[tack]

my 08 element sat for 2 weeks because of the blizzard on the east coast.
i cant even open the locks with the fob cause the battery is so dead. i used the key to open the door.
is it possible for a 16 month old battery to be this pathetic?
should i not even waste time with the dealer and just go buy a new GOOD BATTERY?

please advise

 

[ramblerdan]

Yes, buy a good battery. There are hundreds of posts over several threads on battery choices.

 

[jazzy007]

They are not the best, but if you still under warranty, & if you don't mind give another brand new 100 month warranty Honda battery a try, take it to Honda dealer, they will install & re-test it free for you under warranty.
This is exactly what I did with my wife's 07 CR-V.

 

[bufguy]

my Element is 5-1/2 years old with the original battery....I live in Buffalo.....no complaints here!

 

[hondamike12345]

if your car is 16 months old and still under warranty, you're dumb if you don't go and get a battery under warranty. for all you know, your battery might have a bad cell in it. honda batteries are good... but there are always a few bad apples. just go to the dealer and spend zero dollars. then if you've got a hard-on for an aftermarket battery, go for it after 36k.

 

[Twilightzero]

If it's under warranty get a replacement from the dealer. Otherwise, as has been said there are a lot of other choices and a bunch of how-to guides on here about bigger batteries.

 

[xequar]

my Element is 5-1/2 years old with the original battery....I live in Buffalo.....no complaints here!

I'm in my fourth Michigan winter with my original battery, and it still cranks the car like it did when I bought it.

That said, I know there are a lot of complaints about the stock battery. If your car's less than two years old, see if you can get a replacement under warranty. If not, go spend the $80 and throw another battery in it.

 

[marvin the marshen]

I have a 07 EX bought it in Jan of 07, still have the original battery and it still crank's fine (so far so good):roll:

 

[Brawsie]

Mine crapped out a few months ago. On a Sunday. Still under warranty. Dealership closed. Parts store open. Didn't feel like walking to work on Monday. :roll:

 

[marksbug]

mine was under warranty by honda,Mine is On the 3rd battery,and they wanted to charge me $181. to replace it under warranty.what a scam.so I went to wally world and $68. later away I went. the problem isant so much as the battery:shock: but honda.:shock::twisted:

 

[vandstra]

Just replaced battery for first time on '03 with 75k. Bought a Duralast just because I was at AutoZone.

 

[tack]

just got back from the dealership.
they claim the battery and charging system are fine.
they will not replace the battery because they claim nothing is wrong.
i knew they were going to respond in a lame manner.
they tried to say that if the car sat for 2 weeks (because we had a blizzard) that the battery would die.
i call total b.s. no other car i own has ever had a battery die in 2 weeks.
i will buy a GOOD BATTERY to replace the piece of crap that honda installed.
i checked for parasitic draw and found nothing the battery registers 12.47 when charged and 13.5 when running.
i say this is a honda coverup or a way to get cars into service for making money. i cant see it any other way.

 

[AKRunner]

Do you have a remote starter and/or other aftermarket electronics installed? These have been known to draw batteries down a vehicles parked for longer periods. Your draw test should have shown if this is the case but you might recheck it. Was an interior light left on? My E is a 2010 so the battery is newer but in January it sat outside for two weeks in temperatures from +5F - +20F and started right up.

 

[hondamike12345]

sounds like you had your meter on the wrong setting. those are voltage numbers you gave, and those are useless.
test parasitic draw, and report back.
what kinda mA are you seeing after the car has been off for 20 minutes?
the f-can and b-can systems have to go to sleep before testing for draw.

 

[tack]

i checked volts sitting and got 12.5
i checked volts charging and got 13.5
i checked amps on neg. bat. side while car off got 0

 

[ramblerdan]

Your meter was in milliamperes mode, yes?

 

[poohbah]

My mother in law has an 03 Element and she bought a replacement Honda battery less than 2 years ago. It crapped out last week. The good news is Honda replaced it for free.

When mine is due, I don't think I'll go the Honda route. Other than batteries and oil, I usually try to stick with Honda parts.

 

[jazzy007]

Ask your dealer to perform a battery crank test, & show you the report.
If it show below spec, & you are still under warranty, ask for new one under warranty.
Let's how I got a free brand new 100 month Honda battery, included free replacement, under warranty, for my wife's 2007 CR-V.
If they refuse to do test or show you report, you should look for other dealer welling to open & honestly serve you. Remember, dealer exist to serve you, not other way around.

 

[tack]

Your meter was in milliamperes mode, yes?

yes milli-amp mode current showed 0

 

[desinia]

yes milli-amp mode current showed 0

Since your keyless entry system is drawing power (if nothing else) your zero measurement shows you aren't connecting your meter right or it's burnt out.