'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

Reply to
Dave L
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Make the time, it's being replaced for you for no charge.

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

Reply to
Brian Smith

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.

Reply to
bbtaco

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.

"Dave L" wrote

Reply to
Elle

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....

Reply to
Woody

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

Reply to
Dave L

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

Reply to
Dave L

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

Reply to
jim beam

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

Reply to
Dave L

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

Reply to
Howard

WRONG! I apologize. What I wrote is true for most any warranty replaced part EXCEPT batteries. Honda Replacement Part batteries used under the New Car Limited Warranty are covered by the Honda Genuine Replacement Battery Warranty (100-months).

Reply to
Howard

Sorry - I'm in Maryland.

-Dave

Reply to
Dave L

I used to go with the Sears Diehard batteries too. You're right, the cost of a battery is cheap compared to the cost of a new vehicle. I would never think of getting a new vehicle when only a battery is needed! Besides, it only has 33k miles and 2-1/2 years old. Still "new" to me.

I'd still rather let warranty handle it if the dealership deems it needs replacing!

Thanks,

-Dave

Reply to
Dave L

In Maryland, so I get the hot weather along with snow in the winters. Still - seems premature compared to other cars & batteries, including people I know. We'll see!

I used to take my old car to this dealership all the time. It was much older so it needed more work! However, not much is needed for this car yet. Also often take it to a guy now who is a Honda mechanic but does work on the side.

Normally don't like going to a dealer for a battery when I can get it done much cheaper than a dealership. But I know a good working relationship with a dealer is a good thing to have...

-Dave

Reply to
Dave L

I wish the original Honda battery was good for 100 months!

-Dave

Reply to
Dave L

I'd go to the dealer and have them test it. If it is really bad (or, the charging system), they'll tell you. Sounds like you have about a month and a half. I bet you can arrange a time before the warranty expires.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

Don't be sorry. It could be worse, like Long Island or Washington, DC.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

Most replacement batteries are total covered for a time (like 3 years) and are prorated after that (so if it fails after say 50 months, you have to pay 1/2). 100 months for a battery is still a long time: over 8 years.

Reply to
Jeff

I believe you are mistaken. Batteries are usually prorated within the warantee period. Outside the "50 month" you get squat.

Reply to
JRL

I was not mistaken.

The warranty for batteries is typically a period where the seller will replace a battery for free (if it is defective) followed by a period where the battery is prorated (perhaps 3 years). After 3 years, to determine the number of months left, subtract the number of months since the battery was sold from the total warranty period (say 100 months). Then divide this by the total warranty period.

If it is a 100-month prorated warranty, and you have 50 months left, you will get 50/100 or 50% of the new battery covered. If you have 10 months left, you will get 10/100 or 10% of the new battery covered. If you have

60 months left, you will get 60/100 or 60% covered.

So battery replacement is fully covered withing the full replacement period and is prorated after that.

Another way to think of it is that a battery with a 100-month prorated warranty that costs $80 is really a $0.80 per month battery. If you keep the car forever, on average, you'll spend about $0.80 per month for the battery. In real life, it doesn't work this way, because you rarely keep a car forever (and, at any rate, the longest you can keep a car is around 100 years, and after that, well, you won't be able to claim the warranty anyway), but in theory, this is how it works out.

That is the way the automotive batteries are typically covered.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

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