NMGMarques

Check out these youtube videos around the 55 second marks. You can see the battery drop from almost full to almost empty and back up in part 2. If someone has the same issue, please let me know and if you were able to work around it. More info in the video descriptions.

Poopies

iTrader: (4)

I'm not too familiar with the hybrids but has the car been acting funny? If not, it could just be a sensor issue.

ezone

IMO you need to see a dealer.
I doubt the battery really lost its charge, but it's possible the MCM/IPU (or one of the other controllers) lost track of the state of charge.

The time it took to show that it's recharged again looks average for when the controller has to relearn the state of charge.


First things first:

Have all recalls been completed on that car? (There have been several in the US.)

Have all software (engine, trans, IMA systems) updates been completed on that car? (There have been several in the US., and many were completed as part of recalls)

And the IMA battery warranty coverage was changed here too...but I think there must be a related code before it can be replaced under warranty.

NMGMarques

All recalls Honda informed me about where performed. The issue would seem a bit more complex than a sensor reading failure. If I turn the car off for more than 3 to 4 hours, when I start it up it looses all it's battery in the first minute. It just drops. Then it takes the usual time to replenish. I'd say it's really some battery issue. Just feel really bad Honda didn't take steps to fix this issue a long time ago seeing as how this is the second time it happens in less than 50000 KM and from my readings, it's become quite the common issue.

ezone

Tell ya what, it doesn't appear to be the typical IMA battery issue that I see the most.

(And....There's a whole lot more stuff going on behind that back seat than just a simple big battery pack. There's several control units too, all related to the hybrid stuff.)

If you had been on the gas pedal, accelerating a lot, having the "assist" part of the gauge showing a lot of activity, and see the state of charge meter drop that fast, I'd think possible weak IMA battery.....But it did not look like you were accelerating much, if at all.



Yours acts unusual (to me): The first video shows you at more or less a steady, low throttle condition.....with nearly no IMA assist showing on the meter, yet the state of charge indicator dropped like a rock. THAT is what makes me think it's not the typical IMA battery issue.

Does it always drop like that whenever the meter is at that point, or does it act like it should most of the time?

I cannot point at the battery, nor can I rule out the battery by any means, I'm just saying that it is not exhibiting the usual symptom I associate with a battery issue.

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Hey, all I can do from here is stare and guess.
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Here's a thought: You seem to have pretty darn low miles(kms) on that car for its age. Does it sit a lot? DID it sit a lot?

We have been told (warned) that improper storage and maintenance can dramatically shorten the useful life of the IMA battery. (They need periodic recharging of the IMA battery.)
See also "battery memory".

Um, I have only seen 1 car that I know of that had a failed IMA battery that-----we all assumed it failed because of sitting unused for long periods---- and I don't really know if the symptoms were much different from any other average failure.


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No matter what, I think you need to see a dealership with at least one tech who is "smarter than average bear".

All dealers should have at least one rocket surgeon on staff (I hope!) Seek that one.

Show the videos to the tech, give them a link to the videos. They at least demonstrate what your concern is, and I would consider them to be evidence that the issue exists-- if the dealer can't duplicate your concerns.

Dealers have access to technical assistance hotlines for these cars. Even if the dealer employees don't care about your videos, technical assistance people surely might.



Average independent shops are not likely to have a scanner that can access the hybrid parts of the car, let alone good service info for it and techs that can use it.


Even though I work in a dealer shop, I know I might be scratching my head a bit on something like this... These have been pretty darn reliable and straightforward as far as diagnosing problems, it's not very often anyone needs to dig deep into one.

I don't think any average owner/driver/appliance user will solve a problem like this, not even by accident. You sure aren't going to buy any parts for the IMA at DangerZone or Canadian Tire and Battery.

Good luck.

NMGMarques

On average, the car never sits for longer than 8 / 12 hours. It has run for almost every day of it's life. As far as I can recall, the longest it was sitting still was 4 days back some 3 years ago when I was home, sick.

Also, you are right... I am never hard on the pedal. Most times I drive like an old lady to keep the consumption down to less than 7 l/100 km. And believe me that that isn't easy.

When driving for longer stretches of time, say over an hour or so, the battery acts normal. Usually it acts this way right in the beginning of the trip (exactly as seen on video each and every time) and then doesn't happen again for the entire trip. It acts normally after that. But when I get back into the car some hours after, again the same. For me this is annoying because my daily commute is around 8 minutes each way. So I leave the plant, it drains. When I'm getting home, it fills. So most of my drive goes on not only without the engine assist, but with the added drag of the regenerative dynamos. This is killing my mileage.