Hello again my esteemed f-freaks! Yea so my '12 Fit battery has been dying as of late because i am working from home and skipping days when i dont drive it (1-2) basically if i dont start it every day its going to die..so 51R is a good replacement ive been advised..pep boys has one on sale now (PRO START 51R) for $42 plus 20% off of that price for online purchase and ofcourse i was unable to check -out because the "add to cart" button on their site is not allowing me to do so..anyway i think my Fit is a Japanese version so hopefully i dont need to "jimmy the battery holder to get a replacement in there. Anyone know what a decent/cheap replacement battery would be...assuming i am unable to get that one from pepboys (yes i tried calling and im left in an endless loop)
Any heads up much appreciated.

 

51R is a good choice, bu require some modifications. Many threads on here about it. Search is your friend.

Also, I would suggest buying an intelligent battery charger if you don't drive your car often. Will save your battery in the long run.

 

Frenzal-
My understanding was if your Fit is a Japan version (not Mexico) then no modification of the battery housing would be necessary for the 51R..still trying to double check that info tho..

 

GE8 were made in Japan or China... GK can be made in Mexico.

 

actually i dont even know where to look for this info on the car..i suspect its somewhere under the hood ?

 

On the door sticker, where you can also find tire dimensions and recommended tire pressure.

 

Look for your VIN on the door sticker or the plate near your dash/windshield. If it starts with a J, then it's built in Japan.

 

I would only buy the correct size OEM. And if I see a car has been modified (try cut) by someone fitting the wrong size battery in it, I would steer away from such a car. It lowers the resale value for sure.

Some people also put wrong sized overstock tires on it, reducing fuel efficiency and increasing the chance of a tire come off, not to mention alterning the speedometer and odometer readings.

Nothing wrong with stock 151R, had mine for 7 yrs before replacing with another Honda OEM 151R.

 

^^
Even with a 51R, you can easily reverse to a 151R if you want. Anyway, the way I did it.

And here, in the cold, the 151R is just a no go. Been stranded so many times with a dead car...

 

You need to take care to keep the battery charged so it starts. If you need to have a power source for slow drain, lead acid battery is not the answer anyway.

You were stranded due to your own failure not the battery type.

 

Genuine Honda all day.

 

OK, being super cold outside is my own failure...
Have it your way!

EDIT: Oh, and one of the first 2 OEM 151R batteries failed due to shorted cells...

 

In defense of the 151r haters, mine has refused to start as well multiple times, multiple batteries. That battery seems to be specced under the assumption that the fit will be purchased in 1.2 variants in Indonesia. 1.5l engine to turn and let it sit at -5f overnight? Won’t even turn the thing over. Feels like the hope was that owners would stay away from below freezing temperatures.

All my other cars, many Hondas included, had much larger batteries and generally would start unless you left them for a week plus. Most would be fine unto year 5. The Ge battery is kind of like the equivalent of a coaster brake on a bike: it does the thing it’s supposed to do, but not very well.

I just bought another 151r despite wanting to upgrade. Was starting to struggle even at 50F on its fourth year. In the current environment, most people have plenty on their minds and I took the short way out. My plan is to buy a battery warmer to help in the winter, and then replace it after year three.

 

Thanks to everyone who weighed in..indeed my VIN does start with a "J"..so can anyone confirm if no modifications to battery housing would be required for a 51R upgrade? Car has 45K so I suspect the current battery is original. Car needs to be started every say now, to keep it from dying.
thanks
PS that pepboys price I quoted for the 51R was apparently an old advert that was confirmed when I called them today...back on the hunt.

 

Where are you seeing that the country of origin has something to do with battery fitment?

Fitment is dependent on the mfg of the battery. Not every 51R is gonna be the exact same dimensions down to the millimeter. Each mfg might vary slightly in the casing and this is what will cause issues. That's not an issue in cars that are specced for a 51R since there is some wiggle room around the battery. But the Fit has no wiggle room.

I can tell you from experience that the Interstate version sold through Costco fits without modification. It's very tight and needs to be angled, but it works. Like a lot of 51R's, the terminals need to be shimmed with a trim nail or something because they're a tad skinnier. I've been running that Interstate now for 2 years without a single problem. ~$70 after core refund.

 

Is it correct that I need to drive my vehicle every other day to prevent the battery from getting drained—this is outrageous, so I need your advice, I purchased my vehicle April 2019 and have had 3 boosts already where the dash lights start flashing and motor doesn’t even turn over. Is this a lemon? My car dealer is giving me a run around and so very disappointed. Please Help!

 

my solution is to just use jumpstarter powerbank in the morning. you cannot avoid battery drain in this modern cars so just look ways to cope with the problem

 

This, or plug an intelligent charger on your battery when not using the car

 

I’m not sure about every other day, but in my experience the Fit does need to be driven either frequently or long distances. I have a GE, sounds like the third gens may be worse, maybe others can chime in. I agree with your plan to be outraged.

 

Not all 51Rs are the same, but they are within a mm or 2 in size. I have gone from the 151r to the 51r due to having a sound system (the 151r was just not able to cope, didn't want to run a second battery, so seemed the most reasonable alternative). As was said before, plenty of DIYs on how to get the 51r in the battery tray (mostly involves shaving the plastic tray, takes a couple of minutes). Original 51r lasted 4 years (Interstate), new battery is a Yuasa and its been solid. Just beware of getting standard versus japanese posts, the japanese posts are much skinnier. I would recommend upgrading the ground while you are swapping batteries, the factory one is awful small.