Charged Up

[billroper]

The report from the Meineke (which is a shop that I trust) is that the battery has a dead cell which is what's causing the current problems. (No pun intended.) They say that this problem is endemic in these cars, because these batteries are underpowered for the car and eventually give up under the strain.

A new battery with more capacity is being installed as I type and I should be able to pick it up before lunch.

Comments

[robin-june.livejournal.com]

I missed your previous post, or I might have chimed in before your purchasing decision, but I wanted to recommend the kind of OEM Honda battery that came with our 2003 Element. We're still on our first one, and when it goes, I intend to get another just like it (even if I'm getting the Element serviced at our independent mechanic, Aarrow Radiator, instead of the dealership). It's perfectly matched to my vehicle's demands.

Hopefully your new battery will fit the bill, but if it doesn't, then your car may want the model that comes in the larger Hondas like the Pilot or Odyssey vans.

[billroper]

Well, the original battery delivered 550 cold cranking amps; the new one is good for 800. If that doesn't fill the bill... :)

[jennlk]

So the problem wasn't with the battery per se, but rather the battery specs.... Mum has a 400 of a slightly different vintage, and her battery lasted 6 years. I've found that it rarely hurts to get a battery slightly-to-much larger than OEM specs for CCA, regardless of manufacturer. Then again, I lived in Houghton for a decade, where the default is to replace the OEM battery with a larger one as soon as it dies, if not sooner; and grew up with a 'recovered farmer' who did the same....