Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Douglas
True, but the way Honda has the charging system programed to only charge under certain conditions, all in the name of gas mileage, it isn't conducive to short trip usage.
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This...and I believe many (most?) newer cars are adopting this "feature". So, when battery shopping, I would put more weight on the amp-hour and/or "reserve capacity" ratings, assuming the CA/CCA ratings are at/above the minimum requirement. Also, the cars with these "variable" charging system seem to do better with the glass mat (AGM) type of battery. Or, it may just be a factor with the heavy-load nature of newer cars with 184 different power-sucking options running at once.
I just went through this last month, and couldn't believe what an ordeal it is these days to simply change a battery. My DD (5-series) has a similar "intelligent" battery system, and it takes a massive H9 AGM. Not only was sourcing one that size a chore (and not cheap), but the car has to be coded/programed and the new battery "registered" whenever replaced. So, in addition to the battery I had to purchase a specific OBDII scan tool with the battery coding capability. All in all, it was still cheaper than taking it to the stealer, who wanted $500+ for the job. Crazy...