[bahua]

I whether to buy a 01 Insight with 80000 miles for $7,700. I've been looking around the forum and although I'm sure this has been asked 80000 times I'm really hesitant about the price of replacing the battery. I live in Pueblo, CO and was wondering if any one has an idea of what it would cost to replace. It is the only thing holding me back and it seems like I can't find this information anywhere.
Thanks in advance for helping me out.

Best Regards,
Bahua

 

[figgy]

I would keep looking for a good price on a lower mileage vehicle. If you can afford to pay a bit more, you should be able to get much lower mileage. I can't comment on battery life, just on what the market seems to be for 25k-50k insights, if you are patient to watch for a deal and can afford to pay a bit more up front. They're out there, but few and far between.

 

[Rick]

New battery pack from the dealership is about $3,000. But thats a whole new cooling structure, new motor control module and battery control module too. I and others have theorized that one could be rebuilt for under $1,000 if a guy could obtain the proper panasonic screw terminal cells. That is the problem though, simply getting them.

 

[Tim Maddux]

Rick, do you know of anyone that has actually had to make such a purchase, and was it in-warranty or out of warranty?

 

[Rick]

I had a parts guy who had to order one for a customer who was having it replaced under warranty at the local dealership tell me that was about how much it was. He said it was a bit of an orderal because on the parts exploded view there is a number to look for, but it says call tech line and then they had to be on the phone with Honda for a while before determining the battery needed replaced then they finally sent them one.

Thats what I was told.

 

[Holicow]

New battery pack from the dealership is about $3,000.....

Parts only? If so, what is the standard labor charge for R and R?

 

[Insightful Trekker]

New battery pack from the dealership is about $3,000.....

Parts only? If so, what is the standard labor charge for R and R?

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/aut ... t&catcgry2
=2000&catcgry3=3DR+DX+A%2FC&catcgry4=KA5MT&catcgry5=IMA+BATTERY-ECU


Index #3 is conspicuously missing (the battery pack).


The last time I checked (just before my purchase 9/02) it was about $2,000. You guys are scaring me with the $3,000 figure so I'll have to check again.



I was recently rear ended which required the rear floor pan section to be replaced. This requires the entire IMA pack to be removed. The body shop didn't like the thought of messing around with 140v so I was asked to come help. They didn't even have a volt meter to verify the breaker actually powers off the voltage at the output terminals.

What appears as a neat package from the top is an illusion. The floorpan is used as the base with only a small part of the bottom of the case along the trailing edge appearing the same as the top. This trims out the area immediately above and forward the spare tire. There is a 25mm+- square stiffener that runs along the rear edge. The battery pack and dc-dc converter have many screws through the floorpan with various wires and wire anchor clips. There is extensive ductwork, insulation, and 2 fans for cooling.

I had been as "deep" as removing the top cover for inspection, but wasn't initially prepared for this much greater complexity. With both of us working at a diligent pace we had it completely removed in 2.5 hours. The IMA pack alone should be do-able in about 45 min less. As in most things destruction is easier than construction and after an almost 2 week delay I wasn't looking forward to reassembly. However, utilizing several magnetic trays and sorting screws by size and type we were able to reassemble the unit in the same amount of time.

Honda makes a special tool for IMA battery removal but its simply a frame rail "grip" for the battery module. Not really necessary. Although it does _require_ 2 people to lift the pack out carefully to prevent damage (with or without the tool). With the edge of the case still installed it will be a bit more difficult.

Using basic hand tools and skills, observing _all_ the cautions needed for safely working around a 140v source, and a few minutes of help from a friend for ally-ooping the pack in and out, its a nice Saturday afternoon task.

I'll try to report back tomorrow with the IMA battery pack pricing.

HTH!

 

[Guest]

Hi Insightful Trekker:

___Please post what you find … Even though I have only uses a maximum 2 bars from full on the SOC gauge, I know it is only a matter of years before the pack finally does go. I would love to get 200,000 miles out of it over the next 4 years but I have a small doubt I will make it …

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:26nywwa1][email protected][/email:26nywwa1]

 

[Rick]

Maybe I was thinking $3,000 installed. Either way, it's still kind of rediculous.

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Well my "official" Honda source had to call a parts help line to get the current pricing, the same as a couple of years back. And while a MSRP has still not been finalized, right now it would cost you $2,900 + installation. The battery module is index item #3 as per my earlier post with the included link (that you must reassemble).

HTH!

 

[dfiore]

up 143,000 and no IMA light yet

whew! Just a couple of recals a day