[dbier]

Just following up - After having no issues with my 2018 CRV OEM battery (35 months in service) - but knowing it might be wise to replace it soon - I came back from a 2 week trip this past Saturday and the CRV was pretty much dead (just lots of clicking and flashing lights when I tried to start it). So I put it on a charger for about an hour - got it restarted - picked up a replacement 51R 500CCA EFB battery at AutoZone (but didn't install) and then drove it up to WI with headlights on to trigger full alternator output.
The CRV performed perfectly - with multiple restarts the rest of the weekend. I swapped the batteries this morning and tested the old battery after removal an the digital tester indicated it is was totally fine. It's water under the bridge at this point but makes me think I probably had some decent life left and simply should have put it on a battery tender while away from home for so long.
HOWEVER, it really sucks to have a car that can't be depended on for airport extended parking. What do my fellow CRV owners do if you have to park at the airport for a week or two? I suppose I could install a disconnect switch at the battery terminal - but my wife would NOT be comfortable doing that if she were the one parking at the airport.
By the way the other family vehicles - older and newer than the CRV had no problem starting after 2 weeks away.

 

[williamsji]

Just following up - After having no issues with my 2018 CRV OEM battery (35 months in service) - but knowing it might be wise to replace it soon - I came back from a 2 week trip this past Saturday and the CRV was pretty much dead (just lots of clicking and flashing lights when I tried to start it). So I put it on a charger for about an hour - got it restarted - picked up a replacement 51R 500CCA EFB battery at AutoZone (but didn't install) and then drove it up to WI with headlights on to trigger full alternator output.
The CRV performed perfectly - with multiple restarts the rest of the weekend. I swapped the batteries this morning and tested the old battery after removal an the digital tester indicated it is was totally fine. It's water under the bridge at this point but makes me think I probably had some decent life left and simply should have put it on a battery tender while away from home for so long.
HOWEVER, it really sucks to have a car that can't be depended on for airport extended parking. What do my fellow CRV owners do if you have to park at the airport for a week or two? I suppose I could install a disconnect switch at the battery terminal - but my wife would NOT be comfortable doing that if she were the one parking at the airport.
By the way the other family vehicles - older and newer than the CRV had no problem starting after 2 weeks away.

If you have a properly working battery (ie: passes a proper load and CCA test), if it is fully charged before parking.. it can last easily 3-4 weeks sitting parked. Much beyond that is pushing it. If you park on a battery that is an undercharged state though.. all bets are off.

If my vehicle is going to be parked at the airport or elsewhere where I cannot put it on my smart charger/tender.. then I will do a full saturation charge the day before, and then drive to my parking destination with the headlights on (which keeps the charging circuit in the high charge state) while driving. That insures I have a fully saturated charge on the battery for the normal parasitic drain to suck on while I am away from the vehicle. I would be comfortable doing this for as long as 3 weeks parked and know my vehicle will still start when I come back.

You new battery is an upgrade from your original. So.. run with that one and I bet if you are reasonably kind to it you will get 5 years from it since it is an EFB version. The old one, if it still tests good, you could keep it as a backup and if you keep it properly maintained and on a trickle charger.. it probably will retain sufficient capability to use as a back up if you need one in the future. On the shelf, at full electrolyte, and with periodic top up charging.. even an older good battery can last several years on the shelf. If it were me though... since it is close to 3 years old, I would turn it in for the core charge and be done with it, because you new battery is a great replacement choice.

 

[dbier]

If you have a properly working battery (ie: passes a proper load and CCA test), if it is fully charged before parking.. it can last easily 3-4 weeks sitting parked. Much beyond that is pushing it.
If my vehicle is going to be parked at the airport or elsewhere where I cannot put it on my smart charger/tender.. then I will do a full saturation charge the day before, and then drive to my parking destination with the headlights on (which keeps the charging circuit in the high charge state) while driving. That insures I have a fully saturated charge on the battery for the normal parasitic drain to suck on while I am away from the vehicle. I would be comfortable doing this for as long as 3 weeks parked and know my vehicle will still start when I come back.

Good suggestion on how to maximize the time it will last when parked without a battery tender. I've also seen little solar panels that you supposedly can place on your dash under the windshield and plug into the 12volt socket (aka cigarette lighter socket) to add at least a little trickle charge to the battery. However, I'm not sure with all the CRV's sophisticated electronics if a charge can be pushed in via the 12V socket.

 

[Katgirl]

I bought my 2020 Touring as a brand new leftover in March. We took it cross country in the Summer, and the battery died, while parked overnight at hotel. Honda Roadside Assistance came and jumped it. My guy thought he might have left an interior light on. In the past month, battery died 3 different times. Called Honda Roadside Assistance each time, and had it jumped. After the third time, I took it to Honda, and they replaced the battery, at no charge to me. They had no explanation, but said it happens more often than you would think. My theory is that, since the car presumably had sat on their lot, unsold, for months, the battery died multiple times, and was not at full power, when I purchased it. Hopefully, I will have no more problems.

 

[williamsji]

Good suggestion on how to maximize the time it will last when parked without a battery tender. I've also seen little solar panels that you supposedly can place on your dash under the windshield and plug into the 12volt socket (aka cigarette lighter socket) to add at least a little trickle charge to the battery. However, I'm not sure with all the CRV's sophisticated electronics if a charge can be pushed in via the 12V socket.

Yeah the solar power chargers work fine, as long as you get one that is rated at at least 10watts. But for Hondas, which do not have live connection to 12Vdc through the accessory socket, you need to route a cable through the vehicle firewall to connect to the battery.

The reason I specify 10watt minimum is because on average, most solar panels only provide have the power they are rated for. Reason: imperfect sunlight conditions will degrade output power, quite a bit.

 

[dbier]

Yeah the solar power chargers work fine, as long as you get one that is rated at at least 10watts. But for Hondas, which do not have live connection to 12Vdc through the accessory socket, you need to route a cable through the vehicle firewall to connect to the battery.

Excellent point!

 

[williamsji]

I bought my 2020 Touring as a brand new leftover in March. We took it cross country in the Summer, and the battery died, while parked overnight at hotel. Honda Roadside Assistance came and jumped it. My guy thought he might have left an interior light on. In the past month, battery died 3 different times. Called Honda Roadside Assistance each time, and had it jumped. After the third time, I took it to Honda, and they replaced the battery, at no charge to me. They had no explanation, but said it happens more often than you would think. My theory is that, since the car presumably had sat on their lot, unsold, for months, the battery died multiple times, and was not at full power, when I purchased it. Hopefully, I will have no more problems.

Yep yep... that battery was probably severely compromised sitting on the dealer lot for a long time. Smart and ethical dealers will run a bank of smart chargers across their inventory in rotation to keep all the batteries on the lot in good charge, but I bet most of them simply ignore this and pass the issue along to the customer through vehicle sale. Silly though, because it's just going to have to get replaced under warranty anyway... but I guess a warranty claim is money for the dealer in the process... so honestly with some dealers I bet this is slyly deliberate.

 

[oicned]

Our 2017 battery was replaced 4 months after we bought the car. I told the dealer about the parasitic drain TSB and they said they applied it. Fast Forward 4 years and 3 months (the last 2 weeks from today), the car suddenly didn't start after 1 use. I thought it may be a light left on that drained it. I jumped the car, let it run for 30 mins and parked it at home and let it sit for a couple of hours. Tried to start the car, battery dead again so I had to jump start it and let it run for another 30 mins.

I thought that with these too much electronics, maybe something is not shutting down properly or a process is in a hang state. So I removed one of the terminals for about 1 minute, reconnected and jump started the car and let it run for 30 minutes or so and park it at home. The next day, the car started on its own but it had a harder time doing it so I thought maybe the battery did not have enough charge since I would drive for more than 30 minutes but less than an hour dropping off the kids to school. The car was starting for a week but harder time doing it.

But a couple of days ago, battery went dead again. So I called up the dealer and scheduled an appointment. I told them that I'm not sure if something is draining the battery or the alternator is not charging the battery correctly. I'll bring it to them this Friday and want to hear what they say.

I'm curious though, the Honda battery says it has a 100-month limited warranty. 4 years and 3 months is only 51 months, would Honda honor the 100-months or do I have to pay for a prorated battery price?

 

[Traylaw]

If you paid for the battery last time than yes it is covered by the terms of the battery's warranty. Which I think is 36 months full replacement than prorated. But I'm sure it was replaced under the orginal factory warranty.
When the battery is replaced under the orginal factory 3 yr/36k miles warranty than you will have to pay for a new battery, no prorating on the old battery since you didn't pay for the replacement battery Honda did.
If you get a new battery I would recommend getting it at Walmart or Costco, they are exactly the same battery at Honda, made by the same manufacturer just under a different brand label but far cheaper.

 

[dbier]

Our 2017 battery was replaced 4 months after we bought the car. I told the dealer about the parasitic drain TSB and they said they applied it. Fast Forward 4 years and 3 months (the last 2 weeks from today), the car suddenly didn't start after 1 use. I thought it may be a light left on that drained it. I jumped the car, let it run for 30 mins and parked it at home and let it sit for a couple of hours. Tried to start the car, battery dead again so I had to jump start it and let it run for another 30 mins.

I thought that with these too much electronics, maybe something is not shutting down properly or a process is in a hang state. So I removed one of the terminals for about 1 minute, reconnected and jump started the car and let it run for 30 minutes or so and park it at home. The next day, the car started on its own but it had a harder time doing it so I thought maybe the battery did not have enough charge since I would drive for more than 30 minutes but less than an hour dropping off the kids to school. The car was starting for a week but harder time doing it.

But a couple of days ago, battery went dead again. So I called up the dealer and scheduled an appointment. I told them that I'm not sure if something is draining the battery or the alternator is not charging the battery correctly. I'll bring it to them this Friday and want to hear what they say.

I'm curious though, the Honda battery says it has a 100-month limited warranty. 4 years and 3 months is only 51 months, would Honda honor the 100-months or do I have to pay for a prorated battery price?

I'll defer to Traylaw regarding the battery warranty but call them and ask before you go in if you want to be 100% certain. It is very likely a battery issue and depending on how the warranty works (labor is probably not included) the dealer will likely charge much more than an auto parts store - many of which will install it for free if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself. Also many auto part stores will perform a free battery/alternator test. While these batteries sometimes test okay until they suddenly die - if it does test bad you'll at least know for certain it's time for a new one. BY THE WAY, if you want to more fully charge your old battery and don't have a battery tender you should drive longer - with the headlights turned to ON (not Auto) which will trigger the alternator to go to full output. Also good to pop the battery caps/lids and fill as needed with distilled water.

 

[oicned]

I'll defer to Traylaw regarding the battery warranty but call them and ask before you go in if you want to be 100% certain. It is very likely a battery issue and depending on how the warranty works (labor is probably not included) the dealer will likely charge much more than an auto parts store - many of which will install it for free if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself. Also many auto part stores will perform a free battery/alternator test. While these batteries sometimes test okay until they suddenly die - if it does test bad you'll at least know for certain it's time for a new one. BY THE WAY, if you want to more fully charge your old battery and don't have a battery tender you should drive longer - with the headlights turned to ON (not Auto) which will trigger the alternator to go to full output. Also good to pop the battery caps/lids and fill as needed with distilled water.

If you paid for the battery last time than yes it is covered by the terms of the battery's warranty. Which I think is 36 months full replacement than prorated. But I'm sure it was replaced under the orginal factory warranty.
When the battery is replaced under the orginal factory 3 yr/36k miles warranty than you will have to pay for a new battery, no prorating on the old battery since you didn't pay for the replacement battery Honda did.
If you get a new battery I would recommend getting it at Walmart or Costco, they are exactly the same battery at Honda, made by the same manufacturer just under a different brand label but far cheaper.

Thank you! I'll try these first, I still have 2 more days and I can still cancel the appointment. I forgot about the labor cost that will cost more than the battery itself.

 

[SnakeCharmer]

Just following up - After having no issues with my 2018 CRV OEM battery (35 months in service) - but knowing it might be wise to replace it soon - I came back from a 2 week trip this past Saturday and the CRV was pretty much dead (just lots of clicking and flashing lights when I tried to start it). So I put it on a charger for about an hour - got it restarted - picked up a replacement 51R 500CCA EFB battery at AutoZone (but didn't install) and then drove it up to WI with headlights on to trigger full alternator output.
The CRV performed perfectly - with multiple restarts the rest of the weekend. I swapped the batteries this morning and tested the old battery after removal an the digital tester indicated it is was totally fine. It's water under the bridge at this point but makes me think I probably had some decent life left and simply should have put it on a battery tender while away from home for so long.
HOWEVER, it really sucks to have a car that can't be depended on for airport extended parking. What do my fellow CRV owners do if you have to park at the airport for a week or two? I suppose I could install a disconnect switch at the battery terminal - but my wife would NOT be comfortable doing that if she were the one parking at the airport.
By the way the other family vehicles - older and newer than the CRV had no problem starting after 2 weeks away.

Sadly, in this day and age, I'd never leave a vehicle parked at any of the airports in the Greater Los Angeles area. My fear is that it would get broken into or stolen. Uber, to the rescue!

 

[williamsji]

Our 2017 battery was replaced 4 months after we bought the car. I told the dealer about the parasitic drain TSB and they said they applied it. Fast Forward 4 years and 3 months (the last 2 weeks from today), the car suddenly didn't start after 1 use. I thought it may be a light left on that drained it. I jumped the car, let it run for 30 mins and parked it at home and let it sit for a couple of hours. Tried to start the car, battery dead again so I had to jump start it and let it run for another 30 mins.

So you basically got 4 years off the early replacement battery. Honestly, unless you are in the camp of nurturing and periodically testing and maintaining your battery... 4 years is pretty good. Cut your losses here and get a new battery, and going to the dealer to check if something is wrong will likely result in a diagnostic fee and no finding. If your battery ran for 4 years, there is no abnormal parasitic present, unless it's a brand new one. A meter check across top contacts on all the fuses would quickly tell you if you have an abnormal parasitic or not.

No point in continuing to try to jump start and then charge with your vehicle. All that does is help a battery on it's last legs go belly up faster.

If you go back to the dealer, as Traylaw noted, you have not warranty eligibility on that early replacement battery, as the normal battery warranty does not apply under a warranty replacement.

I suggest you go purchase a quality battery, at least 500CCA and there are plenty of 51Rs with that spec rating available from common brick and mortar stores that sell new batteries. An EFB version will be more robust and last longer, but you pay for for it... so you have to decide on that. I would expect and EFB version to last longer than a regular flooded cell battery, because of the much more robust plate designs in them. EFBs are becoming common now as they also have 10X effective start cycles (250K vs 25K) in them compared to a regular flooded cell battery and are needed for the new auto start/stop feature common in the market place now.

 

[SVTfocusO3]

Honda battery last 4 years+, your doing GREAT!

Sams or Costco for the 51R is my vote.

 

[oicned]

So you basically got 4 years off the early replacement battery. Honestly, unless you are in the camp of nurturing and periodically testing and maintaining your battery... 4 years is pretty good. Cut your losses here and get a new battery, and going to the dealer to check if something is wrong will likely result in a diagnostic fee and no finding. If your battery ran for 4 years, there is no abnormal parasitic present, unless it's a brand new one. A meter check across top contacts on all the fuses would quickly tell you if you have an abnormal parasitic or not.

No point in continuing to try to jump start and then charge with your vehicle. All that does is help a battery on it's last legs go belly up faster.

If you go back to the dealer, as Traylaw noted, you have not warranty eligibility on that early replacement battery, as the normal battery warranty does not apply under a warranty replacement.

I suggest you go purchase a quality battery, at least 500CCA and there are plenty of 51Rs with that spec rating available from common brick and mortar stores that sell new batteries. An EFB version will be more robust and last longer, but you pay for for it... so you have to decide on that. I would expect and EFB version to last longer than a regular flooded cell battery, because of the much more robust plate designs in them. EFBs are becoming common now as they also have 10X effective start cycles (250K vs 25K) in them compared to a regular flooded cell battery and are needed for the new auto start/stop feature common in the market place now.

Just did... got the 51R from Costco for $99. Installed it and hopefully it's all good for now.

 

[Coastie05]

I have had good luck with the Everstart Maxx from Walmart.