[shawndeveau]

2109 Touring.

Parked in the garage as I normally do. A day later, I went into the garage and noticed all of windows and the moon roof were opened. Thought that was weird. Closed them. Came out 2 days later and the car was completely dead.

I'm waiting for a boost right now, which I am assuming will fix it, but any idea why the car would suddenly commit suicide? What would cause all of the windows to open?

 

[shawndeveau]

A boost resolved the issue. According to the road-side assistance guy, the windows open when there is a power leak somewhere. Not sure what would have caused the power leak though.

Weird.

Thanks for listening!

 

[Mr. Natural]

I’ve never heard of any cars windows opening for a reason like that. It’s much more likely you accidentally hit the unlock on your keyfob twice and opened them that way. That’s a pretty common thing to have happen. The battery being dead is a bigger issue. Normally I’d blame it on a dome light or something being left on. But there could be some other sort of parasitic leak in the electrical system.

 

[shawndeveau]

Thanks Mr. Natural.

I thought it was odd that the car would indicate a "power leak" by using more power to open the windows. I'm taking the car in to a dealer today to see if they can find anything.

As a side note, when you drain the battery, every single electronic device on the vehicle will lose its mind. My dashboard looked like the proverbial Christmas tree when I fired it up. ACC, LKAS, TPMS, CMBS, FCW, LDW, RDM, VSA Traction Control, etc., did not work and were displaying warnings.

After about an hour everything appeared to return to normal, and the warnings all went away, but it is definitely disconcerting.

 

[insightfully]

Did you use Honda Roadside Assistance, or other company? Did you experience any troubles given the different-from-traditional "under hood" set-up?

 

[pcsailor]

Cold Weather Starting Problem?

Hello,
I tried to start my new Insight this morning and it wouldn't start and I got this message (see picture). I've had the car 18 hours so it could be operator error but with the temp being 10F/-12C, I'm wondering if the battery system is sensing a problem because of the cold weather.

Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Phil

 

[insightfully]

I haven't had this issue, but pasted some notes from the Owners Manual below. 13F ambient temperature is higher than the range mentioned for battery inoperability, which is concerning. Are you seeing a READY indicator message at any point? Perhaps you haven't driven enough yet for the AGM battery to full charge? It might be worth calling Honda Roadside Assistance, as this doesn't sound good.

From page 634 of the Owners Manual:
"If the 12-Volt Battery Charging System Indicator Comes On... This indicator may blink after starting when the outside temperature is below −20°F (−30°C). It will stop blinking after the battery warms up."

From page 449 of the Owners Manual:
"If the outside temperature is extremely low, you cannot drive until conditions are improved. In this case, the READY indicator does not come on and a warning message appears on the driver information interface... Do not hold the POWER button to start the power system. If the power system does not start, set the power mode to OFF and wait at least 30 seconds before trying again."

 

[hasarad]

Four bars on battery is about where I land when I get home. I don't park outside, and now I'm afraid to. Please update us with the result. Hopefully Honda had a good answer for your issue.

 

[pcsailor]

I wondering if I should try and find those battery terminals under the hood and charge the battery tonight. It's 0F and fighting with my messy, unheated garage doesn't sound fun >:

I'll keep you updated.
Phil

 

[pcsailor]

Thanks insightfully for the manual page notes. I assumed the dealership would have given me full batteries, but no!

 

[insightfully]

Good luck with the battery charging. As a potential future alternative, this OEM engine block heater is listed as a fit for the 2019 Insight: https://www.hondapartsonline.net/auto-parts/2019/honda/insight/lx-trim/variable-engine/accessory-components-cat/engine-block-heater-scat

I believe the battery bars on the display screen show the status of the high voltage battery, rather than the 12V AGM battery used for starting the car.

 

[pcsailor]

Looks like it's all a bit more complicated then I thought. AGM batteries so I can't use my Dayton battery charger overnight. Seems like I can only try and jump the car or have the dealership tow it to their service dep't.

Do I have the right assessment here?

My car is completely dead now, locks won't even work. I am getting dash LEDs, but pressing Power does nothing.

Thanks,
Phil

 

[pcsailor]

Ah, so different battery for starting, that's the AGM? So I can put a meter across the jump start terminals under the hood to see what the AGM voltage is. Hopefully, a jump and long drive will get it up and running. My wife doesn't want me going out in this cold (6F) but I may sneak out due to my curiosity.

Phil

 

[insightfully]

Yes - the 12V battery for starting is inside the vehicle, under the center concole. (The high voltage battery is located under the rear seats.) This video gives a quick overview for jumping the 12V battery:

 

[Verdier]

The car should be starting in these temps. There is something wrong with the battery or car. This is a warranty issue. The car should start at 0 degrees, especially since it's new. Get after the dealer on this.

 

[andrew28]

Hello,
I tried to start my new Insight this morning and it wouldn't start and I got this message (see picture). I've had the car 18 hours so it could be operator error but with the temp being 10F/-12C, I'm wondering if the battery system is sensing a problem because of the cold weather.

Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Phil

Did you remember to shut off all the interior lights? Maybe you left one on, by accident, overnight? So far it hasn't been that cold in Boston since I got my Insight. Keep us updated on what happens.

 

[pcsailor]

Starting battery was delivered with low voltage to me. Honda checked the battery (load test) and and charging system and all is okay.

I've been enjoying the car <:

Phil

 

[insightfully]

Out of curiosity, did Honda charge your existing 12V AGM battery or give you a new one?

 

[pcsailor]

They charged it and tested it. After I jumped the Insight from my Jeep (before the dealership visit), I measured the battery with 3.6 VDC. I was concerned and went right to the dealership with the car.
I need to educate myself on AGM batteries. With a lead acid battery, if it's under 11-11.5, it's probably toast.

However this battery tested good.

Here's the dealership I bought the Insight from:
https://www.richfieldbloomingtonhonda.com/

Phil

 

[mgldan]

They charged it and tested it. After I jumped the Insight from my Jeep (before the dealership visit), I measured the battery with 3.6 VDC. I was concerned and went right to the dealership with the car.
I need to educate myself on AGM batteries. With a lead acid battery, if it's under 11-11.5, it's probably toast.
[/URL]

That's pretty interesting. The manual says to use a 12 V booster battery for jump starts. It feels wrong to apply a 12 V jump to a battery that's normally at 3.6 V...