My 2015 ELX Fit just arrived here in Bogota, Colombia. I purchased it in Florida but after going through Customs and other bureaucratic hoops it has finally arrived. It has been sitting for a while and when I went downstairs to start it up, the engine light came on. Several more attempts were not successful. Is it possible I already have a dead battery? Certain things still work like the overhead lights but nothing else.

 

There are documented battery problems with some Fits, but I would definitely recommend hooking the car up to a charger before thinking the worst.

These things are fitted with essentially large motorcycle batteries and run flat very quickly.

 

Try charging it, but if you continue to have problems after charging it then bring it to a dealer to have the test the battery and see if it warrants replacement. That's what I had to do 4 days after driving mine off the lot. No problems since I had the battery replaced.

 

Try jumping the car. Then, check for anything that would drain the battery. After you get the car running, have the battery checked. Worst case scenario, replace the battery (which, if the battery has been run down to dead, may be the best idea anyway).

 

Funny....my first thought was: "cold must be messing with the battery". But...you're in Colombia. Duh....that ain't it.

 

Try shutting it off with lights on.

I have a dashboard voltmeter as part of an HUD plugged into my OBD2 port that also displays live data. The voltage under load will rise to 14.3, but will drop as low as 12.2 at idle when not using much electrical power. I upgraded my battery to the 51R after being frustrated with having to use a workaround solution to be sure the car would start again. I still find myself making sure the voltage is peaked at 14.3 before shutting off the car, leaving the lights on works, but revving the engine doesn't help at all, and idling with everything off aggravates the problem instead of helping.

My guess is that the low charging without electrical load helps with fuel economy, but has the side effect of being harder on batteries.

 

Wrong post.