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Honda Civic Hybrid IMA Problems

303 messages,  Last post on Mar 16, 2010 at 9:29 AM

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#2 of 303 Re: Too hot for IMA to work [amyable] by 1stpik Jul 14, 2007 (7:44 am)
Replying to: amyable (Jul 13, 2007 11:29 pm) I've never heard of the battery shutting down because of heat, but it may be true. I suspect, however, that the real cause of your low mpg is the heavy air conditioning necessary during such hot weather.   Light a/c use will drop mpg by 10 or more. The kind needed to fight 110 deg. temps will cost 20 mpg. You live in the hottest region of the country. There's a price to pay for that. I'm sure that your home electric bills this time of year are astronomical.   I live in Texas with daily temps in the high 90s, and my HCH gets 50 mpg. So stick with your car until cooler temps prevail. Replies to this message: larsb (Jul 16, 2007 7:01 am) 46jimbo (Jul 18, 2007 11:19 am) sholmes717 (Jan 05, 2009 12:09 pm) gagrice (Sep 02, 2007 8:27 pm)
#3 of 303 Re: Too hot for IMA to work [1stpik] by larsb Jul 16, 2007 (7:01 am)
Replying to: 1stpik (Jul 14, 2007 7:44 am) That sounds like bunk to me (the IMA shutting down over 110) and I say that because I owned and drove a 2004 HCH for 23 months in Phoenix where temps frequently exceeded 110 and I never had an IMA shutdown.   The hotter temps will cause your MPG to drop. My Civic averaged 3-5 MPG lower in heavy A/C usage.   Hang in there - my educated guess is that your car is not a lemon and that as you drive the car more you will get better at what it takes to achieve higher mpg. Replies to this message: 46jimbo (Jul 18, 2007 11:19 am) sholmes717 (Jan 05, 2009 12:09 pm) gagrice (Sep 02, 2007 8:27 pm)
#4 of 303 Re: Too hot for IMA to work [larsb] by 46jimbo Jul 18, 2007 (11:19 am)
Replying to: larsb (Jul 16, 2007 7:01 am) Try checking your tire pressure too. I run mine at 36 psi (the factory setting is 32). Replies to this message: sholmes717 (Jan 05, 2009 12:09 pm)
#5 of 303 Re: Too hot for IMA to work [amyable] by eschaton Jul 19, 2007 (11:58 am)
Replying to: amyable (Jul 13, 2007 11:29 pm) I remember reading something about the IMA and hot weather in my owners manual. But, the sales person didn't mention it during the buying process. Buyers in the southwest should consider this issue before buying. Stick with it, your mileage should improve unless you have a mechanical or electronic defect. In my first 10 days my '07 has averaged 48 in mixed driving, with some a/c use.
#6 of 303 Re: Too hot for IMA to work [amyable] by indio06 Sep 02, 2007 (12:47 pm)
Replying to: amyable (Jul 13, 2007 11:29 pm) I also live in the Desert ( Palm Springs Area ) and have noticed a problem with my 07 HCH. With Temperatures in the high 100+, the batteries will drain in less then 10 minutes with the air on and very light stop and go traffic. Is this a problem with this car and the temperature outside. My MPG won't go above 33 to 34 MPG. If this car doesn't like the heat, I'll be returning it in a few years.
#7 of 303 IMA doesn't work over 100 by amyable Sep 02, 2007 (2:03 pm)
After going round and round with both Honda American and my Honda dealer, they both concede that the battery DOES NOT WORK when the temperature in the car is over 100. This causes a serious drain on the car--when trying to accelerate from a green light, there are times that the car hesitates and the rpms hit 4 as the car struggles to move forward. I have contacted both a laywer, the Better Business Beureau, and the Attorney General's office regarding this issue--they WERE aware that the problem existed for my region, and they are still continuing to sell the vehicle in the southwest region. Honda says that "it's not enough of an issue to resolve at this time." If you are having this issue, please also contact your state's Attorney General's office and document the problem. This is fraud, pure and simple. Low gas mileage is the least of the issue...the fact that the car runs on the tiny gas engine alone is downright scary when you live in a large urban area where you can get killed if you are not able to accelerate away from green light or around the corner. I've never been more disgusted with a company in my entire life--they know this is happening and when the service departments call to get information, they say that it's "normal" for the car to lose power in hot temperatures. The car is not safe to drive in this weather, and yet Honda is doing nothing to solve the problem. Replies to this message: gagrice (Sep 02, 2007 8:19 pm)
#8 of 303 Re: IMA doesn't work over 100 [amyable] by gagrice Sep 02, 2007 (8:19 pm)
Replying to: amyable (Sep 02, 2007 2:03 pm) What happens if you take it and leave it until it is fixed? If it is a safety issue they have a certain length of time to repair or the "Lemon Laws" go into affect. Have you reported the problem on the NHTSA Office of defects? Honda is dragging their feet until cooler weather when they can say look it works fine. File your report on this site...   http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/complain/
#9 of 303 Re: Too hot for IMA to work [larsb] by gagrice Sep 02, 2007 (8:27 pm)
Replying to: larsb (Jul 16, 2007 7:01 am) You cannot compare the 2004 Civic Hybrid with a stick shift to the 2007 Civic Hybrid. The newer one is bigger heavier with the same puny engine. It is also a different IMA design. I look for Honda to get out of the hybrid business when they get their diesel cars on the roads here.
#10 of 303 2006 IMA Failure on Hills by bandv Sep 04, 2007 (4:26 pm)
After 85000 miles and nearly a year of happy driving up and down hills, we have suffered repeated IMA failures under our usual driving conditions. The IMA battery indicator is dropping much more rapidly than before and shuts off after very little use, which is problematic on hills.   Checks at dealer show "no problem". They suggested putting car in neutral/park and revving to 3000 RPM. This indeed charges battery and allows IMA to operate again.   I work with NiMH batteries and it seems like a partial failure within the large battery pack- that would reduce the battery's capacity-- but would not register as a "failure" on the car's computer that measures voltage.   One tech and one dealer say they never heard of this happening before. But apparently, others, including a lady from Marin on KGO-TV "7 on your side" (July 2, 2007), have had exactly the same problem. http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=7on_your_side&id=5443147   PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THIS HAS HAPPENED TO YOU. It would be helpful to know the year, make, model and at what mileage this began to occur and what you have done about it.   Thanks! B and V Replies to this message: stevedebi (Sep 04, 2007 4:54 pm) gagrice (Sep 04, 2007 5:28 pm) mlilley (May 22, 2008 2:24 pm) mickeyrom (May 22, 2008 2:47 pm) wistlo (May 22, 2008 2:55 pm) gshiber (Jun 27, 2008 4:39 pm) david384 (Aug 10, 2008 6:06 pm) fabregas (Jun 03, 2008 11:24 am)
#11 of 303 Re: 2006 IMA Failure on Hills [bandv] by stevedebi Sep 04, 2007 (4:54 pm)
Replying to: bandv (Sep 04, 2007 4:26 pm) I think that the HCH uses a bunch of small batteries linked together, so some of them could be failing. However, if the Honda techs say the pack is still within spec, I'm not sure how you prove them wrong. Are you sure that you aren't using the A/C more, or that the traffic patterns haven't changed (causing you to stop more and use the batteries)?   The news article you quoted sounds more like "normal" battery depletion - the lady does too much uphill and not enough downhill to recharge the batteries. Though of course it could be bad batteries in her case as well.

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