Went to Firestone to get my tires aligned and rotated. They did a courtesy check and the results said I should replace my battery. Measured:375 CCA Rated:550 CCA voltage:12.37V. Everything seems normal on the dashboard though.

The car is relatively new... bought it in March. Living in San Jose having a 40 mile daily commute, occasional weekend trips to Yosemite, Tahoe, Santa Cruz. I don't think I've ever left the car alone for more than two days. The only electronic devices I have attached to the car is a dash cam and a phone charger. Both are plugged into the cigarette lighter. And should shut off once the car is turned off. The car does have an alarm noise when you leave the head lights on after you pull out the keys. So I don't believe ever did that kind of mistake. Planning on visiting the dealer and have them check it since the car battery is still under the 36000 mile warranty. But I'm really worried since this issue doesn't seem to be related to the local weather or my daily usage. Does anyone have any similar issues? or have any ideas what might be causing this?

Update
Dugged up the paperwork from the previous inspections. None of them had the little piece of thermal paper with the specs for the battery inspection results. Just got the checklist sheet and an additional page for tire alignment results. The battery results were all checked off as normal. Called the store and asked them what battery specs are they using when inspecting 2017 honda fits. He said he was going to call me back. It's been a day still haven't heard from them. Maybe I should walk in make them explain why I only got the battery inspection results this time.

The CCA ratings for 151R batteries should be 340 not 550.

 

Isn't the battery only rated for 340 CCA?

 

Yup, 340 CCA. I think Firestone is trying to sell you a battery you don't need. Might want to call Firestone and see what they have as spec for '17 Fit batteries; maybe their number is off and it's an honest mistake. But then again, maybe they're trying to make some sales quota this month.

 

Thanks for the info. I should've done more research on the numbers.

 

Yeah, I hope it's an honest mistake. This is the third time I went in for a tire rotation. They didn't mention anything wrong at the previous inspections. But I'll dig up the invoice and check if they were using different specs. Thanks for providing the information

 

I believe that the 550 CCA rating applies to the oversize 51R battery which is discussed here from time to time as an upgrade to the OEM 151R battery Honda puts in. Firestone may have just misread the battery number and looked up the spec on the wrong battery, the 51R instead of the 151R.

 

The 51R size battery is 410 CCA. I think they were trying to finesse you.

 

Firestone, Goodyear, Midas, well all of these places, stay out of them. They give you a free inspection that is anything but free. They set the hook with the inspection & reel you in for a wallet flushing. For tire work I use Discount Tire, in California I believe they are called America's Tire.

If you do need a new battery you should be under warranty. Go to the dealer.

 

dealers tend to abuse their power too by bait and hook approach even more so by saying they are HONDA.

 

Yeah, if you are under warranty, just have the dealership deal with it.

If you're nervous, have them check it, then proceed from there.

 

I'd sure trust a dealer 100 times more than the local Firestone store. Your dealer will charge you a diagnostic fee to check the battery. If you need a battery the new battery & diagnostic charge should be covered by your warranty.

To be honest if your car is starting fine there is zero reason to go to the dealer. Firestone gave you a load of BS. You were smart & didn't bite on the bait.

 

No charge for a new battery for my 2017 - full warranty coverage

 

In this case, I agree that the Firestone store was trying to sell you a battery.
I wish technicians were not evaluated on their ability to sell additional services (both at dealerships and other shops).





But, battery failures with ALL Hondas are commonly reported this time of year. The summer's heat causes them to weaken, and the demands of starting when cold becomes 'too much' for the weak battery.

All owners can assure a normal life out of their batteries if they monitor the level of the electrolyte in the cells. You MAY have to cut or scrape a label off the top to remove the caps and see the level inside tho'.

If any of the cells are low, fill with distilled water.

 

Strangely I had my oil changed at the dealer and they said my battery had too many CCA They recommended a comprehensive diagnoses…

I guess it could be over charging but I have had zero issue, warning lights etc.

 

Can anyone tell me if I can upgrade my 2017 Honda fit battery to 51R size battery. Thank you

 

Yes you can.

 

Unlike some of the newer cars that demand a certain battery, and even when you put in a new one, it requires software update to recognize that it is a new battery, or something like charge state or charge rate information so that it charges at an optimum rate due to age and environmental conditions. However, I am hoping that my Honda Fit does not throw a fit (sic) when I have to replace its battery. 2017 Fit 65K miles, so far the battery shows no odd discharge symptoms. The OEM battery is still good to go.

 

Smart to replace a battery every three years regardless of its state. All about the PM.

 

The Fit does not have the overly sophisticated over designed battery system that some cars have which is very particular about what battery you put in. It will take any ordinary battery as long as you can squeeze it in. You may have a minor problem with some music and cruise control settings being lost which you'll have to reset after disconnecting the existing battery and installing a new one but nothing significant.

 

It is not too difficult to connect a parallel back-up power when replacing the battery. That way no settings will be lost.

My GK5 Jazz is still so fresh that I have no experience on its battery life, but in general the quality of batteries and charging systems have improved the battery life remarkably in last two of decades. In my other cars the batteries have recently had lifetime of almost ten years. I expect Jazz to be not worse. I don't replace the battery until it fails i.e. car refuses to start.