Posted on 09/22/2012 4:58:41 PM PDT by InvisibleChurch
The battery in my wife's crv is losing its pep, it seems. It takes just a moment longer for the engine to crank over. The boys at Honda have been on me to change it for about a year now. It seems easy enough to switch a battery knowing I have to reset the clock and radio but would there be any other electronic issues involved?
Check the manufacturing date sticker (it’s a little round colored sticker) to make sure the battery is not an old one.
Also, if they have your battery model, Costco has by far the best warranty on batteries right now and their prices are excellent.
1) While you’re at it, buy the black and red felt circles that go around the terminals on the battery. Check your car terminals to see if they need replacing, they probably do but you might get by with a good cleaning. If not, buy the best terminals you can find, they’re usually copper not lead. Get the battery goop you use to cover the assembled terminals to keep moisture out, stop that nasty green growth and extend the life of the terminals. Also, make sure the + and - terminals are in the same place on the new battery and not reversed.
Beware the 5 years battery warranty. It’s heavily pro-rated with the first years using up most of it. When you take your 4 1/2 year old battery to get it replaced under warranty, they’ll kindly inform you of the pro rating and that at this time, your warranty is worth $4.99.
2) Unless you relish the opportunity to replace the alternator, and other expensive parts make sure you have the polarity correct.
3) Your radio might have a security code that needs to be reset once it loses power. It’s either in your manual somewhere or call Honda with the VIN and they’ll help you.
When the counter person is younger than my car, I think I prefer to do my own work; not to mention over 30 years of experience.
It’s a battery, not a crankshaft.
In my house, wife took the car in to a oil change place for servicing; they also told her the battery is bad.
It just needed the posts and terminals cleaned off; the battery was fine after I did that.
You are right about that.
Yes.
Don’t mess up the flux capacitor or you’ll wind up in the 50s.
A 9v transistor battery has enough juice to keep your radio from resetting. I think you can find a nice little adapter in the parts store that plugs into the cigarette lighter that was made just for this purpose. If the cigarette lighter works when the ignition is off, this should work.
I have a 2006 Honda CRV. Just take out the old battery and put in the new one.
This entails two power sources to be present at one time. Two car batteries -- or one and a battery charger. One would also need jumper cables. Smaller jumper wires, made out of 10 to 14 gauge wire with alligator clips could do the trick.
Think about it. All you need is continuity. Can you envision what I'm talking about?
Now the tough part could be making certain the positive battery terminal lead doesn't fall onto any metal portion of the car during this process.
Positioning the alligator clips, or the jumper cable clamps so that one can still detach, then re-attach the battery leads might take some care. I don't know what sort of post the car's battery uses either. Old fashioned, protruding, round cylinder top posts would be easiest. I'd bet the Honda has the most common other type (which is a flattened circle that is angle toothed, coinciding with angled "teeth" on the battery cable)?
If there is any bare sleeve of metal or shoulder along the cable length right at the terminus, that could be a place to put the temporary "source" leads.
A battery charger set to lowest setting might be easiest. A little 'ol 1/2 amp trickle charger would be just the ticket...But I'd swear I could do it with one set of jumper cables, and two batteries, if I had to, even if I had to temporarily tape the jumper cable clamps to the car's battery cables. Now that I think about it, smaller jumper wires would probably be easier, as long as the alligator clamps had something to bite onto. At least three (but better-- four) separate small gauge leads (or one set of jumper cables, and one/two additional jumper wires), long enough to reach the car's battery cables (or better yet, some other positive, and negative connections) and the additional battery where it will be sitting --- the new one, where it will be sitting before going IN, the old one after coming OUT, would be easier. I know that's a clunky description, but just trying to make sure there's enough length of wire, if you have to set the batteries on the ground next to the car..
Just don't cross positive and negative connections.
Ok, thinking out loud...battery charger (plugged into power source, of course). Connect THOSE leads, first the positive, most likely to be red, to the hot (positive) lead on the starter(though remember---wires don't know what color they are, they have to have been installed in the charger according to conventional practices). That should work, unless there is a separate "hot" lead going from the battery to the rest of the car's electrical system, that detaches when one removes the battery post connection. If that's the case, then avoid the starter connection, and go for this separate "car electrical system" connection.
Then connect the negative to "ground" somewhere on the block --- like where the battery's ground is hooked up, might be best. (I've utilized exhaust or intake manifold bolts at times, even other accessory mounting hardware, favoring bolts that thread directly into the block, but make sure they make a true ground) Make sure the connections are good.
The charger might have a light or indicator (gauge) showing continuity. Hopefully, there will be enough resistance in the system (leave a dome light on or something?) to keep the battery charger "happy", if not using a true "trickle" 1/2 amp charger. If it's a really old trickle charger, they will start humming when hooked up, but not before.
Remember. One can have two "hot" or positive sources hooked up to the car, and/or two negative or "ground" sources hooked up to the same ground, or two different "ground" connections, when dealing with DC. All they have to be is "in parallel" electrically. Hell, you can have a dozen or more (theoretically an infinite number) all hooked up at the same time, in parallel. If hooked up in series, then 2 12 volt batteries make the equivalent of 1 24 volt battery. I used to hook up 3 big 8 volt (D) batteries in series to make 32 volt, for 300-500HP marine diesels. Of course that type only needed changing out every 4-8 years. I've seen sets of three go a lot longer, too.
maybe don't try it, if you cannot envision it...SEE the whole process clearly, each step, before proceeding?
Look here at my local Honda dealer:
http://www.applehonda.com/service/express-service.htm
100 month battery installed $124.95 and they’ll even take it for a free carwash.
Maybe you should check with your dealer, save yourself some headaches.
Either have the radio anti-theft code or make sure there is always power to the circuit when you change the battery.
I had the battery replaced in my Pilot and thank goodness I had written the radio code down or it would have been a hassle.
Guessing your CRV is the same.
Either have the radio anti-theft code or make sure there is always power to the circuit when you change the battery.
I had the battery replaced in my Pilot and thank goodness I had written the radio code down or it would have been a hassle.
Guessing your CRV is the same.
Not true in Ohio. They simply revert back to the “old” way by sticking the sensor in the exhaust pipe. It’ll pass.
No real issues - clock and radio presets will need to be redone. Car will likely idle a bit rough for a short while as the computer readjusts the settings. No problems/or worries.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.