Cabin heat is not related to and has little to do with engine compartment heat. However, even a defective engine would get hot at some point. You know, like the fact that even a broken clock is right twice a day. Heat is a byproduct of internal combustion, so that battery needs to be protected. And normally functioning engines do get quite toasty, especially here, in the summertime.
Has anyone replaced their 51R with a larger battery?
I’ve had it with the 51R battery size chosen by Honda for the Gen 5 CRV. I am on my second Honda battery, the first one was replaced under my New Car Warranty in September 2018. I know that it is totally my fiscal responsibility to replace my current battery, so I’m not going to mess around with another Honda battery. My 2017 EXL has been jump started 7 times in the last 3.5 years, way too often as far as I’m concerned. Actually each of my Honda batteries made it one whole year before they started failing, so it is really 7 jump starts in 1.5 years. So I want to replace my 51R battery with a larger battery with greater endurance.
Has anyone replaced their 51R with a larger battery that does not require any modifications to the existing battery containing hardware? Hardware like tie-downs, trays, cables, hood, etc.
I know this subject has been discussed many times before in the last 3.5 years but I don’t remember reading an actual answer to my question.
Has anyone replaced their 51R with a larger battery that does not require any modifications to the existing battery containing hardware? Hardware like tie-downs, trays, cables, hood, etc.
I know this subject has been discussed many times before in the last 3.5 years but I don’t remember reading an actual answer to my question.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
101 - 120 of 135 Posts
Cabin heat is not related to and has little to do with engine compartment heat. ....
ROFLMAOI’ve had it with the 51R battery size chosen by Honda for the Gen 5 CRV. I am on my second Honda battery, the first one was replaced under my New Car Warranty in September 2018. I know that it is totally my fiscal responsibility to replace my current battery, so I’m not going to mess around with another Honda battery. My 2017 EXL has been jump started 7 times in the last 3.5 years, way too often as far as I’m concerned. Actually each of my Honda batteries made it one whole year before they started failing, so it is really 7 jump starts in 1.5 years. So I want to replace my 51R battery with a larger battery with greater endurance.
Has anyone replaced their 51R with a larger battery that does not require any modifications to the existing battery containing hardware? Hardware like tie-downs, trays, cables, hood, etc.
I know this subject has been discussed many times before in the last 3.5 years but I don’t remember reading an actual answer to my question.
I did ask my co-worker and he told me hey upgraded to a group 36 battery in his 14 CR-V . No fittment issues or mods need he told me. Try that.
let me know if it helps.
Been keeping smart chargers on both our Hondas for the last several months, given we only drive maybe once a week, and it is short trips. This includes a CRV with a 3 year old 51R and an Accord with 2 year old H5.
I ran my monthly maintenance checks on both batteries yesterday. Both tested good, with normal plate impedance (THE best measure of a batteries integrity) and CCA results that showed spec-CCA+~20% on each.. which is what they have tested at since they were new. I am patiently waiting to see the plate impedence tests begin to report increased plate impedance and CCA begin to decline below the spec on the battery. So far.. both have stayed consistent with the first readings on them when they were new.
Further.. I have done self discharge monitoring of them both earlier in the year... and both the 51R and the H5 have similar self discharge characteristics.... with the H5's only advantage is that it has ~ 30% more reserve capacity than the 51R. Notably though.. I observe the calculated self-discharge on the H5 (this is the inherent bleed off of charge in the battery, NOT the drain due to parasitics) is a bit more aggressive than in the 51R.. but that is simply one data point on each battery group.. so I don't draw any objective conclusion from the observation.
Beyond a certain threshold (you certainly need a battery with the capacity to properly start a vehicle.. and for Hondas with small engines.. that means ~400 CCA starting ability) ... the size of battery you put in a vehicle does not give owners the kind of additional security that they seek with a larger battery. Proper monthly checks, maintenance, and keeping a battery above 60% capacity is what ensures maximum life of a battery.
There is certainly no harm in putting a larger battery into a vehicle... just understand what you are doing, and what you gain.. and not assume that because a battery has 650 CCA that it is a better battery that will last longer in your CRV. CCA above 450 is a waste on Honda's new small engines, which is why the new battery being installed at the factory by Honda on the 2020s looks like a good upgrade. It does not provide higher CCA than a 51R, but it does clearly have more robust plate design, more reserve capacity.. and as such.. will serve the extra burden of auto start/stop well I think.
I ran my monthly maintenance checks on both batteries yesterday. Both tested good, with normal plate impedance (THE best measure of a batteries integrity) and CCA results that showed spec-CCA+~20% on each.. which is what they have tested at since they were new. I am patiently waiting to see the plate impedence tests begin to report increased plate impedance and CCA begin to decline below the spec on the battery. So far.. both have stayed consistent with the first readings on them when they were new.
Further.. I have done self discharge monitoring of them both earlier in the year... and both the 51R and the H5 have similar self discharge characteristics.... with the H5's only advantage is that it has ~ 30% more reserve capacity than the 51R. Notably though.. I observe the calculated self-discharge on the H5 (this is the inherent bleed off of charge in the battery, NOT the drain due to parasitics) is a bit more aggressive than in the 51R.. but that is simply one data point on each battery group.. so I don't draw any objective conclusion from the observation.
Beyond a certain threshold (you certainly need a battery with the capacity to properly start a vehicle.. and for Hondas with small engines.. that means ~400 CCA starting ability) ... the size of battery you put in a vehicle does not give owners the kind of additional security that they seek with a larger battery. Proper monthly checks, maintenance, and keeping a battery above 60% capacity is what ensures maximum life of a battery.
There is certainly no harm in putting a larger battery into a vehicle... just understand what you are doing, and what you gain.. and not assume that because a battery has 650 CCA that it is a better battery that will last longer in your CRV. CCA above 450 is a waste on Honda's new small engines, which is why the new battery being installed at the factory by Honda on the 2020s looks like a good upgrade. It does not provide higher CCA than a 51R, but it does clearly have more robust plate design, more reserve capacity.. and as such.. will serve the extra burden of auto start/stop well I think.
Out of curiosity, have you done any write ups or anything on how you are testing and tracking your batteries health?Been keeping smart chargers on both our Hondas for the last several months, given we only drive maybe once a week, and it is short trips. This includes a CRV with a 3 year old 51R and an Accord with 2 year old H5.
I ran my monthly maintenance checks on both batteries yesterday. Both tested good, with normal plate impedance (THE best measure of a batteries integrity) and CCA results that showed spec-CCA+~20% on each.. which is what they have tested at since they were new. I am patiently waiting to see the plate impedence tests begin to report increased plate impedance and CCA begin to decline below the spec on the battery. So far.. both have stayed consistent with the first readings on them when they were new.
Further.. I have done self discharge monitoring of them both earlier in the year... and both the 51R and the H5 have similar self discharge characteristics.... with the H5's only advantage is that it has ~ 30% more reserve capacity than the 51R. Notably though.. I observe the calculated self-discharge on the H5 (this is the inherent bleed off of charge in the battery, NOT the drain due to parasitics) is a bit more aggressive than in the 51R.. but that is simply one data point on each battery group.. so I don't draw any objective conclusion from the observation.
Beyond a certain threshold (you certainly need a battery with the capacity to properly start a vehicle.. and for Hondas with small engines.. that means ~400 CCA starting ability) ... the size of battery you put in a vehicle does not give owners the kind of additional security that they seek with a larger battery. Proper monthly checks, maintenance, and keeping a battery above 60% capacity is what ensures maximum life of a battery.
There is certainly no harm in putting a larger battery into a vehicle... just understand what you are doing, and what you gain.. and not assume that because a battery has 650 CCA that it is a better battery that will last longer in your CRV. CCA above 450 is a waste on Honda's new small engines, which is why the new battery being installed at the factory by Honda on the 2020s looks like a good upgrade. It does not provide higher CCA than a 51R, but it does clearly have more robust plate design, more reserve capacity.. and as such.. will serve the extra burden of auto start/stop well I think.
Out of curiosity, have you done any write ups or anything on how you are testing and tracking your batteries health?
My process, regardless of the battery group or brand is as follows:
- Once a month, I use this Ancel battery tester to preform a battery integrity test, and also a charging system test and check for any leaking diodes in the alternator (a notorious source of high discharge parasitic). The results will let me know the CCA, plate impedance, and charge state on the battery, as well as confirming that the charging system is operating normally.
- Once or twice a month, I put hook up one of my smart chargers... currently using this one NOCO over night to perform a nice full saturation charge on the battery. Currently, I keep on on each vehicle 7/24 since we are not driving much at all in our household.
- Twice I year, I pop off the rectangular caps and shine a light down into each battery cell to check the electrolyte levels and top them up if needed with a little distilled water.
Though not really necessary, I also keep one of These permanently connected to each of my vehicles batteries so that I can record and monitor the charge characteristics of my batteries over time while sitting idle. It only puts a 1 ma burden on the battery, so it does not contribute any measurable drain on the battery as long as you do not keep the App that it communicates with on all the time. It keeps a record, on one minute intervals, of your battery voltage and it downloads it to your phone app when you connect to it and you can see the data logs in graphic format.
And when driving, I always drive with my headlights on as this overrides the low charge state in the Honda dual mode charging system. The low charge state of the dual charge mode in Hondas is, I believe, the number one cause of undercharged batteries in Hondas... so I never let it take over when I drive, unless it is a long drive planned. I mostly do short trips, in town though.. hence I want the charging system at 14.5vdc ... NOT 12.4vdc (low charge mode in Hondas).
I had a 2012 CR-V that kept having to be jumped. This was a software load problem as the ECM thought the battery was charged when it was not. therefore a full discharge many timesI have a 17 Lx, same problems, Honda battery test good, so bought a charger/maintainer. I see people refer to "upsizing" like you said, but the Gen 5, does not look like much room, so reference to others may be USELESS.
Oh, and I turned all my door/trunk lights off; kids. (just in case.)
Some other thing I came across on my search as well. Did not know, until after I checked (idle) with multimeter on battery and was still battery voltage, but 14v+ after i drove.
From what I've been told by my brother who is the Parts Manager at a Honda dealership, the Honda-branded batteries are crappy, no matter what the stated warranty is. How long a battery lasts has very little to do with it's group size for the most part. If it were, my Fit batteries would be dead in 2 years or less as they use the 151R battery which is about 2/3 the size of the 51R battery. No, since I switched to the Interstate brand (obtained from most Firestone and Interstate dealers) I've had typically 4-5 years of life from them. The quality of the battery is the important issue. Now I understand that Costco has switched to a Costco-branded Interstate battery which can only be warranted at Costco, but their warranty is lower than the premium Interstate battery so the choice is yours on which to get. Frankly, I always get the premium one (usually designated as MTP rather than MT).I did ask my co-worker and he told me hey upgraded to a group 36 battery in his 14 CR-V . No fittment issues or mods need he told me. Try that.
let me know if it helps.
I still want to know if anybody has upgraded a battery on the 2017 2.4L crv. I may be the guinea pig it looks.
The Costco warranty is currently 3 years... used to be 4 years. And NO prorate crap either. The last Costco battery I had in my Hondas... which was an Interstate battery (or Johnson Controls.. as Costco sources from both big suppliers) as I recall... was 5 years old when I let go of my 2008 CRV and still working fine.From what I've been told by my brother who is the Parts Manager at a Honda dealership, the Honda-branded batteries are crappy, no matter what the stated warranty is. How long a battery lasts has very little to do with it's group size for the most part. If it were, my Fit batteries would be dead in 2 years or less as they use the 151R battery which is about 2/3 the size of the 51R battery. No, since I switched to the Interstate brand (obtained from most Firestone and Interstate dealers) I've had typically 4-5 years of life from them. The quality of the battery is the important issue. Now I understand that Costco has switched to a Costco-branded Interstate battery which can only be warranted at Costco, but their warranty is lower than the premium Interstate battery so the choice is yours on which to get. Frankly, I always get the premium one (usually designated as MTP rather than MT).
You are correct that Interstate Premium batteries have a longer warranty (as do the "premium" or "gold" models from the few other big battery producers) ... but you also pay more for them too. You get what you pay for... even with starter batteries. You literally cannot beat Costcos prices on Batteries.. anywhere.. in terms of price vs performance and longevity.
If more people simply properly maintained and monitored their batteries periodically.. most owners would easily get 5 years out of their battery.. even the OEM from the factory. I stand by my view that most (not all... just most) early battery failures are due to dried out electrolyte... because the owners literally NEVER check the electrolyte levels of their batteries. Flooded cell starter batteries ARE NOT maintenance free batteries.
You also check the condition of the battery by load testing it frequently.My process, regardless of the battery group or brand is as follows:
- Once a month, I use this Ancel battery tester to preform a battery integrity test, and also a charging system test and check for any leaking diodes in the alternator (a notorious source of high discharge parasitic). The results will let me know the CCA, plate impedance, and charge state on the battery, as well as confirming that the charging system is operating normally.
- Once or twice a month, I put hook up one of my smart chargers... currently using this one NOCO over night to perform a nice full saturation charge on the battery. Currently, I keep on on each vehicle 7/24 since we are not driving much at all in our household.
- Twice I year, I pop off the rectangular caps and shine a light down into each battery cell to check the electrolyte levels and top them up if needed with a little distilled water.
Though not really necessary, I also keep one of These permanently connected to each of my vehicles batteries so that I can record and monitor the charge characteristics of my batteries over time while sitting idle. It only puts a 1 ma burden on the battery, so it does not contribute any measurable drain on the battery as long as you do not keep the App that it communicates with on all the time. It keeps a record, on one minute intervals, of your battery voltage and it downloads it to your phone app when you connect to it and you can see the data logs in graphic format.
And when driving, I always drive with my headlights on as this overrides the low charge state in the Honda dual mode charging system. The low charge state of the dual charge mode in Hondas is, I believe, the number one cause of undercharged batteries in Hondas... so I never let it take over when I drive, unless it is a long drive planned. I mostly do short trips, in town though.. hence I want the charging system at 14.5vdc ... NOT 12.4vdc (low charge mode in Hondas).
This is correct maintenance for a battery, but is a routine never required in the past, so it isn't something that the average car owner has been conditioned to do.
And really isn't something that a person should need to monitor this closely.
The battery and charging system should be designed and sized accordingly to be able to keep the battery fully charged, and then hold that charge for a reasonable amount of time, as in a few months, not a few weeks.
The parasitic draw on the battery from the system should be accounted for, in either a larger battery designed for the low long term draw, or reduce the load until the small battery can deal with it.
Both the charging system and battery aren't optimized for this result, their design goal was to get that last .002 mpg, and a lower cost.
The system works exactly like it was designed to, which doesn't work that well for a significant number of the owners.
I really like the Noco G5. Just got it hooked up last week to the new 24F AGM battery, and, though the battery was new and fired the car right up when installed, the Noco took about 15-18 hours to decide it was fully charged. I'll be watching how it all goes now, as this is my first tender on a car (had them on bikes for years), and also my first AGM battery. Considering what the dang thing weighs (and costs), I hope it's worth its weight in something good.My process, regardless of the battery group or brand is as follows:
- Once a month, I use this Ancel battery tester to preform a battery integrity test, and also a charging system test and check for any leaking diodes in the alternator (a notorious source of high discharge parasitic). The results will let me know the CCA, plate impedance, and charge state on the battery, as well as confirming that the charging system is operating normally.
- Once or twice a month, I put hook up one of my smart chargers... currently using this one NOCO over night to perform a nice full saturation charge on the battery. Currently, I keep on on each vehicle 7/24 since we are not driving much at all in our household.
- Twice I year, I pop off the rectangular caps and shine a light down into each battery cell to check the electrolyte levels and top them up if needed with a little distilled water.
Though not really necessary, I also keep one of These permanently connected to each of my vehicles batteries so that I can record and monitor the charge characteristics of my batteries over time while sitting idle. It only puts a 1 ma burden on the battery, so it does not contribute any measurable drain on the battery as long as you do not keep the App that it communicates with on all the time. It keeps a record, on one minute intervals, of your battery voltage and it downloads it to your phone app when you connect to it and you can see the data logs in graphic format.
And when driving, I always drive with my headlights on as this overrides the low charge state in the Honda dual mode charging system. The low charge state of the dual charge mode in Hondas is, I believe, the number one cause of undercharged batteries in Hondas... so I never let it take over when I drive, unless it is a long drive planned. I mostly do short trips, in town though.. hence I want the charging system at 14.5vdc ... NOT 12.4vdc (low charge mode in Hondas).
Interestingly, I've always driven long trips with lights on, but never short ones. After this I think I'll do it your way.
Agreed. They really don't make batteries like they used to. It's almost as if they now come with a built-in self-destruct. Up to about ten or so years ago I always got 5-8 or more years out of all my batteries. After that, I have not had a single one last more than 18 months. Not one. Also the two-stage charging system. I wonder, now that they have upgraded the battery in the 2020's, if there are any changes to that system. I would hope so, as it seems to me the new ones will be more dependent on battery health.You also check the condition of the battery by load testing it frequently.
This is correct maintenance for a battery, but is a routine never required in the past, so it isn't something that the average car owner has been conditioned to do.
And really isn't something that a person should need to monitor this closely.
The battery and charging system should be designed and sized accordingly to be able keep the battery fully charged, and then hold that charge for a reasonable amount of time, as in a few months, not a few weeks.
The parasitic draw on the battery from the system should be accounted for, in either a larger battery designed for the low long term draw, or reduce the load until the small battery can deal with it.
Both the charging system and battery aren't optimized for this result, their design goal was to get that last .002 mpg, and a lower cost.
The system works exactly like it was designed to, which doesn't work that well for a significant number of the owners.
Yep.. the long initial NOCO cycle is to put a slow yet methodical saturation charge on the batttery. The NOCO products do an incredibly good job of slowly applying a full saturation charge on a battery.I really like the Noco G5. Just got it hooked up last week to the new 24F AGM battery, and, though the battery was new and fired the car right up when installed, the Noco took about 15-18 hours to decide it was fully charged. I'll be watching how it all goes now, as this is my first tender on a car (had them on bikes for years), and also my first AGM battery. Considering what the dang thing weighs (and costs), I hope it's worth its weight in something good.
In my experience even a fully charged battery, when hooked up to a NOCO.. the first cycle after hookup will be several hours or more before it drops into standby-maintain mode. Generally I find the NOCO will be in standby on my 51R and H5 batteries for ~ 12 hours before it's first top-up cycle is complete to maintain full saturation. And each cycle from there will be shorter and will of course also be more frequent. I'll make a note to grab some screen shots of the charge cycle from my batter monitor history graphs next time I get a chance.. as it does a great job of profiling the NOCO in operation.
That first cycle takes so long because the NOCO assumes the battery needs a full conditioning cycle to improve overall health of the battery. Subsequent cycles simply work to insure the battery remains fully topped-up.
The move to an AGM battery is likely a good move for you.. living in hot Texas country. AGMs have their own particular issues and challenges, but electrolyte evaporation does not appear to be one of them.I really like the Noco G5. Just got it hooked up last week to the new 24F AGM battery, and, though the battery was new and fired the car right up when installed, the Noco took about 15-18 hours to decide it was fully charged. I'll be watching how it all goes now, as this is my first tender on a car (had them on bikes for years), and also my first AGM battery. Considering what the dang thing weighs (and costs), I hope it's worth its weight in something good.
The consensus of opinion is that there is a Two-Stage charging system in the Gen 5 CRV.
It is also said that driving with ones lights on causes this charging system to create more electricity.
Is there any evidence that the charging system provides more electricity than is consumed by having the lights on?
And, most importantly to me, by the NON LED head lights that exist on most Gen 5 CRVs?
It is also said that driving with ones lights on causes this charging system to create more electricity.
Is there any evidence that the charging system provides more electricity than is consumed by having the lights on?
And, most importantly to me, by the NON LED head lights that exist on most Gen 5 CRVs?
First... here is the definitive white paper on Honda's dual mode charging system. While the actual circuitry to run this system evolves over time.. Honda has maintained the same design approach and operation for many years now.The consensus of opinion is that there is a Two-Stage charging system in the Gen 5 CRV.
It is also said that driving with ones lights on causes this charging system to create more electricity.
Is there any evidence that the charging system provides more electricity than is consumed by having the lights on?
And, most importantly to me, by the NON LED head lights that exist on most Gen 5 CRVs?
Second... it is actually the ELD sensor in the dual charge system that automatically adjusts for both battery charging, total electrical load requirements, and fuel efficiency savings all in one.
It is incredibly easy to see when the charging system is in low mode and high mode --> the actual voltage on the 12v bus in the vehicle. When the voltage reads 12.4-12.5.. the system is in a low charge mode (which actually will nominally discharge a fully charged battery (12.4 vs battery at full charge of 12.7). When the voltage reads 14.4-14.6 the system is in a high charge state as the ELD has detected that the battery is not fully charged and so the charging system kicks up the voltage to initiate active charging of the battery. A flooded cell battery generally requires 13.5+ vdc to actually actively charge the battery. And yes.. the normal operation is once the battery reaches full charge (determined by a current sensor in the ground side of the battery connection to the vehicle) to cycle between the two charge states. Again.. you can see which charge state the system is in by reading the voltage on the 12v bus. I use one of these to monitor the 12v bus while driving.
Turning on your headlights automatically forces the charging system into the high charge state for as long as you have the headlights on. Period.. no question.
Third... You do not actually need to monitor or know the actual current output from the alternator during vehicle operation simply because the Honda system is completely controlled by the ground current sensor and the ELD circuit. And the system is designed to provide the worst case power output from alternator to electronics. The OEM alternators and charging system are designed to feed sufficient current at 14.5vdc to feed all the power needs of the vehicle including charging the battery. You can easily detect a fault in the charging system by reading the voltage across the bus, while driving and all electronic drains activated (headlights, blower on max, AC running, radio.. etc etc all in the on state). If you see 14.5vdc +/- 0.2v across the 12v bus in the high charge mode .. then the charging system is meeting all the needs of the vehicle from a power delivery standpoint.
Worried you may have a faulty alternator? Easy to check. You can use one of these (or similar) to not only test your battery integrity, but it also has a mode to test the alternator and charging system as well. It tests the alternator for bad diodes (the most common failure) by measuring ripple voltage and it tests that the charging system actually is working properly by measuring the output voltage. Or.. you can visit a local auto parts store as most of them are happy to test your battery, charging system, and alternator for you for free.
Yep, I read that college paper a few weeks ago. The paper was written about 11 years ago. Lots of things have changed in that time period including the use of LED lighting. Of course it couldn’t answer my question because I doubt that many Hondas had any LED lighting back in 2009. Since it appears from the internet that Hondas have a chronic battery life problem, maybe changing this system would be a good idea.
Perhaps owning a Honda isn’t a good choice for someone like me who doesn’t have any desire to constantly monitor my car’s battery. I do check my electrode levels twice a year which is probably more battery maintenance than most owners do.
So, does anyone know if there any evidence that the Dual Mode charging system provides more extra electricity than is consumed by having the lights on?
And, most importantly to me, by the NON LED head lights that exist on most Gen 5 CRVs?
Perhaps owning a Honda isn’t a good choice for someone like me who doesn’t have any desire to constantly monitor my car’s battery. I do check my electrode levels twice a year which is probably more battery maintenance than most owners do.
So, does anyone know if there any evidence that the Dual Mode charging system provides more extra electricity than is consumed by having the lights on?
And, most importantly to me, by the NON LED head lights that exist on most Gen 5 CRVs?
101 - 120 of 135 Posts
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
Honda CR-V Owners Club Forums
Honda CR-V Owners Club forum, the best hang-out to discuss CVT, Hybrids, trim levels and all things CR-V
Full Forum Listing
Top Contributors this Month
View All
EXcommunicated
153 Replies
williamsji
99 Replies
SVTfocusO3
87 Replies
Recommended Communities
