[rmnelson]

I got what I thought was a heat related recal yesterday evening at 7pm with the temp around 88°. The charge indication dropped and slowly came back, but then the IMA light came on. When I got home I checked codes and got P1447. When I turned the key off and then back on the IMA light and the code are still there. My service manual says to replace the battery module.

I have 24000 miles on a 2000 5-speed. Both the ECM and headlight recalls have been done. I replaced the front battery this year with an Optima yellow top after getting some codes about the original battery. I am going to drop by the Honda dealer this afternoon. Does anyone have a preview of what to expect at the dealer? Is it possible that my aftermarket code reader is not correctly interpreting the code? If they agree to replace the Battery Module, should they also replace the MCM and BCM as part of the deal? Any other handy hints for me? Thanks!

 

[devin1955]

Since you're still within your Honda warranty for the IMA system, you should be getting a new battery, MCM and BCM. That's what happened to me recently. I got a slightly different code, but the solution was the same, replace the battery. They automatically do the controllers at the same time.

Here's a thread I was posting in when I was going through the process.

http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3163

 

[rmnelson]

I hope my process goes as smoothly as yours did. I'm on my way down there right now, so we shall see.

 

[rmnelson]

They are going to replace the IMA battery, the MCM, and the BCM. Back order for two of the three parts with an expect delivery date of no earlier than 8/31. No loaner cars at Union Park Honda in Wilmington DE, and Honda America told me that they will consider paying for rentals on a "case by case" basis after the repair is complete and they examine the work order. They were very nice, but I could get no clue out of them whether or not they would likely cover a rental where there is more than a week of waiting just for the parts. I suspect that with Labor day coming up I am looking at two weeks until I see the car.

Should I be concerned that the IMA battery dropped dead after 5 years and less than 24,000 miles? The car is otherwise in almost perfect shape, and I baby it all the time. I'm happy that this happened while the warranty is still in effect, but I worry about what it tells me about the long term viability of the Insight.

 

[Rick]

We don't know this for sure yet, but I'm still optimistic that the BCM and MCM replacments help things significantly. I've got a 01 with 90K miles on it right now and it runs like a champ. I honestly wasn't so convinced before one would be in as good of shape as this one is, but I'm now a believer.

 

[Wayne M]

Just a suspicion

My 2000 also went out the day I took delivery on my used Insight. 104,000 miles. I was extremely lucky the used car dealer ( Cole's Lilburn Used Cars ) covered the replacement (out of an '04 donor car). Works great now, so far. My pet theory is that the 2000 (and maybe some early 2001) have a problem with the battery packs that has been 'cured' by the later editions updating the BCM and maybe the packs also. Seems to happen way less in the later cars, anyhow.

 

[devin1955]

Re: Just a suspicion

My pet theory is that the 2000 (and maybe some early 2001) have a problem with the battery packs that has been 'cured' by the later editions updating the BCM and maybe the packs also. Seems to happen way less in the later cars, anyhow.

You may be correct, and that would explain why there's a recall for the early modules to replace the BCM. Mine was replaced at an unknown time prior to my purchasing the car. My battery failed, but at 70000.

Funny thing was I had been experiencing ZERO problems and in the fairly short time I'd owned the car, had not had a single recalibration up to the time when the IMA system failed. It still bothers me that it apparently just died or exibited a problem out of the blue with no warning what-so-ever.

 

[rmnelson]

I called today for a status report on my parts backorder, and was told that the "Power Module" is on "intergalactic back order." That is a first for me. Further investigation reveals that the "Power Module" is the BCM, part # 1K100-PHM-A01. The dealer can't tell me when it will be shipped, where it is coming from, or any other thing about it. Maybe they call it "intergalactic back order" because the customer goes into orbit when they give him the news.

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Earth to nelson, earth to nelson, come in nelson...

Seriously, you'll get one :!:
(but you'll have to return to earth to collect it )

 

[Rick]

I hate to say this, but if you don't get it within a week that likely means it's comming from Japan, which usually takes about 4 to 6. I found this out once when I ordered some odd plastic clips and foregot I had ordered them until I got the call saying they had arrived.

 

[devin1955]

If your Insight is being repared under warranty, they ought to provide you with a rental car, especially if it's taking a long time to get the necessary parts. When my battery was replaced it took almost 3 weeks, and my dealer offered me a car right away.

 

[rmnelson]

Union Park Honda in Wilmington, DE and American Honda were both pretty clear that they would under no circumstances provide me with a loaner or a rental while I wait. I suspect that this is a dealer thing; if they wanted to they could help me out. I didn't buy the car from them (I got it used), so they don't see me as a customer.

I think the BCM is coming from Japan. I just talked with parts in an effort to find out how long I'm going to need my rental and they just have no idea about when it might come in. The service department says they have already replaced the IMA battery and the MCM.

 

[devin1955]

My car was at the dealer I purchased from. Not only did they offer a rental, when I refused saying I had another vehicle, they pressed by asking if I were sure, that they would cover the cost. I assumed it was Honda policy. If it's not, then I'm even more impressed with my dealer.

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Hi rmnelson,

Not sure here but isn't the rental car point moot :?: As long as the 12v charge indicator stays off when driving your Insight should be good to go. IMA assist may be limited or erratic so don't expect it to drive normally. Yes, other Insighters have had better experience with their dealerships / Honda offering them a rental. And AFAI remember several of them were also in the OK to drive catagory.

Sorry to hear your not being extended the same offer.

Not sure of the particular "lemon laws" in your state, but if your Insight is not driveable and your still under the IMA 8/80K warranty then quoting them DE's law on the subject should change their minds. You can file a Better Business Bureau complaint against the dealership / Honda by contacting the BBB in your area for the proceedure. I also believe they have a website (BBB).

HTH!

 

[rmnelson]

American Honda told me that they made a case by case determination of rental reimbursement after they review the work order on the car. So my rental should be covered after the fact. I didn't have the 12v charge indication, but because they told me everything would be fixed relatively quickly I left the car. At this point the car is partially repaired, so I'm reluctant to subject my new battery to the ministrations of the old BCM. I'm also reluctant to drive I-95 to work with a car that doesn't work the way I am used to.

The parts guy called me and said that there are four BCMs in the country right now. Tuesday he will try to get one shipped here. He said he thought this was good news, since there have been none in the country for the past couple of weeks. He said he thinks this may mean that more will arrive soon. I'm sure everything will work out in the end. I'm driving a Hertz Ford Focus right now, and I can't for the life of me understand how they can sell any of these things. It has to be the worst car I have ever driven.

 

[rmnelson]

I finally got the car back with the new battery, BCM and MCM. They had it two days over one month. I have only driven about 80 miles since, so I don't have a total feel yet for any changes. It seems to use assist more, and the SOC runs a bit lower on average than it did before. The mileage is a bit better, but that may be due to the weather since it came back. I'm happy to have the car back. They must have parked it next to the paint shop; I got to spend today with a clay bar getting all the overspray off. I didn't notice it when I got the car because it was dirty. I figured that by the time I fought with them about a detail to fix the problem I could have had it done right and not have to worry about them polishing the paint off.

 

[Gaston]

I have owned my 2000 Insight since March 2005 and love it but have only put 2,000 miles on it. My IMA light came on so I went to the dealer as requested in the owners manual, but I have been driving with the light on for over a month. My car has 120,000 miles and no recall was ever taken according to the records. I don't see that anything is wrong with my car; the bars light up back and forth between the battery and the gas and the battery charge is always near the top. The dealer said I need a BCM at a negotiated cost of $900 installed. I can't for the life of me understand why I need to spend this money to turn off the IMA light. Does this mean the battery or other things are about to go also? Somebody please help this poor neophyte!!!

 

[psalatti]

I had issues very similar. Moduals needs replacing. I have approx. 67,000 miles on a 2000 5speed. Dealer has had car for 29 days so far and no word of getting it back. NO PARTS. Waiting for response from Honda International whom I called last Friday. Very disappointed that there are no available parts out there to remedy this situation quickly.

 

[gobuchul74]

My Insight's currently in the shop and the Honda "Hotline" Techs told them to change my BCM, but that didn't fix it. Appearently the service manual was correct (shocking) and it's a bad battery module. They just don't have any to install.

 

[Gaston]

Don't trust the dealer

Much past experience with cars and electronics told me that if the car was functioning as expected, the only conclusion I could accept was that all the guages were faulty (not likely) or something was either shorting out or on constant contact when it shouldn't be. I pulled all the fuses, examined, rubbed the contacts and replaced - some had the numbers upside down which my not have had anything to do with malfunctioning. MY IMA LIGHT WENT OUT and my guages work and my car still runs fine and I get 47 mpg around town.
I had asked the dealer if it could be a fuse and they assured me NO. I think they are incompetant or thieves who wanted to sell me a very expensive part I didn't need. So what else is new?