When this recall business is finally over, I'm going to need a new battery for my 2011 Base. Do any of you have a preferred brand that works well in the Fit?

 

I used a Duracell battery from Batteries+Bulbs, had it in almost 6 months, really cranks, but I did do the upsize and get the bigger battery, had to fiddle a bit to fit it on the battery shelf..

 

Can you tell me more about the upsize? I don't even know what size battery is in there now----it's just a battery to me. What is the bigger size we can use?

 

stock is a 151R I used a 51R (there is a lot of info about batteries on this site,, lots of chat about cold weather issues etc..

The 51R fits slightly tight on my 2007, I put a strip of gorilla tape on the battery where it rubs on the air cleaner plastic a bit. On the warmer weather gets here I plan on doing some mild mods to the battery platform to make it fit better..

 

I went back and read several of the posts about battery mods. I'll probably just use a 151R----I'm not inclined to modify stuff. Maybe my neighbor can help me, in which case I might use the 51R.
Do you know what brands of 151R would be best? I only have access here to O'Reilly's, Autozone, WalMart, Advance Auto....

 

The 51R may not require any mods in your car, its literally that close, mine fits, its just barely touching a piece of plastic. I am also looking at trying to wedge a much larger
battery in because this car is going to college with my daughter and I don't want any fail to start issues..

I prefer Diehard batteries usually. The generic autoparts chains carry whats profitable,, not always whats best. You might check amazon as well, if you can get a prime deal it might save money. The Duracell I bought is a nice battery, you can tell when the plastic shell is well made and the battery weighs about 1/2 again whet the interstate generic battery weighs. .

 

DW,

1) Did you have to, or does it look like you will have to, modify the battery tray, and did the battery leads reach the positive and negative posts?

2) Did you go to Batteries Plus Bulbs or order by internet?

3) What about the state of charge? Was the battery fully charged, or did you put it on a Battery Tender overnight?

 

1. I don't think I need to modify the battery tray at all, there is a piece of plastic that does nothing far as I can tell on the side of the air box that Just barely kissed the side of the new battery I think on rough roads, I'm going to sand it down 1/16 inch and see if that gets rid of it.. There is lots of meat in that piece so I think theres room to play..

2. Batteries Plus Bulbs, there is one almost across the street from where I work.

3. I changed it in the store parking lot it started like it had a mack truck battery spinning it and it still does.. No hesitation..

 

^^There's a Batteries Plus Bulbs on Sepulveda in Culver City. Hmm. Maybe next week.

I don't understand why everyone is so worried about a snug fit. Does it look like the parts touching or rubbing is going to create a problem? I can't picture it.


Note: My only quibble is I hate adding weight to the car.

 

DW,

Don't know if you covered this, but could you indicate if you had to change/replace the stock bracket that holds the battery in place? If so, how and with what?

 

I looked around a lot before buying my battery from Advance Auto,

It ended up being around 80$ at the time which was by far the cheapest place for a 151R. had a good warranty too.

I've had it for almost 2 years and so far it works fine. It even started right up after three months of sitting in the hot South Texas summer.

 

Good to hear. I like the idea of keeping it stock.


With the 51R and a weight increase of 6 lbs, would that influence handling at all?

 

I doubt an extra 6lbs could make a noticeable difference.

I am thinking about getting the 51R next, mainly because its easier to find but the extra amps are also a plus.

 

You'd probably have to be a better driver than most of us here, and have a dialed-in front suspension, to feel the difference, but maybe.

I'm against the extra weight on principle. But I'm also fed up with long starts.

 

The battery that the Dealer sells is a "Honda" brand with a 100-month warranty, that is pro-rated after 36 months. Um, that sounds like a 3-year warranty to me.

 

The washer fluid weighs more than 6 lbs.

Just my opinion but after years of watching track and street cars fail to start, the battery just isn't where I'm going to save weight. Unless I can buy a Oddesey or a LiPo I'm going big as fits in the car.

 

Has anyone tried an Interstate Mega-Tron 151R?

I'm going to stick with 151, but I'm deciding on a brand. Does anyone know who makes the Honda replacement batteries?

 

I have the Napa 65151R which is cheaper than the Honda battery, and have no complaints.

 

Agree on the NAPA battery. A lot cheaper than autozone 9at least at the time. And it's the right size. 3 winters on mine and it's fine.

 

Jw,
longer story below, but I'm curious if there's a reason for the 51r popularity vs a 26r (availability)? It's wider, and not as long as the 51r, but still with good cca. The 51r was too tight for my liking. 26r is wide enough to need a new hold-down and tray extension, so still needs mods, but seems like a good option.

Longer story follows;
it's been 2 years since I looked into the conversation. I believe there was a slight variation in 51r length, and I might have gotten one to fit without pressing on the airbox. I'd rather go with the 26r unless there's some reason not to.
All the time spent researching, I could have built my own li-on battery system 😂

I got stuck 2 years ago and put in a miata battery as an emergency replacement. It has 370 vs the stock 340cca. I thought it was going out last week, so began researching again.
- If anyone uses a miata battery, be sure to use the venting tubes, and add an extension to get under the engine bay! There's a highly corrosive gas that comes out that'll rust your nice shiny metal. -
I had the battery tested and it was ok, with 350cca remaining. I cleaned the chassis-engine ground and it's been fine since.
Also noticed the stock metal battery clamps deform, and prevent a tight fit. If you look, there's an s bend where the bolt goes through. These were deformed. I used pliers and channel locks to straighten the offending areas - 2 unbendings on opposite sides of each clamp - (Turned S shape into a J). Battery clamps are now locked on tight. I had used shims so it wasn't an issue, but I noticed the deforming when checking battery connections.
Honda dealer here in Florida used to offer a $109 battery replacement with 3 year warranty. Original stock battery lasted 5 years so I was tempted to do that. Price is now $165 with tax and shop fees, which is too much for a wimpy battery that (maybe) is of lesser quality than 7 years ago. 26r at Walmart was priced at $48 plus tax. No warranty, but I see little value in today's warranies. I was initially ticked that the autozone battery looked to be dying at 1 month past it's 2 year warranty, so soured on the whole warranty circus. For now, I'm keeping the miata battery until it dies. Fit is mainly used around town, so I'm not worried about getting stranded somewhere desolate.
All for now. Love the fit and fitfreak forums.