Aloha, thank you for the video. I did this twice now on my wife's 2003 honda civic. The procedure takes me about an hour and 15 minutes including the time to vacuum up all the rubbish under the seat. The dealership wants $5K to do the job! Sadly we couldn't afford that. One thing I might comment on is that all the work takes place in the back seat, is easily accessible and uses minimal tools.
Thanks for this great video! You made it easy! One note I might add is that it seems to take a bit of time (10 minutes or so) for the charge to dissipate once you turn off the switch. So check the charge over time until it is zero.
Awesome tutorial video bro!! I just got a 2003 Civic Hybrid and this step-by-step video saved me money, hassle, time, and stress as well as help me avoid some issues I might have ran into and helped me identify the right tools for the job. You and your Big Helper were a guiding light through the shadows of my inexperience. THANK YOU 🙏 THANK YOU 🙏 THANK YOU
excellent video, I might have gone a different way with a couple of things but in all very informative, I am looking at buying 2005 civic with a bad battery and wanted to know how to do the replacement before I bought the car...thanks
What company did you use because I bought a new battery and it killed my car battery. So I removed it and put my old one back in and it started back up. Then I did research that you have to reprogram it? Did you have to do that? If not am I able to buy a battery that doesn't need reprogramming?
Thanks for the video. I wish I saw this before, would have saved me from pulling my trunk apart to get to the parts. My question, do you know how to disable the immbolizer? My car key ignition went bad, so I had to replace the how set, and now I get the Green Light key blinking three times .... means key not matched to car. Do you have a technique to get the car to learn the new keys without a programmer?
i have a check engine and IMA light on. my codes are p1449 (overheating) and p1600 (system malfunction). i read online that this could be caused by the heat from outside, will i have to replace my hybrid battery or will the problems go away overtime?
ramiro ochoa TBH, I haven’t done a transmission and am unfamiliar with the process/maintenance instructions. I figure you could turn off the switch and take a volt reading at the transmission lugs to verify it has no power. I’d imagine the switch should cut power to those terminals at the transmission if it kills the power at the battery connections as seen in my video. Proceed cautiously, check and verify twice before you put hands on it. Be meticulous, use your volt meter, try and use non-conductive tools and take off one lug at a time and tape each cable connector completely should power come back on or there is current that your meter didn’t pick up on for some crazy reason (stranger things have happened, don’t become a statistic, CYA brother). Pull back wiring harness and secure to firewall/frame with tie wraps to avoid damaging the wires when you pull the transmission. Take lots of pics, label your connections so it all goes back together right. I hope this helps, be safe and thanks for the comment.
I've got 375k on my civic and battery. It's still charging and discharging, but the 12v light is coming on at low rpms. Have you had to replace the dc to dc converter or any fuses associated with the hybrid cell? Also, did you need special gloves to do this install? I think Honda techs have to wear them.
Taylor Humes no, just replaced the battery. Tbh, if you understand the system and you check all your connections to assure that power is completely off, and you have 1/2 ounce of common sense then you shouldn’t need any gloves or special tools to change out the battery per the instructions I gave in the video. The gloves and special tools are excellent detractors to owners and regular mechanics to not work on these cars and let dealerships charge an arm and a leg for service. Granted some people really shouldn’t if they aren’t smart about it. It’s also a way Honda covers their a$$ by putting as much personal protective equipment on their mechanics to ensure that if they don’t follow procedure that they won’t kill themselves. As for your problem, my 12 volt light started coming on as my failing hybrid battery stopped charging my 12 volt battery. The hybrid system refuses to charge the hybrid battery when its capacity to hold a charge (battery efficiency) drops to a certain percentage and it starts to overheat because internal resistance rises. That may be your problem but if you’re not getting an ima light or popping codes I couldn’t tell you one way or another, I’m just talking from my experience. Now is when you really have to weigh out wether or not you should junk the car or fix it. You’ve gotten a lot of miles out of your hybrid and are luckier than most, def some bragging rights there. But when stuff starts going wrong you are looking at thousands of dollars to keep it rolling and tbh, you may or may not get quality hybrid replacement parts that will get you another 25k-100k miles more for the investment. Like I said, it’s just money and it would be cool to see a civic hybrid reach 500k, but at what cost right? Be safe and thanks for your comment. Sorry I can’t help or know much about the charging system, just battery replacement.
@@dustinelgan6070 no, you've been a big help. I found a cell out of an 04 with about 113k on it for 250 bucks that doesn't have an ima light on. I'd say a relatively healthy battery will last at least another 50k, but there's also no telling. I believe you're right, though. If 250 keeps it running another 2 years at 55 mpg, I'd say it's worth it :)
Austin O'Harra bumblebee batteries is a great company, they honored my warrantee. I believe they are out of Oregon or Washington state. Highly recommended.
@@dustinelgan6070 also greentechauto. They warranty a regular hybrid battery for 12 months, unlimited mileage, they also carry a 6.5 & 8.0 amp battery, more money of course, with a 36 month warranty.
Rayderson Chevalier if your problem is the battery then it should work. If you have doubts have a Honda dealership troubleshoot the battery first, no sense fixing something that's not broke.
Stable Genius honestly I’m not sure. Should be basically the same system, getting to it might be different. Otherwise I wouldn’t know where to point you. Best of luck
Daniel H unfortunately that will only last for so long until the hybrid battery shuts down completely and it stops charging your accessory 12 volt battery under the hood and it will leave you stranded. I took it to that limit once. Red battery light in the dash came on 3 miles from home, I limped it home luckily.
Dustin Elgan thanks for the response! May take the cheaper route of buying a used battery and replacing it myself (Im in the hvac business, not the car business, but Im sure I can manage)
Daniel H best of luck to ya, you’re best off getting rid of the car to be completely honest. I sold mine in awesome condition with 120k miles with a brand new battery for $1800, more than half the battery cost, big money pit, pretty disappointing. Will never look at another hybrid again after this one.
Is it applicable to only Civic? or Accord Hybrid as well. I got a HAH 2005 and I am planning on disabling the Hybrid Battery by shutting off the switch in the middle of the panel. I have read on some forums that 12 Volt battery will be charged by IMA motor at engine RPM above 3500.
Ankush Gupta TBH, I don’t know similarities between civic and accord. All I know is when mine went bad, i wasn’t getting a charge to my 12volt battery. I didn’t try it with the switch off, but that would make for a really gutless car and bad mpgs lol. If you’re in a bind, I hope that’ll work for ya, otherwise get rid of it and buy a non-hybrid. The Ford Focus I have now gets like 6mpg less but I’d much more fun and comfortable, glad I made the switch. Best of luck to ya, thanks for your comment!
Fernando Blanco I did all the measurements of the battery and searched it out online. I can’t remember exactly where I got it, but it was online from a place that deals with a lot of atv parts.
dosmastrify should be a quick disconnect harness with tab that you push in on and should disconnect without any problems. You may have to move it gently side to side to help it unseat and disconnect. Let me know if this helps.
SuperNotit try bumblebee battery out of Oregon/Washington state. They are excellent to deal with, have a good warranty that they will stand by. Highly recommended.
how much money does this cost in the end when you decide to do this yourself? im slightly worried about getting a $4500 civic hybrid now knowing the cost of this repair considering im only looking at a 9 yr old hybrid purely based on gas millage.
xstevedx you need to be smart when looking at Civic hybrids. You can't just go by mileage of the vehicle to determine if the battery is still good or not. Mine got replaced at 60k miles initially, but the car was 11 yes old on its original battery, and again under warrantee at 145k miles just less than 3 years later. I nearly had expired the warrantee by 2 weeks when that cursed IMA light came on. You have to go by service records, what the dealer has to say about the condition of the hybrid battery as they can do a test for you which costs like $200 if you're seriously looking into a car to purchase. Other than that, I love my Civic a lot. Not a fast car, but reliable, moderately comfortable for my lanky 6'2" self, and for my family. Don't trust a car with its original battery pack anywhere near 8 yrs old and not replaced or under some kind of transferable warrantee. If you see a car that you love and absolutely want to have, but have no kind of guarantee that protects you, figure it'll cost you $2600 if you replace it yourself down the line (bumblebee batteries are who I used) or the dealer will get you for about $3500+. If you're looking at cars for gas mileage it's worth looking at newer compact-midsize cars as their mpg falls within 5-7 mpg of the Civic hybrid. My 2013 focus falls within that range and it has balls when I want them and economy if I'm easy on the gas pedal which is nice, and I don't have a potential $3000 service light that could pop up at any second which is a pretty bad feeling when it happens. Hope this puts your mind at ease. Best of luck to you!
Dustin Elgan Yeah thanks I'll definitely be looking at service records for any replacement batteries and ask about warranty into for sure. I have a whole lot of driving to do and honestly i can't seem to find anything else that comes close to an 08 civic hybrids 45mpg for about $4500 bucks! The battery is a concern for sure though.
xstevedx your best bet is mentally add the amount of replacement battery to purchase price of the car, then take that number and compare to good gas mileage non hybrids in the same size-comfort category and weigh the cost of 3 yrs maintenance and gas expenses including depreciation (hybrids don't resale for 💩, I know cause I'm trying to sell mine with a fresh battery and I can't sell it even for what the battery is worth) you'll find you'll either break even or come in just a little cheaper buying a non hybrid used car. That's my reality that I've already lived. Bought mine 3 1/2 yrs ago for $6500, put 90k miles and about $4300 including replacement battery and other maintenance items. Can't sell it now for more than $2500. Big dark hole my friend, car needs nothing, need paint touch up on bumper and hood, no rust, newer tires. Pretty disappointed. Tough resale, wouldn't recommend it for the headaches to save 5-8 mpg at the pump... just my thoughts.
yz125ryder yes, go with a five speed if you're good with a clutch or go with anything 4 cylinder in same size category 2012 or newer. You'll see that regular hondas with the same mileage as the hybrid you're looking at sell for about 30% more. Best of luck to you.
Mr Pink through bumblebee battery, around $2500. It may have gone up or down, but you can call and find out. Dealer wanted $3300-3400 and the battery through them isn't warranted as long, and not the upgraded version of bumblebee, at least that's how it was with my local dealer. Not surprised.
You are aware there is special training, and special rubber tools and gloves you should be wearing when servicing/replacing hybrid battery? You can be killed if you don't use those. And I've seen a hybrid battery Arc, dude was lucky because he was wearing the gloves otherwise he'd be dead.
Dan Craig good point, but calling it "special training" is a stretch, a basic class on electricity and how it works, and knowing that the two big lugs in the install with all that bright wire wrap is a serious one to check for current before touching is plenty. If you turn the breaker to off, check the terminals on the battery with the voltmeter, and it reads 0 then there's really nothing that can go wrong unless you decide to go through the plastic case on the battery with a blow torch or you mess with the battery without turning off the breaker. Most people that understand those simple principles regardless if the voltmeter says 0, insulated tools are a plus and you still treat it like a live circuit (even though it isn't) and you don't make contact with other terminals out of precaution. Thanks for your input, doesn't hurt to be extra cautious, I will make a note in the description. I appreciate the comment and have a good day!
Aloha, thank you for the video. I did this twice now on my wife's 2003 honda civic. The procedure takes me about an hour and 15 minutes including the time to vacuum up all the rubbish under the seat. The dealership wants $5K to do the job! Sadly we couldn't afford that. One thing I might comment on is that all the work takes place in the back seat, is easily accessible and uses minimal tools.
I’m super worried because I have the same car and they want $4k at my dealer for this.
Thanks for this great video! You made it easy! One note I might add is that it seems to take a bit of time (10 minutes or so) for the charge to dissipate once you turn off the switch. So check the charge over time until it is zero.
How do I check the voltage?
Just saved me a shit ton of money doing it myself. Thanks homie ❤
where did you get your battery from?
Awesome tutorial video bro!! I just got a 2003 Civic Hybrid and this step-by-step video saved me money, hassle, time, and stress as well as help me avoid some issues I might have ran into and helped me identify the right tools for the job. You and your Big Helper were a guiding light through the shadows of my inexperience.
THANK YOU 🙏 THANK YOU 🙏 THANK YOU
Where did you get the battery from?
Can u help me with this?
excellent video, I might have gone a different way with a couple of things but in all very informative, I am looking at buying 2005 civic with a bad battery and wanted to know how to do the replacement before I bought the car...thanks
Dustin, thanks for the video...gonna try to follow this and replace the battery today, will let you know how it goes.
Adnan Chowdhury best of luck! Thanks for the comment.
Last heard from 5 years ago lol
Strong young helper, there! Was wondering if I could do this job without help. I'm still unsure :)
Just follow the instructions that I gave, you’ll be fine. Just make sure you flip the switch to off before you touch anything.
What company did you use because I bought a new battery and it killed my car battery. So I removed it and put my old one back in and it started back up. Then I did research that you have to reprogram it? Did you have to do that? If not am I able to buy a battery that doesn't need reprogramming?
Thank you for this video!!!
The IMA Light came in on my 2004 civic hybrid. Should I change the battery right away or can I drive it for a while with the light on? Thanks.
Thanks for the video. I wish I saw this before, would have saved me from pulling my trunk apart to get to the parts. My question, do you know how to disable the immbolizer? My car key ignition went bad, so I had to replace the how set, and now I get the Green Light key blinking three times .... means key not matched to car. Do you have a technique to get the car to learn the new keys without a programmer?
Sorry, that’s outside of my wheelhouse
i have a check engine and IMA light on. my codes are p1449 (overheating) and p1600 (system malfunction). i read online that this could be caused by the heat from outside, will i have to replace my hybrid battery or will the problems go away overtime?
Yea, sounds like a bad battery, you can always get it diagnosed at the dealer for a hundred bucks or so.. maybe more,. But it’s good to be 100% sure
Great video. Thank you
My check engine light came on because I need to replace the ima battery. Will it come off soon as I throw a new one in?
hello it does has a swicht to turn off the batt.. i gotta reemplace the transmission do i need to remove all the cables or just turn off the switch
ramiro ochoa TBH, I haven’t done a transmission and am unfamiliar with the process/maintenance instructions. I figure you could turn off the switch and take a volt reading at the transmission lugs to verify it has no power. I’d imagine the switch should cut power to those terminals at the transmission if it kills the power at the battery connections as seen in my video. Proceed cautiously, check and verify twice before you put hands on it. Be meticulous, use your volt meter, try and use non-conductive tools and take off one lug at a time and tape each cable connector completely should power come back on or there is current that your meter didn’t pick up on for some crazy reason (stranger things have happened, don’t become a statistic, CYA brother). Pull back wiring harness and secure to firewall/frame with tie wraps to avoid damaging the wires when you pull the transmission. Take lots of pics, label your connections so it all goes back together right. I hope this helps, be safe and thanks for the comment.
Where did you purchase the battery from?
Thank you
bumblebeebatteries.com/
Great video. Thanks for the upload
I've got 375k on my civic and battery. It's still charging and discharging, but the 12v light is coming on at low rpms. Have you had to replace the dc to dc converter or any fuses associated with the hybrid cell?
Also, did you need special gloves to do this install? I think Honda techs have to wear them.
Taylor Humes no, just replaced the battery. Tbh, if you understand the system and you check all your connections to assure that power is completely off, and you have 1/2 ounce of common sense then you shouldn’t need any gloves or special tools to change out the battery per the instructions I gave in the video. The gloves and special tools are excellent detractors to owners and regular mechanics to not work on these cars and let dealerships charge an arm and a leg for service. Granted some people really shouldn’t if they aren’t smart about it. It’s also a way Honda covers their a$$ by putting as much personal protective equipment on their mechanics to ensure that if they don’t follow procedure that they won’t kill themselves. As for your problem, my 12 volt light started coming on as my failing hybrid battery stopped charging my 12 volt battery. The hybrid system refuses to charge the hybrid battery when its capacity to hold a charge (battery efficiency) drops to a certain percentage and it starts to overheat because internal resistance rises. That may be your problem but if you’re not getting an ima light or popping codes I couldn’t tell you one way or another, I’m just talking from my experience. Now is when you really have to weigh out wether or not you should junk the car or fix it. You’ve gotten a lot of miles out of your hybrid and are luckier than most, def some bragging rights there. But when stuff starts going wrong you are looking at thousands of dollars to keep it rolling and tbh, you may or may not get quality hybrid replacement parts that will get you another 25k-100k miles more for the investment. Like I said, it’s just money and it would be cool to see a civic hybrid reach 500k, but at what cost right? Be safe and thanks for your comment. Sorry I can’t help or know much about the charging system, just battery replacement.
@@dustinelgan6070 no, you've been a big help. I found a cell out of an 04 with about 113k on it for 250 bucks that doesn't have an ima light on. I'd say a relatively healthy battery will last at least another 50k, but there's also no telling.
I believe you're right, though. If 250 keeps it running another 2 years at 55 mpg, I'd say it's worth it :)
How many volts does a good battery have
One of the best repair videos I have seen. Are there any websites you suggest where I can get a battery with a warranty?
Austin O'Harra bumblebee batteries is a great company, they honored my warrantee. I believe they are out of Oregon or Washington state. Highly recommended.
@@dustinelgan6070 also greentechauto. They warranty a regular hybrid battery for 12 months, unlimited mileage, they also carry a 6.5 & 8.0 amp battery, more money of course, with a 36 month warranty.
does shee needs to be reprogrammed after install?
No reprogram necessary
Will the can run without a problem after doing this?
Rayderson Chevalier if your problem is the battery then it should work. If you have doubts have a Honda dealership troubleshoot the battery first, no sense fixing something that's not broke.
How similar is it for a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid?
Stable Genius honestly I’m not sure. Should be basically the same system, getting to it might be different. Otherwise I wouldn’t know where to point you. Best of luck
What is the typical life of these batteries?
6-10 years
If it’s rebuilt and not new, I’d say 3-5 years of you’re lucky. That’s been my experience anyways
If my battery is showing it needs replacement isn’t there a way I can just run the car on gas to avoid the hassle of replacing the battery?
Daniel H unfortunately that will only last for so long until the hybrid battery shuts down completely and it stops charging your accessory 12 volt battery under the hood and it will leave you stranded. I took it to that limit once. Red battery light in the dash came on 3 miles from home, I limped it home luckily.
Dustin Elgan thanks for the response! May take the cheaper route of buying a used battery and replacing it myself (Im in the hvac business, not the car business, but Im sure I can manage)
Daniel H best of luck to ya, you’re best off getting rid of the car to be completely honest. I sold mine in awesome condition with 120k miles with a brand new battery for $1800, more than half the battery cost, big money pit, pretty disappointing. Will never look at another hybrid again after this one.
Is it applicable to only Civic? or Accord Hybrid as well. I got a HAH 2005 and I am planning on disabling the Hybrid Battery by shutting off the switch in the middle of the panel. I have read on some forums that 12 Volt battery will be charged by IMA motor at engine RPM above 3500.
Ankush Gupta TBH, I don’t know similarities between civic and accord. All I know is when mine went bad, i wasn’t getting a charge to my 12volt battery. I didn’t try it with the switch off, but that would make for a really gutless car and bad mpgs lol. If you’re in a bind, I hope that’ll work for ya, otherwise get rid of it and buy a non-hybrid. The Ford Focus I have now gets like 6mpg less but I’d much more fun and comfortable, glad I made the switch. Best of luck to ya, thanks for your comment!
Where did you get your replacement battery from?
Fernando Blanco I did all the measurements of the battery and searched it out online. I can’t remember exactly where I got it, but it was online from a place that deals with a lot of atv parts.
how do you get that bottom connector to let go?
dosmastrify should be a quick disconnect harness with tab that you push in on and should disconnect without any problems. You may have to move it gently side to side to help it unseat and disconnect. Let me know if this helps.
Good stuff!!
Anyone know where the battery ecu is located .?
Is located behind the globe box..... Remove the globe box and you'll see it at the top left side....
Where can I get a new battery?
SuperNotit try bumblebee battery out of Oregon/Washington state. They are excellent to deal with, have a good warranty that they will stand by. Highly recommended.
how much money does this cost in the end when you decide to do this yourself? im slightly worried about getting a $4500 civic hybrid now knowing the cost of this repair considering im only looking at a 9 yr old hybrid purely based on gas millage.
xstevedx you need to be smart when looking at Civic hybrids. You can't just go by mileage of the vehicle to determine if the battery is still good or not. Mine got replaced at 60k miles initially, but the car was 11 yes old on its original battery, and again under warrantee at 145k miles just less than 3 years later. I nearly had expired the warrantee by 2 weeks when that cursed IMA light came on. You have to go by service records, what the dealer has to say about the condition of the hybrid battery as they can do a test for you which costs like $200 if you're seriously looking into a car to purchase. Other than that, I love my Civic a lot. Not a fast car, but reliable, moderately comfortable for my lanky 6'2" self, and for my family. Don't trust a car with its original battery pack anywhere near 8 yrs old and not replaced or under some kind of transferable warrantee. If you see a car that you love and absolutely want to have, but have no kind of guarantee that protects you, figure it'll cost you $2600 if you replace it yourself down the line (bumblebee batteries are who I used) or the dealer will get you for about $3500+. If you're looking at cars for gas mileage it's worth looking at newer compact-midsize cars as their mpg falls within 5-7 mpg of the Civic hybrid. My 2013 focus falls within that range and it has balls when I want them and economy if I'm easy on the gas pedal which is nice, and I don't have a potential $3000 service light that could pop up at any second which is a pretty bad feeling when it happens. Hope this puts your mind at ease. Best of luck to you!
Dustin Elgan Yeah thanks I'll definitely be looking at service records for any replacement batteries and ask about warranty into for sure. I have a whole lot of driving to do and honestly i can't seem to find anything else that comes close to an 08 civic hybrids 45mpg for about $4500 bucks! The battery is a concern for sure though.
xstevedx your best bet is mentally add the amount of replacement battery to purchase price of the car, then take that number and compare to good gas mileage non hybrids in the same size-comfort category and weigh the cost of 3 yrs maintenance and gas expenses including depreciation (hybrids don't resale for 💩, I know cause I'm trying to sell mine with a fresh battery and I can't sell it even for what the battery is worth) you'll find you'll either break even or come in just a little cheaper buying a non hybrid used car. That's my reality that I've already lived. Bought mine 3 1/2 yrs ago for $6500, put 90k miles and about $4300 including replacement battery and other maintenance items. Can't sell it now for more than $2500. Big dark hole my friend, car needs nothing, need paint touch up on bumper and hood, no rust, newer tires. Pretty disappointed. Tough resale, wouldn't recommend it for the headaches to save 5-8 mpg at the pump... just my thoughts.
Do you think it is a better idea to just opt for the gasoline 1.8L version?
yz125ryder yes, go with a five speed if you're good with a clutch or go with anything 4 cylinder in same size category 2012 or newer. You'll see that regular hondas with the same mileage as the hybrid you're looking at sell for about 30% more. Best of luck to you.
what was the total price for replacing the battery?
Mr Pink through bumblebee battery, around $2500. It may have gone up or down, but you can call and find out. Dealer wanted $3300-3400 and the battery through them isn't warranted as long, and not the upgraded version of bumblebee, at least that's how it was with my local dealer. Not surprised.
Dustin Elgan thanks! I'm looking at a 2005 with 118000 miles selling for 3000. I wonder what are the signs that a battery is begining to fail
Can you fix my for me
Where are you located?
North Miami
You are aware there is special training, and special rubber tools and gloves you should be wearing when servicing/replacing hybrid battery? You can be killed if you don't use those. And I've seen a hybrid battery Arc, dude was lucky because he was wearing the gloves otherwise he'd be dead.
Dan Craig good point, but calling it "special training" is a stretch, a basic class on electricity and how it works, and knowing that the two big lugs in the install with all that bright wire wrap is a serious one to check for current before touching is plenty. If you turn the breaker to off, check the terminals on the battery with the voltmeter, and it reads 0 then there's really nothing that can go wrong unless you decide to go through the plastic case on the battery with a blow torch or you mess with the battery without turning off the breaker. Most people that understand those simple principles regardless if the voltmeter says 0, insulated tools are a plus and you still treat it like a live circuit (even though it isn't) and you don't make contact with other terminals out of precaution. Thanks for your input, doesn't hurt to be extra cautious, I will make a note in the description. I appreciate the comment and have a good day!
Where did you order the battery from?