I have a 2008 Honda Fit Sport with a little over 57k miles. I got it a month ago (Oct 2011) used from a "Stealership" for 12k cash. Less than a month old to me and the battery has died twice. It died while I was waiting on someone to run into a convenience store and I had the key on run instead of accessory. The first time the radio and fan were on for about 5 mins max. The second time it did it the key was on for less than 2 mins. Good thing it is a standard as I caught it in gear. Small cars are easy to push

Needless to say I ordered an Odyssey battery from Amazon.com for it for around 200 bucks I have had good luck with their batteries in my jet skis.

Add this cost to the cost of purchasing a spare key from the people mentioned above and I am not too pleased. I do like the car, just hate paying out extra for things I shouldn’t have had to. And I want an arm rest ugh.

 

If i may add...

If we know that fit has a finicky battery that dies easily and prematurely, why arent more people keeping the emergency start kits that are available that can jump start a car?

I built a LifePO4 booster battery pack for my girlfriends RSX. Its 4 cells of A123 batteries wired in series. Gives great starting performance and it weights about 300g and is the size of a pop can roughly. This chemistry also does great with sitting around for a long time without depleting its charge.

heres a size comparison to a motorcycle battery.



A123 Worlds Smallest VS. "Strongest" 12V Jumpstart battery - YouTube

4 cells starting a Honda at -24c

I also run the same 4 cell battery pack as my main battery in my 2008 Suzuki GSXR 750 and another one in my girlfriends Suzuki SV650.

 

Thanks for the info. I followed the advice of this forum and purchased the 51r. Saved some time and $$ and hopefully it's a better long term solution.

Two questions:
1. the existing battery cover doesn't fit anymore, will this be a problem? Maybe with heat or moisture?

2. The 51r just BARELY fits and it looks like its rubbing up against the engine (slightly). Will that be a problem? Vibrations, heat transfer?

Thanks in advance!

 

Your engine mounts mainly allow movement fore and aft so if your battery is only lightly touching there should be no trouble... I don't think the battery cover not fitting will be a problem either but if you think under the hood heat build up may present a problem you can use aluminum foil backed foam adhesive from Lowes, Home Depot or other home supply store to cover the bottom and sides with... My battery is still working well and I bought my car July 14 2006... I thought the record heat this past summer might have harmed it but so far no problem.... I have already purchased a DEKA motorcycle battery to replace it when it does because I need a little extra room under the hood for an oil mist separator ( blow by catch can), to run methanol/water injection lines and install other items.... I believe that installing hood louvers to allow hot air to rise and escape when sitting still and draw the heat out while moving has contributed to the longevity of my battery's usefulness..

 

On my original post I neglected to mention that the temperature in Guam rarely (if ever) goes below 72 F. Example: today it was 82 F (unfortunately for me I am currently in S. Korea and it is about 34 F with high wind). Louvers are a good IDEA and the battery pack jump start is a good idea.
It appears very well executed, I might add. Odyssey (Spell check did that) is another great battery option. AGM (absorbed glass mat) batteries and other newer technologies are the way to go for these cars.
These engines start so easy (reduction gear starters) that you don't notice that the battery is getting weak. By the time it is weak enough to notice that you have a problem, the undersized (to save space and weight for fuel efficiency), underpowered (to keep the price low), wet lead acid (old tech: to keep the price low) battery is done for.
A number of years ago Ford did a similar thing with some Lincoln Continentals. (this was occurring during the cars warranty period) Batteries were burning up due to constant heavy discharging and slow recharging due to short trips with an inadequate battery. Ford ended up having to instal batteries with more capacity for those folks that reported problems. Apparently Honda was smart enough to size them so that the batteries would make it through the warranty period. (By the way, my first vehicle, in 1970, when I was 14, was a brand new1971 Honda CL175 Motorcycle and it never had an abnormal battery problem).

 

Thanks for the advice. Hood louvers look like they make a lot of sense. I wonder why more vehicles don't have them.

The 51r is nice and gets the car running much quicker. Starting it seems much more deliberate.

Also, this forum has made me appreciate the Fit a little more now.

 

I posted my original message under Dealer Said, "Battery Good" after my battery died 14 times on my 2010 Handa Fit. I just became so fed up that I called The State of Oregon Legal Department. They said that in order to seek remedies under the Oregon "Lemon Law" there are several steps I have to take. They put me in touch with a lawyer who dictated a letter that I sent to the dealer and to Honda Customer Service. Customer Service called me and had the nerve to say, "I want you to take your car to the Honda Service Department and ask them to check the battery." My letter explained the numerous times I had taken my vehicle to the dealer. She told me she would check with the Oregon dealer and call me back next Tuesday. Prior to buying my Fit, I had a car for 20 years and the battery died only once when it needed replacing. I would still be driving that car if my "lead footed" husband had not wrecked it.

 

My car is a 2008 Fit Base with a 5 speed. I still have the original Yuasa size 151 Battery in it. For the 1st time this morning, I needed a jump start after driving it 9 miles to a Sonic Burgers in Fullerton Califonia from Cypress. I had driven the car almost daily over 40 miles to and from work with no problems. I have 39,000 miles on it, and it'll be 4 years since I got it brand new on June 13. I checked the charging system with a 6 led charging tester: all 6 leds lit up when the engine was running, but it went down to 5 with the AC, High Beams and stereo on. When I turned the lights off, it went to all leds back on. With the AC off, high beam headlights on, and the radio playing, all 6 leds on the tester lit up. When I turned the AC back on, all 6 stayed on, after the battery had taken on a charge.

So it seems like a number of you have gotten some weak Yuasa batteries. For those of you who still have the original battery, you need to check the water levels in your battery. You will see some caps that require you to unscrew them with a washer, coin, or fat screwdriver. If the water level is flat, you need to fill it with either distilled water or a battery electrolyte until it curves. Yuasa batteries have a visual indicator with color codes on the battery. If you are red-green colorblind, it might not be easy to see the indicator. As long as you can see a blue ring in the indicator, you should be in fair shape. My 1982 Toyota pickup came with a size 24 Yuasa battery, and it lasted almost 6 years, with distilled water being added on occasion. I haven't added distilled water or electrolytes yet to my Fit's battery, but will do so if the water level is down. I plan on stopping at Harbor Freight Tools in Garden Grove to see if they have any electrolyte additives for my car batteries. All lead acid batteries need maintenance. Beware of AC Delco sealed batteries: I used one in my Toyota truck, and it failed in less than a year. Some Honda models built in the USA come with them; the Fit is built in Japan.

Also, if your Fit has daytime running lamps (all Canadian models and 2010 & Later US models), when starting the car, your DRLs will drain the battery if you start the car with the parking brake off. The brake activates the DRL on and off switch.

 

Do not use battery acid. Use only distilled water. There's enough acid in there from factory and it's just the water that evaporates.

 

They don't sell battery acid to consumers in Southern California; it's too dangerous. They only sell a mild electrolyte additives to help keep weak batteries working for a while longer. I have used such boosters on batteries and found them to be helpful. A number of them are cadmium electrolytes, which I've used on my Toyota and Rambler size 24 batteries, and 1978 & 1980 Hondas with type 45 Batteries. The charging improved when I added the electrolytes.

 

For those who buy a 51r or 51 Battery: you can buy covers that fit at your local Honda dealer. The Civics use the 51R battery. My brother has a 95 Civic he bought brand new.

 

What are you calling a cover?

It looks to me like the problem using the 51R is the terminal block that goes on the positive battery post will not mount on the top because it hits other things. Are you talking about the terminal block/connector that goes directly on the battery post or something else?

 

I'm referring to a simple plastic cover that the Civics used in their 92-95 Models to protect the hold downs. The early ones might be discontinued since the models have improved. The early to mid 90s were the ones that Honda started using the Group 51 & 51r batteries in. The 70s & 80s used Group 45 Batteries, which the smaller Group 51 replaced. It looks like it might be tricky to fit the battery under the hood.

 

I'm going to have to look at a 90's Civic to see what you are talking about.

Thanks,

 

I just installed a Deka / Big Crank ETX30L

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...k-install.html

I didn't replace the plastic battery cover, from what I understand the battery cover designed to contain battery acid with the stock flooded battery. Since the deka / big crank is AGM I think going no cover is ok.

 

I'd just like to jump in here, because this is now the third battery that my 2007 Fit has killed in five years. (I'm the originator of this thread.)

Battery #1: Stock Yuasa, replaced under warranty
Battery #2: Stock Yuasa, replaced under warranty
Battery #3: Optima D51R Yellowtop

I've had the dealer do checks for stealth drains. They claim the car is "sleeping" properly and pulling negligible power. The charging system is okay.

The car gets driven 25 minutes to work and 25 minutes back again five days a week.

I was willing to believe that the Yuasa batteries were weak and inferior in some way, but this stupid Fit just killed an expensive Optima and I have no idea what is going on any more.

I'm about ready to just consider the battery a yearly consumable and drop a new Die Hard battery in it every fall.

 

I must have a very special OEM battery.. 78 months old and still holds a charge...

 

First battery died within the first 2 years. Second battery, a Honda OEM battery has been in there for almost four years. No change in driving pattern from 1st 2 years to second four years. battery is almost the same size as a motorcycle battery.

 

My 2008 Fit Sport still has the factory battery. I wonder if has done well because of how I drive?

 

There's just so many things we don't know and too many variables to effect battery life.

I live in a place where it is freezing cold in the winter, so it's usually winter when the battery dies. That's typical for this sort of climate -- you go out to start the car one day and it won't. Time for a new battery.

What is not typical about this situation is that this Fit, a 2007 Sport, has killed three batteries since I bought it brand new off the lot. That's one battery every two years, approximately.

I've never had another car do that. My Nissan eats about a battery every 6 years and my old Nissan that I traded in for the Fit ate a battery about every 6 years and the Saturn we just got rid of ate a battery every 8. That was the case whether we drove the cars all the time or let them sit for two weeks at an airport while we were on vacation or parked them outside or in a garage or took long trips or lots of short trips. Now I have to haul around a portable jump starter in the winter because I never know when this stupid Fit will strand me.

Something must be seriously wrong with the car. The tech at Sears today (we put in a cheap Die Hard to replace the dead Optima) was incredulous: "This car killed an Optima Yellow Top? That's not right!"