'05 Accord Battery

I have an '05 Accord LX manual purchased in August '05, with almost 34k
miles on it. When I checked the battery today the status indicator was
clear and not green. I've never had the battery drain and need a jump start
before. I called the dealer to inquire today and was told if it went bad,
they would cover for up to 3 years (the new car warranty). They said I
could bring it in on Monday to test the battery, but I won't have time.

Isn't this a little premature for a battery to start going bad? What is
recommended if I decide to replace it? I used to always go Die Hard Gold
for replacements but not sure if they're still the best or one of the better
ones. Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks,
-Dave

 

Make the time, it's being replaced for you for no charge.

Make the time, it's being replaced for you for no charge.

 

Make the time, it's being replaced for you for no charge.

Make the time, it's being replaced for you for no charge.

 

We just had the battery replaced free by our dealer with only 19,000 miles
on our 2006 Accord. The car would start but seemed to turn over slower than
usual. The indicator window on it did not show any color in it either. They
tested it and I was told it was putting out much lower cranking amps than it
should.

 

We just had the battery replaced free by our dealer with only 19,000 miles
on our 2006 Accord. The car would start but seemed to turn over slower than
usual. The indicator window on it did not show any color in it either. They
tested it and I was told it was putting out much lower cranking amps than it
should.

 

If you are in a hot climate, then 2.5 years is often a
common life for a battery.

Interstate (and maybe one other manufacturer) is the OEM
battery manufacturer for Hondas and is much recommended
here. I go with Interstate lately for my 91 Civic.

 

If you are in a hot climate, then 2.5 years is often a
common life for a battery.

Interstate (and maybe one other manufacturer) is the OEM
battery manufacturer for Hondas and is much recommended
here. I go with Interstate lately for my 91 Civic.

 

The dealer is replacing it under warranty so why go to any other battery. He
should make the time and take it to the dealer....

 

The dealer is replacing it under warranty so why go to any other battery. He
should make the time and take it to the dealer....

 

Yes, I'll make an appointment to the dealer. I just couldn't do it this
Monday and hopefully they'll have a day where they have later appointments
or a Saturday appointment when they can check this. The Accord always
seemed to turn over slightly slower than my previous cars even when it was
new. It was nothing major, and even now it's the same. This happens when I
let it sit overnight or after work.

My only concern is if they say nothing is actually wrong with it and the
battery is just getting old at 2-1/2 years old!

Thanks,
-Dave

 

Yes, I'll make an appointment to the dealer. I just couldn't do it this
Monday and hopefully they'll have a day where they have later appointments
or a Saturday appointment when they can check this. The Accord always
seemed to turn over slightly slower than my previous cars even when it was
new. It was nothing major, and even now it's the same. This happens when I
let it sit overnight or after work.

My only concern is if they say nothing is actually wrong with it and the
battery is just getting old at 2-1/2 years old!

Thanks,
-Dave

 

I'm in Maryland and the batteries I've had in previous cars have always
lasted over 2.5 years. Then again, this is my first "new" car.

I'll see if I can dig up an old CR mag for car batteries. CR is normally
decent although I do take them with a grain of salt.

Thanks,
-Dave

 

I'm in Maryland and the batteries I've had in previous cars have always
lasted over 2.5 years. Then again, this is my first "new" car.

I'll see if I can dig up an old CR mag for car batteries. CR is normally
decent although I do take them with a grain of salt.

Thanks,
-Dave

 

you don't say where you live - if it's phoenix, that battery life will
not be unusual.

 

you don't say where you live - if it's phoenix, that battery life will
not be unusual.

 

Yeah yeah, I'll see what appointments they have this week. Juggling with a
work schedule! As I said in a previous post, I'm just afraid the dealer
will say the clear eye is normal wear and not do anything. I'll hit the 36k
miles before the 36 months for the new car warranty.

Thanks,
-Dave

 

Yeah yeah, I'll see what appointments they have this week. Juggling with a
work schedule! As I said in a previous post, I'm just afraid the dealer
will say the clear eye is normal wear and not do anything. I'll hit the 36k
miles before the 36 months for the new car warranty.

Thanks,
-Dave

 

Honda batteries generally hold up pretty well. I would normally
expect about 5 years from one. Batteries though, are just like
anything else electrical. They can fail prematurely, and it has
nothing to do with the car. I had a new Sears Diehard fail completely
in less than 6 months. Also bear in mind that in the scheme of
things, an $86 battery (price I just paid at a Honda dealer) is really
nothing compared to the cost of a new vehicle. I see people every day
putting more than that in their gas tank on one fill-up!. Finally, a
clear test indicator can mean that the battery needs charging, is
failing, or is simply low on water. Yes, "sealed" batteries do
sometimes need to have water added.

If you don't want to stick with OEM, the last CR report on auto
batteries was October 2006. NAPA came out on top.

Dick

 

Your dealer should have a very good tester for your battery. It is mandatory
for him to have. It is a unit automatically sent to all dealerships and
takes about two minutes to do a test on the battery. Ask to see the printout
which prints from the tester and is just like a credit card receipt. The
test is either good or replace/pass or fail. So there is no "let;s wait and
see what happens" scenario.

As others have mentioned it depends on where you live. Extremes in
temperature take a toll on a batterys life.

The Honda battery is manufactured by Interstate Battery to Honda
specifications. The MSRP is $92.94. It has one of the best warranties in the
business. It is a 100 month warranty battery. It is replaced at no charge in
the first 36 months for free if it fails and is prorated for the balance of
the 100 months. That is the case if you buy it. Keep in mind that if your
dealer replaces your batttery the replacement you get will only be covered
for the balance of your new car 3 year/36,000mile warranty.
If you are a customer with the dealer you may have some influence in
negotiating a fair price to buy one and gain that 100 month warranty. The
incentive to the dealer is that you may give him a few more dollars than he
would be paid by Honda for the warranty, which is only about $15 less than
MSRP. If you've never been back for any maintenance, don't expect any more
than getting the warranty handled.

Howard

 

Your dealer should have a very good tester for your battery. It is mandatory
for him to have. It is a unit automatically sent to all dealerships and
takes about two minutes to do a test on the battery. Ask to see the printout
which prints from the tester and is just like a credit card receipt. The
test is either good or replace/pass or fail. So there is no "let;s wait and
see what happens" scenario.

As others have mentioned it depends on where you live. Extremes in
temperature take a toll on a batterys life.

The Honda battery is manufactured by Interstate Battery to Honda
specifications. The MSRP is $92.94. It has one of the best warranties in the
business. It is a 100 month warranty battery. It is replaced at no charge in
the first 36 months for free if it fails and is prorated for the balance of
the 100 months. That is the case if you buy it. Keep in mind that if your
dealer replaces your batttery the replacement you get will only be covered
for the balance of your new car 3 year/36,000mile warranty.
If you are a customer with the dealer you may have some influence in
negotiating a fair price to buy one and gain that 100 month warranty. The
incentive to the dealer is that you may give him a few more dollars than he
would be paid by Honda for the warranty, which is only about $15 less than
MSRP. If you've never been back for any maintenance, don't expect any more
than getting the warranty handled.

Howard