Quote:
Originally Posted by jlh17
So my IMA/check engine light came on at the same time today. Its a 2001 Honda Insight with 207k miles on it. I've already replaced the IMA once just a year and a half ago. The red battery light of death has not come on. Also not having any weird power fluctuations....yet. So 2 questions:
1). Will the IMA be under warranty given this is round 2? (I don't want to sink 5k into a 200k+ car)
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Your IMA warranty expired at 10 years or 150,000 miles, whichever occurred first. The number of rounds doesn't matter. As long as the IMA warranty is in effect, Honda will replace the IMA battery under warranty (I'm on my third).
But you don't need to buy an IMA battery from Honda. For around $2000, you can buy a Better Battery, but you or someone else would need to remove your current IMA battery and install the Better Battery.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jlh17
2). Can I drive it indefinitely w/o the IMA or is it going to destroy my 12V battery? If it will, is there a way to bypass this?
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You can drive without harming the 12 v. battery until the 12 v. battery warning light illuminates as it will almost certainly do eventually. Then you could disconnect the 3 BCM connectors in the IMA compartment behind the seats. This would allow the IMA motor-generator to charge the 12 v. battery, but it would no longer start the engine (the 12 v. starter motor would), autostop would no longer function, regen and assist would no longer occur, etc. I.e., it would drive like a very high-geared, gutless, 1-liter car, but it will still deliver outstanding gas mileage.
IMA Light
