Hi, I will be purchasing a battery charger after repeatedly needing to replace my battery due to low usage (it has needed to be replaced yearly). I have been searching and reading but remain unclear what battery charger to purchase for a Honda Fit 2018 EX with the traditional dealer installed battery. I also want to know if I can use the battery charger only on the weekends vs leaving it plugged in all the time as it is going to be a bit of a hassle to do that. My daily commute is about 2 miles with sometimes an extra 5 added in so I really don't drive much. I was trying to take longer drives on the weekend to recharge the battery but it wasn't helping. Will leaving it plugged in for a period of time on the weekend work given that it is not sitting without being used? Thank you!

 

Years ago, I started using Battery Tender chargers, first on motorcycles, then on cars. I'm very happy with their products.

 

You are correct that your typical driving is not friendly to a 12v battery (or to an ICE car in general). I mentioned this in a separate thread the other day, but you're the ideal candidate for a cheap older EV. Many folks can't imagine how anyone could survive with a 10-year-old Nissan Leaf with 50-60 miles of range, but that's potentially several weeks for you. Alternatively, bicycles still work just as well as they did when you were a kid if you want to skip the drive some days.

What do you mean that longer weekend drives weren't any help in charging the 12v battery? If that's the case, you have a charging system problem, right? Have you had the charging system checked or do you just keep replacing batteries?

Plugging in a battery tender for the weekend will undoubtedly help the lifespan of your 12v battery. Plugging in more often would likely help more.

Many battery tenders come with both alligator clips and a eyelets that can be wired directly to the + and ground with a quick-detach hookup for the power cable, which can then be secured in a way that you don't even have to pop the hood to attach the power cord of the battery tender. Easy-peasy. The downside is that without the open hood to remind you that the battery tender is plugged in, you increase the likelihood of forgetting that the battery tender is plugged in.

There is also the option that many choose, which is to upgrade from the small stock 151r battery to a larger/higher-capacity 51r battery. There are many posts here discussing the pros and cons of this option. But, you would still need to be able to fully charge the 51r battery periodically, whether that's through long drives or with a battery tender.

 

1. If your engine has the standard 151R battery, consider replacing with the 51R. Don't know where you live, but if you're anywhere near cold weather, the 51R provides ~30% more CCA than the 151R, as well as additional storage capacity.

2. Your battery shouldn't be giving out every year. I suspect a bad voltage regulator and/or alternator. Suspect the battery isn't getting charged while the car is running.

 

Thank you this is very helpful.

To clarify, I thought that driving my car for 30 mins or so on the weekends would help recharge but then recently read that it needs to be highway driving (higher speeds) so it wasn't actually doing much! The recent very cold weather has made it struggle and my aftermarket remote car starter has caused slight increases in battery draw (I think they said 33 but it could have been 31).

I purchased my Fit because it fit my lifestyle and it was the cheapest cost to own at the time. I have had to put almost no money into it so even replacing the battery yearly wasn't so bad but wish I had known about these battery tenders earlier. I was confused about which model to get for my car but sounds like one for a 12V battery is what I need. The idea of an EV is one I will explore in the future as I like that idea, but I'm planning to run this Fit into the ground.

 

Thanks, I requested the bigger battery but I go to the dealership and they say absolutely not

Regarding the alternator my understanding is it isn't getting charged because I'm only driving about 5 miles a day at most. I only take longer trips a couple times a year.

 

Just know that your driving scenario will do that much faster than someone taking long trips. You have been living with the consequences in terms of 12v battery life, but the more problematic consequences are things you can't see. Because your car is rarely warming up fully during a drive you will be building up moisture in the crankcase which rapidly degrades the oil and makes it worse at doing critical oil things.

If you want your Fit to last as long as possible, you will need to stay on top of your fluid changes and make those changes way more often than someone driving highway miles. Depending on your age, you might remember back to when the standard oil change recommendation was 3 months or 3000 miles. It obviously takes you a long time to get to 3000 miles, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to change your oil every 3-6 months.

You don't have to buy the battery from the dealership. Especially as someone getting a new battery each year, you're likely paying a hefty premium by doing so. Your choice.

 

I've had ZERO issue with 151R living in the rust belt outside Chicago in extreme cold weather in the winter. You either need to drive the car daily or you keep it on a battery tender. I use just battery tender junior and that's when we go on long trips.

 

Go to your local Autozone or Advance Auto shop.

I went to Advance Auto and got a Diehard AGM 51r battery.

Car starts alot stronger than with the 151r battery.

 

It costs about $150 for a battery and I think I've had to pay 2x because once it was under warranty. I know my dealership is usually similar pricing to local mechanics as I price check repair work but to be fair I haven't price checked new batteries.

I do keep up with oil changes and my maintenance is based on time frames vs mileage because if I waited to hit sime of the mileage milestones I'd be way behind. It only has 43k miles and I've had it for over 8 years. So far so good beyond the battery.

 

Yes if the battery tender isn't sufficient that will likely be my next step. I've read that it can be pricey to get the new battery if not doing it yourself but I haven't gotten quotes.

 

"I have exactly zero problems as long as I use a battery tender"

Just buy a 51R and be done with it.

Advantages:
-cheaper
-much more common / easier to find
-double the cold cranking amps

Disadvantages:
-none

To each their own. Someone like to struggle, others like a car that starts every morning.

 

Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful input; it is appreciated. Valid point, it would be worth my while to get a quote for the larger battery.

 

Some don't drive their car every day. We have an older EV for local trips; I haven't started/moved the Fit for at least 5-6 weeks, so I definitely keep it plugged into a battery tender. If you drive (a decent distance) every day, you shouldn't have a problem with a 151R battery. Certainly not with a 51R. If your usage is different, as with the OPs very short trips or if you use the car infrequently for long trips, a battery tender is the easiest and cheapest way to avoid a problem.

 

The large 51R battery actually should be about the same or even cheaper than the small 151R because it's used on Honda Civics and some other popular small cars. Think volume. The small 51R? Other than the Fit OEM I don't know what else it was used on.

 

Okay, I have an appointment tomorrow to get the 51R put in. Fingers crossed!

 

I've only driven my '19 Fit about once a week.

I've always kept it on Battery Tender. Note, I've tried a few brands of float chargers / maintainers, and the only brand to not give me issues for many many years (over a decade) is the Deltran (the real Battery Tender). That doesn't mean all other brands are not as reliable, of course, since I haven't tried that many brands.
But I don't see a reason to try other brands, so I just stick to Deltran stuff.

Anyway, the original factory battery was still working 5.5 years from manufacture, but I didn't want it dying at an inopportune time, so I replaced it at that point. I replaced it with LiFePO4 battery, so it's not a fair comparison, but the starter ran WAY faster with the new battery.

To maximize lifespan of Lead-Acid batteries, you want to keep it at full charge, for as much of its life as practical. So even with a larger battery, it's best to keep it on a float charger, especially if you don't drive often.

I've been driving my Fit, under 1500 miles per year, so I do all my maintenance based on time, not miles. Oil change every year, coolant flush every 5 years, brake fluid every 2-3 years, and so on. Note, longer drive once a week is better for the car than shorter drives everyday.

I also use AMSOIL Gasoline Stabilizer.

 

Yes! Excellent! I've had several for years.