[KlumzyDriver]

From the comments here it is apparently unacceptable to use a trickle charger on the AGM battery. Anybody know specifically why not? With other cars if I inadvertently left an interior light on and the AGM battery went dead I have used a trickle charger hooked up for a few hours to get things going again.

 

[Wolverine51]

AGM Battery Charger - 12 Volt Battery

Is it true that the owner must never use either a battery maintainer or charger on this battery (as implied on page 591 of the Owners Manual) ?

 

[Mr. Natural]

The way I read it you just need to make sure it’s an AGM compatible charger.

 

[insightfully]

The way I read it you just need to make sure it’s an AGM compatible charger.

Agree. The manual reads "AGM labeled batteries like those installed in your vehicle require a compatible charger to be properly charged. Damage to the battery can result if the battery is charged improperly or with the wrong equipment. For more information on how to charge your vehicle’s AGM battery, consult a dealer."

The main difference in charging approach is "low and slow" for an AGM battery. I liked this article and video for info: http://www.thelongestlecture.com/charge-agm-battery-with-normal-charger/

 

[Wolverine51]

Great replies. That article on AGM batteries is well worth reading by all Insight Owners.

 

[runninglate]

How trickle charge 12v when laying up Insight

I need to put my 2019 Insight in storage for 6 months. Much to my surprise per my dealer the only way to keep the starter battery charged is to buy an extender for the 12v battery +post (to avoid the clips causing a short) and charge the battery in the cabin with a window open (to let the electric cord in and any fumes out). I have laid up cars may times and needing to leave the car open was a complete surprise- normally one charges the battery under the hood. I expected to charge it via the jump-start connection under the hood, but Honda says not to do so.

Does anyone know a way to keep the starting battery up while the car in is storage without leaving a window open? Mice and dust are not friends.

 

[mgldan]

Dumb question - why not remove the starter battery (and leave it charging elsewhere)?

 

[insightfully]

Wow, the "in-cabin charge" info from dealer is different from the "under-hood" approach. A few months ago, @FRR mentioned in this "did you know" thread that the dealer didn't recommend battery tender at all. And the only info in the manual on this topic says to "consult dealer" for info on charging the car's AGM battery.

Did your dealer make any comment as to why to connect to battery in-cabin, rather than under-hood?

 

[andrew28]

I think it would be a good idea to ask Honda directly (https://twitter.com/hondacustsvc?lang=en). The dealership doesn't give correct info sometimes.

 

[Verdier]

I think it would be a good idea to ask Honda directly (https://twitter.com/hondacustsvc?lang=en). The dealership doesn't give correct info sometimes.

Agreed! Talk to Honda corporate directly by phone or email and record it or save the email with the name if the person telling you what to do. Too much ambiguity on this car.

 

[runninglate]

The dealer showed me a Honda maintenance video in which Honda said never to charge the battery from under the hood. The dealer did not know why, and promised to try to find out.

 

[runninglate]

Thank you - I will try to contact them and post their reply. I was not aware of that account.

 

[runninglate]

I tweeted hondacustsvc explaining I needed to lay up my Insight for 6 months and explained that trickle charging in the cabin required a space for an electric cord and dust and mice were a concern, and that I was concerned I would lose all electronic settings if I removed the battery to charge elsewhere, and asked what Honda recommended.

From HondaCustSvc on Twitter WD replied" We can assist in documenting a complaint but unfortunately, we cannot offer assistance diagnosing the issue or make suggestions for possible maintenance since we are not technicians. We're sorry we could not be of greater assistance in that regard."

Honda was quick to respond but not helpful.

If anyone has experience laying-up an Insight (I realize the car is new and not many have been laid-up) I'd appreciate hearing what they did and if they were satisfied they chose the right way to do it.

 

[Mr. Natural]

I think there’s bigger problem than the 12v battery if you’re not going to run it for 6 months. According to the manual you need to run the car for at least 30 minutes every 3 months to prevent the high voltage battery from discharging too far.

 

[Mr. Natural]

.

 

[andrew28]

I tweeted hondacustsvc explaining I needed to lay up my Insight for 6 months and explained that trickle charging in the cabin required a space for an electric cord and dust and mice were a concern, and that I was concerned I would lose all electronic settings if I removed the battery to charge elsewhere, and asked what Honda recommended.

From HondaCustSvc on Twitter WD replied" We can assist in documenting a complaint but unfortunately, we cannot offer assistance diagnosing the issue or make suggestions for possible maintenance since we are not technicians. We're sorry we could not be of greater assistance in that regard."

Honda was quick to respond but not helpful.

If anyone has experience laying-up an Insight (I realize the car is new and not many have been laid-up) I'd appreciate hearing what they did and if they were satisfied they chose the right way to do it.

Maybe have a friend/family member or pay someone to drive your car from time to time? @Mr. Natural is also right about the HV battery being more important.

 

[andrew28]

The dealer showed me a Honda maintenance video in which Honda said never to charge the battery from under the hood. The dealer did not know why, and promised to try to find out.

It was probably the above video. The warning to not charge the battery starts @0:37 mark. AGM batteries charge differently than Flooded batteries, too.
https://www.knowyourparts.com/technical-resources/blog/three-misconceptions-agm-batteries/

I think there’s bigger problem than the 12v battery if you’re not going to run it for 6 months. According to the manual you need to run the car for at least 30 minutes every 3 months to prevent the high voltage battery from discharging too far.

I also noticed this warning on a sticker right underneath the hood when I was refilling my washer fluid tank today.

 

[Inisight19]

Parking issues?

Hi all,

I am looking to move into a large city soon where the parking is very expensive. I was thinking about taking my car to my parents house and letting it sit to avoid paying hundreds of dollars a month to park. I am told that parking hybrid vehicles for a long time causes issues. Is this true for a 2019 Insight? If so, what are those issues and how could I mitigate them?

Any and all advice/insight (no pun intended) welcome

Thank you!

 

[insightfully]

I am looking to move into a large city soon where the parking is very expensive. I was thinking about taking my car to my parents house and letting it sit to avoid paying hundreds of dollars a month to park. I am told that parking hybrid vehicles for a long time causes issues. Is this true for a 2019 Insight? If so, what are those issues and how could I mitigate them?

Honda recommends that the Insight be turned on at least 30 minutes once every 3 months to keep the HV battery charged. Identical recommendation is made by Toyota for the Prius regarding length of run time and maximum time interval between runs, so this seems to be a common need for hybrid battery maintenance.

There are 2 batteries in the car:

• The HV battery is the larger battery pack which the car uses for power, and it is located under the rear seats. It gradually discharges even while the car is not in use. If the HV battery drains too low, it will prevent the car from starting up since it's one of the start-up checks the car performs. Running the car recharges the HV battery (which in turn recharges the 12V battery via DC-to-DC converter).
• The 12V AGM battery runs accessory systems and is also part of the start-up check. The 12V battery is located in the cabin (vs under the hood), in the front center console, but can be 'jumped' from terminals located under the hood. The manual suggests that a 'compatible AGM charger' can be used on the Insight 12V battery, and there are suggestions for trickle chargers earlier in this thread.
• Note that the trickle charger is only for maintaining the 12V battery, and will not charge the HV battery; the HV battery is charged only by turning the car on.

Worst case, there is some info on jump starting the 12V battery in a separate thread... but keep in mind that if the HV battery is dead/depleted, jump starting the 12V battery alone won't start the car - https://www.gen3insight.com/forum/202-2019-honda-insight-charging-batteries/680-portable-jump-starter-12v-battery.html

 

[andrew28]

Found some helpful TSBs from... Toyota
Long-Term Vehicle Storage Guidelines
Maintenance for HV and Auxiliary Batteries
Battery Maintenance During PDS