a hybrid as i have always been into the performance cars and big trucks. now my F250 is going to be for weekend use only and i'll be seeing triple the mileage i am accustomed to!

[Hybrid-Battery-Repair]

Originally Posted by quicksilver74

i called but didnt get an answer.

i was under the impression that the battery pack from the dealer would be all new, not remaned

I didn't get your call.

[quicksilver74]

Originally Posted by Hybrid-Battery-Repair

I didn't get your call.

you called me back about 10 min after that post. i will be getting that new pack from Honda for $1500.

Just wanted to add that i am VERY impressed with your honesty pointing me in the right direction even though it meant spending money with Honda rather than you. I will be recommending you to anyone i know that needs battery repair and when my new one goes out in the future you will be getting a call. working in the automotive industry myself i know it is hard to find an honest shop! thanks for your help!!!